| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

634

It was narrated from ‘Awn ibn Abi Juhayfah, from his father, that he saw Bilal giving the call to prayer. [He said:] I started watching his mouth as he turned this way and that, this way and that, reciting the adhan..

Commentary : The adhan has been prescribed to alert the people to the beginning of the time for prayer. In order to serve that purpose, the mu’adhdhin should have a loud voice, so that his voice will reach the largest possible number of people.
In this hadith, Abu Juhayfah, Wahb ibn ‘Abdillah al-Suwa’i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) as he was giving the adhan. He saw him turning right and left as he was giving the call to prayer. According to a report narrated by Muslim, he said: I started watching his mouth as he turned this way and that – meaning, right and left – saying, Hayya ‘ala al-salah, hayya ‘ala al-falah. This indicates that the turning referred to in the hadith should only be done when reciting these two phrases; so the mu’adhdhin should turn to his right when saying “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and to his left when saying “Hayya ‘ala al-falah.” The purpose of turning right and left is to make the voice reach as far as possible, so that the people can hear him.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to turn right and left when giving the call to prayer, whilst saying “Hayya ‘ala al-salah” and “hayya ‘ala al-falah.”.

635

It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: Whilst we were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he heard the sound of people coming in. When he finished the prayer, he said: What was that noise? They said: We were rushing to pray. He said: “Do not do that. When you come to prayer, come in a calm and dignified manner, then whatever you catch up with pray, and whatever you miss, make it up.”.

Commentary : Because prayer is a meeting between a person and his Lord, it is appropriate for him to prepare himself for that meeting, and to observe proper etiquette with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah a great deal about this etiquette, including what is mentioned in this hadith. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard the sound of people coming in – meaning the sound of their movements and words – whilst he was praying in congregation, he asked them, after he had finished his prayer, about the reason for this movement and noise. They said: We were rushing to catch up with the prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them not to rush like that, and advised them to behave in the calm and dignified manner that is required when coming to prayer; he instructed them to be quiet and unhurried, then whatever you catch up with of his prayer, pray it with him, and whatever you miss of his prayer, make it up after the imam says the salaam. Thus you will attain the reward of having prayed in congregation, so there is no need to rush.
This hadith urges the Muslim to be calm and dignified when coming to prayer..

642

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The iqamah for prayer was given when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was conversing with a man in a corner of the mosque, and he did not get up to pray until the people had fallen asleep..

Commentary : Prayer is a connection between a person and his Lord, hence he should make sure that there is nothing in his mind or heart to distract him before he starts to pray, because that will help him to focus on his prayer with proper humility (khushu‘).
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the iqamah for prayer was given whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was talking to a man and having a private conversation with him in a corner of the mosque. The prayer in question was ‘Isha’, as is stated clearly in a report narrated by Muslim. He spoke to him for such a long time that he did not get up to pray until after those who were present in the mosque had fallen asleep, because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke to that man for so long. Perhaps the conversation was about some religious matter that was urgent and important, otherwise he would not have delayed the prayer for so long that the people fell asleep after such a lengthy wait.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to give precedence to urgent and important matters, concerning which there is the fear that not doing so may lead to harm, or one could be distracted by them if prayer is offered at the beginning of its time.
It indicates that it is permissible to talk after the iqamah for prayer has been given, and before starting to pray.
It indicates that it is permissible to separate the iqamah and prayer in cases of necessity.
It indicates that it is permissible for two people to converse privately in the presence of a group of others..

644

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I thought of issuing orders that firewood be collected and brought, then issuing orders that the call to prayer be given, and instructing a man to lead the people in prayer, then I would go to some men and burn their houses down with them inside. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of them knew that he would find a bone with meat on it, or the meat from a sheep’s foot, he would attend ‘Isha’.”.

Commentary : Prayer in congregation is one of the practices and rituals of Islam. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined it and warned against neglecting it and being heedless concerning it. In this hadith, there is a stern warning and threat from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who stays away from prayer in congregation with no excuse. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) swore an oath, saying: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul.” This is an oath by which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) often swore. What it means is: By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul; this is an affirmation of the divine attribute of the hand, in a manner that is befitting to Allah’s majesty. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) swore this oath, saying: “I thought of issuing orders that firewood be collected” – that is, I was about to issue orders that firewood – which is dry material from crops and trees – be collected, then issuing orders that the call to prayer be given, and instructing a man to lead the people in prayer; then I would not join the prayer in congregation, doing something different to my instruction to pray. I would go to some people who have stopped praying in congregation and have been praying in their houses, and burn their houses down with them inside. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) swore the same oath again, for emphasis, saying: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if one of them knew that he would find a bone with meat on it, or the meat from a sheep’s foot, he would attend ‘Isha’.” The word translated here as a bone refers to a bone on which there is a little meat left. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was swearing that if those people who stayed away from prayer in congregation with no excuse knew that, if they attended the prayer, they would find some worldly benefit, such as food for example, even if that worldly benefit was of very little significance, they would attend and join the worshippers, because all they cared about was worldly benefit, and they did not care about what would benefit them in the hereafter.
This hadith emphasizes the importance of praying in congregation, and warns against missing it with no excuse.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is of lower standing to lead the prayer in the presence of one who is of higher standing, if that serves a purpose..

645

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times better than prayer offered on one’s own.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to pray in congregation, because of the great virtue that there is in doing so. He spoke of its virtue in many hadiths, including this hadith in which he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the difference between the reward of praying in congregation and the reward of praying on one’s own; praying in congregation is twenty-seven times better than praying on one’s own, so the one who prays in congregation attains the reward of the one who prays on his own, plus a twenty-sevenfold reward. This meaning is indicated by what is mentioned in a report narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah: “Prayer in congregation is equivalent to twenty-five prayers offered on one’s own.” Muslim also narrated: “One prayer offered with the imam is better than twenty-five prayers offered on one’s own.” With regard to the difference of numbers mentioned in the reports, twenty-seven and twenty-five, this difference may be due to differences in the situation of each individual worshipper and the way he performs the prayer. Thus one of them may attain a twenty-fivefold reward, and others may attain a twenty-sevenfold reward, depending on how well they pray, the extent to which they do the movements properly and show proper focus and humility (khushu‘), the number of people present in the congregation and their virtues, the virtue of the location, and other matters.
The salaf or early generations (may Allah be pleased with them) did not stay away from prayer in congregation, and they were keen to do it. One of them – as is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) would be brought to attend the prayer in congregation leaning on two men, having to be supported by them because of his feebleness and weakness, because of what he knew of the virtue of praying in congregation and hoping to attain the reward thereof.
This hadith urges the Muslim to pray in congregation and highlights the virtue of doing so..

650

It was narrated that Umm al-Darda’ said: Abu’l-Darda’ came in, looking angry. I said: What has made you angry? He said: By Allah, I do not recognize anything of the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except the fact that they pray together..

Commentary : Loving the religion of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), teaching it to the people, being angry and sad when people forget anything of it, and hastening to advise them and remind them, are all obligatory, and every Muslim must do them to the best of his knowledge and ability. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to do that. In this hadith, Umm al-Darda’ – whose name was Hujaymah; she was the younger Umm al-Darda’ and was a Tabi‘iyyah – narrates that her husband Abu’d-Darda’, whose name was ‘Uwaymir (or ‘Amir) ibn Zayd al-Khazraji, came in one day looking angry. She asked him why he was angry, and he said: By Allah, I do not recognize anything of the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except the fact that they pray together. In other words, he did not recognize anything that they were still adhering to of the teachings of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except their praying in congregation. He said that out of sorrow for what he saw of the people falling short in matters of religion. Undoubtedly this is a relative matter; the people of his time still adhered to most of the teachings of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Rather Abu’d-Darda’ was saddened by the difference between the Prophet’s era and what followed it, and undoubtedly there was a difference between the two, especially following the emergence of turmoil (fitnah) at the time of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Otherwise, their era was among the three best generations of which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of humanity are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.”
There is no contradiction between what Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said and the Prophet’s prohibition on describing people as being doomed, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “If a man says, The people are doomed, he is the most doomed of them.” The scholars are unanimously agreed that criticizing the one who says that people are doomed only applies to one who says that by way of looking down on people, thinking himself superior to them, and condemning what he sees of their situation, because he does not know what is in people’s hearts. As for the one who says that by way of expressing sorrow at what he sees in himself and in other people of falling short with regard to religious matters, there is nothing wrong with that. Moreover, Abu’l-Darda’ did not say, The people are doomed and have neglected religious matters. Rather he said it by way of comparing his situation at that particular time with the situation of the Sahabah at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had stated that no time would come, but what came after it would be worse. Narrated by al-Bukhari.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to be angry when there is a change in people’s religious commitment, and it is permissible to denounce evil by expressing anger, if one is not able to do more than that..

651

It was narrated that Abu Musa said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The people who will have the greatest reward for prayer are those who have to come from the furthest distance, then the next furthest, and the one who waits for the prayer until he prays with the imam will have a greater reward than the one who prays, then goes to sleep..

Commentary : The reward for an act of worship is connected to the sincerity and effort involved. The greater the effort and the greater the sincerity, the greater the reward will be. In this hadith, the Prophet highlights the virtue of walking to the mosque from far away, and the virtue of waiting to pray in the mosque with the imam. He said: “The people who will have the greatest reward for prayer are those who have to come from the furthest distance.” Then he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned that the reason why the reward for the prayer in this case is so great is the distance walked; in other words, the long distance and the many steps taken. That is because the hardship involved is greater than in the case of one who is a neighbour of the mosque, in addition to the patience involved in doing this act of worship. Every prayer in which there is difficulty due to the distance walked brings a greater reward and is better than a prayer in which there is no difficulty. This is encouraging and urging the Muslim to pray in congregation, even if the mosque is far away. In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that when Banu Salamah wanted to move closer to the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said to them: “O Banu Salamah, remain in your land and the reward for your steps will be recorded, remain in your land and the reward for your steps will be recorded.” What is meant is: stay where you are, and in return for the steps that you take to the mosque, more reward will be written for you because of having to walk further to reach the mosque.
Similarly, the one who waits for the prayer so that he may pray with the imam in congregation will have a greater reward than the one who prays on his own as soon as the time for the prayer begins, then goes to sleep. Just as distance has an impact of increasing reward, waiting for a longer time also increases reward, because in both cases extra effort is required..

652

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whilst a man was walking on a road, he came across a thorny branch on the road, so he removed it. Allah appreciated his action and forgave him.” Then he said: “The martyrs are five: one who dies of a plague, one who dies of a stomach disease, one who drowns, one who dies beneath a collapsed structure, and the martyr who is killed in Allah’s cause.” And he said: “If the people knew what there is in the call (to prayer) and the first row, and they could find no way except drawing lots, they would draw lots for that. If they knew what there is in coming early for prayer, they would race and compete for it. If they knew what there is in ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.”.

Commentary : Obeying Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and fulfilling His commands are a means of attaining high status in this world and the hereafter. Acts of obedience and worship are many and varied, and people’s motivation to do them also varies. Hence people’s rewards and status before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) also vary.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urges the Muslim to do a number of righteous deeds, and he describes the types of martyrs. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) begins by urging the Muslim to remove harmful things from the road. He speaks of a man who was walking on a road, and came across a thorny branch that was bothering the people; either this branch was on a tree at the level of their heads, and bothered them, or it was at the level of their feet and bothered them. So he removed it, so as to stop it bothering people. Allah accepted that from him and praised him for it, and his reward was that Allah forgave him his sins in return for removing that branch from the road.
Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned types of martyrs who will have the reward of the martyr. It was said that the martyr (shahid) is so called because the angels witness (yashhaduna) his death, so it is witnessed (mashhud). It was also said that it is testified (mashhud) that Paradise is his; or it is because he is alive and present with Allah; or because he has seen (shahida) what Allah has prepared for him of honours. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned five types of martyrs here. The first of them is the one who dies of a plague, which is an epidemic or pandemic. The second is the one who dies of a stomach disease, namely diarrhoea; it was also said that he is the one who dies of oedema or swelling of the stomach, or the one who dies of any internal disease. The third is the one who dies by drowning in water. The fourth is the one who dies beneath a collapsed structure, such as a wall and the like. The fifth is the one who is killed in Allah’s cause; this refers to a Muslim who dies striving in jihad against the disbelievers, by any means of fighting them, before the war ends. He is the one who is described as a martyr in this world and the hereafter, and he is the one whose body is not to be washed or shrouded in anything except the clothes in which he was killed, and no funeral prayer is to be offered for him. That is in contrast to the other four types, who are martyrs in the hereafter only, and will have a reward like that of the martyr. In this world, however, they are to be washed and shrouded, and the funeral prayer is to be offered for them, like any other Muslim who dies. These manners of dying are regarded as martyrdom by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted), because of how difficult and painful they are.
Other reports mention other types of martyrs, apart from the five mentioned here, such as the report in al-Sahihayn: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr”; and the report in Sunan al-Tirmidhi: “Whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr, whoever is killed defending his life is a martyr, and whoever is killed defending his wife is a martyr.” And there are others. This indicates that the number mentioned in this hadith does not mean that martyrs are limited to these five. The variation in numbers is connected to variations in the revelation that came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It is as if the revelation came down to him on separate occasions, and each time told him about some types of martyrs.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the virtue of coming early to the prayer, and the virtue of the first row and coming early to the prayer, and praying ‘Isha’ and Fajr in congregation. He states that if people knew of the virtue and reward of coming early to the prayer, and they knew of the reward of standing in the first row that is immediately behind the imam, then they could find no means of attaining that except by drawing lots for it, they would draw lots, because of what there is in these actions of immense reward. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to come early to prayer, and stated that if the Muslims knew of the virtue and reward that there is in coming early to the prayer – whichever prayer it is – they would race and compete for that. Similarly, if the people were aware of the reward that there is for praying ‘Isha’ and Fajr in congregation, they would come to these prayers even if they had to come crawling on their hands and knees, or on their stomachs.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) referred to ‘Isha’ prayer here as al-‘atamah (lit. darkness), but it was narrated from him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) elsewhere that he forbade calling ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): “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].” It was said concerning this that the prohibition mentioned was not emphatic and did not mean that this is haram, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used this wording on this occasion for a reason, which is that they used to call Maghrib prayer ‘Isha’ and they called ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, based on the time when they offered the prayer. Hence it was necessary to explain things in their dialect sometimes, so that they would not become confused and misunderstand what the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) meant. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used these words in order to explain that there is no blame on a person for using them, but that is contrary to what is more appropriate.
This hadith highlights the virtue of removing a harmful thing from the road, which is the least of the branches of faith.
It also highlights the virtue of coming early to the mosque and of competing to be in the first row.
It highlights the virtue of coming early for prayer.
It highlights the virtue of praying ‘Isha’ and Fajr..

659

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The angels send blessings upon one of you so long as he remains in the place where he prayed, provided that he does not commit sin, [and they say]: O Allah forgive him; O Allah have mercy on him. One of you remains in a state of prayer so long as the prayer is detaining him, and nothing is preventing him from returning to his family except the prayer.”.

Commentary : Being attached to prayer and waiting for it is indicative of a sincere faith in Allah (may He be exalted), and is a means of attaining immense reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlights the virtue of waiting for the prayer in the mosque. He tells us that the angels pray for forgiveness for the believer, so long as he remains in the place where he prayed, or the place that is prepared for prayer. This meaning includes those who are praying and those who are waiting for the prayer. This reward also includes a woman, if she prays in a place in her house that is allocated for prayer, and sits there waiting for the prayer, if what is keeping her from getting up and going about her business is the prayer. This reward is conditional, and it depends on the one who is waiting for the prayer not committing sin by causing offence to someone by backbiting, insulting or the like. And it was said that what is meant by the word translated here as “committing sin” is invalidating his wudu’, because when wudu’ is invalidated the prayer is also invalidated, so he can no longer be in a state of prayer.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that the angels say, praying for forgiveness for the person: “O Allah forgive him; O Allah have mercy on him.” The difference between forgiveness and mercy is that forgiveness is concealment and pardon of sins, whereas mercy is showing kindness and generosity.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also highlighted the reward for the one who sits, waiting for the prayer. He stated that the worshipper will have reward throughout the period when he is waiting, so long as what is keeping him there and preventing him from going back to his family is nothing except the prayer. This implies that if his intention changes for any reason, the reward mentioned will cease. The same applies if anything else becomes mixed with his intention.
This hadith highlights the virtue of sitting in one’s place of prayer in a state of purity.
It also encourages the Muslim to be devote his time to obeying and worshipping Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and doing good, and remaining steadfast in that..

660

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there will be no shade but His: a just ruler; a young man who grows up worshipping Allah; a man whose heart is attached to the mosque; two men who love one another for the sake of Allah, meeting and parting on that basis; a man who is called (to sin) by a woman of status and beauty, but he says, ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand is giving; and a man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes fill with tears.”.

Commentary : The Day of Resurrection will be a difficult day, filled with terrors, on which the sun will come close to people’s heads and its heat will grow intense. But the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has given us the glad tidings that Allah has slaves whom He will shade with His shade on that Day on which there will be no shade except His.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions seven types of people in this ummah who will be blessed with His shade on that Day on which no one will find any shade except those whom Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will shade with His shade. What is meant by shade here is the shade of the Throne, as is explained in other hadiths, including the report narrated by Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) , according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever grants respite to the one who owes him money, or lets him off, will be in the shade of the Throne on the Day of Resurrection.” As what is meant is the shade of the Throne, this implies that they will be in the care of Allah (may He be exalted) and honoured by Him. The first of these seven is the just ruler; this is a ruler who treats his subjects justly, protects their rights, takes care of their interests, and judges between them according to the law of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Thus he takes care of their religious and worldly interests. The second is a young man who grows up striving in worshipping his Lord, committed to obeying Him and His commands and prohibitions. The young man is singled out for mention, because worship is harder or more difficult for young people, as the inclination to commit sin is very powerful in their case, and they are overwhelmed by physical desires. But if a young person persists in worship at that age, it is indicative of his being very mindful of Allah and having great fear of Him. The third is a man whose heart is attached to the mosques, so he loves the mosques very much, frequents them and stays in the mosque for a long time, always attending prayers in congregation and obligatory prayers, waiting for prayer after prayer. It is as if his heart is one of the lamps of the mosque. The fourth is two men, each of whom loves the other for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), seeking His pleasure and obeying Him, and not for any worldly purpose, so they meet one another on this basis and continue to love one another for His sake. The apparent meaning of the phrase “meeting and parting on that basis” is that their love for the sake of Allah is sincere when they meet and when they part. The fifth is a man who is pursued for immoral purposes by a beautiful woman of noble lineage, high status and wealth, but he says, “I fear Allah.” It may be that he utters these words out loud, to deter her from shameful deeds, or he says that to himself in his heart and confirms it by his actions, meaning that fear of Allah prevents him from committing an action that would incur His wrath. The woman of status and beauty is singled out for mention because such a woman is very desirable, and by taking this stance despite all these temptations, this man is able to attain the highest level of obeying and fearing Allah (may He be exalted); this is the character of those who are strong and true in faith (siddiqin). The sixth is a man who gives voluntary charity and goes to extremes in concealing his charity from people, from everything and from his own self, to the extent that his left hand does not know what is right hand is spending. The right hand and left hand are mentioned to emphasize how much he conceals his charity. This likeness is given because the right hand is close to the left and they are always together. What this likeness means is that if his left hand was a man who is alert and notices everything, it would still not be able to find out about it, because he goes to such great lengths to conceal his charity. This is the best approach when giving charity, and is furthest removed from showing off, even though it is permissible to give charity and zakah openly if you are confident that showing off can be avoided, and the intention is to encourage others to also spend in charity, and to set an example for others to follow, and to openly practice the teachings of Islam. The seventh is a man who remembers Allah when he is on his own, either by uttering words of dhikr verbally or by remembering the greatness of Allah (may He be exalted), and the meeting with Him, when he will stand before Him and be brought to account for his deeds, and he remembers that when he is on his own, away from other people, because at that time he is furthest removed from showing off. It was also said that the phrase translated here as “when he is alone” refers to total focus, not paying attention to anyone other than Allah, even if he is amongst people, so his tears flow out of fear of Allah (may He be exalted).
These seven people only attained this blessing by being sincerely devoted to Allah (may He be exalted) and going against their whims and desires. That is because the ruler who has power cannot be just except by going against his whims and desires. The young man who gives precedence to worshipping Allah over the impulses of youth would not be able to do that without going against his whims and desires. With regard to the man whose heart is attached to the mosque, what makes him do that is going against the whims and desires that call him to places of entertainment and leisure. With regard to the giver who hides his charity from his left hand, if he did not suppress his whims and desires, he would not be able to do that. With regard to the one who is called to sin by a beautiful woman of high standing, but he fears Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and goes against his whims and desires, and the one who remembers Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) when he is on his own and his eyes flow with tears out of fear of Him, only attain this status [of being shaded by Allah’s shade on the Day of Resurrection] by going against their whims and desires. Therefore Allah will save them from the heat, sweat and hardship of the standing on the Day of Resurrection.
This hadith mentions seven types of people, and there are other reports which mention other types in addition to those who are mentioned here. One of these hadiths is that which was narrated by Imam Muslim from Abu’l-Yasar Ka‘b ibn ‘Amr al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who gives respite to a debtor who is in difficulty, or waives the debt, Allah will shade him with His shade.” This blessing will also be granted to: the warrior and those who help him, the honest trader, and the one who helps a slave who has a contract of manumission to pay off what he owes to his master, as is narrated in other reports and hadiths. This indicates that the number of those who will be shaded by Allah’s shade is not limited to these seven.
This hadith highlights the virtue of the seven types of people mentioned here, and the virtue of one who is saved from sin and focuses on obeying his Lord all his life.
It also urges the Muslim to do acts of worship and obedience, because they are means of attaining the pleasure of Allah (may He be exalted) in the hereafter.
It also indicates that one of the blessings that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will bestow on the Day of Resurrection is shelter beneath His shade..

661

It was narrated that Humayd said: Anas ibn Malik was asked: Did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) acquire a ring? He said: Yes. One night he delayed ‘Isha’ prayer until halfway through the night, then he turned to us after he had prayed and said: “The people prayed and went to sleep, but you have been in a state of prayer all the time you have been waiting.” [Anas] said: It is as if I can see the glimmering of his ring..

Commentary : Islam permits men to wear rings, so long as they are not made of gold. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a ring made of silver. In this hadith, that is mentioned along with an explanation of some of the rulings on ‘Isha’ prayer and the virtue of waiting for the prayer. Humayd al-Tawil narrates that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: Did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) acquire a ring? He said: Yes. Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing his ring one night. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had delayed ‘Isha’ prayer on that night until halfway through the night, which is the best time [for ‘Isha’ prayer] for those who are able to do that. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had finished the prayer at that time, he turned to face those who had prayed with him and said: Other people have prayed ‘Isha’, either at home or in a mosque where they usually pray in congregation, and gone to sleep, whilst you were gaining the reward of prayer throughout this time that you were waiting to pray, until half way through the night. So it is as if you were praying throughout the time that you were waiting.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he saw the glimmering of the silver of the ring of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as he was addressing them. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) acquired a ring when he began to send letters to the kings and rulers, and he was told that they would not accept any letter that did not bear a seal. So he had a ring made of silver, on which were engraved the words “Muhammad Rasulullah (Muhammad the Messenger of Allah)”, as is narrated in al-Sahihayn.
This hadith highlights the virtue of delaying ‘Isha’ prayer until almost half way through the night.
It also highlights the virtue of waiting for prayer after prayer..

662

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to the mosque and comes back, Allah will prepare his place and provision in Paradise every time he goes and comes back.”.

Commentary : The mosques are the best places on earth, and the more a person’s heart is attached to the mosques, and he finds comfort and ease there, and is keen to pray Jumu‘ah and to pray in congregation, and to remember Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in the mosques, the greater his reward will be and the higher his status in this world and the hereafter.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlights the virtue of going to the mosques, and mentions the immense reward that is prepared for the one who has the habit of going to the mosque. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “Whoever goes to the mosque and comes back, Allah will prepare his place and provision in Paradise every time he goes and comes back.”
What is meant is one who is always going to the mosque for the purpose of worship, foremost among which is prayer. It was said that what is meant by the phrase, “Whoever goes to the mosque and comes back” is that he goes and comes back from the mosque all the time; in other words, whoever has the habit of going to the mosque, Allah will prepare for him his place and provision in Paradise every time he goes to the mosque. Thus his going to the mosque is a cause of preparation of his place in Paradise. This is encouragement to attend the prayers in congregation, and to regularly attend the mosque for prayer, because if Allah has prepared his place and provision in Paradise simply for going to the mosque and coming back, what do you think will be prepared for him, and what kind of blessings will he receive for praying in congregation, seeking the reward thereof from Allah and showing sincerity to Allah (may He be exalted) in doing that?.

663

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Buhaynah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man praying two rak‘ahs after the iqamah for prayer had been given. When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished praying, the people surrounded him [that man] and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Did you pray Fajr with four rak‘ahs? Did you pray Fajr with four rak‘ahs?”.

Commentary : Putting priorities in order, and giving precedence to what is more important and to obligatory prayers over supererogatory prayers is indicative of wisdom and a good understanding of religion. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw a man praying two rak‘ahs after the iqamah had been given for Fajr prayer. It was said that this man was ‘Abdullah ibn Buhaynah, the narrator of this hadith. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke to him about that. “When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished praying, the people surrounded him [that man]” That is, they gathered around him and asked him what the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had said to him. So he told them that he had rebuked him by saying to him, “Did you pray Fajr with four rak‘ahs?” That was because the man had ignored the obligatory prayer that was about to begin, and started with a supererogatory prayer, as if he regarded the obligatory prayer and the supererogatory prayer as being equal and as being the same thing, so it was as if he had prayed Fajr with four rak‘ahs. This indicates that it is not permissible to begin a supererogatory prayer after the iqamah has been given for an obligatory prayer, because the obligatory prayer takes precedence over the supererogatory prayer, and catching up with the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) with the imam is better than offering a supererogatory prayer. In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the iqamah for prayer is given, there is no prayer except the obligatory prayer,” meaning the prayer that is currently due.
This hadith indicates that it is not allowed to begin a supererogatory prayer after the iqamah for prayer has been given..

673

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: If the dinner of one of you is served and the iqamah is given for prayer, let him start with dinner and let him not rush until he has finished it. Dinner would be served for Ibn ‘Umar and the iqamah will be given for prayer, and he would not go to pray until he had finished eating, even though he would be hearing the recitation of the imam..

Commentary : Prayer is a connection between a person and his Lord, in which he stands before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) with humility and beseeching Him, hoping for the mercy of Allah and fearing His punishment. Hence he should make sure that there is nothing in his mind or heart to distract him before he starts to pray, so that he will not lose anything of his reward, and so that he may attain reward from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in full, with nothing detracted from it.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains that if the serving of food coincides with the time of ‘Isha’ and the iqamah for the prayer, the individual should start with dinner and not rush to go to pray until he has finished eating. Food would be served to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) – whether that was dinner or any other meal – whilst the iqamah was being given for Maghrib or any other prayer, and he would not go and pray until he had finished eating, even if the imam started to pray. He would continue eating even though he could hear the recitation of the imam in the prayer. This was indicative of Ibn ‘Umar’s deep understanding of religion, because it is part of a person’s deep understanding to attend to his needs so that he will be able to focus on his prayer with no worldly matters to distract him, and he will be able to stand before the Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) and offer his prayer in the most perfect manner.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to free himself from worldly distractions whilst praying.
It highlights the virtue of giving precedence to attaining proper focus and humility in prayer over the virtue of praying when the time for the prayer begins, even if one misses out on praying in congregation, provided that one does not make that a habit..

676

It was narrated that al-Aswad said: I asked ‘A’ishah: What did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do in his house? She said: He used to be at the service of his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed men to treat women well, and he urged them to show kindness to them. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best example to this ummah, so he was the best, most compassionate and kindest of people when dealing with his family and in his treatment of them. One example of that is what the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) speaks of in this hadith. When she (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in his house, and what he used to do, she said: He was at the service of his family, meaning that he would help them with the tasks that they did. That includes the fact that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – as is narrated in Musnad Ahmad – used to look after himself, milk his sheep, patch his clothes, and mend his sandals. And when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray with no delay. This was by way of teaching the ummah so that they might emulate their Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who did whatever he could and did whatever household tasks he was able to do, and would look after himself in some cases. This indicates that there is nothing contrary to dignity in doing such things, whilst also being keen to fulfil obligatory duties to Allah. This is a way of achieving balance between all the duties and obligations that life may place on a man’s shoulders.
This hadith indicates that one should go to pray when the time for prayer comes, and not be distracted by engaging in any worldly matters, whether one is an imam or member of the congregation.
It indicates that leaders and people of virtue and prominence may take care of their own affairs, and that this is one of the actions of the righteous, following the example of their leader (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 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