It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith came to us – in this mosque of ours – and said: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray; I pray as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray. I said to Abi Qilabah: How did he pray? He said: Like this shaykh of ours – referring to an old man who used to pause briefly when he lifted his head from prostration, before getting up after the first rak‘ah..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their primary concern and first priority.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Jarmi al-Basri narrates that the Sahabi Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) came to them in their mosques to teach them in a practical manner how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said that the mosque referred to was the mosque of Basra, where he was living. Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with them) said to them: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray. In other words, I do not intend to offer any specific prayer when I lead you in prayer now. It was said that what was meant was: my intention is not to lead you in prayer; rather my intention is to teach you by leading you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray, so that I may teach you how he prayed through actions, and not through words. The intention of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) was to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and when he taught them that, it was not the time for any particular prayer, and he was not intending to lead them in prayer; rather it was a voluntary prayer that he did with the intention of teaching, and it was not an obligatory or Sunnah prayer.
This report was narrated elsewhere by al-Bukhari, in which Abu Qilabah described in detail how Malik ibn al-Huwayrith prayed. He said: He stood, standing fully upright, then he bowed and bowed fully. Then he raised his head, stood up and paused; what is meant is that he stood up straight, then he bowed and made his back level, so that if water were poured on his back, it would remain there, as it says in the hadith of Wabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to his previous posture as it had been before he bowed, then he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who is the one who narrated the hadith from him – when he asked him how he prayed, that the prayer of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it looked, the prayer as it was done by their shaykh. Here he was referring to the Sahabi Abu Burayd ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, who was a very old man. He used to sit briefly during the prayer, after doing the prostration of the first rak‘ah, before standing up for the second rak‘ah. This brief sitting is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (sitting of rest). Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly stated in another hadith that is narrated by al-Bukhari that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying and sitting briefly to rest in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer, when he finished the first rak‘ah before getting up for the second, and when he finished the third before getting up for the fourth. It was said that this brief sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be very brief.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to teach and learn.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to sit briefly to rest in the prayer (jalsat al-istirahah)..

680

It was narrated that al-Zuhri said: Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari – who followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), served him and accompanied him – told me that Abu Bakr was leading them in prayer during the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, whilst they were standing in rows and praying, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching us as he was standing, as if his face were a page of a Mus-haf. Then he smiled cheerfully, and we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr stepped backwards, towards the row, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to lead the prayer. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, [saying]: complete your prayer, and he let the curtain drop. And he died on that day..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who had the greatest knowledge of the high status and position of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They loved him greatly and always observed proper etiquette with him; they were keen to be with him, show respect to him and be close to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They never felt such grief and sorrow as they did when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed away.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque during the final illness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, when they were standing in rows and praying Fajr, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching them as he was standing, as if his face were the page of a Mus-haf, because of the softness and clarity of his skin, and his radiant beauty. Then he smiled cheerfully, rejoicing at their gathering to pray and their unity and adherence to the teachings of Islam.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped backwards to join the row, moving back from the place of the imam to join the congregation, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to pray. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, telling us to stay where we were and complete the prayer, and he let the curtain drop. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died on that day. That happened in Rabi‘ al-Awwal 10 AH, when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sixty-three years old. That was the greatest calamity that ever befell the Muslims, when their noble Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s concern for the prayer and the Muslims, even on the last day of his life in this world.
It identifies the date on which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, and confirms that it was a Monday.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that he was the most qualified of them to succeed him as caliph..

683

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer during his sickness, so he would lead them in prayer. ‘Urwah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, and saw Abu Bakr leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him, he moved backwards, but [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] gestured to him [saying]: Stay where you are. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down in line with Abu Bakr, next to him, so Abu Bakr was following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr..

Commentary : Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most deserving of the Muslims to be the successor (caliph) of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after his death, regardless of the objections of the objectors and the extreme innovators. There is a great deal of evidence and proof from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning this matter, including this hadith. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell sick, he instructed Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to succeed him in leaving the Muslims in prayer. This was an indication from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as to who was most deserving of succeeding him and most deserving and capable of continuing his mission. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better and felt able to come out to the prayer, he came out, at a time when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, he wanted to move back for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him, telling him to stay where he was. Then he sat in line with him, not ahead of him and not behind him. So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the imam, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was following the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was standing and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting, and the people were also standing, following the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice, as he was so weak. Thus they were following Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his prayer. And it was said that in fact the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was an imam for Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr was an imam for the people standing behind him, so that prayer had two imams. Based on that, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed as an imam whilst sitting, when the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith provides evidence that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the most deserving of being his successor (caliph).
It indicates that it is permissible to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the proper etiquette with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is permissible for the imam to stop leading the prayer and start following someone else, without interrupting his prayer.
It also encourages the Muslim to regularly attend the prayers in congregation..

687

It was narrated that ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah said: I went to ‘A’ishah and said: Tell me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). She said: Yes; the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) became very ill, and he said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So we did that, and he washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” Then he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. The people were still in the mosque, waiting for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to Abu Bakr, telling him to lead the people in prayer. The messenger came [to Abu Bakr] and said: The Messenger of Allah is instructing you to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr – who was a tenderhearted man – said: O ‘Umar, lead the people in prayer. But ‘Umar said to him: You are more deserving of that. So Abu Bakr led the people in prayer during those days. Then later on, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, supported by two men – one of whom was al-‘Abbas – to pray Zuhr, when Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he wanted to step back, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him not to step back. He said: “Seat me next to him,” so they seated him next to Abu Bakr. Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting. ‘Ubaydullah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he did not object to anything, except that he said: Did she tell you the name of the man who was with al-‘Abbas? I said: No. He said: He was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)..

Commentary : The greatest calamity that befell the Muslims was the death of their Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). There were several lessons in the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as well as rulings and advice to the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of the condition of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during his final sickness. That was when the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah asked her to tell him about it. So she told him that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) grew very sick, he asked: Have the people prayed, or are they still waiting? It was said to him: They are waiting for you. So he said to them: Put some water in the tub for me. The word translated here as tub refers to a vessel in which water was put for washing clothes. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) washed himself, but when he wanted to get up, he fainted. Fainting is possible in the case of the Prophets (peace be upon them all), because it is a kind of sickness, and it is akin to sleep. This is in contrast to insanity, which is loss of reasoning, and is not possible in the case of the Prophets. That happened to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) three times; he asked whether the people had prayed, then he washed himself, then he fainted when he wanted to stand up. When he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came round the fourth time, he asked: Have the people prayed? He was told that they had gathered and were waiting in the mosque; the people were sitting and waiting for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent a messenger to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), instructing him to lead the people in prayer. The fact that he sent word to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) instructing him to take his place and lead the prayer highlighted the virtue and seniority of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and was an indication that he was most deserving of being his successor (caliph), because leading the prayer is the job of the caliph. When the messenger sent by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Abu Bakr and told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was instructing him to lead the people in prayer, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was a man who wept a great deal and felt very emotional when praying – said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Lead the people in prayer. It was as if Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) understood that the Prophet’s instruction to him regarding the prayer only meant that someone should lead the prayer, not that it was he himself who was specifically being instructed to lead the prayer. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know what had happened between the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his wives with regard to the issue of ‘Umar leading the prayer instead of Abu Bakr, and that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had insisted that Abu Bakr should lead the prayer, as is mentioned in another report. Otherwise, he would not have tried to delegate the leading of prayer to ‘Umar. But ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You are more deserving of that, because of the instructions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went and led the people in prayer for several days when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sick.
Moreover, on one of the days of his sickness, when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in Zuhr prayer, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, and felt able to go out, so he came out, supported by two men, because he was so weak. Those two men were ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them). When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, meaning that he realized that he was there when he heard his voice – and it may be that he turned around when he heard the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – he wanted to move back, so that he could pray in the row behind him as one of the congregation. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him that he should not move back, and he should stay where he was, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down next to him. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) followed the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice. Thus the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the prayer as an imam whilst he was sitting, and the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he approved of everything that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had said, and did not object to anything of it, except that he asked: Did ‘A’ishah tell you the name of the second man on whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was leaning, besides al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him)? ‘Ubaydullah said to him: No, she did not tell me his name. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said that he was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to follow the more difficult option, even if there is a concession [allowing an easier option].
It indicates that it is prescribed to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the importance of praying in congregation.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was the most deserving of them to be his successor (caliph); it also indicates that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was next to him in virtue.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is of lower status to discuss instructions given to him by one who is higher in status.
It highlights the etiquette that is to be observed when dealing with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back, because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

688

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell. He prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, but he gestured to them that they should sit down. When he finished his prayer, he said: “The imam has only been appointed to be followed, so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise; and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting.”.

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell and recovering after falling from his horse, as is mentioned in the report of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated in al-Sahihayn. At that time he was not able to stand, because of his injury, so he prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, so whilst he was praying, he gestured to them to sit down. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he said: The imam is only appointed to be followed in his actions in the prayer, therefore it is not appropriate to differ from him by doing actions before him or being too slow in following him. “so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise” – that is, follow him when he bows and rises from bowing, and in all the actions of the prayer. The word fa, translated here as “then”, indicates that these actions should be done straight after the imam does them, and that the one who is praying behind the imam should not do them before the imam; rather every action that the one who is praying behind the imam does should be done straight after the imam does it. And if the imam prays sitting, then those praying behind him should pray sitting like him. This indicates that following the imam also includes praying sitting, if the imam prays sitting. However, in the hadith of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the final sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the authenticity of which is agreed upon, it says that he led the prayer sitting whilst the people were standing behind him: “…Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting…”
The response to this apparent discrepancy is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
In this hadith, there is the command to follow the imam and not to do any of the actions of the prayer before him, or to differ from him.
It indicates that it is permissible to make gestures and small movements, if necessary, whilst praying..

690

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid said: al-Bara’ – who is not a liar – told me: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),” none of us would bend down [to prostrate] until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prostrated fully, then we would prostrate after him..

691

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Doesn’t one of you fear – or wouldn’t one of you fear – if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey? Or Allah will turn his form into that of a donkey.”.

692

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: When the first Muhajirin came to al-‘Usbah – a place in Quba’ – before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had more knowledge of Qur’an than any of them..

Commentary : In Islam, no one has superiority over anyone else except in terms of taqwa (righteousness, fear of Allah). Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you} [al-Hujurat 49:13]. It is only on the basis of righteous deeds that one Muslim may be superior to another. The one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us. If a man has more knowledge of the Qur’an than anyone else present, then he has more right to lead the prayer. So no attention should be paid to race, colour, lineage or position. This hadith is the most eloquent proof of that. In it, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Muhajirin (migrants) from Makkah came to al-‘Usbah, which is a place near Quba’ in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, approximately two miles south of it, before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to Madinah, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had the most knowledge of Qur’an, meaning that he had memorized more Qur’an. Salim had been a slave belonging to a woman, then he was manumitted, but that did not prevent him from leading the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayer, because he had memorized more of the Qur’an than the others. Salim had memorized Qur’an from the Sahabah whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had sent to the believers in Madinah to teach them the Qur’an and Islam, such as Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr and others. Salim was not in fact a freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah ibn ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah – who was one of the earliest to become Muslim; rather Salim was the freed slave of a woman of the Ansar who had manumitted him. But he was called the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah because he stayed close to him after he was manumitted, and Abu Hudhayfah had adopted him. Then when the prohibition of adoption was revealed, he continued to be known as the freed slave (mawla) of Abu Hudhayfah.
This hadith indicates that the one who has memorized the most Qur’an is the most deserving of leading the prayer..

693

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslim to obey those in authority with regard to what is right and proper, but not what is wrong and sinful, because of the serious bad consequences that result from rebelling against them. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against disobedience to those in authority and creating division among the Muslims.
This hadith highlights that, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.” In other words, if the one who is appointed to rule you is a man from Ethiopia with a head like a raisin – referring to his black colour and curly hair; this serves to point out that people would usually scorn such a person. What is meant is that the believer must obey the ruler and whomever the ruler appoints in charge of his affairs (as a governor, for example), no matter what his race or colour, so long as he rules the people in accordance with the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as is mentioned in another report in Sahih Muslim. That is, so long as he adheres to Islam and calls the people to the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), regardless of what he looks like, his level of religious commitment and his manners, provided that he does not enjoin the people to disobey Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

694

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “They lead you in prayer, so if they do the right thing, you will be granted the reward, and if they make mistakes, you will be granted the reward and the burden of sin will be on them.”.

Commentary : As the Muslims are instructed to obey their leaders and emulate them in that which does not involve disobedience to Allah (may He be exalted), whether they are leaders in the sense of rulers and caliphs, or leaders who lead the people in prayer, it is only fair that the Muslim should not be held to account for mistakes made by his leader, because he has done what is required of him, which is following the leader, provided that no sin is involved. Hence in this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains to those who pray behind an imam that when the leaders pray, they either pray properly, or they make mistakes in the prayer. If they do the prayer properly, as it should be done, then both they and those who pray behind them will have the reward for that, but if they make mistakes and do not lead the prayer properly, as it should be done, then the burden of sin for the mistakes they have made is theirs alone, and those who pray behind them will have the reward of the prayer.
What is meant by mistake here is not that which is done deliberately, for if a person makes a mistake that is beyond his control, he will not be held to account for it. Rather what is meant by mistake here is the opposite of that which is right and proper, such as introducing an innovation that was not enjoined by Allah, or deliberately going against what Allah has enjoined, on the basis of whims and desires, and so on.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to pray behind any Muslim, whether he is a righteous man or an evildoer..

695

It was narrated from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn Khiyar that he went to ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) – when he was under siege – and said: You are the ruler [and caliph], and we see what calamity has befallen you. The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil), and we feel uncomfortable [praying behind him]. ‘Uthman said: Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing..

Commentary : This hadith testifies to the fair-mindedness of the wronged leader, the Commander of the Faithful, Dhu’l-Nurayn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). When he was besieged in his house at the time of fitnah (turmoil) and the leaders of the fitnah besieged him and wanted to depose him wrongfully, on the basis of fabrications and lies, the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn al-Khiyar said to him: You are the ruler and head of state, so you are the caliph and in the position of greater leadership, and he told him that the people were being led in prayer by an imam who was one of the leaders of fitnah and troubles, and wanted to depose him. It was said that this man was ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays al-Balawi, who is the one who brought the people of Egypt to rebel against ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him); he died in 36 AH. And it was said that Kinanah ibn Bishr, one of the leaders of the Kharijites, also led the people in prayer. When these people attacked Madinah, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) used to go out and lead the people in prayer, and he continued to do this for a month, then he went out one day and they threw stones at him, which caused him to fall from the minbar, and he was not able to lead the prayer on that day, so Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf led them in prayer. Then they stopped him from doing that, so they were led in prayer sometimes by ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays and sometimes by Kinanah ibn Bishr, and continued to do this for ten days. They were the ones of whom it was said that they were the imams of fitnah. At this time, some of the senior Sahabah – such as Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and others – also led the people in prayer. These noble individuals (may Allah be pleased with them) cannot be described as promoters of fitnah, for they led the prayers with the permission of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), and they did not withdraw their allegiance and obedience to him. They continued to defend him until he died (may Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased).
When ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy, he replied by stating that prayer is the best deed that these people could do. This does not mean that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was praising the promoters and leaders of fitnah; rather the apparent meaning of ‘Uthman’s words suggests that he was granting a concession allowing the people to pray with them, as if he was saying: the fact that they are misguided people who are involved in fitnah will not harm you; if they do good, then go along with them in doing good, and if they do wrong – because they became involved in fitnah or introduced innovations – this will not harm the one who prays behind them, because he is following them in their prayers, but denouncing and rejecting what they have brought of fitnah and innovation.
It was said that what is meant by the words of ‘Ubaydullah, “The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil)” is that someone other than their regular imam was leading them in prayer at the time of fitnah, not that that imam was calling them to fitnah and striving for this purpose. This is indicated by the words of ‘Uthman, “Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing.” He did not speak ill of the one who was leading them in prayer, and stated that his action (prayer) was among the best of deeds, whilst warning ‘Ubaydullah not to get involved in the fitnah.
This hadith indicates that praying behind one whom you do not like to pray behind is better than stopping prayer in congregation altogether.
It also contains a warning against fitnah (turmoil) and becoming involved in it, and against everything that is denounceable, whether it be words, deeds or beliefs..

698

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I slept at Maymunah’s house, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night. He did wudu’, then he stood and prayed, and I stood on his left. He took hold of me and put me on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. Then he went to sleep, until he was breathing heavily, for when he slept he would breathe heavily. Then the mu’adhdhin came to him, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again..

Commentary : Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was an intelligent boy who was highly motivated with regard to both worship and seeking knowledge. Signs of brilliance appeared in him from an early age, and he was keen to be close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learn from him.
In this hadith, he (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he stayed overnight in the house of his maternal aunt, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night, and Ibn ‘Abbas described for us what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that night. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, then he got up and did wudu’, then he stood up and prayed qiyam al-layl (voluntary prayers at night). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also got up, and did the same as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he stood on his left. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took hold of him and make him stand on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. This is the number of rak‘ahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed on that night. There are other reports which speak of him praying different numbers of rak‘ahs in qiyam; it was narrated that he prayed seven, nine and eleven rak‘ahs. The differences may be understood as referring to different times and situations. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, and began to breathe so heavily that the sound of it could be heard, which is something that happens to some people when they sleep, and it is not blameworthy or odd. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, he usually breathed heavily. Then Bilal came to him to tell him that it was time to pray Fajr, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again, because the Prophet’s eyes slept but his heart did not sleep, so his wudu’ could not be invalidated, because his heart was awake.
This hadith indicates that a young boy may visit and sleep in the houses of his relatives and female mahrams.
It highlights where the one who is praying behind an imam should stand in relation to the imam if only the two of them are praying; the one who is following the imam should stand on his right.
It indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep and did not renew his wudu’ for prayer after having slept. This is because his eyes would sleep but his heart did not sleep.
It also indicates that it is permissible to offer supererogatory prayers in congregation..

703

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it brief, for among them are the weak, the sick and the elderly. But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator for his companions and his ummah after him. He would choose for the people what would be best for them and for others, in both religious and worldly matters. He used to make things easy for the people with regard to worship, especially the prayer, so that people would not be put off and become bored or tired. One example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised imams to pay attention to the situation of worshippers when praying. Hence he said to them: When one of you leads the people in prayer as an imam, let him make it brief – that is, with regard to the recitation, bowing and prostrating. The reason for instructing them to make it brief is that among the worshippers there are those who are physically weak or sick, elderly people, and others who have excuses. These people cannot endure a lengthy prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes, because he knows what he is able to do, and he is able to cut it short if he becomes too tired and the like. This is in contrast to those who are praying behind an imam, for they are detained, as it were, behind the imam until he finishes the prayer.
This hadith highlights how Islamic teachings pay attention to people’s situation and how much energy they have when doing acts of worship. It also highlights the fact that Islam is a religion of ease..

706

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make his prayers brief yet he would do them perfectly and properly. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) describes the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he led the people in prayer. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This is what is referred to in the other report, which says that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the briefest of people in offering prayer, yet it was perfect and complete. This is what is required of the imam: he should make the prayer brief, because he must pay attention to the situation of all the people who are praying behind him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the imam ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As, as we see in the report narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan: “Follow the pace of the weakest of them”; in other words, make your prayer appropriate for the weakest of those who are praying behind you, for there may be among the worshippers those who can endure a lengthy prayer, and others who cannot endure it. Therefore what is required of the imam is to take everyone into consideration by making the prayer brief yet complete and perfect. But when a person is praying on his own, he may make the prayer as long as he wishes, because he knows himself best and what he is able to do.
This hadith urges the imam to show kindness to those who are praying behind him, and to make the prayer brief, without detracting from the perfection of the prayer..

708

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: I never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If he heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief for fear that the child’s mother would be troubled..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This was out of consideration on his part for people’s situations.
Then Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) gave an example of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would cut the prayer short out of consideration for the needs of those who were praying behind him. He said: If the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief, by reciting a short surah, lest the child’s mother be distracted from her prayer, because she would be growing anxious about her child crying.
This hadith urges imams to show kindness to those who are praying behind him and to take their situations into consideration, and not cause them any undue hardship.
It also indicates that the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most perfect prayer, and that the worshipper should be keen to make his prayer like the Prophet’s prayer, so that he will be following his example and thus earn great reward. .

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

| Hadiths