Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "What a good Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maneehah) (the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening) is!"
Maalik narrated: Maneehah is a good act of charity.
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Commentary :
A Muslim should bear in mind that whatever he gives in charity is received by Allah, Exalted is He, and therefore he should carefully handpick what he gives in charity and refrain from donating only his worst or cheapest possessions, because what is spent in charity is in fact what would be preserved (and stored for him in the Hereafter), and whatever he spends of his wealth in this worldly life is lost.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated the benefits of the Maneehah, which is a milch she-camel which has recently given birth, and which gives profuse milk, and is given to people as a gift to avail themselves of its milk and then return it to the owner. The Prophet ﷺ said: “What a good Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maneehah) the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening.”
He ﷺ also lauded the sheep which gives profuse milk when given in charity. He ﷺ said: “(what a good Maneehah) the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening.” When such animals are given in charity, it is one of the best and most rewardable acts of charity, because the giver would be spending from the best and purest items of wealth in his possession, and Allah, Exalted is He, is Good and accepts only that which is good.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to exchange gifts..

2630

Ibn Shihaab Al-Zuhree narrated:
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When the emigrants came Al-Madeenah, they had nothing whereas the Ansaar had land and property. The Ansaar gave them their land on condition that the emigrants would give them half the yearly yield, work on the land, and provide the necessaries for cultivation." His (i.e., Anaas's mother who was also the mother of ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Talhah, gave some date-palms to Allah's Messenger ﷺ who gave them to his freed slave-girl (Umm Ayman) who was also the mother of Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them). When the Prophet ﷺfinished from the fighting against the people of Khaybar and returned to Al-Madeenah, the emigrants returned to the Ansaar the fruit gifts which the Ansaar had given them. The Prophet ﷺ also returned to Anas's mother the date-palms. Allah's Messengerﷺ gave Umm Ayman other trees from his garden in lieu of the old gift.
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Commentary :
The Ansaar had great merits, for they supported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, defended Islam, and warmly welcomed their emigrant brothers, and their generosity and hospitality towards their fellow Muslim brothers were unmatched. Their merits and virtues cannot be missed.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) related that when the emigrants left Makkah, fleeing from religious persecution and leaving behind their families, homeland, and wealth, and reached Al-Madeenah, they had nothing and were destitute, whereas the Ansaar had land and property. The Ansaar graciously gave them half the yearly yield, they (the Ansaar) worked on the land and provided the necessaries for cultivation, because the emigrants did not know much about cultivation. This meaning is further supported by the report narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and complied in Sunan Al-Tirmithee reading: “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, the emigrants came to him and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! We have not seen people who are more willing to sacrifice when having a lot, nor more patient when having a little than the people whom we are staying amongst. Our provisions are so sufficient, and we share with them their produce such that we fear that all our reward is gone.” Anas's mother, Sahlah or Mulaykah bint Milhaan Al-Ansaariyyah, nicknamed Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), who was also the mother of ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Talhah, Anas’s half-brother, gave some date-palms to Allah's Messenger ﷺ who gave them to his freed slave-girl and nursemaid Barakah Al-Habashiyyah, nicknamed Umm Ayman, who was also the mother of Usaamah ibn Zayd, the Prophet’s freed-slave (may Allah be pleased with them).
Ibn Shihaab Al-Zuhree narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Khaybar, an area north of Al-Madeenah where the fortresses of the Jews were located, after Al-Hudaybiyyah on the 1st of Muharram, 7 A.H., Muslims gained wealth and fruits. When he ﷺ returned to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ returned to the Ansaar the fruit gifts which they had given to the emigrants as they had earned spoils of war during the battle of Khaybar. The Prophet ﷺ also returned to Anas's mother the date-palm she had given to him, and compensated Umm Ayman with other trees from his garden in lieu of the old gift. Another version of the hadeeth reads: “from his personal wealth,” referring to his garden.
The hadeeth highlights that the bond of faith-based brotherhood is one of the strongest bonds.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that one should recompense people’s favors whenever he can afford it.
It also underlines how the Prophet ﷺ honored his female slave, Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her). .

2631

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "There are forty virtuous deeds and the best of them is the Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel, sheep, or she-goat which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk gifted to others to avail themselves of their milk) of a she goat, and anyone who does one of these virtuous deeds aspiring to Allah's reward with firm confidence that he will get it, Allah, Exalted is He, will admit him to Paradise because of it.” Hassaan (a sub-narrator) said, "We tried to count those good deeds below the Maneehah; we mentioned replying to the sneezer, removing harmful objects from the road, etc., but we failed to count even fifteen.".

Commentary :
A manifestation of the divine grace is that Allah, Exalted is He, accepts small good deeds and handsomely rewards them with abundant reward out of His generosity and bounty.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ listed forty righteous deeds or qualities that are indicative of faith, righteousness, and kindness. Whoever adheres to such virtuous deeds and qualities is promised Paradise by Allah, Exalted is He, provided that he devotes them exclusively to Him and aspires to nothing but the reward of Allah, Exalted is He.
The best and foremost of these virtuous deeds is the Maneehah (i.e., a milch she-camel, sheep, or she-goat which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk gifted to others to avail themselves of its milk) of a she goat. This means that one offers the milk of a she-goat as a gift to someone or the milch she-goat itself as a gift to avail himself of it and its milk and then return it to the owner.
Hassaan ibn ‘Atiyyah Al-Shaamee, a sub-narrator of the hadeeth, said that he and other members of the audience tried to count those good deeds that were below the Maneehah in terms of reward such as: returning the greetings of peace, replying to the sneezer (i.e.,when a sneezer praises Allah, his Muslim brother should say to him, ‘Yarhamuka Allaah,’ meaning may Allah have mercy upon you), and removing harmful objects from the road. He stated that they failed to count even fifteen.
Other scholars listed forty virtuous deeds and qualities, and people may differ as to whether they were less than the Maneehah of a she-goat in terms of virtue and reward. Perhaps the best is not to mention them all, as the Prophet ﷺ did, fearing that specifying them would alienate people from other acts of righteousness and kindness, and because if this reward is designated for such an act (donating a she-goat in charity) and the less virtuous deeds and qualities, what about the reward designated for greater ones?! It was also said that wisdom entails that he ﷺ did not specify these virtuous deeds and qualities lest people should look down on other acts of righteousness, as insignificant as they may seem..

2633

Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about the emigration. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "May Allah be merciful to you. The matter of emigration is difficult. Have you got some camels?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Do you pay their Zakaah?" He replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ asked, "Do you lend them so that their milk may be utilized by others?" The Bedouin said, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Do you milk them on the day off watering them?" He replied, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do good deeds beyond the merchants (or the sea) and Allah, Exalted is He, will never disregard any of your deeds." (See Hadeeth No. 260, Vol. 5).

Commentary :
The migration to Al-Madeenah was obligatory on all Muslims in the early days of Islam, to escape religious persecution and depart the land of disbelief to support the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah. The best of the believers were those who migrated to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) related that a Bedouin, i.e., an Arab desert dweller, came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about the emigration, meaning to commit himself to migrate to Al-Madeenah. He was not living in Makkah and it was not incumbent on him to migrate to Al-Madeenah before the conquest of Makkah. This Bedouin asked the Prophet’s permission to move to Al-Madeenah with the Prophet ﷺ, leaving behind his family and land. The Prophet ﷺ feared that he would not be able to endure such estrangement and honor such a commitment. He ﷺ feared that he might not be able to fulfill the due rights of the emigration, and break his covenant. He ﷺ said to him, "May Allah be merciful to you.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which is used in reference to someone who encountered an undeserved adversity. He ﷺ added: “The matter of emigration is difficult,” and only few people are able to shoulder such a duty, and it seemed very difficult for the inquirer. This is why the Prophet ﷺ did not approve this Bedouin’s request and he asked him, “Have you got some camels?" He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Do you pay their Zakaah?" He replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ further asked, "Do you lend them so that their milk may be utilized by others?" The Bedouin said, "Yes." The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Maneehah, which means a milch she-camel or sheep gifted to someone to avail himself of its milk and then return it to the owner, who may also give the she-camel as a gift, not as a loan, without specifying returning it.
The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Do you milk them on the day off watering them?" This is because milking the milch she-camels on such day is better as it produces more milk and it is also more convenient for the poor and needy people, who used to go to the places of water to drink from the she-camels’ milk. The Bedouin replied, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do good deeds beyond the merchants (or the sea),” meaning in the villages and towns near your homeland, “and Allah, Exalted is He, will never disregard any of your deeds." The Prophet ﷺ meant that as long as he performed the religious obligations prescribed by Allah, Exalted is He, with regard to himself and his wealth, it did not matter where he lived, even if it was in the farthest place to Al-Madeenah; Allah, Exalted is He, would reward him for his good deeds and such rewards would not be diminished in the slightest.
It was said that this incident took place after the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no emigration after the conquest of Makkah.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
It was also said that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was merely recommended for Muslims who did not live in Makkah, and was only obligatory on those Muslims in Makkah. It was also said that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was specifically incumbent on the town dwellers (urbanites) and not Bedouins and desert dwellers. Another opinion suggested that the emigration to Al-Madeenah was deemed obligatory on Muslims if only some residents of a given town or city embraced Islam, lest the Muslims residing therein should be subject to the provisions and rulings regarding the disbelievers. However, the dwellers of the cities and towns whose people embraced Islam were not enjoined to migrate to Al-Madeenah.
The hadeeth highlights the great virtues of the emigration and the merits of the emigrants.
It also underlines the virtue of paying the Zakaah on camels and hastening to perform good deeds..

2634

Taawoos narrated that he was told by the most learned one amongst them (i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas) that the Prophet ﷺ went towards some land which was flourishing with vegetation and asked to whom it belonged. He ﷺ was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It would have been better (for the owner) if he had given it to him gratis rather than charging him a fixed rent.”
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Commentary : All good lies in whatever benefits a person in the Hereafter, and worldly pleasures and gains will ultimately come to cease to exist when this worldly life should end. It is becoming of Muslims to hasten to perform good deeds and aspire to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He, to prepare the needed provisions for the abode of eternal bliss.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a farm which was flourishing with vegetation, indicating its large produce.
He ﷺ asked to whom it belonged and was told that such and such a person took it on rent. The Prophet ﷺ advised its owner with what was better and more rewardable for him, namely to offer it as a gift for the farmer and earn the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, in the Hereafter. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Al-Maneehah, which referred to a gift or what is offered to someone for free, but not as charity.
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2640

‘Abdullah ibn Abee Mulaykah narrated on the authority of ‘Uqbah ibn Al-Haarith that ‘Uqbah married the daughter of Aboo Ihaab ibn ‘Azeez (may Allah be pleased with them), and then a woman came and said, "I suckled ‘Uqbah and his wife." ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, "I do not know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me!" He then sent someone to the house of Aboo Ihaab to inquire about that but they did not know that she had suckled their daughter. Then ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah and asked him about it. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?" So, he divorced her and she got married to another man.
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Commentary : Islam decreed that breastfeeding should create a bond (i.e., milk kinship) similar to blood relationships and forbids exactly the same which is forbidden due to blood kinship. Breastfeeding establishes milk kinship, and accordingly the prohibition of marriage is established, just like the case with blood kinship. Hence, it is forbidden for a man to marry his sisters through nursing or his nurse-mother, or his maternal or paternal aunts through nursing, and so on.
In this hadeeth, the Companion ‘Uqbah ibn Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he married the daughter of Aboo Ihaab ibn ‘Azeez ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with them), whose name was Ghunayyah and was also known as Umm Yahyaa, and then a woman came and said, "I suckled both ‘Uqbah and his wife." This woman informed ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) that she had nursed him and the woman he had married. The breastfeeding that establishes establish a milk-mother relationship as per the laws of Islam is feeding a woman’s milk to an infant under two years of age.
‘Uqbah said to her, "I do not know that you have suckled me, and you did not inform me!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed that he did not know of that, and that this woman had not even told him that she nursed him before that day!
Thereupon, ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent someone to the house of Aboo Ihaab to ask his in-laws about that, but they did not know that she had nursed their daughter.
‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah and asked him about it. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "How (can you keep your wife) after it has been said (that both of you were suckled by the same woman)?" Meaning, ‘How could you retain such marriage and continue to have sexual relations with her despite being informed that she was your sister through nursing.” So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced her to avoid doubts or due to the fact that such a marriage contract was defective. ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced her and she got married to another man.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to avoid doubtful matters.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is permissible to travel in pursuit of knowledge.
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2641

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “People were (sometimes) judged by the revealing of a Divine Revelation during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, but now there is no longer new revelation (i.e., the divine revelation ended by the Prophet’s death). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice publicly, so we will trust and favor the one who performs good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret, for Allah, Exalted is He, will judge him (and hold him accountable) for that, but we will not trust or believe the one who presents to us with an evil deed even if he claims that his intentions were good.
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Commentary : A person should be held accountable for his outward deeds in this worldly life, and only Allah, Exalted is He, knows of his inward intentions, and He will hold him accountable for them before Him. He did not command us to investigate people’s inner thoughts and intentions harbored in their hearts and judge them accordingly.
In this hadeeth, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that sometimes the Prophet ﷺ received the divine revelation to disclose the inner characters and intentions held by some Muslims, because some were hypocrites who manifested good (faith) and concealed evil (disbelief). However, Allah, Exalted is He, exposed them by means of the divine revelation. After the Prophet’s death, the divine revelation ceased, and Muslims could only judge one another based on their outwardly good or evil deeds. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We will trust and favor the one who performs good deeds in front of us, and we will not call him to account about what he is really doing in secret,” meaning that we should judge people based on their outward deeds; if they are outwardly good, they should be trusted and declared as trustworthy and should be honored accordingly, and we should not hold him accountable for his inner thoughts and intentions. Rather, Allah, Exalted is He, will judge him (and hold him accountable) for that. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added that whoever is judged as outwardly evil, by committing a grave sin or an offence warranting a Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Laws of Islam for certain crimes), or did what entailed punishment, because none is safe from falling into sin, such a person is no longer trusted nor declared trustworthy and accordingly will not be believed, even if he claims to hold good intentions. Such a statement is not to be believed since we judge him merely based on his outward character and deeds, not his inward intentions.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the basic principle is that a Muslim is trustworthy unless proven otherwise based on what contradicts it.
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2645

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
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2647

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
Once the Prophet ﷺcame to me while a man was in my house. He said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Who is this (man)?" I replied, "My milk-brother!" He said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Be sure about your milk brothers, as milk kinship is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (i.e., before two years of age).”
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Commentary : Islam decreed that breastfeeding should create a bond (i.e., milk kinship) similar to blood relationships and forbids exactly the same which is forbidden due to blood kinship. This is provided that the relevant conditions of nursing are fulfilled, one of which is that the nursed infant is under two years of age.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that once the Prophet ﷺcame to her house to find a man was therein. His name was not mentioned by the narrators, but it is possible that he was the son of Aboo Al-Qu‘s. He ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Who is this (man)?" She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that he was her milk-brother. Thereupon, he ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Be sure about your milk brothers, as milk kinship is only valid if it takes place in the suckling period (i.e., before two years of age).” This means that one should carefully ensure that the due conditions for the validity of milk kinship are met, one of which is nursing the infant before two years of age, because it is one of the conditions for the validity of nursing, without which the milk kinship is not established as per the laws of Islam.
Not all the infants one’s mother nurses become his or her milk-siblings; milk kinship is only established when the nursed infant is below the age of two. Breastfeeding is only valid (i.e., establishes milk kinship) when the infant’s only food is milk, i.e., under the age of two, otherwise it is invalid. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period].} [Quran 2:233]. This is the condition for the validity of the breastfeeding that establishes milk kinship; the nursed infant must be below the age of two, when the infant’s only food is milk. After the child is weaned, breastfeeding no longer establishes milk kinship.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for a milk-brother to visit his milk-sister and stay alone with her..

2649

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
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Commentary :
Fornication(i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) is one of the gravest evils, and it contravenes the (higher objectives of the Laws of Islam including the) preservation of lineage, guarding of chastity (i.e., guarding one’s private parts from unlawful acts), and the mindfulness of the sacred ordinances of Allah, Exalted is He. It also leads to sowing the seeds of the worst enmity and hatred among people, and it is one of the serious crimes for which Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed a fixed punishment.
In this hadeeth, Allah's Messengerﷺ underlined that Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed a specific punishment for Fornication, stated in the Quran and specified in the Sunnah. If a perpetrator of Fornication is married or was previously married, the Hadd (i.e., corporal punishment prescribed by the Laws of Islam for certain crimes) prescribed for such a crime is stoning to death, as defined in the Sunnah. If a perpetrator of Fornication is unmarried, the Hadd is one hundred lashes. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes.} [Quran 24:2]. The Sunnah prescribed an additional punishment besides the lashing, namely, exile for one year. This means that the unmarried perpetrator of Fornicationmust be subjected to 100 lashes and exiled from the town or city where he committed his crime for one year, as a disciplinary punishment. The exile aims to take the perpetrator out of his familiar environment and old life of sin. The place of the exile is left to be determined by the ruler as he deems fit, as long as the perpetrator is being banished from his own country, city, or town to any given distant place.
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2655

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet ﷺheard a man (reciting the Quran) in the Mosque, and he ﷺ said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such ayaat of such-and-such chapter which I dropped (from my memory).” ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ performed the Tahajjud prayer (i.e., late night prayer) in my house, and then he ﷺ heard the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him) who was praying in the Mosque, and said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Is this ‘Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to ‘Abbaad!”
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Commentary :
The Quran is the sacred Speech of Allah, Exalted is He, and He commanded us to preserve it in our hearts and minds and to keep on revising what we have memorized of it, lest we should forget it.
In this hadeeth, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺheard a man reciting the Quran in the Mosque, and said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such ayaat of such-and-such chapter which I dropped (from my memory),” meaning that he ﷺ forgot such ayaat and remembered them upon hearing them from him.
In another version of the hadeeth, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ performed the Tahajjud prayer (i.e., late night prayer) in her house, and heard the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him) who was praying in the Mosque. He ﷺ said, "O ‘Aa’ishah! Is this ‘Abbad's voice?" He ﷺ wanted to verify that it was the voice of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "O Allah! Be merciful to ‘Abbaad!”
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is conceivable that the Prophet ﷺ might forget some of that which he ﷺ had already conveyed to the Ummah.
It is also inferred therefrom that one should supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, in favor of the one who does him a favor, even if this favor is unintended.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of ‘Abbaad (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also inferred that one should supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, in favor of his fellow Muslim brothers in their absence.
It is also deduced therefrom that it is allowable to recite the Quran aloud and raise one’s voice at night in the mosque, and this is not disliked as long as it does not disturb and harm others, nor imperil the doer to falling into Riyaa’ (i.e., showing off and seeking to impress others to win their praise) and arrogance..

2661

Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"Whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ intended to go on a journey, he ﷺ would draw lots amongst his wives and would take with him the one upon whom the lot fell. During a one of the battles, he ﷺ drew lots amongst us and the lot fell upon me, and I proceeded with him after Allah, Exalted is He, had decreed the obligation of wearing Hijaab for women. I was carried in a Hawdaj (i.e., camel's litter for women) and dismounted while still in it. When Allah's Messengerﷺwas through with his battle and returned home, and we approached Al-Madeenah, he ﷺordered us to proceed at night. When the order of setting off was given, I walked till I was past the army to answer the call of nature. After finishing, I returned (to the camp) to depart (with the others) and suddenly realized that my necklace over my chest was missing. So, I returned to look for it and was delayed because of that. Those who were carrying me on the camel, came to my Hawdaj and put it on the back of the camel, thinking that I was in it, as, at that time, women were light in weight, thin and lean, and did not eat much. So, those people did not feel the difference in the heaviness of the Hawdaj while lifting it, and they put it over the camel. At that time, I was a young lady. They set the camel moving and proceeded on. I found my necklace after the army had gone, and came to their camp to find nobody! So, I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would discover my absence and come back in my search. While in that state, I felt drowsy and slept. Safwaan ibn Mu‘attal Al-Sulamee Al-Dhakwaanee was behind the army and reached my abode in the morning. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a sleeping person, he came to me, and he had seen me before the obligation of the Hijaab. So, I got up when I heard him saying, "Inna lillaah wa innaa ilayhi raaji‘oon (i.e., Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return)." He (may Allah be pleased with him) made his camel knell down, got down from his camel, and put his leg on the front legs of the camel and then I rode and sat over it. Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with him) set out walking, leading the camel by the rope till we reached the army who had halted to take rest at midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell into destruction, (i.e., therumor-mongers who circulated such false accusations) and the leader of the false accusers was ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool. After that we returned to Al-Madeenah, and I fell ill for one month while people were spreading the forged statements of the false accusers. I was feeling during my ailment as if I were not receiving the usual kindness from the Prophet ﷺwhich I used to receive from him when I got sick. But he ﷺ would come, greet me and say, 'How is that (girl)?' I did not know anything of what was going on till I recovered from my ailment and went out with Umm Mistah to the Manaasi‘ (i.e., a vast open place near Baqee‘ at Al-Madeenah), where we used to answer the call of nature, and we used not to go to answer the call of nature except from night to night and that was before we had lavatories near our houses. This habit of ours was similar to the habit of the old Arabs (who used to relieve themselves) in the open country (or away from houses). So, I and Umm Mistah bint Ruhm went out walking. Umm Mistah stumbled because of her long dress and on that she said, 'Let Mistah be ruined.' I said, ‘What a harsh word you have said! Why would you abuse a man who took part in (the battle of) Badr?' She said, 'O dear girl, you did not you hear what they said?' Then she told me the rumors of the false accusers. My sickness was aggravated, and when I returned home, Allah's Messengerﷺ came to me, and after greeting he ﷺ said, 'How is that (girl)?' I asked him to allow me to go to my parents. I wanted then to be sure of the news through them; I Allah's Messengerﷺ allowed me, and I went to my parents and asked my mother, 'What are people talking about?' She said, 'O my daughter! Do not worry much about this matter. By Allah, never is there a charming woman loved by her husband who has other wives, but women would forge false news about her.' I said, 'Glorified be Allah! Are people really talking about this matter?' That night I kept on weeping and could not sleep till morning. In the morning, Allah's Messenger ﷺcalled ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib and Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them) when he ﷺ saw the divine revelation delayed, to consul them about divorcing his wife (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah). Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said what he knew of the good reputation of the Prophet’s wives and added, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Keep you wife, for, by Allah, we know nothing about her but good.' ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Allah, Exalted is He, has no imposed restrictions on you, and there are many other women, yet you may ask her female servant who will tell you the truth.' On that, Allah's Messengerﷺcalled Bareerah and said, 'O Bareerah. Did you ever see anything which roused your suspicions about her?' Bareerah said, 'No, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the (domestic) goats to eat.' On that day, Allah's Messengerﷺ ascended the pulpit and requested that somebody support him in punishing ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool. Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.' Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!By Allah, I will relieve you of him. If that man is from the Aws tribe, then we will chop his head off, and if he is from our brothers, i.e., the Khazraj tribe, then order us, and we will carry out your order.' On that Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, the chief of the Khazraj tribe - who has been a pious man before this incident, but was motivated by his blameworthy zeal for his tribe – got up and said, 'By Allah, you have told a lie; you cannot kill him, and you will never be able to kill him.' On that Usayd ibn Hudhayr got up and said (to Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah) (may Allah be pleased with them), 'By Allah! you are a liar. By Allah, we will kill him; and you are a hypocrite, defending the hypocrites!' Thereupon, the two tribes: the Aws and Khazraj got so agitated and were about to fight each other, while Allah's Messenger ﷺwas standing on the pulpit. He ﷺ got down and quieted them till they became silent and he kept quiet. On that day, I kept on weeping so much so that neither did my tears stop, nor could I sleep. In the morning, my parents were with me and I had wept for two nights and a day, till I thought my liver would burst from weeping. While they were sitting with me and I was weeping, a woman from the Ansaar asked my permission to enter, and I allowed her to come in. She sat down and started weeping with me. While we were in that state, Allah's Messengerﷺ came and sat down and he had never sat with me since the day they forged the accusation. No divine revelation regarding my situation came to him for a month. He ﷺ recited Tashah-hud (i.e., the two testimonies of faith: none is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) and then said, 'O ‘Aa’ishah! I have been informed such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah, Exalted is He, will soon reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin, then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, He accepts his repentance.' When Allah's Messengerﷺ finished his speech, my tears ceased completely and there remained not even a single drop of it. I requested my father to reply to Allah's Messengerﷺ on my behalf. My father (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger ﷺ!” I said to my mother, 'Talk to Allah's Messengerﷺ on my behalf.' She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.’ I was a young girl and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. I said, 'I know, by Allah, that you have listened to what people are saying and that has been planted in your minds and you have taken it as a truth. Now, if I told you that I am innocent and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would not believe me and if I falsely confessed to you that I am guilty, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would believe me. By Allah, I only compare my situation with you except to the situation of Yoosuf’s father (i.e., Prophet Ya‘qoob) who said (what means): {…so patience is most fitting. And Allah (Alone) is the one sought for help against that which you describe.} [Quran 12:18] Then I turned to the other side of my bed hoping that Allah, Exalted is He, would prove my innocence. By Allah I never thought that He would send divine revelation concerning my situation, as I considered myself too inferior to be talked about in the Holy Quran. I had hoped that Allah's Messengerﷺ might have a dream in which Allah, Exalted is He, would prove my innocence. By Allah, The Prophet ﷺ had not got up and nobody had left the house before the divine revelation came to him. So, there overtook him the same state which used to overtake him, (when he ﷺ used to have, when receiving the divine revelation). He ﷺ was sweating so much so that the drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls though it was a (cold) wintry day. When that state of Allah's Messengerﷺ was over, he was smiling and the first word he said, ‘Aa’ishah! Thank Allah, for Allah has declared your innocence.' My mother told me to go to Allah's Messenger ﷺ!I replied, 'By Allah, I will not go to him and will not thank anyone but Allah, Exalted is He.' So, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you.} [Quran 24:11] When Allah, Exalted is He, gave the declaration of my innocence, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who used to provide for Mistah ibn Uthaathah (may Allah be pleased with him), for he was his relative, said, 'By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah because of what he said about ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).' But Allah, Exalted is He, later revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah , and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:22] Thereupon, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes! By Allah! I like that Allah should forgive me,' and resumed helping Mistah whom he used to help before. Allah's Messengerﷺ also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh (i.e., the Prophet's wife about me saying, 'What do you know and what did you see?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I do not claim hearing or seeing what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except good about ‘Aa’ishah." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further added, "Zaynab was competing with me (with her beauty and the Prophet's love for her), yet Allah, Exalted is He, protected her (from being malicious), for she was endowed with piety and mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He.”
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Commentary :
The incident of Ifk (i.e., false allegation against ‘Aa’ishah) is when the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was slandered and falsely accused of committing Fornication. It was one of the most serious incidents that served as a real test for the sincerity of the faith of many Muslims. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed in the Quran a clear statement of her innocence, out of His grace conferred upon her, the Prophet ﷺ, and the whole Muslim community.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ intended to go on a journey, he ﷺ would draw lots amongst his wives, and would take with him, the one upon whom the lot fell. He ﷺ drew lots amongst his wives for one of his battles, namely, the Battle of Banee Al-Mustaliq (also known as Al-Muraysee‘) in 5 A.H., and the lot fell on her. This took place after Allah, Exalted is He, had revealed the ayahabout the obligation of Hijaab (i.e., head veil) for women. She (may Allah be pleased with her) set out with him, and was carried down in a Hawdaj (i.e., camel's litter for women) while still inside it (when they came to a halt). On the way back from that Ghazwah (i.e., a battle led by the Prophet ﷺ), as they approached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messenger ﷺannounced at night that it was time for departure. When they announced the news of departure, she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up and went away from the army camp to answer the call of nature before the departure. She (may Allah be pleased with her) walked till she was past the army to answer the call of nature. After finishing, she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned (to the camp) to depart (with the others) and suddenly realized that her necklace was missing. It was a necklace made of Dhafaar beads (i.e., Yemenite beads partly black and partly white). Therefore, she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned to look for it in the place where she had relieved herself, and was delayed because of that. Meanwhile, people who used to carry her on her camel came and lifted the Hawdaj onto the back of the camel, thinking that she was inside of it. In those days, women were light in weight for they did not get fat, and flesh did not cover their bodies in abundance, as they used to eat only little amounts of food that satisfied their hunger.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) waited in the place where she used to stay, thinking that they would eventually discover her absence and come back in search of her. While she (may Allah be pleased with her) was sitting there, she was overtaken by sleep. Safwaan ibn Al-Muʻattal Al-Sulamee Al-Dhakwaanee (may Allah be pleased with him) was behind the army to pick up what might have fallen or been forgotten by the Muslim army. He (may Allah be pleased with him) found her sleeping, and he had seen her before the obligation of the Hijaab was decreed. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said aloud, "Inna lillaah wa innaa ilayhi raaji‘oon (i.e., Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return)," to wake her up. She woke up, veiled her face, and they did not speak a single word afterward. She (may Allah be pleased with her) rode his camel and he (may Allah be pleased with him) led it till they reached the army while they were taking a rest.
Her saying, ‘Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell into destruction,” referred to the rumor-mongers who slandered her and circulated such false allegations against her, led by ‘Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salool, the chief of the hypocrites, and they incurred their own destruction accordingly. Some Companions also circulated these false allegations including: Hassaan ibn Thaabit, Mistah ibn Uthaathah, and Hamnah bint Jahsh, Zaynab bint Jahsh’s sister (may Allah be pleased with them).
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added that after they returned to Al-Madeenah, she fell ill for one month while people were circulating and spreading the forged statements of the false accusers. She (may Allah be pleased with her) was unaware of what people were saying about her, but she had some doubts since she (may Allah be pleased with her) sensed that she was not receiving the usual kindness and compassion from the Prophet ﷺwhich she (may Allah be pleased with her)used to receive from him when she got sick. Rather, he ﷺ would enter her room, greet her saying, 'How is that (girl)?' He ﷺ would ask, with half a heart, how she was, without informing her of what was being said about her. She (may Allah be pleased with her) did not know anything of what was going on till she recovered from her ailment and went out with Umm Mistah bint Abee Ruhm (may Allah be pleased with her) to the Manaasi‘ (i.e., a vast open place near Baqee‘ at Al-Madeenah), where people used to answer the call of nature. Women did not use to go to answer the call of nature except at night to spare themselves any inconvenience and unwanted gazes, and that was before people had lavatories near their houses. As customary among Arabs, people used to relieve themselves in vast open areas in specified spots in the desert (away from houses, for they disliked to have lavatories near their houses). So, she and Umm Mistah bint Ruhm (may Allah be pleased with them) went out walking. Umm Mistah stumbled because of her long dress and on that she said, 'Let Mistah be ruined!' ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, ‘What a harsh word you have said! Why would you abuse a man who took part in (the battle of) Badr?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) informed ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) of the false allegations and rumors the slanderers had circulated about her. Her sickness and pain were aggravated.
When she (may Allah be pleased with her) returned home, Allah's Messengerﷺ halfheartedly asked her, 'How is that (girl)?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him to allow her to go to her parents, and he ﷺ gave her permission to do so. She (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to verify the news by asking them. Her mother said, 'O my daughter! Do not worry much about this matter.” Trying to make her feel better, she (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “By Allah, never is there a charming woman loved by her husband who has other wives, but the women would forge false news about her.' She meant that a woman in her position would not be safe from being a target of people’s gossip and rumors; people and other co-wives would usually spread rumors about a beautiful wife loved by her husband. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'Glorified be Allah! Are people really talking about this matter?' She meant that such lies and slander were common products of jealousy harbored by co-wives and other people. That night ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) kept on weeping and could not sleep till morning, indicating her deep distress and sadness.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) added that the Prophet ﷺconsulted with ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib and Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them) about divorcing her when the divine revelation was delayed. Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said what he knew of the good reputation and righteousness of the Prophet’s wives and added, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Keep you wife, for, by Allah, we know nothing about her but good.' On the other hand, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said, comforting the Prophet ﷺ, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!Allah, Exalted is He, has not imposed restrictions on you, and there are many other women,” suggesting divorce to relieve the Prophet’s distress and anxiety. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also suggested that the Prophet ﷺ should ask her female servant, since servants usually have a closer look into the private life of their masters. On that, Allah's Messengerﷺcalled Bareerah and said, 'O Bareerah. Did you ever see anything which roused your suspicions about her?' Bareerah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the (domestic) goats to eat,' out of her innocence. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “By Allah, I know about her as does a jeweler know about the pure piece of gold!” She acquitted ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) of the lies that the hypocrites had fabricated against her.
It is noteworthy that scholars held different opinions as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺ knew of ‘Aa’ishah’s innocence before the divine revelation acquitted her, but they all agreed that he ﷺ did not believe such rumors.
Some held that he ﷺ knew of her innocence, and so did ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), but he ﷺ had to wait for the divine revelation since people had circulated such false accusations. This is because the wives of the Prophets of Allah would never commit Fornication, because it would involve disgracing the Prophets of Allah with what is unbecoming of their refined status.
Others maintained that he ﷺ had some doubts, but her innocence seemed more likely to him, and when the divine revelation acquitted her, he ﷺ knew it with certainty. This is evidenced by the fact that he ﷺ consulted ‘Alee and Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with them) about divorcing her and asked Bareerah (may Allah be pleased with her), indicating his doubts. They also argued that he ﷺ would have continued to have some doubts if the divine revelation had not acquitted her, although there were no proofs to support such false claims. There is a difference between the absence of proofs to substantiate the slanderer's claims warranting the execution of the prescribed Hadd, and the innocence revealed by Allah, Exalted is He.
Others believed that Allah, Exalted is He, wanted to highlight the refined status of His Messenger and his family. Therefore, He took the Prophet ﷺ out of the equation, defended him, acquitted his wife, and refuted his enemies’ claims Himself. Allah, Exalted is He, wanted to rebuke the slanderers Himself rather than letting the Prophet ﷺ answer to them and exonerate his wife. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ was the actual target of such harm, but they threw such false accusations against his wife. It was inappropriate for the Prophet ﷺ to testify of her innocence, although he ﷺ was certain of it, or believed that she (may Allah be pleased with her) most likely did not commit such sin. He ﷺ did not believe that she (may Allah be pleased with her) could ever commit such sin, Allah forbids! This is why he ﷺ said: “Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering the reputation of my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.”
He ﷺ had enough reasons to believe that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was innocent more than any of the believers, but given his perfect patience, steadfastness, kindness, good faith in his Lord and his trust in Him, he ﷺ chose to adhere to patience, steadfastness, and good faith in Allah, Exalted is He, until the divine revelation should absolve her from such accusations. The divine revelation proved her innocence, bringing joy to his heart, emphasizing his refined status, and proving to all Muslims that Allah, Exalted is He, held him in such high regard, honored him, and defended him Himself!
The Prophet ﷺ ascended the pulpit and requested that somebody support him in punishing ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool, one of the chiefs of the Khazraj tribe, who had slandered his wife, as he was the leader of such accusers and slanderers. He ﷺ said, 'Who will support me to punish that person (‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool) who has hurt me by slandering my family (i.e., wife)? By Allah, I know nothing about my family (i.e., wife) but good, and they have accused a person about whom I know nothing except good, and he never entered my house except in my company.' This indicated the good moral character of Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with him), and that he was a trustworthy and pious man who was known for good conduct, as acknowledged by the Prophet ﷺ and all people.
The Ansaar were divided into two major tribes: the Aws and Khazraj. Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him), the chief of the Aws tribe, got up and said, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ!By Allah, I will relieve you of him. If that man is from the tribe of the Aws, then we will chop his head off, and if he is from our brothers, i.e., the Khazraj tribe, then order us, and we will carry out your order.' This indicated Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh’s good manners and his knowledge of the limits of his chiefdom; he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not explicitly declare killing a person who belonged to the Khazraj tribe like he did with a man from his own tribe, and left the ruling to be decided by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, pledging to execute the punishment that would be pleasing to him. On hearing that, Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, the chief of the Khazraj tribe, who was a senior and pious Companion (may Allah be pleased with him), got up, motivated by his prejudice and blameworthy zeal for his tribe and said, 'By Allah, you have told a lie,” meaning, ‘You are wrong,’ as Arabs used to refer to mistakes as lies, “you cannot kill him, and you will never be able to kill him.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said so because he believed that Sa‘d ibn Mu‘aadh (may Allah be pleased with him)had crossed the line and should not have interfered in the private affairs of the Khazraj tribe. On that, Usayd ibn Hudhayr, one of the chiefs of the Aws tribe, got up and said (to Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah), 'By Allah! you are a liar. By Allah, we will kill him; and you are a hypocrite, defending the hypocrites!' These statements were made only because they were quarreling, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mean to accuse him of hypocrisy, but was rather exaggerating in rebuking him. Moreover, such insults are worthless and have no weight, because they were said in a state of anger.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “Thereupon, the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj got so agitated and were about to fight each other, while Allah's Messenger ﷺwas standing on the pulpit. He ﷺ got down and quieted them till they became silent and he kept quiet.
She (may Allah be pleased with her) kept on weeping so much so that neither did her tears stop, nor could she sleep. She (may Allah be pleased with her) continued to weep for two nights and a day, so much so that she thought that her liver would burst from weeping. This is because grief is especially harmful to the liver more than any other body organ. A woman from the Ansaar visited her, sat down and started weeping with her, to give her consolation. While they were in this state, Allah's Messengerﷺ came and sat down, and he had never sat with her since the day they forged those accusations. No divine revelation regarding her situation came to him for a month, to clear her name and inform the Prophet ﷺ of the truth, but he ﷺ received the divine revelation regarding other matters during that period.
He ﷺ recited Tashah-hud (i.e., the two testimonies of faith: none is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) and then said, 'O ‘Aa’ishah! I have been informed such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah, Exalted is He, will soon reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin,” meaning if you happened to fall into sin, which was unlike you, “then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, He accepts his repentance.' When Allah's Messengerﷺ finished his speech, her tears ceased completely and there remained not even a single drop; she (may Allah be pleased with her) was in awe of what he ﷺhad said! She (may Allah be pleased with her) requested her father and mother (may Allah be pleased with them) to reply to Allah's Messengerﷺ on her behalf and defend her, but they both said: “By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messengerﷺ!” They were in a tough spot, considering the lofty status of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on one hand, and their own daughter who was falsely accused of such a heinous and immoral act on the other hand!
Therefore, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied herself, although she was a young girl then and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said so to explain the reason for her forgetting the name of Prophet Ya‘qoob, when she compared her situation to his situation and the harm afflicted by his sons on him and Prophet Yoosuf. She (may Allah be pleased with her) then related to him the accusations made against her and Safwaan (may Allah be pleased with them), and underlined that these rumors and false claims dwelled in people’s minds so much that they accepted such (slanderous) speech as truth. If she told them that she was innocent, and Allah knew that she was, they would not believe her, and if she falsely confessed that she was guilty, and Allah knew that she was not, they would have believed her! She (may Allah be pleased with her) added that she could not do anything but to adhere to patience and aspire to relief and acquittal from Allah, Exalted is He, as Prophet Ya‘qoob said (what means): {…so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe.} [Quran 12:18]. Only Allah, Exalted is He, would clear her name, prove her innocence, and defend her! She (may Allah be pleased with her) turned to the other side of her bed hoping that Allah, Exalted is He, would prove her innocence. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “By Allah, I never thought that He would send divine revelation concerning my situation, as I considered myself too inferior to be talked about in the Holy Quran.” She (may Allah be pleased with her) only hoped that Allah's Messengerﷺ might have a dream in which Allah, Exalted is He, would prove her innocence. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “By Allah, he ﷺ had not got up and nobody had left the house before the divine revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ, who was overtaken by the same state which used to overtake him, (when he ﷺ received divine revelation). He ﷺ was sweating so much that the drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls, though it was a (cold) wintry day. “When that state of Allah's Messengerﷺ was over,” and the revelation ended, “he ﷺwas smiling and the first word he ﷺ said was asking Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to thank Allah, Exalted is He, for declaring her innocence. Her mother told her to go to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, to thank him for such glad tidings, but she (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'By Allah, I will not go to him and will not thank but Allah,’ because He declared her innocence. On this occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. * Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"? * Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars. * And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment. * When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. * And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander"? * Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.} [Quran 24:11-17]. In these ayaat, Allah, Exalted is He, referred to their false claims as lies. The Arabic word used was “Ifk,” meaning false allegations. Allah, Exalted is He, stated that these slanderers fabricated lies against her and underlined their promised punishment in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to provide for Mistah ibn Uthaathah, for he was his relative; the mother of Mistah was named Salmaa, who was the maternal cousin of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). Mastah (may Allah be pleased with him) circulated such allegations and this angered Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said, 'By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah because of what he said about ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).' On that occasion, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the ayah that reads (what means): {And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:22]. The ayah means, ‘those who swore not to provide for their (poor) relatives because they have wronged them!’ Thereupon, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes! By Allah! I like that Allah should forgive me,' and resumed helping Mistah whom he used to help before, and expiated for breaking his oath.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) also added: “Allah's Messengerﷺ also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh (i.e., the Prophet's wife) about me saying, 'What do you know and what did you see?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I do not claim hearing or seeing what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except good about ‘Aa’ishah.’" ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further added, "Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) was competing with me (with her beauty and the Prophet's love for her),” meaning that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was also beautiful and used to boast about her beauty and the Prophet’s love for her, “yet Allah, Exalted is He, protected her (from being malicious), for she (may Allah be pleased with her) was endowed with piety and mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He,” and she did not fall into sin by circulating such rumors like those who did.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to draw lots between one’s wives to choose one to accompany him when traveling.
The hadeeth highlights the merits of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and her conclusive acquittal from the false accusations made against her by the explicit divine revelation and a ayah in the Quran which shall be recited unto the Day of Judgment.
It is inferred therefrom that one should recite Istirjaa‘ (i.e., saying ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return,’ a Dhikr that Muslims are instructed to say when afflicted by any sort of calamity) at times of adversity befalling one or any of his loved ones regarding his or their worldly or religious affairs.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a man should be considerate and kind towards his wife.
It is also deduced that one should check upon the sick person.
The hadeeth also underlines the merits of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who partook in the Battle of Badr and defends them.
It is also inferred therefrom that one should consult with his close family members and friends about his personal affairs and problems.
It is deduced that a ruler should address the ruled when adversities should befall them.
The hadeeth also highlights the virtues of Safwaan ibn Al-Mu‘attil (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is also inferred therefrom that one should hasten to block the ways that could lead to Fitnah (i.e., dissension) and disputes.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a sinner’s repentance is acceptable; he should be urged to repent, for sincere repentance to Allah, Exalted is He, is a reason for having one’s sins forgiven.
It is also inferred that one should hasten to give glad tidings to the one upon whom a clear blessing is conferred or who is relieved of an adversity.
The hadeeth also urges the forgiveness and pardon of a wrongdoer.
It also encourages Muslims to spend in charity and help the less fortunate.
The hadeeth also highlights the merits of the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her).
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2662

‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn Abee Bakrah narrated on the authority of his father that he (may Allah be pleased with him)said: “A man praised another man in front of the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck; you have cut off your companion's neck," repeating it several times and then added, "Whoever amongst you has to praise his brother should say, 'I think that he is such-and-such, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him to such-and-such,' if he really knows what he says about him."
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Commentary :
Praising or dispraising people is a very serious matter, and Islam has set certain guidelines for crediting or discrediting people. It stipulated having a good knowledge of the praised or dispraised person, and also warned against ascribing false attributes to any person.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Bakrah Nafee‘ ibn Al-Haarith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man praised another in front of the Prophet ﷺ.Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Woe to you,” the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘woe to you,’ indicating rebuke, and it is used in reference to someone who has made a serious mistake incurring an undeserved adversity. He ﷺ added, “… you have cut off your companion's neck, you have cut off your companion's neck," meaning that you have seriously harmed your friend. This is because such praise may drive him to fall into conceit and arrogance. He ﷺ repeated it several times, to warn against such an act and indicate its gravity. He ﷺ then clarified that if someone has to praise another person, in a situation where such praise is required by the Laws of Islam, e.g., for a witness, or for any Laws of Islam-approved benefit, one should say, “…'I think that he is such-and-such, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him to be such-and-such,' if he really knows what he says about him." In such situations, one should settle for mentioning the good qualities of the praised person and phrase it as explained in the hadeeth, saying, ‘I think that so-and-so is trustworthy, righteous, or honest,’ for example, rather than decisively stating that this person will have a good or bad fate in the Hereafter, because only Allah, Exalted is He, knows his true inner character, and He shall reward or punish him accordingly. Therefore, one must not decisively state that a given person is good or righteous nor evil or wicked.
The hadeeth warns against attributing qualities to a given person of which the speaker has no knowledge.
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2664

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ called me to present myself in front of him on the eve of the Battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age, and he ﷺ did not allow me to take part in that battle, but he ﷺ called me in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench when I was fifteen years old, and he ﷺ allowed me (to join the battle)." Naafi‘ said, "I went to ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azeez, who was the Caliph at that time, and related the above narration to him, and he said, "This age (fifteen) is the limit between childhood and manhood," and wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who have reached the age of fifteen..

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam decreed that reaching puberty should be the criterion for a person’s competence for religious assignments. When a male person reaches puberty, he becomes competent for religious assignments and obligations as per the laws of Islam, and would be held accountable for all his actions (and sayings), and the same goes for girls when they start experiencing menstruation.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺ called young men to decide whether or not they were fit to take part in the battles yet, and this was before the battle of Uhud, in 3 A.H. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was fourteen years of age at that time, and he ﷺ did not allow him to take part in that battle, for he ﷺ believed that he was still young and unfit to partake in the battles. In 5 A.H., he ﷺ called him again before the battle of the Trench, when he was fifteen years old, and he ﷺ allowed him (to join the battle).
Some scholars objected, saying that since the Battle of the Trench took place in 5 A.H., Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) should have been sixteen years old and not fifteen. In response, it was said that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that he had just turned fourteen before the Battle of Uhud, and had already turned fifteen by the Battle of the Trench, and this was(linguistically) correct and commonly acceptable in the Arabic language.
Naafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the narrator of the hadeeth, said, "I went to ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azeez, who was the Caliph at that time, and related the above narration to him, and he deduced from it that the age limit between childhood and manhood is fifteen, and accordingly wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who have reached the age of fifteen should they partake in the battles.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that a ruler should keenly do what serves the best interests of the ruled, including specifying the age limit for partaking in battles and joining the Muslim army..

2674

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
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Commentary :
The Laws of Islam of Islam clearly outlined the proper way to settle legal disputes, especially in the absence of clear evidence that warrants judging in favor of one litigant, namely, by oath-taking. Stern warnings have been reported about making false oaths, and many Laws of Islam texts warned against the severe punishment for such an act in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that two people (litigants) referred their dispute to the Prophet ﷺ, and none of them had evidence conclusively substantiating his right, or such evidence was false and inadmissible. The Prophet ﷺ offered them to take an oath; each litigant would be requested to take an oath while the other remained silent, out of reverence for the oath. When he ﷺ saw each of them hastening to take the oath first, he ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn to choose the one who should take an oath first, and accordingly would be declared entitled to the disputed property or right.
It was said that the Prophet ﷺ only commanded that lots should be drawn to choose the one who should take an oath first after he ﷺ saw them both hastening to take the oath, lest they should take two oaths at the same time and thus the litigant who had the right to the disputed property would lose his right to it. Rather, each litigant is entitled to take an oath independently. When the litigants are equally entitled to a disputed right or property, none of them should be given the chance to take the oath first to claim the right or refute the accusations made against him (and accordingly become legally entitled to the disputed right or property) except after employing the method of lot-casting.
It is an act of Sunnah to opt for casting lots in such situations, and it is prescribed and applicable when both litigants are equally entitled to a disputed right or property (and unable to provide conclusive or admissible evidencesubstantiating their rights).
The hadeeth highlights the seriousness (and solemnity) of oath-taking in Islam.
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868

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: Dimād came to Makkah, and he was from Azd Shanū’ah. He used to provide Ruqyah against this wind (demonic possession). He heard some foolish people from the people of Makkah saying: Indeed, Muhammad is mad. So, he said: If I see that man, Allah might heal him through me. He said: He met him and said: O Muhammad, I provide Ruqyah against this wind and Allah heals whoever He wills through me. Do you desire (this)? Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whoever Allah leads astray, none can guide. I testify that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. To proceed, he said: He said: Repeat to me these words of yours. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated them three times. He said: So, he said: I have heard the words of soothsayers, the words of magicians, and the words of poets, but I have never heard such words as yours, and they have reached the Nā‘ūs (depth) of the sea. He said: So, he said: Give me your hand to pledge allegiance to you on Islam. He said: And he pledged allegiance to him. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: And on behalf of your people? He replied: And on behalf of my people. He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then sent an expedition, and they passed by his people. The expedition leader asked the army: Did you take anything from those? A man said: I took a Mit-harah (water utensil used for purification) from them. So, he said: Return it, for they are the people of Dimād..

Commentary : The Prophet's way of life and that of the early Muslims was full of difficulties and obstacles for the sake of spreading the word of Allah Almighty. The disbelievers of Makkah used to keep a close watch on the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and all those who believed along with him. However, Allah's victory was definite as He granted His slave victory, honored His soldiers, and defeated the Confederates alone.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that Dimād ibn Tha'labah - who was from Azd Shanū’ah, which is a prominent tribe in Yemen and Azd is one of its tribes - came to Makkah and alighted there from a journey and this was at the beginning of the Prophet's mission. Dimād used to make Ruqyah, which refers to the incantations used for someone suffering from illnesses like fever, epilepsy, and other diseases. "He used to provide Ruqyah against this wind," and "wind" here refers to madness and demonic possession as if they considered the insanity that afflicted a person and the diseases resulting from such possession a breath from the Jinn. Thus, they called it "wind". Dimād heard the fools and the ignorant from among the disbelievers of Makkah saying: "Indeed, Muhammad is mad. So, he said: If I see that man" whom you call mad, Allah might heal him through me if I make Ruqyah for him. Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) met Dimād. Dimād informed him that he provided Ruqyah against possession and madness and that Allah had made him a cause for curing some diseases, so would you like me to make Ruqyah for you and help you get rid of the madness that people say you are afflicted with? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied saying: "Praise be to Allah," i.e., it is established and exclusive for Him, whether He is praised or not. "We praise Him" because it is obligatory upon us as well as beneficial for us. "And seek His help" in all our affairs. "Whoever Allah guides" to the path of declaring His Oneness and witnessing His uniqueness by virtue of His favor, "none can lead astray" from the creatures, and whoever He leads astray from the right path by virtue of His justice, "none can guide". "I testify that there is no god but Allah, alone," i.e., One "with no partner," i.e., none is truly worthy of worship but Him. "And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger; to proceed," On hearing these words from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Dimād asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to repeat these words once again. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated them thrice. Thereupon, Dimād said: "I have heard the words of soothsayers" plural of "soothsayer", one who foretells the unseen with rhyming sentences and creative signals. "The words of magicians" plural of "magician", one who alludes to the eye or mind by what he says or does. "And the words of poets" is the plural of a poet, one who beautifies everything with his tongue to the extent that he disgraces what is beautiful and beautifies what is disgraceful. I heard the words of those, "but I have never heard such words as yours," i.e., if you were one of these three, your words would sound like their words. He mentioned those three because the fools of Makkah used to describe him once as a soothsayer, another time as a magician, and a third time as a poet. Hence, he denied the three things they used to say about him.
Then, Dimād said: "And they have reached," i.e., these comprehensive words that you uttered and their impact on the heart of every living being along with their belief in them have reached the "Nā‘ūs" (depth) of the sea, and it was narrated the "Qāmūs", which is the middle and depth of the sea. In other words, they have reached the top and the highest peak of eloquence.
Then, Dimād said: "Give me your hand" and extend it "to pledge allegiance to you on Islam. And he pledged allegiance to" the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: And on behalf of your people, i.e., and you pledge allegiance to Islam on behalf of your people as well whom you left behind in your country? Thereupon, Dimād said: "And on behalf of my people." So, he pledged allegiance to Islam for himself and on behalf of his people.
Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that after the Hijrah (emigration) to Madīnah, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent an expedition - part of the army that does not exceed one hundred men -. They passed by the people of Dimād ibn Tha'labah (may Allah be pleased with him). The expedition leader - i.e., its head - said to the army: "Did you take," i.e., seize "anything from those? A man said: I took a Mit-harah from them," which is a water utensil used for making Tahārah (ritual purification). He said: "Return it," i.e., give it back to its owners ", for those are the people of Dimād" ibn Tha'labah al-Azdi who pledged allegiance to Islam through Dimād. Hence, it is not permissible to seize their properties because they are Muslims.
The Hadīth sheds light on the Prophet's good manners, eloquence, and command of language.
It also shows how Dimād ibn Tha‘labah (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam and the favor he did to his people..

869

Abu Wā’il reported: 'Ammār gave us a Khutbah (sermon), and he spoke briefly and eloquently. When he came down, we said: O Abu al-Yaqzhān, you spoke eloquently and briefly; would you have spoken longer? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "A man's lengthy prayer and short Khutbah is a sign of his understanding, so lengthen the prayer and shorten the Khutbah, for there is a charm in the eloquent speech.".

Commentary : Everything has a point of moderation and reasonableness, and both the prayer and Khutbah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) were moderate, i.e., they were neither prolonged in a boring manner nor shortened in a manner involving deficiency, and this was the course adopted by the Prophet's Companions.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Wā’il, the brother of Ibn Salamah al-Asdi, narrates that ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) delivered a sermon among people, and he spoke briefly and eloquently and conveyed what he wanted in a few words. On descending the pulpit, people said to him: "O Abu al-Yaqzhān," which is 'Ammār's nickname, and they praised his eloquence and brevity and said to him: "Would that you spoke longer," i.e., made it a little longer. He informed them that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "A man's lengthy prayer," referring to the Friday prayer, i.e., making the prayer longer than the Khutbah in a way that does not make it arduous for those praying behind him; to be moderate between prolonging and shortening, "and short Khutbah," i.e., shortening it "is a sign of his understanding," i.e., a sign indicating the preacher's understanding when his speech is eloquent, brief, and clear. The command of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) contains: "So, lengthen the prayer and shorten the Khutbah", denotes ultimate moderation by prolonging the prayer moderately so that those who are not present and those who are far away from the mosque can catch up with it without harming those behind him with such a prolongation, and by shortening the Khutbah without failing to meet its proper standards and in a way that would make it easier to memorize what is mentioned therein as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do this in both.
His statement: "For there is a charm in the eloquent speech," "Eloquent speech" here means expressing the intended meaning using the most articulate wording, which indicates understanding and the heart's intelligence. "Charm" means changing the way one regards something and not changing the truth of something. This statement was said as a form of praise by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with which he ended his speech to guide the preacher to be eloquent and clear in his speech, as Allah Almighty has bestowed upon His slaves the blessing of teaching them eloquence and clarity. Then, he compared it to magic because the hearts feel a tendency towards it as the eloquent speech attracts hearts and causes them to incline to what the speaker is saying.
The Hadīth points out that it is Sunnah for the preacher not to lengthen the Khutbah..

870

‘Adiyy ibn Hātim reported: A man delivered a sermon before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger is guided aright, and whoever disobeys them is deluded. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: What a bad preacher you are! Say: And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger. [Another version reads]: has gone astray..

Commentary : Delivering the Khutbah (sermon) is of great significance because it expresses what one thinks or means. The Khutbah must be clear and comprehensible to all. It must be free of probable words and meanings that could be misconstrued, or that could be interpreted in a way different from that intended by the preacher.
In this Hadīth, ‘Adiyy ibn Hātim at-Tā’i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man delivering a Khutbah saying: "Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger is guided aright," "rushd" (right guidance) means: being on the side of the truth and what is right, "And whoever disobeys them is deluded," i.e., is wholly engaged in evil and goes astray from the path of the truth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, teaching him in a firm and scolding manner - which is one of the Prophet's teaching methods: "What a bad preacher you are! Say: And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger" not "disobeys them". Here, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called his attention to be cautious about stating such things in sermons and attended occasions because the basic rule here is simplicity and clarification along with avoidance of symbols and signs, unlike education, as the lesser the words are, the better their memorization becomes.
The Hadīth denotes that forbidding evil is to be carried out by those qualified to do so..

873

’Umm Hishām bint Hārithah ibn an-Nu‘mān reported: Our oven and the oven of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the same for two years, or for a year and part of a year. I learned the Surat of {Qāf. By the Glorious Qur’an} from none but the tongue of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he used to recite it every Friday on the pulpit when delivering the Khutbah to people..

Commentary : The Companions were keen on knowing the Prophet's states and on learning everything from him because the best guidance is that of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth,' Umm Hishām bint al-Hārith ibn an-Nu'mān (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she and her family shared the same oven with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for two years, or a year and part of a year. "Tannūr" (oven) means the thing in which bread is baked, which is an indirect reference to their close neighborship and a reference to her extreme heedfulness of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), her vast knowledge about his states, and her closeness to him. She then reported that she did not memorize the Surat of {Qāf. By the Glorious Qur'an} except by hearing it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as he used to recite it every Friday on the pulpit when delivering the Khutbah to people. Perhaps the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) chose Surat Qāf because of the lessons and the powerful deterrents it includes, in addition to some of the horrors of the Day of Judgment, including death and resurrection, Paradise and Hellfire, besides the fact that the speech of Allah Almighty is more effective in preaching.
The Hadīth indicates reciting the Qur’an in the Khutbah and reciting Surat Qāf..

874

‘Umārah ibn Ru’aybah reported: He saw Bishr ibn Marwān on the pulpit raising his hands, so he said: "May Allah disfigure these hands! I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing no more than this with his hand." He pointed with his Musabbihah finger (forefinger). [Another version reads]: I saw Bishr ibn Marwān on Friday raising his hands, so, ‘Umārah ibn Ru’aybah said...and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) never feared the reproach of any critic concerning Allah and were never prevented by people's prestige from saying the truth if witnessed or knew it, even if the evildoer was from the notables. An example is this Hadīth as ‘Umārah ibn Ru’aybah (may Allah be pleased with him) criticized Bishr ibn Marwān ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi al-‘Ās ibn ’Umayyah al-’Umawi al-Madani - one of the rulers of Banu ’Umayyah - for raising his hands during the Friday Khutbah while supplicating on the pulpit, as mentioned in the version of Abu Dāwūd. ‘Umārah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "May Allah disfigure these hands" that were raised during supplication contrary to the Sunnah. This apparently signifies supplicating against him for opposing the act of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this respect. It is also said that it signifies the ugliness of his deed. Then, he reported that he saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing no more than gesturing in the Khutbah with the Musabbihah (forefinger) during the supplication, i.e., he pointed with it just as he used to raise it during the Tashahhud. The "Musabbihah" is the finger next to the thumb, and it was called so because of pointing with it when declaring Tawhīd (monotheism) and when making Tasbīh (glorifying Allah). It was also called "Sabbābah" because people usually use it to refer to "sabb" (insulting, swearing).
The Hadīth shows that the preacher should not raise his hand while supplicating during the Friday Khutbah..

876

Abu Rifā‘ah reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was giving a sermon, and I said: "O Messenger of Allah, a stranger has come to inquire about his religion. He has no knowledge about his religion." So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) turned to me, left his sermon, and came to me. A chair was brought - and I thought its legs were made of iron - and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it and started teaching me of what Allah taught him. Then, he resumed his sermon and completed it..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to care about the conditions and circumstances of people and facilitate things for them. Indeed, he was gentle, compassionate, and humble to the Muslims.
In this Hadīth, Abu Rifā‘ah al-‘Adawi (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering a sermon to the people one day, Abu Rifā‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, a stranger," a stranger is a person away from his homeland. "has come to inquire about his religion," i.e., about the matters and legislations of Islam. "He has no knowledge about his religion," because no one has taught him. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned to him, left his sermon, and walked until he reached Abu Rifā‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him). The Companions brought him a chair whose legs Abu Abu Rifā‘ah thought were made of iron. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the chair, so that the Companions could see him and learn from him. He began to teach Abu Rifā‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him) the matters of Islam he needed to learn. Then, after he had finished teaching him, he returned to his place and completed his sermon to the end.
It was said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left the sermon and turned to this man to teach him because it was incumbent upon him right away, and because he feared he might miss that, and because this did not contradict the sermon he was giving. His walk and closeness to him at that moment was a desire to seize the opportunity and show care to the questioner.
In the Hadīth: The humbleness of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
And in it: The gentleness of the questioner and the good way of presenting his question.

877

Ibn Abi Rāfi‘ reported: Marwān appointed Abu Hurayrah to be in charge of Madīnah on his behalf, and he set out for Makkah. Abu Hurayrah led us in the Friday prayer and recited after Surat al-Jumu‘ah in the last Rak‘ah (unit of prayer) Surat: {When the hypocrites come to you}. When he left, I caught up with Abu Hurayrah and told him: You recited two Surahs that ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib used to recite in Al-Kūfah. Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reciting them on Friday. [Another version reads]: Marwān appointed Abu Hurayrah to be in charge of...relating a similar Hadīth; however, he said: He recited Surat al-Jumu‘ah in the first Sajdah (Rak‘ah) and the last one Surat: {When the hypocrites come to you}..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and then apply what they learned. Hence, many of their acts were compatible with one another despite them being in different places.
In this Hadīth, 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rāfi' al-Madani, the Prophet's freed slave, narrates that Marwān ibn al-Hakam, the ruler of Madīnah during the era of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), appointed Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) to be in charge of Madīnah on his behalf and he himself left for Makkah. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in the Friday prayer and recited in the first Rak‘ah Surat al-Jumu‘ah, and the last Rak‘ah, he recited Surat al-Munāfiqūn. After finishing the prayer, Ibn Abi Rāfi‘ went to Abu Hurayrah and said: You recited two Surahs that ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite in Kūfah when leading people in prayer. It is as if ‘Ubaydullah was wondering: Is there a cause behind this concord? Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that the reason why they both recited these Surahs in the same prayer despite the distance between them is that: he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reciting them on Friday. The reason behind this could be the fact that Surat al-Jumu'ah makes a mention of the Friday prayer and its high status and because Surat al-Munāfiqūn rebukes the hypocrites and urges them to repent since they used to attend the Friday prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and used to gather therein, so, perhaps what is in this Surah would act as a deterrent, an alert, and a warning for them..

878

An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the Surah of {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High} and the Surah of {Has there come to you the story of the Overwhelming Event?} on the two Eids and on Friday. He said: If Eid and Friday fell on the same day, he would also recite them in the two prayers..

Commentary : The best guidance is that of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) transmitted his guidance in everything. Among them is the Hadīth narrated by An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him) about what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the prayers of the two Eids and Friday. He said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the prayer of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Ad'ha, and in the Friday prayer: the Surah of {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High} and the Surah of {Has there come to you the story of the Overwhelming Event?} The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) probably chose these two Surahs because they contain mention of the affairs of the Hereafter and the promise of reward and the threat of punishment, which are appropriate for people in such a well-attended prayer. If Eid and Friday fell on the same day, he would also recite these two Surahs in the two prayers, to make prayer light for people.
And in it: It is recommended to recite the Surah of {Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High} and the Surah of {Has there come to you the story of the Overwhelming Event?} on the two Eids and Friday..

879

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the Fajr prayer on Friday: {Alif Lām Mīm. The revelation} (Surat as-Sajdah) and {Was there not a period of time when man} (Surat al-Insān). And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the Friday prayer Surat al-Jumu‘ah and Surat al-Munāfiqūn..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were extremely keen on following the Prophet's Sunnah. They were quite aware of the details of his honorable Sunnah, what he used to recite in every prayer and whether he lengthened or shortened it, etc.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to regularly recite Surat as-Sajdah in the first Rak'ah (unit of prayer) of the Fajr prayer every Friday. In contrast, in the second Rak'ah, he used to recite Surat al-Insān: {Was there not a period of time when man}. The reason behind this could be what is included in these two Surahs mentioning what happened and what will happen in the beginning and the Hereafter, like the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), gathering the creatures and resurrecting them from the graves to Paradise and Hellfire, the situations of the Day of Judgment, which will occur on Friday.
Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) also reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Surat al-Jumu'ah in the first Rak'ah of the Friday prayer, and in the Second Rak'ah he used to recite Surat al-Munāfiqūn. The reason behind this could be the fact that Surat al-Jumu'ah makes a mention of the Friday prayer and its high status and because Surat al-Munāfiqūn rebukes the hypocrites and urges them to repent since they used to attend the Friday prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and used to gather therein, so, perhaps what is in this Surah would act as a deterrent, an alert, and a warning for them..

881

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you pray after the Friday prayer, pray four (Rak‘ahs)." [In a version]: Suhayl said: "If you are in a hurry on account of something, then offer two Rak‘ahs in the mosque and two Rak‘ahs when you go back.".

Commentary : The Friday prayer is of great significance in Islam. Allah Almighty made it obligatory for non-traveling men to go out for it when the Muezzin makes the Adhān, calling for it, and He urged them to attend this prayer and warned against neglecting it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated its Sunnahs and etiquettes.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directs anyone who wants to offer a supererogatory prayer after the Friday prayer in the mosque to pray four Rak‘ahs.
It is related in a version that ‘Umar an-Nāqid added in his version: ‘Abdullāh ibn Idrīs reported that Suhayl ibn Abi Sālih said to him: "If you are in a hurry on account of something," i.e., if you are prompted by anything to quickly leave the mosque after the Friday prayer, "then offer two Rak‘ahs in the mosque" after the Friday prayer; then, you can go and engage in whatever you want, then pray two Rak‘ahs at home when you go back. In the version by Abu Dāwūd, it was the father of Suhayl who said that to Suhayl. So, it is probable that he was first exhorted by his father to do that, and then Suhayl exhorted his student Ibn Idrīs to do the same.
It is narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not pray after the Friday prayer until he departed, and he would then pray two Rak‘ahs," i.e., at home. Part of what was said about reconciling these two Hadīths is that if he prayed in the mosque, he would pray four Rak‘ahs, and if he prayed at home, he would pray two Rak‘ahs. It was also said: It may be taken on the basis that the regular Sunnah of the Friday prayer consists of six Rak‘ahs. And it was said: He would pray two Rak‘ahs in the mosque and two Rak‘ahs at home after he returned..

883

‘Umar ibn ‘Atā’ ibn Abi al-Khuwār reported that Nāfi' ibn Jubayr sent him to As-Sā’ib nephew of Namir to ask him about something that Mu‘āwiyah had seen him doing in prayer. He said: "Yes, I performed the Friday prayer along with him in the enclosure, and when the Imām concluded the prayer with Taslīm, I stood up in my place and prayed. When Mu‘āwiyah went in, he sent for me and said: 'Never do again what you did. When you have observed the Friday prayer, do not start another prayer until you speak to someone or you leave, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us not to follow up a prayer with another prayer until we talk or leave.'" [In a version]: The same text, except that he said: when he concluded the prayer with Taslīm, I stood up in my place. He did not mention the Imām..

Commentary : The Tābi‘īs (may Allah have mercy upon them) were most keen on learning knowledge and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as they observed all aspects of the Prophet's Sunnah and were keen to teach them to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘ī ‘Umar ibn ‘Atā’ says that Nāfi’ ibn Jubayr sent him to the Companion As-Sā’ib nephew of Namir (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about something that Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), who was then the Commander of the Faithful, had seen As-Sā’ib do in prayer, and of which Mu‘āwiyah had expressed disapproval. He said: 'Yes' i.e., I will answer your question. He informed him that he offered the Friday prayer with Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in the enclosure, a chamber in the mosque for the caliphs and governors. Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to establish it, after one of the Khrijites struck him and attempted to kill him. So, he wanted to protect himself therein. When the Imām made Taslīm, As-Sā’ib stood up in his place where he offered the Friday prayer to perform the supererogatory prayer, without anything that separates it from the obligatory prayer. As Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) entered his house, he sent a messenger to call him. When he went to him, he said to him: Never do what you did again, offering the supererogatory prayer in the place of the obligatory prayer directly thereafter. If you have performed the Friday prayer, do not couple it with another prayer, until you speak to someone or move from the place of your prayer. For example, he may offer the supererogatory prayer at home. This is intended to safeguard the obligatory prayer, lest anyone may add to it what is not part of it with the passage of time, and lest ignorant people may think the supererogatory prayer is part of the obligatory one. Then, Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them not to follow up a prayer with another prayer until they speak or leave the mosque or the place of the obligatory prayer, by moving from it.
In the Hadīth: Separating the supererogatory prayer from the obligatory one, either by speaking or by moving from its place
And in it: The ruler should give sincere advice to his subjects and demonstrate what is correct to them..

885

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of Eid. He commenced with the prayer before the sermon, without Adhān or Iqāmah. He then stood up leaning on Bilāl, and he commanded people to fear Allah and obey Him, and he preached to the people and reminded them. He then walked until he reached the women, and he preached and admonished them, and then said to them: "Give charity, for the majority of you will be the firewood of Hellfire." A woman amid the crowd, with dark spots on her cheeks, said: "Why is that so, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Because you often complain and show ingratitude to your spouses." Thus, they began to donate their jewelry, like earrings and rings, throwing them in Bilāl's garment..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) cared about the sermon on the day of Eid, for the people would gather in it, so the benefit would be all-inclusive, and knowledge would spread.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he attended the Eid prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on Eid al-Fitr or Eid al-Ad'ha. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Eid prayer first, and he then delivered the Eid sermon, and the Eid prayer did not have Adhān or Iqāmah. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to give the sermon after the end of the Eid prayer, leaning on Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him). He commanded those in attendance to fear Allah in all their conditions; that is to put a shield between them and the punishment of Allah, by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. And he enjoined and encouraged them to obey Allah Almighty. "and he preached to the people," i.e., he commanded them to do what is right and good, as well as some admonition, and reminded them of Allah. Then, he went and left the place of his sermon to the men until he reached the women's praying place to give them a sermon. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) preached to the women and reminded them of Allah, saying: "Give charity," i.e., pay charity from your wealth; "for the majority of you will be the firewood of Hellfire," as Allah Almighty says: {then beware of the Fire whose fuel will be people and stones.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 24] Firewood: dry wood is used as fuel for inflaming. The meaning here: Most women will be the fuel of Hellfire. Thereupon, a woman stood up from the midst of women, "with dark spots on her cheeks," i.e., the color of her cheeks turned black. She asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the reason for that. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed her that this is because women often complain and are not content with what is little, "and show ingratitude to your spouses," i.e., you are ungrateful for the kindness of your husbands, and you deny their rights upon you. He explained that in another version of the Two Sahīh Collections by saying: "If you have always been good to one of them and then she sees something from you (not of her liking), she will say: I have never seen any good from you." So, she meets this kindness with ingratitude and denial. Ingratitude dominates her attitude, as if she insists on it, and insistence turns a minor sin into a major one. This is because the rights of the husband are great, and she is required to show gratitude to him and acknowledge his favor, as he takes care of her affairs and protects and preserves her, and he exerts himself in doing so. Indeed, Allah enjoins anyone to whom a favor is done to show gratitude for it. So, what about the favors the husband generously bestows upon his wife for her entire life?!
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that when the women heard that, they gave charity from the jewelry and adornment they were wearing and put the charity in the lap of Bilāl, who was stretching out his garment to collect charity from them. "like earrings," jewelry hung in the ears. "and rings," jewelry worn on fingers.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating that the Eid prayer is to be performed before the sermon, not thereafter, and that it has no Adhān or Iqāmah.
And in it: Urging the giving of charity
And in it: Warning women of much complaining and of showing ingratitude to their husbands
And in it: Delivering a particular sermon for women on Eid.

886

Ibn ‘Abbās and Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansāri reported: No Adhān (call to prayer) used to be made on the Day of Fitr or the Day of Ad'ha. Then, after a while, I asked him about this, and he informed me. He said: Jābir ibn' Abdullah al-Ansāri told me that no Adhān should be made for prayer on the Day of Fitr, neither when the Imam comes out nor after he comes out, and there should be no Iqāmah (second call to prayer), no call, and nothing at all. No call and no Iqāmah should be made on that day..

Commentary : This Hadīth reveals part of the Prophet's guidance concerning the two Eid prayers and how he used to perform them without Adhān or Iqāmah. 'Abdullah ibn' Abbās and Jābir ibn' Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrate that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to the praying area on the day of Eid, no Adhān was made for him neither on the Day of Fitr nor on the Day of Ad'ha.
Ibn Jurayj - one of the Hadīth narrators - reported that he asked his Shaykh, ‘Atā’ ibn Rabāh, after a long time about making Adhān and Iqāmah for the Eid prayer. He informed him that Jābir ibn' Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) told him that no Adhān or Iqāmah should be made for the Eid prayer, whether before or after the Imam comes out. Calling to this prayer, using whatever wording, has not been reported, including the statement said by some: "As-salātu jāmi'ah" (come to congregational prayer). He then repeated his words: "No call and no Iqāmah should be made on that day" for the sake of confirmation. There is no need to notify people of the Eid prayer as the Day of Eid is already known and is an occasion for gatherings, and people typically get ready for such a gathering. Therefore, their gathering for this occasion makes the call unnecessary, as the purpose is achieved through making Takbīr (proclaiming Allah's greatness) and attendance. Then, when the Imam stands up and orders them to straighten the rows or when he makes Takbīr, they know that the prayer has started, and after the prayer, he delivers the Eid Khutbah (sermon)..

887

Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I performed the two Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), not only once or twice, without Adhān or Iqāmah..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has made Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Ad'ha for the Muslims to be happy for the completion of Allah's favor upon them after performing two obligatory acts, namely fasting Ramadān and making Hajj to the Sacred House. These two days have rulings, Sunnah acts, and etiquettes. This Hadīth reveals part of the Prophet's guidance concerning the two Eid prayers. Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he witnessed the two Eid prayers with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - so, he was reporting what he saw and did with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - without Adhān or Iqāmah. Instead, people used to come out, and once the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, they would pray without Adhān or Iqāmah since there is no need for both of them as the Day of Eid is already known and is an occasion for gathering and people usually get ready for such a gathering. Hence, their gathering for this occasion makes the call useless except for declaring the start of the prayer itself, which is achieved through making Takbīr (proclaiming Allah's greatness) and attendance. Then, after the prayer, he would deliver the Eid Khutbah (sermon). His statement: "not only once or twice," i.e., rather many times.
The Hadīth clarifies how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) reported the Prophet's guidance to teach the Muslims his Sunnah..

891

‘Ubaydullāh ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb asked Abu Wāqid al-Laithi: "What did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to recite in Eid al-Ad'ha and Eid al-Fitr?" He said: "He used to recite in both of them the Surah of: {Qāf. By the Glorious Qur’an!} and the Surah of: {The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split asunder.}".

Commentary : Prayer is a Tawqifiyyah (determined) act of worship. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught us the way of performing it and its Sunnahs and etiquettes. This Hadīth presents part of the Prophet's guidance in the prayers of the two Eids. The Tābi‘i ‘Ubaydullāh ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Utbah ibn Mas‘ūd al-Hudhali says that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Companion Abu Wāqid al-Laithi (may Allah be pleased with him) about what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite after Al-Fātihah in the two Rak‘ahs of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Ad'ha. ‘Umar's question about this matter - the like of which was not unknown to him - may be rooted in the desire that he should tell him whether he memorized it or not, or he may have entertained doubt, or he may have been in dispute with someone else over this matter, and so he wanted to cite his statement, or he may have forgotten it. In response, Abu Wāqid (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the first Rak‘ah Surat Qāf, which begins with: {Qāf. By the Glorious Qur’an!} And in the second Rak‘ah, Surat al-Qamar, which starts with: {The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split asunder.}
The wisdom behind reciting them lies in the fact that they both contain information related to the Resurrection, the past nations, the destruction of the deniers, and the resemblance of people emerging for Eid to their emerging for the Resurrection and their coming out of the graves like scattered locusts - and Allah knows best.
In the Hadīth: If anyone finds any of the matters of knowledge confusing or unclear to him, he should ask a knowledgeable person about it..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
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Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
.

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
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Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I performed the two Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), not only once or twice, without Adhān or Iqāmah..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother." .

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year. .

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first. .

Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I performed the two Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), not only once or twice, without Adhān or Iqāmah..

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid about Hamzah's daughter, "It is unlawful for me to marry her, as foster relations are treated like blood relations (in marital affairs). She is the daughter of my foster brother."
.

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered that an unmarried man who committed Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse) be scourged one hundred lashes and sent into exile for one year.
.

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ asked some people to take an oath, and they hurried for it. The Prophet ﷺ ordered that lots should be drawn amongst them as to choose the one who should take an oath first.
.