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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
567
It was narrated that Abu Musa said: I and my companions who came with me on the ship were staying at a place called Baqi‘ But-han, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Madinah. Some of them would go by turns to attend ‘Isha’ prayer with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) every night. We went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), my companions and I, but he was busy with some of his affairs, so the prayer was delayed until the middle of the night. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and led them in prayer, and when he had finished his prayer, he said to those who were present: “Stay a while; be of good cheer, for by the blessing of Allah to you, none of humankind prays at this hour except you.” Or he said: “No one other than you has prayed at this hour.” I do not know which of the two phrases he used. Abu Musa said: We rejoiced at what we had heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : Giving glad tidings to the Muslim to make him happy is one of the deeds that Allah (may He be exalted) loves, because doing that brings joy to the believer’s heart and helps him to be steadfast in adhering to the truth. In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari narrates that he and his companions were among a group who had travelled by ship. They were the “migrants by sea”, as they were called by Ibn Majah. They were migrants who had travelled to Ethiopia, and they were the “people of the ship”, who travelled by sea to reach Ethiopia, then they came back to rejoin the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after he migrated to Madinah. They returned in 7 AH. As for Abu Musa, he had departed from Yemen to visit the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the wind blew him off course and he ended up in Ethiopia, where he remained for seven years, then he came with Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him). That was when the letter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reached the Negus after al-Hudaybiyyah. Those who had migrated to Ethiopia came to Madinah in two ships, and Abu Musa and his companions were on board one of the ships. They came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) soon after the conquest of Khaybar. It was said that there were seventy of them, and they halted in a valley in Madinah that was called Baqi‘ But-han. The word baqi‘ refers to a broad, open space in which there are trees of different types. Every night at the time of ‘Isha’ prayer, a group among the people of the ship would come to the Prophet, taking turns to attend the prayer with him. The word translated here as a group refers to a group consisting of a number between three and ten people. When it was the turn of Abu Musa and his companions to sit with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), they came to him when he was busy with something. It was said that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was preparing an army. Concerning the phrase “so the prayer was delayed until the middle of the night”, it was said that what was meant is that it was delayed until halfway through the night, or that it was delayed until it became very dark. What is meant is that ‘Isha’ prayer was delayed from the beginning of its time until the night had become dark. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and lead them in praying ‘Isha’. Then when he had finished his prayer, he said to those who were present and had prayed with him: Do not rush; wait a while. And he said to them: “Be of good cheer,” and rejoice and be happy for news that has to do with you; this is glad tidings for you of an immense reward for your prayer. The glad tidings were that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to them: “By the blessing of Allah to you, none of humankind prays at this hour except you,” or he said: “No one other than you has prayed at this hour.” The meaning is the same in either case: that by Allah’s blessing to you, He has caused you to be the only ones doing this act of worship at this time, to the exclusion of others. The words “I do not know which of the two phrases he used” are those of the narrator, who did not know exactly which of them the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. When Abu Musa and those who were with him (may Allah be pleased with them) heard the glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to them, they went back to the place where they were staying, rejoicing at these glad tidings. The reason for their joy was that they knew that they had been singled out to do this act of worship, which was an immense blessing that would bring great reward, in addition to the fact that they had stood in prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who had come out and led them in prayer, despite the fact that he was preoccupied with preparing the army. Hence they rejoiced at that, and their joy increased with the glad tidings of this immense blessing.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to talk after ‘Isha’.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ if it is known that the people have the energy to wait, so that they may attain the virtue of waiting, because the one who is waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer.
It also indicates that one may give glad tidings that will make a person happy, and highlights the fact that this comes under the heading of bringing joy to the believer’s heart..

569
It was narrated from ‘Urwah that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed ‘Isha’ until it was very dark, until ‘Umar called out: Let us pray! The women and children have gone to sleep. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] came out and said: “No one on earth is waiting for it except you.” He said: No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah, and they used to pray between the disappearance of the dusk and the end of the first third of the night..

Commentary : Giving glad tidings to the Muslim to make him happy is one of the deeds that Allah (may He be exalted) loves, because doing that brings joy to the believer’s heart and helps him to be steadfast in adhering to the truth. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed ‘Isha’ until it became dark. One night, he delayed praying it until ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) called out: Let us pray, for the women and children who are in the mosque have fallen asleep. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out, and Muslim added in his narration of this hadith: Ibn Shihab said: I was told that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not appropriate for you to urge the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to come and pray.” That was when ‘Umar called out.
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to them, he told them that no one else on earth was waiting for this prayer except them. This was glad tidings to them of immense reward, and that by the blessing of Allah to them, they were the only ones who were doing this act of worship at that time, to the exclusion of all others.
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) – or al-Zuhri or ‘Urwah, who were among the narrators of the hadith – said: No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah, because those of the weak and oppressed who were in Makkah used to pray in secret, and Islam had not yet entered any place at that time except Makkah and Madinah. But prayer was offered in Madinah in places other than the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such as the Mosque of Quba’ and other mosques belonging to the tribes of the Ansar. According to a report of which the soundness is agreed upon, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: That was before Islam spread widely among the people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions used to pray ‘Isha’ between the time when the red afterglow disappeared, which is the beginning of the time for ‘Isha’, when darkness begins, and its time would last until one third of the night had passed. It was said that this highlights the chosen time for praying ‘Isha’, because the context gives the impression that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) persisted in offering this prayer at that time. This hadith is narrated by an-Nasa’i in a form that indicates a command, as it says: “Pray it between the time when the red afterglow disappears until one third of the night has passed.” There is no contradiction between this and the hadith of Anas which says that [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] delayed the (‘Isha’) prayer until halfway through the night, because the hadith of ‘A’ishah may be understood as referring to what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) usually did.
This hadith indicates that one may remind the imam about the prayer.
It also highlights the fact that the Muslim ummah has been given precedence over other nations.
It indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ if it is known that the people have the energy to wait for it, so that they may attain the virtue of waiting, for the one who is waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer..

570
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was distracted from (‘Isha’ prayer) one night, so he delayed it until we fell asleep in the mosque, then we woke up, then we fell asleep, then we woke up again. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to us, then he said: “No one on earth is waiting for the prayer except you.” Ibn ‘Umar did not mind whether he brought it forward or delayed it, if he did not fear that he would be overcome by sleep and delay it beyond its time, and he used to nap before it.
Ibn Jurayj said: I said something to ‘Ata’ and he said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed praying ‘Isha’ one night until the people fell asleep, then woke up, then fell asleep, then woke up. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab stood up and said: Let us pray! ‘Ata’ said: Ibn ‘Abbas said: Then the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out, and it is as if I can see him now, his head dripping with water, putting his hand on his head, and he said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray it at this time.” I wanted him [‘Ata’] to verify how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put his hand on his head, as Ibn ‘Abbas had told him, so he held his fingers somewhat apart, then he placed his fingertips on the side of his head, then he brought his fingers together and passed them like that on his head, until his thumb touched the edge of his ear, which was next to his face on his temple, moving towards his beard, moving his fingers not too slow and not too fast, rather it was just like this. And he said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray at this time.”.

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103].. By His mercy towards His slaves, Allah has allocated plenty of time (for each prayer), out of consideration for their circumstances and situations. But there are times at which it is better to offer the prayer than at other times, as in the case of the time for ‘Isha’ prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was distracted from praying ‘Isha’ prayer one night, so he delayed it until the Sahabah fell asleep in the mosque. They slept sitting firmly on their buttocks, or lying down, but they did not sleep deeply, as they were still aware of the time and place, and what was happening around them. Then they woke up, then they fell asleep, then they woke up from a light sleep like drowsiness. This is indicative of the extent to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed the prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out of his apartment, and praised them and commanded them, saying: “No one on earth is waiting for the prayer except you.” According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: “No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah,” because those of the weak and oppressed who were in Makkah used to pray in secret, and Islam had not yet entered any place at that time except Makkah and Madinah. According to a report narrated by Muslim, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: That was before Islam spread widely among the people.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mind if ‘Isha’ prayer was brought forward or delayed, because he was not afraid that he would be overwhelmed by sleep and delay it beyond its time, and he used to nap before praying ‘Isha’.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to sleep before ‘Isha’ for one who is overwhelmed by sleep, and for one who has something that he needs to do.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer and highlights the virtue of doing that.
Then the Tabi‘i ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah narrates from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah delayed ‘Isha’ prayer from the beginning of its time until it got very dark and almost one third of the night had passed, when those who were in the mosque had fallen asleep, then woken up, then fallen asleep, then woken up, which indicates how long the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed it. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to alert the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and call him to come and pray, as he said: Let us pray, O Messenger of Allah! So the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out with his head dripping with water, which indicates that he had washed himself. This indicates that he had deliberately delayed the prayer, and he came out putting his hand on his head, in the manner described by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held his fingers apart, then he put his fingertips on the side of his head, then he brought his fingers together and began moving them like that on his head, until his thumb touched the edge of his ear, near the face, on the temple, moving towards the beard, and he moved his fingers on the side of his head at a moderate pace, not too slow and not too fast. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray at this late time, because of the virtue that there is in that. Based on that, then if someone has the energy to delay the prayer, and will not be overcome by sleep, and it will not be too difficult for any of those who are praying behind him, delaying is better in his case.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to sleep before ‘Isha’ for one who is overwhelmed by sleep, and for one who has something that he needs to do.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer and highlights the virtue of doing that..

574
It was narrated from Abu Musa that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer the prayers at the two cool times will enter Paradise.”.

Commentary : In His Wisdom, Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has given precedence to some acts of worship over others, because of the unique features that they have, and He has made that a means of gaining admittance to Paradise. Among these deeds is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions in this hadith of the virtue of the prayers offered at the two cool times, namely Fajr and ‘Asr. He called them by this name because they occur at times when it is cooler and the weather is more mild, as the air becomes more moist and cool. At the time of ‘Asr, the heat of the day is reduced and it is the beginning of the time of moderate temperatures. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who offers these two prayers properly will enter Paradise.
Fajr and ‘Asr are singled out for mention because Fajr comes at a time when people are enjoying sleep, and ‘Asr comes at a time when a person is busy with his work. So the one who regularly offers these two prayers on time will be more likely to regularly offer the other prayers on time too. And it was said that these two prayers were singled out for mention and their importance was emphasized because they are the times when the angels of the night and the angels of the day meet, as the angels take turns to come and ascend to heaven, where they inform Allah of people’s situation, although He knows best about them. Therefore it is more appropriate that one should be in a state of worship at these two times, in order to attain paradise. Allah (may He be exalted) says, confirming that: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39].
This hadith highlights the virtue of regularly offering the prayers of Fajr and ‘Asr on time.
It also highlights the great reward for doing acts of worship at times when one may be busy or unaware..

576
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Zayd ibn Thabit ate suhur, then when they had finished their suhur, the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up to pray, and he prayed. We said to Anas: How long was there between their finishing their suhur and their starting to pray? He said: As long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all his affairs. Hence they were keen to find out about the details of his actions, so that they could emulate his Sunnah. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ate suhur with Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). The word suhur refers to eating food before the time for Fajr begins, for one who intends to fast. After they had finished eating suhur, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up to pray Fajr. Those who were present asked Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) how long there was between the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finishing suhur and his praying Fajr. He replied that it was as long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses at a regular speed of recitation.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s kind treatment of his companions, as he used to eat with them.
It indicates that suhur may be delayed until just before Fajr.
It indicates that it is permissible to eat suhur together.
It indicates that their time was spent in worship.
It explains the beginning of the time for Fajr, which is when dawn breaks, because that is the time when it becomes prohibited to eat and drink for one who is fasting.
It indicates that one may estimate time by how long it takes to recite a number of verses or to do physical actions. The Arabs used to estimate time in terms of physical actions, so they would say: as long as it takes to milk a sheep, and the like..

577
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: I used to eat suhur with my family, then I would rush to catch up with Fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : Delaying suhur and hastening to pray Fajr was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and this was the practice of his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). In this hadith, Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he used to eat suhur with his family, who belonged to the tribe of Banu Sa‘idah; their homes were located north of the Prophet’s Mosque, close to it.
The word suhur refers to eating food before the time for Fajr begins, for one who intends to fast. Then Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that after eating suhur, he would rush to go to the mosque, in order to catch up with Fajr prayer with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), in his mosque. What is intended here is to highlight the fact that Sahl would delay his suhur and that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would hasten to pray Fajr and that he would pray Fajr straight after dawn broke, because Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) could only catch up with Fajr prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque if he went quickly after suhur, even though he lived in the vicinity of the mosque and close to it..

579
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr before the sun rises has caught up with Fajr, and whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of ‘Asr before the sun sets has caught up with ‘Asr.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that is limited to the way it is prescribed in the religious texts. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) defined its times, and explained the beginning and end of each time, and how one may catch up with the prayer before its time ends.
This hadith highlights one way in which Islamic teachings make it easy to catch up with the time for the prayer, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that the one who catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr prayer before the sun rises – meaning that the worshipper starts to pray before the sun rises and catches up with one rak‘ah of it, then the sun rises – is regarded as having offered the entire prayer on time. Similarly, the one who catches up with one rak‘ah of ‘Asr prayer before the sun sets – meaning that the worshipper starts to pray before the sun sets and completes the other three rak‘ahs as the sun is setting – is regarded as having offered the prayer on time, and he is not to be regarded as having prayed too late. Thus he will attain the virtue and reward of having offered this prayer.
What is meant by “rak‘ah” here is one complete rak‘ah, with its ruku‘ (bowing) and sujud (prostration). The prayer may be called ruku‘ (bowing), just as it may also be called sujud (prostration). And it was said that what is meant by “rak‘ah” in the phrase “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr” is bowing in the real sense, not an entire rak‘ah. If catching up with the prayer has to do with the ruling on the prayer, it is the same whether one catches up with a complete rak‘ah or less than that. It is sufficient to catch up with the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) [before the time for the prayer ends], because this is the issue of catching up with the prayer (and avoiding falling into sin by missing the prayer), therefore catching up with the rak‘ah is the same as catching up with the takbirat al-ihram.
This applies to one who has a legitimate excuse for not having offered the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time. He may pray at the end of that time, and catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset; otherwise, the best of deeds is offering prayer on time.
It was said that what is meant in this hadith is that if a person is among those who are accountable and required to pray, and is able to catch up with as much as one rak‘ah of the prayer before the sun rises, then he is regarded as having caught up with it and fulfilled the obligation of praying Fajr. This applies only to those with legitimate excuses; if a menstruating woman becomes pure (and rushes to do ghusl), or an insane person recovers his sanity, or a Christian becomes Muslim, or a boy reaches puberty, if any of these people catches up with one rak‘ah then he or she has fulfilled the obligation of praying.
This hadith indicates that if someone prays one rak‘ah of Fajr, then the sun rises before he completes his prayer, he has caught up with the time of the prayer and his prayer is valid. A similar ruling applies in the case of ‘Asr..

584
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two types of transaction, two ways of dressing and two prayers: he forbade praying after Fajr until the sun has risen and after ‘Asr until the sun has set; wrapping oneself up entirely in one’s garment with no room for the arms to emerge (ishtimal al-samma’), and wrapping oneself up in a single garment with the legs drawn up to the belly (ihtiba’), exposing the private parts to the sky; and munabadhah and mulamasah transactions..

Commentary : Adhering to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to commands and prohibitions, buying and selling, and all acts of worship and dealings with others is the way to attain goodness and salvation in this world and the hereafter.
This hadith highlights some of the prohibitions, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two types of transactions, which he referred to in the hadith. The first is munabadhah, from the root nabdh (throwing). This refers to the throwing of the item making the sale binding; thus if the vendor throws a garment or something else to the purchaser, the latter is obliged to buy it. He also forbade mulamasah, from the root lams (touching). This refers to the vendor selling something to the purchaser on the basis that if he touches it, the sale becomes binding. Both of these are sales transactions that are prohibited, because of what they involve of cheating.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two ways of dressing, which he referred to in the hadith. The first is ishtimal as-samma’, which refers to a person wrapping his entire body in a single garment, which does not allow him to raise his arms, so he is unable to bring his arms out except from below. It is so called because there is no room to move, so it is described as being like a solid [samma’] rock; it is also an imitation of the Jews who used to dress in this manner, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade imitating them. He also forbade ihtiba’, which refers to a person sitting on his buttocks, holding his legs upright, and bringing his legs close up to his belly with his garment, wrapping the garment around his back to keep the back, belly and legs together, then wrapping his garment tightly around himself in this manner, or wrapping his arms around his legs. That is prohibited because if he only has one garment, he may move or shift, thus uncovering his ‘awrah, as referred to in the words “exposing his private parts to the sky.” It was said that the type of ihtiba’ that is forbidden is sitting in this manner for a man who only has one garment; as for the one who does that whilst covering his ‘awrah properly with his garment, there is nothing wrong with that.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two prayers, which are mentioned in the hadith: he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade praying after Fajr prayer until the sun has risen, meaning that it is not allowed to pray at this time, which begins when the edge of the sun’s disk first appears at sunrise, until its disk has fully risen above the horizon. “And after ‘Asr prayer, until the sun has set.” This is the second time when it is forbidden to pray. That is after praying ‘Asr at the beginning of its time, and is even more forbidden when the sun begins to set, until the disk of the sun has completely disappeared. What is meant by this prohibition in general is the time of sunrise and the time of sunset, and what is close to that, because this is the time when those who worshipped the sun used to pray, and because it is a time when the Shaytan gets near to the sun so that it is between the two sides of his head. This prohibition applies specifically to supererogatory and voluntary prayers, not the obligatory prayer, as in the case of one who delayed praying ‘Asr until this time; he may pray at the time when prayer is otherwise forbidden.
It was said that the prohibition on praying at this time only refers to the prohibition on delaying the obligatory prayer without any excuse, until it is very close to the time of sunset.
This hadith urges the Muslim to deal properly with others when buying and selling, and to avoid anything that involves cheating or ambiguity that could lead to dispute.
It also urges the Muslim to cover his ‘awrah and to present himself in a good and dignified manner.
And it indicates the times when it is prohibited to pray..

587
It was narrated that Mu‘awiyah said: You offer a prayer which, although we stayed close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we did not see him offer; rather he forbade it – meaning two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to teach those who came after them about acts of worship as they had learned them from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) denounces some of the people who used to pray two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr, and he explains that this is a prayer that is contrary to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Mu‘awiyah told them that he and the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) stayed close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and offered many prayers with him, but they never saw him praying two supererogatory rak‘ahs after ‘Asr as these people did. “and he forbade it” means: he forbade offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr. This is a confirmation in word and deed of the Prophet’s prohibition on praying those two rak‘ahs or on offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr in general.
In Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said with regard to praying two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray them, but he did not pray them in the mosque, for fear of burdening his ummah, because he liked to make things easier for them. In order to reconcile between the two reports, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed these two rak‘ahs to make up for the sunnah prayer of Zuhr, because he had missed it, then he continued to do that, because when he did a good deed, he would persist in doing it; however, these two rak‘ahs were not regular Sunnah (Sunnah ratibah) prayers. The difference between a regular and a non-regular Sunnah prayer is that the regular prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) prayer that is connected to the obligatory prayers, whether it is done before or after the obligatory prayer, whereas the non-regular Sunnah prayer is a prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not enjoin or encourage people to do, but the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated it from him in word and deed, as in the case of two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

592
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: Two rak‘ahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never omitted in private or in public: two rak‘ahs before Fajr prayer and two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer supererogatory prayers, which he did regularly. That includes regularly offering the Sunnah prayers, both regular (ratibah) and non-regular, before and after the obligatory prayers.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regularly offered two Sunnah prayers, which he did not omit “in private or in public.” This is a confirmation that he always did them. What is meant by that which was done in private is that they were prayers that he used to pray in his house, so no one saw him do them except one of his wives. And what is meant by that which was done in public is prayers that he used to offer in the mosque. Then she (may Allah be pleased with her) explained what these two rak‘ahs, or two prayers, were. The first was two Sunnah rak‘ahs of Fajr before the obligatory prayer, between the adhan and iqamah. The Sunnah prayer before Fajr is one of the regular Sunnah prayers. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to urge people to offer these two rak‘ahs because of the virtue and reward that there is in them, and they are better than this world and everything in it. He used to hasten to offer this prayer in an unparalleled manner, and it was the habit of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to make them brief, as it says in al-Sahihayn.
The second sunnah prayer is two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did these two rak‘ahs, as is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray them, but he did not pray them in the mosque, for fear of burdening his ummah.
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: You offer a prayer which, although we stayed close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we did not see him offer; rather he forbade it – meaning two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr. In order to reconcile between the two reports, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed these two rak‘ahs to make up for the sunnah prayer of Zuhr, because he had missed it, then he continued to do that, because when he did a good deed, he would persist in doing it; however, these two rak‘ahs were not regular Sunnah (Sunnah ratibah) prayers. The difference between a regular and a non-regular Sunnah prayer is that the regular prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) prayer that is connected to the obligatory prayers, whether it is done before or after the obligatory prayer, whereas the non-regular Sunnah prayer is a prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not enjoin or encourage people to do, but the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated it from him in word and deed, as in the case of two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

595
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: We travelled by night with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night, and some of the people said: Why don’t we halt at the end of the night, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer.” Bilal said: I will wake you up. So they lay down, and Bilal rested his back against his mount, but he was overtaken by sleep. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up when the sun had already begun to rise above the horizon, and he said: “O Bilal! What about what you said?” He said: I have never been so overwhelmed by the urge to sleep. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Allah took your souls when He willed, and returned them to you when He willed. O Bilal, get up and call the people to prayer.” Then he did wudu’, and when the sun had fully risen and grown bright, he got up and prayed..

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest practical pillar of Islam after the twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn), and is of specific importance in Islamic teachings. Allah (may He be exalted) has ordained certain times at which prayer is to be offered, and whoever misses that time must make up the prayer, and not neglect it.
In this hadith, Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and they said to him: Why don’t we stop at the end of the night, O Messenger of Allah, so that we can rest? He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer” – referring to Fajr prayer. This indicates that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to keep travelling until the time of Fajr; that was because he was concerned about the prayer and wanted to give it precedence over sleep and rest. Then Bilal suggested to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I will wake you up – meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would stay awake until the time for Fajr began, so that he could wake them up. So they lay down and went to sleep, which indicates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted Bilal’s suggestion. Or Bilal said to them: Go and lie down. Bilal rested his back against his mount, then he fell asleep too. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up when the sun had started to peek over the horizon, which indicates that they had slept until the time for Fajr prayer had ended. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked Bilal by saying, “What about what you said?” In other words, what about your promise to wake us up when the time for prayer came? Bilal said: I have never been so overwhelmed by the urge to sleep – meaning that he had never slept before as he did on this occasion. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah took your souls when He willed, and returned them to you when He willed”; this was a confirmation of the word of Allah (may He be exalted): {Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term} [az-Zumar 39:42]. What is meant is that He takes their souls when they sleep, and returns them when they wake up.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Bilal to give the call to prayer, and he did wudu’, then he stood up and led the people in praying Fajr, after the sun had risen and become clear. According to a report narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray in the place where they had missed the prayer; rather they got on their mounts and rode on for a short distance, then they dismounted. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ and made up the Fajr prayer.
This hadith highlights some of the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the event of sleeping or missing a prayer.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to give the adhan and pray in congregation in the case of a missed prayer..

596
It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab came on the day of the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq), after the sun had set, and started reviling the disbelievers of Quraysh. He said: O Messenger of Allah, I could not pray ‘Asr until the sun had almost set. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, I did not pray at all.” So we went to (the valley of) But-han and he did wudu’ for prayer, and so did we, then he prayed ‘Asr after the sun had set, then he prayed Maghrib after that..

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest practical pillar of Islam after the twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn), and is of specific importance in Islamic teachings. Allah (may He be exalted) has ordained certain times at which prayer is to be offered, and whoever misses any of the prayers for a legitimate reason must make up the prayer, and not neglect it.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us some of what happened on the day of the battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq). This battle took place in 5 AH or, it was said, in 4 AH. The battle is so called because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ordered that a trench (khandaq) be dug around Madinah, to fortify the city against the confederates (al-ahzab) of disbelief who had gathered with the aim of eradicating the Muslims. The Muslims, both Muhajirin and Ansar, worked together to dig the trench. The polytheists had distracted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions from some of the prayers, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after the sun had set, reviling the disbelievers of Quraysh because of the fighting. He reviled the polytheists because they were the cause of his having delayed ‘Asr prayer until the sun was about to set, which is the time when one may pray ‘Asr if one has been compelled to delay it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, I did not pray at all.” In other words: if you, O ‘Umar, prayed ‘Asr at the end of its time, before sunset, I have not prayed it until now, when the sun has actually set. Then they went to But-han, which is a valley in the south of Madinah, where they did wudu’ for prayer and prayed ‘Asr in congregation after the sun had set. Then after that they prayed Maghrib.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to offer a missed prayer in congregation, and that the one who misses a prayer then remembers it at a later time should start with the prayer that he missed, then offer the prayer that is currently due.
It indicates that it is permissible to delay an obligatory prayer even if its time ends, until the state of fear or fighting comes to an end.
This hadith also highlights the virtue of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to uphold the obligatory duties of Islam and follow its teachings..

597
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray when he remembers it; there is no expiation for it except that. {and establish prayer when you remember it} [Ta-Ha 20:14].” Musa said: Hammam said: I heard him say afterwards: Establish prayer as soon as you remember..

Commentary : Prayer is of great significance in Islam, and its importance makes adhering to it one of the most binding of the obligatory duties in Islam, for it is the foundation of faith. The expiation for the one who forgets a prayer is to offer the prayer when he remembers it. This is because of its great importance, virtue and significance in Islamic teachings. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray when he remembers it.” In other words: whoever forgets to offer any prayer until the time for it ends, let him hasten to make it up as soon as he remembers it, for there is no expiation or pardon for the sin of missing it, even if that was due to forgetfulness, except offering the prayer when he remembers it, as Allah says in His holy Book: {and establish prayer when you remember it} [Ta-Ha 20:14]. That is, establish prayer when you remember a forgotten prayer and when you recall that you owe a prayer, whether that is still within the time for that prayer or not, so that you will remember Me in prayer by glorifying and venerating Me, and I will remember you by praising and commending you.
This hadith highlights the importance of prayer and emphasizes that one should not be heedless about doing it..

600
Anas ibn Malik said: We waited for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night, until almost halfway through the night. Then he came and led us in prayer, then he addressed us and said: “Indeed the people prayed and went to sleep, but you remained in a state of prayer so long as you were waiting for the prayer.” Al-Hasan said: The people will continue to be fine so long as they are waiting to do good. On one occasion he said: These are the words of Anas, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who had the greatest veneration and respect for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). One example of that is what is narrated in this hadith. This text is part of a hadith which describes an incident that took place when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed ‘Isha’ prayer and deliberately did not come out to the people, so the people waited until almost halfway through the night. In this hadith, it says that al-Hasan al-Basri, one of the leading scholars of the Tabi‘in, delayed coming to his companions, who were his students and seekers of knowledge, who were waiting to take knowledge from him. He did not come out to them until it was almost time for them to leave, at the time when al-Hasan usually finished his lesson and left, or until the time when al-Hasan usually woke up to pray tahajjud. Then al-Hasan came to them before they left and said to them, apologizing to them and explaining the reason why he was late: These neighbours of ours invited us and we accepted their invitation, and we were delayed with them. Then he narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) waited for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night until almost half way through the night, without the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) coming to them. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came and led them in prayer at this time, which was not their usual time for that prayer. Then he addressed them and told them that other people had finished their prayer and gone to sleep, but they were still waiting to offer the prayer. He also told them that for the whole time that they had been waiting for the prayer in the mosque, it was as if they had been in a state of prayer, and that they would have a reward like the reward for offering the prayer. It was by the immense bounty that Allah bestows upon His believing slaves that the time of waiting was not wasted. This ruling also applies to remaining in the mosque and waiting for the obligatory prayers, if nothing prevents a person from waiting except some urgent need.
After narrating this hadith, al-Hasan said: The people will continue to be fine so long as they are waiting to do good. Thus he made the ruling general in meaning and applicable to waiting to do any good deed. This was by way of consoling his companions because they had waited for him so that they might acquire knowledge from him; therefore they had been in a good state, like the one who waits for the prayer.
This hadith highlights the virtue of waiting for the prayer in the mosque.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer..

602
It was narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr that the people of al-suffah were poor people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever has food enough for two, let him take a third person with him; and if he has enough for four, let him take a fifth or sixth person with him.” Abu Bakr took three of them, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took ten. [‘Abd al-Rahman] said: So there was myself, my father and my mother – [the narrator said:] I do not know if he said: and my wife and a servant – between us and the household of Abu Bakr. But Abu Bakr ate supper with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he stayed until he prayed ‘Isha’, then he came back. So he stayed until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ate supper, and he came after as much of the night had passed as Allah willed. His wife said to him: What kept you from your guests – or your guest? He said: Did you not offer them supper? She said: They refused to eat until you came; they were offered food but they refused to eat. So I went and hid, and he said [to me]: O mean and ignorant one! and berated me. Then he said: Eat, may you not enjoy it! By Allah, I shall never eat it. But by Allah, we did not take a mouthful but more food appeared beneath it. [They ate] until they were full, and the food became more than it had been before. Abu Bakr looked at it, and it was as it had been, or more than that. He said to his wife: O sister of Banu Firas, what is this? She said: What an amazing thing! Now it is more than it was before. It was three times more. Then Abu Bakr ate some of it and said: That – meaning his oath – was from the Shaytan. He ate a mouthful of it, then he took it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the next morning. There was a peace deal between us and some other people that expired at that time, so [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] divided us into twelve detachments, each led by one man. Allah knows best how many men were in each detachment, but they all ate from that food – or words to that effect..

Commentary : The people of al-suffah were poor people among the Sahabah; they were strangers who had no houses or families or a place to stay. They had an allocated space at the back of the Prophet’s Mosque, where there was a shelter or veranda beneath which they stayed; hence they were known as ahl al-suffah.
In this hadith, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that whoever was well off and had enough food for two people should add a third person from among the people of al-suffah, and take him home to eat with him. If he had enough food for four people, he should add a fifth or sixth person from among them, because they were poor. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took ten of the people of al-suffah to eat with him. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) took three of them to his house, but he left them with his household members and instructed them to honour them and feed them, then he went back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and ate supper with him. Then he stayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he prayed ‘Isha’ with him. Then he went back to his house after as much of the night had passed as Allah willed, and his wife Umm Ruman – who was the mother of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him the reason why he was late in coming to his three guests from among the people of al-suffah. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her, by way of rebuke: Did you not give them supper? She told him that the guests had been offered food, but they had not eaten, and they refused to eat until he came back to them.
‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I went and hid for fear that my father would berate me. Abu Bakr said: O mean and ignorant one! And he berated his son, thinking that he had neglected the rights of the guests.
Then when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) realized that the cause of the delay came from the guests themselves, he said: Eat, may you not enjoy it! This was a rebuke to them, because they had stipulated that the head of the household should be with them, and they had not been content with his son’s presence, even though he had admitted them to his house. Or it may be that what he meant was: eat now, because you did not enjoy the food at the right time. Then Abu Bakr swore that he would not eat that food, saying: By Allah, I shall never eat it.
Then ‘Abd al-Rahman [the narrator] swore an oath, saying: By Allah, we did not take a mouthful but more appeared beneath it; that is, no matter how much was taken from it, more food appeared in its place and it was not reduced until they had eaten their fill, and the food was more than it had been before that. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at it and saw that the food, or the vessel, was as it had been in the beginning, and nothing was gone from it, or it was more than it had been before. He said to his wife: O sister of Banu Firas – referring to the tribe descended from Firas ibn Ghanam ibn Malik ibn Kinanah – what is this? – asking what was happening with the food. Um Ruman said: What an amazing thing! Now it – meaning the food or the vessel – is three times more than it was before.
Then Abu Bakr ate some of the food, or ate from the vessel, and said that his previous oath, in which he swore not to eat, had been from the Shaytan. That was when he had said: By Allah, I shall never eat it. Thus he humiliated the Shaytan by breaking his oath and doing that which was better. Or it may be that what was meant was: I will not eat with you, or at this time, or when I am angry. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) ate another morsel of the food, to make his guests happy and to affirm that there was no intention to offend them. Then he took that vessel, with its contents, to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also ate some of it.
Then ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There was a peace treaty between us and some people, and it expired, meaning that the peace treaty came to an end. Then some armed men came to Madinah, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) divided them into twelve detachments, and appointed a man in command of each of them. Allah alone knows best the number of men in each detachment. In Sahih Muslim it says: He appointed us as chiefs over the people. Those people all ate from that food, and it sufficed them, because of the blessing (barakah) that Allah put in it.
This hadith highlights the virtue of giving precedence to others and helping others.
It highlights the great love that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and how he devoted his time to him and gave precedence to him, night and day, over his family and guests.
It also speaks of a clear miracle (karamah) that was granted to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).
It indicates that one may break an oath and offer expiation for it if he sees that something else is better than it.
It indicates that blessing (barakah) may multiply food when there is a large number of people and people come together.
It indicates that a man’s son and family must serve the guest as the head of the household would..

896
Anas reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain pointing the back of his hands to the sky..

Commentary : It was part of the Prophet's practice to implore Allah Almighty and show humility to Him in all his worship, particularly in supplication. This includes his practice in the Istisqā’ prayer (rain-seeking prayer), his display of humbleness to his Lord at the time of afflictions, like famine, and during supplication for the removal of affliction.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that "the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for rain," i.e., supplicated and asked for water and rainfall from Allah Almighty at the time of famine and drought. "pointing the back of his hands to the sky," i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned his hands and pointed their backs towards the sky, contrary to his usual practice in supplication, as he would point his palms. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did that with optimism that the situation may change to the opposite, likewise when he turned his apparel upside down for seeking rain, as authenticated in the Two Sahih Collections.
It is reported in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands in supplication until the whiteness of his armpit would be visible due to his extreme earnestness in supplicating, imploring, and begging Allah Almighty, for earnestly imploring Allah Almighty and supplicating to Him is one of the greatest means for removing affliction and hardship..

898
Anas reported: It rained while we were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) lifted his garment so the rain fell on him. We said: O Messenger of Allah, why did you do this? He said: Because it has recently been with its Almighty Lord..

Commentary : Allah has created the creation and has made some of His creatures, like rainwater, a cause of benefit and blessing for human beings. Allah Almighty says: {And We send down from the sky blessed rain, with which We cause to grow gardens and grain for harvest.} [Surat Qāf: 9] Allah Almighty also says: {And We send down from the sky pure water.} [Surat al-Furqān: 48]
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once it rained when they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who removed and lifted his garment revealing part of his body to be wetted with the rainwater falling from the sky. They asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Why did you do this?" A question asked by the Companions to know and learn the rationale behind the Prophet's act, as it was a new act practised by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during rainfall, and all his acts are a Sunnah to be followed. His answer to their question was by mentioning the reason, saying: "Because it has recently been with its Almighty Lord," i.e., it has descended from between the sky and earth, as Allah Almighty says: {And clouds between the sky and earth.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 164] Its Lord has recently formed it, and it is sustenance and mercy. Allah Almighty has called it "mercy", "blessed", and "pure" and has made it a means of life and a means for avoiding punishment.
The Hadīth highlights the act of revealing the body - apart from the ‘Awrah (must-cover body parts) - during the fall of rain to fall on the body directly.
It also indicates that the less qualified person should ask the more qualified one about what he sees him doing if he does not know it to learn it and, thus, apply it and teach it to others..

904
Jābir reported: The sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the very day Ibrāhīm, the Prophet's son, died. The people said that it eclipsed on account of Ibrāhīm's death. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and led the people in prayer, performing six bowings and four prostrations. He started by making Takbīr (saying: Allāhu Akbar). He then recited and lengthened the recitation, then bowed nearly as long as he stood, then raised his head from Rukū '(bowing) and recited, but it was a shorter recitation than the first one. He then bowed nearly as long as he stood, then raised his head from Rukū 'and recited, but it was a shorter recitation than the second one. Then, he bowed nearly as long as he stood, then raised his head from Rukū '. Then, he fell into prostration and made two prostrations. Then, he stood up and again made three bowings, each of which was shorter than the preceding one and longer than the following one. His Rukū 'was nearly the same length as his Sujūd (prostration). Then, he stepped back, and the rows behind him stepped back as well until we reached the extreme - [another version reads]: until he reached the women. Then, he stepped forward, and the people stepped forward along with him until he stood in his place. When he finished, the sun was bright. He said: O people, the sun and the moon are but two of Allah's signs, and they are not eclipsed on account of anyone's death - [another version reads]: on account of a human's death. So, when you see anything of this, offer prayer until darkness disappears. There is nothing of what you have been promised except that I saw it in this prayer of mine. Hellfire was brought, and that was when you saw me stepping back for fear of being affected by its heat, and I saw therein the owner of the curved staff dragging his intestines in the Fire. He used to steal the pilgrim with his curved staff. If he became aware, he would say: It got (accidentally) entangled in my curved staff, but if he was unaware of that, he would take that away. I also saw the cat owner who tied it without feeding it or letting it eat from the vermin of the earth until it died out of hunger. Then, Paradise was brought, and that was when you saw me stepping forward until I stood in my place, and I stretched my hand wanting to catch some of its fruits so you may see it, but it seemed to me that I should not do so. Nothing you have been promised except that I saw in this prayer of mine..

Commentary : The sun and the moon are two of Allah's great signs. Their rotation and their succession denote the perfection of Allah's making. The occurrence of lunar and solar eclipses entails fear of their obliteration and the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, which necessitates returning to Allah and resorting to Him through prayer and supplication, and this was the usual practice and the habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that the sun eclipsed during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the day his son Ibrāhīm, whose mother was Māriyah al-Qibtiyyah, died. He was born in 8 AH and died in 10 AH when he was eighteen months old. A solar eclipse occurs when all the sunlight or part of it disappears. People started saying that it eclipsed on account of the death of Ibrāhīm, the Prophet's son, which was a common belief among them during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance. On seeing the solar eclipse, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and led the people in a two-Rak'ah prayer with three bowings and two prostrations. His recitation in his first standing was longer than in the second one, and his recitation in the second standing was longer than in the third one, and his bowing was nearly as long as his standing.
During the prayer, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stepped back. The rows behind him stepped back as well, i.e., he was moving backwards, and the men's rows behind him were moving backwards like him while maintaining their status in prayer until reaching the women's rows behind them. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) moved forward, and the people moved forward along with him until he returned to his first place. Then, he finished the prayer and "the sun was bright," i.e., it returned to its former state and became bright and luminous again. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then, said: "O people, the sun and the moon are but two of Allah's signs," i.e., two signs with which He frightens His slaves, "and they are not eclipsed on account of anyone's death". Another version reads: "On account of a human's death". They are two subservient creatures that have no control over anything and have no ability to ward anything off themselves. This includes a reply to what some people mistakenly thought about the solar eclipse taking place because of the death of Ibrāhīm, the Prophet's son. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them that the solar eclipse is not caused by the death of any of the people on earth. "So, when you see anything of this," i.e., the eclipse, "offer prayer until the darkness goes away," i.e., the sun, and reappears when the eclipse is being removed. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then, said to them: "There is nothing of what you have been promised," i.e., nothing of what you have been promised to witness of Paradise, Hellfire, and other situations of the Day of Judgment "except that I saw it in this prayer of mine". Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to them the reason why he stepped back while praying and said: "Hellfire was brought," i.e. brought forward, "and that was when you saw me stepping back, for fear of being affected by its heat," i.e., its flame and its heat, and I saw in the fire the owner of the Mihjan (curved staff). Mihjan: a staff with a crooked top, and it is said: a long wood with a jagged piece of iron on the top; and the owner of the curved staff was dragging his Qusb, i.e., dragging his intestines, which were extending out of his belly, in the Fire. He used to steal the pilgrims' belongings with his curved staff in worldly life. If his act were noticed and detected, he would say: This stolen thing got accidentally entangled in my curved staff, and if his act went unnoticed and unknown and nobody saw him, he would get away with what he stole with his curved staff.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also informed them that he saw in Hellfire, the owner of the cat, i.e., a woman from the children of Israel who locked up a cat and tied it without feeding it or letting it eat from the vermin of the earth, i.e., its pests and insects, until the cat died out of hunger.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then informed them that Paradise was brought to him, and that was when they saw him returning to the first position from which he stepped back, stretching his hand, wanting to take one of its fruits so that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would look at it. Then, it seemed to him that he should not do so. Once again, he confirmed and repeated what he had previously said that nothing of what they had been promised to witness of Paradise, Hellfire, and other situations of the Day of Judgment except that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw in this prayer of his.
It is said: The famous opinion regarding the manner of the Eclipse prayer is that it is two Rak‘ahs, and in each Rak‘ah, there are two incidents of standing, two recitations, and two bowings, and as for Sujūd, there are two prostrations like in other Rak‘ahs, whether the eclipse lasts for a long time or not.
What causes the solar and lunar eclipse is the fact that the moon is a dark body that derives its light from the sunlight, like a mirror that reflects the light falling upon it, making the viewer imagine that it is luminous, and the same applies to the earth. According to the universal law that Allah has set, the earth sometimes falls between the sun and the moon, blocking the sunlight from the whole or part of the moon, and the moon sometimes falls between the sun and the earth, blocking the sunlight from the vision of the people living on a particular area of the earth. Because of this, the people on earth witness the solar and lunar eclipse phenomenon.
The Hadīth clarifies the manner of performing the Eclipse prayer and the fact that it is to be performed in a congregation.
It also emphasizes the act of hastening to obey Allah Almighty on the occurrence of what results in fear and caution and seeking to ward off the affliction by remembering Allah Almighty, glorifying Him, and offering Him various acts of obedience.
It also sheds light on the Prophet's evident miracle and how he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to advise his Ummah, teach them what is beneficial to them, and warn them against what is harmful to them.
It also includes a warning against torturing animals.
It points out that Paradise and Hellfire are two places that currently exist..

905
‘Urwah reported: Do not say: Kasafat ash-Shams (the sun eclipsed); instead, say: Khasafat ash-Shams (the sun blackened)..

Commentary : In this tradition, the Tābi‘i Muhammad ibn Muslim az-Zuhri narrates that the Tābi‘i ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy upon him) used to believe that the correct thing to say is: Khasafat ash-Shams, and that it is incorrect to say: Kasafat ash-Shams. The Qur’an reads: {And the moon is darkened, and the sun and the moon are brought together.} [Surat al-Qiyāmah: 8-9] It is said: Khusūf (occultation) covers everything, but Kusūf (eclipse) covers some, and it is for the sun.
Both words - Kusūf and Khusūf - were mentioned in authentic Hadīths about the sun, and the scholars' famous usage of these words is using "Kusūf" for the sun and "Khusūf" for the moon.
What ‘Urwah said is his personal opinion, and it is linguistically acceptable to say: the sun and the moon "kasafat", "kusifa", "inkasafa", "khasafa", "khusifa", and "inkhasafa".
What causes the solar and lunar eclipse is the fact that the moon is a dark body that derives its light from the sunlight, like a mirror that reflects the light falling upon it, making the viewer imagine that it is luminous, and the same applies to the earth. Had it not been for the universal law that Allah has set that the earth sometimes falls between the sun and the moon, blocking the sunlight from the whole or part of the moon, and the moon sometimes falls between the sun and the earth, blocking the sunlight from the vision of the people living on a particular area of the earth, the phenomenon of the solar and lunar eclipse would not have occurred to the people on earth..

909
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed when there was an eclipse. He recited and then bowed. He again recited and again bowed. He again recited and again bowed and again recited and again bowed and then prostrated. He said: The second Rak'ah was similar to this..

Commentary : This Hadīth is one of the authentic narrations reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concerning the manner of performing the Solar Eclipse prayer. All the narrations describe one of the Prophet's states what he used to do at the time of such a calamity and how he used to offer prayer to Allah Almighty until the distress would be relieved. 'Abdullah ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports the manner of the Prophet's prayer when the sun eclipsed and when its light totally or partially disappeared from the earth. He reported that when the sun eclipsed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two Rak'ahs (units of prayer), reciting four times in each Rak'ah and bowing four times and prostrating two times in each Rak'ah. These two prostrations would come after the fourth bowing.
What is reported here about the manner of the Eclipse prayer is that it is a two-Rak‘ah prayer, and each Rak‘ah has four bowings and two prostrations.
It is said: The famous opinion regarding the manner of the Eclipse prayer is that it is two Rak‘ahs, and in each Rak‘ah, there are two incidents of standing, two recitations, and two bowings. As for Sujūd, there are two prostrations like in other Rak‘ahs, whether the eclipse lasts for a long time or not.
What causes the solar and lunar eclipse is the fact that the moon is a dark body that derives its light from the sunlight, like a mirror that reflects the light falling upon it, making the viewer imagine that it is luminous, and the same applies to the earth. According to the universal law that Allah has set, the earth sometimes falls between the sun and the moon, blocking the sunlight from the whole or part of the moon, and the moon sometimes falls between the sun and the earth, blocking the sunlight from the vision of the people living on a particular area of the earth. Because of this, the people on earth witness the solar and lunar eclipse phenomenon..

913
‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah reported: I was shooting my arrows during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when an eclipse of the sun took place. I, therefore, threw them away and said: I must see how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) acts during the solar eclipse today. When I came to him, he was raising his hands while supplicating, saying Takbīr: Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), Tahmīd: Alhamdulillāh (praise be to Allah), and Tahlīl: La ilāha illallāh (there is no god but Allah) until the sun became bright. Then, he recited two Surahs and prayed two Rak'ahs (units of prayer)..

Commentary : The sun and the moon are two of Allah's great signs. Their rotation and their succession denote the perfection of Allah's making. The occurrence of lunar and solar eclipses entails fear of their obliteration and the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, which necessitates returning to Allah and resorting to Him through prayer and supplication, and this was the usual practice and the habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
This Hadīth is one of the authentic narrations reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) concerning the manner of performing the Eclipse prayer. All the narrations describe one of the Prophet's states what he used to do at the time of such a calamity and how he used to offer prayer and supplication to Allah until the distress would be relieved. The Companion' Abdur-Rahmān ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that while he was shooting arrows and darts, by way of training and perfecting its shooting, while he was in such a state of being preoccupied with shooting, during the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), "an eclipse of the sun took place", and such an eclipse results either in total or partial disappearance of the sunlight. On seeing the eclipse, he threw away the arrows and darts and said: "I must see how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) acts during the solar eclipse today," i.e., I shall go to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to find out how he deals with this calamity. 'Abdur-Rahmān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that on reaching the place where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was, he found him raising his hands out of humility before Allah supplicating Him. Part of what he was saying in his supplication was: Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), Al-hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah), and La ilāha illallāh (there is no god but Allah). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept supplicating and invoking Allah until the eclipse was over and the sunlight appeared once again. Moreover, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Eclipse prayer, which was a two-Rak'ah prayer, and there were two bowings in each Rak'ah. He recited a Surah from the Qur'an while standing in each Rak'ah.
Among the narrations concerning the manner of the Eclipse prayer, there is a narration of tripling and quadrupling the Rukū‘ (bowing) in each Rak‘ah, while another narration reports two bowings in each Rak‘ah.
The Hadīth clarifies part of the Prophet's guidance represented in resorting to supplication, invocation, and prayer at the time of calamities like the occurrence of the eclipse.
It also shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Eclipse prayer.
It denotes the Companions' keenness to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), especially during calamities..

916
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Prompt those of you who die to say: There is no god but Allah.".

Commentary : This Hadīth shows the Prophet's care for his Ummah and his keenness to direct them to every word and deed that benefits them, even at the time of death. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that the Muslims prompt those of them who die to say the word of Tawhīd. "Lā ilāha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah). They should say it to anyone suffering the throes of death and repeat it near him so that he may say it. Thus, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directs his Ummah to the significance of the word of Tawhīd in life and at the time of death. This is because it is this word that makes the blood of anyone who utters it inviolable in this word. If a person who is at the doorstep of the Hereafter says it, it is hoped that it will protect him from the punishment of the Hereafter, as it protected him from the worldly punishment, and for it to be the last speech he says in this world, and because, "he whose last words are 'there is no god but Allah' will enter Paradise." Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and reported by Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him).
Prompting a person who dies to say this word is something recommended; however, it is disliked pressing him and keep saying it to him in a successive manner, lest he may get bored due to the tough condition and hardship he is suffering, and thus he may dislike that in his heart and utter improper words.
In the Hadīth: We should be around the person who dies so as to remind him, keep his company, and fulfill his rights..

918
Umm Salamah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "No Muslim suffers a calamity and says what Allah commanded him: {We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return} [Surat al-Baqarah: 156], O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than that in exchange for it, except that Allah will give him something better than that in exchange." When Abu Salama died, I said: "Which of the Muslims is better than Abu Salamah? His family was the first to immigrate to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." I then said the words, and Allah gave me the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in exchange. She said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Hātib ibn Abi Balta‘ah to deliver me the message of marriage with him. I said to him: "I have a daughter, and I am jealous." He said: "As for her daughter, we will supplicate to Allah to make her in no need for her, and I will supplicate to Allah to make the jealousy go away.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah to be resigned to Allah Almighty if a calamity strikes them and to resort to His power and strength, Exalted be He, for He is the One Who predestined everything and from Whom compensation comes.
In this Hadīth, Umm Salamah, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her), says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No Muslim suffers a calamity," this refers to any disaster whatsoever, great, or small, involving something unpleasant that happens to someone in himself, his family, his wealth, etc. "and says what Allah commanded him: {We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 156]" In other words, we and all that is attributed to us do belong to Allah by way of ownership and creation, and we will return to Him in the Hereafter. This statement should be accompanied by patience and a lack of despondency. Then, the afflicted person should supplicate, saying: "O Allah, reward me," i.e., grant me the reward and recompense "for my affliction, and give me something better than that in exchange for it," i.e., give me a substitute for what I lost due to this affliction and make the substitute better than the lost thing.
Whoever says that his reward is that Allah will give him something better in exchange for what he lost in this affliction of his. Another version by Muslim has this addition: "except that Allah will give the reward for his affliction." Allah will record his reward for that.
Then, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that when her husband Abu Salamah ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abd al-Asad al-Makhzūmi (may Allah be pleased with him) died, she seemed to have remembered the Prophet's instruction, but she thought to herself or uttered it in wonder: "Which of the Muslims is better than Abu Salamah?!" She wondered at how to apply the Prophet's statement "except that Allah will give him something better than that in exchange" to her disaster, given her reverence for Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him). At the root of her wonder lay her belief that none was better than Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), and she would not expect that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) might marry her, for he was outside this general categorization. Then, clarifying why Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) was meritorious, she said that "his family was the first to immigrate to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." So, he was the first to immigrate along with his family and dependents. After her wonder, she complied with the command of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); "I then said the words," i.e., the phrase "we belong to Allah, and to Him we will return" and the subsequent supplication. So, she said that Allah Almighty gave her the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in exchange, by making her his wife. Thus, he constituted better compensation for her than her husband Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Then, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned how she was engaged to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and what she asked for. She said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Hātib ibn Abi Balta‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him) to propose marriage to her on his behalf. Apologizing to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) out of fear that she may not fulfill his rights, she said that she had a daughter, namely Zaynab bint Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was young at the time and still under her care. She also stated that she was very jealous. These two things have their effect on the discharge of marital duties, leading to non-fulfillment of them. Also, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had other wives before her, and her extreme jealousy would make her unable to get together with the other wives. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "As for her daughter, we will supplicate to Allah to make her in no need for her," i.e., to make the daughter in no need for her mother as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would take care of her, or that she would find someone to take care of her from among her relatives, or that Allah will make her in no need for suckling from her mother, as the girl was an infant. "and I will supplicate to Allah to make the jealousy go away." By virtue of the blessing of the Prophet's supplication, jealousy went away from her heart, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married her.
In the Hadīth: We are enjoined to endure afflictions patiently and avoid despondency.
And in it: We should turn to Allah with supplication at the time of disasters, for the compensation comes from Him.
And in it: A believer must comply with the Prophet's commands, even if the wisdom behind them is not clear to him..

919
’Umm Salamah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you visit a sick or dead person, say good things, for the angels say "Amen" to whatever you say. She said: When Abu Salamah died, I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, Abu Salamah died. He said: Say: O Allah, forgive me and him and compensate me with someone better than him. She said: So, I said this, and Allah compensated me with someone better for me than him; Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah to resign to Allah Almighty if a calamity strikes them and to resort to His power and strength, Exalted be He, for He is the One Who predestined everything and from Whom compensation comes.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you visit a sick or dead person, say good things." The command here is meant to discipline and teach people what to say when visiting a dead person, i.e., a dying person or a sick person on his deathbed. Supplication is to be made for the ill person, asking Allah to cure him, and for the dead person, asking Allah to have mercy on him and forgive him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) justified this saying that the angels who are present with the afflicted person - like the angel of death and his aids, or other angels in general - say "Amen" to whatever is said by the people who are present. They say: Āmīn, which means: O Allah, answer the supplication. The angels' supplication is readily answered; hence, one must not supplicate with something that could harm him or others.
Then, ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that when her husband Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) died - and he was her husband before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of the death of her husband Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) expressing her pain and grief about him, not telling the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of her husband's death, for it was reported in Sahīh Muslim Collection that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) attended the death of Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him).
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guided and advised her to supplicate Allah, resign to Him, and ask Him for a compensation better than him by saying: "O Allah, forgive me and him," asking forgiveness for her sins and those of her departed one. "And compensate me with someone better than him," i.e., grant me a good compensation and a better substitute. She then reported that Allah Almighty answered her supplication and granted her a better substitute, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married her.
The Hadīth clarifies that the angels are present with the sick person and say "Amen" to whatever supplication is made by people therein..

920
’Umm Salamah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Abu Salamah while his eyes were fixedly open, so he closed them and then said: When the soul is taken away, the sight follows it. Some people from his family clamored, so he said: Do not supplicate for yourselves except with what is good, for the angels say "Amen" to whatever you say. Then, he added: O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah and raise his degree among rightly guided people, be his successor in his descendants who remain. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds, make his grave spacious for him and grant him light therein. [Another version quoted]: a similar Hadīth; however, he said: Be his successor in his legacy; and he said: O Allah, make his grave wide for him, and did not say: Make his grave spacious for him..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was a teacher and a mentor as he used to teach Muslims and educate them on adopting patience during the calamity of a close or a dear person's death. He taught us what to say, what supplication to recite, and how we should avoid screaming and indecent words when someone is dying.
This Hadīth represents a practical incident, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was there with Abu Salamah ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad al-Makhzūmi (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was on his deathbed. ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) - the wife of Abu Salamah at that time - narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered upon Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) - as it was the Prophet's habit to visit the sick - "while his eyes were fixedly open," i.e., his eyes were kept wide open after his soul had departed to its Creator, and he remained with his eyes fixed. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), thus, realized that he had died. So, he closed Abu Salamah's eyes to avoid appearing ugly. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the soul is taken away, the sight follows it." Perhaps this was the cause for closing his eyes as if he was saying: I closed his eyes because when the soul leaves the body, the sight follows it in leaving, so it is useless to keep his eyes open, or it could be a clarification of the cause why his eyes were open. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) closed the eyes of Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and made that statement, the attendees became certain about his death. "Some people from his family clamored," i.e., some people from Abu Salamah's family cried loudly and wailed. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from saying anything indecent and ordered them to say what is good and supplicate with what is good, and said: "Do not supplicate for yourselves except with what is good." This refers to forbidding them from clamoring as if they said: O woe to us! What a disaster! So, he forbade them from this, not crying out for destruction, death, and similar things, which was a pre-Islamic practice; rather, saying good things like invoking forgiveness and mercy upon the dead person and saying the Prophet's supplication, which will be mentioned later, for Abu Salamah. Moreover, one should supplicate for himself with what is good and say what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised us to say: "Allāhumma ajirni fi musībati wakhluf li khayran minha (O Allah, reward me for my calamity and give me something better in place of it), after saying: We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) justified this by saying that the angels say "Amen" to supplication, whether for good or evil. They say: Āmīn (O Allah, answer this supplication), which is likely to make the supplication accepted as the angels' supplication is undoubtedly answered. Hence, it is not permissible to supplicate for what could bring him or others any harm. What is meant by the "angels" here is the Angel of death and his aids, or the angels in general who are present when someone is dying. This is part of how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disciplines and teaches his Ummah what to say when someone dies.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for Abu Salamah saying: "O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah," i.e., erase his sins and misdeeds. "And raise his degree among those who are rightly guided," i.e., O Allah, let him be with those whom You have previously guided to Islam and to emigrate to the best among people; or it means: O Allah, let him be with those whom You have guided and who obtained the high degrees in Paradise. And " be his successor in his descendants," i.e., be his successor in managing his affairs and maintaining the interests of his family and children and do not leave them to anyone but You. Another version reads: "Be his successor in his legacy," which he left behind after his death, "who remain," i.e., who remain among the living. "And make his grave spacious for him," which was interpreted by the version that reads: "O Allah, make his grave wide for him," i.e., make his grave extremely wide, which is part of the believer's delight in the grave since the grave is either widened or narrowed for its dweller. "And grant him light therein," i.e., in his grave and ward off the darkness from him, which is another aspect of the bliss that the believer experiences.
The Hadīth shows that the dead person's eyes should be closed.
It also guides to adopt patience and say what is good when the calamity of death strikes.
It also clarifies that supplication should be made for the dead person, his family, and his descendants concerning the Hereafter and worldly affairs.
It also signifies that the dead person finds joy or torment in his grave.
Moreover, it teaches what Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplication should be said at the moment of dying, saying what is good and making Istirjā ', which is saying: Inna lillāhi wa inna ilayhi rāj‘ūn (We belong to Allah, and Him we will return), besides supplicating for whoever will succeed him. So, it is a must to follow the Prophet's example.
It also points out the presence of angels with the sick and dead person and that they say "Amen" to whatever supplication is made therein.
Finally, it clarifies that the angels' supplication is answered and not rejected..

921
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Did you not see when a person dies, his eyes become fixedly open?" They said: 'Yes.' He said: "This is when his eyesight follows his soul.".

Commentary : This Hadīth contains clarification and explanation by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about a general condition, namely the staring of the eyes of dying people after the departure of their souls. In explanation of this condition, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the eyesight follows the soul. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "Did you not see when a person dies, his eyes become fixedly open?" i.e., his eyesight goes upwards and does not turn back, and it remains open and wide. This question denotes affirmation of the condition that people know to happen upon death. They replied to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that this is what actually occurs. So, he said: "This is when his eyesight follows his soul," i.e., he looks at his soul as it ascends to heaven with the angels. Muslim narrated in his Sahīh Collection that Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Abu Salamah while his eyes were fixedly open, and he closed them. This is to prevent the appearance of the deceased person from turning ugly. So, his eyes must be closed after the departure of the soul, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) closed the eyes of Abu Salamah..

922
’Umm Salamah reported: When Abu Salamah died, I said: A stranger and in a strange land, I shall, indeed, weep for him in a manner which would be talked of. I was prepared to weep for him when a woman from the Sa‘īd (upper side of the city) came intending to assist me. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received her and said: Do you want to let the devil enter a house from which Allah has driven him out?! Twice. So, I stopped weeping and did not weep..

Commentary : This Hadīth shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disciplined and taught his Ummah and how keen he was on keeping Muslims away from the devil's temptation, especially when being stricken by the calamity of the death of a relative or a dear and precious person. The Mother of the Believers ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that "when Abu Salamah died", i.e., 'Abdullah ibn' Abd al-Asad al-Makhzūmi (may Allah be pleased with him), who was her first husband and who emigrated from Makkah to Madīnah,' Umm Salamah said to herself: "A stranger and in a strange land," i.e., he was from the people of Makkah and died in Madīnah as a stranger far from his relatives and homeland and having none to weep for him except her, so, there were two calamities: that of being far away from one's country and that of death. She intended this sentence to justify the act of weeping copiously. Hence, she swore to weep and wail for him in such an intense manner that would cause people to talk about it and wonder at it because of its intensity. Such were her thoughts because wailing and gathering for that purpose was a pre-Islamic practice, and that was before she learned that wailing is prohibited. Then, ’Umm Salamah reported that she was prepared and ready to cry by having the intention and the determination to do so and preparing the causes of grief, and meanwhile, a woman who wanted to assist her, i.e., assist her with weeping and wailing, came. This woman who wanted to help' Umm Salamah was from the "Sa‘īd" in the 'Awāli region of Madīnah. "Sa‘īd" originally meant the dust on the earth's surface. The 'Awāli today is the region located in the eastern and south-eastern sides of Madīnah on a line extending from Baqī 'to Harrat Wāqim eastwards and parallel to Qubā' Mosque southwards.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), thus, received this woman to advise her and forbid her from doing this. After knowing what she intended to do, he said to her: O woman, do you want by your help with the sin to be a cause for letting the devil enter with his actions and deception, which Allah has driven him out and has kept him far from tempting its dwellers?! The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his advice for the woman twice to confirm such a prohibition. Another probable meaning is: He drove the devil out of this house and kept him far from tempting its dwellers twice, referring by "twice" to the act of soundly embracing Islam by Abu Salamah and his good act of emigration. Or the first time could be referring to the day he embraced Islam, and the second time refers to the day he left this world as a Muslim. Another probability is intending the repetition, i.e., Allah has driven him out time and again, as Allah Almighty says: {Then look again and again.} [Surat al-Mulk: 4] It is also said: Perhaps the first time refers to his emigration from Makkah to Abyssinia and the second time refers to his emigration to Madīnah, as he is one of those who made the two emigrations.
This is a manifestation of the Prophet's good education and discipline of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as he clarified to the woman that if she did that, she would let the devil enter a house from which Allah has driven him out, and this is a serious harm and an evil act. Moreover, he did not just forbid her; instead, he explained to her the disadvantages of this evil act and the resulting damages, harms, and punishments, which makes it more likely to be accepted.
On hearing the Prophet's words,' Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) was deterred from crying and stopped. She refrained from crying in such a dispraised manner, accompanied by lamenting and wailing.
The Hadīth shows that weeping for the dead accompanied by wailing is from the devil's acts.
It also points out how a Muslim must comply with the commands and prohibitions of the Shariah once he knows them.
It also clarifies that assistance in wailing is counted as assistance in sin.
Moreover, it sheds light on the merit of the house of Abu Salamah and ’Umm Salamah, as Allah Almighty has driven the devil out from it, and he could not overpower them through temptation and misguidance.
As it shows that forbidding evil should be carried out wisely by clarifying the harmful consequences..

925
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reported: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when a man from the Ansār (Supporters) came and greeted him. The Ansāri man then turned back. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: O brother of the Ansār, how is my brother Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah? He said: Good. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then said: Who among you would visit him? He stood up, and we stood up along with him. There were more than ten of us. We were wearing neither shoes, leather socks, caps, or shirts. We walked on swampy ground until we came to him. His people around him made way for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those of his Companions who came along with him..

Commentary : This Hadīth shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Ummah. He was keen on establishing good relations among Muslims through visits and communication, especially visiting the sick. 'Abdullah ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and this was the Companions' habit with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), i.e., gathering around him to teach and guide them. During this session, a man from the Ansār - people of Madīnah - came to him and greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those who were present, which is the etiquette of Islam in extending the greeting of peace to all. After greeting the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), the Ansāri man wanted to leave. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a pleasant way: "O brother of the Ansār, how is my brother Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah?" Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was the chief of the Khazraj, and he was sick then. Here, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was teaching Muslims to ask after each other in case of being absent or falling sick. His saying: "O brother of the Ansār", is a call by the brotherhood of Islam and a call for the man to show that he was from the Ansār, besides the act of honoring Sa'd ibn' Ubādah as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called him: "My brother". Answering the Prophet's question, the man said: He is "good," i.e., no worry about him, as he is still alive and is likely to recover from his sickness, which is a polite thing to say and is said as a form of being optimistic that the patient will recover and be healthy once again.
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged his Companions to visit him, saying: "Who among you would visit him?" This was how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) practically taught Muslims, as he got up along with his Companions to visit Sa'd ibn' Ubādah (may Allah be pleased with him), and they were "bid'at 'ashr" (more than ten), and "bid '" is: from three to ten. At this time, those who were present from among the Companions were suffering from indigence and poverty to the extent that 'Abdullah ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We were wearing neither Ni‘āl (shoes)", plural of "Na‘l", which is the shoe, "nor Khifāf (leather socks)", plural of "Khuff", which is footwear made of thin leather. In other words, they had nothing to wear on their feet. "Nor Qalānis (caps)", plural of "Qalansuwah", which is something worn on the head, "nor Qumus (shirts)", plural of "Qamīs", which is a sewn undergarment having two sleeves, or that which is made either of cotton or linen and this means that they were wearing Izār (lower garment) and Ridā' (upper garment). They went walking on foot to the house of Sa'd ibn' Ubādah (may Allah be pleased with him) "on such swampy ground," which is the earth that is highly saline and nothing grows therein except some trees, i.e., they were wearing nothing on their feet to protect them from the harm of such ground. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reached the house of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him), Sa‘d's people, family, and kinfolk moved from around him to give the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) and his Companions who came to visit him the chance to proceed and get close to him, which is part of the visit etiquettes and honoring guests.
The Hadīth encourages asking after the absent and the sick and shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask after his Companions.
It prompts us to visit the sick and communicate with them.
It points out the indigence and poverty of some of the Companions and how far they were from lavish in their clothes and their appearance.
It sheds light on honoring the guest who comes to visit by making room for him.
It shows that whoever has no shoes may walk barefoot..

929
[Ibn ‘Abbās reported:] So, I stood up and entered upon ‘Ā’ishah and informed her of what Ibn ‘Umar had said. Thereupon, she said: No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) never said: The dead person is punished because of anyone's weeping; however, he said: Allah increases the punishment of the disbeliever because of his family's weeping. Verily, Allah is the One {Who makes people laugh and weep} [Surat an-Najm: 43], {No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another.} [Surat Fātir: 18] [Another version reads:] When the words of ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Umar were conveyed to ‘Ā’ishah, she said: You are conveying to me the words of these two who are neither liars nor suspected of lying, but one may mishear..

Commentary : In this Hadīth, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) says: I entered upon ‘Ā’ishah and informed her of what Ibn ‘Umar had said, i.e., that he had heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed, the dead person is punished because of his family's weeping." After that, she said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) never said: "The dead person is punished because of anyone's weeping," however, he said: "Allah increases the punishment of the disbeliever because of his family's weeping," i.e., he is punished on account of his family's weeping over him, and if you wish, you may recite. Verily, Allah is the One {Who makes people laugh and weep}. [Surat an-Najm: 43] This means: man's weeping and laughter, his sadness and delight are all from Allah. {No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another.} [Surat an-Najm: 38], which means: On the Day of Judgment, every soul will bear only the sins it had committed.
Another version reads: "When the words of ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Umar were conveyed to ‘Ā’ishah, she said: You are conveying to me the words of these two who are neither liars nor suspected of lying, but one may mishear," i.e., they have misheard this. Some scholars are of the opinion that what is meant by punishing the dead person due to the weeping of those who are alive is, in case such weeping was a regular habit of the deceased person and his own choice..

931
‘Urwah reported: The words of Ibn' Umar: The dead person is punished because of his family's weeping over him, were mentioned to 'Ā’ishah, who said: May Allah have mercy upon Abu' Abdur-Rahmān; he heard something but did not memorize it. A Jew's funeral passed before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they were weeping over him. So, he said: You are weeping, and he is being punished..

Commentary : No matter how grave it is, every calamity includes a reward for whoever patiently endures its severity, and the same applies to the catastrophe of death that entails losing people and dear ones. One of the habits of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance was to request in one's will that people should weep and wail over his death in opposition to all traditions and revealed laws. Islam has, indeed, forbidden this and has threatened to punish the one who does this deliberately and persistently. It has clarified that such an act brings pain and torment to the one who makes a will with it or approves it.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reports that it was mentioned to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "The dead person is punished because of his family's weeping over him," i.e., he is punished in his grave because those who are alive from among his family are weeping over him, besides doing other things of the pre-Islamic habits. A group of scholars interpreted this to be referring to whoever makes a will with it, or if this is their habit, and he does not forbid them by advising them before his death not to say or do something evil. This was a famous practice among the Arabs. So, if one thinks they will likely do this and does not advise them to refrain from it, then he is asking them to do it, and he becomes like one who does not forbid evil despite having the ability to do so. However, if he advises them to refrain from such an act and they disobey him, then Allah is far more Generous to punish him for that.
Upon hearing this, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "May Allah have mercy upon Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, he heard something but did not memorize it," because this Hadīth had a reason and it was not as understood by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), or he mistakenly thought the Hadīth to have a general indication including all the dead people. Therefore, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported the reason behind this Hadīth, saying: "A Jew's funeral passed before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)", and his family members were weeping over him. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You are weeping" after his death, addressing the dead person's family, "and he is being punished". An agreed-upon version reads: Thereupon, she said: "He missed the point; the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had only said: Indeed, he is punished for his sins and misdeeds, and his family members are weeping over him right now," i.e., his family members are weeping over him while he is being punished for his sins. So, the reason for his punishment is not his family's weeping over him; rather, it is his misdeeds and sins.
Allah Almighty says: {No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 164] This means: no soul bears the sin of another soul.
The Hadīth highlights the status of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in terms of understanding and knowledge.
It also corrects the wrong concepts that some people have by using evidence and means of persuasion..