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Hadith
38
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : This hadith brings great glad tidings from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who is helped to fast the entire month of Ramadan when he is able to do that. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from eating, drinking, sexual activity and all other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Whoever fasts this month “out of faith and in the hope of reward”, believing in the divine command to do it, knowing that it is obligatory, out of fear of punishment for failing to do it, and seeking great reward for his fast – and this is a description of the believer – it is hoped that Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith urges us to fast the month of Ramadan, and highlights the great reward for doing that..

39
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion is easy, and no one commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, but he will be overwhelmed (and unable to continue). So do your best and do not go to extremes, be of good cheer, and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.”.

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of ease. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged us to persist in a moderate approach to doing righteous deeds and acts of worship, and limiting that to what one is able to do and is able to persist in doing regularly. Whoever commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, and goes to extremes, will not be able to carry on, and this over-commitment will overwhelm him and defeat him.
In the beginning of the hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sets out this important principle. He says “Religion is easy”, meaning that it is easy and straightforward in its beliefs, in the manners and attitudes that it promotes, in the righteous deeds that it enjoins and in the things that it prohibits and forbids. Then he advises us to be moderate and to do our best, encouraging us with words of glad tidings and urging us not to despair.
Being moderate is mentioned with regard to doing righteous deeds and in doing acts of worship, so that the individual does not fall short with regard to what he is enjoined to do, and he does not take on of such deeds more than he can bear, and thus he avoids going to extremes or becoming negligent. “Do your best” means: even if you cannot do it perfectly, then try your best to do what is close to that level. “Be of good cheer” means: have hope of reward, because you will be rewarded for your good deeds even if they are few.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us about that which could help us to be moderate and do our best, as he said: “and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.” These are three times that are good for doing righteous deeds and acts of worship which help a person in his journey towards Allah. The morning is the beginning of the day, and the afternoon is the end of the day. The word translated here as night refers to travelling at the end of the night, which is something praiseworthy in the case of physical, worldly journeys and in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah through doing acts of worship and righteous deeds. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said “and during part of the night”; he did not say “at night”, so as to make it easier, because it is difficult to do deeds at night. The beginning of these words sound as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was speaking to a traveller who is trying to cover the distance to reach his destination. So he drew his attention to the times when he has the most energy, when his acts of worship and righteous deeds will produce the best results. Thus he likened man in this world to a traveller, and this is indeed how he is, because this world is a realm of travel and movement that leads to the hereafter, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed out to his ummah that they should strive to make the most of these times of opportunity and any periods of free time that they have.
This hadith motivates people who aspire to do righteous deeds and acts of worship, and gives them glad tidings of the reward that will result from their good deeds..

40
It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his paternal relatives – or his maternal uncles among the Ansar. He prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or seventeen months, but he was always hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. The first prayer he prayed [facing towards the Kaaba] was ‘Asr prayer, and a number of people prayed with him. One of the men who had prayed with him went out, and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said: I bear witness by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. So they turned as they were [still in the posture of ruku‘] to face towards the Kaaba. The Jews and other People of the Book had liked it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so when he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they did not like that..

Commentary : Religious laws are based on revelation and what Allah (may He be glorified) has enjoined, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) followed that. If he found himself inclined towards something, he would not do it unless he was instructed to do it. In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah, he stayed with Banu al-Najjar, because they were his maternal uncles, or his forefathers on the side of his father’s grandfather, Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf. In the beginning, when prayer was made obligatory, his qiblah [direction faced in the prayer] was Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and he continued to face in that direction for sixteen or seventeen months, but he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Allah (may He be glorified) mentions this feeling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the verse in which He says: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. Thus He promised that He would turn his face towards the qiblah with which he would be pleased. The first prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed whilst facing towards the Kaaba was ‘Asr prayer; there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the fact that that happened in 2 AH. Some of his companions prayed with him, then one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by the people of another mosque. He found them praying, and they were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said to them: I swear by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba in prayer. When they heard him, they believed him and they turned to face towards al-Masjid al-Haram without interrupting their prayer; rather they completed their prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Thus they offered one prayer in two directions: facing towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and facing towards al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].
The Jews liked the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to face towards Bayt al-Maqdis, because that was their qiblah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards the Sacred House, they did not like that. Then Allah (may He be exalted) revealed concerning that the words: {The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?’ Say, ‘To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path’} [al-Baqarah 2:142], as is clearly stated in other reports.
Some of the Sahabah who had only prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis had died or been killed before the qiblah was changed to the Sacred House. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about them, then Allah revealed the words: {Allah would never let your faith go to waste} [al-Baqarah 2:143], referring to their prayers.
In this hadith, we see how quickly the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) responded to the commands of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is prescribed to swear to something in order to confirm it, and that one should respond positively to the one who calls people to Allah and His Messenger..

41
It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “If a person enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah will absolve every bad deed that he committed, then after that he will be treated fairly: a good deed will bring a tenfold reward, up to seven hundredfold, and a bad deed will be recorded as one, unless Allah pardons it.”.

Commentary : Entering Islam will save a person in this world and the hereafter, for Islam is the religion which affirms the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified) and does not associate anything with Him. It is the message that was brought by all the Messengers and Prophets.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that if a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, and becomes a Muslim in the true sense of the word, with no trace of doubt, believing outwardly and inwardly, then Allah will absolve the bad deeds that he committed, meaning the sins, both minor and major, that he committed before he became Muslim, by His grace. Then after becoming Muslim he will be treated fairly and equitably, meaning that Allah will requite him appropriately for everything that he does, whether it is good or bad. So he will be requited for good deeds with reward, and for bad deeds with punishment. He will be rewarded tenfold for every good deed, and that reward may be multiplied up to seven hundredfold. As for bad deeds, each bad deed will be recorded as just one deed, and he will be requited accordingly. Or Allah may pardon him, by His grace, kindness and mercy, so He will not punish him for doing it.
This hadith indicates that Islam erases whatever sins came before it. .

43
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her apartment, when there was a woman with her. He said: “Who is this?” She said: So-and-so, and she spoke about how much she prayed. He said: “Stop! You should only do as much as you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.” The dearest of religious practice to him was that which a person does regularly and persists in it.

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Commentary : Religion is easy and not difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah the proper way to adhere to religion and to practice it. He explained that the believer should do what he is able to do of worship, whilst encouraging people to be moderate in what they commit themselves to do, so that they will not grow weary or lose energy and momentum. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that the Prophet entered her apartment one day, when another woman was with her. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, ‘A’ishah told him that this was So-and-so, mentioning her by name, then she said how much she prayed and did other acts of worship, praising her a great deal. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked her and said “Stop!” meaning: Stop praising her, for what she is doing is not deserving of praise, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. Proper adherence to religion means following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhering to his Sunnah, not being harsh with oneself and exhausting oneself in doing a lot of acts of worship. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the right way and said: “You should only do as much as you are able to do”, so commit yourself to deeds that you are able to do regularly and persist in, and do as much as you are able to of fasting and praying at night; do not make it hard for yourselves.
With regard to the words “for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary”, some of the scholars said that this ascribes the attribute of weariness to Allah (may He be exalted) but the weariness of Allah is not like the weariness of people, because when a person grows weary it is an attribute of imperfection, as it indicates that he has become bored and tired of this thing. The weariness of Allah, on the other hand, is an attribute of perfection with no element of shortcoming in it, which is like all the other divine attributes that we affirm for Allah in a manner that is most perfect, even if in the case of people it is an attribute of imperfection. However, some of the scholars say that the phrase “Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary” serves to highlight the fact that no matter how much you do of righteous deeds, Allah will reward you for it, so do as much as you like, for Allah will never tire of rewarding you until you grow weary of striving in doing righteous deeds. Based on that, what is meant by weariness [in the case of Allah (may He be exalted)] is the outcome of that weariness [which is the cessation of reward when the person grows weary and stops doing the good deed he was doing]. And some of the scholars said that this hadith does not indicate that Allah becomes weary at all, because if someone says “I will not get up until you get up,” that does not imply that the other person will get up. By the same token, “He does not grow weary until you grow weary” does not imply that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will grow weary.
‘A’ishah also said that the dearest of religious practice to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and according to another report in as-Sahihayn, it says “to Allah” – is that which one persists in and does regularly, even if it is small, as mentioned in the report of Muslim, because persisting in a small action is persisting in worship, dhikr, mindfulness of Allah, intention, sincerity and turning to the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) and a small action that is done persistently will yield a much greater result than a great deed that is done and then stops.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s compassion and kindness towards his ummah.
It also indicates that a small action that is done consistently is better than a greater action that is inconsistent..

44
It was narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of barley; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of wheat; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of an atom.” He [the narrator] said: Aban said: Qatadah told us: Anas told us, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “of faith,” instead of “goodness.”.

Commentary : Allah’s mercy towards His slaves is immense and without limit, and it cannot be fully described. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will show great generosity to many of His slaves, and he will bring forth from the Fire anyone in whose heart is the smallest amount of goodness and faith.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that no one will remain forever in Hell who has in his heart an atom’s weight of faith. If the Muslim who sinned dies without having repented from his sin, it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him for it, and if He wills, He will punish him, but he will not remain forever in the Fire under any circumstances. Allah will bring forth from the Fire anyone who said La ilaha illa Allah and has in his heart as much as a grain of barley, or a grain of wheat, or even an atom’s weight of goodness, which means faith, as is explained in other reports. That is because goodness, in reality, is that which brings a person closer to Allah (may He be exalted), and that can be nothing other than faith. The word dharrah (translated here as atom) may refer to a small ant, or a speck of dust that may be seen floating in rays of sunlight, like the heads of needles. Barley is mentioned before wheat, because its grains are bigger in size, although they are very similar to one another, and the dharrah is mentioned last because it is so small. This is by way of explaining the issue by using the analogy of increasingly smaller likenesses.
This hadith indicates that merely saying La ilaha illa Allah, without there being any faith in the heart, will not benefit a person or bring him forth from the Fire.
It also clearly indicates how people may have different levels of faith, and that some of those believers who commit major sins may enter the Fire, but they will not abide therein forever..

45
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that a Jewish man said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival. He said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. ‘Umar said: We know that day, and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). [It was] when he was standing in ‘Arafah, on a Friday. .

Commentary : The Holy Qur’an is held sacred by all Muslims. The noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn everything having to do with it, such as the reasons for revelation, the story behind the revelation of verses, and when they were revealed, as well as learning all the rulings and meanings of the verses.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tariq ibn Shihab narrates that a Jewish man – namely Ka‘b al-Ahbar, before he became Muslim, as is narrated in Tafsir al-Tabari and al-Awsat by al-Tabarani – came to the caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): There is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival – that is, we would have made it a festival to celebrate, out of respect and honour for that day, and highlighting its virtue. ‘Umar said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3], that is, by causing it to be victorious and prevail over all other religions, {and completed My favor upon you} that is, by guiding you, helping you and perfecting the religion, and with the conquest of Makkah and the destruction of the beacons of jahiliyyah. This is a great verse, and the day when it was revealed is deserving of celebration.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We know that day, and the place in which this verse was revealed, so you are not telling us of something of which we are unaware. It was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday, so it was a day on which two “festivals” were combined: the day of ‘Arafah, and Friday.
The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbar, “we would have taken that day as a festival” imply: and you have not taken it as a festival, as if he was trying to suggest that the verse was not true, because the Muslims had neglected the day on which it was revealed. So ‘Umar explained to him that they did indeed celebrate it on two counts, and they regarded it as a twofold festival.
This hadith indicates that festivals and days to be commemorated cannot be based on personal opinion and ideas, as the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did before us. Rather they are to be based on religious texts and following the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that faith may increase and decrease, as religious commitment may be perfected by perfecting and completing the deeds that it prescribes..

46
It was narrated that Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah said: A man from Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with dishevelled hair. The rise and fall of his voice could be heard, but his words could not be understood until he came close, and it turned out that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Five prayers every day and night.” The man said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And fasting Ramadan.” He said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned zakah, and the man said: If anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the man turned away, saying: By Allah, I shall do no more than that and no less. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is telling the truth.”.

Commentary : Being assiduous in doing everything prescribed in Islam and carrying out its pillars in the proper manner, with sincerity, is the path to success and prosperity, and a means of salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
In this hadith, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man from Najd – which is a region of Arabia between the Hejaz and Iraq – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That man was Dimam ibn Tha‘labah; his hair was unkempt because of the rigours of travel, and he had a loud voice, but nothing he said could be understood until he drew close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It turned out that he was asking about the teachings of Islam, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by explaining that the first duty of Islam that was required of him was the five prayers, which are to be offered every day and night. He said: Do I have to offer any prayers other than these five prayers? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: You do not have to offer any other prayers, unless you voluntarily do some of the regular Sunnah and other Sunnah prayers, which are encouraged (mustahabb) and you will be rewarded for doing them, but you will not be punished for not doing them.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that he had to fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. He said: Do I have to do anything else? He said: You do not have to do anything else, unless you do it voluntarily, fasting some days other than Ramadan, for they are encouraged and you will be rewarded for doing that. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him about zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
The man asked: Do I have to do anything other than that? He said: No, unless you give something else in charity voluntarily, and you will be rewarded for that, but it is not obligatory and you will not be sinning if you do not do it. Then the man turned and left, swearing by Allah that he would not do any supererogatory (nafil) deeds in addition to these obligatory duties, and he would not omit any of them. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is speaking the truth.” In other words, if he means what he says, and he does these pillars [of Islam] sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), then he will attain Paradise and be saved from the Fire, even if he does not do any supererogatory actions.
This hadith indicates that if a person limits himself to the obligatory religious duties, as prescribed in the religious texts, then he will succeed, but this does not mean that it is not prescribed for him to do some voluntary acts of worship, because the voluntary actions will complete the obligatory actions (and make up for any shortcomings in them) on the Day of Resurrection..

47
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward, and remains with it until the funeral prayer is offered and the burial is complete, will go back with two qirats of reward, each qirat like Uhud. Whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial is done will go back with one qirat.”.

Commentary : Part of honouring a fellow Muslim and showing kindness to him is attending his funeral when he dies, following the bier and offering the funeral prayer for him. This brings an immense reward for the one who does that out of faith and seeking reward.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions the immense reward to be attained by following the bier, and tells us that the one who follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward – that is, believing in the promise of Allah and seeking reward from Him, doing that sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted) alone, and not seeking to be seen by people or doing it for any other purpose that is contrary to sincerity – and offers the funeral prayer for the deceased, and follows the bier until the burial is completed, will attain two qirats of reward, each qirat like Mount Uhud, which is the well-known mountain on the northern outskirts of Madinah, 4 or 5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is 7 km long, 2 to 3 km wide, and 350 metres high. Attaining these two qirats is subject to three conditions: firstly, following the bier; secondly, offering the funeral prayer; thirdly, attending the burial. As for the one who only offers the funeral prayer and then goes back before the burial is done, he will attain only one qirat of reward.
This hadith encourages us to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, follow his bier and attend his burial. It also highlights the immense grace and generosity of Allah, and how great is the reward that He grants for small deeds..

48
It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Commentary : Islam urges us to respect people’s honour and lives, and it calls the Muslims to be brothers and have compassion for one another, and not to transgress against one another.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids the Muslim to insult and revile his fellow Muslim, and explains that impugning his honour and shaming him is regarded as evildoing, and it is going against the command of Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing what they have forbidden; according to Islamic teachings, it is worse than merely committing a sin. “And fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” – what is meant here is not disbelief in the sense that it puts one beyond the bounds of faith. Rather it is called disbelief (kufr) in order to emphasize the warning and deter the listener from doing that. Or it may be that it is likened to disbelief because this is the action of one who disbelieves. It may be understood as meaning disbelief in a real sense if the doer believes that it is permissible to do that.
In the original report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Tabi‘i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Murji’ah – who were a group who said that if a person believed, it did not matter if he sinned, and they claimed that the one who committed major sin was not an evil doer. So Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, which affirms that sin is indeed harmful and affects the faith of the one who does it.
This hadith also indicates that some deeds may be described as disbelief (kufr), which implies that other deeds may be called faith (iman)..

49
It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit  that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to tell the people when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but two of the Muslim men suddenly started arguing, so he said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but So-and-so and So-and-so started arguing, so it [knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr would be] was taken away from me, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it in seven and nine and five.”.

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan is of great significance and immense virtue, and we have been commanded to seek it and spend the night in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
In this hadith, ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out one day to tell the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) about Laylat al-Qadr and precisely when it would occur, but he saw two men arguing and disputing, so he said: I came out to tell you about Laylat al-Qadr and which night it would be, but I saw two men arguing, so knowledge of its time was taken away. Thus they were deprived of the blessing of (the knowledge of) Laylat al-Qadr; otherwise Laylat al-Qadr will still remain until the Day of Resurrection. Then he said: Perhaps taking away the knowledge of when it will be and leaving its time ambiguous is better for you, so that you will strive hard in seeking it, and thus increase your reward. If it was known exactly when it would be, you might limit your hard work to that time, so you would make less effort and receive less reward. Then he said: So seek it – that is, look for it and strive hard – on the twenty ninth, the twenty seventh, and the twenty fifth of Ramadan. And it was said that what is meant is: look for it on the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, when only nine days are left, or seven, or five, so Laylat al-Qadr may be on the twenty-first night, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, and so on. That is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days), so if you take away nine, you get twenty-one. And it was said that what is meant by nine in the hadith is the night before the twenty-second, what is meant by seven is the night before the twenty-fourth, and so on. This is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days). And it was said that it varies from one year to another.
This hadith also condemns arguing and disputing, because they are a cause of punishment for everyone for the sin of a few.
The hadith also indicates that sins may be a cause of some issues of religion that one needs to know being hidden from him, so the more people commit sins, the more likely it is that this will lead to some issues of religion becoming unknown to them. .

50
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to the people one day, then Jibril came to him and said: What is faith (iman)? He said: “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.” Jibril said: What is Islam? He said: “Islam is to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him; to establish prayer; to give the obligatory zakah; and to fast Ramadan.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for although you do not see Him, He sees you.” He said: When will the Hour be? He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I shall tell you about its portents: when the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and when the insignificant camel herders compete in building lofty structures. It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the words: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour…} Luqman 31:34]. Then the man turned and left. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Bring him back,” but they did not see anything. Then he said: “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion.”.

Commentary : This hadith discusses different religious duties and acts of worship, both outward and inward, including the tenets of faith, physical actions, sincerity in the heart, and caution regarding everything that could undermine righteous deeds. It covers the basic principles, important issues and foundations of faith, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the meaning of faith, Islam and ihsan when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him in the form of a man and asked him questions, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had come out among the people and was sitting with them. The bringer of the revelation, Jibril (peace be upon him), came to him and asked him about faith, in order to teach the people their religion. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: It means to believe in Allah, which means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
Believing in His angels means believing in all the angels of Allah (may He be exalted): both those who have been mentioned by name – such as Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil – in whom we must believe in detail, and those who have not been mentioned by name, in whom we must believe in general terms.
Believing in His Books means affirming that all the Books that were sent down to the Prophets and Messengers, such as the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an, are the words of Allah and came from Him, and that what they contain – of that which has not been distorted – is true; that Allah sent down the Qur’an to determine what is true in those [previous] Books and to confirm them, and that it is protected from distortion.
Believing in the meeting with Allah means believing and affirming that people will stand before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for the reckoning and the requital of their deeds.
Believing in the Messengers of Allah means believing in and affirming all the Messengers of Allah, and believing that they spoke the truth in what they conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted), and that Allah supported them with miracles which proved that they spoke the truth; that they conveyed Allah’s message from Him and explained to people what He commanded them to explain; that we must respect them and not differentiate between them; and that we must believe that the last of them is our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that all of mankind are obliged to believe in him and follow him.
Believing in the resurrection means believing that Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves and will give life to the dead.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Islam, and he replied: It means to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him, and obeying Him with submission, humility and love.
You should establish prayer, and establishing prayer is done by regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
You should give zakah, which is obligatory, and give it to those who are entitled to it. It is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter.
And you should fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he asked him about ihsan, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying: It means that you worship Allah like one who sees Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah sees him, so you do not omit any aspects of humility, submission, sincerity, and utmost alertness in controlling your thoughts and physical movements, paying attention to proper etiquette both outward and inward, so long as you are in a state of worship. The ultimate level of ihsan is for the believer to worship his Lord as if he sees Him in his heart, so he will constantly bear in mind the fact that he is in that state (as if seeing Allah in his heart). If he is not able to do that and it is too difficult for him, then he moves to a different level of ihsan, which is to worship Allah with the awareness that Allah sees him and knows what he conceals in his heart and what he does openly, for nothing he does is hidden from Him.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Tell me about the Hour, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. In other words, all of creation is the same with regard to knowledge of when the Hour will begin, for none of them have any knowledge of that in reality. This indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) alone has kept the knowledge of it to Himself, hence he said: It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah, then he recited the verse: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die} [Luqmaan 31:34]. These are the keys of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But I shall tell you about its portents. As it is not possible to know the time of the Hour, which he was asked about, he moved on to describing its portents, which are the signs that the Hour is close at hand. The first of its signs is that the slave woman will give birth to her mistress. What is meant is that there would be many conquests in the lands of the disbelievers, which would lead to the acquisition of slaves, so that a woman would be brought from the land of disbelief when she was young, and she would be freed in the Muslim lands, then her mother would be brought as a slave after her, then the daughter would buy her and employ her as a servant, not knowing that she was her mother. This indeed happened in the history of Islam. Or it may be that slave women would give birth to kings, so the king’s mother would be one of his subjects when he was her master and the master of others among his subjects, and in charge of their affairs. Or it may be that what is meant is that defiant disobedience towards parents would become widespread, to the extent that children would treat their mothers like slaves, by insulting them and humiliating them.
The second sign is that the insignificant camel herders will compete in building lofty structures. What is meant by insignificant is unknown herders and shepherds, or those who have nothing and are destitute. Competing in the building of lofty structures means that they will become rich and kings, ruling people.
What is mentioned in this hadith is only two of the minor portents of the Hour; there are many portents, many of which have already appeared.
After the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had answered these questions, the questioner went away. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to bring him back to him, but they could not see anything, either the man or his tracks. It was said that perhaps he said “bring him back to me” in order to alert the Sahabah and make them realize that this was an angel, not a human being. Hence he said to them, “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion”, that is, the principles of their religion. He attributed the act of teaching to him, even though he just asked questions, because he was the cause of this teaching, so he attributed it to him, or because teaching was the aim behind his asking these questions, or because he wanted them to learn, as they did not ask. Or it may be that through Jibril’s questions to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the presence of the Sahabah, he wanted to show them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a great deal of knowledge, and that his knowledge came through the revelation, so that they would become more eager to acquire knowledge and be more interested in it.
This hadith indicates that when the words Islam and faith (iman) are mentioned together, each of them has its own meaning, and when one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the meaning of the other.
It also indicates that the angels may appear in human form, as referred to in the verse: {Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man} [Maryam 19:17].
It also highlights the importance of sincerity and remembering that Allah is always watching.
And it indicates that if a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, “I do not know”, and that does not detract from his status; rather it is indicative of his prudence, piety and abundant knowledge..

52
It was narrated that an-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “That which is halal is clear and that which is haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will have protected his faith and his honour, but whoever falls into the doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary: soon he will transgress upon it. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits. Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt; indeed, it is the heart.”.

Commentary : This hadith is one of the hadiths which describes the central tenets of Islam. It is a very important hadith, and one of the principal foundations of Islamic teaching. It is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as in it he urges the Muslims to err on the side of caution and avoid doubtful matters concerning which there is no clear reference in the religious texts. He explained that what is halal is clear and evident; it is everything for which there is no evidence that it is prohibited in the Qur’an, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘) or analogy (qiyas), because the basic principle is that things are permissible [unless there is evidence to the contrary]. Similarly, what is haram is also clear and evident; it is everything for which there is evidence that it is prohibited, whether that evidence is from the Qur’an, the Sunnah or scholarly consensus. He stated that between what is halal and what is haram, there is a third category, which is doubtful matters. These are matters concerning which there is no clear ruling as to whether it is halal or haram, so many people are not able to know the ruling on these matters. This includes all doubtful and ambiguous matters, such as wealth from dubious sources, or wealth that is mixed with riba, or other kinds of unlawful wealth. As for cases when one is certain that this wealth has definitely been acquired through riba, then it is one hundred percent haram, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it cannot be regarded as doubtful or dubious. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that whoever avoids doubtful matters is erring on the side of caution, so his faith will be protected from falling short, and his honour will be protected from any aspersions, criticism or bad reputation. As for the one who falls into doubtful matters and has the audacity to accept them, he is exposing himself to danger, for he will soon fall into that which is haram, like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary, which is the land that the king sets aside for his own flocks, and warns anyone who grazes his flocks there without his permission that he will face a severe punishment. If a shepherd grazes his sheep around the land that the king has set aside for himself and designated for his personal use, his flock may enter the sanctuary, in which case he will deserve the punishment of the ruler. By the same token, the one who is careless about doubtful matters is in danger, because those matters may be haram, and he may fall into them, or he may become careless about doubtful matters, and that leads to him becoming negligent and careless in general, so he begins to fall into haram matters deliberately. Falling into dubious matters may lead to falling into minor sins, and falling into minor sins may lead to falling into major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits.” In other words, the sanctuary of Allah is the sins that He has prohibited to His slaves; whoever enters His sanctuary by committing any of those sins is doomed, and whoever comes close to it by doing doubtful things is in danger.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke a comprehensive word which explains what causes the sons of Adam to behave in a righteous or corrupt manner, which is that the basis of physical wellbeing has to do with the soundness or otherwise of the heart. If the heart is (spiritually) sound, then the person’s intentions will only seek what is right and proper, and all his physical faculties will be sound, and he will not be prompted to do anything except obey Allah and avoid His wrath. Thus he will be content with what is halal and have no need of what is haram. But if the heart is (spiritually) corrupt, then the person’s intentions will be corrupt, and all his physical faculties will be corrupt, and he will be prompted to disobey Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and to do that which incurs His wrath. He will not be content with what is halal; rather he will hasten to seek that which is haram, in accordance with what his heart desires and the extent to which it drifts away from the truth..

53
It was narrated that Abu Jamrah said: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas, who would invite me to sit next to him. He said: Stay with me so I can give you a share of my wealth. So I stayed with him for two months. Then he said: When the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said: “Who are the people – or who are the delegation?” They said: [The tribe of] Rabi‘ah. He said: “Welcome to the people – or the delegation. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, we cannot come to you except in the sacred month, for between us and you there is this tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something clear that we can tell to those whom we left behind, by means of which we may enter Paradise. And they asked him about four kinds of drinks. He commanded them to do four things, and forbade to them four things. He commanded them to believe in Allah alone. He said: “Do you know what believing in Allah alone means?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” [And he commanded them] to establish prayer, give zakâh and fast Ramadan, and to give one fifth of the war booty. And he forbade them to use four things: glazed pitchers, gourds, hollowed-out stumps, and varnished jars. And he said: “Memorize them [these rulings] and tell them to those you left behind.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach the people all matters that would benefit them in their religious affairs, and in this world and the hereafter, so that they would be fully aware of them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Jamrah says: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., at the time when he was the governor of Basra during the caliphate of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to honour him and make him sit next to him. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Stay with me so that you can help me to understand those who come to ask questions. That was because he used to translate for him and tell him what non-Arab petitioners wanted, and he would tell the petitioner what Ibn ‘Abbas said. So he stayed with him for two months, and he heard this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, in which he told the story of the arrival of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays who came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Abdul Qays was the name of a tribe. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked them about their lineage, and they said: Rabi‘ah, referring to their ancestor. Rabi‘ah was the son of Nizar ibn Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnan. They mentioned Rabi‘ah because ‘Abdul Qays was one of his sons. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed them and said: Welcome to the people who have come with nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret. What is meant is that none of them delayed becoming Muslim out of stubbornness, so neither they nor their families were taken captive, or anything else of that nature, that could be a cause of shame or regret. This serves to highlight their honourable position, as they entered Islam willingly, without being subjected to any kind of humiliation.
They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): We can only come to you during the sacred month. They mentioned the word in the singular, but what is meant is all four sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. They were only able to come during these months, and not others, because the Arabs used to refrain from fighting during these months; the disbelievers of the tribes of Mudar lived between Rabi‘ah and Madinah, and the tribe of Rabi‘ah could not reach Madinah except by travelling through their land; they were afraid of them, except during the sacred months, because they refrained from fighting at that time. They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to enjoin upon them something clear, by means of which they could distinguish what was true and what was false, so that they could tell their people in their homeland about it. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do four things: he enjoined them to believe in Allah, and explained that that meant bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn) must be uttered verbally, whilst acknowledging and believing it in the heart, acting in accordance with what these words imply, believing, affirming and testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and that none is rightfully worshipped except Allah; and acknowledging the message of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah and affirming that he is the last of the prophets and messengers, and that it is obligatory upon all people to follow him and believe in him.
Then he enjoined them to establish prayer, which means regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
Then he enjoined them to give zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
Then he enjoined them to fast Ramadan, which means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he added: You should give one-fifth of the war booty, because they were neighbours of the disbelievers of Mudar, and they were people who fought in jihad and captured booty. Booty refers to anything that the Muslims seized of the wealth and property of the disbelievers by means of prevailing over them and defeating them. They were to give one fifth (khums) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as Allah explained in the verse: {Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Messenger, close relatives of the Messenger…} [al-Anfal 8:41], to be spent in the ways prescribed in the religious texts.
Some may be confused by the fact that the report says that he enjoined four things, but mentioned five. The response to that is that the first of the four things that are enjoined is the establishing of prayer. The twin declaration of faith was mentioned only for blessing (barakah). Or, it was suggested, that prayer and zakah were counted as one thing, because they are always mentioned together in the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), or because giving the one fifth is included in the general meaning of giving zakah, and what they have in common is that a specific amount of wealth is to be given in some cases but not in others.
Then he said: And he forbade four things. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade them to use four types of vessels for their food and drink. The first type was glazed pitchers, which were earthenware jars that were painted green or red, or glazed with vitreous material that was used to coat the earthenware jar to block all tiny holes. The second type was gourds, which are a type of squash. What was prohibited was using them as vessels after emptying them out and making them hollow. The third type was hollowed-out stumps, which refers to hollowing out the base of a palm tree so that it could be used as a vessel. The fourth type was varnished jars, which are jars that were coated with tar or pitch, which is made from a plant that is burned after it has dried out; similar substances were used for caulking ships and the like.
The prohibition on using these vessels in particular was because food and drink that were kept in them would soon start to change, and perhaps people might drink from them without realizing that a change had occurred. Then after that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession allowing people to use all kinds of vessels, whilst prohibiting drinking anything that caused intoxication, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I used to forbid you to soak [dried dates and the like] in water skins, but now soak [such things] in all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything that causes intoxication.”
Then at the end of the hadith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the members of the delegation to memorize these words of his, and convey them to those whom the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays had left behind.
This hadith tells us that people of virtue and prominent figures may be sent to meet leaders when there are important matters to be discussed.
It shows that an apology or explanation may be given before raising an issue.
It highlights the main issues and pillars of Islam, apart from Hajj.
It indicates that righteous actions may be called faith.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person may honour a prominent figure.
It shows that a knowledgeable person may seek help from his companions in explaining something to those who are present, and to understand their questions.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person should urge the people to convey knowledge and spread awareness of Islamic rulings.
It indicates that there is no shame in the seeker of knowledge or the one who is requesting a fatwa asking the knowledgeable person to explain his answer further. .

54
It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated to achieve some worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the main principles and foundations of Islamic teaching, to the extent that it was said concerning it that it constitutes one third of knowledge. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions,” so no prescribed act of worship is valid without being preceded by the intention. “And each person will have what he intended,” so all the Muslim will get from his actions is what he intended thereby. This ruling is general in meaning and applies to all actions, whether they are acts of worship, interactions with others or ordinary actions. Whoever intends by his actions to attain some worldly benefit will gain nothing but that worldly benefit, even if it was an act of worship, and thus he will not attain any reward thereby. Whoever intended by his action to draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted) and to seek His pleasure will attain reward through his deed, even if it was an ordinary action, such as eating or drinking. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some practical examples to explain the impact of intentions on actions. Hence he stated that whoever intended by migrating to obey the command of his Lord, seek His pleasure, and flee for the sake of his faith from persecution, his migration was a kind of hijrah that is prescribed in Islamic teachings and will be accepted by Allah (may He be exalted), and he will be rewarded for it because of his sincere intention. However, the one who migrated in pursuit of some worldly gain or personal objective, such as wealth, trade, or marriage to a beautiful woman, “then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated,” and he will not attain anything from his migration except that worldly benefit that he intended, and he will not attain any reward for that..

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..