| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2350

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
People say that Aboo Hurayrah narrates too many narrations. In fact, Allah, Exalted is He, knows whether or not I say the truth. They also ask, "Why do not the emigrants and Ansaar narrate as much as he does?" In fact, my emigrant brothers were busy trading in the marketplaces, and my Ansaar brothers were busy with their properties. However, I was a poor man who kept the company of Allah's Messengerﷺ and was content with what filled my stomach (i.e., satisfied my hunger and kept me alive). So, I used to be present while they (i.e., the emigrants and Ansaar) were absent, and I used to remember while they forgot (the hadeeths). One day the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Whoever spreads his sheet till I finish this statement of mine and then gathers it on his chest, will never forget anything of it." So, I spread my covering sheet which was the only garment I had, till the Prophet ﷺ finished his statement and then I gathered it over my chest. By Him Who had sent him (i.e., Allah's Messenger) with truth, since then I did not forget even a single word of that statement, until this day. By Allah, but for two ayaat in Allah's Book, I would never have related any narration (from the Prophet ﷺ). (These two ayaat are): {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, * Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.} [Quran 2:159-160]
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Commentary :
The transmission of the Sunnah and narrating the hadeeths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are solemn and serious responsibilities, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were remarkably meticulous regarding the narration of hadeeths and the verification of their authenticity. Some Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) related numerous hadeeths and reports while others narrated only few, according to the time during which they kept the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and what they heard from him.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) fended off suspicions raised about the fact that he narrated so many hadeeths on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, and stated the reasons for it. Firstly, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “People say that Aboo Hurayrah narrates too many narrations. In fact, Allah, Exalted is He, knows whether or not I say the truth,” meaning that I shall be held accountable before Allah, Exalted is He, if I had deliberately attributed lies to the Prophet ﷺ, and those who thought ill of me shall also be accountable.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also stated that people wondered why the emigrants and Ansaar did not narrate as many Hadeeths as he did, and clarified that his emigrant brothers were busy with trade in the marketplaces, and the Ansaar with tending to their property. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Safq, which literally means handshaking upon concluding business transactions, for people customarily shook hands after concluding sales transactions. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also clarified that the Ansaar were busy taking care of their farms, while he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a poor man who did not engage in trade nor did he own any property. He (may Allah be pleased with him) kept the company of the Prophet ﷺ longer and settled for having enough food to satisfy his hunger and keep him alive! He (may Allah be pleased with him) hardly left the Prophet ﷺ and was always present minded, since he was not preoccupied with any worldly pursuits like his companions. The fact that Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was not preoccupied with worldly engagements and kept the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ longer, were reasons for memorizing and narrating many hadeeths on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ.
Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) stated another reason for narrating many hadeeths on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said once: “Whoever spreads his sheet till I finish this statement of mine and then gathers it on his chest, will never forget anything of it.” Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) hastened to spread his garment, which was all he (may Allah be pleased with him)had. It was a striped or colored garment. He (may Allah be pleased with him) kept it spread till Allah's Messenger ﷺ had finished his saying, and then gathered it to his chest as instructed. He (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked that he did not forget even a single word of his statement on that occasion.
The version of this hadeeth recorded by Muslim reads: “After that day, I never forgot anything he ﷺ said.” Another version complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree reads: “After than day, I never forgot anything that I heard from him.” This wording indicates generality, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not forget any of his statements after that incident, rather than his statement in that particular occasion as reflected by the apparent indication of his saying, ‘that statement.’ This interpretation is further emphasized by the fact that Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) had complained to the Prophet ﷺ of his weak memory and the Prophet ﷺ did so to relieve him of that problem, and it is also possible that these were two separate incidents.
Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) stated the reason for narrating hadeeths to begin with, being motivated by two ayaat that warn against withholding knowledge. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means) {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, * Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.} [Quran 2:159-160].
This is a stern warning against withholding knowledge with which the Prophets of Allah were sent including the clear proofs and guidance that are of benefit to the hearts, after Allah, Exalted is He, had clarified them for His servants in the heavenly revealed books with which he sent His Messengers.
The hadeeth highlights a miracle performed by the Prophet ﷺ and a sign indicating his prophethood.
It urges Muslims to seek knowledge and give it precedence over seeking wealth.
It also underlines the virtues of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It is inferred therefrom that it is allowable for a person to proclaim his good qualities and virtues to dismiss suspicions about himself, but not to praise himself.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that senior Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) engaged in trade and worked to earn their living..

2353

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Do not withhold superfluous water, for that will prevent people from grazing their cattle."
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Commentary :
Eliminating harm is one of the universal principles of the Islamic Laws of Islam. Islam enacted laws and legislations, and established guidelines that protect a Muslim from harm, and from inflicting it on others.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ forbade harming others by denying them water that is in excess of one’s need. He ﷺ said: “Do not withhold superfluous water, for that will prevent people from grazing their cattle.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Kala’ meaning dry or wet grass. The hadeeth means that when one digs up a well in an uncultivated land where grass grows around or near his well, making it a suitable pasture for grazing animals, and there is no other source of water available, the shepherds would essentially need access to this well when grazing their animals. The owner of such a well must not prevent them from accessing the well, and thereby deliberately deny them access to the pasture. The Prophet ﷺ forbade a Muslim from denying others access to his surplus water beyond his needs. He is also forbidden from selling such surplus water to those shepherds, because if he sells them the water that is necessary for grazing their animals, it would be the same as selling them the grass to graze their cattle, and he does not own such grass. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Excess water must not be sold…” [Muslim]. This means that one must not deny others his surplus water when they do not another source of water available to them, because this implies harming Muslims, and harm must be eliminatedas per the laws of Islam.
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2358

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "There are three categories of people at whom Allah, Exalted is He, will not look on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they will be subjected to a severe punishment. They are: -1. A man who possessed superfluous water on a way and he withheld it from travelers. -2. A man who gave a Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) to a ruler only for worldly benefits. If the ruler gives him something, he gets satisfied, and if he withholds something from him, he gets dissatisfied. -3. And a man who displayed his goods for sale after ‘Asr prayer and dishonestly said, 'By Allah, None but Him is worthy of worship, I have been given so much for my goods,' and somebody believes him (and buys them). The Prophet ﷺ then recited the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]
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Commentary :
Inflicting harm on people is a reprehensible act in this worldly life, and it incurs utter loss and ruin on the doer in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that there are three categories of people at whom Allah, Exalted is He, will not look on the Day of Resurrection, out of His mercy, kindness, and compassion, nor will He purify them from sins by conferring on them His forgiveness, and He shall not praise them, but will rather pour out His wrath on them and subject them to a severe punishment for their heinous acts.
These three categories are as follows:
“1- A man who possessed superfluous water on a way and he withheld it from travelers,” meaning that such a person withholds surplus water (beyond his needs) from a traveler who is in dire need of water to quench his own thirst or that of an animal whose killing is not enjoined by the Laws of Islam.
“2- A man who gave a Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) to a ruler,” to hear and obey him, but not in compliance with the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, but rather to gain, “…worldly benefits. If the ruler gives him something, he gets satisfied, and if the ruler withholds something from him, he gets dissatisfied.” This person deserved such severe punishment because his act constitutes insincerity towards the Muslim ruler, which entails insinceritytowards the ruled as well, because it would cause Fitnah (i.e., dissension), especially if this was done by community leaders whom people tend to follow.
“3- And man who displayed his goods for sale after ‘Asr prayer and dishonestly said, 'By Allah, None but Him is worthy of worship, I have been given so much for my goods,' and somebody believes him (and buys them).” Such a seller made a false oath by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, merely to sell his goods. In general, it is prohibited to make a false oath at all times, but the hadeeth particularly referred to making false oaths after ‘Asr prayer, at the end of the day, because traders often fall into such a sin at the end of the day, trying to sell the rest of their goods. It was also said that the gravity of such sin is further emphasized after ‘Asr prayer because it is the time when the recording Angels of the night descend to earth and those of the morning ascend to the heavens to present people’s deeds to Allah, Exalted is He. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ recited the ayah that reads (what means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]. The ayah refers to an exchange; these people exchange material gains for the covenant they had made with Allah, Exalted is He, to believe in the Prophet ﷺ and fulfill the trusts. The reference to oaths in this ayah means the false ones that they took to affirm their statements or actions. The intended meaning is that they trade their covenants with Allah and oaths with fleeting worldly gains and desires such as money, material benefits, and other worldly gains. The price was described here as being ‘small’, to indicate its insignificance, for it was traded for breaching the covenant with Allah and taking false oaths. Therefore, it is fundamentally insignificant, no matter how significant it seemed from a worldly perspective, compared to winning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, and fulfilling his covenants with Him. Then Allah, Exalted is He, stated the punishment designated for those who commit such a major sin. He Says (what means): {…will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77].
The fact that only these three categories of people were mentioned in the hadeeth does not suggest that no other categories of people shall incur the same punishment, such as: the ones who commit the sin of Isbaal (i.e., making one's clothes longer than normal out of conceit), the ones who remind others of their favors to them, as reported in the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and recorded in Saheeh Muslim, as well as an adulterous old man, an untruthful king, and an arrogant poor man, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
The hadeeth affirms the attribute of Speech with respect to Allah, Exalted is He, in a manner that befits His Majesty, without Tashbeeh or Tamtheel (i.e., likening Allah to His creation), or Takyeef (i.e., trying to describe "how" an Attribute is, e.g., to say: How is Allah's Speech?). The fact that Allah, Exalted is He, shall not speak to these categories of people, nor shall He look at them essentially means that He shall speak with and look at others.

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2363

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "While a man was walking, he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, 'This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So, he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him." People asked, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Is there a reward for serving animals?" He ﷺreplied, "Yes, there is a reward for serving any living being."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, enjoined Muslims to show mercy to all creatures, and decreed that Islam should be the religion of mercy, kindness, and benevolence. Given the significant care and attention assigned to this fundamental Islamic principle, Muslims are enjoined to show mercy to all living beings, including animals, and are promised abundant rewards for it.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “While a man was walking,” the apparent indication of the hadeeth’s wording is that this man belonged to the previous nations; “he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting.” It means that the dog was out of breath or sticking his tongue out due to excessive thirst, “and eating mud because of excessive thirst,” meaning that it was licking dust out of thirst. “The man said, 'This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So, he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog.” The Prophet ﷺstated that this man took off his shoe, held it in his hand, went down the well, filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth, and climbed up and watered the dog, to indicate the difficulties he had to face in the process.The same goes for the reference to holding the shoe with his own teeth to bring water to this thirsty dog. Therefore, “Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him." Allah, Exalted is He, knew of his act and rewarded it by forgiving his sins. The version recorded by Al-Bukhaaree reads: “Allah thanked him for his (good) deed, forgave him, and admitted him to Paradise.” The Prophet ﷺ used the verb ‘thank’ to denote reward, because thanking or appreciation is a form of reward.
When the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) heard the story, they asked the Prophet ﷺ whether or not one earns reward for serving animals. He ﷺ replied, "Yes, there is a reward for serving any living being,” meaning that showing mercy and kindness to any living being is a rewardable act in Islam. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth, ‘Kabid,’ literally means ‘liver’ and is used to refer to every living being because the liver needs water to live, otherwise an animal would die. The hadeeth means that doing any merciful act or act of kindness to an animal, by serving it water or food or protecting it from heat or coldn, whether or not it is owned by the doer, others, or is not owned by anyone, is a good act for which Allah, Exalted is He, will reward the doer.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to show kindness to people, because if one earns the forgiveness of Allah, Exalted is He, for serving water to a thirsty dog, this essentially means serving water to a thirsty person is even more rewardable.
It also underlines the virtues of serving water to others,and that it is a great means to draw closer to Allah, Exalted is He.
It also discourages Muslims from abusing or harming animals.
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2367

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I will drive some people away from my Hawdh (i.e.,Basin) on the Day of Resurrection as strange camels are expelled from a private trough.”.

Commentary :
One of the distinct blessings that Allah, Exalted is He, shall confer on His Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Resurrection, is His Hawdh (basin) from which he ﷺ shall serve water to the righteous and steadfast Muslims on that difficult day.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ swore by the name of Allah, saying: “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is,” and he ﷺ usually used this wording in his oaths. It means, ‘By Him in Whose Hand my life lies.” It affirms the fact that Allah, Exalted is He, has a Hand, in a manner that befits His Majesty. He ﷺ said: “I will drive some people away,” meaning the apostates, hypocrites, or those who had committed religious innovations and distorted the religion of Islam after the Prophet’s death, “from my Hawdh (i.e., Basin) on the Day of Resurrection as strange camels are expelled from a private trough,” meaning like a shepherd would drive away a strange camel, denying it access to water when his camels are drinking therefrom.
The hadeeth affirms the existence of the Prophet’s Hawdh.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to swear by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, to affirm one’s statement without a prior request to take an oath or a necessity warranting it.

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2369

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "There are three types of people whom Allah will neither talk to, nor look at, on the Day of Resurrection. (They are): -1. A man who falsely takes an oath that he has been offered for his goods so much more than what he is given, -2. a man who takes a false oath after ‘Asr prayer to devour a Muslim's property unlawfully, and -3. a man who withholds his superfluous water. Allah will say to him, "Today I will withhold My Grace from you as you withheld the superfluity of what you had not created."
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Commentary :
Inflicting harm on people is a reprehensible act in this worldly life and it incurs utter loss and ruin on the doer in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ said that there are three categories of people at whom Allah, Exalted is He, will not look on the Day of Resurrection, out of His mercy, kindness, and compassion, nor will He speak with them with what would please them. Another version of the hadeeth compiled by Al-Bukhaaree reads: “… nor shall He purify them and for them shall be a severe punishment,” meaning that He shall not purify them from sins by bestowing on them His forgiveness, nor shall He praise them, but will rather pour out His wrath on them and subject them to a severe punishment for their heinous acts.
These three categories are as follows:
The first is a vendor who makes a false oath that he had bought his commodity for a higher price than he actually paid, so as to resell it for higher than the actual price, and the buyer believes him and buys it for a higher price because of his false oath.
The second is a man who makes a false oath after ‘Asr prayer in order to devour a Muslim person's wealth unlawfully.
In general, it is prohibited to make a false oath at all times, but the hadeeth highlights the gravity of making a false oath after ‘Asr prayer in particular, because it is the time when the recording Angels of the day and night meet (when the Angels of the evening descend to earth and those of the morning ascend to the heavens to present people’s deeds to Allah, Exalted is He). Such a time is the conclusion of the day, and a person's deeds are judged according to the concluding and final ones.
The third category includes a man who withholds his superfluous water beyond his needs. The version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, specifically mentioned withholding water from a ‘traveler or passer-by,’ because he is in more need of water to quench his thirst or that of an animal whose killing is not enjoined by the Laws of Islam in his company. Allah, Exalted is He, will say to him, "Today I will withhold My Grace from you as you withheld the superfluity of what you had not created.” This is because he did not exert any effort to originate this water to withhold the excess of it from others. Rather, Allah, Exalted is He, caused rain to descend from the sky and no human being has power or control over it. As that man denied people the grace of Allah, Exalted is He, in the worldly life, He will deny him His grace on the Day of Judgment.
The fact that only these three categories of people were mentioned in the hadeeth does not suggest that no other categories of people shall incur the same punishment, such as: the ones who commit the sin of Isbaal (i.e., making one's clothes longer than normal out of conceit), the ones who remind others of their favors to them, as reported in the hadeeth narrated on the authority of Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and recorded in Saheeh Muslim, as well as an adulterous old man, an untruthful king, and an arrogant poor man, as recorded in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
The hadeeth affirms the divine attribute of Speech with respect to Allah, Exalted is He, in a manner that befits His Majesty, without Tashbeeh or Tamtheel (i.e., likening Allah to His creation), or Takyeef (i.e., trying to describe "how" an Attribute is, e.g., to say: How is Allah's Speech? It is like this and that). The fact that Allah, Exalted is He, shall not speak to these categories of people, nor shall He look at them essentially means that He shall speak with and look at others.
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2371

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "Horses may be a source of reward to some people, a shelter to others (i.e., means of earning a living), or a burden to others. Those to whom horses may be a source of reward is those who keep them to be used in Allah's Cause (i.e., prepare them for Jihaad) and tie them by a long rope in a pasture (or a garden). They will get a reward equal to what their long rope allows them to eat in the pasture or the garden, and if the horses break free from their rope and cross one or two hills, then all their footsteps and dung will be counted as good deeds for their owner; and if they pass by a river and drink from it, then that will also be regarded as a good deed for their owner even if he has had no intention of watering them then. Horses are a shelter from poverty to the second category of people who keep horses for earning a living so as not to ask others for money, and at the same time fulfill Allah's right (i.e., Zakaah) (from the wealth they earn through using them in trading etc.,) and do not overburden them. Those who keep horses merely out of pride, for showing off, and as a means of harming Muslims, their horses will be a source of sins to them." When Allah's Messenger ﷺwas asked about donkeys, he replied, "Nothing particular was revealed to me regarding them except the general unique ayah which is applicable to everything. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, * And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.} [Quran 99:7-8]."
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Commentary :
Wealth is a blessing that Allah, Exalted is He, has bestowed upon human beings, and horses are among the most precious items of wealth and the dearest to their owners.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated the different conditions of horse owners; horses may be a source of reward for their owner, a shelter or shield against poverty for others, or a source of burden and sin for others.
As for the horse owners for whom horses are sources of reward, they keep them for the purpose of Jihaad in the Cause of Allah. They tie them with a long rope in a vast area ofdense pasture. They will get a reward equal to what its long rope allows them to eat from the pasture, and if the horses break free from their ropes and cross one or two hills, and it is also said that it means, ‘if they run for one or two rounds,’ then all their marks or footsteps and dung will be counted as good deeds for their owner. If they pass by a river and drink from it, it will also be regarded as a good deed for their owner, even if he has had no intention of watering them then.
As for the second category, horses are a shelter and shield against poverty for those who keep them as a means of earning a living so as not to beg people for money, and at the same time fulfill Allah's right by paying the due Zakaah on it, which is only due on these horses if they are intended for trade. Or the owner of these horses does not overburden them with carrying weight more than they can handle or ride them to fight in the cause of Allah .In these cases, horses serve as a shelter or shield against poverty for this category.
The third category includes the owners whose horses are a source of burden or sin. They tie them to boast about them, outwardly pretending to obey Allah, Exalted is He, but inwardly harboring enmity towards Muslims. In this case, these horses become a source of sin for such owners.
When Allah's Messenger ﷺwas asked about donkeys, as to whether keeping them yields equal rewards, he ﷺ replied that nothing in particular was revealed to him regarding them except the general unique ayah which is applicable to everything. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, * And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.} [Quran 99:7-8].The meaning is that if the donkey owners keep them with the intention of doing good, they would certainly be rewarded, and if not, they would miss out on such a reward.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of keeping horses and the great benefits and blessings tied to their forelocks, if they are used to perform acts of obedience to Allah, Exalted is He.
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2372

Zayd ibn Khaalid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A man came to Allah's Messengerﷺ and asked about Al-Luqatah (i.e., lost and found item of wealth). The Prophet ﷺ said, "Identify (the detailed description of) its container and its tying material and then make a public announcement of it (i.e., to identify the owner) for one year and if its owner shows up and claims it, give it to him; otherwise utilize it as you like." The man said, "What about a lost sheep?" The Prophet ﷺ said, “Take it, for it is for you, your brother, or the wolf.” The man said "What about a lost camel?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Why should you take it; it has got its water-container (i.e., its stomach) and its hooves, can reach the places of water, and can eat the trees till its owner finds it?”
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Commentary :
One of the higher objectives of the Laws of Islam is to preserve people’s wealth and protect it from robbery, theft, and loss, or from someone taking it when it is lost.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined the religious ruling on the Luqtah (i.e., lost and found item of wealth) and the lost animal. Zayd ibn Khaalid Al-Juhanee (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man, named ‘Umayr Aboo Maalik, asked the Prophet ﷺ about the Luqtah and how to dispose of it. In Islamic terminology, Luqtah means a lost and found item of wealth, and belongings that are respected and recognized by the Laws of Islam (as wealth) and owned by a human being, or items of wealth that are not secured (i.e., locked up in a secure place), or self-secured (e.g., able to defend itself and escape like camels or birds), or not possible to stealby nature (e.g. immovable property). He ﷺ said: "Identify (the description of) its container,” where it is kept, “and its tying material.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Wikaa’ meaning string or rope with which its container is tied. He ﷺ commanded the person who finds the Luqtah to identify its detailed description, leaving no room for doubt, to be able to recognize its owner and verify his truthfulness, and so that it would not get mixed with his own property. He ﷺ added: “… and then make a public announcement of it for one year,” meaning in gatherings and places where he believes its owner might be found. “If its owner shows up and claims it,” before or after publicly announcing it, “give it to him; otherwise utilize it as you like." If its owner does not show up, it belongs to the one who found it and he is entitled to use it freely, but should keep it as a trust. Whenever its owner is found, it should be returned to him.
Afterward, the man asked the Prophet ﷺ about the lost animal and he ﷺ said, "It is for you,” if you publicly announce it and could not find its owner, “your brother,” meaning another person who would pick it up, “or the wolf,” meaning that it may remain lost and would be devoured by wolves. A lost sheep becomes the property of the one who finds it as long as he publicly announces it and its owner does not show up to claim it.
Then the man asked about a lost camel. The Prophet ﷺ exclaimed, "Why should you take it?” The version recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “The Prophet ﷺ was annoyed so much that his cheeks became red.” It was said that he ﷺ got angry because of the inquirer’s lack of knowledge and misunderstanding; he failed to realize the meaning of the Prophet’s statement and made a wrong analogy. Luqtah means an item of wealth that is misplaced and lost from its owner and he does not know its place, but this does not apply to a lost camel; it may walk for days and find its way back to its usual place or a place where it would be found by its owner.
The Prophet ﷺ underlined the reason by saying, “… as it has got its water-container (i.e., its stomach),” meaning that if it finds a well, it will drink enough water to survive until it finds another well, or it rather means that camels can endure thirst better than any other animal. The Prophet ﷺ added: “… and its hooves,” which refers to its ability to walk long distances and find water in deserted places. He ﷺ likened it to a traveler who has a waterbag and shoes. He ﷺ added, “… and it can reach the places of water and can eat the trees till its owner finds it,” or it find its way to him. This is the difference between sheep and camels, the latter is endowed with the strength to survive until its owner finds it, whereas sheep perish whenever they go astray from the shepherd and are separated from the herd.
The hadeeth highlights how Islam assigns care and attention to all affairs that are of concern to people, and become part of their lives directly or indirectly..

2378

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "One of the rights of a she-camel is that it should be milked at a place of water."
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Commentary :
It was customary for the needy and poor people to go to the places where camels were brought to drink, to avail themselves of their milk.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged the camel owners not to deprive the poor and needy of their milk. He ﷺ said: “One of the rights of a she-camel,” meaning the customary rights of the poor and needy in the she-camels as recognized by Arabs, “is that it should be milked at a place of water,” to offer some of the she-camels’ milk to them. They specified the places of water to make it easier and more convenient for the poor and needy to access them, compared to going to the owners’ houses, and it is also better to milk the she-camels after they are watered to produce more milk.
However, this does not mean that it is obligatory on the owners of the she-camels to milk them in the places of water, but it was rather customary, and the Laws of Islam graciously deemed it recommended for the benefit of the poor.
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2379

‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say "If somebody buys date-palms after they have been pollinated, the fruits will belong to the seller unless the buyer stipulates the contrary. If somebody buys a slave having some property, the property will belong to the seller unless the buyer stipulate that it should belong to him.".

Commentary :
Islam regulates the contracts and business transactions conducted by people to ensure preservation of their wealth and interests, and that no party would wrong the other.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ made it clear that whoever buys date palms after they have been pollinated, the fruits will belong to the seller, meaning that he is entitled to access the palm trees to irrigate, take care of them, or pick the fruits.The buyer has no right to deny him access, because he is entitled to his right and cannot exercise it without having access to the palm trees. The hadeeth goes on: “… unless the buyer stipulates the contrary,” and the seller agrees to it and thus the seller would not have any right to access the palm trees.
The same applies to the case when somebody buys a slave who has some property. The property will belong to the seller who sold the slave, because a slave does not own anything as per the laws of Islam, unless the buyer stipulates that the whole of this property or a specific part of it should belong to him.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the conditions stipulated in sales contracts are binding as long as they do not entail deeming lawful what is unlawful or deeming unlawful what is lawful.
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2381

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade the sales called Al-Mukhaabarah (i.e., a sharecropping agreement whereby a plot of land is rented for part of its yield, or the cultivation of a sowed land in return for a specific portion of its produce, and the rent is paid in kind from the land's produce), Al-Muhaaqalah (i.e., a sale transaction in which grains in ears, before or as they are harvested from a field in their unprocessed state, are sold for dry processed grain), and Al-Muzaabanah (i.e., a sale that involves the exchange of fresh fruits for dry ones, where the quantity of the dry fruits is actually known by precise measurement, but the quantity of the fresh fruits to be handed over in exchange is estimated while they are in their unpicked state, on trees) and the selling of fruits till they are free from blights. He ﷺ forbade the selling of the fruits except for money, except the ‘Araayaa (i.e., palm trees assigned by their owner for the needy, donating their fruit to themin return for an estimated weight of picked and ripe dates based on dry measurement).
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Commentary :
Islam assigned significant care and attention to the preservation of people's wealth, and keenly ensured that it must not be wasted. Therefore, it forbade some types of transaction, which outwardly seem to be (valid) sale transactions, but inwardly involve unlawfully devouring others’ wealth, or those involve Gharar (i.e., risk and uncertainty) and ambiguity, which may incur harm on the seller or the buyer.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) stated that the Prophet ﷺ forbade Mukhaabarah, which referred to a sharecropping agreement whereby a landlord hires a worker (farmer) to cultivate the land in return for a fixed share of the crops like one-third or one-fourth, produced by a specified part of the land. It was reported that the prohibition in this regard was abrogated; the Prophet ﷺ made an agreement with the people of Khaybar to cultivate the palm trees in return for half the date fruits, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
He ﷺ also forbade the Muhaaqalah sale, which is a transaction in which grains in ear, before or as they are harvested from a field in their unprocessed state, are sold for dry processed grain, because it involves ambiguity since the wheat is still in ear.
He ﷺ also forbade Muzaabanah, which is a transaction that involves the exchange of fresh fruits for dry ones, where the quantity of the dry fruits is actually known by precise measurement, but the quantity of the fresh fruits to be handed over in exchange is estimated while they are in their unpicked state (on trees), or grapes for raisins. The Prophet ﷺ deemed such transactions forbidden, because they involved ambiguity of the measure and weight of the fruits.
He ﷺ also forbade selling only the unpicked fruits (rather than the fruits or dates and trees or palm trees) before they ripen, by showing signs of ripeness in terms of color or shape, because after the fruits ripen, they become safe from pests that may spoil or reduce the yield.
He ﷺ also forbade the sales of plat tree fruits after they ripen for dates, to avoid taking excess in the event of a barter of foodstuff, which is Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury, etc.). Rather, the fruits should be sold for Dinars or Dirhams (i.e., money), or contemporary fiatmoney.
He ﷺ excluded one form of Muzaabanah transaction known as Bay‘ Al-‘Ariyyah (i.e., a sale of unpicked fully ripen dates (rutab) for an estimated weight of picked dates on the ground based on dry measurement). This transaction involves selling unpicked dates to a poor person to eat therefrom whenever he wishes in return for an estimated measure of dates. The transaction was deemed allowable because some (poor) people would have no palm trees or money during the season of fresh dates and wished to feed their dependents fresh dates, and therefore the Prophet ﷺ gave them that legal concession to conduct the sale of ‘Araayah for an estimated weight of dry dates, provided that they were less than five Wasaqs, as narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and the Wasaq equaled 60 Saa‘s.
The hadeeth highlights how the Laws of Islam promotes ease and facilitation and eliminates inconvenience for people.
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2387

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺsaid, “Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah, Exalted is He, will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to destroy it, then Allah will destroy him.”
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Commentary :
Islam warns against unlawfully devouring people’s wealth, and urges Muslims to deem themselves above such a sinful act and keenly display graciousness when repaying debts.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined the merits of a debtor who intends to repay his debts and sternly warns against taking loans while intending to devour the creditor’s wealth unlawfully and refrain from repayment. He ﷺ clarified that whoever takes people’s wealth by virtue of loans or any other business transactions with the sincere intention to repay them, Allah, Exalted is He, will facilitate his affairs and bless him with the means to repay it or handsomely compensate his creditor in the Hereafter if the debtor fails to repay it in the worldly life. On the other hand, if someone takes people’s wealth by virtue of loans or any other business transactions with the intention to waste or refrain from repaying it, Allah, Exalted is He, shall destroy his wealth, by rendering it of no real benefit in the worldly life, as a punishment for his evil intention and he shall also face the consequences of refrainment from repayment in the Hereafter.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a good intention is an effective means to be blessed with Rizq (i.e., provision), have one’s needs fulfilled, and relish relief of distress, and that an evil intention is a cause for ruin and loss. .

2388

Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once, while I was in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, he saw the mountain of Uhud and said, "I would not like to have this mountain turned into gold for me unless nothing of it, not even a single Dinar remains of it with me for more than three days (i.e., I will spend all of it in Allah's Cause), except that Dinar which I will keep for repaying debts." Then he ﷺ said, "Those who are rich in this worldly life would have little reward in the Hereafter except those who spend their money here and there (in Allah's Cause), and they are few in number." Then he ﷺ ordered me to stay at my place and went not far away. I heard a voice and intended to go to him but I remembered his order, "Stay at your place till I return." On his return I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!(What was) that noise which I heard?" He ﷺ said, "Did you hear anything?" I said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) came and said to me, 'Whoever amongst your followers dies, worshipping none along with Allah, will enter Paradise.'" I said, "Even if he did such-and-such things (i.e., even if he stole or committed Fornication)" He (Angel Jibreel) said, "Yes."
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Commentary :
Wealth is one of the trials put by Allah, Exalted is He, to His servants (as tests), and the refrainment from striving in pursuit of much wealth safeguards one from its evil temptations. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ did not like wealth much and used to generously spend it in charity whenever he acquired it.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Dharr ibn Jundub ibn Junaadah Al-Ghaffaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) related that he was once in the company of the Prophet ﷺ when he saw the mountain of Uhud, a mountain north of Al-Madeenah about 4 km from the Prophet's Mosque. He ﷺ said that he would not like to have this mountain turned into gold for him unless nothing of it, not even a single Dinar of it remained with him for more than three days, except a Dinar which he would keep for repaying his debts.
Afterward, he ﷺ stated that those who acquire abundant wealth in this worldly life will earn fewer rewards in the Hereafter, except those who spend their wealth in Allah's Cause. He ﷺ was then walking with Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). He ﷺ ordered Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) to stay at his place until he ﷺ came back, and went not far away. Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) heard a voice and intended to go to him but remembered his order, "Stay at your place till I return." In compliance with the Prophet’s command, Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) remained, and when he ﷺ returned, he said, “O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! (What was) that noise which I heard?” He ﷺ said, “Did you hear anything?” Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Yes.” He ﷺ told him that it was Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) bearing the glad tidings that whoever amongst his followers dies, worshipping none besides Allah, Exalted is He, will enter Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ asked Angel Jibreel, “Even if he did such-and-such things (i.e., even if he stole or committed Fornication)?” Angel Jibreel said, "Yes." This means that whoever dies while adhering to Tawheed, worshipping none but Allah, Exalted is He, shall enter Paradise, even if he shall be subjected to any punishment in Hellfire before entering it; he shall not abide in Hellfire endlessly.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to assign care and attention to the gravity of incurring debts and the obligation of repayment, and encourages them to spend in charity.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the Prophet ﷺ displayed the highest degree of the enjoined renouncement of worldly pleasures, so much that he ﷺ disliked to keep any worldly gains for himself and wished to spend them all in charity for those who deserve them, and keep only what suffices the fulfillment of others’ financial rights.
The hadeeth highlights the politeness of Aboo Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) with the Prophet ﷺ and his thoughtfulness and compassion for Him, keenly ensuring his safety and that nothing should happen to him that may slightly harm him. This is a manifestation of the enjoined thoughtfulness towards elders. Moreover, a young person should not invade the privacy of the elders when they are alone, nor should he spy on them, sit with them, or keep their company except with their permission.
It is also inferred therefrom that young people are enjoined to comply with the elders’ orders rather than doing what defiantly contravenes their instructions, even if it seemed the sound opinion to ward off an evil, until it is verified, and then warding off the certain evil should be given precedence.
The hadeeth also underlines the divine grace conferred upon the nation of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that a perpetrator of major sins who dies while adhering to Tawheed shall not be perpetuated in Hellfire, abiding therein endlessly.
It is also inferred therefrom that a follower may ask whom he follows about what benefits him with regard to his religious affairs, or adds to his knowledge, or helps him obtain any other benefits, and that a student may ask his teacher to verify the correctness of his own knowledge on a given matter against what he has learned and seemed contradictory.
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2396

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) said:
When my father died, he owed a Jew thirty Awsuq (i.e., plural of Wasaq, which equaled 60 Saa‘s, approximately 130 kg). I requested him to give me respite for repaying but he refused. I requested Allah's Messengerﷺ to intercede with the Jew. Allah's Messenger ﷺwent to the Jew and asked him to accept the fruits of my trees in place of the debt but the Jew refused. Allah's Messenger ﷺ entered the garden of the date-palms, wandering among the trees and ordered me (saying), "Pluck (the fruits) and give him his due." So, I plucked the fruits for him after the departure of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and gave his thirty Awsuq, and still had seventeen Awsuq extra for myself.” Narrated Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): I went to Allah's Messengerﷺ to inform of what had happened, but found him praying ‘Asr prayer. After the prayer I told him about the extra fruits which remained. Allah's Messenger ﷺtold me to inform (‘Umar) Ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) of it. When I went to ‘Umar and told him about it, ‘Umar said, "When Allah's Messengerﷺ walked in your garden, I was sure that Allah would definitely bless it."
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Commentary :
A Muslim is enjoined to strive to fulfill the needs of his Muslim brothers, especially those who explicitly ask for his help. He should (hasten to their help and) stand by them until their need is fulfilled.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) related that his father ‘Abdullah ibn Haraam (may Allah be pleased with him) had died in the Battle of Uhud while owing a debt of thirty Awsuq (i.e., plural of Wasaq, which equaled 60 Saa‘s, approximately 130 kg) to a Jewish man. It was said that the man’s name was Aboo Al-Shahm. A Wasaq equals 60 Saa‘s, the Saa’ equals four Mudds, and the Mudd is the measure of two open medium-sized handfuls. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Jewish creditor to give him respite until he was able to repay the debt, but he refused. Therefore, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ to intercede for him with the Jewish creditor, and the Prophet ﷺ asked him to take the dates of Jaabir’s palm trees against the debt, but he refused. The Prophet ﷺ entered Jaabir’s garden, wandered among the trees, and verified that the dates were not enough to repay the debt. He ﷺ said to Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him): "Pluck (the fruits) and give him his due." He (may Allah be pleased with him) plucked the dates for him after the departure of Allah's Messenger ﷺ and gave the thirty Awsuq that his late father owed, and still had seventeen Awsuq extra for himself, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ.
Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Allah's Messengerﷺ to inform him of what had happened and how his palm trees were blessed, but found the Prophet ﷺ praying ‘Asr prayer. After the prayer, he (may Allah be pleased with him) told him about the extra dates which remained. Allah's Messenger ﷺtold him to inform (‘Umar) Ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) of it. When he went to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and told him about it, ‘Umar said, "When Allah's Messengerﷺ walked in your garden, I was sure that Allah, Exalted is He, would definitely bless it.” The Prophet ﷺ named ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in particular because he showed interest in Jaabir’s story.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler may personally fulfill the needs of the ruled and intercede with one of them for another.
The hadeeth includes a clear sign on the Prophet’s ﷺprophethood, performing a miracle by blessing a small quantity of fruits to be enough to repay all the due debts and have some extra fruits left.
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2399

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "I am closer to the believers than their own selves in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, and if you like, you can read Allah's Statement (which means): {The Prophet is worthier of the believers than themselves.} [Quran 33:6] So, if a true believer dies and leaves behind some property, it will be for his inheritors (from the father's side), and if he owed debts to be paid or needy offspring, then they should come to me as I am the guardian of the deceased."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was sent to usher people out of the darkness (of misguidance) into the light (of divine guidance). He ﷺ was a mercy bestowed on the worlds, and was exceptionally kind to the elderly and merciful to the young. He ﷺ thoughtfully cared for the distressed, assigned care and attention to all those around him, and identified with their feelings.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ underlined that he ﷺ was closer to all the believers, meaning worthier of them, than their own selves, with regards to all their worldly and religious affairs. Hisﷺstatement conforms with the ayah that reads (which means): {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves.} [Quran 33:6]. He ﷺ was kinder to people than their own selves; their self-enjoined selves ushered them into what incurredtheir own destruction, while he ﷺ called them to their deliverance. The Prophet ﷺ did not mention in this hadeeth the due rights he ﷺ has over the believers with regard to such proximity. In return, the believers are required to give precedence to obeying the Prophet ﷺ over their own desires, even if it is difficult for them, and to love him more than they love themselves. It was narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until he loves me more than his own father, child, and all people.”
He ﷺ stated that if a Muslim dies and leaves behind wealth, he will be inherited by his own heirs and relatives on his father’s side, meaning that his heirs are worthier of inheriting his estate. However, whoever dies while owing debts or leaving behind dependents, i.e., young children, wife and those who need financial support, the Prophet ﷺ is closer to him than all people. He ﷺ committed himself to repay his debts and provide for his dependents!
In the beginning, the Prophet ﷺ refrained from leading the funeral prayer for a deceased person if he owed unpaid debts, unless someone repaid them or he had left wealth to repay them, because these debts are other people’s rights that must be fulfilled. It is noteworthy that it was not incumbent on the Prophet ﷺ to refrain from leading the funeral prayer for an indebted deceased person(he ﷺ was not enjoined to do so), but he ﷺ refrained from it to urge people to repay their debts, lest they would miss out on having him lead their funeral prayer. After the conquests and the riches bestowed upon Muslims by Allah, Exalted is He, and the gravity of incurring debts was emphasized within the hearts and minds of Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ used to repay the debts of the deceased who left behind no wealth. We implore Allah, Exalted is He, to send His peace and blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, and reward him handsomely for his care and love for us; Allah is the Al-Forgiving and Especially Merciful.
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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)..

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Do not withhold superfluous water, for that will prevent people from grazing their cattle." .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I will drive some people away from my Hawdh (i.e.,Basin) on the Day of Resurrection as strange camels are expelled from a private trough.”.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ said, "One of the rights of a she-camel is that it should be milked at a place of water." .

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺsaid, “Whoever takes the money of the people with the intention of repaying it, Allah, Exalted is He, will repay it on his behalf, and whoever takes it in order to destroy it, then Allah will destroy him.” .