Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The people of the tribes of the tribe of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, Banee ‘Usayyah, and BaneeLihyaancame to the Prophetﷺand claimed that they had embraced Islam, and they requested him to support them with some men to fight their own people. The Prophetﷺsupported them with seventy men from the Ansaar whom we used to call Al-Qurraa'(i.e., Reciters and scholars of the Quran) who (out of piety) used to cut wood during the day and pray all the night. So, those people took the (seventy) men till they reached a place called Bi’rMa‘oonah where they betrayed and martyred them. So, the Prophetﷺinvoked evil on the tribe of tribe of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, and BaneeLihyaanfor one month in the prayer.
Qataadah narrated: Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told us that they (i.e., Muslims) used to recite a an ayah concerning those martyrs which read: "O Allah! Let our people be informed on our behalf that we have met our Lord Who has got pleased with us and made us pleased,” but the ayah was abrogated later on. .

Commentary :
Supplication is the resort of the servants of Allah, to seek refuge with their Lord. Allah, Exalted is He, prescribed Qunoot (i.e., supplication recited in prayers) whenever calamities and adversities should befall Muslims, because supplication strengthens the heart, boosts faith, and relieves distress.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that people from the tribes of ofRa‘l, Dhakwaan, Banee ‘Usayyah, and BaneeLihyaancame to the Prophetﷺand claimed that they had embraced Islam and requested him to support them with some men to invite their people and teach them Islam. The Prophet ﷺsent seventy men from the Ansaar, led Al-Munthir ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), and it was also said that they were led by Mathrad ibn AbeeMathrad(may Allah be pleased with him). These seventy Muslims were known as the ‘Reciters of the Quran,’ because they devoted their lives to the Quran and its recitation. They used to cut wood during the day to buy food for the People of Suffah (i.e., the poor homeless Muslims who were sheltered in a place annexed to the Prophet’s Mosque) and pray all night long.
They took the (seventy) men till they reached a place called Bi’rMa‘oonah, i.e., a place in the land of Hudhayl between Makkah and ‘Usfaan, where they betrayed and killed them. This took place in Safar, 4 A.H. The Prophetﷺ observed Qunoot for a month,invoking evil on the tribes of Ra‘l, Dhakwaan, BaneeLihyaan, and Banee ‘Usayyahin the prayers. He ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, against all these tribes because the news about the betrayal of the Muslims in the incidents of Bi’rMa‘oonah and Al-Rajee‘ reached him on the same night. It is also possible that the incident of Bi’rMa‘oonah marked the beginning of the Prophet’s Qunoot, and afterward he ﷺ observed Qunoot supplication due to following incidents.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)said that they (i.e., Muslims) used to recite an ayah concerning those martyrs which reads: "O Allah! Let our people be informed on our behalf that we have met our Lord Who was pleased with us and made us pleased,” but the ayah was abrogated later on.

It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is prescribed to supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, against the unjust people and those who betray and harm Muslims, proclaiming their names and openly supplicating against them.

The hadeeth also highlights the Companions’ keenness to seek martyrdom and their joy upon attaining it.

It is also inferred that the people of the truth may be harmed by the people of falsehood, and this does not indicate that the people of the truth are not right but is rather an indication of their honor and that the people of falsehood would be ruined and destroyed.
.

3067

Naafi‘ narrated:
A horse of Ibn ‘Umar fled and the enemy took it. Then, Muslims conquered the enemy and the horse was returned to him during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. And also, once a slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fled and joined the Byzantines, and when the Muslims conquered them, Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed returned the slave to him after the death of the Prophet ﷺ..

Commentary :
Islam upholds people’s rights in all situations and contexts; it has laid down the Islamic rules and provisions regulating the affairs of war, and what Muslims get from the spoils of war and prisoners of war, and the deduction of the due rights from the spoils of war before their division.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar’s horse fled and the enemy seized it. Afterward, the Muslims conquered the enemy and the horse was returned to him during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, because it was his property. The version of the hadeeth recorded by Aboo Daawood reads: “The Prophet ﷺ returned it to Ibn ‘Umar and did not divide it along with the other spoils of war.” Similarly, once a slave owned by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) fled and joined the Byzantines, and when the Muslims conquered their land and triumphed over them, Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) returned the slave to him after the death of the Prophet ﷺ. This took place at the Battle of Al-Yarmook during the reign of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), as reported in the version compiled by ‘Abd Al-Razzaaq. The battle took place in 14 A.H. between the Muslims and the Byzantines.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when the enemy seizes the property of a Muslim person during war, and then the Muslims retrieve it as part of the spoils of war, this Muslim person is more entitled to his property, and it must not be divided up along with the other spoils of war. It was also said that if the owner was present before the division of the spoils of war, he is entitled to take it back, otherwise he is only entitled to its monetary value..

3073

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophetﷺ got up amongst us and mentioned Ghulool(i.e., stealthily take something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), emphasized its gravity and declared that it was a great sin saying, "Do not commit Ghulool, for I should not like to see anyone amongst you on the Day of Resurrection, carrying over his neck a sheep that will be bleating, or carrying over his neck a horse that will be neighing. Such a man will be saying: 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me,' and I will reply, 'I cannot help you, for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you nor should I like to see a man carrying over his neck, a camel that will be grunting. Such a man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me, and I will say, 'I cannot help you for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,' or one carrying over his neck gold and silver and saying, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me,' and I will say, 'I cannot help you for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,' or one carrying clothes that will be fluttering, and the man will say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me.' And I will say, 'I cannot help you, for I have conveyed Allah's Message to you."
.

Commentary :
The Islamic law sternly warns against Ghulool (i.e., stealthily taking something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), which involves treason and theft from the spoils of war before they are divided, and clarifies the punishment designated for it which will be executed on the Day of Judgment before all people.
In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ delivered a speech once and warned against Ghulool and the gravity of this sin, emphasizing the prohibition in this regard. He ﷺ stated that none is entitled to take anything from the spoils of war before their division, and whoever commits Ghulool will carry over his neck what he had stealthily taken from the spoils of war before the division. He ﷺ stated that such a man would be carrying over his neck a sheep that would be bleating, a horse that would be neighing, a camelthat would be grunting, gold and silver, or clothes that would be fluttering, on the Day of Resurrection.
All these people would call upon the Prophet ﷺ saying, “O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Intercede with Allah for me.” To their shock, he ﷺ will say, “I cannot help you,“ meaning that he ﷺ cannot help them have their sins forgiven nor intercede for them, because the intercession requires the permission of Allah, Exalted is He. Afterward, he ﷺwill say, ”I have conveyed Allah's Message to you,“ meaning that he ﷺ had duly delivered the message and warned against the gravity and punishment of that sin, but they still committed it and deserved His punishment. The wisdom behind the fact that such people will carry the stealthily stolen items over their necks is to expose them before all people on the Day of Judgment. Some scholars underlined that this hadeeth explains the ayah that reads (what means): {It is not [attributable] to any prophet that he would act unfaithfully [in regard to war booty]. And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection.} [Quran 3:161]. The Arabic word Ghulool used in the ayah denotes carrying something over one’s neck (on the Day of Judgment).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that punishments may be of the same nature as the sins committed; Allah, Exalted is He, may punish sinners with a punishment of the same nature of the sin they have committed.
The hadeeth underlines different forms of Ghulool and edifies Muslims on them..

3074

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
There was a man who looked after the family and the belongings of the Prophetﷺ and he was calledKirkirah. The man died and Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "He is in Hellfire." People ﷺ then went to look at him and found in his place, a cloak he had stolen from the spoils of war.
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Commentary :
The Islamic law sternly warns against Ghulool (i.e., stealthily take something from the spoils of war before they are divided among the soldiers, without the commander’s knowledge), which involves treason and theft from the spoils of war before their division, and clarifies the punishment designated for it which will be executed on the Day of Judgment before all people.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that there was a man who looked after the family and the belongings of the Prophetﷺ, meaning the luggage during travels, and his name was Kirkirah. After this man died, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "He is in Hellfire." This was one of the incidents when Allah, Exalted is He, imparted knowledge of the unseen (which is exclusive to Him) to the Prophet ﷺ. People were astonished and went to investigate the matter and look at him and found in his place a cloak he had stolen from the spoils of war before they were divided. This indicates that Ghuloolis forbidden regardless of the value of what is being stealthily taken from the spoils of war before their division, and that the thief bears the sin in all cases..

3075

Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
"We were in the company of the Prophetﷺ at Dhul-Hulayfah, and people suffered from hunger. We got some camels and sheep (as spoils of war) and the Prophetﷺ was still behind the people. They hurried and put the cooking pots on the fire. (When he ﷺ came) he ordered that the cooking pots should be upset and then he ﷺ distributed the spoils of war (amongst Muslims) regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel then a camel fled and the people chased it till they got tired, as they had a few horses (for chasing it). So, a man threw an arrow at it and caused it to stop (with Allah's Permission). On that, the Prophetﷺsaid, 'Some of these animals behave like wild beasts, so, if any animal flees from you, deal with it in the same way." He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophetﷺ, “We hope (or are afraid) that we may meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives. Can we slaughter our animals with canes?" Allah's Messenger ﷺreplied, "If the instrument used for killing causes the animal to bleed profusely and if Allah's Name is mentioned on killing it, then eat its meat (i.e., it is lawful) but will not use a tooth or a nail and I am telling you the reason: A tooth is a bone (and slaughtering with a bone is forbidden), and a nail is the slaughtering instrument of the Ethiopians.”
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Commentary :
The spoils of warare the gains taken by the warriors from the enemy's property and goods after attaining victory over them. The Prophet ﷺ clarified the Islamic rules and provisions regarding the spoils of war and made it clear that nothing may be taken from the spoils of war before they are duly divided (among the rightful recipients).
In this hadeeth, Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they were in the company of the Prophet ﷺ at Dhul-Hulayfah, a land in Tihaamah between Al-Taa’if and Makkah, and not the one near Al-Madeenah. It was said that it was a village about fourteen kilometers from the Prophet’s Mosque, and it is the Miqaat (i.e., appointed place for assuming Ihraam in Hajj and 'Umrah) for the people of Al-Madeenah. People suffered from hunger there and had seized some camels and sheep (as spoils of war) from the disbelievers, and the Prophet ﷺ was still behind with the people to provide the needed help for the weak who needed a ride and urge those who were moving slowly. People hurried and put the cooking pots on the fire to cook the meat of these camels and sheep without seeking the permission of the Prophet ﷺ. When he ﷺ came, he ﷺ ordered that the cooking pots should be turned upside down, as a punishment for them, because the spoils of war had not been divided yet. However, the meat in these pots was not destroyed, but was rather collectedand given back to the rightful recipients of the spoils of war. It is inconceivable that the Prophet ﷺ should command them to dispose of it, for he ﷺ forbade wasting property, and this meat was the property of the rightful recipients of the spoils of war. Moreover, the mistake was committed by some of the rightful recipients of the spoils of war and not all of them; some of them did not partake in the cooking, and others were entitled to one-fifth of the spoils of war. Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺ distributed the spoils of war (amongst the Muslims); ten sheep as equal to one camel. Meanwhile, a camel fled and people chased it till they got tired, and were not able to catch it, as they had few horses (for chasing it) and given their exhaustion. So, a man shot an arrow at its leg and caused it to stop (with Allah's Permission). On that, the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Some of these animals behave like wild beasts, so, if any animal flees from you, deal with it in the same way," meaning shoot an arrow at it to slow it down or stop it from moving, and thus you would be able to catch it.
Then, Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet ﷺ, “We hope (or are afraid) that we may meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives. Can we slaughter our animals with canes?" The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Madaa, which refers to sharp canes used as knives. They feared to use their own swords and blades to slaughter animals lest they should become blunt for the battlefield. The Prophet ﷺ replied, "If the instrument used for killing causes the animal to bleed profusely and if Allah's Name is mentioned on killing it, then eat its meat (i.e., it is lawful) but do not use a tooth or a nail,” meaning that the meat is lawful whenever any tool is used to slaughter the animal causing it to bleed profusely and the name of Allah is mentioned during the slaughter, except when the animal is slaughtered using a tooth or nail, being the slaughtering instruments used by the Ethiopians, who were disbelievers; Muslims are enjoined to avoid resembling the disbelievers. They would stick their nails in the animal’s throat and suffocate it, so it would be strangled, not slaughtered.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s humbleness, as he ﷺ marched behind the army, taking care of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their needs, checking on them, and taking their advice.
The hadeeth also underlines the Companions’ swift compliance with the Prophet’s commands.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is impermissible for Muslims to take anything from the spoils of war before their division.
It also highlights that Islam promotes facilitation regarding slaughtering instruments.
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3077

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
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Commentary :
In the early days of Islam, the migration to Al-Madeenahwas deemed obligatory on every Muslim, to fight alongside the Prophet ﷺ to raise high the word of Allah (i.e., His religion). After the conquest of Makkah in 8 A.H., the stubborn disbelievers of Quraysh were destroyed (and disarmed), people converted to Islam in large numbers, and Allah, Exalted is He, made Muslims triumphant over their enemies.The migration to Al-Madeenahceased to be obligatory. On the day when Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” The obligation that remained binding on Muslims was Jihaad whenever they should be called to defend their lands against enemies’ attacks or to conquer new lands. The migration was deemed obligatory for two reasons: 1) to support the Prophet ﷺ when the number of Muslims was small, and it was incumbent on all Muslims to hasten to his support against his enemies, and 2) to acquire knowledge and understand their religion. The most serious threat for Muslims was the disbelievers of Makkah. When the Muslims conquered Makkah and Islam became widespread, Muslims were taught that they were no longer obliged to migrate to Al-Madeenah, yet they were still required to hold the intention of partaking in Jihaad (whenever they were called for it). This is why the Prophet ﷺ said: “… whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call,” meaning that Muslims should be ready and well-prepared to respond to calls for Jihaad at any given time.
The hadeeth includes the glad tidings that Makkah shall remain a Muslim land for ever. This is because he ﷺ stated that migration from Makkah was no longer obligatory, and this indicated that it would never become a non-Muslim land in the future; migration is only required from non-Muslim lands..

3080

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
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Commentary :
The migration to Al-Madeenahwas deemed obligatory on the Prophet ﷺ and Muslims in the early days of Islam, to escape religious persecution in the disbelievers’ lands and to support the Prophet ﷺ. The best of the believers were those who migrated to Al-Madeenah. Theywere given the title ‘emigrants,’ and Allah, Exalted is He, singled them out for praise.
In this report, the Taabi‘ee (Follower) ‘Ataa’ ibn AbeeRabaah narrated that heand ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayr, the Judge of Makkah, went to the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) while she was staying near Thabeer, i.e., a huge mountain in Al-Muzdalifah to the left on the way to Minaa. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and the conquest of Makkah.” This is because the believers escaped religious persecution in their lands and fled to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah, lest they should be proselytized and forced out of their religion. However, Islam became triumphant after the conquest of Makkah,so this ceased to be the case. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that Muslims were no longer required to migrate, yet they were enjoined to be ready to respond whenever they should be called for Jihaad, to fight against the enemy.
The hadeeth highlights the keenness of the Taabi‘oonfor learning and acquiring knowledge from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet ﷺ..

3082

Ibn AbeeMulaykah narrated that Ibn Al-Zubayr said to Ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with them), "Do you remember when I, you and Ibn ‘Abbaas went out to receive Allah's Messengerﷺ?”Ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative. Ibn Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "And Allah's Messenger ﷺmade us (i.e., I and Ibn ‘Abbaas) ride along with him and left you."
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Commentary :
Receiving travelers and those coming from Jihaad and Hajj and giving them a warm welcome is an act of righteousness, and it shows the joy and the mutual love between the travelers and their friends and families.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (Follower) ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubaydullaah ibn AbeeMulaykah narrated that Ibn Al-Zubayr said to ‘Abdullaah ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with them), "Do you remember when me, you and Ibn ‘Abbaas went out to receive Allah's Messengerﷺ?”‘Abdullaah ibn Ja‘far(may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative. Ibn Ja’far(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "And Allah's Messenger ﷺmade us (i.e., Ibn ‘Abbaas and me) ride along with him and left you." He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet ﷺ gave him and ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) a ride and not ‘Abdullah ibn Al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with him)on that occasion.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s humbleness.
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3083

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
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Commentary :
Receiving travelers and those coming from Jihaad and Hajj, and giving them a warm welcome,are acts of righteousness, which show the joy and mutual love between the travelers and their friends and families.
In this hadeeth, As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and some other boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘ when he ﷺ was coming back to Al-Madeenah after the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. The Arabic word Thaniyah means a mountainous pathway, and Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘ refers to the mountainous pathway on the way from Al-Madeenah to Tabook.It was given this name because people, young and old, used to bid farewell to their travelers who set out on their journeys for Jihaad or Hajj purposes, and it became the regular place for bidding farewell to the travelers.
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3086

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with them) came in the company of the Prophetﷺ and Safiyyah(may Allah be pleased with her) was accompanying the Prophet ﷺ and he let her ride behind him on his she-camel. During the journey, the she-camel slipped and both the Prophetﷺand (his) wife fell down. AbooTalhah (the sub-narrator thinks that Anas said that AbooTalhah jumped from his camel quickly) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!May Allah sacrifice me for your sake! Did you get hurt?" The Prophetﷺ replied, "No, but take care of the lady." AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) covered his face with his garment and proceeded towards her and covered her with his garment, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then set right the condition of their she-camel and both of them(i.e., the Prophet ﷺ and his wife)rode and proceeded till they approached Al-Madeenah. The Prophetﷺsaid, "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord." The Prophetﷺ kept on saying this statement till he ﷺ entered Al-Madeenah.
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Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) dearly loved the Prophet ﷺ more than themselves and were eager to please him and preserve his sanctity and were even willing to sacrifice their own lives to spare him any harm, when needed.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he and AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with them) came in the company of the Prophet ﷺ after the Battle of Khaybar, as reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim, and his wife SafiyyahbintHuyay ibn Akhtab(may Allah be pleased with her) was accompanying him, for he ﷺ had married her during that journey. He ﷺ let her ride behind him on his she-camel. During the journey, the she-camel slipped and both the Prophet ﷺ and his wife fell down. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) jumped from his camel quickly, and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! May Allah sacrifice me for your sake! Did you get hurt?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "No, but take care of the lady," meaning Safiya (may Allah be pleased with her); help her. AbooTalhah(may Allah be pleased with him) covered his face with his garment, to respect her privacy, and proceeded towards her. He (may Allah be pleased with him)covered her with his garment, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) got up. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then set right the condition of their she-camel, and the Prophet ﷺ and his wife (may Allah be pleased with her) rode and proceeded till they approached Al-Madeenah. The Prophet ﷺ said, "We are returning with repentance and worshipping and praising our Lord." The supplication means, ‘We return to Allah, Exalted is He, repenting of all which is unprescribed as per the Islamic law and renewing our commitment to all which is prescribed, devoting our worship, including our praise and expression of gratitude, exclusively to Allah, Exalted is He.’ He ﷺ kept on repeating this supplication till he ﷺ entered Al-Madeenah.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for a woman to ride behind a man on his riding animal, and that her privacy must be respected.
It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim man should cover the (‘Awrah of the) women whom he is not allowed to see as per the Islamic law and cover his face to avoid accidentally looking at them.
The hadeeth also encourages travelers to praise Allah, Exalted is He, thank Him for returning safely to his family, and ask Him for steadfastness in repentance and worship..

3088

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was an excellentmentor and educator; he ﷺ taught us the Islamic etiquette of travelling and returning back, what a traveler should do when he returns back to his family, and the activity that should be done first.
In this hadeeth, Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey, for Jihaad or Hajj purposes, or otherwise, in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting down. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Muslim reads: “The Prophet ﷺ always came back from a journey at daytime in the forenoon.” Upon arriving back to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ would go first to the mosque to perform two Rak’ahs, to express gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for his safe return, before he ﷺ would sit down with people,so they could greet him and welcome him back..

3089

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "When Allah's Messenger ﷺarrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ slaughtered a camel or a cow." Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) added, "The Prophetﷺbought a camel from me for two Awaaq (pl. Ooqiyyah, i.e., a weight measurement that varies based on the weighable goods as well as countries) (of gold) and one or two Dirhams. When he ﷺ reached Siraar, he ﷺ ordered that a cow be slaughtered and they ate its meat. When he ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ordered me to go to the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs and weighed (and gave) me the price of the camel."
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Commentary :
Returning back to one’s home safely after travel is a blessing that should entail expressing gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for blessing the traveler with a safe trip and return back to his home.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that when the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ slaughtered a camel or a cow, to express gratitude to Allah, Exalted is He, for returning safely to Al-Madeenah. Giving out food is one of the best and most rewardable good deeds that draws a person closer to Allah, Exalted is He.
In another version of the hadeeth, Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ bought a camel from him for two Awaaq (pl. Ooqiyyah, i.e., a weight measurement that varies based on the weighable goods as well as countries) of gold and one or two Dirhams. When he ﷺ reached Siraar, a place located three miles to the east of Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ ordered that a cow be slaughtered, and they ate its meat. The banquet thrown by a person after returning safely from a journeyis called ‘Al-Naqee‘ah,’ derived from the Arabic word Naqa‘ denoting the dust, because when a traveler returns home, he needs to wash off the dust of travel and have a satisfying meal to replenish his energy.
When he ﷺ arrived at Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ ordered Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) to go to the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs and weighed (and gave) him the price of the camel that he ﷺ had bought from him during their journey. Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “When he ﷺ arrived in Al-Madeenah, I went to him to give him the camel; he ﷺ gave me the price of the camel, the camel itself (as a gift), and my share of the spoils of war like the others.”
The hadeeth encourages the Imaam (i.e., ruler) and chief of the people to throw a banquet for his companions upon returning from travels.
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3094

Maalik ibn Aws ibn Al-Hadthaan narrated:
While I was at home, the sun rose high and it got hot. Suddenly the messenger of ‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me and said, "The Commander of the Believers has sent for you." So, I went along with him till I entered the place where ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting on a bedstead that is made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was leaning over a leather pillow. I greeted him and sat down. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Maali! Some persons of your people who have families came to me and I have ordered that a gift should be given to them, so take it and distribute it among them." I said, "O Commander of the Believers! I wish that you order someone else to do it." He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O man! Take it." While I was sitting there with him, his doormanYarfa’ came saying, "‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them) are asking your permission (to see you); may I admit them?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes", So they were admitted and they came in, greeted him, and sat down. After a while Yarfa’ came again and said, "May I admit ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "yes." So, they (may Allah be pleased with them)were admitted and they came in and greeted (him) and sat down. Then ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Commander of the Believers! Judge between me and this (i.e., ‘Alee)." They had a dispute regarding the property of Banne Al-Nadeer which Allah, Exalted is He, had given to His Messenger ﷺ as Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting). The group (i.e., ‘Uthmaan and his companions) said, "O Commander of the Believers! Judge between them and relieve both of them front each other." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Be patient! I beseech you by Allah by Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exist, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (i.e., Prophets') property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave, is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity),' and Allah's Messenger ﷺ meant himself (by saying "we'')?" The group said, "He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then turned to ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "I beseech you by Allah, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said so?" They replied, " He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, "So, I will talk to you about this matter. Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed on His Messenger ﷺ a special favor of Fay’ which He gave to nobody else." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then recited the ayaat (which mean): {And what Allah restored [of property] to His Messenger from them - you did not spur for it [in an expedition] any horses or camels, but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.} [Quran 59:6] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "So, this property was especially given to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, but, by Allah, neither did he ﷺ take possession of it and leave you, nor did he ﷺ favor himself with it to your exclusion, but he ﷺ gave it to all of you and distributed it amongst you till this property remained out of it. Allah's Messenger ﷺused to spend the yearly expenses of his family out of this property and used to keep the rest of its revenue to be spent in Allah's Cause. He ﷺ kept on doing this during all his lifetime. I ask you by Allah do you know this?" They (may Allah be pleased with them) replied in the affirmative. ‘Umar then said to ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them), "I ask you by Allah, do you know this?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "When Allah had taken His Prophet unto Him,’ Aboo Bakr said, 'I am the successor of Allah's Messenger ﷺso, Aboo Bakr took over that property and managed it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺused to do, and Allah, Exalted is He, knows that he (may Allah be pleased with him) was true, pious and rightly guided, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower of what was right. Then, Allah took Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) unto Him and I became Aboo Bakr's successor, and I kept that property in my possession for the first two years of my Caliphate, managing it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to do and as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and Allah knows that I have been true, pious, rightly guided, and a follower of what is right. Now you both (i.e., ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas) came to talk to me, bearing the same claim and presenting the same case; you, ‘Abbaas, came to me asking for your share of your nephew's property, and this man, i.e., ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), came to me asking for his wife's share of her father's property. I told you both that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (prophets') properties are not to be inherited, but what we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spend in charity).' When I thought it right that I should hand over this property to you, I said to you, 'I am ready to hand over this property to you if you wish, on the condition that you would take Allah's Pledge and Convention that you would manage it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to, as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and as I have done since I was in charge of it.' So, both of you said (to me), 'Hand it over to us,' and on that condition I handed it over to you. So, I ask you by Allah, Exalted is He, did I hand it over to them on this condition?" The group aid, "Yes." Then ‘Umar faced ‘Alee and ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) saying, "I ask you by Allah, did I hand it over to you on this condition?" They (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Yes. " He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, " Do you want now to give a different decision? By Allah, by Whose Leave both the Heaven and the Earth exist, I will never give any decision other than that (I have already given), and if you are unable to manage it, then return it to me, and I will do the job on your behalf."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, singled out the Prophet ﷺ for the Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting) rather than the spoils of war (for they were distributed among the Muslim fighters). The Prophet ﷺ stated what should be done with the Fay’ and how it should be spent, and also underlined what should be done with his personal property after his death.
In this hadeeth, Maalik ibn Aws – scholars held different opinions as to whether or not he was a Companion – narrated that while he was sitting with his family at home once, the sun rose high and it got hot. Suddenly the messenger of the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came and asked him to come and meet the Commander of the Believers. He went along with him to a place where ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was leaning over a leather pillow. Maalik greeted him and sat down. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Maali,” which is a term of endearment indicating emotional proximity and friendliness, “Some persons of your people who have families came to me;” it was said that they belonged to Banee Nasr ibn Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Bakr ibn Hawaazin,that they were afflicted with drought, and that they came to Al-Madeenah asking for financial support and supplies. Thereupon, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered that a gift (a small, unfixed grant) should be given to them. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Radkh (i.e., a smallportion of the war gains which is less than the share of a single fighter, given by a ruler or his deputy to a person who is not entitled to a share despite taking part or helping in the fighting, such as a woman, a child, or a disbeliever). ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded Maalik to take this grant and distribute it among them. Maalik apologized and said, "O Commander of the Believers! I wish that you would order someone else to do it." He said, "O man! Take it." While Maalik was sitting there with him, his doormanYarfa’, one of ‘Umar’s freed slaves, came saying, "‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them) are asking your permission (to see you); may I admit them?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Yes." So, they (may Allah be pleased with them)were admitted and they came in, greeted him, and sat down. After a while Yarfa’ came again and asked to admit ‘Alee ibn AbeeTaalib and Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd Al-Muttalib(may Allah be pleased with them).They came seeking the settlement of their dispute over the property of Banee Al-Nadeer.This was property which Allah had given to His Messenger ﷺas Fay’ (i.e., war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting).They (may Allah be pleased with them) were seeking ‘Umar’s judgment as to who should manage it. The group (i.e., ‘Uthmaan, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Al-Zubayr, and Sa‘d ibn AbeeWaqqaas(may Allah be pleased with them)) asked ‘Umar to judge between them (i.e., ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them)) and relieve each of them of the other. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Raht, and it means a group of men below ten or forty. Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to these Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Be patient! I beseech you by Allah, by Whose Permission the Heaven and the Earth exist, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (i.e., prophets') property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity),' and Allah's Messenger ﷺ meant himself (by saying ‘we'’)?" The group (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "He said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then turned to ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and said, "I beseech you by Allah, do you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said so?" They replied, "He ﷺ said so." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then said, "So, I will talk to you about this matter. Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed on His Messenger ﷺ the special favor of Fay’ which He gave to nobody else." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then recited the ayaat (which mean): {And what Allah restored [of property] to His Messenger from them - you did not spur for it [in an expedition] any horses or camels, but Allah gives His messengers power over whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.} [Quran 59:6].
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explained how the Prophet ﷺ used to manage this Fay’ and that he ﷺ used to cover the yearly expenses of his family from this property and allocate the rest of its revenue to the Muslim Treasury, to be spent in Allah's Cause. He (may Allah be pleased with him) continued to remind them of what the Prophet ﷺ did and how he ﷺ managed this Fay,’ stressing that he ﷺ did not keep it all for himself. They (may Allah be pleased with them) availed themselves of such property as members of his family. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them as to whether the Prophet ﷺ did so during his lifetime and they (may Allah be pleased with them) replied in the affirmative. ‘Umar then reminded ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), being the successor of Allah's Messenger ﷺ, took over that property and managed it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to do, and so did ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “Allah, Exalted is He, knows that he (i.e., Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)) was true, pious and rightly guided, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower of what was right.”
He (may Allah be pleased with him) also reminded them that he (may Allah be pleased with him) became Aboo Bakr's successor and kept that property in his possession for the first two years of his Caliphate, managing it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and said about himself, “Allah knows that I have been true, pious, rightly guided, and a follower of what is right.”
Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) of what they did when they came to him before this dispute. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You both came to talk to me, bearing the same claim and presenting the same case;” meaning that there was no dispute, “you, ‘Abbaas, came to me asking for your share of your nephew's property,” being the Prophet’s paternal uncle, “and this man, i.e., ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), came to me asking for his wife's share of her father's property. I told you both that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Our (prophets') properties are not to be inherited, but what we leave is Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity).' When I thought it right that I should hand over this property to you, I said to you, 'I am ready to hand over this property to you if you wish, on the condition that you would take Allah's Pledge and Convention that you would manage it in the same way as Allah's Messenger ﷺ used to, and as Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to do, and as I have done since I have been in charge of it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to put them in charge of the property on that condition.
Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked ‘Uthmaan and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) with him whether he was speaking the truth, and they replied in the affirmative. He (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed ‘Alee and Al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) and they both replied in the affirmative. He (may Allah be pleased with him) then rebuked them for seeking a different judgment. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “By Allah, by Whose Leave both the Heaven and the Earth exist, I will never give any decision other than that (which I have already given), and if you are unable to manage it, then return it to me, and I will do the job on your behalf,” in the manner that the Prophet ﷺ and Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) managed it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a knowledgeable ruler may settle complicated disputes and govern the affairs of the Muslim state in the way that serves the best interests of Muslims, after consulting with thepeople of knowledge and specialists.
The hadeeth states that the Prophets of Allah did not leave personal properties (i.e., estates), and rather their inheritance was knowledge, and whatever property they left was Sadaqah.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to decline assignments and mandates that are assigned to a Muslim individual by the ruler if the person knows his weakness and inability to fulfill the rights of such office.
It also highlights the virtues of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his (outstanding)asceticism, justice, and good judgment when settling disputes. .

3096

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, blessed His Prophets with non-attachment to worldly pleasures and gains; they led the mostascetic lives and were content with their modest shares of worldly property. They availed themselves of their worldly gains within the scope of their needs only, and graciously offered the excess to be spent on what benefits people.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commanded that his private property must not be inherited by his heirs. He ﷺ stated that his heirs had no right to even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from his private property) after his death, and whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave, beyond the due expenditure of his wives and laborers, should be given as Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity) for the benefit of Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ used to take his share of the (conquered) lands (i.e., Fay,’ meaning war-gains taken by Muslims from the disbelievers without fighting, and spoils of war) to provide for himself and his dependents and spend the rest for the benefit of Muslims. The reference to his ‘laborers’ here is said to mean his successors (Caliphs) after his death, and it was also said that it means the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to tend to the palm trees in his lands.These lands were part of the Fay’ gained after the battle with Banee Al-Nadeer, the land of Fadak, and his share of the lands of Khaybar. It was also said that it means his servants or the workers whom he ﷺ had appointed to collect the Zakaah funds.
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s keenness in taking care of his family and dependents and allocating allowances for the workers and employees appointed to manage the Muslims’ affairs to keep them secure and able to shoulder the tasks entrusted to them.
It is inferred therefrom that the Prophets of Allah did not leave behind personal properties to be inherited by their heirs, and that their estates were rather spent in charity. .

3097

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ used to invoke Allah, Exalted is He, to bless him and his family with enough sustenance that would spare them the need to ask others for financial help. His wives and household members (may Allah be pleased with them) were content (with their modest shares of worldly pleasures and properties) and endured the strained living conditions, aspiring to the rewards of Allah, Exalted is He, and the everlasting bliss in Paradise.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when the Prophet ﷺ died, there was nothing in her house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, she (may Allah be pleased with her) ate of it for a lengthy period and it was not consumed. She (may Allah be pleased with her) measured it, and (after a brief period) it was consumed. This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) used to eat of this small quantity of barley for an extended period of time and it was not measured. When she (may Allah be pleased with her) measured it and knew its exact weight and amount, it was no longer so blessed and was consumed (after a short period). Not knowing the exact measure of the foodstuff made it blessed; each day she would think that the barley would be consumed, as it seemed a small quantity, and this is why it lasted for longer before being ultimately consumed. It is also possible that this was related to the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ, and when she measured it, such blessing ceased. It was recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Asmaa’ bintAboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Spend in charity and do not calculate, (for) Allah would calculate in your case; and do not hoard, otherwise Allah would be withholding from you.” It means, ‘Do not measure and meticulously calculate what you spend in charity, lest Allah, Exalted is He, do the same to you (i.e., in terms of reward and blessing). When one relies on the blessing of Allah, Exalted is He, refrains from measuring and meticulously calculating his foodstuff, and eats thereof until it is consumed, he would avail himself of the blessings bestowed by Allah, Exalted is He.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to give precedence to the enjoined reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, (over the reliance on the worldly and material causes) in all matters.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when a person measures and meticulously calculates the quantity of foodstuff, closely monitoring the consumed or remaining amount, it becomes unblessed. .

934

Abu Mālik al-Ash‘ari reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Four in my Ummah are among the affairs of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance that have not been abandoned: boasting of noble ancestries, defaming lineages, seeking rain from the stars, and wailing. And he said: If the wailing woman does not repent before her death, she will be made to stand on the Day of Judgment wearing a garment of pitch and a chemise of mange..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on bringing his Ummah out from Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic era of ignorance) with all its evils, sins, and polytheism to Islam and its laws with all its goodness and monotheism.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) depicts matters that were and are still practiced by some people, and such matters belong to the people of Jāhiliyyah. So, he warned us against them and pointed out that whoever adopts any of such matters is, in fact, adopting one of the pre-Islamic traits and must abandon it and adhere instead to what has been legislated by Islam concerning such a trait and its likes. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reports that four characteristics exist in the Ummah of Islam that are from the affairs and usual attributes of the people of Jāhiliyyah. He said that such traits would last in the Ummah and would not be abandoned as other pre-Islamic practices have been abandoned, for if they are abandoned by one party, others will come and adhere to them.
The first thing of such matters: It is "boasting of noble ancestries," which is taking pride in, bragging about, and exalting the characteristics, virtues, and bounties that are either in him or his family. "Hasab" (noble ancestry) refers to the personal traits one enumerates, such as bravery, eloquence, etc. "Boasting of noble ancestries" means acting arrogantly and loftily by enumerating one's virtues and his forefathers' remarkable feats, which entails deeming oneself better than others and looking down upon them. In the version of Abu Dāwūd, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has removed from you the pride of Jāhiliyyah and its boastfulness about the ancestors. It is either a pious believer or a miserable sinner. People are the children of Adam, and Adam is from dust."
The second repugnant matter: "Defaming lineages," which means finding fault with people's lineages like discrediting the lineage or negating one's attribution to his father, is a malicious claim because it results in dividing Muslims and causing turmoils and evils, besides slandering people.
The third matter is: It is "seeking rain from the stars," which refers to supplicating and seeking water through rainfall by believing that the stars are the cause of such rain, as they used to say in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance: we have been given rain because of such-and-such star; whereas, having a belief that it is actually the cause for rainfall is disbelief. Rain is part of Allah's mercy towards His slaves and falls according to His decree. It is one of the things that Allah Almighty spoke about, saying: {Indeed, Allah has the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will do tomorrow, nor does any soul know in which land it will die. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.} [Surat Luqmān: 34]
Fourth matter: "Wailing" means weeping over the dead by shouting, screaming, expressing impatience, and enumerating the deceased person's traits and virtues by saying, for instance: Alas for the brave one! Alas, for the lion! Alas, for the mountain!
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) , warned the wailing women if they did not repent for wailing before their death, saying, "If the wailing woman does not repent before" the time of "her death, she will be made to stand on the Day of Judgment," the wailing woman, who did not repent, will be made to stand and will be gathered among the standing people to be exposed on the Day of Judgment, as a recompense for her wailing, while wearing a garment of pitch, which is molten copper or paint used for painting. It is also said: that it is grease with which the scabby camel is rubbed to burn the mange, and its heat could reach the inside. "And a chemise of mange," "dir‘" (chemise) is a kind of women's shirts, i.e., she will be wearing another chemise of mange. This means that all her skin will be scabious and will act like a chemise covering her skin and sticking to her the way a chemise covers and sticks to her. He restricted repentance to the time before death to make it known that one of the conditions of repentance is for the repentant to repent while having hopes that he will still live and might commit the act for which he is repenting. This is supported by what is mentioned in the Book of Allah: {However, repentance is not for those who commit evil deeds until death approaches one of them; he then says, “Now I repent.”} [Surat an-Nisā’: 18]
Such a punishment is for wailing and enumerating the dead person's merits because both acts involve objection to Allah's decree. As for crying out of sadness and mercy for the deceased person, there is nothing wrong with that, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His slaves. Verily, Allah shows mercy to those of His slaves who are merciful." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
The Hadīth includes one of the signs of the Prophet's prophethood.
It warns against boasting of noble ancestries and against slandering lineages.
It calls for preserving people's honor and refraining from slander.
It clarifies the fact that one's value depends on his personality and deeds, not on his forefathers' feats.
It warns against wailing over the dead.
It emphasizes that rain comes from Allah Almighty, and the stars have nothing to do with it. So, water should be sought from none but the Creator and the Omnipotent, who can make the rainfall..

943

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made a speech one day and mentioned a man from among his Companions who died and was shrouded in a shroud of bad quality and was buried at night. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked that a man should be buried at night until prayer was offered over him, except when one is forced to do that. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you shrouds his brother, he should make his shrouding good.".

Commentary : The burial of a Muslim is part of the honor granted to him by Allah Almighty. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Ummah how to take care of the dead Muslims, including washing, shrouding, burying, and following the funeral procession, as well as other duties and Sunnah acts.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to his Companions one day and admonished them. In his sermon, he mentioned a man from among his companions who died and was shrouded in a shroud that was unbelievably bad or not completely concealing; moreover, he was buried and put into his grave at night. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked, prohibited, and banned his Companions from repeating an act like this with their dead brother, given his rights upon them. This includes burial at night. Indeed, a dead person should be buried during the daytime so that a lot of people can offer prayer for him, more than the people who would pray for him at night, or so that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) could offer the prayer for him, which is another reason for those who died during his lifetime. This also means that the burial of a dead person should be delayed until the morning, if it is hoped that those who will bless him will join the prayer.
And he clarified to them that burial at night should only occur in the case of necessity, like fearing that the body may decay. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of you shrouds his brother, he should make his shrouding good." This is intended to direct, teach, and enjoin excellence in shrouding the dead. Excellence, however, does not mean extravagance or immoderation in choosing the shroud or that it should be expensive. Rather, the intended meaning is that it should be clean, pure, thick, concealing, and of the same type of clothing he mostly wore in his life, neither finer nor lower in quality.
In the Hadīth: We are enjoined to use a good shroud, without extravagance or stinginess.
And in it: Demonstrating the Prophet's care about the conditions of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) whether they were alive or dead.

947

‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No group of Muslims numbering a hundred offer the funeral prayer over a dead person, and all of them intercede for him, except that their intercession for him will be accepted.".

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of bounty and abundant giving from Allah, as He made the Muslims intercessors for one another. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged that a Muslim should attend the funeral of his fellow Muslim and made that one of the rights due to the Muslims among themselves.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that if a Muslim dies and a group of Muslims numbering a hundred offer the funeral prayer for him, "and all of them intercede for him," i.e., they ask Allah Almighty to pardon his sins and crimes and they supplicate for him, in such a case, people's intercession for him will be accepted and their supplication for him will be answered. But two conditions should be met here: First: Those who intercede for him should be sincere in their supplication and should ask Allah to forgive him. Second: They should be Muslims and numbering a hundred persons, and they should include no one who associates anything with Allah.
Other Hadīths are reported with lesser than this number, such as forty or three rows. It was said: Informing that the intercession of forty people is accepted does not necessarily mean that the intercession of a lesser number is not accepted, and the same holds true for the number of forty people along with three rows. Hence, all Hadīths are applicable, and the intercession is valid with the lesser of two numbers, the three rows or forty persons.
In the Hadīth: Urging the increase of a group offering the funeral prayer, and they are required to reach this number, which is one of the requirements for salvation
And in it: Those offering the funeral prayer for a dead person are intercessors for him.
And in it: Stressing the significance of sincerity in supplicating for the dead..

948

Kurayb, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbās, related from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās that a son of his died in Qudayd - or in ‘Usfān - and he said: "O Kurayb, look and see how many people gathered for him." He said: I went out and found that people had gathered for him. I informed him about that, and he said: "Do you think they are forty?" He said: 'Yes.' He said: "Bring him out, for indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'No Muslim man dies, and forty men, who associate nothing with Allah, attend his funeral except that Allah will accept their intercession for him.'".

Commentary : The bounty and giving of Allah Almighty is great. He made the Muslims intercessors for one another, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged that a Muslim should attend the funeral of his fellow Muslims and rendered it one of the rights of Muslims upon one another.
In this Hadīth, Kurayb, the freed slave of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās, relates that a son of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) died, and he was present with him, "in Qudayd", a place of water between Makkah and Madīnah, which is located 150km away from Makkah and lies to its northeast, "or in ‘Usfān", a town located 80km to the northwest of Makkah. These are two places close to Makkah. ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered Kurayb to go out and tell him about the number of people who had gathered to attend his funeral procession and prayer. Kurayb went to see the people and then informed them about their gathering and number. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Do you think?" i.e., do you estimate their number to be forty men? Kurayb replied: 'Yes.' In the version by Ibn Mājah, Ibn ‘Abbās said: "How many do you see? Forty?" I said: "No, they are more than that." So, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked those with him to bring the funeral of his son to the people gathered in the mosque to offer prayer for him and bury him. Then, he said: "For indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'No Muslim man dies and forty men... attend his funeral'", praying and supplicating for him, and they believe in Allah and associate none with Him in worship. In the version by Ibn Mājah: "No forty believers intercede for a believer." intercession here means request. Those attending the funeral prayer ask Allah Almighty to pardon the sins of the deceased, "except that Allah will accept their intercession for him", i.e., He will accept their intercession for that dead Muslim, out of His grace and bounty, and forgive him.
It is required to increase the number of those who attend the funeral prayer as much as possible, and they are required to reach this number that entails success. This is conditional upon two things: First: They should be intercessors for him, i.e., sincere in supplicating and asking Allah's forgiveness. Second: They should be Muslims and include none who associates anything with Allah.
Other reported Hadīths mention a different number, like one hundred or three rows. So, it is said that intercession by a hundred people will be accepted, but it does not necessarily mean that intercession by a lesser number will not be accepted. The same holds true for the forty men and the three rows. Hence, all the relevant Hadīths are applicable. Intercession is valid by the lesser of the two: by three rows or forty persons; this is because when Allah Almighty promises forgiveness two times in one sense, and one of them is easier than the other, it is His unchanging way that He does not decrease the promised bounty after that. Instead, He gives more out of his bounty and favor from Him toward His servants. It is also probable that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was informed about the acceptance of intercession by a hundred persons. He was informed about it, and then he was informed about the acceptance of intercession by forty persons and then by three rows, even if their number is lesser, yet he was informed about that.
The Hadīth mentions that those who attend the prayer for a dead person are intercessors for him.
It urges Muslims to attend the prayer for the deceased and increase the number of those who attend..

957

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported: Zayd used to make four Takbirs upon our funerals, and he once made five Takbirs. So, I asked him (about that) and he said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make Takbirs like that.".

Commentary : The funeral prayer is one of the due rights to one another among the Muslims. It is mercy towards the dead person, as it was prescribed for supplication for him. A Muslim who offers prayer for a dead person should earnestly supplicate for him to be forgiven and shown mercy.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla relates that the Companion Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) would mostly make four Takbīrs upon "the funerals," a term that refers to the dead person in the bier. This was the approach of most of the scholars among the Companions. Then, he (may Allah be pleased with him) one day made five Takbīrs at a funeral. So, ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla asked him about the reason behind the fifth Takbīr, and Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would make five Takbīrs in some funeral prayers.
The objective of the prayer for a dead person is to supplicate and ask forgiveness for him. Supplication for the dead person occurs after the third Takbīr. A person should supplicate inaudibly with the best things he can recall, and he should be sincere in supplicating for the dead one..

962

Wāqid ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa‘d ibn Mu‘ādh reported: Nāfi' ibn Jubayr saw me standing as we were attending a funeral. He was sitting and waiting for the funeral to be held. He said to me: "What makes you stand?" I said: "I am waiting for the funeral to be held, as per a Hadīth reported by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri." Thereupon, Nāfi 'said: "Verily, Mas‘ūd ibn al-Hakam related to me that 'Ali ibn Abi Tālib reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and then sat down.".

Commentary : With its tolerant Shariah, Islam affirms the value of the human soul, from its birth to its death, and holds it in high status, as revealed by these rulings enjoined with regard to it, even after its departure from life. This clearly manifests that Islam devotes attention to the funerals and burial of the dead and taking them to the graves and Barzakh (the period between death and resurrection), where they wait for the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Wāqid ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa‘d ibn Mu‘ādh informs that the Tābi‘i Nāfi‘ ibn Jubayr saw him while he was at a funeral - a term that refers to a deceased in a bier - and was standing for the funeral. Meanwhile, Nāfi‘ ibn Jubayr "was sitting and waiting for the funeral to be placed" in the grave. Nāfi‘ ibn Jubayr asked him why he was standing - a disapproving questioning. Wāqid ibn ‘Amr answered him: that he was waiting for the funeral to take place, in accordance with the Hadīth in which Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you follow a funeral, do not sit down until it takes place." Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim. Explaining why he was sitting, Nāfi‘ responded to him with the Hadīth narrated by Mas‘ūd ibn al-Hakam from ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with both of them), who reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would initially stand up for funerals but later abandoned standing and would sit down. ‘Ali's words "and then sat down" may also mean that he would sit down after the funeral passed him by and went away from him.
The Hadīths reported on the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) standing and sitting for funerals, indicating that his sitting abrogated his standing. It is also said that this is not abrogation; instead, it points out that standing is unnecessary..

963

‘Awf ibn Mālik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the funeral prayer, and I memorized his supplication as he said: "O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him. Make him safe and pardon him. Make his Nuzul (welcome treat or gift) an honorable one, broaden his entry, and wash him with water, snow, and hail, and cleanse him of sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his home, a family better than his family, and a spouse better than his spouse. Admit him into Paradise and protect him from the punishment of the grave, or from the punishment of Hellfire." He said: Until I wished I had been that deceased person..

Commentary : The objective of prayer for a deceased person is to supplicate for him and ask Allah's forgiveness for him. Many supplications are reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), to be said in the funeral prayer. It is preferred that the praying person use these supplications that are reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). But there is nothing wrong if one says other supplications. Supplication for the deceased person is made after the third Takbīr; one should supplicate secretly with the best of what he can recall, yet he should be sincere in supplicating for the dead person.
In this Hadīth, ‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Ashja‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that he attended a funeral prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and part of his supplication which ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) memorized is: "O Allah, forgive him" by blotting out the sins and misdeeds. "and have mercy on him" by accepting the acts of piety. "Make him safe," i.e., avert unpleasant things from him and make him safe from the punishment. "and pardon him," i.e., pardon the sins he committed and his shortcomings in the acts of worship. "Make his Nuzul (welcome treat or gift) an honorable one." The word Nuzul originally means the food prepared for the guest. It here refers to what Allah gives to His servant when he meets Him and honors him therewith. "broaden his entry," i.e., broaden the place of his entry in which he enters - that is his grave - lest it may become narrow for him. This is part of the bliss of the believer in the grave. The grave is either broadened for the one buried in it or made narrow for him. "and wash him with water, snow, and hail." Hail is pellets of ice descending from the clouds of the sky, which means: Purify him from the sins and misdeeds thereby, just as these things are means of purification from uncleanness and dirt. He combined them for emphasis. In other words, purify him from sins by the various kinds of forgiveness. He mentioned snow and hail because they are cold, and he mentioned water because it cleans, whereas the punishment for sins is hot. So, it was appropriate to mention snow along with water. Thus, water will do the cleaning, and snow and hail will do the cooling. "and cleanse him of sins." This is a supplication for cleansing in the sense of purification from sins, as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Thus, what is conceived is compared to what is perceived. This affirms what is mentioned before and is meant to emphasize purification from sins and misdeeds. "Give him in exchange a home better than his home," i.e., compensate him and give him palaces or a vast grave that is better than his house in this transient world. And give him in exchange "a family better than his family," those who are his relatives in the world, such as his mother, maternal aunt, daughters, father, son, and the like. The wife is excluded from this, as he singled her out after that. It was also said: Family here refers to servants. "and a spouse better than his spouse," i.e., give him a wife from the houris (Hūr al-‘Īn) or from the women of the world in Paradise. It was also said: The exchange of family and wife means the exchange of traits, not people. "Admit him into Paradise." This is a supplication for him to enter Paradise directly, without prior punishment. "and protect him from the punishment of the grave" after he enters it. Or he said: "Protect him from the punishment of Hellfire" in the Hereafter.
‘Awf ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) added that after hearing this supplication from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he wished he had been that deceased person, given the great reward and forgiveness entailed by this supplication for him, and so as to reap benefit of the Prophet's supplication, for the Prophet's prayer and supplication are more likely to be accepted and materialized than others.
In the Hadīth: Supplication in the funeral prayer, which is the most important part of its objective
And in it: Establishing the existence of the punishment of the grave.

965

Jābir ibn Samurah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for Ibn ad-Dahdāh. Then, an unsaddled horse was brought to him, and a man hobbled it and rode it. It kept bounding with him on its back, and we followed it and ran after it. He said: A man among the people said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Many are the hanging - or drooping - bunches in Paradise for Ibn ad-Dahdāh." [And in a version]: For Abu ad-Dahdāh..

Commentary : This Hadīth describes one of the Prophet's conditions and guidance regarding funerals: following the funeral on foot or riding. It also includes a lot of ethics. Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for the Companion Ibn ad-Dahdāh (may Allah be pleased with him). In the version by An-Nasā’i: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out for the funeral of Abu ad-Dahdāh." He is Thābit ibn ad-Dahdāh an ally of the Ansār, nicknamed Abu ad-Dahdāh. It is also said: Abu ad-Dahdāha. The Prophet's prayer brings Allah's mercy to the dead person. Then, "an unsaddled horse" was brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In another version by Muslim: "An unsaddled horse was brought to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), which he rode after leaving the funeral of Ibn ad-Dahdāh." So, it indicates that he rode the horse after finishing the burial. "and a man hobbled it," i.e., he held it and prevented it from moving until the prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rode it. The horse kept bounding and moving, i.e., jumping and taking short steps. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was moving at the front, and the people were walking behind him.
Then, Simāk ibn Harb informed that one of those sitting with Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated in Musnad Ahmad, related: A man who was sitting with us in the gathering of Jābir ibn Samurah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about Abu ad-Dahdāh: "Many are the hanging - or drooping - bunches in Paradise for Ibn ad-Dahdāh." This is a glad tiding by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding Abu ad-Dahdāh. In Arabic, ‘Adhq means palm tree, and ‘idhq means a branch in a palm tree. The intended meaning here is the branch, for he said: hanging or drooping.
The reason behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) making this statement is found in a Hadīth narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad Collection, in which Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When this verse: {Who is it that will lend to Allah a goodly loan.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 245] was revealed, Abu ad-Dahdāh gave in charity a garden comprising six hundred palm trees, and his wife was in the garden. He came and said: O ’Umm ad-Dahdāh, go out, for I have lent it to my Almighty Lord. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Many are the heavy bunches in Paradise for Abu ad-Dahdāh." Heavy here indicates that the bunches have abundant fruits. It is as if he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated this statement upon the death of this man.
The Hadīth shows the merit and virtue of Abu ad-Dahdāh (may Allah be pleased with him).
A group may walk along with their leader while he is riding.
There is nothing wrong if a follower serves his leader, with his consent..

966

‘Āmir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās reported: Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās said during his illness in which he died: "Make a Lahd (a niche in the side of the grave) for me and set up mud bricks over me as was done with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to seek out the Prophet's guidance and try to emulate him in all his conditions, both in his lifetime and death. In this Hadīth, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) set a clear example in following the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Āmir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās relates that his father Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said during his illness in which he died: "Make a Lahd for me," i.e., dig a niche for me where I will be buried. Lahd is the crevice dug in the side of the grave to place the dead person therein. Then, he said: "and set up mud bricks over me," i.e., place over me the bricks made of mud. The bricks should be lined and arranged above one another without any adhesive in between. The version by Abu Nu‘aym in Al-Mustakhraj has this addition: "And throw dust upon me." Then, clarifying the reason for his choosing that, for he wanted what was done to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to be done to his grave too.
In the Hadīth: The dead person is buried in the Lahd and the stones are set up over him..

967

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: A red velvet cloak was put in the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was highly revered during his lifetime and after his death, and he is favored in the sight of Allah and was held in high esteem among his Companions. He passed away and was buried in the place where he died, and that was the room of the Mother of the Believers' Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) died, a red velvet cloak was put in his grave. The cloak is a garment with edges, which are strings remaining at its two sides, apart from its reinforced border. This cloak was thrown by Shokrān, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), according to the version by At-Tirmidhi. It is said: He disliked that it should be worn by anyone after him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to wear it and sit over it. So, Shokrān did not like that it be used by anyone after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

968

Thumāmah ibn Shufayy reported: We were with Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd in the land of the Romans, at Rūdis. A companion of ours died. So, Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd commanded that his grave be leveled. Then, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) command that it be leveled.".

Commentary : Burial is one of the things by which a dead person is honored. A Muslim should follow the Prophet's guidance in all matters. One of these is the manner of burying the dead and the shape and condition of the grave after burial. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were extremely keen to follow this Prophetic guidance.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Thumāmah ibn Shufayy relates that he was with the Companion Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) on an expedition "in the land of the Romans, at Rūdis" is a Greek island situated east of the Mediterranean Sea and located midway between the main Greek islands and Cyprus. Rūdis was conquered in 53 A.H., during the reign of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him). A Muslim man from their companions passed away. So, Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded that this man be buried. After the dust was thrown over him, he commanded that his grave be leveled and blotted out and that it should not be raised or prominent. Then, Fadālah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanding that it be leveled" i.e., the grave should be leveled to the ground and not be raised a lot; rather, it should be raised as high as a hand span, and it should be flattened or embossed, which is more appropriate so that it can be recognized as a grave and thus be protected from being sat on or trodden.
The Hadīth contains the command that the graves should be leveled and not be raised above the ground.
It indicates that those killed in wars should be buried, and their corpses should not be left without concealment..

969

Abu al-Hayyāj Al-Asadi reported: ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib said to me: "Shall I not send you with the same instructions as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sent me with? Do not leave any statue without blotting it out or any raised grave without leveling it." [In a version]: And he said: and any image without blotting it out..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to remove anything that pointed to the traces of Jāhiliyyah, which included their keenness on extolling images, the dead, and the graves.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu al-Hayyāj al-Asadi relates that ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: Shall I not send you for something the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent me for, and appoint you as a leader in charge of that, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) appointed me as a leader in charge of it? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered ‘Ali not to leave any 'statue', i.e., an image of a living being, without eliminating and abolishing it, by cutting off its head, changing its face, and so on; and not to leave any raised grave without leveling it and making it like the surrounding area. Taswiyah (leveling) may also mean making it sound and compliant with the Shariah. Or it means: flattening, that it should not be raised a lot above the ground, but only as high as a hand span. It is more appropriate to make it flat or a saddle high. What is intended here is the grave upon which a structure is built, and it becomes raised, not the grave upon which sand, pebbles, or stones are placed for identification, so that no one should trample or sit on it, and there is no use in building over it; hence, it was prohibited.
In the Hadīth: The command to remove statues and idols
And in it: The command to level raised graves
And in it: Removing what is wrong with one's hand in case a person has authority or ability to do so.

970

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering a grave, sitting on it, and building over it..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the keenest among people on eliminating the traces of Jāhiliyyah, like building over the graves and raising them, for this involves a waste of money and boastfulness, as well as other things that do not befit the Hereafter and the state of death and decay. He was also keen on directing the Muslims to what shows honor for one another both in this life and after death.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade "plastering the grave." In a version by Muslim: "It was forbidden to plaster the graves with gypsum," i.e., to build them with gypsum and paint them, for this involves veneration and immoderation. And he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade "sitting on it," as this denotes disregard for the right of his fellow Muslim. In a Hadīth by Muslim, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is better for one of you to sit on a live coal, which will burn his clothes and get to his skin than to sit on a grave!" This is a stern warning and emphatic prohibition against sitting on a grave. And he forbade "building over it." This probably means building over the very grave to raise it, or building around it, like constructing a tent, a mosque, or the like around the grave. Both are prohibited, for this belongs to the practices of the people of Jāhiliyyah and it involves a waste of money.
So, the prohibition mentioned in the Hadīth comprises two types: going to excess as well as neglect regarding the graves. The dead people should not be insulted by trampling and sitting on their graves, nor should people show them immoderate reverence by constructing a building there and extolling them in a way that leads to certain forbidden things and evils..

971

Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is better for one of you to sit on a live coal and it burns his clothes and gets to his skin than to sit on a grave.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to direct the Muslims to what demonstrates honor among themselves, both in life and after death. So, in this Hadīth, he prohibited sitting on the graves and was vehement in this prohibition. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed and warned that if a person sits on a piece of inflaming fire and this live coal burns his clothes and reaches his skin, which involves tremendous harm and severe pain, this burning of his clothing and skin is better and easier for him than sitting on a grave. This is a stern warning and emphatic prohibition from sitting on graves. He forbade sitting on graves because this constitutes belittlement of the rights of fellow Muslims, even if they are dead.
The usual practice regarding the graves is only to visit them and supplicate there while standing, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do when he headed to the Baqī' cemetery. He would say: "Assalāmu ‘alaykum ahl ad-diyār min al-mu’minīn wa al-muslimīn, wa inna in shā’ Allah la lāhiqūn; as’al Allah lana wa lakam al-‘āfiyah" (Peace be upon the dwellers of this place among the believers and Muslims. Indeed, we will join you, Allah Willing. I ask Allah for safety for you and us). Narrated by Muslim..

972

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not sit on the graves and do not pray towards them.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to direct the Muslims to what demonstrates honor among themselves, both in life and after death. So, he prohibited sitting on the graves, and he was vehement in this prohibition.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Do not sit on the graves," for this shows disregard for the rights of fellow Muslims. In another Hadīth narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that sitting on lively embers is better than sitting on the graves. The usual practice regarding the graves is to only visit them and supplicate there while standing, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do when he headed to the Baqī‘ cemetery. He would say: "Peace be upon the dwellers of this place among the believers and Muslims. Indeed, we will join you, Allah Willing. I ask Allah for safety for us and you." [Narrated by Muslim] Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and do not pray towards them," i.e., do not pray, facing the graves. This is to differ from the Jews and the Christians who used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous ones as places of worship, in exaltation of them. And they would probably do there things that are only due to the Creator, the Almighty Lord. This applies to praying upon the grave, towards it, or between two graves, for this leads to the exaltation of the graves and to worshiping them as was the practice during Jāhiliyyah. Excluded from this prohibition is the funeral prayer at the graves, as authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In the Hadīth: It is prohibited to sit on the graves.
And in it: It is prohibited to pray at the graves, between them, or towards them..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
.

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
.

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
.

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
.

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
.

‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No group of Muslims numbering a hundred offer the funeral prayer over a dead person, and all of them intercede for him, except that their intercession for him will be accepted.".

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported: Zayd used to make four Takbirs upon our funerals, and he once made five Takbirs. So, I asked him (about that) and he said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make Takbirs like that.".

‘Āmir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās reported: Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās said during his illness in which he died: "Make a Lahd (a niche in the side of the grave) for me and set up mud bricks over me as was done with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: A red velvet cloak was put in the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering a grave, sitting on it, and building over it..

Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is better for one of you to sit on a live coal and it burns his clothes and gets to his skin than to sit on a grave.".

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not sit on the graves and do not pray towards them.".

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.” .

‘Ataa’ narrated: I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.” .

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘. .

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting. .

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."' .

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed. .

‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No group of Muslims numbering a hundred offer the funeral prayer over a dead person, and all of them intercede for him, except that their intercession for him will be accepted.".

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported: Zayd used to make four Takbirs upon our funerals, and he once made five Takbirs. So, I asked him (about that) and he said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make Takbirs like that.".

‘Āmir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās reported: Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās said during his illness in which he died: "Make a Lahd (a niche in the side of the grave) for me and set up mud bricks over me as was done with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: A red velvet cloak was put in the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering a grave, sitting on it, and building over it..

Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is better for one of you to sit on a live coal and it burns his clothes and gets to his skin than to sit on a grave.".

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not sit on the graves and do not pray towards them.".

Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophetﷺ said, on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, "There is no migration (after the Conquest of Makkah), but Jihaad and good intentions, and whenever you are called for Jihaad, you should hasten to respond to the call.”
.

‘Ataa’ narrated:
I and ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Umayrwent to ‘Aa’ishah while she was staying near Thabeer (i.e., a mountain). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "There is no migration after Allah, Exalted is He, gave His Prophet ﷺ victory and conquest of Makkah.”
.

As-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I along with some boys went out to receive Allah's Messenger ﷺ at Thaniyat Al-Wadaa‘.
.

Ka‘b(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Whenever the Prophetﷺreturned from a journey in the forenoon, he ﷺ would enter the mosque and offer two Rak‘ahs before sitting.
.

Narrated AbooHurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "My heirs should not take even a single Dinar (i.e., anything from my private property), and whatever I leave, excluding the expenditure of my wives and my laborers, will be Sadaqah (i.e., to be spent in charity)."'
.

‘Aa’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ died, and there was nothing in my house that a living being could eat, except some barley lying on a shelf. So, I ate of it for a long period and measured it, and (after a short period) it was consumed.
.