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| 2 Hadiths

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1007
‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every one of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints. He who proclaims the greatness of Allah praises Allah, declares Allah's oneness, glorifies Allah, seeks forgiveness from Allah, and removes a stone, or a thorn, or a bone from people's path, and enjoins Ma'rūf (what is good) and forbids Munkar (what is wrong), to the number of those three hundred and sixty joints, will walk that day having saved himself from Hellfire.".

Commentary : Allah created humankind in the best form, prepared for them the circumstances and conditions for life, guided and directed them, and gave them innumerable favors. All this entails gratitude and praise to Allah. But how could that possibly be equal to Allah's favors?! However, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed us in this Hadīth to an act that pleases our Lord, Exalted be He. He told us that Allah Almighty created all children of Adam in one form. He informed us that people's body is created with "three hundred and sixty joints". The joint is the place at which two bones are joined in the body. And this is one of the things for which thanks should be given. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed us to some forms of worship that save those who perform them from Hellfire. He said: "He who proclaims the greatness of Allah", extolling Him or saying: Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest); "praises Allah, declares Allah's oneness" by saying: Lā Ilāha Illa Allah (there is no god but Allah); "glorifies Allah", declaring Him far exalted above such attributes that do not befit Him, this is to say: Subhān Allah (glory be to Allah); "and removes", i.e., turns away and puts aside "a stone, a thorn, or a bone from people's path". The word 'or' aims at diversification. The intended meaning is to remove all harmful objects with the intention to remove harm in pursuit of Allah's reward. This also applies to enjoining Ma'rūf (good) and forbidding Munkar (evil). Ma‘rūf: It is a term that comprises all that is known to be a form of obedience to Allah Almighty and benevolence to people. "Munkar": It is every reprehensible deed or word that leads to disobedience to Allah Almighty, and it is a term that refers to all kinds of evil.
So, if anyone performs these aforementioned good acts and the like to the number of three hundred and sixty joints, he will walk on earth having saved and turned himself away from the fire of the Hereafter.
In a Hadīth by Muslim, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sufficient instead of all that are two Rak‘ahs which he offers in the forenoon", i.e., it is sufficient instead of the charities due on the joints to offer the Duha prayer, which comprises two Rak‘ahs. This is because prayer is an act that uses all the body parts and includes all that has been mentioned, of charities and other deeds.
The Hadīth points out that the creation of man requires praise and gratitude to Allah.
It indicates that there are numerous areas of goodness that lead to salvation from Hellfire.
It shows that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed his Ummah to all goodness and what involves obedience to their Lord, as well as gratitude and praise to Him, Exalted be He.
The Hadīth urges the performance of good deeds in a continued and persistent manner..

1013
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The earth will vomit long pieces of its liver like columns of gold and silver, and the murderer will come and say: It was for this that I committed murder; the breaker of kinship ties will come and say: It was for this that I broke the kinship ties; and the thief will come and say: It was for this that my hands were cut off. Then, they will leave it and will not take anything from it.".

Commentary : Intense love for money may be a cause for killing and severing kinship ties, but one day, it will be valueless. One of the minor signs of the Hour, which is yet to happen, is that the earth will bring out its hidden treasures.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that a day will come when the earth will throw pieces of its liver. i.e., it will bring out the pieces and treasures buried in its bowels. What is inside the earth is called liver by way of likening it to the liver in the abdomen of camels and other animals. In fact, this is the dearest among the things hidden therein, just as the liver is the tastiest among the contents of the abdomen of camels and the most beloved among them to the Arabs. "like columns of gold and silver". He likened them to columns for their massive size and abundance. "and the murderer will come and say: It was for this", i.e., for the like of this and because of this, I killed the soul forbidden by Allah to be killed. The one who broke kinship ties due to his intense keenness on wealth will come, look at what the earth brought out, and say: It was for this that I broke the ties with my relatives. I did not uphold the ties with them and denied them their rights. And the thief will come and say: It is for the like of wealth that I stole and so my hands were cut off as a legal punishment. Then, after they looked and said what they said, they would leave the treasure thrown by the earth, as it would be abundant and become like dust, and they would be in no need for it and have no desire for collecting wealth or because it would be of no avail then, as the Hour would be imminent and hopes for staying in worldly life would be dashed..

1015
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah is good and accepts only what is good. And Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers. He says: {O messengers, eat from the lawful things and act righteously, for I am All-Knowing of what you do} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 51]. And He says: {O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 172]" He then mentioned a person who travels for so long that his hair is disheveled, and he is covered with dust, and he lifts his hands toward the sky (saying), "O Lord, O Lord," but his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished by the unlawful. So, how could that be answered?!.

Commentary : This Hadīth is one of the Hadīths that constitute the principles of Islam and the foundations of rulings. In it, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs his Ummah about the reasons for accepting supplications and that Allah is good and exalted above imperfections and He loves what is lawful and good. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) tells us that Allah is 'good' and exalted above imperfections and defects, and He possesses the perfect attributes and does not accept charity or other deeds unless they are free from the Shar‘i defects and evil intentions. And he said that Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded His messengers, delivering to them the same speech; He commanded them to eat what is lawful and act righteously. Allah says in His Qur'an: {O messengers, eat from the lawful things and act righteously, for I am All-Knowing of what you do.} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 51] This call is addressed to all prophets, yet not at the same time, for they were sent at different times; rather, each of them was addressed at his time. This indicates that the legalization of good things is old legislation and that monasticism, and the abandonment of pleasures are objectionable. It also gives an indication that eating good things is conducive to righteous deeds whereby one seeks closeness to Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty commands the believers, saying: {O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 172] Meaning: O you who believe, eat of His lawful and pleasant things.
Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a person who travels for so long and frequently embarks on journeys; he travels for acts of worship, such as Hajj, ‘Umrah, Jihad, the pursuit of knowledge, and other areas of goodness. So, his hair becomes disheveled and scattered due to his long travel and fatigue, as he fails to tidy or comb his hair. Moreover, the color of his skin and clothes becomes dusty. In this state of his disheveled hair, dustiness, fatigue, and exhaustion, he raises his hands toward the sky in supplication - and raising one's hands toward the sky is one of the reasons that make a supplication readily answered - and says repeatedly: "O Lord, O Lord." It indicates that supplication with the word 'Lord' influences it being answered. So, it combined four reasons for making a supplication readily answered: Long travel, dull clothes and appearance, raising the hands toward the sky, and importunately asking Allah by repeatedly mentioning His lordship.
Yet his food, drink, and clothing are obtained through unlawful earning, and he has been nourished by the unlawful. His words "and he has been nourished by the unlawful" after the words "but his food is unlawful" is either because the fact that his food is unlawful does not necessitate that he has been nourished by it, or this points out that both conditions do equally apply to him; i.e., when he spends as an adult and when he was provided for as a child. In both conditions, the unlawful reaches his abdomen. So, by his words "but his food is unlawful," he pointed to his condition as an adult, and by his words "and he has been nourished by the unlawful," he pointed to his condition as a child.
So, the unlawful money was a reason for not answering his supplication. As the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So, how" i.e., for what reason "could that" i.e., the man or because of his mentioned condition "be answered?!" The question here denotes unlikelihood.
The Hadīth urges us to spend money out of lawful money and prohibits otherwise.
It indicates that drink, food, clothing, and the like should be lawful, pure, and subject to no suspicion.
It also exhorts us to close the door to unlawful earning and block the means to the unlawful, by declaring it as a reason for not answering supplications..

1017
Jarīr reported: We were with Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the early morning when there came to him some people barefooted and nude, clad in striped woolen rags, or covered with cloaks, with swords hanging down from their necks. Most of them, rather all of them, belonged to the Mudar tribe. The Prophet's face changed when he saw them starving. Then, he went into his house and came out, then he commanded Bilāl to call the Adhān. So, he called the Adhān and the Iqāmah, and he prayed and then delivered a sermon, saying: {O people, fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul} to the rest of the verse: {for Allah is ever Watchful over you} [Surat an-Nisā’: 1]. And the verse in Surat al-Hashr: {O you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah} [Surat al-Hashr: 18]. A man gave charity from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his clothes, from Sā‘ of his wheat, and from Sā‘ of his dates, until he said: "Be it half a date." He said: Then, a man from the Ansār came with a bundle which was difficult for him to hold in his hand. He said: Thereafter, the people came successively until I saw two heaps of food and clothes. I noticed that the Messenger's face was glowing like gilded silver. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam, he will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without anything being diminished from their rewards. And whoever introduces an evil practice in Islam will shoulder its sin and the sins of those who act upon it, without diminishing in any way their sins." [In a version]: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the early morning... and the rest is the same. It includes- He said: Then, he performed the Zhuhr prayer and then delivered a sermon. [In a version]: I was sitting with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when there came to him some people who were clad in woolen rags... and they narrated the Hadīth and its story. And it included- He offered the Zhuhr prayer and then ascended a small pulpit. He praised Allah, extolled Him, and then said: To proceed; indeed, Allah revealed in His Book: {O people, fear your Lord} to the rest of the verse. [In a version]: Some nomad Arabs came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), dressed in woolen clothes. He saw their dismal condition, as they were in severe want, and he narrated a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was a wise mentor, and he was considerate of the conditions of the people around him. He would teach them what was suitable for them in every situation. This includes urging them to give charity to the poor and needy.
In this Hadīth, Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the early part of the morning, "when there came to him some people barefooted," a barefooted person is one who does not wear leather socks, sandals, shoes, or any footwear, 'nude' as if they were mostly naked and wearing some clothes that concealed their private parts while leaving the rest of the body uncovered, "clad in striped woolen rags:" torn and worn clothes. The clothes were striped, made of wool, and were black and white in color, as if taking after the color of a tiger, i.e., they were wearing torn striped clothes. He expressed that by the word 'clad' because they wrapped the clothes around their bodies, making themselves inside them, or because they tore them from the middle and entered therein. Or they were wearing 'cloaks', which is a type of clothing. All these indications point to their severe poverty. Another feature of them is that they were hanging swords around their necks. They all belonged to Mudar, a major Arab tribe. In a version: They were Bedouins, and those are the Arabs who live in the desert. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw them in that state, his face changed and signs of sadness appeared on him, given the severe poverty he observed in them. He entered his house and then went out for the Zhuhr prayer when its time came, as related in another version; so, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded his muezzin Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him) to call the Adhān. So, he called the Adhān for the prayer and then the Iqāmah. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in prayer. After finishing the prayer, he ascended the pulpit and delivered a sermon. In another version: "He ascended a small pulpit and praised Allah and extolled Him. Then, he said: to proceed," a phrase to separate between parts of speech when the speaker wants to shift from one topic to another. The meaning: I say after the previous testimony of faith and praise of Allah Almighty. Then, he recited the verse that reads: {O people, fear your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and from both of them created countless men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name you ask one another, and be mindful of your kinship ties, for Allah is ever Watchful over you.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 1] This is the first verse of Surat an-Nisā’, wherein Allah Almighty calls out to His servants and commands them to fear Him, by observing His commands and prohibitions, for He is the One Who created them from a single soul, namely their father Adam, and created from Adam his wife Eve, their mother, and from both of them, He created so many people, males and females, all over the world. Then, He, Exalted be He, commands them again to fear Him, stressing the significance of this for the Muslim. He is the One in Whose name if one of you asks another for something, he will grant his request. Likewise, extol Him by obeying His commands to you, and beware of cutting the kinship ties that connect you together. Indeed, Allah is ever Watchful over you, and nothing of your deeds escapes Him; rather, He records them and recompenses you accordingly.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited to them the verse that reads: {O you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.} [Surat al-Hashr: 18] Allah Almighty directs the call in this verse to the believers, and after He, Exalted be He, commands them to fear Him, He invites them to perform the righteous deeds that will preserve them in the Hereafter.
Then, in his sermon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised and urged them to give charity, saying: "A man gave charity" is an informative statement that gives the sense of command, meaning: Let a man give charity according to his ability "from his Dinar," which is gold, or "from his Dirham," which is silver, or "from his clothes," or "from Sā‘ of his wheat," or "from a Sā‘ of his dates." This falls under giving food in charity. A Sā‘ is a kind of measure that was used during the Prophet's time. Here it is not meant as a specific measure but urging them to give charity from what is possible. "until he said: be it half a date."
Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man from the Ansār - the people of Madīnah - came with 'a bundle' - which is a tied sack containing Dirhams or Dinars - that was difficult for him to hold in his hand, given its heaviness due to numerous coins therein. Thereafter, the people came successively and gave charity one after another, until Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) saw "two heaps." A heap refers to a lot of things placed one on top of the other. "of food and clothes;" they were probably singled out, with no mention of money, because food and clothes were the dominant elements. This was until he noticed that the Messenger's face was glowing in joy and pleasure, like "gilded silver," which is more profound in indicating the beauty and brightness of the face. The meaning: The Prophet's face became cheerful so much so that it glowed and brightened in pleasure and joy over the Muslims' readiness to obey Allah and His Messenger, give from their money, fulfill the needs of those needy people, show compassion towards their brothers, and cooperate in righteousness and piety.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam," i.e., he introduces a praiseworthy way that is confirmed by one of the fundamental principles of the religion, or which becomes a motive and reason for promoting something established in the Shariah; and others follow his example in it. So, he will obtain the reward for doing this act, as well as the reward of those who do it after he has introduced this practice, without anything, large or small, being diminished from their rewards. Indeed, this reward is for prompting them to do this act, not for the act itself. This points to the Prophet's praise of the Ansāri man who came with the bundle, shows his merit, and encourages his act. "And whoever introduces an evil practice in Islam," i.e., he does a reprehensible act and produces an unpraiseworthy way that is not supported by any of the fundamental principles of the religion, and he begins to engage in it before others, and so others follow his example in this regard; hence, he will incur the sin for doing it and the sin of those who do it after him, without anything being diminished from their sins.
The Hadīth urges that a person hasten to do good first, so that others can follow his example. It also warns that he shouldn't be the first to do evil, lest his example be followed by others.
It encourages the doing of good whose reward is repeated by virtue of imitation and warns against evil whose sin is repeated because of imitation.
It shows the Prophet's mercy towards his Ummah..

1025
‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ābi al-Lahm, reported: My master commanded me to cut some meat into strips. Meanwhile, a poor man came to me, and I gave him some of it to eat. My master came to know about it, and he beat me. I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned that to him. So, he summoned him and said: "Why did you beat him?" He said: "He gives away my food without me commanding him to do so." He said: "The reward is divided between you.".

Commentary : Islam is the religion of virtuous morals and sublime manners with all people, even servants who serve others in return for wages and slaves and bondmen; Islam enjoined kindness to them and helped liberate them from slavery and servitude.
In this Hadīth, ‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ābi al-Lahm (may Allah be pleased with him), relates that that his owner and master commanded him to cut some meat and dry it in the sun, a common practice among the Arabs. Qadd: is a lengthwise cutting. Some versions contain: "to Aqdur meat" i.e., to cook a pot of meat.
Meanwhile, a poor, needy person came to him, and he gave him a part of the meat without permission from his master. When his master learned about what he spent and gave in charity, he beat him as a discipline for his wrong act of disposing of someone else's property without their permission. ‘Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and related to him what happened. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent for his owner to come to him. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Why did you beat him?" By this, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) first sought clarification about the beating and its cause. The man, the owner of the money and the slave's master, cited the reason that he gave out from his food without his permission. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "The reward is divided between you," i.e., do not beat him for that, because the reward obtained for the charity he gave from your property is divided between the two of you if you agree to that and make it permissible for your servant to give such things that are usually tolerated; so, you will have the reward for charity. This is not intended as approval that a slave may give from his master's property without his permission. Rather, he disliked the master's attitude as he beat him for something that turned out to be good. So, he urged the master to seize the reward and pardon him. This constitutes teaching and guidance for Ābi al-Lahm, not approval of the slave's action.
His statement: "The reward is divided between you" does not mean that the reward of one of them is shared with the other; thus the reward of the money itself is divided between the two of them. Rather, it means that each of them has a reward. In other words, this charity which the slave gives out with the permission of his master entails a reward for the amount of money and for the deed. Thus, it is divided between them: this person takes the share of his money, and this person takes the share of his deed. So, the owner of the money does not compete with the performer of the deed over the share of his deed, neither does the performer of the deed compete with the owner of the money over the share of his money.
The Hadīth mentions that the slave and the master are rewarded for the charity given by the slave: the master is rewarded for his money, and the slave is rewarded for his deed.
It indicates that a master can discipline his slave if he acts wrongly..

1025
‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ābi al-Lahm, reported: I was a slave, and I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "May I give charity from the money of my masters?" He said: "Yes, and the reward will be half and half between you.".

Commentary : Islam urges noble manners and forbids evil ones. Noble manners include spending and giving charity to the poor and upholding kinship ties.
In this Hadīth, ‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ābi al-Lahm, relates that he was a slave at the early stage of Islam, and as he was a slave, not possessing money and could not dispose of his master's money. So, he asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about giving charity from his master's money to the poor and needy. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him: "Yes, and the reward will be half and half between you" i.e., yes, you have the right to give charity from the money of your masters, and the reward of charity will be divided between you. So, Allah will give the reward to the servant who gives charity for his deed and will give the reward to the owner of the money for his money.
What appears from the narrations of this Hadīth is that the reward is divided between both of you if the master agrees to that and permits his servant to give charity out of his money in the first place. It is not intended that the slave may give without the approval of his master.
The reward being divided between them does not mean that the reward of one of them is shared with the other; thus the reward of the money itself is divided between the two of them. Rather, it means that each of them has a reward. In other words, this charity that the slave gives out with the permission of his master entails a reward for the amount of money and for the deed. Thus, it is divided between them: this person takes the share of his money, and this person takes the share of his deed. So, the owner of the money does not compete with the performer of the deed over the share of his deed, neither does the performer of the deed compete with the owner of the money over the share of his money.
The Hadīth indicates that we should ask the people of knowledge about things that cause unease within our minds.
It also points out that people should take care of their slaves and servants and comfort them by allowing them to give charity from their money, with their permission.
And it mentions that the slave and the master are rewarded for the charity given by the slave: the master is rewarded for his money, and the slave is rewarded for his deed..

1028
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who amongst you is fasting today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am." He said: "Who amongst you followed a funeral procession today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I did." He said: "Who amongst you fed a needy person today? Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I did." He said: "Who amongst you visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I did." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They are not combined in a man except that he will enter Paradise.".

Commentary : One of the features of Prophetic guidance and education was that he used to draw people's minds and attention to his subject by asking a question. In this way, those present would become attentive. This is because every question by him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had a certain significance and objective, which would be known after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified and revealed the purpose behind his question.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directs us to some virtues that lead those in whom they are combined to enter Paradise. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked a question to his Companions who were in his gathering. "Who amongst you is fasting today? Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am." He answered by saying "I am" by way of giving specific information, not as a form of self-pride, as people say when they are boastful. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) followed this question with other questions to proceed with clarifying the causes of entering Paradise. He said: "Who amongst you followed a funeral procession today?" by offering the funeral prayer and following the funeral procession till the deceased person is buried. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "I did." So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who amongst you fed a needy person today? And he made him satiated and gave him the food he needed. A needy person is the one who cannot find sufficient sustenance. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "I did." So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who amongst you visited a sick person today?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "I did." So, regarding all the traits and acts the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked about, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he did all of them. Thus, all these honorable deeds were combined in one day for Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him). This indicates the keenness of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to do all kinds of virtuous deeds, seek their areas, and seize their times, as if he had nothing but pursuing them and seeking to get their rewards.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that if these four acts are combined and done in one day by someone, he will enter Paradise. It probably means that he will enter Paradise without reckoning or recompense for his bad deeds; otherwise, the mere Imān (faith) is sufficient for entering Paradise, even if the sinner is punished in Hellfire for his sins; his ultimate outcome is entering Paradise, so long as he is a believer in Tawhīd (monotheism); or it means: He will enter Paradise from any gate he wills, and Allah knows best.
The Hadīth shows the merit of righteous deeds, including fasting, charity, feeding the needy, and visiting the sick, and that they are traits and acts that lead to entering Paradise.
It points out that Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) possessed virtues, and this is part of his noble characteristics (may Allah be pleased with him).
It demonstrates how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to check on his Companions and direct them to do various kinds of good deeds..

1036
Abu ’Umāmah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O son of Adam, indeed if you spend your surplus wealth, it is good for you; and if you withhold it, it is bad for you. You are not blameworthy regarding the subsistence. Begin with your dependents. And the upper hand is better than the lower hand.".

Commentary : This Hadīth contains a Prophetic instruction to people not to withhold and amass wealth, and it directs them to spend and give and not to beg of others. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "O son of Adam"; this is a call from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to all children of Adam, though his instruction is particularly addressed to his Muslim Ummah. To spend your excessive wealth and give it in charity for the sake of Allah is "good for you" in this world and the Hereafter for its enduring reward. But to withhold this surplus and deny it to others is "bad for you" in the sight of Allah and the sight of people because if someone withholds it from fulfilling a duty, he deserves the punishment for that. If he withholds it from doing something commendable, this diminishes his reward, and he misses a benefit for himself in the Hereafter, and this is all bad.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) determines that a person is not to blame for withholding the money sufficient for him and his dependents and which enables him to spend on his family, lest they may beg people. Subsistence is the provision that suffices a person and makes him in no need for begging others, along with contentment, and it does not exceed one's needs.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructs us to begin with our dependents, such as ourselves and our wives and children. Indeed, the best charity is what a person gives out of his wealth after fulfilling the rights of himself and his dependents so that the giver of charity will not become needy after giving charity to others. His statement "begin with your dependents" is evidence that spending on one's family is better than giving charity, for charity is voluntary, whereas spending on one's family is obligatory. This all falls under the Prophetic education to be abstinent and content, prioritize spending to provide for his family and dependents sufficiently and give charity when financially stable.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) determines an instructive rule, saying: "And the upper hand", which spends, "is better than the lower hand" i.e., which begs or takes.
The Hadīth directs us to spend our excessive money on charitable and good purposes.
It determines the order of priority in spending, giving, and charity, and we should begin with what is more important and then what is next in importance..

1037
Mu‘āwiyah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever Allah wills to do good to, He makes him well-versed in the religion." And I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed, I am a treasurer, so whoever I give something willingly will be blessed for him, and whoever I give something due to his begging and covetousness is like one who eats and is not satiated.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty is Forbearing and Merciful toward His servants, and He loves good for them. And our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best-natured person among people, and he taught us abstinence and contentment.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that when Allah wants to do a lot of good and a great benefit to someone, He makes him well-versed in religion. He grants him the Shar‘i knowledge and awareness of the matters of his religion until he gains a proper understanding of it and becomes knowledgeable about the truth, acting upon it and calling others to it with insight and guidance. This is the goodness to which no other goodness in this existence comes close in terms of its merit, honor, and high status, for it is the legacy of the prophets, who left behind no other legacy.
Goodness is particularly linked to having a good understanding of the religion and not merely hearing and bearing the Fiqh, for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), in a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd and others, said: "May Allah brighten (his face) a man who hears a Hadīth from us, memorizes it, and passes it on to others, for a bearer of Fiqh may convey it to someone who has better understanding than him, and there may be a bearer of Fiqh who is not a Faqīh." A person who hears a Hadīth and narrates it may not be a scholar or Faqīh, but he memorizes the Sunnah and passes it on to others who are capable of comprehension and deduction. A Faqīh in religion is one who can deal with the texts and understand them properly, and thus, things become clear to him, and he can see the way. This type of knowledge leads the one who possesses it to fear Allah, adhere to His obedience, and avoid His prohibitions. Fiqh in religion is attained by contemplating the texts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah and knowing the treasures, creeds, rulings, and wisdom contained therein.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, I am a treasurer", i.e., a trustee and preserver of what Allah Almighty gave me. The real Giver is Allah Almighty, not me. I only distribute what I have in the way Allah commanded me. Verily, all matters happen according to His will and determination, Exalted be He, whereas people are directed slaves of Allah. "So, whoever I give something" without him asking for it; rather, I give it to him "willingly, it will be blessed for him," i.e., the benefits of this taken money will increase, and it will see greater growth. "and whoever I give something due to his begging and covetousness", i.e., as for a person who asks for something while coveting it and being keen to obtain it, he is "like one who eats and is not satiated", i.e., the more he takes from it, the greater his desire for it becomes, and he becomes covetous, belittles what he possesses, and aspires to have more. As a result, Allah Almighty does not bless what he has taken by begging, while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) disliked his importunateness. This demonstrates the evil outcome of begging without a valid excuse.
The Hadīth points out the merit of knowledge and acquiring knowledge of the religion.
It urges abstinence and contentment and forbids begging without necessity..

1037
Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Beware of Hadīths, except those Hadīths during the reign of ‘Umar, for indeed ‘Umar used to make people fearful of Allah Almighty.".

Commentary : Transmitting the Prophet's Sunnah and narrating Hadīths from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is a great matter and serious responsibility. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen on the accuracy and authenticity of these narrations.
In this tradition, Caliph Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him) warns his subjects and those around him about the excessive narrating of Hadīths from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) without verification of the reports or differentiation between the Sunnah and Prophetic Hadīths and other reports, lest they might engage in lying about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, lying about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is a sin that is more grave than lying about others. Mu‘āwiyah's warning to the people was during his reign, given the prevalent transmission of reports about the People of the Book and the contents that were found in their books after their countries were conquered. So, he feared that their statements could be mixed with the statements of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Yet, he excluded the time and reign of 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: "Beware of Hadīths, except those Hadīths during the reign of ‘Umar" i.e., unless you accept and narrate the Hadīths that were known, widely acted upon, and acknowledged during the time of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). And more worthy among them are those Hadīths that were narrated by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) himself.
Then, clarifying why he excluded Hadīths that were during the reign of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: "For indeed 'Umar used to make people fearful" by his strength and firmness, as he used to punish those who committed mistakes and beat them with his small staff in order to defend and preserve the rights of Allah Almighty and the matters of His religion, lest the Hadīths of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) might be subject to distortion and alteration. Therefore, Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) urged the people to refer to the Hadīths that were narrated during that era, given that it was marked by great meticulousness in the narration of Hadīths. This is because 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to emphasize to his subjects the seriousness of transmitting reports from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). For example, he would require witnesses for Hadīths. So, he regulated this matter, and the people feared his authority and prohibition of hurried narration of Hadīths. As a result, the sound Hadīths were verified, and the Sunan became widely known and distinguished from other texts during his time (may Allah be pleased with him).
This does not limit the meticulousness in the narration of Hadīths to the reign of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) only, but it also existed during the Prophet's lifetime and after that, till the era of Hadīth compilation, as Allah Almighty caused to exist those who revised the Hadīths of His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and distinguished the sound ones from others and verified the narrations and those who transmitted them, based on precise and strict rules. Mu‘āwiyah's attitude shows his keenness during his time in examining and distinguishing the Prophet's statements from others.
The Hadīth points out the merit of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) with regard to preserving the Sunnah during his caliphate.
The ruler should urge his subjects to seek knowledge and try to verify and distinguish the sound from the unsound..

1038
Mu‘āwiyah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not be importunate in asking, for by Allah, if one of you asks me for something and I give it to him while I am reluctant, there will be no blessing in what I give him.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to teach and educate the Muslims to be well-mannered and to ask for things with dignity in all matters. This is intended to keep the relationships between the Muslims good and free from such ill feelings as hatred, anger, and the like, which may exist due to importunate and persistent asking.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directs us not to ask for something in an immoderate or importunate manner, needlessly and unjustifiably. Allah Almighty says: {They do not ask people importunately.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 273] Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explained why he forbade importunate asking. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore in an emphatic way that if anyone importunately asks him for something and he grants his request, while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is actually reluctant to give that thing to him, because he only gives it to him to avert his bad attitude, the result is that Allah Almighty will not bless him in what he has taken by persistent and importunate asking. This demonstrates the evil outcome of importunate asking.
The Hadīths reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) indicate that blessing will exist in the given money if it is given willingly and taken kindly.
It urges abstinence and kindness and prohibits asking for something without necessity..

1041
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who asks people for their wealth to increase his own only asks for live coals; so, let him ask for a little or much.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to teach the Muslims and educate them to be well-mannered and to ask for anything in a good and dignified way.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that if a person asks people to give him from their wealth to increase his own wealth without truly being in need, the result of such asking is that this money will become live coals in the Hereafter with which he will be burned. This is also indicated by another version in Sunan Ibn Mājah: "he only asks for the live coals of Hell." Seeking to increase one's wealth is called live coals because live coals come because of it. This is similar to the verse that reads: {Indeed, those who consume the orphans’ property unjustly, only consume fire into their bellies} to the rest of the verse. [Surat an-Nisā’: 10]
After this intimidation and clarification, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "so, let him ask for a little or much," i.e., let the beggar take a little of these live coals, or let him take much of it. This command was said by way of threatening, warning, and deriding.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left it to the beggar whether he wants to ask for a little or much, seeking to deter him from that. Begging is self-humiliating, and Allah Almighty does not like it for the believer. A Muslim should be self-respecting.
The Hadīth warns against devouring people's property unjustly.
It shows disapproval of begging people without necessity.
It also demonstrates the penalty for he who begs of people often.
The Hadīth indicates that the Day of Judgment is the day of full recompense, be it a reward or punishment..

1042
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "For one of you to go out early to gather firewood and carry it on his back so that he can give charity from it and be free of the need to people is better for him than asking a man who may give to him or refuse. Indeed, the upper hand is more virtuous than the lower hand, and begin with your dependents." [In a version]: "By Allah, for one of you to go out early in the morning to gather firewood and carry it on his back and sell it for its equivalent.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on teaching and educating Muslims to be well-mannered and to ask for things with dignity in all matters. This is intended to keep the relationships between the Muslims good and free from ill feelings such as hatred, anger, and the like, which may exist due to importunate and persistent asking.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) teaches us that if a poor man goes out in the early morning and gathers firewood and carries it on his back and then sells it and earns money, and from this money he gives charity and becomes in no need for begging from people - even though this involves hardship - is better, nobler and more honorable and merciful for him "than to ask a man" and beg from others. "Who may give to him or refuse?" Giving and withholding are alike; both are humiliating. If he refuses to give to him, he makes him heartbroken and sad; and if he gives to him, this counts as a favor bestowed upon him.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged abstinence, saying: "the upper hand", which gives, is more virtuous and dearer in the sight of Allah Almighty "than the lower hand", which begs and takes charity.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructs us to begin with our dependents, including ourselves and our wives and children. Indeed, the best charity is what a person gives out of his wealth after fulfilling the rights of himself and his dependents so that the giver of charity does not become in need after giving charity to others. His statement "begin with your dependents" shows that spending on one's family is better than giving charity, for charity is voluntary, whereas spending on one's family is obligatory. This all falls under the Prophetic education to be abstinent and content and prioritize spending so that a person should sufficiently provide for his family and dependents and then give charity when financially stable.
The Hadīth urges us to eat from the earnings of our labor and to earn money by permitted means, like collecting firewood, and it urges us to give charity..

1043
‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Ashja‘i reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and we were nine, eight, or seven. He said: "Will you not give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?" We said: "We have already given you the pledge of allegiance, O Messenger of Allah." Then, he said: "Will you not give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?" We said: "We have already given you the pledge of allegiance, O Messenger of Allah." Then, he said: "Will you not give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?" He said: We extended our hands and said: "We have already given you the pledge of allegiance, O Messenger of Allah. So, for what should we give you the pledge of allegiance?" He said: "To worship Allah and not associate any partners with him; to establish the five prayers; to obey; (and he said in a low tone) and to not ask people for anything. Indeed, I saw some of those men so much so that if the whip fell from one of them, he would not ask anyone to hand it to him.".

Commentary : Mubāya‘ah is to give the pledge of allegiance to adhere to Islam and be committed to abide by its rulings. It was called Mubāya‘ah because each one of those involved in it would extend his hand to his companion, and as it involves the Mu‘āwadah (compensation), as Allah Almighty says: {Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth, and in return they will have Paradise.} [Surat at-Tawbah: 111] This was a deal with Allah Almighty.
In this Hadīth, ‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Ashja‘i (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) within a group of the Companions, who had recently given the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). They numbered nine, eight, or seven. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them to give him the pledge of allegiance, beginning his speech with words that drew their attention and aroused their minds, saying: "Will you not give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?" This is intended to urge them to give the pledge of allegiance to him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said, "give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah," and did not say, "give the pledge of allegiance to me," to notify that the motive for this pledge is the message. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his question "Will you not give the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?" three times to exert emphasis on that. So, they extended their hands after the third time to give the pledge of allegiance, in compliance with the Prophet's command. When they wanted to give the pledge of allegiance to him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), they said: "We have already given you the pledge of allegiance, O Messenger of Allah." They said that thinking he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) may have forgotten that they had previously given him the pledge of allegiance, as they had done so only recently. Hence, they wanted to remind him of that. Or they sought clarification over what kind of pledge of allegiance was required of them now? This is indicated by their words "for what?" i.e., what are the things over which we should "give you the pledge of allegiance?" In response, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To worship Allah" alone, to obey Him, and not to associate any partners with him, major or minor Shirk and the apparent or hidden one. The second thing is to give the pledge of allegiance over establishing the obligatory "five prayers" along with their requirements and pillars. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said "in a low tone," i.e., he did not say these words as loudly as he said the previous ones. These words are about not asking people for anything. Thus, he urged self-restraint and presenting one's needs to Allah alone and not asking any person for anything. It seems that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) uttered the prohibition about asking people in a low voice so as to direct this to some people and not others and not to make it applicable to everyone, for this cannot be applicable to all, because asking is unavoidable, self-restraint is necessary, richness is sure to exist, and poverty is certainly there. Allah Almighty predestined all of these. So, people are necessarily divided into two categories.
The prohibited asking is that which pertains to worldly matters. This does not include asking about knowledge and religious matters, as Allah Almighty says: {Ask the people of knowledge, if you do not know.} [Surat an-Nahl: 43]
This is all spiritual education and psychological discipline for the Muslims that they should ask of their Lord alone, which achieves self-restraint for themselves. By this, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) exhorts noble manners and avoidance of bearing favors from others, and he teaches patience over unpleasant things, not asking people for things, and self-respect.
Then, ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Indeed, I saw some of those men", referring to the Companions who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in that gathering, "that when the whip fell from one of them, he would not ask anyone to hand it to him," i.e., some of them took the prohibition to mean asking in general. So, if anything fell from them, they would not ask anyone to hand it over to them. Even if something fell from one of them while riding a mount, he would get off and pick it up and not ask anyone to hand it to him, in compliance with the pledge of allegiance he gave to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This shows their care and complete observance of the things over which they gave the pledge of allegiance, even regarding such simple matters.
The Hadīth turns people away from asking others and urges them to keep away from all such things that are called asking, even if a little.
It also points to the adoption of general rules, for they were prohibited from asking, and so they took the prohibition to be generally applicable..

1044
Qabīsah ibn Mukhāriq al-Hilāli reported: I became a guarantor for a payment, and I came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to beg him regarding it. He said: "Wait until the Zakah comes to us, and we will order it to be given to you. He said: Then, he said: "O Qabīsah, begging is only lawful for one of three: a man who has become a guarantor for a payment; begging is lawful for him until he gets it, after which he must stop (begging); a man who has been stricken by a catastrophe and it destroys his property; begging is lawful for him until he gets what makes ends meet - or he said: what provides a sufficient subsistence; and a man who has been smitten by poverty, about whom three wise members of his people confirm by saying: So and so has been smitten by poverty; begging is lawful for him until he gets what fulfills basic needs - or he said: what provides a sufficient subsistence - after which he must stop (begging). Any other reason for begging - O Qabīsah - brings unlawful gains, and one who engages in it consumes it as an unlawful gain.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to teach and educate the Muslims to be well-mannered and to ask for things in a good and self-respecting way, regarding all matters. This is intended to keep the relationship among the Muslims a good one that does not involve hatred or the like.
This Hadīth clearly shows a practical aspect of this Prophetic education, and it has an illustrative introduction that demonstrates the reason that obliged and forced the Companion Qabīsah ibn Mukhāriq (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask for help from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Qabīsah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I became a guarantor for a payment," i.e., I became responsible for a debt. Payment here refers to what a person bears, takes as a debt, and pays it for the purpose of reconciliation, like reconciling between two tribes, and so on. If a guarantor asks someone to help him with the required payment, this is not regarded as detracting from his status; rather, it is considered to be a source of honor and pride. Therefore, this man asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to help him with this payment of his, according to their tradition. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) responded to him positively, by way of helping in what is good. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him to wait until the Zakah of people came to him, and then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give him therefrom, for indeed begging was lawful for him and he deserved to be given out of the Zakah. This is because he incurred a debt for something not sinful, and he was one of those in debt who are mentioned in the verse of Zakah.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to him the types of persons for whom it is lawful to beg of people; As for the first type: It is he who incurred a debt for the purpose of reconciliation among people. He asks people for money so that he can pay off that debt. So, he takes the amount that is needed from the Zakah money, after which he should desist and refrain from asking and begging.
The second type of people for whom begging is lawful: "a man who has been stricken by a catastrophe;" a catastrophe is a blight that befalls fruits and property and eliminates them. So, if a person is hit by a heavenly blight and it eliminates his fruits or property, it becomes lawful for him to beg until he gets what fulfills his basic needs and subsistence. "Qiwām" and "Sidād" refer to such things that bring self-sufficiency and fulfill needs.
The third type of people for whom begging is lawful: A man who has been stricken by severe poverty, and it becomes so clear and apparent that three wise and rational persons from his people give testimony and say: "So and so has been smitten by poverty." He restricted that to rational people to point out that mindfulness is required for testimony. Hence, testimony should not be accepted from simple-minded people. And he determined they should be from his people because they are more aware of his condition.
Those are the people for whom begging is lawful, as related in the Hadīth. Begging for other reasons brings unlawful gains, and he who engages in it consumes unlawful gains. Indeed, unlawful gains eliminate blessing. Consuming here means benefiting in general.
His statement "and one who engages in it consumes it as an unlawful gain" signifies that a person who consumes an unlawful gain does not find a doubt that renders it permissible for himself; rather, he consumes it as an unlawful gain and a forbidden thing.
The Hadīth prohibits begging from people except for an urgent necessity.
It demonstrates the types of people for whom begging is lawful and clarifies the compelling reasons for that.
It also indicates that whoever takes people's property unjustly indeed consumes an unlawful gain and forbidden thing..