It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith used to show us how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He would do that at a time other than the time of prayer. He stood fully upright and paused, then he bowed perfectly and paused, then he raised his head and stood up straight, pausing for a little while. He led us in a prayer like the prayer of this shaykh of ours, Abu Burayd. When Abu Burayd raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit up straight, then he would get up..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their top priority and foremost concern.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd tells us that Malik ibn al-Huwayrithused to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in practical terms, by demonstrating it to them. The apparent meaning of this report indicates that he (may Allah be pleased with him) showed them how each essential part of the prayer was to be done, and he did not teach them that at the time of prayer; rather it was at a time other than the time of prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the intention of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach them about the prayer, he stood fully upright, then he bowed properly, meaning that he made his back level, such that if water were to be poured on his back it would stay there, as it says in the hadith ofWabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to the same posture as before he bowed. “For a little while” means that he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, who narrated this hadith, that the prayer of Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it was done, the prayer as done by their shaykh, meaning Abu Burayd. His name was ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, as stated by Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani. When the Sahabi ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his head from the final prostration – which means the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs – he would sit up straight, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would sit up completely, and did not get up from prostration immediately. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest), and it was said that this is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either old age or sickness. It was also said that it is, in fact, intended to be part of the prayer, but it should be brief. Then ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up for the final rak‘ah, to complete his prayer.
This hadith indicates that one should pause and be at ease in each of the essential parts of the prayer.
It indicates that it is encouraged to learn and teach others.
It indicates that the jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

806

It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and ‘Ata’ ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Abu Hurayrah told them that some people said: O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full and there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No. He said: “You will surely see Him like that. The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, and He will say: ‘Whoever used to worship something, let him follow it.’ So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, some of them will follow the false gods, then there will remain this ummah, including its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say: ‘We will stay here until our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.’ Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say: ‘You are [indeed] our Lord.’ He will call them, and the sirat (bridge) will be set up over Hell, and I will be the first of the Messengers to cross it with his ummah. On that Day, no one will speak except the Messengers, and the words of the Messengers on that Day will be: ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety.’ In Hell there will be hookslike the thorns of al-sa‘dan; have you seen the thorns of al-sa‘dan?” They said: Yes. He said: “They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, but no one knows how big they are except Allah. They will snatch the people on the basis of their deeds. Some of them will be doomed by their deeds, and some of them will be cut into tiny pieces, then saved. Then when Allah wants to show mercy to whomever He wills of the people of Hell, Allah will command the angels to bring forth anyone who used to worship Allah. So they will bring them forth, and they will recognize them by the marks of prostration, for Allah has prohibited the Fire to consume the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, and all of the son of Adam will be consumed by the Fire except the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned to cinders, then the water of life will be poured onto them, and they will grow like a seed grows in the mud left by a flood. Then Allah will finish judging between the people, and there will be left a man between Paradise and Hell – he will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – with his face turned towards Hell. He will say: ‘O Lord, turn my face away from Hell, for its smell is poisoning me and its flames are burning me.’ He will say: ‘If that is done for you, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: ‘No, by Your glory.’ And he will give Allah whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. And when He turns him towards Paradise and he sees its beauty and opulence, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, bring me closer to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had asked for?’ He will say:’ O Lord, I hope that I am not going to be the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah will say: ‘If you are given that, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: No, by Your glory, I will not ask for anything else.’ And he will give his Lord whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then He will bring him closer to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty, and what it contains of delights and happiness, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, admit me to Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had been given?’ He will say: ‘O Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will smile at him, then He will give him permission to enter Paradise. Then he will say: ‘Wish.’ So he will wish until, when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say: ‘What about such and such?’thus his Lord will remind him, until when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be exalted) will say: ‘You will have this and as much again.’” Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will say: ‘You will have this and ten times as much.’” Abu Hurayrah said: I do not remember anything from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except that he said “You will have this and as much again.” Abu Sa‘id said: I heard him say: “You will have this and ten times as much.”.

Commentary : The believers’ seeing their Lord on the Day of Resurrection will be the greatest blessing that is granted to them. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to learn more about this and they asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about it, as we see in this hadith, in which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He responded with a clear explanation that left no room for doubt about their seeing Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection. He said: Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full, when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. Then he asked them: Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No. So he said: You will surely see Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in like manner, beyond a doubt, very clearly. This was comparing the clarity of seeing, not comparing the two objects seen, for there is nothing like unto Allah (may He be glorified).
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of different types of people and what their situation will be on the Day of Resurrection, for just as people differ in terms of their beliefs in this world, by the same token their situations will differ on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah (may He be exalted) will say to them: Whoever used to worship something, let him follow what he used to worship. So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, and some of them will follow the false gods. The word tawaghit (sing. taghut; translated here as false gods) refers to the Shaytan, idols and every leader of misguidance, or everything that was worshipped besides Allah and was content with that, and barred people from worshipping Allah. There will remain the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), including its hypocrites. As the hypocrites tried to conceal themselves by pretending to belong to this ummah in this world, in the hereafter they will follow them when reality becomes clear to them, hoping to benefit thereby, until {a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment} [al-Hadid 57:13]. It may be that they will be gathered with them because of what they showed outwardly of being Muslim, so they will be kept as they are until Allah distinguishes between the good and the bad. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will come to them, and His coming will be in a manner befitting His essence, without interpreting the matter in a manner other than it appears to be, or denying it, or likening His attributes to those of His creation – but it will be in a manner other than what they know of Him, as a test from Him, to differentiate between them and those who used to worship others. Then He will say: I am your Lord. But they will seek refuge with Allah from Him, because He will not have appeared to them with the attributes that they recognize; rather He will appear with attributes that no one knows except Him (may He be exalted), because with them will be the hypocrites who do not deserve to see Him, and they will be prevented from seeing their Lord. So they will say: We will stay here until our Lord appears to us, and when our Lord appears, we will recognize Him. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will appear to them, with the attributes that are known to them, after the believershave become distinct from the hypocrites. Then He will say to them: I am your Lord. When they see that, they will recognize Him (may He be exalted) thereby, so they will say: You are [indeed] our Lord.
Then the Lord will call them, and the Sirat will be set up across the middle of Hell, or over it. The Siratis a bridge that will extend over the top of Hell; it will be narrower than a hair and sharper than a sword. The people will cross it on the Day of Resurrection, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will be the first of the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) to cross the Sirat, along with his ummah. The supplication of the Messengers at that time will be: “O Allah, grant safety,” out of pity and compassion for them. In Hell there will be many-branched hooks of iron on which people’s flesh will be caught. They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, which is a thorny plant that is good for camels to graze on; it is mentioned by way of comparison. It will snatch people quickly, because of their bad deeds, or according to their deeds. Some of them will be doomed, and some of them will be cut into small pieces like mustard seeds; in other words, the hooks of the Sirat will cut them into pieces until they fall into the Fire. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will save from it whoever used to worship Allah alone, namely the sincere believers, for the disbeliever will never be saved from it and will abide therein for eternity.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that on the Day of Resurrection, the angels will recognize the believers by the marks of prostration, for the Fire will not consume the marks of prostration. There is a difference of scholarly opinion as to what is meant by the marks of prostration. It was said that it is the seven parts of the body (the forehead, the two hands, the two knees, and the two feet). It was also said that what is meant is the forehead only, and this is supported by what is mentioned in the report narrated by Muslim: “Then some people will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned in it, except for their faces.” They will be brought forth from the Fire having been burned and turned black, then the water of life will be poured over them; whoever drinks it or has it poured over him will never die. Then they will grow as a seed grows in mud and the like, which is what is meant by the mud left by a flood; this phrase refers to mud and other things carried by floodwaters. The word translated here as seed refers to the seeds of desert plants that are not used for food. His growth is likened to the growth of the seed of desert plants, because they are white and grow quickly.
Then Allah will judge between people, and one man – who will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – will remain between Paradise and Hell, facing towards the Fire. He will say: O Lord, turn my face away from the Fire, for its stench is killing me, meaning that it has poisoned and destroyed me, for it is like poison in my nose, and its flames have burned me, referring to its extreme heat. Allah (may He be exalted) will say: Perhaps if I do what you want for you, you will aspire and ask for more. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will turn his face away from the Fire. Then when he is facing towards Paradise, he will see its beauty and opulence, so he will say: O Lord, bring me nearer to the gate of Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Did you not give your promise and oath that you would not ask for anything except what you already asked for? He will say: O Lord, I gave you my promises, but Your generosity raised my hopes; I do not want to be the most wretched of Your creation. If you leave me in this situation, and do not admit me to Paradise, I will surely be the most wretched of Your creation. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will smile at him in a manner that is befitting to Him, without interpreting that in a manner other than the apparent meaning, and without denying it or likening Allah to His creation. Our Lord will say to him: Perhaps if I grant you what you want, you will ask for something else. Allah (may He be exalted) will only say that, although He knows best what has happened and will happen, so as to show how the son of Adam breaks his promises. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah will bring him close to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty and what it contains of splendors and delights, he will be dazzled. He will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, out of shyness before his Lord, then he will ask his Lord to admit him to Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! The word wayhaka (translated here as woe to you) is a word of compassion, whereas the word waylaka (which may also be translated as woe to you) is a word of punishment. And it was said that they both mean the same thing. Treachery means failing to fulfil promises. This man will not break his promise out of ignorance; rather he will do that because he will be aware that breaking his promise in this case is more appropriate than keeping it, because asking of his Lord is more appropriate than fulfilling his oath.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that Allah will give this man permission to enter Paradise, then He will say: Wish. So the man will wish until, when he runs out of wishes and has told his Lord everything that he wants and hopes for, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: You will have what you wish for and as much again. When Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was in the gathering in which Abu Hurayrah narrated this hadith –heard that, he told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “You will have this, and ten times as much.” It was said concerning this that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) initially told the people what is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, then Allah, by His generosity, increased what He will give to this person, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of that, and Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated it from him, but Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear that.
This hadith affirms that the believers will see their Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection.
It indicates that prayer is the best of deeds, because of what it involves of bowing and prostration, for the Fire will not consume the mark of prostration.
It affirms the existence of the Sirat, and that the believers will cross it.
It highlights the virtue of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his ummah, for they will be the first to cross the Sirat, before all other nations.
It indicates that some of the believers will be punished by being admitted to Hell, then Allah (may He be exalted) will show mercy to them by bringing them forth from it.
It indicates that the punishment of the believer will be different from the punishment of the disbeliever, because it will not include all of their bodies; rather the mark of prostration will be safe, and will be a sign for them, by which the intercessors will recognize them and bring them forth from the Fire.
It affirms some characteristics that are unique to the Essence of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Ahl al-Sunnah affirm for Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) what He has affirmed for Himself, without likening Him to His creation, or discussing how those attributes are, and without denying them or misinterpreting them. Rather they accept this and say: We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord..

812

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two knees, and the toes of the two feet, and we should not tie up our garments or hair.”.

Commentary : Prostration is an important and essential part of the prayer, and is a way in which a person shows submission and humility to his Lord. Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined it in several places in His holy Book.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains the correct way to prostrate. He tells us that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) commanded him to prostrate on seven “bones”, meaning bones of the body. These seven parts are the forehead, which is the part of the face above the nose and eyes, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed to his nose, explaining that the forehead and nose together form one of these seven, and confirming that the one who prostrates should make his nose touch the ground. [These seven] also include the two hands, the two knees and the toes of the two feet and what is next to them. The two hands, the two knees and the two feet are the other six parts. And we should not tie up our garments or hair. Tying up the garment means tucking it up so that it will not drop or hang down. Tying up the hair means tying it with something so that it will not drop down and fall loose. What is meant is that we should not tuck up our hair or garments when prostrating on the ground in order to protect them; rather we should leave them as they are, so that they will fall on the ground and prostrate with the other parts of the body. The wisdom behind that is that if a person lifts up his garment and hair, and prevents them from touching the ground, he will be like one who is arrogant. It was also said that the hair will prostrate with the head if it is not tied up or wrapped up..

813

It was narrated that AbuSalamah said: I went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and said: Will you not come out with us to the palm trees so that we may talk? So he came out. I said: Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Laylat al-Qadr. He said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observedi‘tikaffor the first ten days of Ramadan, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. ThenJibril came to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So he observed i‘tikaf for the middle ten days, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. Then Jibrilcame to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up to address us on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, and said: “Whoever was observing i‘tikafwith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), let him come back, for Laylat al-Qadr was shown to me, but I was caused to forget it. It is in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, and I saw myself [in a dream] prostrating in mud and water.” The roof of the mosque was made of palm branches, and we did not see anything in the sky, then asmall cloud came and it rained, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer,then I saw the traces of mud and water on the face of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and on the tip of his nose, in fulfillment of his dream..

Commentary : The month of Ramadan is the greatest of months in the sight of Allah (may He be exalted), and the greatest of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) strove hard in seeking it and trying to determine which night it was. There are many reports that speak of when that night occurs, including this hadith, in which the Tabi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awfnarrates that he went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to go with him to a piece of land in which there were palm trees, and he asked him to tell him what he had heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about whenLaylat al-Qadr occurs. He told him that one year, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days of Ramadan. Then after that Jibril came to him and told him: Laylat al-Qadr, that you are seeking, is in the nights yet to come. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaffor the middle ten nights, and the Sahabah observed i‘tikaf with him. On the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, Jibril came to him a second time, and told him something similar to what he had said the first time, referring to the last ten nights of the month. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed his companions, saying: Let whoever has observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days or the middle ten days, and has left the mosque, come back, for I have been told about Laylat al-Qadr, or I have been told when it will be – for Jibril (peace be upon him) had told him when it would be that year, but he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told his companions that he had forgotten it;however, he was certain that it would be in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, which would be the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of the sign of that night in that year, on the basis of a dream that he had seen, and the dreams of the prophets are true. He dreamt that he was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The roof of the Prophet’s Mosque was made of palm branches, and nothing appeared in the sky to suggest that it was going to rain, then suddenly asmall cloud appeared – referring to a thin piece of cloud, then rain fell and the Muslims prayed, and the Prophet’s dream about prostrating in water and mud was fulfilled. The traces of mud appeared on the forehead of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and on the tip of his nose. This happened on the morning of the twentieth, which was the night before the twenty-first, as it says in a report narrated in al-Sahihayn. Thus the dream of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came true.
This hadith indicates that we are encouraged to seek out Laylat al-Qadr and make the most of it by doing righteous deeds, because of what this brings of increased virtue and reward.
It indicates that we are encouraged to observe i‘tikaf in Ramadan.
It confirms that when prostrating, we should make sure that the forehead and nose touch the ground. .

818

It was narrated from Abu Qilabah that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith said to his companions: Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? And that was at a time that was not the time for prayer. He stood up, then he bowed and said takbir, then he raised his head and stood,pausing for a little while. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while. And he prayed a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah, this shaykh of ours. Ayyub said: He used to do something that I never saw them do: he would sit in the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. He said: We came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and he said: “When you go back to your families, pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time; pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time…When it is time to pray, let one of you give the call to prayer, and let the oldest of you lead you in the prayer.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit them to those who came after them, especially the prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to his companions how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: Shall I not show you how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed? This was not at the time for an obligatory prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the aim of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) started to pray, he stood and said the takbir to start the prayer (takbirat al-ihram). Then he bowed and said takbir; the takbir for bowing came after it, not before it. Then he raised his head and stood, pausing for a little while between bowing and prostrating. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while between the two prostrations, then he did the second prostration.
The Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was their shaykh and imam.
Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who narrated this hadith from Abu Qilabah and was one of the students of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) – said that he used to do something that he did not see anyone else do, which was that he used to sit briefly between the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. What is meant is that he used to sit briefly, after the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs, then stand up after that. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or because of sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
Then Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) told them, after finishing his prayer, that they came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after they had become Muslim, and they stayed with him. When they asked his permission to go back to their families, he gave them permission and told them the times of the prayers when they must pray. Then he instructed them, when the time for prayer began, whether they were at home or travelling, that one of them should give the call to prayer and that the oldest of them should lead them in the prayer.
We may reconcile between this and the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The people should be led in prayer by the one who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah”– which is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) – by noting that giving precedence on the basis of age is applicable when the people praying are all equal in terms of knowledge of Qur’an and recitation. This may be understood from the story in this case, because they had become Muslim and migrated together, and they had all accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and they were equal in terms of what they had learned from him, so there was no criteria to determine who should lead the prayer except age.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible.
It indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) varied in their knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that some of them had knowledge that others did not have.
It indicates that prayer may be done at a time other than the time for prayer, for the purpose of teaching.
It indicates that the Muslim should be keen to teach his family about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed..

821

It was narrated from Thabit that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will do my best to lead you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lead us in prayer. Thabit said: Anas ibn Malik used to do something that I have not seen you do. When he raised his head from bowing, he would stand for so long that one would think that he had forgotten, and [he would sit up] between the prostrations for so long that one would think that he had forgotten..

823

It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith al-Laythi told us that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying, and in the odd-numbered rak‘ahsof his prayer, he did not get up until he had first sat up straight..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, then they were keen to teach this to the Muslims who came after them.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) – who used to watch the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he prayed, so that he could learn how he prayed and teach it to those who came after him – tells us that in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer – meaning the first and third rak‘ahs – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up to start the following rak‘ah straight after prostrating in these odd-numbered rak‘ahs. Rather he would sit briefly, which is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. And it was said that it is in fact part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

825

It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: Abu Sa‘id led us in prayer and recited the takbir out loud when he lifted his head from prostration, when he prostrated, when he raised [his head again], and when he stood up following the [first] two rak‘ahs, and he said: This is what I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do..

827

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah that he told him that he used to see ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when sitting during the prayer, so I did that too. At that time I was very young, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that, and said: The Sunnah in prayer is to hold your right foot upright and tuck your left foot underneath you. I said: But you do that. He said: My feet do not carry me. .

Commentary : Conveying the teachings of Islam and teaching them to the people is obligatory upon every Muslim, to the extent of his knowledge and ability, and no Muslim should refuse to convey the teachings even if he is not able to put them into practice himself because of sickness, weakness and the like.
In this hadith, it says that the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Umar saw his father (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when he sat to recite the tashahhud. This manner of sitting means that a person sits on his buttocks, and tucks his right and left feet under him and sits on them. When his son ‘Abdullah saw him doing that in the prayer, he imitated him and did the same as he did. But Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him not to do that, and when his son said to him,” But you do that,” he told him the reason why he did it, which was that his feet were not able to carry him because of old age or sickness. And he told him that the Sunnah is to sit with the right foot held upright, and to sit on the left foot which is tucked underneath one.
This is the description of sitting to recite the first tashahhud if the prayer consists of four rak‘ahs. In the final tashahhud, the Sunnah is to sit in the manner called tawarruk, because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him): When he [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] sat following the [first] two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot, holding the right foot upright, and when he sat in the final rak‘ah, he pushed his left foot forward a little and held the other foot upright, and sat on his buttocks on the ground..

828

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Halhalah, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Ata’, that he was sitting with a group of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we mentioned the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi said: I know best among you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I saw him when he said takbir; he lifted his hands level with his shoulders. When he bowed, he placed his hands firmly on his knees, then he made his back straight. When he lifted his head, he stood up straight until each vertebra returned to its place. When he prostrated, he put his hands [on the ground] without resting his forearms on the ground or holding them close to his body, and his toes pointed towards the qiblah. When he sat after the first two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot and held his right foot upright. When he sat in the final rak‘ah, he brought his left foot forward a little underneath him, held his right foot upright, and sat on his buttocks..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch the movements of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow his practice in all things, and to transmit it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) describes how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who were talking about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I am the one among you who has most knowledge of how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said to him – as is mentioned in a report narrated by Abu Dawud: how is that, for by Allah you did not keep closer to him than us, and you did not accompany him for longer than us? He said: I kept watching him pray until I learned how he prayed. What he meant was that even though he did not accompany the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the longest time, he made up for that by watching the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he had memorized how he prayed. Then he began to describe the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told them that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram), he would raise his hands level with his shoulders, and when he bowed he would place his hands firmly on his knees, then make his back straight, meaning that when he bowed, he kept his back straight, from the neck, without any bend in it. When he lifted his head from bowing, he would stand up straight until each vertebra returned to its place; the vertebrae are the bones of the spine. What is meant is that he would stand up straight after bowing, then pause briefly whilst standing. When he prostrated, he placed his hands on the ground, without resting his forearms on the ground, which is a posture that resembles that of wild animals and the like. He also did not rest his belly on any part of his thighs, or bring his arms in close to the body or hold them underneath his belly. He would make his toes point towards the qiblah. Then [Abu Humayd] described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat between the two prostrations: he would hold his right foot upright and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it. This is the manner of sitting that is called iftirash. When he sat in the final tashahhud, he would bring his left foot forward a little and hold his right foot upright, and he would sit on his buttocks. This is the manner of sitting that is called tawarruk.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to study and seek knowledge, and to verify what is learned by checking with people of knowledge.
It indicates that it is permissible for a man to describe himself as being more knowledgeable than others, if that will not lead to self-admiration and he wants to explain that to others who hear him.
This hadith describes the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he paused and how he stood up straight in the prayer..

831

It was narrated that Shaqiq ibn Salamah said: ‘Abdullah said: When we prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we said: Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il; peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to us and said: “Indeed Allah is al-Salaam, so when one of you prays, let him say: Al-tahiyyatuLillahiwa’l-salawatuwa’l-tayyibat. Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah). If you say that, it will include every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. [Then say:]Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to pray and what supplications to say in the prayer. He has taught us what is to be said and when, including the tashahhud following the first two rak‘ahs and the final tashahhud of every prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in their prayer, in the tashahhud, they used to say, “Peace be upon Allah (al-salaamu ‘ala Allah),” as is clearly stated in another report in al-Sahihayn. Then they would say, “Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il, and peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so,” mentioning the names of other angels. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard them, he turned to face them and said to them: Indeed Allah is al-Salaam – meaning that it is not right to say Peace be upon Allah. He objected to them saying that, and taught them that what they were saying was the opposite of what should be said, for all well-being (salamah) and mercy belongs to Him and comes from Him, for He is the owner and giver thereof. And it was said that he instructed them to direct their salutation of salaam to people, because people are in need of well-being, whereas Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) does not need that. Al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), which is indicative of His being free of (salamah) all shortcomings and defects.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them what they should say in the tashahhud. “Al-tahhiyatuLillah (all compliments are due to Allah) – this refers to salutations, or to being free of defects and shortcomings. It was also said that it refers to sovereignty, everlastingness or greatness. It was also said that what is meant by compliments is all types of glory and greatness. What is meant is that all of this belongs to Allah (may He be exalted) by right. “Al-salawat (prayers)” – it was said that what is meant here is the five daily prayers, or all acts of worship, or supplications, or mercy. And it was said that tahiyyat (translated here as compliments) refers to verbal acts of worship and salawat (translated here as prayers) refers to physical acts of worship, and tayyibat (translated here as pure words) refers to financial acts of worship. With regard to the word “wa’l-tayyibat (translated here as ‘and pure words’)”, this refers to a good word, or it refers specifically to the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). It was also said that it refers to righteous deeds in general. “Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu” – salaam here is meant in the sense of greeting; what is meant is that we direct to you greetings and salutations. And it was said that what is meant is well-being and safety, in which case the meaning is: May you be safe from any harm. And it was said that it refers to the name of Allah al-Salaam, in which case the meaning is: May you be blessed by virtue of the divine name al-Salaam. Barakah (blessing) is an increase in goodness. “Al-salaamu ‘alayna (peace be upon us)” is addressed to ourselves; “wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi’l-salihin (and upon the righteous slaves of Allah)” refers to those who obey the commands of Allah and carry out their duties towards Him and towards His slaves. Thus the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them to refer to him separately, because of his honourable status and the great rights that he has over them, then he taught them to mention themselves in particular, because it is more appropriate to be more concerned about themselves. Then he instructed them to send greetings and salutations to all of the righteous, indicating that supplication for the believers should include all of them. Then he told them that when they say “Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah),”the benefit of this salaam will reach every righteous slave on earth or in heaven. This includes the angels, the jinn and humans.
“Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah)” – a report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar adds the words “wahdahu la sharikalah (alone, with no partner or associate).” This is testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified), and there is none that is deserving of worship except Him. The words “waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)” are an affirmation that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah is a Messenger from Allah to all people, and that he is the last of the Messengers whom all people are required to obey and follow..

834

It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Teach me a supplication that I may offer in my prayer. He said: “Say: Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran, wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (O Allah, indeedI have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins except You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).”.

Commentary : No one can avoid falling short in his duty to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and committing some sins. In this hadith, we see a concise supplication that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him to teach him a supplication that he could offer in his prayer. What appears to be the case is that he wanted something that he could say following the final tashahhud and sending blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Say: “Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly),” by committing sins and falling short in my duty to Allah (may He be exalted). “wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta (and no one forgives sins except You)” – and this is an admission of sin and an acknowledgement that sin is the action of the person himself, and it is an admission and acknowledgement that no one forgives sins except Allah, because of His perfect sovereignty. “faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)” – this is like the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and who can forgive sins except Allah?} [Al ‘Imran 3:135]. This is an affirmation of the oneness of the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted), and seeking His forgiveness by means of this admission.
This supplication is an example of concise speech, as it contains an admission of serious shortcomings – which is the fact that the individual has wronged himself greatly – and seeking the greatest blessing, which is forgiveness and mercy, for forgiveness conceals and erases sins, and mercy is the sending of blessings and granting of good. Thus the former is akin to being drawn away from the Fire and the latter is akin to being admitted to Paradise, and this is the great triumph..

837

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim, the women would get up and leave when he finished his taslim, and he would stay where he was for a while, before he got up to leave..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen that women should not mix with men, and he would take measures to prevent them mixing with men, because of the great mischief that results from that. In this hadith, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim at the end of the prayer, the women would get up as soon as he finished the taslim, and hasten to leave the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not rush to get up. Rather he would stay where he was for a little while after finishing the prayer, so that the women would have the chance to exit the mosque and leave before the men started leaving, lest some of the men who were leaving after the prayer come in close contact with the women. All of this was by way of barring means that could lead to evil, and keeping men and women separated for fear of fitnah (temptation). In congregational prayers, the women’s rows were at the back, with the children’s rows in front of them, and in front of the children were the men’s rows, behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith indicates that the imam should pay attention to the circumstances of those praying behind him, and he should take measures to avoid any situation that could lead to impropriety.
It indicates that one should avoid being in any dubious situation in which one could be accused of mischief.
It indicates that men should not mix with non-mahram women in the streets, let alone in houses..

838

It was narrated that ‘Itban ibn Malik said: We prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we said the taslim when he said the taslim..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them, especially with regard to prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, ‘Itban ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a report about when to say the taslim when praying behind an imam. He tells us that the taslim of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), when they were praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came at the same time as the taslim of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other words, they would begin to say their salaam after he began to say his salaam and before he finished saying it. And it was said that this is not what is meant; rather what is meant is that they said the taslim straight after he finished his, with no lag, and this was expressed by suggesting this it happened at the same time, because when things come immediately after one another, it is almost like they are happening at the same time..

841

It was narrated from Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr when the people have finished an obligatory prayer is something that used to take place at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And Ibn ‘Abbas said: I used to know that they had finished the prayer when I heard that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them. Part of the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions was to remember Allah (dhikr) after the prescribed prayers, and to raise their voices in doing that.
In this hadith, Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr is something that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), meaning the dhikrs and du‘a’s that followed the prayer, such as seeking forgiveness (istighfar), glorifying Allah (tasbih), praising Him (tahmid) and magnifying Him (takbir), when the people had finished the obligatory prayer. This is something that happened and was practised at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What is meant by finishing the prayer is the taslim. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) would know that the people had finished the prayer when he heard the dhikr. This highlights the fact that it is permissible to say dhikr out loud following the prayer. This hadith may be understood as meaning that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only said it out loud in order to teach the people what to say in dhikr, not that he always did that..

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..

Book of Hadith

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