| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2684

Sa’eed ibn Jubayr said:
A Jew from Al-Heerah asked me which one of the two periods Prophet Moosaa (Moses) completed. I said, "I do not know, (but wait) till I see the most learned Arab and inquire him about it." So, I went to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) and asked him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Prophet Moosaa completed the longer and better period." Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) added, "No doubt, a Messenger of Allah always does what he says."
.

Commentary :
The Prophets and Messengers of Allah were endowed with the most perfect moral characters and were the most truthful among all people. The Quran made mention of Prophet Moosaa, given his exemplary resolve and patience.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Sa’eed ibn Jubayr related that a Jew from the people of Al-Heerah, which was an ancient city in Iraq near Kufa, and was the capital of many dynasties, asked himwhich one of the two periods Prophet Moosaa (Moses) completed, referring to the ayah that reads (what means): {He said, "Indeed, I wish to wed you one of these, my two daughters, on [the condition] that you serve me for eight years; but if you complete ten, it will be [as a favor] from you.} [Quran 28:27]. The ayah means that Prophet Moosaa was offered to marry the man’s daughter, and her dower was to work for him for eight years, and if he chose to work for him from ten years instead, it would be a favor and not required of him. Sa’eed told him that he did not know which period Prophet Moosaa completed, and told him that he would ask the well-ayahd Arab scholar, meaning, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), in Makkah. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) informed him that Prophet Moosaa completed ten years. He (may Allah be pleased with them) added: “No doubt, a Messenger of Allah always does what he says.” This applies to all Messengers of Allah, and foremostly Prophet Moosaa, because they were talking about him in particular. This is because the Prophets of Allah were endowed with the most perfect moral characters which entailed fulfilling their promises.
The hadeeth urges the fulfillment of promises.
.

2685

‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "O Muslims! How do you ask the People of the Scriptures, though your Book (i.e., the Quran) which was revealed to His Prophet ﷺ is the most recent divine revelation and you recite it, and it has not been distorted? Allah, Exalted is He, has revealed to you that the People of the Scriptures have changed and distorted what had been revealed to them with their own hands and said (regarding their changed Scriptures): This is from Allah, in order to get some worldly benefit thereby." Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) added: "Is not the knowledge revealed to you sufficient to you, and you do not need to ask them about anything? By Allah, I have never seen any one of them asking you about what has been revealed to you!"
.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ keenly instilled the correct Islamic creed within the hearts and minds of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and warned them against following the path of the previous nations, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did the same with the following Muslim generation.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Ubaydullaah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) addressed people once, rebuking and warning them against asking the People of the Scriptures, i.e., Jews and Christians, regarding some religious matters that seemed similar to what had been revealed to them, or regarding the topics and stories addressed in their Scriptures. He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the reason for the prohibition in this regard was that the Quran, which was revealed by Allah, Exalted is He, to His Prophet ﷺ, is the most recent divine revelation. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “… and you recite it,” meaning that Muslims are enjoined to recite the Quran as an act of worship, “and it has not been distorted?” This means that the Quran was not changed like the previous heavenly books revealed to the People of the Scriptures. They “have changed and distorted what had been revealed to them with their own hands,” including the Torah that was revealed to the Jews, and the Gospel that was revealed to the Christians, “and they have said (regarding their changed Scriptures): ‘This is from Allah, in order to get some worldly benefit thereby.’" They traded their Scriptures for an insignificantly small price, although they (i.e., the Scriptures) are worth the whole worldly life! He (may Allah be pleased with him) rebuked them for it since Allah, Exalted is He, blessed Muslims with the Quran in which He imparted to them adequate knowledge that suffices them, and they do not need to ask the People of the Scriptures about anything!
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) added: "Is not the knowledge revealed to you sufficient to you, and you do not need to ask them about anything?” His statement, “By Allah, I have never seen any one of them asking about what has been revealed to you,” means that they did not perceive Muslims as worthy of their questions, despite their trustworthiness and competence (i.e., since Muslims are endowed with the ultimate divine knowledge in the Quran). He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to say, ‘How could you trust them with answering your questions, although Allah, Exalted is He, informed you in the Quran of their lies, distortion of the previous Scriptures,and even attributing lies to Him?” It is also possible that the People of the Scriptures did not have prescribed religious celebrations and therefore did not need to ask about them!
.

2687

Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that when the Ansaar drew lots as to whom of the emigrants should dwell with whom of the Ansaar, the name of ‘Uthmaan ibn Madh‘oon came out (to be in their lot). Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "‘Uthmaan stayed with us, and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in his clothes, and Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to our house and I said, (addressing the dead ‘Uthmaan), 'O Aboo Al-Saa’ib! May Allah be merciful to you. I testify that Allah, Exalted is He, has blessed you.' The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "How do you know that Allah has blessed him?" I replied, 'I do not know, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! May my parents be sacrificed for you!' Allah's Messengerﷺ said, 'As regards ‘Uthmaan, by Allah, he has died and I really wish him every good, yet, by Allah, although I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will be done to him!' Thereupon, Umm Al-‘Alaa’ added, 'By Allah, I shall never attest the piety of anybody afterward! What Allah's Messenger ﷺ said made me sad." Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "Once, I slept and saw in a dream, a flowing stream for ‘Uthmaan. So, I went to Allah's Messengerﷺ and told him of it, he ﷺ said, 'That is (the symbol of) his good deeds."
.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ keenly instilled within his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) the mindfulness of Allah, Exalted is He, and refrainment from making assumptions about people’s fate in the Hereafter, as to whether they would be admitted to Paradise or thrown into Hellfire. Human beings must not play God, judge and pass sentences on people as they wish. Rather, we are enjoined to judge people according to what is apparent, and bear in mind that only Allah, Exalted is He, knows their true inward characters and what is hidden in their hearts (and He shall reward or punish them accordingly).
This hadeeth emphasizes this meaning. Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) was a woman from the Ansaar who had given the Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance) to the Prophet, making a covenant with him to adhere to Islam and refrain from associating partners with Allah and from committing immoral acts.She narrated that when the Ansaar drew lots as to whom of the emigrants should dwell with whom of the Ansaar, the name of ‘Uthmaan ibn Madh‘oon came out (to be in their lot). The emigrants had no place to live in Al-Madeenah and were hosted by their fellow Muslim brothers from the Ansaar. Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "‘Uthmaan stayed with us, and we nursed him when he got sick, but he died. We shrouded him in his clothes, and Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to our house and I said, (addressing the dead ‘Uthmaan), 'O Aboo Al-Saa’ib,’ which was his nickname, ‘May Allah be merciful to you. I testify that Allah, Exalted is He, has blessed you.'” Another version of the hadeeth, compiled in Musnad Ahmad, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them), reads: “Congratulations on entering Paradise!” She (may Allah be pleased with her) decisively judged him as one of the people of Paradise, based on her knowledge of his devotion in worship and other good qualities. According to the version recorded by Ahmad, the Prophet ﷺ gave her a disapproving look, because she had decisively judged ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) as one of the People of Paradise, which implies impoliteness with Allah, Exalted is He, by claiming the knowledge of the unseen that is exclusive to Him! None knows the ultimate fate of people in the Hereafter except Allah, Exalted is He. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said to her, edifying her on that meaning, "How do you know that Allah has blessed him?" She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, 'I do not know, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! May my parents be sacrificed for you!' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'As regards ‘Uthmaan, by Allah, he has died and I really wish him every good, yet, by Allah, although I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will be done to him!' In the version reported by Al-Bukhaaree, the Prophet ﷺ said: “… although I am Allah's Messenger, I do not know what will be done to me,” meaning that he ﷺ did not know with certainty what shall happen to him in the Hereafter except for what Allah, Exalted is He, had informed him of.
Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'By Allah, I shall never attest the piety of anybody afterward,” meaning that she would never decisively attest the righteousness of any person and that he would enter Paradise expect those who were named by the Prophet ﷺ among the people of Paradise. What she did and what the Prophet ﷺ said made her sad. Umm Al-‘Alaa’ (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "Once, I slept and saw in a dream, a flowing stream for ‘Uthmaan. So, I went to Allah's Messengerﷺ and told him of it, and he ﷺ said, 'That is (the symbol of) his good deeds.‘ He ﷺ interpreted the flowing stream in the vision as to refer to his good deeds, because all people’s good deeds come to an end by their death except the one who dies while partaking in Jihaad as Muraabit (i.e., a guard at frontier outposts in support of Allah's Cause); his good deeds continue to grow and increase unto the Day of Judgment. ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) died as an emigrate for the sake of Allah, fleeing religious persecution to worship his Lord freely, and Muraabit in support of the Cause of Allah, Exalted is He.
It has been reported on the authority of the Prophet ﷺthat which urges Muslims to testify to the righteousness and piety of a dead person and mention his good qualities and deeds, provided that one should not decisively state that such a person shall be in Paradise or Hellfire. It was narrated on the authority of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him), and recorded by Al-Bukhaaree, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “If four people testify to the righteousness of a (dead) Muslim, Allah, Exalted is He, will grant him Paradise." The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) (eagerly) asked, "If three people testify to his righteousness (will he earn the same reward)?" He ﷺ replied, "Even three." They further asked, "What about two?" He ﷺ replied, "Even two."
The hadeeth aims to edify Muslims on the relevant prohibition; we are enjoined to refrain from playing God and decisively judging anyone’s fate in the Hereafter without knowledge. This is because only Allah, Exalted is He, will hold people accountable on the Day of Resurrection and shall reward or punish them accordingly. Moreover, we do not have knowledge of a dead person’s inward character and what he had harbored in his heart. Rather, we are enjoined to settle for testifying to the dead person’s righteousness by saying, ‘I think that (s)he was a good and righteous person, and only Allah, Exalted is He, knows best,’ or the like.
.

2691

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
It was said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Would you, please, go to ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy?" So, the Prophet ﷺwent to him, riding a donkey, and Muslims accompanied him, walking on salty barren land. When the Prophet ﷺreached ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the latter said, "Keep away from me! By Allah, the bad smell of your donkey has harmed me." On that, a man from the Ansaar said (to ‘Abdullah), "By Allah! The smell of the Prophet’s donkey is better than your smell." Thereupon, a man from ‘Abdullah's tribe got angry for ‘Abdullah's sake, and the two men verbally abused each other which caused their friends to get angry and agitated, and the two groups started fighting with palm branches, shoes, and hands. We were informed that the following ayah was revealed (in this regard). Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And if two factions among the believers should fight, then reconcile between the two.} [Quran 49:9]
.

Commentary :
‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool was one of the leaders and chiefs of the Khazraj tribe. When he was invited to embrace Islam, he converted outwardly only, but harbored disbelief. He was the head of the hypocrites in Al-Madeenah, and nursed hostility against the Prophet ﷺ and Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that it was said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Would you, please, visit ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy?" They were asking the Prophet ﷺ to go to ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy to invite him to Islam, and this took place upon his arrival to Al-Madeenah. TheProphet ﷺwent to him, riding a donkey, and Muslims accompanied him, walking on salty barren land. When the Prophet ﷺreached ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the latter said, "Keep away from me! By Allah, the bad smell of your donkey has harmed me." On that, a man from the Ansaar said (to ‘Abdullah), "By Allah! The smell of the Prophet’s donkey is better than your smell." This Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) retorted to ‘Abadullaah, defending the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, a man from ‘Abdullah's tribe got angry for ‘Abdullah's sake, and the two men verbally abused each other, which caused their friends to get angry and agitated,” meaning that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) got angry for the sake of the Prophet ﷺ and the friends of Ibn Salool got angry for his sake. The two groups started fighting with palm branches, shoes, and hands. A version of the hadeeth compiled by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, reads: “The Prophet ﷺ continued to calm them until they kept silent.” He ﷺ continued to calm them until they stopped fighting. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “We were informed that the following ayah was revealed (in this regard). Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And if two factions among the believers should fight, then reconcile between the two.} [Quran 49:9].”
It was argued that this ayah talked specifically about the believers, whereas the incident related in this hadeeth was between the Prophet ﷺ and Ibn Salool before his conversion to Islam. In response, it was said that some of Ibn Salool’s friends and men were believers. It was also said that the statement of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘We were informed,” indicates that that incident was not the actual reason for which this ayah was revealed, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) did not explicitly say so. His saying, ‘We were informed,’ does not necessitate that the ayah was revealed on that particular occasion; the chapter in which the concerned ayah is included was revealed in 9 A.H., when the delegations of the Arab tribes came to Al-Madeenah. It is also said that the ayah about the reconciliation between the disputing groups of the believers was revealed earlier than the rest of the chapter, and this would eliminate any problematic aspect.
The hadeeth highlights the unmatched forbearance of the Prophet ﷺ and his endurance of people’s harm.
It also underlines how the believers revered the Prophet ﷺ.
.

2692

Umm Kulthoom bint ‘Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she heard Allah's Messengerﷺ saying, "He who makes peace between disputing people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar (i.e., he does not bear a sin for it).”
.

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam urges Muslims to reconcile and make peace between disputing people, even if it had to be achieved through lies, considering the benefits it involvesregarding quarrels and disputing people, by quelling the spirit of enmity and settling their disputes.
In this hadeeth, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated that the blameworthy lying, about which stern warnings are reported and for which a punishment is designated as per the laws of Islam does not apply to the situations when a person says what is contrary to the truth to reconcile between disputing people, as encouraged by the enjoined sincerity towards one’s fellow Muslims. Rather, he ﷺ described such an act as ‘good;’ he ﷺ said: “…inventing good information or saying good things,” meaning that such a person tries to reconcile between the disputing people by saying to one of them, for example, ‘Your friend is praising you and saying good things about you,’ which is untrue. There is no sin in making this up for the purpose of reconciling between them. A person may need to tell some lies with good intentions to make peace between disputing people.
It is noteworthy that this is allowable provided that it does not involve nor entail denying a person his due rights or helping one take what he is not entitled to take.
The same ruling applies to lying at times of war, meaning to say what helps Muslims appear strong and undermine their enemies’ resolve, even if it is untrue. The same also goes for lying to one’s wife, verbally expressing his affection for her beyond his actual feelings for her to retain her love, ensure the stability of their marriage, and refine her conduct.
It should be noted that the hadeeth does not suggest that these false statements that are contrary to the reality are not labelled as lies as per the laws of Islam; a lie is a lie regardless of the purpose. Rather, it means that a person bears no sin for making up such lies in those specified situations, as a legal concession, enduring the lesser evil to realize the greater good.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to reconcile between disputing people and make peace between them.
.

2697

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "If somebody innovates something which has no basis in our religion, such innovation is rejected."
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has completed and perfected the religion of Islam, and has bestowed His perfect grace on His servants, and therefore it is incumbent on Muslims to keenly seek to conform with the will of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ (i.e., by compliance with the provisions of Islam), to the best of their abilities, and refrain from introducing religious innovations that have no basis in the Laws of Islam.
Whoever introduces a religious innovation and invents something which has no basis in Islam, such a religious innovation will be rejected. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us that if anyone introduces a religious innovation that has no basis in the Quran and the Sunnah, does not fall under the heading of a Laws of Islam provision stated therein, or contravenes the provisions of Islam, such an innovation will be rejected, meaning that such an unprescribed act will be declared null and void, and shall not be accepted by Allah, Exalted is He.
This is one of the fundamental principles of Islam, and this hadeeth is one of the examples of the Prophet’s eloquent, aphoristic speech. In this hadeeth, he ﷺ explicitly rejected all religious innovations and unprescribed acts and sayings that have no basis in Islam.
The hadeeth commands Muslims to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and abide by it, and forbids them from introducing any religious innovation.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the criterion for declaring a given act a religious innovation is having no basis in the Quran or the Sunnah.

.

2699

Al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
When the Prophet ﷺ intended to perform ‘Umrah in the month of Dhul-Qi‘dah, the people of Makkah did not let him enter Makkah till he ﷺ settled the matter with them by promising to stay therein for three days only. When the document of the treaty was written, the following was mentioned: 'These are the terms on which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ agreed (to make peace).' They said, "We will not agree to this, for if we believed that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from entering Makkah, but you are Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "I am Allah's Messengerand also Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." Then he ﷺ said to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), "Rub off (the words) 'Allah's Messenger,” but ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "No, by Allah, I will never rub off your name." So, Allah's Messengerﷺtook the document (, rubbed it himself) and wrote instead, 'This is what Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah has agreed upon: No arms will be brought into Makkah except in their cases, and nobody from the people of Makkah will be allowed to go with him, i.e., the Prophet ﷺeven if he wished to follow him and he (the Prophet ﷺwill not prevent any of his Companions from staying in Makkah if they want to stay.' When the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah and the specified period expired, the Makkahns went to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "Tell your Friend, i.e., the Prophet ﷺ, to leave Makkah; the (agreed-upon) period has passed." So, the Prophet ﷺwent out of Makkah. The daughter of Hamzah ran after them, i.e., the Prophet ﷺand his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), calling, "O Uncle! O Uncle!" ‘Alee received her and led her by the hand and said to Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with them), "Take your uncle's daughter." Zayd and Ja‘far quarreled about her. ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have more right to her as she is my uncle's daughter." Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "She is my uncle's daughter, and her maternal aunt is my wife." Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "She is my brother's daughter." The Prophet ﷺ judged that she should be placed under the care of her maternal aunt, and said that the maternal aunt was like the mother. He ﷺ then said to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), "You are from me and I am from you", said to Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him), "You resemble me both in terms of moral character and outward appearance", and said to Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), "You are our brother (in faith) and our freed slave."
.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ endured grievous harm at the hands of the polytheists, who denied him access to the Sacred House. He ﷺ endured their persecution until Allah, Exalted is He, blessed him with triumph over them, and the days proved that he ﷺ was supported by the divine revelation and attested his discretion during the conclusion of the Treay of Al-Hudaybiyah.
In this hadeeth, Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated that the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) departed Al-Madeenah, and headed towards Makkah with the intention of performing ‘Umrah in the month of Dhul-Qi‘dah, in 6 A.H. However,the people of Makkah did not let them enter Makkah till heﷺmade an agreement with them to stay therein for three days only and return to Al-Madeenah, provided that he ﷺ should come back on the following year to perform ‘Umrah. This treaty became known as the Treay of Al-Hudaybiyah, and it was named after a big village that was given the name of a well located in that area; it is currently located on the outskirts of Makkah.
When the document of treaty was written, the following was mentioned: 'These are the terms,” of the treaty, “on which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ agreed (to make peace).” They said, "We will not agree to this, for if we believed that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you (from entering Makkah), but you are Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." They said to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Had we believed in you and you religion, we would not have denied you access to the Sacred House, but we only know you as Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah,’ (by the name given to him by his father). Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, "I am Allah's Messengerand also Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah," meaning that he ﷺ did not mind writing down either of them. Then he ﷺ said to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), who was writing down the terms of the treaty, to rub off (the words) 'Allah's Messenger,’ from the document, but ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) refused. It should be noted that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mean to disobey the Prophet’s command, but rather expressed his disapproval of erasing his title out of reverence for the Prophet ﷺ and to defiantly support him against the polytheists. The Prophet ﷺtook the document, erased it himself, after ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed to its place, because he ﷺ was illiterate. He ﷺ then commanded ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) to write down instead, 'This is what Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah has agreed upon.’ The terms included that no arms may be brought into Makkah by Muslims except those kept in their own cases, and nobody from the people of Makkah would be allowed to go with the Prophet ﷺeven if he wished to follow him (and embrace Islam). On the contrary, the Prophet ﷺwould not prevent any of his Companions from staying in Makkah if they wanted! According to this treaty, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions returned to Al-Madeenah, after ending their state of Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration) as authentically reported in other narrations. They came back on the following year to perform ‘Umrah, which became known as ‘Umrat Al-Qadhaa’. After the period specified by the terms of the treaty i.e., three days, ended the Makkans went to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to ask the Prophet ﷺ, to leave, as the (agreed-upon) period has passed. When the Prophet ﷺwent out of Makkah, the daughter of Hamzah, Umaamah - it was also said that she was named Faatimah - ran after them, i.e., the Prophet ﷺand his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), wanting to go with them to Al-Madeenah. ‘Alee received her, led her by the hand, since she was still young, and said to Faatimah, his wife and the Prophet’s daughter, "Take your uncle's daughter." Faatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) held her, but Zayd and Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with them) quarreled about her; each wanted to take care of her. Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) claimed her because she was his brother's daughter, since the Prophet ﷺ had established the bond of brotherhood between him and Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them). ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) claimed her because she was his paternal cousin, his uncle's daughter, and Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) claimed her because she was his uncle's daughter, and her maternal aunt, i.e., Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays (may Allah be pleased with her), was his wife. The Prophet ﷺ judged that she should be given to her maternal aunt, and said that the maternal aunt was like the mother, meaning as far as the right to the custody of a child is concerned, and also in terms of maternal affection and care. He ﷺ then said to ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him), "You are from me and I am from you", in terms of blood relations, love, seniority in Islam, and the like of his many great merits. He ﷺ said to Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him), "You resemble me both in terms of moral character and outward appearance", and said to Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), "You are our brother (in faith) and our freed slave.” The bond of Al-Walaa’ (lit., loyalty, meaning to maintain a relationship of patronage without bondage with one’s manumitter) was as strong as the blood bond. The Prophet ﷺ made these statements toconciliate ‘Alee and Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them) for not granting them custody over Hamzah’s daughter, and to highlight that he ﷺ did not place her under Ja‘far’s care for his own sake, but rather because he was married to the girl’s maternal aunt (who was more entitled to the custody).
It was said that this hadeeth is one of the main Laws of Islam texts about the right to custody, which essentially means the care for a young child who is below the age of distinction and cannot live independently, providing him or her with a good upbringing, and guarding him or her against whatever may incur destruction and loss on him or her.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to conclude peace treaties with non-Muslims, conduct political and military agreements with them for the benefit of Muslims.
It is also inferred therefrom that a maternal aunt is entitled to custody over a child.
It also highlights the merits of ‘Alee, Ja‘far, and Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them)..

2701

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺ set out to perform ‘Umrah but the pagans of Quraysh prevented him from reaching the Ka‘bah. So, he ﷺ slaughtered his animal sacrifice, got his head shaved at Al-Hudaybiyah, and agreed with them that he ﷺ would perform ‘Umrah on the following year, would not carry weapons except swords, and would not stay in Makkah except for the period they allowed. So, the Prophet ﷺperformed ‘Umrah in the following year and entered Makkah according to the treaty, and when he ﷺ stayed for three days, the pagans ordered him to depart, and he ﷺ did.
.

Commentary :
The polytheists (of Quraysh) persecuted and abused the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), yet he ﷺ honored his agreements and covenants with them.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ headed towards Makkah in 6 A.H. to perform ‘Umrah, but the polytheists of Makkah denied him access to the Sacred House. They blocked his way in a place called Al-Hudaybiyah, a village that was named after a well located in that area, currently situated on the outskirts of Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) ended their Ihraam (i.e., ritual state of consecration), slaughtered their animal sacrifices in Al-Hudaybiyah, and concluded a peace treaty with the polytheists of Makkah. They agreed to allow Muslims to perform ‘Umrah on the following year, and stipulated a truce between Muslims and the people of Quraysh, and that no arms may be carried by Muslims except their swords, which should be kept in their own cases, and that they must not stay in Makkah beyond the period specified by them. The Prophet ﷺ performed ‘Umrah on the following year, and entered Makkah, in compliance with the terms of the treaty. After spending three days in Makkah, the polytheists commanded the Prophet ﷺ to leave and he did.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that if a person is prevented from performing ‘Umrah, he should end his Ihraam.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to conclude a peace treaty with the disbelievers and conduct political and military agreements with them for the benefit of Muslims.
It is also deduced that Muslims must abide by their agreements and covenants with the non-Muslims.
.

2703

Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Al-Rabee‘, the daughter of Al-Nadhr, broke the front tooth of a girl, and the relatives of Al-Rabee‘ requested the girl's relatives to accept the Arsh (i.e., restitution, money paid in compensation for bodily injury, wounds, harm … etc.) and forgive her, but they refused. So, they went to the Prophet ﷺ who ordered them to establish retaliation. Anas ibn Al-Nadhr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "O Allah’s Messenger! Will the front tooth of Al-Rabee‘ be broken? No, by Him Who has sent you with the Truth, her tooth will not be broken!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Anas! Allah, Exalted is He, ordains Qisaas (i.e., retribution)." Afterward, the relatives of the girl agreed and forgave Al-Rabee‘. The Prophet ﷺsaid, "There are some servants of Allah were they to swear by Allah, Exalted is He, (that something would happen), He will certainly make it happen.” Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "They agreed and accepted the Arsh."
.

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam specified the penalties designated for causing bodily injury and harm, and gave the victim the choice between taking retribution by afflicting an equal bodily injury on the offender, or pardoning and forgiving him.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Al-Rabee‘, the daughter of Al-Nadhr (may Allah be pleased with her) broke the front tooth of a girl, and the relatives of Al-Rabee‘ requested the girl's relatives to accept the Arsh (i.e., restitution, money paid in compensation for bodily injury, wounds, harm … etc.) and forgive (the offender), but they refused. Arsh Al-‘Ayb refers to the compensation for a defect that is payable by the seller to the buyer if the latter discovered a defect in the purchased commodity. In the context of offence and criminal injuries, the Arsh is similar in essence, because it compensates for the physical defect (damage) caused. The girl’s relatives refused to accept the Arsh and forgive Al-Rabee‘. They went to the Prophet ﷺ, and referred their dispute to him, and he ﷺ ordered them to establish equivalent retribution. Her brother, Anas ibn Al-Nadhr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "O Allah’s Messenger! Will the front tooth of Al-Rabee‘ be broken? No, by Him Who has sent you with the Truth, her tooth will not be broken!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Anas! Allah, Exalted is He, ordains Qisaas (i.e., retribution)." This entailed that the front tooth of Al-Rabee‘ would be broken. It is noteworthy that his statement was not an objection to the Prophet’s judgment or the relevant Laws of Islam provision, but he (may Allah be pleased with him) rather wanted the Prophet ﷺ to intercede with them, or it was said before he (may Allah be pleased with him) came to know that Allah, Exalted is He, particularly ordains Qisaas in such situations, and he had thought that they were given the choice between the Qisaas or the Diyyah (i.e., blood money).
Afterward, the relatives of the girl agreed, forgave her, and accepted the Arsh. The Prophet ﷺsaid, "There are some servants of Allah were they to swear by Allah, Exalted is He, (that something would happen), He will certainly make it happen,” because he (may Allah be pleased with him) made such an oath aspiring to the grace of Allah, Exalted is He, who knew of his sincerity and keenness, and therefore made what he desired come true. Were these obedient servants and close allies of Allah, Exalted is He, to swear by His name that something should happen, He would certainly make it come to pass.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable for the harmed person to pardon the offender, give up his right to the Qisaas, and accept the prescribed compensation.
The hadeeth highlights the merits of Anas ibn Al-Nadhr (may Allah be pleased with him)..

2704

Al-Hasan Al-Basree said:
By Allah, Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee led large battalions like mountains against Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them). ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas said (to Mu‘aawiyah) (may Allah be pleased with them), "I surely see battalions which will not turn back before killing their opponents." Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who was really the best of the two men, said to him, "O ‘Amr! If these killed those and those killed these, who would be left with me for the public jobs to manage people’s affairs? Who would be left to care for their women; who would be left to care for their children?" Then Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent two men from Quraysh, who belonged to the tribe of ‘Abd Shams called ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn Sumurah and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Aamir ibn Kurayz to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to them, "Go to this man (i.e. Al-Hasan) and negotiate peace with him and talk and appeal to him." So, they went to Al-Hasan and talked and appealed to him to accept peace. Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We, the offspring of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, have got wealth, and people have indulged in killing and corruption (and only money will appease them)." They said to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), "Mu‘aawiyah offers you such-and-such, appeals to you, and entreats you to accept peace." Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them, "But who will be responsible for what you have said?" They said, "We will be responsible for it." So, whatever Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) asked they said, "We will be responsible for it for you." So, Al-Hasan concluded a peace treaty with Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them). Al-Hasan (Al-Basree) said: “I heard Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saying, ‘I saw Allah's Messengerﷺon the pulpit and Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them) was by his side. The Prophet ﷺ was looking once at the people and once at Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee saying, 'This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e., a noble leader) and may Allah, Exalted is He, make peace between two big groups of Muslims through him.’”.

Commentary :
Reconciliation between disputing Muslims is a religious obligation required of whoever is able to do so. Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with them) gave us the greatest and finest example of sacrificing his own rights for the sake of reconciliation between the disputing Muslims during the Fitnah (i.e., civil strife) between the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this hadeeth, Al-Hasan Al-Basree swore by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, that Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them) led large battalions, as big as mountains, against Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). This could also be a metaphor for strength and power. The battalions led by Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them) were supposed to fight the army of Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in fulfillment of the purposes that ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) sought to achieve during his reign by fighting the people of Shaam under the leadership of Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). After ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed, his son, Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), led the battalions and marched to realize the objectives after which his late father sought.
‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas said to Mu‘aawiyah, urging him to fight Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them), "I surely see battalions,” of brave soldiers, “which will not turn back before killing their opponents." The Arabic word used in the narration is Aqraan, lit. peers or counterparts, and it refers to rivals who have equal courage and military power. The narration goes on, “Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who was really the best of the two men said to him, ‘O ‘Amr! If these killed those and those killed these, who would be left with me for the public jobs to manage people’s affairs? Who would be left to care for their women; who would be left to care for their children?’” He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the death of their (husbands and) fathers would mean their loss. Al-Hasan Al-Basree’s saying, “who was really the best of the two men,” means that Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was better than ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) in this situation because ‘Amr had a much more intense dispute with Al-Hasan and was determined to fight him, whereas Mu‘aawiyah wanted to make peace to prevent bloodshed and preserve Muslims’ lives.
Therefore, Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent two men from Quraysh, who belonged to the tribe of ‘Abd Shams called ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn Sumurah (may Allah be pleased with him) and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Aamir ibn Kurayz, who was said to have seen the Prophet ﷺ, to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) saying to them, "Go to this man (i.e. Al-Hasan) and negotiate peace with him," so that bloodshed could be averted, “and talk and appeal to him,” meaning ask him to give up his right to the caliphate and pass the reins to Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) instead, and give him whatever he may ask for in return. So, they went to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and talked and appealed to him to accept peace. Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the two messengers, "We, the offspring of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib, have got wealth,” meaning that the offspring of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib have always been noble and innately generous towards their family and freed slaves, and have always assumed leadership of their people until it became a habit for them, “and people have indulged in killing and corruption (and only money will appease them)." He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to eliminate the causes of strife and conflict, and give the money to those whose evil urges and corruption would not be curbed except with it.
They said to Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), "Mu‘aawiyah offers you such-and-such,” i.e., money, sustenance, and clothes, “and appeals to you and entreats you to accept peace." Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them, "But who will be responsible for what you have said?" They stated that they would be responsible for it, and would ensure the compliance with the terms that he would stipulate to make peace between Muslims. Whatever Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) asked they said, "We will be responsible for it for you." So, Al-Hasan concluded a peace treaty with Mu‘aawiyah (may Allah be pleased with them), putting the best interests of Islam and Muslims before his own.
Al-Hasan Al-Basree related that Aboo Bakrah Nufay‘ ibn Al-Haarith Al-Thaqfee (may Allah be pleased with him) saw Allah's Messengerﷺon the pulpit and Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them) was by his side. The Prophet ﷺ was looking once at people and once at his young grandson, Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them), saying, 'This son of mine is a Saiyid (i.e., a noble leader) and may Allah, Exalted is He, make peace between two big groups of Muslims through him.’ The Prophet ﷺ foretold the conflict between Mu‘aawiyah and Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them) over the caliphate, for it did not take them out of the fold of Islam. This year was called the year of Jamaa‘ah (unity), since Muslims were united again and there was an end to the conflict and civil strife.
The hadeeth highlights a sign of prophethood.
It also underlines the merits of Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with them).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to make peace with an opponent with money to satisfy the rights of those to whom they are due.
It is also inferred therefrom that messengers should be allowed to convey their messages freely, and must not be harmed.
It is also deduced that the imamate of a less eligible ruler over a more eligible one is valid.
It is also inferred that the leadership of people is earned by those who benefit people, because the Prophet ﷺ conditioned leadership on making peace between disputing people.
.

2705

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once Allah's Messengerﷺ heard the loud voices of some opponents quarreling at the door. One of them was appealing to the other to deduct his debt and asking him to be lenient but the other was saying, "By Allah, I will not do so." Allah's Messengerﷺ went out to them and said, "Who is the one who was swearing by Allah that he would not do a good deed?" That man said, "I am that person, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I will give my opponent whatever he wishes."
.

Commentary :
A creditor is urged to be lenient towards the debtor (in claiming the repayment), and such leniency counts as an act of kindness and a good deed for him. No Muslim should miss out on this (rewardable) good deed and deny himself such reward. Highlighting this meaning, the Mother of the Believers ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that once Allah's Messengerﷺ heard the loud voices of some opponents quarreling at the door. A debtor was asking a creditor to deduct part of the debt and show him some leniency in claiming the repayment, but the creditor refused. He said, "By Allah, I will not do so,” meaning that he would not fulfill his request by reducing the debt or showing him leniency in claiming its repayment. When Allah's Messengerﷺ heard him swear by Allah, Exalted is He, not to do so, he ﷺ went out to them and said, "Who is the one who was swearing by Allah that he would not do a good deed?" The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Muta’alee, which denotes placing much emphasis on one’s oath. The Prophet ﷺ rebuked such a person for refraining from doing a good deed by fulfilling this debtor’s request. That man said, "I am that person, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! I will give my opponent whatever he wishes,” meaning that he was willing to give him whatever he wanted, reducing the debt or showing more leniency in claiming its repayment and giving him respite until he was able to repay.
The hadeeth urges creditors to show kindness to debtors by writing off part of the debt.
It also warns against making oaths not to perform good deeds.
It highlights the Companions’ reverence for the Prophet ﷺ and their keenness to hasten to his obedience.
It also underlines how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) quickly understood what the Prophet ﷺ wanted, their swift compliance with his commands and prohibitions, and their keenness to perform good deeds.
It also encourages the forgiveness and pardon of the verbal abuses between quarrelers and disrespectfully raising one’s voice before the ruler.
It is also inferred therefrom that a debtor is allowed to ask the creditor to write off part of the debt.
It is also deduced that one may intercede with people to whom rights are due in favor of others, and that they are urged to accept the intercession in what is good and permissible.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that a ruler may interfere personally to make peace between disputing people..

2708

‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr narrated that Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) told me that he quarreled once with a man from the Ansaar, who had participated in (the battle of) Badr, in front of Allah's Messengerﷺ about a water stream which both of them used for irrigation. Allah's Messengerﷺ said to Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), "O Zubayr! Irrigate (your garden) first, and then let the water flow to your neighbor." The man from the Ansaar became angry and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Is it because he is your cousin?" On that the complexion of Allah's Messengerﷺ changed (because of anger) and he said (to Al-Zubayr), "Irrigate (your garden) and then withhold the water till it reaches the walls (surrounding the palms)." So, Allah's Messengerﷺ gave Al-Zubayr his full right. Before that, heﷺ had given a generous judgment beneficial for both Al-Zubayr and the man from the Ansaar, but when the latter irritated Allah's Messengerﷺ, he gave Al-Zubayr his full right according to the essence of Laws of Islam provisions. Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, I think the following ayah was revealed concerning that case (which means): {But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.} [Quran 4:65]

.

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the Imaam, ruler, and judge of Muslims,and adjudicated and settled the disputes between them.
In this hadeeth, Al-Zubayr ibn Al-‘Awwaam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he once quarreled with a man from the Ansaar who had participated in (the battle of) Badr. The man referred the dispute - over a water stream in Al-Harrah that was used by both of them for irrigation - to Allah's Messengerﷺ. Al-Harrah was an open area with black stones,on the outskirts of Al-Madeenah. They both used to irrigate their gardens from this water stream; the water would run through Al-Zubayr’s garden first and then the other man’s. Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to block the water until he had irrigated his garden, and then allow it to flow and reach his neighbor’s garden. The Prophet ﷺ commanded Al-Zubayr to reasonably irrigate his garden first, and then let the water flow to his neighbor’s garden, but the man from the Ansaar became angry and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Is it because he is your cousin?" He was referring to the fact that Al-Zubayr was the son of Safiyyah bint ‘Abd Al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them) and suggested that the Prophet ﷺ judged in his favor because he was his relative! Thereupon, the complexion of Allah's Messengerﷺ changed, because of anger which was written all over his face, given this man’s disrespect for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his heinous accusation. It should be noted that it was a mere slip of the tongue on part of the man (may Allah be pleased with him). He ﷺ said (to Al-Zubayr), "Irrigate (your garden) and then withhold the water till it reaches the walls (surrounding the palms),” meaning until he (may Allah be pleased with him) had finished irrigating the whole garden. Thus, Allah's Messengerﷺ gave Al-Zubayr his full right.
Before that, Allah's Messengerﷺ had given a generous judgment that was beneficial for both Al-Zubayr and the man from the Ansaar, out of courtesy, and to settle their dispute peacefully, suggesting that Al-Zubayr should irrigate his garden by taking the least amount of water sufficient for irrigation and then allow it to flow to his neighbor’s garden. However, when the man refused and irritated Allah's Messengerﷺ, he gave Al-Zubayr his full right according to the relevant Laws of Islam provisions. It goes without saying that the Prophet ﷺ did not let his anger drive him to undermine this man’s rights or give Al-Zubayr more than what he was entitled to at the expense of his neighbor.
Al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah, I think the following ayah was revealed concerning that case (which means): {But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.} [Quran 4:65].
In the ayah, Allah, Exalted is He, swears by His name that no one truly believes unless he accepts the Prophet ﷺ as judge to settle all disputes and would be perfectly content with his judgment, hasten to comply with it and submissively adhere to it. This serves as a reprimand from Allah, Exalted is He, to those who do not seek the judgment of His Messenger ﷺ, negating (the perfection of) their faith until they should be content with his judgment.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a ruler may pass his judgment based on what he believes to be the truth based on clear evidence, after urging the litigants to opt for reconciliation and the refusal of any of them.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to follow the example of the Prophet ﷺ at times of anger and contentment, and in all situations.It encourages a believer to restrain his anger, keep it in check, refrain from allowing it to drive him to infringe on the rights of others and wrong them, and rather to opt for forgiveness and pardon.
The hadeeth also urges Muslims to seek reconciliation and commands them to do so.
It is inferred therefrom that a ruler may give each litigant his right in full if the litigants refuse to reconcile or accept his proposal of a possible middle way.
It also rebukes whoever disrespects the ruler and governor and punish him accordingly without wronging him.

.

2710

‘Abdullah ibn Ka‘b narrated that Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that during the lifetime of Allah's Messengerﷺ, he demanded his debt from Ibn Abee Hadrad (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Mosque. Their voices grew louder till Allah's Messengerﷺ heard them while he was in his house. So, he ﷺ lifted the curtain of his room and called on Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) saying, "O Ka‘b!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Labbayka (i.e., I am at your service), Allah's Messengerﷺ.”He ﷺ beckoned to him with his hand suggesting that he deduct half the debt. Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I will do, O Allah's Messengerﷺ!” He ﷺ then said (to Ibn Abee Hadrad), "Get up and pay him the rest."
.

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islamdecreed that a debtor should keenly repay his debts in full and honor his commitments, and also enjoins the creditor to be kind and lenient towards the debtor.
In this hadeeth, Ka‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)said that during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, he demanded the repayment of his debt from Ibn Abee Hadrad (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Prophet’s Mosque. Their voices grew louder during their discussion till Allah's Messengerﷺ heard them while he was in his house. Therefore, he ﷺ lifted the curtain of his room and called onKa‘b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) saying, "O Ka‘b!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Labbayka (i.e., I am at your service), Allah's Messengerﷺ.”He ﷺ beckoned to him with his hand suggesting that he deduct half the debt owed by Ibn Abee Hadrad (may Allah be pleased with him). In compliance with the Prophet’s command, Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote off half the debt. It was not a judgment issued by the Prophet ﷺ for Ka‘b to give up his right to half of the debt, but rather aimed to urge him to show kindness and lenience towards the debtor, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was not required to do so. He ﷺ then said (to Ibn Abee Hadrad), "Get up and pay him the rest,” meaning the other half of the debt.
The hadeeth highlights the virtue of reconciliation and mediation between the disputing people.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to adjudicate disputes over debts and all financial rights in the mosque and issue the apt judgment.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is permissible for a debtor to ask the creditor to write off part of the debt.
It is also deduced that one may intercede with those to whom rights are due in favor of others, and that they are urged to accept this intercession in what is good and permissible.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that a ruler may interfere personally to make peace between disputing people..

2711

Marwaan and Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated on the authority of the Companions of Allah's Messengerﷺ that when Suhayl ibn ‘Amr agreed to Al- Hudaybiyah Treaty, one of the terms he stipulated then, was that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them (i.e., the pagans of Quraysh) anyone coming to him from their side, even if he was already a Muslim; and would not interfere between them and that person. Muslims did not like this condition and were very indignant by it! Suhayl did not agree (to conclude the treaty) except with that condition. So, the Prophet ﷺ agreed to that condition and returned Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) to his father Suhayl ibn ‘Amr. Thenceforward, the Prophet ﷺreturned everyone in that period (of truce) even if he was a Muslim. During that period some believing women emigrated including Umm Kulthoom bint ‘Uqbah ibn Abee Mu‘ayt (may Allah be pleased with her) who came to Allah's Messengerﷺ and was a young lady then. Her relative came to the Prophet ﷺand asked him to return her, but the Prophet ﷺ did not return her to them for Allah, Exalted is He, had revealed the following ayah regarding women. He Says (what means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them.} [Quran 60:10]
‘Urwah narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ used to examine the believing women who migrated to him in accordance with these ayaat. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women, but ask for what you have spent and let them ask for what they have spent. That is the judgement of Allah; He judges between you. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. * And if you have lost any of your wives to the disbelievers and you subsequently obtain [something], then give those whose wives have gone the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers. * O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right - then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 60:10-12] ‘Urwah narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “If any of the believing women accepted the condition (assigned in the above-mentioned ayaat), Allah's Messenger ﷺ would say to her, "I have accepted your Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance)." "He ﷺ would only say that orally, for, by Allah, his hand never touched, any lady during that process. He ﷺ did not receive their Bay‘ah except by saying, "I have accepted your Bay‘ah for that.".

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was the keenest to honor his covenants or agreements with others, even those made with the polytheists.
In this hadeeth, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, who was one of the leaders of Quraysh and their preacher - he embraced Islam the same year Makkah was conquered - was the representative of the disbelievers of Quraysh at the Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah in 6 A.H. One of the terms he stipulated then was that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them (i.e., the pagans of Quraysh) anyone coming to him from their side, even if he was already a Muslim, and would not interfere between them and that person. This meant that if any of the people of Quraysh wanted to embrace Islam and join the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺ was bound to return him to the disbelievers, who would kill him if they wished or do whatever they wanted! Muslims disliked this condition and were very indignant about it! It was very difficult for them to accept such a condition, especially since they were in a strong position and apparently had the right to decline such an unfair condition. However, Suhayl did not agree (to concluding the treaty) except with that condition. So, the Prophet ﷺ agreed to it and returned those who wanted to join the Muslims, one of whom was Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, after he (Aboo Jandal) came from Makkah to Al-Hudaybiyah. Thenceforward, the Prophet ﷺreturned whoever came to him during that specified period (of the truce) even if he was a Muslim, in compliance with the agreed-upon term. During that period, some believing women emigrated, including Umm Kulthoom bint ‘Uqbah ibn Abee Mu‘ayt (may Allah be pleased with her), who came to Allah's Messengerﷺ and was a young lady then, meaning that she had recently reached puberty. Her relative came to the Prophet ﷺand asked him to return her, but the Prophet ﷺ did not return her to them, for Allah, Exalted is He, had revealed the following ayah regarding women. He Says (what means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them.} [Quran 60:10]. Testing them here meant asking them to take an oath and consider the indicative signs that they most likely had embraced Islam, to verify the sincerity of their faith.
It was also said that the meaning of their examination is to ask them to swear an oath that they did not leave their people to escape their hated husbands, merely sought migration to a different land, or to obtain some worldly gains, and ensure that they came only out of their love for Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ.
The Mother of the Believers ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ used to examine the believing women who migrated to him in accordance with these ayaat. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women, but ask for what you have spent and let them ask for what they have spent. That is the judgement of Allah; He judges between you. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. * And if you have lost any of your wives to the disbelievers and you subsequently obtain [something], then give those whose wives have gone the equivalent of what they had spent. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers. * O Prophet, when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right - then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 60:10-12]. The ayaat referred to their pledge of allegiance to refrain from associating partners with Allah, Exalted is He, stealing, committing Fornication (i.e., illicit sexual intercourse), or falsely attributing their illegitimate children to their husbands. It was also said that His Saying {between their arms,} means their tongues, and {and legs,} means their private parts. They had also to pledge not to disobey the Prophet ﷺ in whatever is lawful and good. It was said that this referred particularly to wailing over the dead, and it was also said that it referred to staying alone with non-Mahram men. Another opinion suggested that it referred to all the known rights of Allah, Exalted is He, over His servants.
Afterward, ‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that whoever from among the believing women accepted these conditions, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said to her, "I have accepted your Bay‘ah (i.e., pledge of allegiance)." She (may Allah be pleased with her) swore by Allah that the Prophet’s hand never touched any lady during that process. It was done verbally since the Prophet ﷺ only shook the hands of men who gave him the Bay‘ah.
.

2721

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "From among all the conditions which you have to fulfill, the conditions which make it lawful for you to have sexual relations (i.e., stipulated in marriage contracts) have the greatest right to be fulfilled."
.

Commentary :
The believers are Islamically bound by their own conditions, and it is incumbent on a Muslim to comply with every condition that conforms with the Book of Allah, Exalted is He, and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ, and does not conflict with them.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informed us that the first and foremost of these conditions, and the most deserving of fulfillment is the one by means of which sexual intercourse is deemed lawful. This means the conditions stipulated in marriage contracts whereby it becomes lawful for a man to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife. This is why such conditions were declared the most deserving of fulfillment (considering the solemnity of the marriage bond).
It is noteworthy that such conditions must not contradict the essence and implications of the marriage contract to begin with. Rather, they must be within the scope of what a marriage contract entails and aims to fulfill, such as stipulating fostering kindness, providing for one’s wife, providing her with clothes and accommodation within what is reasonably and customarily acceptable, fulfilling her rights over him, establishing justice among co-wives, or stipulating that she must not leave his home without his permission, that she must not disobey him, observe voluntary fasting without his permission, or does not allow anyone access to his home without his permission, dispose of his wealth and belongings except in a manner acceptable to him, and the like. However, this does not apply to the conditions that conflict with the very essence and implications of marriage, such as stipulating that the wife must not take a dower or that a husband is not required to provide for her and the like; such conditions must be broken. These conditions are invalid and if they are cancelled, the marriage contract would be valid, for the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every condition that is not in the Book of Allah is invalid, even if there are one hundred conditions. The Book of Allah is more deserving of being followed and the conditions of Allah, Exalted is He, are more binding.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
The hadeeth urges the fulfillment of marital rights..

1050

Abu al-Aswad reported: Abu Mūsa al-Ash'ari sent for the reciters of the people of Basra. Three hundred men who had recited the Qur'an came to him. He said: "You are the best among the people of Basra and their reciters. So, recite it. And let not hope of a long life delude you, and thus your hearts would harden as the hearts of those before you had hardened. We used to recite a Surah, which we would liken to Barā‘ah in terms of length and toughness, and I was made to forget it. However, I memorized from it: "If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third valley, and nothing would fill the inside of the son of Adam except dust". We used to recite a Surah, which we would liken to one of the Musabbihāt, and I was made to forget it. However, I memorized from it: "O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?" This will be written as a testimony on your necks, and you will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to direct his Companions and advise them to refrain from keenness on worldly life and hope for an extended stay in it. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did the same with the Tābi'is.
In this tradition, Abu al-Aswad ad-Dīli informs that Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for the reciters among the people of Basra to come to him and gather there. Basra is a city located in the south of Iraq. "Three hundred men, who had recited the Qur'an" and memorized it "came to him." He advised and directed them, saying: You are the best among the people of Basra and you are the people of the Qur’an among them. Then, he instructed them to read the Qur’an and recite it in the most proper manner, which entails understanding its meanings, reflecting upon its verses, and acting upon its rulings. And he said to them: "And let not hope of a long life delude you and thus your hearts would harden," i.e., do not have high hopes for worldly life and do not wish to stay therein for long, as this corrupts the hearts by dragging them to greed and hardness, and thus they will not soften to Dhikr or derive benefit from admonition or rebuke. As a result, you will have such hardness and aversion within your hearts that had befallen the nations before you due to their hopes for an extended stay in the life of this world. This includes a reference to the verse that reads: {Has the time not yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and the truth that has been revealed? They should not be like those who were given the Scriptures before, whose hearts grew hard after the passage after a long period of time, and many of them were evildoers.} [Surat al-Hadīd: 16]
Then, he informed that they used to recite a long Surah of the Qur’an, whose recitation was abrogated, and they would liken it to Surat Barā’ah, which is Surat at-Tawbah, in terms of length and toughness. He further said that he was made to forget it. Then, Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) made an exception and informed that he memorized from the meanings of this Surah such words that contain dispraise of attention on worldly life and the love and desire for having a lot of it. He said: "If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third valley." A valley is any gap between mountains or hills. "and nothing would fill the inside of the son of Adam except dust", i.e., he continues to be keen on worldly life till he dies, and his inside gets filled with the dust of his grave. The inside may also be intended to refer to the heart, and the meaning is that he does not get bored of the love for wealth. This is because man is naturally inclined to love wealth and has an unquenchable greed for it, and he has no limit to stop except a matter like his own, namely dust.
Then, Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that they used to recite a Surah which they would liken to one of the Musabbihāt, which are the Surahs that begin with "subhān, sabbaha, yusabbihu, sabbih ism rabbika" (glory be to, glorified, glorifies, glorify the name of your Lord), and that he was made to forget it; and he memorized from it: "O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?" This is a question that signifies disapproval and rebuke for those who attribute to themselves good things that they do not do, either in relation to the past, in which case they would be liars, or concerning the future, and this would be a contradiction; both are dispraised. "This will be written as a testimony on your necks and you will be asked about this on the Day of Judgment" i.e., these false statements will be recorded against you, for what you said and did not do is a testimony from you, and you are liable for it, and you will be held accountable, and it will entail an evil recompense on the Day of Judgment.
This abrogation, which Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) told about in this Hadīth, is one of the abrogation types: the abrogation of words and recitation. Abrogation is of three types: First: Abrogation of rulings, while words and recitation endure. Second: Its opposite; and that is the abrogation of words and recitation, while the ruling endures. Third: Abrogation of the ruling along with the words and recitation. This is the abrogation which Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 106] And also in the verses that read: {We will teach you [the Qur’an], so you will not forget*, except what Allah wills.} [Surat al-A‘la: 6-7] These two Surahs are among the Surahs Allah Almighty willed to be forgotten after He revealed them. This is because Allah Almighty does whatever He wills and is Able to do all things He wishes. Indeed, this is all possible. Let not one wrongly assume, because of this and the like of it, that any part of the Qur’an was lost. In fact, this is untrue, as established by the verse that reads: {It is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and it is We Who will preserve it.} [Surat al-Hijr: 9] This is also established by the consensus among the Companions and those after them that the Qur’an, which we are required to recite and act upon its rulings as a form of worship, is the text contained between the two covers of the Mus'haf, without addition or omission.
The Hadīth shows keenness to present advice to the Muslim reciters.
It contains dispraise of the keenness on worldly life and the hope for a long stay therein.
It includes dispraise of lying and bragging about something one did not do.
The Hadīth also mentions that a person's speech is recorded and he will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment.
And it indicates that a believer should be chiefly concerned about working for the Hereafter and he should not be deceived by worldly life and its desires..

1054

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās reported that: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Successful is the one who accepts Islam and is provided with mere subsistence and Allah makes him content with what He has given him.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to admonish his Companions, advise them, and encourage them to aim at sublime matters, so that the worldly life would be in their hands, not in their hearts, and what they gained thereof would help them in acts of worship.
This Hadīth contains guidance from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to his Ummah that a person should not tire himself in seeking more than mere subsistence, for what is commendable in sustenance is the amount that enables a person to perform worship and for which he should work as much as needed. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that success is attained and gained by a person who embraces Islam rightly, for he gets rid of Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (polytheism), which is the sin that Allah does not forgive, and he is provided with mere subsistence, no more or less, and what makes him self-sufficient and saves him from necessities and wants. This means lawful sustenance, for no success comes with unlawful sustenance. And his words: "and Allah makes him content with what He has given him," i.e., Allah grants him contentment with the mere subsistence he has; so, he does not aspire to pursue more than that.
The Hadīth shows that success and triumph are attained by embracing Islam for the sake of Allah and being pleased with what Allah gives him.
It demonstrates the merit of contentment, and that it is one of the means of success..

1056

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed some wealth, and I said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, there are other than those more deserving of it than them?" He said: "They gave me the choice that they either ask of me importunately or regard me as a miser, and I am not a miser.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the most generous and bountiful among the people. He would give like one who fears no poverty. This was to teach his Ummah and serve certain Shar‘i purposes that were probably not known or grasped at the time by anyone other than him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) says The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed some wealth among the people, and he gave some people, whereas ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) held that others were more deserving of being given than them. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to him why he gave to them and not those who were more deserving to be given than them. This is because those he gave were people of ignorance and lying. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that they begged in an importunate manner due to their weak faith and drove him, by their very importunate attitude, to either give them what they asked for or they would describe him as a miser and defame him, while in fact, he is not a miser. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to them and protected his honor by his giving, lest they might lie about him. Miserliness is not part of his character (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he gave to them to appease them and win their friendliness. Similarly, he said in a Hadīth of the Two Sahīh Collections: "Indeed, the worst people in rank in the sight of Allah is the one whom people leave or abandon for fear of his discourteousness." Thus, he endured their rudeness and treated them forbearingly to win their friendliness and protect himself from being described as a miser, a trait that does not befit him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth indicates that we can appease the people of ignorance and harshness and win their friendliness, if this achieves a good interest.
It also shows that patience and forbearance were part of the Prophet's character.
The Hadīth demonstrates and directs a person to spend out of his money to protect his honor and himself from the people of ignorance..

1060

Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Abu Sufyān ibn Harb, Safwān ibn Umayyah, ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn, and Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis, to every one of them, one hundred camels, and gave to ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās less than that. Thereupon, ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās said: You allot the share of my booty and that of Al-‘Ubayd between ‘Uyaynah and Al-Aqra‘ Both Badr and Hābis in no way surpassed Mirdās in the assembly I am in no way inferior to any one of these two. And he whom you lower today will not be elevated He said: So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) completed one hundred camels for him. [And in a version]: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided the spoils of the battle of Hunayn and gave Abu Sufyān ibn Harb one hundred camels... And he narrated the same Hadīth, with the addition: And he gave ‘Alqamah ibn ‘Ulāthah one hundred. [And in a version]: He did not mention poetry..

Commentary : This Hadīth reveals a part of how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to win people's hearts to Islam by giving them money, each according to the strength of Īmān in his heart or his tenderness, and how he was considerate of the circumstances of each one of them.
The circumstances surrounding this Hadīth: After the battle of Hunayn, which took place in the eighth Hijri year between the Muslims and the two tribes of Hawāzin and Thaqīf, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided the spoils he seized from this battle between the Muslims, preferring some of them over others. He gave some of them a hundred camels and others less than that. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave a hundred camels to Abu Sufyān ibn Harb, the Quraysh leader, Safwān ibn' Umayyah, who had embraced Islam after the Conquest of Makkah and was one of the Quraysh notables during Jāhiliyyah and Islam, 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fazāri, who had embraced Islam before the Conquest of Makkah and was marked by the typical roughness of desert dwellers, and Al-Aqra' ibn Hābis at-Tamīmi, who had come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and partook in the Conquest of Makkah, and he was an arbitrator during Jāhiliyyah; he gave each one of these persons a hundred camels. On the other hand, he gave ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās less than a hundred. So, ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās became angry and said these poetic verses: "You allot the share of my booty and that of Al-‘Ubayd between ‘Uyaynah and Al-Aqra‘" Booty: the spoils. Al-‘Ubayd: the name of the horse of ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās. The meaning: Do you give the booty which I took part in seizing from Hunayn with my weapon and horse to ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn and Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis and the like of them, by giving them more than me?! By his words "Both Badr and Hābis", he meant the grandfather of ‘Uyaynah and the father of Al-Aqra‘. ‘Uyaynah is the son of Hisn ibn Hudhayfah ibn Badr, and Al-Aqra‘ is the son of Hābis. And his words: "in no way surpassed Mirdās in the assembly". Surpass means: is higher than. Assembly: the meeting place of the clans and tribes. "I am in no way inferior to any one of these two" The meaning: My father was not inferior to theirs, neither am I inferior to them. He seemed to have been gripped with fear that his status might be lowered. Therefore, he said: "And he whom you lower today" by decreasing his share of the booty "will not be elevated", i.e., the people will not elevate him after this day.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a hundred camels like the others who were given a hundred, so as to win his heart and dispel the thought of inferiority or that he might be lower in rank than others.
The Hadīth shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would win the hearts of some people with money for an apparent interest.
The ruler may prefer some over others if he sees a certain benefit in doing so.
It is permissible to recite poetry and is permissible to listen to it..

1064

Abu Sa‘īd reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a people who would be among his Ummah, who would emerge out of the dissension of people. Their distinctive mark would be shaven heads. He said: "They would be the worst creatures - or among the worst creatures. The nearer of the two groups, the truth would kill them." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave an example of them, or he said: "A man throws an arrow at the prey - Or he said: at the target - and looks at the arrowhead and finds no trace, and he looks at the body and finds no trace. Then, he looks at the grip and finds no trace." He said: Abu Sa‘īd said: "And you killed them, O people of Iraq.".

1066

Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani reported that he was in the army led by ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that set out to fight the Kharijites. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'There would arise within my Ummah a people who would recite the Qur’an, and your recitation would be nothing compared to their recitation, your prayer would be nothing compared to their prayer, and your fast would be nothing compared to their fast. They would recite the Qur’an thinking that it supports them, whereas it is against them. Their prayer does not get beyond their collarbones. They would pass through Islam as an arrow passes through the prey. If the army that is to encounter them were to know what had been decreed for them by the tongue of their Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), they would completely rely upon that and cease to work. The sign of this is that there would be among them a man with an upper arm and without an arm, and the head of his upper arm would be like the nipple of the breast on which there would be some white hairs.' So, will you go to Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant and leave them behind among your children and your property?! By Allah, I hope they are those people, for they have shed inviolable blood and raided the animals of the people. So, go forth in the name of Allah." Salamah ibn Kuhayl said: Zayd ibn Wahb made me alight at a place, till we crossed a bridge. When we encountered them - and ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb ar-Rāsibi was the leader of the Kharijites on that day - he said to them: "Throw the spears and draw out your swords from their sheaths, for I fear that they would appeal to you as they appealed to you on the day of Harūrā'." They went back and threw their spears and drew out their swords, and people fought against them with their spears and they were killed on top of one another. Only two men were killed from among the people on that day. Then, ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said: "Search for the Mukhdaj (the maimed one) among them." They searched but did not find him. So, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) himself stood up till he came upon people who had been killed on top of one another. He said: "Move them away from one another." So, they found him near the ground. Thereupon, he proclaimed Takbīr and then said: "Allah told the truth, and His Messenger conveyed it." He said: Then, ‘Abīdah as-Salmāni stood before him and said: "O Commander of the Believers, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god, did you hear this Hadīth from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?" He said: "Yes, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god." He repeated the request for an oath from him three times, and he swore each time..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned us against religious innovations and extremism, for it leads to the corruption of societies. Extremism, along with the lack of proper understanding of the religion, may result in considering the Muslim communities as people of religious innovations and Kufr (disbelief) and lead to revolt against the rulers unjustly.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani relates that he was with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the army that marched toward the Kharijites. This happened in 38 A.H., in the battle of Nahrawān, located nearly 35km southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. They were those who criticized ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for the arbitration over his fighting against Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), and they fought him and declared the Muslims as disbelievers and regarded the shedding of their blood as lawful. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed his army to make them firm and urge them to fight and display patience in doing so. He informed that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) point out some traits of the Kharijites, mentioning that they would be a people within the Muslim Ummah, and they would "recite the Qur'an," i.e., recite it a lot. They would also perform prayer and observe fast often, to the extent that if people compared their condition to the condition of others, they would regard the worship of others as nothing next to them. "They would recite the Qur'an thinking that it supports them", i.e., it provides an argument for them in proving their claims, whereas this is not the case in reality; instead, it serves as an argument against them with Allah Almighty. In the Two Sahīh Collections, in a Hadīth reported by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): "It does not get beyond their collarbones." Likewise, their prayer does not get beyond their collarbones. Prayer here probably refers to the recitation in prayer. The collarbone is the bone that extends from the neck cavity to the shoulder. They do not understand the Qur’an, draw benefit from its recitation, ponder its verses, or reflect upon its meanings. So, they do not reach their hearts through reflection and Khushū‘ (humility and focus) and do not ascend to heaven. Therefore, they obtain no reward for them. "They would pass through" i.e., they would depart from Islam quickly and not get attached to anything in it, just as an arrow passes through prey, i.e., like a powerful and fast arrow that penetrates the target and passes through prey, due to its power and speed, entering from one side and coming out from the opposite one; and it leaves no trace of blood or flesh. Then, they would not go back to the religion, as the arrow does not go back to its place in the bow.
Then, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) states that if the army that would kill and defeat them were to know the reward and recompense that their Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed them about and determined for them, they would abandon work and solely rely upon this glad tiding which was given to them for killing the Kharijites.
The distinctive mark of those Kharijites is "that there would be among them a man with an upper arm", which extends from the shoulder to the elbow, "and without an arm", which extends from the elbow to the hand. And the head of his upper arm would be like "the nipple of the breast", and there would also be some white hairs on the top of his upper arm.
Then, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed criticism of the army in the form of questioning: Do you want to go to Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant and fight them and leave those Kharijites behind to stay among your women and children and loot your property?! The meaning: This is not proper and should not happen. By this, he intended to urge them to fight the Kharijites first before marching toward Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant.
Then, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) swore, saying: "By Allah, I hope they are those people" who are amongst us, revolted against us, and departed from obedience to us, "the people" whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described to us. Indeed, they went to extremes in shedding the blood of Muslims, and it is blood whose shedding is forbidden. They killed 'Abdullāh ibn Khabbāb and the mother of his child. "and they raided the animals of the people", i.e., they raided people's property and stole their grazing livestock. Then, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "So, go forth in the name of Allah", i.e., with the blessing of the name of Allah, seek help from Him and put your trust in Him. This indicates that actions should begin with the mention of Allah.
Salamah ibn Kuhayl al-Hadrami al-Kūfi - one of the Hadīth narrators - informs that the Tābi‘i Zayd ibn Wahb mentioned to him the locations of their travel to fight the Kharijites, one by one, until they reached the bridge at which the fighting took place - the bridge of Dizjān. This is also mentioned in As-Sunan Al-Kubra Collection of An-Nasā’i. A bridge is a structure built over water for crossing on it. This is the bridge of Nahrawān, where the Kharijites gathered.
Zayd ibn Wahb related that when the two armies encountered each other for fighting, the leader of the Kharijites on that day was ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb ar-Rāsibi, who said to the Kharijites: Throw the spears and draw out your swords from their sheaths. He wanted the two armies to start fighting. Thus, there would be no possible alternative to fighting, such as a truce or appeal, which means that they would ask and adjure them by Allah, and this might cause some of his companions to leave him, and, as a result, his army would become weaker. Confrontation with spears puts the two armies at a distance from each other, and this carries the possibility that some of them may feel pity upon seeing the blood and call for the cessation of fighting. On the other hand, fighting with the swords breaks out quickly and ends with defeating one of the two armies. Ibn Wahb hoped that he would be victorious in this battle. "as they appealed to you on the day of Harūrā’." This is a village near Kufa, after which a sect of the Khrijites was named, as their first gathering took place there, "the day" here refers to the day in which the Kharijites gathered, numbering eight thousand - and a different number was also mentioned - and they alighted at Harūrā’. Their leaders were ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Kawwā’ al-Yashkuri and Shabath at-Tamīmi. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent his cousin ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to them. He debated with them, and as a result, many of them came back with him. Then, ‘Ali went out to them, appealed to them, and engaged in a discussion with them. Consequently, they obeyed him and entered Kufa along with him.
When the Kharijites listened to ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb, they obeyed him and "threw their spears" i.e. they threw them away and engaged in fighting against the army of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with swords. So, this opinion led to victory for the Muslims and ‘Ali's army, the preservation of their blood, and their empowerment. "and people fought against them with their spears" i.e., the companions of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stabbed them with their spears like trees. The Arabic text uses a verb derived from 'shajar', which means trees. So, the companions of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) threw the spears at them before they could reach them. Then, they engaged in battle with them and killed so many of them; only two men were killed on the side of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). His words "they were killed on top of one another" mean that they were piled upon one another due to the large number of them who were killed, forming heaps.
Then, after the end of the battle, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered them to search for "the Mukhdaj" man, i.e., his body is incomplete. This is the man described at the beginning of the Hadīth. They searched for him but could not find him. So, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) himself rose and moved to a heap of dead bodies from the Kharijites. He ordered that they be separated from one another, and they found underneath them the man he was looking for dead. Thereupon, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) proclaimed Takbīr in wonder at seeing the Mukhdaj man with the description given by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, he said after the Takbīr: "Allah", Exalted be He, "told the truth" in what He revealed to His Prophet; "and His Messenger conveyed" His message to us and to the people, in truth.
Then, Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani informed that the Tābi‘i ‘Abīdah as-Salmāni called out to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Commander of the Believers", and he adjured him by Allah, other than Whom there is no god, to tell him whether he heard this Hadīth from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In response, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) swore, saying: "Yes, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god" i.e., yes, I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). "He repeated the request for an oath from him three times". He asked him to swear to let this be heard by the people present and affirm that to them, and in order to reveal to them the miracle informed by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and show them that ‘Ali and his Companions are the worthier among the two groups in claiming the truth, and that they are rightful in fighting them.
The Hadīth points to the danger of ignorance in religion and dogmatic thinking.
It mentions the great reward of killing the Kharijites.
It warns against extremism in religion and affectation in worship.
Those who revolt against the just rulers should be fought against.
The Hadīth mentions some traits of the Kharijites.
It shows the merit of ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him).
An oath may be requested for verifying something unfamiliar, so as to affirm it to those who hear about it..

1067

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, there is from my Ummah after me - or there would be from my Ummah after me - a people who would recite the Qur’an, but it would not go beyond their throats, and they would pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the prey, and then they would not come back to it; they are the worst among the creation and the creatures.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Companions about many of the trials that took place during their generation and that would take place after their generation. One of the trials they witnessed during their time was the trial of the Kharijites.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made reference to that. He mentioned people who would be in his Ummah after him; among their characteristics is that they "would recite the Qur'an, but it would not go beyond their throats." They recite the Qur'an but do not get affected by it, understand it, or act upon its verses. So, they will not be recompensed for that by rewards, and their recitation does not go beyond their tongues, so no good deed is accepted from them. This is not something required; instead, it is required to ponder and reflect upon the Qur'an as it influences the heart. This all means that Imān (faith) did not settle firmly in their hearts. "they would pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the prey, and then they would not come back to it", i.e., they come out of the religion like the coming out of a fast arrow, which hits the prey and enters and comes out of it with a high speed, without any trace of the prey sticking to it; this is due to its quick coming out of the target. The "ramiyyah" (prey) is the animal that is hunted and hit with an arrow after getting chased. This is a description of the Kharijites, who do not obey the rulers and revolt against them and declare people as disbelievers on account of major sins that are below Shirk (polytheism) and Kufr (disbelief). They kill the people of Islam and leave the people of idols (disbelievers). After all that, they do not return to the religion again, as they do not repent or reconsider their matter. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remarked: "They are the worst among the creation and the creatures." It is said: "Khalq" (creation) refers to humankind, and "khaliqah" (creatures) refers to animals. It is also said: They both have the same meaning. So, this refers to all creation. They are the worst among all creation because they fight the best people, thus corrupting the land after it was in good condition.
The Hadīth includes one of the Prophet's prophecies, as he told about something that would happen after his death, and it did happen as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed.
It warns against misunderstanding the Qur’an and not pondering its verses, goals, and objectives; and it points out that this causes corruption on earth.
It also indicates that one of the consequences of poor reflection upon the verses of Allah is to depart from the religion..

1068

Sahl ibn Hanīf reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A people will go astray toward the east, with shaven heads.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on teaching his Ummah and warning them against trials. A true Muslim ponders the Prophet's statements and teachings and tries his best to save himself and his Muslim community from falling into misleading trials.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that there will emerge a group of people who will deviate from the true and correct path and go astray in the darkness of religious innovations and misguidance. They will never be guided to the truth; they will be lost and follow the wrong paths. They will emerge from the east, which refers to the direction of the sunrise. Those people who go astray from the true path are described as having shaven heads, which indicates their abandonment and renouncement of worldly life. The intended meaning is that shaving their heads was a habit that they persistently engaged in and for which they were known. This trait was mentioned with regard to the Kharijites, that they are marked by shaving their heads, until it became a slogan for them, by which they were identified.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warns his Ummah in this Hadīth against the trial of going astray in misguidance and tells us about the signs of deviation.
One of the signs of deviation and misguidance is leading a life of false asceticism..

1072

‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith reported: Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith and Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib got together and said: "By Allah, if we sent these two young men - I and Al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbās - to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and they spoke to him, he would put them in charge of these Zakah funds, and they would pay as the people pay and get a share as the people get." He said: As they were talking about that, 'Ali ibn Abi Tālib came and stood before them, and they mentioned it to him. Thereupon, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib said: "Do not do this, for, by Allah, he would not do that." Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith turned to him and said: "By Allah, you are only doing this out of jealousy toward us. By Allah, you became the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), but we felt no jealousy toward you." 'Ali said: "Send them." So, they set out, and 'Ali lay on the bed. He said: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Zhuhr prayer, we went ahead of him to his room and stood near it till he came, took hold of our ears, and then said: "Take out what you keep within yourselves." Then, he entered, and we entered his place. He was on that day in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh. He said: We urged each of us to speak. Then, one of us spoke, saying: "O Messenger of Allah, you are the most righteous and the best of people in upholding kinship ties. We have reached the marriageable age. We have come so that you may put us in charge of some of these Zakah funds, and we would submit them to you as the people submit and get a share as they get." He said: He kept silent for a long time until we wished to speak with him. He said: Zaynab pointed to us from behind the curtain, telling us not to talk to him. He said: Then, he said: "Zakah does not befit the family of Muhammad, for it is the impurities of people. Call Mahmiyah to me - and he was in charge of the Khums funds - and Nawfal ibn al-Hārith ibn' Abdul-Muttalib." They both came to him, and he said to Mahmiyah: "Marry your daughter to this young man", i.e., Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās. He married her to him. And he said to Nawfal ibn al-Hārith: "Marry your daughter to this young man", i.e., me. He married her to me. And he said to Mahmiyah: "Pay such and such from the Khums funds as a dowry on behalf of both of them.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty honored His Prophet and the believing members of his household and purified them of all filth and impurities. An example is that Zakah is forbidden for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his household. They may not take from it or accept it.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith, the Prophet's cousin, met with his uncle Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle, and they said: By Allah, if we sent these two young men - meaning: 'Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah and Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them) - to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they talked to him, and he appointed them as Zakah collectors, and they would submit as the people submit and get a share like the people, as a wage for the Zakah work. They wanted this money to help them get married, as they reached the marriageable age and could not afford marriage, as narrated in the version by Abu Dāwūd. As Al-‘Abbās and Rabī‘ah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were talking and discussing this matter, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him), also a cousin of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), came and stood before them. They mentioned to him what they were discussing and told him about what they intended to do. So, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade them from doing that and swore that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not agree to their request in this regard. Thereupon, Rabī‘ah turned to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him tough words and swore that he did not forbid them from sending the two young men and asking the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to put them in charge of Zakah funds except because of jealousy toward them and his desire to be the only one among them with closeness to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, he swore by Allah to ‘Ali that he won the relationship with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) by marriage - meaning his marriage to his daughter Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) - and they felt no jealousy toward him because of that. When ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that from him, he asked them to send them so that they could be certain about his advice to them. "and ‘Ali lay on the bed." In another version by Muslim: "'Ali threw his cloak and lay on it, and he said: I am the father of Hasan, and I am the Qarm (chief). By Allah, I would not move from my place till your sons return to you with the reply to that for which you sent them to the Messenger of Allah the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." Qarm: the stud among animals. It refers to a master and chief who possesses knowledge and wise judgment. He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant: I spoke what I said to you from knowledge, and I would not move from my place, and I would wait for the reply they would come with from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He knew that the reply would be as he told them.
So, ‘Abdul-Muttalib and Al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with both of them) left and headed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). 'Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr prayer, they went ahead of him to the room he would enter after the prayer, and that was the room of the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). They waited for him at the door till the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came, took hold of their ears by way of jesting, and then said: "Take out what you keep within yourselves" i.e., the talk you harbor within your chests. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered his room, and they entered after him so as to proceed with their talk and let him hear them. Each of them wanted the other to start the talk with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in awe of him. Then, one of them talked. He said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, you are the most benevolent of all people", i.e., the best among people in benevolence and doing good to others. "and the best of people in upholding kinship ties" i.e., you are most keen on maintaining the ties of kinship. "We have reached the marriageable age." Thus, they presented the reason for their following requests. "We have come so that you may put us in charge of" collecting "some of these Zakah funds", which are to be calculated and taken from money owners and kept and given to you and distributed to the due recipients. "and we would submit to you as the people submit" i.e., we would transfer the Zakah funds and hand them over to you like others. "and get a share as they get" as a wage for the Zakah work. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent for so long that they wanted to repeat their speech and request. Meanwhile, Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) began to point to them with her garment or hand from behind the curtain to not talk to him. After his long silence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made clear to them that Zakah may not be given to the household of Muhammad, i.e., it is forbidden for him and his family, whether it is given for work or because of poverty, destitution, or some other reason. "for it is the impurities of people", i.e., it purifies their wealth from the sin of hoarding and their souls from the sin of stinginess. Or it is the impurities of people because it expiates for sins, removes afflictions, and acts as a ransom for the person in this regard. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to call Mahmiyah ibn Jaz’ ibn ‘Abd Yaghūt az-Zubaydi (may Allah be pleased with him) to him. He was a man from Banu Asad, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had put him in charge of the Khums (one-fifth of the spoils), and to call Nawfal ibn al-Hārith ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the brother of Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith. Mahmiyah and Nawfal came and appeared before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Mahmiyah ibn Jaz' to marry his daughter to Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās, which Mahmiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) did. And he ordered Nawfal ibn al-Hārith to marry his daughter to Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith. Both of them (may Allah be pleased with both of them) complied. Mahmiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was in charge of the Prophet's expenses from the Khums. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to pay an amount which he specified for him as a dowry on behalf of each of them to his wife. The Khums refers to the share of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the spoils, as revealed in the verse that reads: {Know that whatever spoils you obtain, one-fifth belongs to Allah and the Messenger, his close relatives, the orphans, the needy and the [stranded] travelers.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 41]
The Hadīth indicates that Zakah funds are to be paid to the ruler and the authority holder.
It shows the Prophet's modesty and cheerfulness and how he would jest with and show compassion toward the young.
Words of praise may be said before asking for something.
The Hadīth mentions that it is forbidden to give Zakah to the household of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It indicates that the Prophet's household were not employed for the collection of charity and Zakah.
It also shows that a person should seek to obtain the wherewithal for marriage.
It demonstrates a father's interest in helping his son get married to maintain his chastity.
The Hadīth also points out the merit of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), as he was more knowledgeable about this matter than those Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
And it shows the extreme politeness of Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) as she pointed to the two young men not to repeat the speech to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

1087

Kurayb reported: that ’Umm al-Fadl sent him to Mu‘āwiyah in the Levant. He said: I came to the Levant and fulfilled her errand. Then, the crescent of Ramadan was sighted while I was in the Levant. I saw the crescent on the night of Friday. Then, I came to Madīnah at the end of the month. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked me about the sighting of the moon and said: "When did you see the crescent?" I said: "We saw it on the night of Friday." He said: "Did you see it yourself?" I said: "Yes, and the people saw it and fasted and so did Mu‘āwiyah." He said: "But we saw it on the night of Saturday; so, we will continue fasting until we have completed thirty days, or we see it." I said: "Will you not be content with the sighting of Mu‘āwiyah and his fasting?" He said: "No, this is what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined upon us." Yahya ibn Yahya was doubtful about whether it is "Will we not be content?" or "Will you not be content?".

Commentary : Allah made crescents a means for counting months and years. By sighting the crescent, one month begins and another ends. Based on this sighting, many obligations are determined, like fasting and Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Kurayb ibn Abi Muslim says that ’Umm al-Fadl Lubābah bint al-Hārith, the wife of Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and the mother of ‘Abdullāh ibn al-‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them), sent him to Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), who was then the caliph of Muslims. Kurayb went to the Levant and finished her errand. Then, the crescent of the month of Ramadan appeared while he was in the Levant. The crescent was sighted on the night of Friday. There are over 1,120km between the Levant and Madīnah, the center of the caliphate during the era of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān, from which the state was run, and which was followed by all the Muslim provinces.
Then, Kurayb said that he went back to Madīnah once again at the end of the month of Ramadan. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him about the journey and the fulfillment of his mother's errand. Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned the crescent and asked him: When did you see the crescent in the Levant? Kurayb told him that they saw it on the night of Friday. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) further asked: "Did you see it" with your own eyes? In response, Kurayb said: Yes, and the people also saw it, and they fasted and so did Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās said: "But we saw it on the night of Saturday," i.e., one night after it was sighted in the Levant. Therefore, we will continue to fast until we complete the thirty days of the month or see the crescent before that with the month being 29 days. This results from the different sightings of crescents from different places. So, Kurayb asked Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): Will you - or he said: will we - not be content with the sighting by the people of the Levant of the crescent of Ramadan at its beginning, and with them is Caliph Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him)? Thus, you fast with their fasting at the start of the month and break your fast with their break of the fast. In reply, Ibn ‘Abbās said: 'No' i.e., we are not content with their sighting. Rather, we observe the fast or complete the month according to our sighting. He probably said that given the great distance between Hejaz and the Levant which allows for different crescent sightings. Also, news could not reach Madīnah from the Levant on the same night. Hence, they comply with the Prophet's command to observe the fast and break the fast based on sighting the crescent. In a Hadīth narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast when you see it and break your fast when you see it, and if the weather is cloudy, complete it as thirty." This does not exclusively pertain to the people of a certain region; rather, it is addressed to all Muslims.
The Hadīth indicates that we must rely on sighting the crescents to know the beginnings and ends of the lunar months.
It also points out that the people of each region should fast based on their sighting of the crescent..

1088

Abu al-Bakhtari reported: We saw the crescent of Ramadan while we were at Dhāt ‘Irq. So, we sent a man to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about that. In response, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah has deferred it till it is seen, but if the weather is cloudy, then complete the period.".

Commentary : Allah made crescents a means for counting months and years. By sighting the crescent, one month begins and another ends. Based on this sighting, many obligations are determined, like fasting and Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu al-Bakhtari Sa‘īd ibn Fayrūz at-Tā’i informs that they saw the crescent of Ramadan one day while they were at a place called Dhāt ‘Irq. This is the locational Miqāt of the pilgrims of the people of Iraq. It lies 42 miles (100km) to the northeast of Makkah. They sent a man to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about the crescent of Ramadan and the related rulings, especially if the weather is too cloudy for the people to see it. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah has deferred it till it is seen," i.e., indeed, Allah extended the period of sighting the crescent till the people could see it. If it is not possible to see it until the end of the twenty-ninth day of the month, and you cannot see it for one reason or another, like the clouds being in the way, you should observe the complete period of the month of Sha'bān as thirty days. This also applies to all Hijri lunar months. This does not exclusively pertain to the people of a certain region; rather, it is addressed to all Muslims.
The Hadīth indicates that we should ask the people of knowledge about obscure and confusing matters.
It also points out that we should leave doubt to certainty when the crescent is hidden by completing the month as thirty days..

1094

Samurah ibn Jundub reported: I heard Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Do not be misled with regard to your Suhūr by the Adhān of Bilāl or the whiteness of the horizon that grows long in this way until it spreads this way.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) defined the time in which a fasting person should refrain from eating during the month of Ramadan; that is the time of "al-Fajr as-Sādiq" (the true dawn). He pointed out that a Muslim may eat and drink till the Adhān of the real dawn.
In its meaning, this Hadīth is linked to other versions which demonstrate that there were two Adhāns for Fajr during the Prophet's lifetime: The first Adhān was proclaimed by Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him). This is the one about which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not be misled with regard to your Suhūr by the Adhān of Bilāl or the whiteness of the horizon that grows long in this way." This teaches the Muslims that they may eat and drink when they hear the Adhān of Bilāl, for it was only intended to give notice that the time of Fajr was approaching. The Adhān of Bilāl was proclaimed at the time when the whiteness of the horizon grows long in the sky. And it was meant to make the sleeping person wake up and alert the one standing in prayer. It was followed by the second Adhān, which was proclaimed by Ibn ’Umm Maktūm. Upon hearing it, the people would abstain from food and drink and start fasting.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed the people to the sign of the true dawn. He commanded them to eat and drink till "it spreads this way" i.e., until dawn appears extended on the horizon..

1096

‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the Suhūr (pre-dawn) meal.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge and enjoin the Muslims to have the Suhūr meal, given the blessing it contains for the fasting person.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the Suhūr (pre-dawn) meal," i.e., the Suhūr meal - for he who wants to observe fasting, obligatory, or supererogatory - differentiates between the nature of our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book - the Jews and the Christians. This is because Allah made permissible for us some of what He has prohibited for them. So, our difference from them in this regard represents gratitude for this favor. They do not have a Suhūr meal, while we are enjoined to have it. The best time for this meal is the time of Sahar, which comes shortly before the rise of the true dawn.
This meal is stressed because at this time most people will probably be sleeping, and sleep and its enjoyment may overcome and distract them from the significance of this meal. Then, as a result of abandoning this meal, they will be weakened in undertaking their activities during the daytime.
The Hadīth urges us to have the Suhūr meal.
It shows the Prophet's keenness on being distinguished and different from the People of the Book in the acts of worship common between us and them..

1099

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Sometimes I missed some fasts of Ramadan and I would not be able to make up for them except in Sha‘bān; due to being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or because of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). [And in a version]: That is because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). [And in a version]: Being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not mentioned in the Hadīth..

Commentary : The Shariah urges and encourages us to use the dispensations, particularly if they entail something that may lead to a certain harm or hardship.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "Sometimes I missed some fasts of Ramadan," i.e., days of fasting in Ramadan were due upon me, for I did not fast them due to things that happen to women, like menstruation, illness, etc. "and I would not be able to make up for them except in Sha‘bān," i.e., she could not make up for these days throughout the year except in Sha‘bān. "due to being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or because of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." She used to keep herself prepared and ready for his affairs (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and for pleasing him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at all times. This shows her extreme politeness and love for him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and it indicates the great rights of the husband upon one's wife.
The Hadīth indicates the legitimacy of delaying the fast of Ramadan until the next Sha‘bān.
It also demonstrates the flexibility provided in the acts of worship and religious obligations.
The Hadīth also shows the significance of the rights of the husband and being busy with obeying him and tending to his affairs..

1104

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing prayer during Ramadan, I came and stood by his side. Then, another man came and stood likewise till we became a group. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that we were behind him, he lightened the prayer. Then, he went to his abode and performed such a prayer that he would not perform with us. In the morning, we asked him, "Did you perceive us during the night?" He said: "Yes, it was this that prompted me to do what I did." He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to observe Wisāl (continuous Qiyām and fasting) at the end of the month, and some men among his Companions began to observe Wisāl. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What about those men who observe Wisāl?! You are not like me. By Allah, if the month were lengthened for me, I would observe Wisāl in a way that would make those who act with exaggeration abandon their exaggeration!".

Commentary : Acts of worship must be performed exactly as the Shariah prescribed them. We were commanded to fear Allah as much as we can, without overburdening ourselves or adopting a strict approach in religion, for people differ in terms of their abilities and capacities, and lest people become bored of worship and the religious injunctions.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informs the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) once performed a supererogatory prayer in Ramadan during a night in the mosque. Meanwhile, he came and stood on his right side, praying with him. Then, another man came and also stood to pray with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, people continued to come and pray behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) till they became "Raht" (a group), which is less than ten persons or more, up to forty men. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived they were praying behind him, he began to lighten the prayer to facilitate the matter and make it easy for them. This contrasts with his usual performance of Qiyām al-Layl when he prayed alone. After he made Taslīm ending the prayer, he entered "his abode" i.e., his house, where he performed a long prayer the like of which he did not perform with him. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that in the morning after that night, they said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Did you perceive us?" i.e., did you feel our presence during that night when we prayed behind you? He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Yes' i.e., I perceived you praying behind me. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "it was this that prompted me to do what I did", i.e., it was what you did as you prayed behind me that drove me to lighten the prayer, go to my house and pray there, and refrain from coming out to you, lest it may be made obligatory for you. Indeed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the most lenient and merciful among people toward his Ummah.
Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to observe Wisāl, performing Qiyām all night long and observing fast day and night without breaking it. This Wisāl was at the end of the month of Ramadan. So, some men among his Companions began to observe Wisāl and act like him, thinking that the Prophet's prohibition was meant for discouraging, not unlawfulness. As a result, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry and disapproved of them, as Wisāl was not prescribed for the Ummah. Rather, it is one of his peculiar traits (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "What about those men who observe Wisāl" of fasting?! "You are not like me", i.e., in this matter, you are not like me. Rather, you are required to do what is easier for you. It is authentically reported in the Two Sahīh Collections that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would spend the night with his Lord so Allah would provide him with food and drink. This stems from the Prophet's complete compassion and mercy toward his Ummah and his fear that they might get bored of worship and fall short of some tasks of the religion. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore to them: "By Allah, if the month were lengthened for me" i.e., if the days of the month of Ramadan increased, as they sighted the crescent one or two days after their observance of Wisāl, according to a Hadīth narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections and reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). "I would observe Wisāl," i.e., he would continue this Wisāl of his, "in a way that would make those who act with exaggeration", those who overburden themselves, adopt a strict approach, and oblige themselves to do things that were not prescribed for them, "abandon their exaggeration." i.e., so that they would abandon it because of tiredness and hardship, and thus they would themselves be sure of the leniency of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) toward them when he prohibited them from Wisāl. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would indeed increase Wisāl for them to deter and punish them for their lack of compliance with his command (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth points out the Prophet's leniency toward his Ummah and that he would not burden them with things beyond their capacity.
It warns of exaggeration in the acts of worship.
And it warns against overburdening oneself with supererogatory acts of worship..

Book of Hadith