Narrated `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺsaid, "Whoever killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims, shall not smell the scnent of Paradise though its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years.".

Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has commanded the believers to honour contracts and fulfil covenants.He, the Glorified, says, {And fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have taken it. [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation.}[Quran 16:91].For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ warned in this hadeeth the one who kills a person with whom a covenant has been made – that is a person who enters the abode of Islam with assurances of safety and protection – that he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise,and its fragrance can be smelled from as far as the distance of travelling forty years.It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “… the fragrance of Paradise can be found at a distance of seventy years.” [Sunan al-Tirmithee].Other narrations reported something else, distance-wise.The different versions of the hadeeth have been reconciled to conclude thateach distance depends on thedifferences in people, deeds, and variations in ranks. That is to say, some people will sense its fragrance from as far as the distance of a thousand years,while others will sense its fragrance from a distance of forty years, and for others, from a range in between these distances.All of these narrations describe a long distance.
This hadeeth warns against betraying the covenants made with non-Muslims.
It shows that Paradise is for those who fulfil covenants and those who do not betray them..

3169

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): When Khaybar was conquered, a roasted poisoned sheep was presented to the Prophetﷺas a gift (by the Jews). The Prophetﷺordered, "Let all the Jews who have been here, be assembled before me." The Jews were collected, and the Prophetﷺsaid (to them), "I am going to ask you a question. Will you tell the truth?" They said, "Yes." The Prophetﷺasked, "Who is your father?" They replied, "So-and-so." He said, "You have told a lie; your father is so-and-so." They said, "You are right." He said, "Will you now tell me the truth, if I ask you about something?" They replied, "Yes, O Aboo Al-Qaasim; and if we should tell a lie, you can realize our lie as you have done regarding our father." On that he asked, "Who are the people of the (Hell) Fire?" They said, "We shall remain in the (Hell) Fire for a short period, and after that you will replace us." The Prophetﷺsaid, "You may be cursed and humiliated in it! By Allah, we shall never replace you in it." Then he asked, "Will you now tell me the truth if I ask you a question?" They said, "Yes, O Aboo Al-Qaasim." He asked, "Have you poisoned this sheep?" They said, "Yes." He asked, "What made you do so?" They said, "We wanted to know if you were a liar in which case, we would get rid of you, and if you are a prophet then the poison would not harm you."
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Commentary : The Jews constantly displayed much hatred against the Prophet ﷺfrom the moment he was sent as a Prophet and his migration to al-Madeenah,such that they attempted to assassinate him on several occasions.
Inthis hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that whenAllah allowed the Muslimsto conquer Khaybar in the seventh year of the Hijrah,the Prophet ﷺ intended to protect al-Madeenah from the evil of the Jews who had assembled there. Khaybar was a town in which the Jews used to reside, 153 km away from al-Madeenah, northwards in the direction of the Levant.
As their envy and hatred increased further,a woman from amongst them sent the Prophet ﷺ a gift of lamb containing poison – the name of this woman was Zaynab bint al-Haarith, the wife of Sallaam ibn Mishkam, and the sister of Murahhab(who had been killed during the conquest of Khaybar). In preparation for the assassination, she had asked earlier, “Which part of the lamb is most beloved to him?”She was answered, “The shoulder.” So,she placed more poison in it.When heﷺ partook of the shoulder, he chewed a morsel thereof in his mouth but did not swallow it.It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) that Bishr ibn al-Baraa(may Allah be pleased with him) ate with the Prophetﷺ from that lamb, and he swallowed his morsel [Sunan Aboo Dawood].
When the Prophetﷺ came to learn about the poison, he commanded his Companions to stop eating and then ordered the Jews who were present to stand before him,as they were suspected concerning the poison. The Prophet ﷺ said, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They responded, “Of course.”He asked them a few questions to discover their lies thereafter.He asked them, “Who is your father?” They replied, “So-and-so,” mentioning the name of a person who happened not to be their father in reality.The Prophet ﷺ said, “You have lied. Actually, your father is so-and-so,” that is the Prophet of Allah, Jacob the son of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them. They replied, “You have spoken the truth.”Again, the Prophetﷺ asked, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They replied, “Of course, Abooal-Qaasim!If we lie, you will recognise our lie, as you recognised about our father.”The Prophet ﷺ asked them, “Who are the dwellers of the fire?”They replied that they would remain therein for a little while, then the Muslims would follow them therein, after the Jews exiting it. The Prophet ﷺrebuked them for making such a statement and ordered them todesist from making this false claim, and informed them that they are more rightful to be disgraced, humiliated, and receive the punishment of the fire, and how evil is that place to stay.He ﷺstated that the Muslims would never follow them(as they will remain therein forever).As for our disobedient ones, their stay is limited and temporary, and they will not abide therein forever.Then, heﷺ asked, “I shall ask you about something; will you be truthful to me about it?”They replied, “Of course, Abooal-Qaasim!”He asked them about the reason for placing poison in the lamb.They replied, “We wanted to seek assurance of your prophethood.If you were a liar, you would die straight away from that poison, thus we would gain relief from you and from what you claim.If you were truthful in your prophethood, then that poison would not hurt you and cause you any harm, as Allah would protect you.”
This hadeeth shows that Allah showed to the Prophet ﷺregarding some events from the unseen.
It shows the betrayal of the Jews and their mistreatment of the prophets.
Itdemonstrates the rebellion of the Jews and their lies..

3176

Narrated `Awf ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): I went to the Prophetﷺduring the Battle of Tabuk while he was sitting in a leather tent. He said, "Count six signs before the advent of the Hour: my death, the conquest of Jerusalem, a plague that will afflict you (and kill you in great numbers) as the plague that afflicts sheep, the increase of wealth to such an extent that even if one is given one hundred Dinars, he will not be satisfied; then an affliction which no Arab house will escape, and then a truce between you and the people of yellow (i.e. the Byzantines) who will betray you and attack you under eighty flags. Under each flag will be twelve thousand soldiers.
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Commentary : Allah supported the Prophet ﷺand informed him of some of the events that would occur before the establishment of the Last Hour. These are signs that will take place before its establishment so that we can be preparedand do as many good deeds as possible before we meet Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
In this hadeeth, ‘Awf ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he came to the Prophet ﷺ during the Battle of Tabuk, which happened in the ninth year of the Hijrah.Tabuk is a city located in the farthest north region of the Arabian Peninsula, right in the middle of the road to Damascus, which is 1252 km away from the Hijaaz.This was the last battle which the Messenger of Allah ﷺfought himself against the Romans.‘Awf found the Prophet ﷺ seated in a tent made of tanned leather.The Prophet ﷺ told him, “Count six things before the advent of the [Last] Hour,” meaning six signs that will appear before the establishment of the Last Hour.Among its closest signswas the demise of the Prophet ﷺ, then the conquest of Jerusalem, which was fully realised in the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him).He then added, “Two kinds of death,” that is a pandemic that will be endemic amongst the people,and it will be like the ‘Qu’aas’ of the sheep, a disease that attacks sheep whereby something flows from form their noses, and they die on the spot.This reality happened during the plague of ‘Amwaas, wherein seventy thousand people died within three days.After heﷺ said, “The overflowing of wealth and its abundance”, to the extent that a person will be given a hundred Dinars, yet he will be unpleased and will not be content with it, because he will think that it is too little, and he will belittle that amount. He further said, “The trial”,which is a test and tribulation that will lead to in-fighting and chaotic situationssuch that no house of the Arabs would be saved from it, but rather this trial would penetrate it and cause it harm.
He then said, “Then there will be a peace treaty between you and the people of yellow,” which refers to the Romans, anddenotes a reconciliation or ceasefire. However, they would not fulfil the covenant, and they would betray the Muslims and break the peace treaty.Hence, they would come to fight the Muslims under eighty banners. Under each flag, there would be twelve thousand soldiers.
This hadeeth highlights some of the signs concerning the proximity of the advent of the Last Hour, some of which have already happened.
Itdemonstrates a sign among the signs of the prophethood of the Messenger ﷺ..

3180

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): "What will your state be when you can get no Dinar or Dirham (i.e. taxes from the Dhimmis)?" on that someone asked him, "What makes you know that this state will take place, O Aboo Hurayrah?" He said, "By Him in Whose Hands Aboo Hurayrah's life is, I know it through the statement of the true and truly inspired one (i.e. the Prophet)." The people asked, "What does the statement say?" He replied, "Allah and His Messenger's asylum granted to Dhimmis will be outraged, and so Allah will make the hearts of these Dhimmis so daring that they will refuse to pay the Jizyah they will be supposed to pay.".

Commentary : Honouring contracts and covenants is one of the most important qualities of a true Muslim.The Prophet ﷺ commanded us to honour our covenants and agreements, including those with the non-Muslims and explained the drastic outcome of breaking them without any valid reason.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) warns the Muslims about breaking a covenant with the non-Muslims under the protection of Islamic law and warns about the evil outcome of subjecting them to injustice.He said to those around him among the Tab’ieen, “How would your state be if you did not take a Dinar or a Dirham from the Jizyah and the Kharaaj (land tax)?”Those around him became wonderstruck and asked him about how this could happen while knowing that the wealth of the Jizyah and Kharaaj continuously poured in towards the Muslims from everywhere!He reported to them that the Prophet ﷺ - who is truthful in his speech and who can be trusted regarding that which Jibraail (peace be upon him) informed him – said that this would happen when the Muslims flouted the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger ﷺ, and that is when the Muslims would break the covenant of Allah and of His Messenger ﷺwith the Dhimmis.They would oppress them and transgress against them; thus,they would be punished in this world before the punishment in the Hereafter, in the sense thatAllah, the Mighty and the Majestic would remove the owe and respect for Muslimsfrom people’s hearts. As a result, they would refuse to give what they possess,i.e. they would stop giving what is incumbent upon them to pay, such as the Jizyah and so on.The Muslims would be unable to take anything from them, resulting in their state becoming contracted economically.
The hadeeth exhibits a sign amongst the signs of the prophethood of the Prophetﷺ.
It shows that our adherence to the commands of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and their covenants is the path to our salvation.The more the Muslims deviate from their commands and way, the furtherthey will fail and suffer loss.
This hadeeth shows that the Dhimmis have rights that the leader of the Muslims should enforce and protect and that they have a covenant and protection which should be fulfilled and honoured..

3191

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn(may Allah be pleased with him): I went to the Prophetﷺand tied my she-camel at the gate. The people of BaneeTameem came to the Prophetﷺwho said "O BaneeTameem! Accept the good tidings." They said twice, 'You have given us the good tidings, now give us something" Then some Yemenites came to him, and he said, "Accept the good tidings, O people of Yemen, for BaneeTameem refused them." They said, "We accept it, O Allah's Messengerﷺ! We have come to ask you about this matter (i.e. the start of creations)." He said, "First of all, there was nothing but Allah, and (then He created His Throne). His Throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the Heaven) and created the Heavens and the Earth." Then a man shouted, "O Ibn al-Husayn! Your she-camel has gone away!" So, I went away and could not see the she-camel because of the mirage. By Allah, I wished I had left that she-camel (but not that gathering).
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Commentary : Certainly, Allah is One and Unique,and His attributes areMajestic and Perfect.The Prophet ﷺ has informed us about the beginning and the end of creation so that we can sense the grandeur of Allah, the Sublime.
In this hadeeth, ‘Imraan ibnal-Husayn(may Allah be pleased with him)reports that he once went to see the Prophet ﷺ in the Prophet’s Mosque, and before entering the Mosque, he tied his she-camel to the door. On this day,a group of people from Banoo Tameem visited the Prophet ﷺ, andheﷺ met them in a way that warms up the hearts.He ﷺ told them to accept the glad tiding of what he was saying to them;this would follow from them receiving the good news about entrance into Paradise.They replied, “You have already given us the good news; now give us something.”They repeated this twice.Their most important focus was on worldly gainsso that they did not understand well the good news given to them apart from material gifts.
Afterwards, some people from Yemen entered upon the Prophetﷺ,and he told them toaccept the glad tiding since Banoo Tameem failed to accept it.These people were from the clan al-Ash’aree from Yemen, and their response was different from that of Banee Tameem,i.e. they accepted it happily and then asked him about the universe.Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned to them about the beginning of the creation and the Throne. He ﷺinformed them that there was nothing but Allah, whoseexistence is eternal as He is without a beginning or end. Nothing existed besides Him, neither the water nor the Throne nor anything else.
His Throne was over the water, which is the Throne on which He, the Majestic, rose.It is the topmost of allthe creations and the greatest and the biggest of them all.Allah has described it asgrand in terms of size and the quality of beauty. The Prophet ﷺ added thatAllahwrote everything that will occur until the Day of Judgement, and then He created the Heavens and the Earth. In other words, Allah existed before everything, and there was nothing but Him. Then, He created the water first, and then the Throne – or He created the Throne in the upper side and the water in the lower side - and then created the Pen and the Preserved Tablet, and then the Heavens and Earth. This is the chronological order of the creation.
After, ‘Imraan relates that during this conversation, a person informed him that his she-camel had disappearedi.e.it had escaped from her rope and run away. ‘Imraan pursued her, until she had gone so far that a mirage happened to veil in front of her.Thereupon, ‘Imraan swore that he wished he had left her to disappear and remained in the gathering of the Prophet ﷺ to listen to the remaining hadeeth.
This hadeeth is an urging and encouragement to attend the gatherings of knowledge.
It highlights the virtue of learning the sacred knowledge and listening to it.
It shows that we should give precedence to seeking the sacred knowledge over seeking wealth..

3193

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "Allah the Most Superior said, "The son of Adam vilifies Me, and he should not slight Me, and he disbelieves in Me, and he ought not to do so. As for his vilifiing Me, it is that he says that I have a son; and his disbelief in Me is his statement that I shall not recreate him as I have created (him) before."
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Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ reports from His Lord, the Majestic and High, that He states thatthe son of Adam vilifies Him asthey dare to attribute to Allah that which necessitates imperfection and defects.It is not allowed for anyone to describe Allah, the Sublime, with anything that may entail imperfection or defects.Then, Allah states that people disbelievein Him, whereas they ought not to disaffirm Allah, the Sublime.After, Allah, the Sublime, explains His meaning of this vilification and disaffirmation by elaborating that those who have vilified the Lord of the universe are those Jews, Christians and polytheists who have claimed that He, the Sublime, has a child.This does not befit Him, the Mighty and the Majestic, as this entails assimilation, resemblance, imperfection and need.Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, is One, and the Only One (Unique) who {begets not and nor was he begotten and there is no one like unto Him.}[Quran 112: 3-4].Those who disaffirmed Allah are the ones who rejected the resurrection and considered it to be a distant reality whilst acknowledging that Allah is the One Who created them without having a previous template. He who created them in the beginning from nothing is able to resurrect and recreate them the second time because re-creation is an easier process!
We learn from this hadeeth that attribution of a son to Allah is an act of vilification of Allah Almighty, a rejection of His Oneness, and giving His resemblance to others besides Him, and that is an act of ascribing partners to Him (Shirk).
The hadeeth shows that rejection of resurrection is,in essence, disaffirmation of Allah Almighty and His promise.
It shows that Allah is the One Who started the creation and that it is Him who will recreate it. This confirms that the world has come into being, and also confirms the resurrection and re-creation of the humans after their demise, and that Allah is the One who will bring them back to life on the Day of Judgement, to reward them for their actions..

3195

Aboo Salamah ibn `Abd al-Rahmaan had a dispute with some people on a piece of land. He went to `Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her) and told her about it. She said, "O Aboo Salamah, avoid the land, for Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'Any person who takes even a span of land unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths.' ".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ warned people against taking others’ property, by force or authority, unlawfully.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Aboo Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf reports that he had a dispute with some people over a piece of land. He mentioned his dispute to ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and she advised him to be cautious so that he did not take anything from it unlawfully, because the Prophet ﷺ said, 'Any person who takes even a span of land unjustly, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths’”. Themeasure a of span in the hadeeth,no matter how little it is, his neck shall be encircled with it down seven earths on the Day of Judgment as a punishment. It is said that it means the stolen part of the earth will swallow him until his neck is encircled with it. It is also said that it means the weight of this land will be around his neck on the Day of Judgment, and it will remain like that until all the people finish their reckoning. It is mentioned in Musnad Ahmad that the Prophet ﷺ said,“The property of a Muslim that is taken unlawfully will be deprived of Allah’s blessings.”.

3199

Narrated Aboo Tharr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺ asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: {And the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing} [Quran 36:38] .

Commentary : Allah has predestined everything from the beginning of creation to its end.

In this hadeeth, Aboo Tharr al-Ghafaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ asked him at the time of sunset about where the sun goes after its disappearance. Aboo Tharr replied that Allah and His Messenger know better, which is an answer that displays his politeness as he refrained from putting an answerbefore the Prophet ﷺ, and so he left it to Allah and His Messengerﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid that it travels till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne. This prostration is real and regardless of where it prostrates, it will be underneath the Throne. Afterwards, it takes permission to rise again from the east to go on its course again and then it is granted permission. It continues to take permission to rise again from the east to proceed on its course until Allah does not permit it, and commands it to return from where it came. Thereupon, the sun will rise from the west, which is one of the major signs of the Hour.That is an interpretation of the Statement of Allah: {And the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed)} [Quran 36:38].The sun continues to go on its fixed course until the end of this world, {that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing} [Quran 36:38]. The sophisticated accurate movement of the sun in its orbit is evidence of the existence of Allah, Most High, who upholds and arranges the affairs of this world in a fashion that befits His Wisdom, Knowledge, and Might.

This hadeeth highlights the might and power of the Allah and His authority and control of the universe and all the creation. Itdebunks and scolds those who worshipped the creation in this worldly life, so they know their worship to them was invalid and false.
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3200

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophetﷺsaid, "The sun and the moon will be folded upon the Day of Resurrection.".

Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, the Truth and the Sovereign, is the only one worthy and deserving of our worship and glorification, and it is Him, the only God, to whom our worship and deeds must be devoted. He is the Creator of everything and under His will and power falls everything in this cosmos; hence, it is invalid for a person to worship anything other than Him or beside Him.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ informs us that the sun and moon will be folded up on the Day of Judgment,i.e. they will be deprived of their light.It is said that they will be folded up and then thrown into Hellfire to debunk and scold those who worshipped them in this worldly life, so they know their worship of them was invalid and false. It is said that they were created from Hellfire; thus, they will return to it on the Day of Judgment. However, placing them in Hellfire does not mean they are punished there, for Allah, Exalted is He, has created angels for Hellfire to punish the dwellers of Hellfire.

This hadeeth highlights the Might and Power of Allah to bring creation into existence and terminate the existence of the creation. It shows that all created beings are subject to Allah, Most High.
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3206

Narrate`Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her): If the Prophetﷺsaw a cloud in the sky, his face would change and he would walk back and forth, go out and come in. However, if it rained, he would feel relaxed." `Aaishah inquired from him about his reaction to seeing the cloud. The Prophetﷺsaid, I do not know (am afraid), it may be similar to what happened to some people referred to in theQuran in the following ayah: {Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened a wind wherein is severe torment} [Quran 64:24]. .

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was in constant fear of Allah, Most High, and always concerned that his nation may be subjected to Allah’s punishment because of the sins of their sinners.

In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺsaw rain clouds, he would march up and down, and his face would show signs of concern and distress because he feared that those clouds carried the punishment of Allah. However, once rain fell, his concern and worry would fade away. ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him about that, so he said that his fear was out of his concern that it might be like the clouds that brought Allah’s tormentto thepeople of Prophet Hood (peace be upon him)about whom Allah, Exalted is He, said: {Then when they saw it as a dense cloud coming towards their valleys, they said, 'This is a cloud bringing us rain!' Nay, but it is that (torment) which you were asking to be hastened.A wind wherein is severe torment.} [Quran 64:24].

If one were to ask, why did the Prophet ﷺfear Allah would punish his people while he was still alive among them,while Allah, Most High, says: {But Allah would never punish them while you ˹O Prophet˺ were in their midst.} [Quran 8:33] it has beensaid is that it is possible the ayah is specific and only applicable to those mentioned in the ayah, or it is only applicable to a particular time, or that the state of fear of Allah necessitates that he should not feel secure against Allah’s planning.In particular,the Prophet ﷺwould act to teach his nation, and one aspect of this is teaching them to never feel secure against Allah’s planning, because Allah, Most High, says: {Did they feel secure against Allah’s planning? None would feel secure from Allah’s planning except the losers.} [Quran 7:99].

This hadeeth shows that nobody should feel immune against Allah’s punishment and torment, and that we should be prepared by being mindful of Allah and resorting to Him in situations of fear and troubles.

It reminds us to reflect on the previous nations who were subjected to Allah’s torment and punishment, to learn from their mistakes and avoid that which caused their punishment.

It highlights the compassion and mercy of the Prophet ﷺ towards his nation, as Allah, Most High, descried him: {He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.} [Quran 9:128]..

3208

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Mas'ood(may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messengerﷺthe true and truly inspired, said, "Each one of you is constituted in the womb of the mother for forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period.Then God sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his deeds, his livelihood, the date of his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched. Then the soul is breathed into him. One amongst you acts [like the people deserving Paradise] until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.."
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Commentary : Allah, Exalted is He, has predestined the fate of the creation and penned it in His Preserved Tablet, so it takes place afterwards according to what He had decreed.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ reports that the foetusgoes through four stages in the womb. The first stage, which is ovulation, takes forty days, wherein an egg and sperm travel in opposite directions to meet for implantation; hence pregnancy happens. In the second stage, it becomes a clot of thick blood clinging to the womb for a similar period. In the third stage, it develops into a piece of flesh whose size is as little as that which a human can chew in his mouth for a similar period. In the final stage, its form and shape begin after completing four months. Thereupon, Allah sends the angel that is responsible for wombs to write down all the good and evil deeds that he will do throughout his lifetime, his livelihood, the date of his death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched when he dies.Each person will die upon that which Allah has written.A person would act like the people deserving Paradise until he is so close to entering Paradise when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him, and he begins to act like the dwellers of Hell and thus enters Hell.And another person would act in the way of the denizens of Hell until he is so close to entering Hellfire when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him, and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.

This scenario is further explained in another hadeeth. It is narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Saa’idee (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “that a person performs deeds like the deeds of the people of Paradise apparently before people and he would be amongst the dwellers of Hell, and a person acts apparently like the people of Hell, but (in fact) he would be among the dwellers of Paradise.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].That means, a person who spends life in good deeds but before passing he deviates, and a person whose life is spend in bad deeds but dies upon goodness.This is because the state of such a person as it appears to people is different to that reality which Allah knows.

This hadeeth highlights the belief in fate and predestination, regarding deeds and provisions, and lifespan. It warns us from being befooled of that which is apparent to us, because deeds are judged based on how they end.

It shows that good deeds and bad deeds are just signs indicating the reality of a person and do not necessarily reflect the reality or the end of people, which Allah has predestined and decreed.
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3209

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him):The Prophetﷺsaid, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, 'Allah loves so-and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.' Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven, 'Allah loves so-and-so; therefore you should love him also,' and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth."
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Commentary : In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains the benefits of being loved by Allah, Most High, in this life,and the rewarding outcome in the Hereafter. The Prophet ﷺ explains that if Allah loves a person, He will call Gabriel telling him that He loves so-and-so; thus, Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven, “Allah loves so-and-so; therefore you should love him also,” and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and the inhabitants of the Heaven here refer to the angels. As a result, this person is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth such that most of the believers who know him would be inclined to him, and his good reputation lasts. It is said that it means Allah makes the hearts of His believing servants inclined to him and praise him.
Love is one of the established attributes of Allah, Exalted is He, and it is understood according to its apparent meaning in a way that befits Allah, the Most-High. As for how Gabriel andthe angels love him, it means they would praise him and ask Allah to forgive him, or love as people know it,i.e. their hearts become inclined to him and long for him because of his obedience and Allah’s love for him..

3210

Narrated `Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her): “I heard Allah's Messengerﷺsaying, "The angels descendto the clouds and mention the matter decreed in the Heaven. The devils then listen stealthily to them, come down to inspire the soothsayers with it, and the latter would add to it one-hundred lies of their own."
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Commentary : Islam eradiates all forms of superstition and stands against the manipulation of people’s hopes and dreams such that it considers it from the major sins. To this end, Islam reinforces in the hearts of believers that no one knows the future and the unseen except Allah, who alone can bring forth benefit and avert harm. The Muslim is required, therefore, to attach his heart to Allah and submit all his affairs to Him alone.

In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ explains that the angels descend from above to the clouds wherein they mention that which has been decreed in the Heaven. This is because the angels would hear all the events that Allah decrees every day and every moment. The angels mention them to each other, so the devils eavesdrop and then share what they heard to soothsayers and fortune-tellers who, in their turn, add one hundred lies to thenews they received from devils.

This hadeeth was an answer given by the Prophet ﷺ in response to a question that ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) posed to him - as recorded in Saheeh Muslim – as she inquired from him abouthow the soothsayers before Islam could foretell some events that took place afterwards as they mentioned.

The eavesdropping of devils of the conversations of the dwellers of the heavens used to happen before Allah’s revelation to the Prophet ﷺ. However, this eavesdropping was stopped immediately upon the advent of Islam when Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the message of Islam. Allah, Most High, says: {We used to take up positions there for eavesdropping, but whoever dares eavesdrop now will find a flare lying in wait for them.} [Quran 72:9].

The Prophet ﷺ has prohibited us from visiting soothsayers and fortune-tellers. It is reported on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever visits a soothsayer or a fortune-teller and believes him, he has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” [Musnad Ahmad].

This hadeeth serves as a warning against listening to soothsayers, falsifiers and fortune-tellers. .

3212

Narrated Sa’eed ibn Al-Musaiyyab:`Umar came to the Mosque while Hassaan was reciting a poem. (`Umar disapproved of that). On that Hassaan said, "I used to recite poetry in this very Mosque in the presence of one (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ) who was better than you." Then he turned towards Aboo Hurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him) and said (to him), "I ask you by Allah, did you hear Allah's Messengerﷺsaying (to me), "Retort on my behalf. O Allah! Support him (i.e. Hassaan) with the Holy Spirit?" Aboo Hurayrah said, "Yes.".

Commentary : The ruling on poetry is the same as the ruling on speech or words, of which it is a part; therefore, what is good is good, and what is bad is bad.One of the prominent poets among the Companions was Hassaan ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him).

In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyab reports that one day ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)found Hassaan ibn Thaabit recitingpoetry in the Mosque. The facial gesture of ‘Umar showed his disapproval, but Hassaan informed him that he used to recite poetry in the Mosque in the presence of him who is better than ‘Umar, meaning the Prophet ﷺ. Then, he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, “I ask you by Allah, did you hear Allah's Messengerﷺ saying to me, ‘Retort on my behalf. O, Allah! Support Hassaan with the Holy Spirit?’”Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed it. The reason Hassaan did that wasthat ‘Umar was known for his strictness about the hadeeths of the Prophet ﷺ, and he would only accept it if two men testified to the correctness of the hadeeth.

The background story of the statement of the Prophet ﷺ to Hassaan ibn Thaabit is that some poets from Quraysh lampooned the Prophet ﷺ. Hence, he ﷺ asked his Companions to respond to them and lampoon Quraysh. A couple of Companions stepped forward to take this mission, and Hassaan ibn Thaabit was one of them. However, the poetry of Hassaan was the most effective and most intimidating to Quraysh. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to support Hassaan with the holy spirit (i.e. angel Gabriel). It has been said that the Prophet ﷺ made this supplication so Allah would protect him through the angel Gabriel from falling into scurrility, as it would backlash, causing more damage.

The hadeeth highlights the virtue of Hassaan ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him), and shows that it is permissible to recite poetry in the Mosque to defend the truth and encourage the good..

3217

Narrated`Aaishah(may Allah be pleased with her):The Prophetﷺsaid to her: "O `Aaishah! This is Gabriel, and he sends his salutations to you." `Aaishah said, "I send my salutations to him, and may Allah's Mercy and Blessings be on him," and addressing the Prophetﷺshe said, "You see what I do not see."
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Commentary : Allah, the Exalted, invested His Prophet ﷺwith exclusive qualities and privileges, like selecting him to receive His revelation and entrusting him to be His Messenger who conveyed all that which he received from revelation.

In this hadeeth,‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, reports that the Prophet ﷺ said to her that Gabriel sends his greeting to her using the greeting of Islam (i.e. Assalam ‘Alaykom). She replied to his greeting with the perfect greeting of Islam, saying, “Wa ‘Alaykom Assalam wa rahmatu Allahi wa Barakaatuh,” and then remarked, “You see what I do not see,” i.e. O Messenger of Allah! You can see Gabriel, but I cannot see him; thus, rejoice in the blessings of revelation and prophethood and the ability to see the noble, righteous angels.

The hadeeth clearly highlights the virtue of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It shows one of the incidents where the Prophet ﷺ was the only one able to see the angel, Gabriel, although the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) saw him in another incident in the form of Dahiyyah al-Kalbyy (may Allah be pleased with him).

This hadeeth proves the existence of angels, including the archangel Gabriel – Allah’s trusted messenger to His Prophets and Messengers.
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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

| Hadiths