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

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

806

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

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

812

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

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

813

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

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

818

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

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

821

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

823

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

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

825

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

827

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

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

828

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

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

831

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

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

834

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

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

837

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

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

838

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

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

841

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

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

1108

‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah reported that he asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Can a fasting person kiss?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Ask her" (’Umm Salamah). So, she informed him that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would do that. Thereupon, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah forgave your past and future sins for you." Whereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Indeed, by Allah, I am the most heedful and fearful of Allah among you.".

Commentary : Fasting has specific rulings that a Muslim must know and act upon. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated its obligatory elements, Sunnahs, and disliked things verbally and physically.
In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), the foster son of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), relates that he asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Can a fasting person kiss" his wife or a woman lawful for him during the daytime of Ramadan without his fast being invalidated due to that? Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Ask this" i.e., ’Umm Salamah, who is the mother of ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them). So, she informed him that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would kiss his wives while he was fasting. Thereupon, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah forgave your past and future sins for you" i.e., this is one of your peculiar traits and you are not blameworthy in what you do, for Allah forgave your past and future sins. In response, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Indeed, by Allah, I am the most heedful and fearful of Allah among you" i.e., I am the most knowledgeable among you of what I do in heedfulness of Allah Almighty and the most fearful among you of His punishment. So, how would you think of me, or see it as possible, that I may engage in something prohibited?! This denotes criticism of those who thought he might fall short in worship due to reliance upon the forgiveness of his sins.
It is said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) referred 'Umar ibn Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), concerning this question, to his mother, whereas during Jāhiliyyah, a person would not allude to the son or brother of his wife that he kissed or approached her intimately. And indeed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is more exalted with regard to refraining from that. But, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to point out that their refrainment from that during Jāhiliyyah was frivolous behavior on their part and unrelated to the Shariah. So, he referred him to his mother.
The Hadīth indicates that kissing during the fast is not part of the peculiar traits of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

1110

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), asking him for a Fatwa while she was hearing from behind the door, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, the prayer becomes due upon me while I am Junub (ritually impure); should I fast?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer also becomes due upon me while I am Junub, and I observe fast." He said: "You are not like us, O Messenger of Allah, for Allah forgave your past and future sins for you." Thereupon, he said: "By Allah, I hope I am the most fearful of Allah among you and the most knowledgeable among you of the things I should be heedful of.".

Commentary : Fasting has specific rulings that a Muslim must know and act upon. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated its obligatory elements, Sunnahs, and disliked things by words and deeds.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking him about something relating to the purification of the fasting person from Janābah (major ritual impurity). Meanwhile, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was behind the door, hearing. The man told the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that the Fajr prayer would sometimes become due while he was Junub; so, should he observe fast while in this state of Janābah and take a bath after that? Janābah refers to the state after someone ejaculates semen or engages in sexual intercourse. It is called such because of Ijtināb (avoidance) of prayer and worship till getting purified from it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "The prayer also becomes due upon me while I am Junub, and I observe fast." He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) responded to him by action, for it is more profound than saying: Take a bath and observe fast. This demonstrates the legitimacy of fasting by a Junub person before he bathes. This is because the occurrence of Janābah before Fajr does not prevent the intention of fasting or make it invalid. The man said: "You are not like us, O Messenger of Allah, for Allah forgave your past and future sins for you" i.e., this is one of your peculiar traits, and you are not to blame for what you do. In the version by Abu Dāwūd: "So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry." Indeed, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry because this man regarded that as a peculiar trait for him without knowledge, though the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him about his action in response to his question. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "By Allah, I hope I am the most fearful of Allah among you", i.e., that I am the most fearful among you of His punishment, "and the most knowledgeable among you of the things I should be heedful of" i.e., that I am the most knowledgeable among you of that by which I heed Allah Almighty. The hope of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would surely materialize, by consensus. This involves criticism of those who attribute to him neglect in worship for reliance upon the forgiveness of his sins..

1114

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left for Makkah during the year of the Conquest, in Ramadan, and he fasted until he reached Kurā‘ al-Ghamīm, and so the people fasted. Then, he called for a cup of water, which he elevated so that the people could see it, and then he drank. Afterwards, it was said to him: Some of the people fasted. Thereupon, he said: "Those are the disobedient ones, those are the disobedient ones." [Another version adds]: It was said to him: Fasting has become too difficult for the people, and indeed they are watching you to see what you will do. So, he called for a cup of water after ‘Asr..

Commentary : Jihad and being in a battle are among the situations that require all the meanings of good health and strength, particularly upon encountering the enemy. A traveler is given a dispensation not to fast, so that he can have the strength to travel. And there is a greater reason for refraining from fasting during Jihad, as it needs more strength.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set out during the year of the Conquest, in 8 A.H., intending to conquer Makkah, during Ramadan. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the army with him were fasting, until he reached "Kurā‘ al-Ghamīm", the name of a place between Makkah and Madīnah. Al-Ghamīm: a valley 8 miles (nearly 13km) opposite ‘Usfān, and 64km away from Makkah on the way to Madīnah. It is known today as Barqā’ al-Ghamīm. Al-Kurā‘: a black mountain connected to it.
When he arrived there, he called for a cup of water and raised it to his mouth until the people looked at him. In a version: "Fasting has become too difficult for the people, and indeed they are watching you to see what you will do" in terms of fasting or breaking the fast. "So, he called for a cup of water after ‘Asr." This version clarifies that fasting exhausted the people and they were waiting for the Prophet's order regarding this matter. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called for water after ‘Asr and drank from it, so that the people would follow his example and break their fast. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sought leniency and ease for them, in line with the verse that reads: {But if anyone is ill or on a journey, he should make up for those days. Allah wants ease for you and does not want hardship for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 185] Allah Almighty informs that, by breaking the fast during travel, He wants to facilitate things for His servants.
Thereafter, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was told that some of the people fasted. Thereupon, he said: "Those are the disobedient ones; those are the disobedient ones." This is because when he gives a command, it must be observed. He would sometimes give commands by his statements and sometimes by his actions. So, when he broke the fast, this constituted a command, indicated by his very condition, aimed at giving a dispensation, so that he could draw strength from breaking the fast and be able to engage in the Jihad he set out for. When those people renounced his action, they were extremely wrong. If they thought that their observance of the fast was better than the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) breaking the fast, this sufficed as an error and lack of understanding on their part. And if they were not aware that their breaking of the fast would make them more capable of Jihad, this was a poor understanding from them. Hence, they were labeled as disobedient because, by doing so, they violated the Shariah and were not flexible to accept it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his statement "those are the disobedient ones" for emphasis.
The Hadīth mentions going to battle in Ramadan and the legitimacy of breaking the fast during its daytime, lest the army would be too weak to engage in the war.
It indicates the Prophet's complete mercy and compassion toward his Ummah.
It demonstrates the necessity of following the Prophet's commands and that whoever disobeys him, due to any standpoint, becomes a disobedient person.
It shows the leniency of Islam and the ease of its obligations, as it sanctions breaking the fast for travelers.
As it points to the permissibility of breaking the fast during the daytime for a person who intends to fast from the night if something unexpected occurs to him..

1120

Qaz‘ah reported: I came to Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and he was surrounded by people, and when they dispersed, I said to him: "I am not going to ask you about what these people were asking." I asked him about fasting during travel. He said: We traveled with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to Makkah while we were fasting. We halted at a place. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have neared your enemy and breaking the fast will give you greater strength." This was a dispensation. So, some of us continued to observe the fast and some of us broke it. Then, we stopped at another place, and he said: "You are going to encounter the enemy in the morning and breaking the fast will give you greater strength; so, break the fast." This was stressful; so, we broke the fast. Then, he said: I saw us observing the fast with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel after that..

Commentary : Traveling and encountering the enemy are among the things that require physical strength to endure hardships and difficulties. This Hadīth demonstrates some of the dispensations and determinations related to travel by observing the fast therein or breaking it, and the dispensations and determinations upon encountering the enemy in the month of Ramadan and during fasting. The Tābi‘i Qaz‘ah ibn Yahya al-Basri says that he came to Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) "and he was surrounded by people" i.e., a lot of people were around him learning and benefiting from his narration of Hadīths. When the people dispersed and departed, he said to Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him): I will not ask you about the matters people ask you about. He probably meant that his question was not addressed by Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) before that or no one in this gathering asked him about it. He asked him about the ruling on fasting during travel and the involved dispensations or determinations. Demonstrating their conditions during travel along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that they began their journey from Madīnah for the Conquest of Makkah while fasting during the month of Ramadan. When they stopped at some place for rest, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told them that they came near the enemy and the war, and that breaking the fast would give them greater strength, as encountering the enemy requires strength, and breaking the fast achieves this purpose more than fasting. This indicates that maintaining strength by refraining from fasting is better for someone expecting to face the enemy.
His statement: "This was a dispensation" means that they did not take this statement as denoting a binding command for breaking the fast or asking for that firmly. Rather, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noted that breaking the fast is more appropriate for those apprehensive of weakness. So, some of them observed the fast and some others broke it.
Then, they halted at another place for rest. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "You are going to encounter the enemy in the morning" i.e., you will attack them in the morning. "and breaking the fast will give you greater strength; so, break the fast." Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "This situation was stressful" i.e., they took his command to break the fast as denoting emphasis and necessity. So, they all broke the fast. This shows that the Companions would understand the objectives of the Prophet's discourse.
Then, Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) said that they would later fast along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel, which indicates that the prohibition to observe fasting during their travel for the Conquest of Makkah did not abrogate the permissibility of fasting. Indeed, this is linked to ability and casual circumstances and whether there arises a need for breaking the the fast during travel..

1133

Al-Hakam ibn al-A‘raj reported: I came to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was using his garment as a pillow near Zamzam and said to him: "Tell me about the fasting of ‘Āshūrā’." He said: "When you see the crescent of Muharram, then count and observe the fast on the ninth day." I said: "Is this how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast it?" He said: 'Yes.'.

Commentary : The day of ‘Āshūrā’ is the tenth day of Muharram. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on fasting the day of ‘Āshūrā’ and he would urge others to fast it. Its fasting was obligatory before Ramadan, and when the fasting of Ramadan was ordained upon the Muslims, only the fasting of Ramadan became the obligatory one, and the fasting of ‘Āshūrā’ became optional; whoever wished could fast it, and whoever wished could leave it.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Al-Hakam ibn al-A‘raj says that he came to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was putting his garment and clothing underneath his head near the well of Zamzam inside the Sacred Mosque in Makkah. He asked Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) about the fasting of the day of ‘Āshūrā’: When should it be observed? Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: When you see the crescent of the month of Muharram and its beginning is verified, start to count the days until you reach the ninth day and observe the fast on it. In other words: Fast the ninth day along with the tenth one. This does not mean that the tenth day should be neglected and only the ninth day should be fasted. Thereupon, Al-Hakam ibn ‘Abbās asked: Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to fast the ninth day? In reply, Ibn ‘Abbās said: Yes, referring to the Hadīth narrated by Muslim about the Prophet's intention to fast the ninth day along with the tenth one. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I live to the next year, I will fast the ninth day", lest it would resemble the Jews in fasting the tenth day only. On the merit of fasting this day, a Hadīth narrated in the Sahīh Muslim Collection mentions that it expiates the sins of the preceding year..

1134

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fasted the day of ‘Āshūrā’ and commanded that it be fasted, they said: "O Messenger of Allah, this is a day on which the Jews and the Christians extol." So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the next year comes, Allah Willing, we will fast the ninth day." He said: Before the next year came, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away..

Commentary : The day of ‘Āshūrā’ is the tenth day of Muharram, and the Quraysh used to fast it. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madīnah, he fasted it as a usual practice and commanded that it be fasted. Its fasting was obligatory before Ramadan, and when the fasting of Ramadan was ordained upon the Muslims, only the fasting of Ramadan became the obligatory one, and the fasting of ‘Āshūrā’ became optional; whoever wished could fast it, and whoever wished could leave it.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fasted the day of ‘Āshūrā’ and enjoined his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to fast it, they said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, this is a day on which the Jews and the Christians extol" by fasting too. This is because it is a day in which Allah saved Moses (Mūsa) (peace be upon him) from Pharaoh and his soldiers. Indeed, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) mentioned that to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) because it was known that he would mostly intend to differ from the Jews and the Christians. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections, said: "We are more entitled to Moses than them. So, fast it" i.e., by agreeing with him in gratitude to Allah Almighty and feeling happy for his salvation. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) accords with him over the basis of the religion. As for the Jews, they engaged in distortion, change, and alteration. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fasted it and commanded the people to fast it. On the merit of fasting this day, a Hadīth narrated in the Sahīh Muslim Collection mentions that it expiates the sins of the preceding year.
Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) determined to fast the ninth day along with the tenth one to differ from the People of the Book in their observance of fasting on the tenth day only. Ibn ‘Abbās said that before the following year came, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had passed away.
The Hadīth points out that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to differ from the Jews and the Christians.
It demonstrates the significance of the day of ‘Āshūrā’ and how the Muslims value it highly..

1139

Ziyād ibn Jubayr reported: A man came to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "I made a vow to fast a day and it happened to coincide with a day of Ad'ha, or Fitr." Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Allah Almighty enjoined the fulfillment of vows, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting this day.".

Commentary : A vow means that a person obligates himself to do something which the Shariah does not ordain upon him. For example, he says: Upon me is a sacrifice or fasting such and such a day, if Allah cures this ill person of mine. So, it takes the form of stipulating a condition to Allah Almighty.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Ziyād ibn Jubayr relates that a man came to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him that he made a vow to fast a certain day, and this vowed day happened to coincide with the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, or the day of Eid al-Fitr. So, he asked him about what he should do: fast it or not? In response, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty enjoined the fulfillment of vows," which occurs in the verse that reads: {and fulfill their vows.} [Surat al-Hajj: 29] "and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting this day" i.e., fasting the two days of the two Eids. He forbade fasting these two days because they are days of festivity, play, joy, and eating and drinking. Also, Eid al-Fitr is the day of breaking the fast of Ramadan. As for the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, this is intended to enable the Muslim to eat from his sacrificial animal, if he has sacrificed. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) seemed to have refrained from giving a Fatwa on this issue, considering the conflict between the proofs he had. This was done by way of Tawarru‘ (caution) from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was known for it. And it is said: Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified to him the general ruling and the specific one. So, he should do both things, namely, to not fast the day of Eid, in compliance with the prohibition by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and to fast a day in place of it, given Allah's command to fulfill vows.
The Hadīth contains the command to fulfill vows.
It is prohibited to fast the two days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Ad'ha..

1141

Nubayshah al-Hudhali reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Days of Tashrīq are days of eating and drinking." [Another version adds: "and remembrance of Allah."].

Commentary : Islam is the religion of tolerance and ease. It provides much space to the Muslims, so that they can be generous to themselves and their families in eating and drinking during the Eid days.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The Days of Tashrīq," are the 11th, 12th, and 13th days of Dhul-Hijjah. They were called as such because in these days people used to cure the meat of sacrificial animals and spread them in the sun to dry, which is known as Tashrīq in Arabic. This was their practice during their era. But, nowadays, the meat of sacrificial animals and offerings is available. They are "days of eating and drinking;" so, people should eat, drink, and not observe fasting therein. They should also remember Allah, supplicate to Him, and show gratitude to Him for the sustenance and guidance He has bestowed upon them.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting during the Days of Tashrīq. For example, in a Hadīth narrated by Al-Bukhāri in his Sahīh Collection, Ibn ‘Umar and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: "No permission was given for fasting during the Days of Tashrīq except for someone who cannot afford the sacrificial animal," i.e., to the performer of Tamattu‘ or Qirān Hajj who cannot afford the sacrificial animal. This represents flexibility for the people.
In the prohibition of fasting these days and the command to eat and drink lies a good reason. Since Allah Almighty knows that those who come to His House undergo hardships during travel, tiredness because of Ihrām, and self-struggle while performing the rituals, He prescribed rest for them after that, by staying at Mina on the Day of Nahr and three subsequent days. And He ordered them to eat from the meat of sacrificial animals out of His kindness and mercy towards them, for they are the guests of Allah Almighty therein. He also included the people of other countries with them, for they join them in undergoing hardships for the sake of Allah Almighty, like the hard work they endure during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, as they observe fasting, remember Allah, and worship diligently, and in seeking closeness to Allah by slaughtering sacrifices and in the attainment of forgiveness. So, they join them in their Eids, and everyone shares rest by eating and drinking. Thus, all Muslims become the guests of Allah Almighty during these days, eating from His sustenance and showing gratitude to Him for His grace. And since it does not befit the Most Generous to let His guests go hungry, they were forbidden to fast these days..

1142

Ka‘b ibn Mālik reported: that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him and Aws ibn al-Hadathān during the days of Tashrīq to announce that none will enter Paradise except a believer, and the days of Mina are days of eating and drinking..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to clarify to the Muslims the matters of the religion and give them good news that would gladden them due to the great rewards for the deeds in Islam. He would also demonstrate to them the ease of the religion and how it cares about people's conditions.
In this Hadīth, Ka‘b ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him along with Aws ibn al-Hadathān during the days of Tashrīq, which are the three days that follow the day of Nahr (slaughter), namely the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. They were given this name because of people's Tashrīq (cutting into long narrow strips) of the meat of sacrificial animals, as they would cut the meat into strips and leave them to dry in the sun. This was their situation in the early stage of Islam. They are also known as the days of Mina. He commanded them to announce to the pilgrims in the Sacred Precincts that "none will enter Paradise except a believer" i.e., none will enter Paradise except those who believe in Allah, testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and act according to this Īmān. This gives glad tidings to the believers and motivates people to complete the pillars of Īmān so that they can win Paradise. And it warns those who did not embrace Islam, and so that the pilgrims will return to their countries and warn the polytheists among their people.
He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed them to announce to the people that the days of Mina are days of eating and drinking. These are the days in which the pilgrims stay in the valley of Mina - located nearly 6km away from the Sacred Mosque - to throw the pebbles. They are the appointed days which Allah mentions in the verse that reads: {And remember Allah during the appointed days. But whoever hastens to depart [Mina] on the second day, there is no sin upon him; and whoever delays [until the third], there is no sin upon him for those who fear Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 203] During these days, the meat of ’Ud'hiyah (sacrificial animals by non-pilgrims on Eid al-Ad'ha) and Hady (sacrificial animals by pilgrims) is abundantly available. So, let the people eat and drink and mention Allah's name for His provision and guidance to them.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting the days of Tashrīq. In a Hadīth narrated in the Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection, Ibn ‘Umar and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: It was not permitted to fast on the days of Tashrīq except for those who could not afford the Hady (sacrifice).
The Hadīth mentions that Paradise was prepared for the believers only.
It shows merit for Ka‘b ibn Mālik and Aws ibn al-Hadathān (may Allah be pleased with both of them) and a commendable act by them..

1144

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not single out the night of Friday from among the nights for performing Qiyām al-Layl. And do not single out Friday from among the days for fasting, unless it coincides with the days one of you regularly fasts.".

Commentary : Acts of worship are among the Tawqīfi matters all of whose actions must be taken from the Shariah, with no addition or omission. And none of them may be singled out for specific times unless it is prescribed in the Shariah.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbids that the night of Friday be singled out for Qiyām involving prayer and Dhikr apart from the other nights of the week. He also forbade that Friday be singled out for fasting apart from the other days of the week, unless this coincides with a certain fast a Muslim usually observes, such as when he fasts every other day, and the day he fasts coincides with Friday, or he makes a vow and its time happens to coincide with Friday, or other things that oblige him to observe fasting. In the Two Sahīh Collections: "None of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts a day before or after it." So, he should fast on Thursday or Saturday along with it. It is said: The prohibition of singling out Friday and its night for these acts aims at differing from the Jews and the Christians, for the Jews hold that Saturday should be singled out for fasting, out of reverence to it, and the Christians hold that Sunday should be singled out for fasting, out of reverence to it, and its night for Qiyām al-Layl. Since Friday occupies a status within this Ummah like the status of these two days within the two groups, it is recommended that our practice be different from theirs in the way of revering this day..

1148

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my mother passed away and she took an oath to fast, should I fast on her behalf?" He said: "Tell me, if there was a debt due on your mother and you settled it, would it be valid on her behalf?" She replied: 'Yes.' He said: "So, fast on behalf of your mother.".

Commentary : A vow is an act of worship and piety that should not be devoted to anyone other than Allah. In His glorious Book, Allah Almighty praised His pious servants and promised them the reward. Among their attributes which He mentioned is their fulfillment of vows. He says: {They fulfill their vows.} [Surat al-Insān: 7]
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking him about her mother who had made a vow to fast and died before fulfilling her vow: Is it valid for her to fast on behalf of her mother? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Tell me, if there was a debt due on your mother and you settled it, would it be valid on her behalf?" This is an affirmative question. She replied: 'Yes, it settles on her behalf.' He said: "So, fast on behalf of your mother." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened fasting due upon a woman who died and left a debt, which must be paid because it is a right to human beings, whereas the vow is a right to Allah Almighty. So, the fulfillment of His right, Exalted be He, is more significant and proper than the fulfillment of the right of humans, for Allah is more worthy of fulfillment. It is narrated in some narrations by Al-Bukhāri and in the Two Sahīh Collections that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever dies while some fast is due on him, his guardian should fast on his behalf." Walī (guardian): It refers to one's male relatives such as the fathers and sons. If the guardian does not observe the fast on his behalf, he should feed a poor person in return for each day of the fast. Thereby, the deceased person's duty is fulfilled, as the guardian's discharge of this duty is tantamount to his own discharge of it. This applies if the deceased person was able to fulfill the duty at its time or later but failed to do so. But if he dies before being able to make up for the missed fast - like the case of a person whose illness lingers until he dies - then there is nothing due on him, and his guardians are not required to fast or feed the poor on his behalf.
In the Hadīth: It is permissible to fast on behalf of the dead.
And in it: It is permissible to fulfill vows on behalf of the dead.
And in it: Giving parables and analogical comparisons to make the topic clearer and more profound to those who hear it.
And in it: Showing kindness to one's parents by the fulfillment of their vows and debts..

1149

Buraydah reported: While I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a woman came to him and said: "I gave a maidservant to my mother in charity, and she died." He said: "Your reward became due, and the inheritance has returned her to you." She said: "O Messenger of Allah, a month of fasting was due on her; shall I fast on her behalf?" He said: "Fast on her behalf." She said: "She never performed Hajj; shall I perform Hajj on her behalf?" He said: "Perform Hajj on her behalf." [In a version]: Fast two months..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for Fatwas on many of their acts of worship and dealings, and he would give them Fatwas and clarify the right aspects to them.
In this Hadīth, Buraydah ibn al-Husayb al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that as he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day, a woman came to him and told him that she gave a maidservant - a female slave - as charity to her mother during her lifetime, and she transferred her to her ownership through this charity. Then, her mother died and left behind this maidservant as part of her overall wealth, and her sole inheritor was her daughter. So, does she have the right to take the maidservant back to her ownership through inheritance, or not? So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Your reward became due," i.e., your reward is established with Allah by upholding the ties with your mother and giving charity to her, and the maidservant was brought back to you by the inheritance from your mother, a reason in which you have no part. So, this does not detract from the reward for charity, and it is not regarded as retracting the charity or gift, because this is not optional.
Then, the questioner said that a month of fasting was due on her mother - and in a version: "two months" - and asked whether she could fast on her behalf. He did not point out whether this was the fasting of Ramadan, a vow, or an expiation. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Fast on her behalf," i.e., make up for the days missed by your mother on her behalf, for this is a debt due upon her, and the debt of Allah is more worthy of being repaid. According to a version in the Two Sahīh Collections, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened the fasting due on a deceased person to a debt, which is payable, for this is a right to human beings; whereas the due fasting - be it related to Ramadan, a vow, or an expiation - is a right to Allah Almighty. So, the fulfillment of Allah's right is more significant and worthy than the fulfillment of the right of human beings; indeed, Allah is more entitled to repayment, as related in some versions by Al-Bukhāri. And in a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever dies while some fast is still due on him, his heir should fast on his behalf." Heirs here refer to male relatives, such as fathers and sons. If the heir does not observe the missed fast on his behalf, he may feed one poor person in return for each day of a missed fast. Thus, this obligation ceases to be due on the deceased person. The observance of this missed fast by the heir is tantamount to the deceased person himself making up for this fast. This applies in case the deceased person was able to observe the fast or make up for it, yet he did not do that. As for someone who dies before being able to make up for the missed fast - like a person who remains ill until he dies - there is nothing due on him, and their heirs should not observe the missed fast, or feed poor people, on his behalf.
Then, the woman informed him that her mother died while she had never performed Hajj. This seems to indicate that she was able to perform Hajj, and so it was due on her. This is because Hajj ceases to be due on anyone who is not able to perform it. But she did not perform Hajj. So, is it valid to perform Hajj on her behalf? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Perform Hajj on her behalf." Perhaps it can be understood from the Prophet's permission to her to perform Hajj on behalf of her mother that the woman had already performed Hajj for herself and then she wanted to perform Hajj on behalf of her mother, based on a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd, in which Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man say: "Labbayk on behalf of Shubrumah." He said: "Who is Shubrumah?" He said: "A brother of mine," or "a relative of mine." He said: "Did you perform Hajj for yourself?" He said: 'No.' Thereupon, he said: "Perform Hajj for yourself and then perform Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah." And in the Sahīh Collection of Ibn Khuzaymah: "This is for you, and then perform Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah." If Hajj becomes due on someone and he dies before performing it, and then someone else performs Hajj on his behalf, he is absolved of this obligation. It is likely in light of the bounty and grace of Allah that if an heir performs Hajj on behalf of a deceased person, Allah will forgive the deceased person by virtue of that, give him a reward for it, or not punish him for his negligence.
The Hadīth indicates that if a person gives something in charity and then inherits it, he has the right to take and dispose of it, without his reward diminishing because of that.
It points out that fasting can be observed on behalf of a deceased person.
It also demonstrates that Hajj can be performed on behalf of a deceased person.
The Hadīth indicates that a person can show kindness to his parents by fulfilling their vows and debts..

1150

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If one of you is invited for food while he is fasting, let him say: 'I am fasting.'".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on maintaining good relations, harmony, and continuous cordiality among the Muslims. Hence, he made the acceptance of an invitation a due right among the Muslims, so that they stay connected and get together.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "If one of you is invited to food," i.e., any food, be it a banquet or something else, "while he is fasting" on a supererogatory basis, or making up for a missed fast, or in fulfillment of a vow, he should apologize. Specifically, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed the fasting person to clarify his condition: "let him say: 'I am fasting'" in an apology to the inviting person and to inform him that he is fasting and cannot eat from his food.
This is also meant to notify his fellow Muslim who invited him that his abstention is only because of fasting, not that he did not want to eat from his food. It was the habit of the Arabs that if they held evil intentions toward someone, they would not eat from his food. It is narrated in the Sahīh Muslim Collection that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If one of you is invited, let him answer the invitation. If he is fasting, let him supplicate (for the inviter); if he is not fasting, let him eat."
In the Hadīth: There is nothing wrong with revealing voluntary acts of worship - like prayer and fasting - if there is a need for that..

1151

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every action of the son of Adam is multiplied, and a single good deed is worth ten to seven hundred times. Allah Almighty said: 'Except for fasting, for indeed it is for Me, and I will give reward for it. He leaves his desires and food for My sake.' For the fasting person, there are two moments of joy: a moment of joy when he breaks his fast, and a moment of joy when he meets his lord. Verily, the Khulūf (unpleasant smell) coming from his mouth is more fragrant with Allah than the smell of musk.".

Commentary : Fasting is one of the most beloved acts of worship to Allah and the most sublime acts of piety whereby a servant seeks closeness to his Almighty Lord. Thus, its reward is immense, and its merit is great. The honor afforded by Allah for the fasting people is ceaseless, for they deprive themselves of food, drink, and sexual relations, and so Allah Almighty gives them from His vast bounty and prefers them over others.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentions that the reward for every act of goodness, righteousness, and worship performed by a Muslim gets multiplied, with a good deed being rewarded tenfold, up to seven hundred fold. Allah Almighty says: {Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded tenfold.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 160] Allah Almighty also says: {The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain that sprouts seven ears, each ear bearing a hundred grains. And Allah gives multiple [rewards] for whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 261]
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that Allah Almighty said: "Except for fasting, for indeed it is for Me," i.e., fasting is excluded from these acts whose rewards are multiplied, for the reward of fasting can only be estimated by Allah Almighty. This is because fasting is a secret between a servant and his Lord. "and I will give reward for it," i.e., Allah Almighty is the One Who undertakes this reward and recompense, for the reward of fasting can only be enumerated by Allah, Exalted be He. He did not leave that to His angels. Rather, He undertook the giving of reward for it by Himself, and when Allah undertakes something by Himself, this denotes the immensity of this reward and recompense. This is because the fasting person abandons what his soul desires and the pleasures of food, drink, and copulation which are made lawful by Allah Almighty, in obedience to Allah, Exalted be He, and in pursuit of His love and approval.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that the fasting person has two moments of joy: The First Joy: "a moment of joy when he breaks his fast;" this joy occurs in the worldly life after he ends and breaks the fast and completes the worship, hoping for Allah's reward and bounty. The second joy occurs when he dies and obtains the reward and recompense.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swears that "the Khulūf (unpleasant smell) coming from his mouth" - the unusual foul smell that remains, after eating, in the mouth of a fasting person - "is more fragrant," i.e., better to Allah than the smell of musk. There is a difference of opinion regarding the Khulūf being more fragrant to Allah than the smell of musk. It means that it is more fragrant to Allah than the smell of musk to you; or it means that Allah Almighty will reward him in the Hereafter until his smell becomes more fragrant than the smell of musk; or that the person with the Khulūf will obtain a reward better than the smell of musk; or that the Khulūf is more rewardable than musk, which is recommended during Fridays and Eids; or that the angels find the Khulūf more pleasant than the smell of musk.
The Hadīth points out the reward and merit of fasting..

1154

‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), reported: One day the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O ‘Ā’ishah, do you have something (to eat)?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, there is nothing with us." Thereupon, he said: "Then, I am fasting." She said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out, and a gift was given to us - or some visitors came in. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back, I said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, a gift was given to us - or some visitors came in - but I have saved something for you." He said: "What is it?" I said: "Hays." He said: "Bring it." So, I brought it to him, and he ate. Then, he said: "I woke up in the morning while fasting." Talhah said: I narrated this Hadīth to Mujāhid and he said: "This is like a man giving charity out of his wealth. He may spend it if he wills or withhold it if he wills.".

Commentary : This Hadīth reveals one aspect of the Prophet's guidance in intending to fast, if a person did not find food, and breaking the fast if he found food. This stems from the leniency, ease, and flexibility of Islam. ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day asked her while being in her house in the morning, according to the version by An-Nasā’i: "O ‘Ā’ishah, do you have anything?" He meant food for him to eat, as related in the wording by Abu Dāwūd. She replied to him that she had no food. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), intending to fast, said: "Then, I am fasting," i.e., I am observing fast and abstaining from food. This indicates the legitimacy of intending to observe supererogatory fasting during the daytime, in case one has not eaten or drunk anything since the Adhān of Fajr.
Then, ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), said that after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out in a state of fasting, a gift of food was given to them - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would eat from gifted food, unlike food given as charity - or some visitor came to them and brought a gift of food.
When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back to the house of ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), she told him about that and said that she hid part of the food for him to eat, as she knew he wanted to eat. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked her about the kind of food. She said: "Hays", which is a food made from a mixture of butter with dried dates. It is said: Flour or dried milk is added to it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked her to bring it for him to eat therefrom. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ate from it after having the intention to fast. Therefore, he said after eating: "I woke up in the morning fasting." This was supererogatory fasting. This is a teaching from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to the Muslims so that they can follow his example.
Talhah ibn Yahya, who narrated the Hadīth from ‘Ā’ishah bint Talhah, said: I narrated this Hadīth narrated by ‘Ā’ishah bint Talhah to Mujāhid ibn Jabr al-Makki, the erudite Imām, and he said: "This is like a man giving charity out of his wealth. He may spend it if he wills or withhold it if he wills," i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did that because he had free choice regarding supererogatory fasting. This is like a man who intends to give charity from his wealth. If he wills, he can go ahead and give it to the one to whom he intended to give it, and if he wills, he can withhold it and not give it out.
The Hadīth indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) could break the supererogatory fasting at any time of the day.
It shows that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) possessed little of worldly things because he adopted an ascetic approach to the transient worldly pleasures and preferred the bliss of the Hereafter with Allah.
It also suggests that if a person allocates part of his wealth for charity and then reconsiders and decides not to give charity, there is nothing wrong with that..

Book of Hadith

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