It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : This hadith brings great glad tidings from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who is helped to fast the entire month of Ramadan when he is able to do that. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from eating, drinking, sexual activity and all other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Whoever fasts this month “out of faith and in the hope of reward”, believing in the divine command to do it, knowing that it is obligatory, out of fear of punishment for failing to do it, and seeking great reward for his fast – and this is a description of the believer – it is hoped that Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith urges us to fast the month of Ramadan, and highlights the great reward for doing that..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion is easy, and no one commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, but he will be overwhelmed (and unable to continue). So do your best and do not go to extremes, be of good cheer, and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.”.

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of ease. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged us to persist in a moderate approach to doing righteous deeds and acts of worship, and limiting that to what one is able to do and is able to persist in doing regularly. Whoever commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, and goes to extremes, will not be able to carry on, and this over-commitment will overwhelm him and defeat him.
In the beginning of the hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sets out this important principle. He says “Religion is easy”, meaning that it is easy and straightforward in its beliefs, in the manners and attitudes that it promotes, in the righteous deeds that it enjoins and in the things that it prohibits and forbids. Then he advises us to be moderate and to do our best, encouraging us with words of glad tidings and urging us not to despair.
Being moderate is mentioned with regard to doing righteous deeds and in doing acts of worship, so that the individual does not fall short with regard to what he is enjoined to do, and he does not take on of such deeds more than he can bear, and thus he avoids going to extremes or becoming negligent. “Do your best” means: even if you cannot do it perfectly, then try your best to do what is close to that level. “Be of good cheer” means: have hope of reward, because you will be rewarded for your good deeds even if they are few.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us about that which could help us to be moderate and do our best, as he said: “and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.” These are three times that are good for doing righteous deeds and acts of worship which help a person in his journey towards Allah. The morning is the beginning of the day, and the afternoon is the end of the day. The word translated here as night refers to travelling at the end of the night, which is something praiseworthy in the case of physical, worldly journeys and in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah through doing acts of worship and righteous deeds. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said “and during part of the night”; he did not say “at night”, so as to make it easier, because it is difficult to do deeds at night. The beginning of these words sound as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was speaking to a traveller who is trying to cover the distance to reach his destination. So he drew his attention to the times when he has the most energy, when his acts of worship and righteous deeds will produce the best results. Thus he likened man in this world to a traveller, and this is indeed how he is, because this world is a realm of travel and movement that leads to the hereafter, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed out to his ummah that they should strive to make the most of these times of opportunity and any periods of free time that they have.
This hadith motivates people who aspire to do righteous deeds and acts of worship, and gives them glad tidings of the reward that will result from their good deeds..

It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his paternal relatives – or his maternal uncles among the Ansar. He prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or seventeen months, but he was always hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. The first prayer he prayed [facing towards the Kaaba] was ‘Asr prayer, and a number of people prayed with him. One of the men who had prayed with him went out, and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said: I bear witness by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. So they turned as they were [still in the posture of ruku‘] to face towards the Kaaba. The Jews and other People of the Book had liked it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so when he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they did not like that..

Commentary : Religious laws are based on revelation and what Allah (may He be glorified) has enjoined, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) followed that. If he found himself inclined towards something, he would not do it unless he was instructed to do it. In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah, he stayed with Banu al-Najjar, because they were his maternal uncles, or his forefathers on the side of his father’s grandfather, Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf. In the beginning, when prayer was made obligatory, his qiblah [direction faced in the prayer] was Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and he continued to face in that direction for sixteen or seventeen months, but he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Allah (may He be glorified) mentions this feeling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the verse in which He says: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. Thus He promised that He would turn his face towards the qiblah with which he would be pleased. The first prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed whilst facing towards the Kaaba was ‘Asr prayer; there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the fact that that happened in 2 AH. Some of his companions prayed with him, then one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by the people of another mosque. He found them praying, and they were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said to them: I swear by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba in prayer. When they heard him, they believed him and they turned to face towards al-Masjid al-Haram without interrupting their prayer; rather they completed their prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Thus they offered one prayer in two directions: facing towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and facing towards al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].
The Jews liked the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to face towards Bayt al-Maqdis, because that was their qiblah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards the Sacred House, they did not like that. Then Allah (may He be exalted) revealed concerning that the words: {The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?’ Say, ‘To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path’} [al-Baqarah 2:142], as is clearly stated in other reports.
Some of the Sahabah who had only prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis had died or been killed before the qiblah was changed to the Sacred House. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about them, then Allah revealed the words: {Allah would never let your faith go to waste} [al-Baqarah 2:143], referring to their prayers.
In this hadith, we see how quickly the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) responded to the commands of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is prescribed to swear to something in order to confirm it, and that one should respond positively to the one who calls people to Allah and His Messenger..

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “If a person enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah will absolve every bad deed that he committed, then after that he will be treated fairly: a good deed will bring a tenfold reward, up to seven hundredfold, and a bad deed will be recorded as one, unless Allah pardons it.”.

Commentary : Entering Islam will save a person in this world and the hereafter, for Islam is the religion which affirms the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified) and does not associate anything with Him. It is the message that was brought by all the Messengers and Prophets.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that if a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, and becomes a Muslim in the true sense of the word, with no trace of doubt, believing outwardly and inwardly, then Allah will absolve the bad deeds that he committed, meaning the sins, both minor and major, that he committed before he became Muslim, by His grace. Then after becoming Muslim he will be treated fairly and equitably, meaning that Allah will requite him appropriately for everything that he does, whether it is good or bad. So he will be requited for good deeds with reward, and for bad deeds with punishment. He will be rewarded tenfold for every good deed, and that reward may be multiplied up to seven hundredfold. As for bad deeds, each bad deed will be recorded as just one deed, and he will be requited accordingly. Or Allah may pardon him, by His grace, kindness and mercy, so He will not punish him for doing it.
This hadith indicates that Islam erases whatever sins came before it. .

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her apartment, when there was a woman with her. He said: “Who is this?” She said: So-and-so, and she spoke about how much she prayed. He said: “Stop! You should only do as much as you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.” The dearest of religious practice to him was that which a person does regularly and persists in it.

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Commentary : Religion is easy and not difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah the proper way to adhere to religion and to practice it. He explained that the believer should do what he is able to do of worship, whilst encouraging people to be moderate in what they commit themselves to do, so that they will not grow weary or lose energy and momentum. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that the Prophet entered her apartment one day, when another woman was with her. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, ‘A’ishah told him that this was So-and-so, mentioning her by name, then she said how much she prayed and did other acts of worship, praising her a great deal. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked her and said “Stop!” meaning: Stop praising her, for what she is doing is not deserving of praise, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. Proper adherence to religion means following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhering to his Sunnah, not being harsh with oneself and exhausting oneself in doing a lot of acts of worship. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the right way and said: “You should only do as much as you are able to do”, so commit yourself to deeds that you are able to do regularly and persist in, and do as much as you are able to of fasting and praying at night; do not make it hard for yourselves.
With regard to the words “for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary”, some of the scholars said that this ascribes the attribute of weariness to Allah (may He be exalted) but the weariness of Allah is not like the weariness of people, because when a person grows weary it is an attribute of imperfection, as it indicates that he has become bored and tired of this thing. The weariness of Allah, on the other hand, is an attribute of perfection with no element of shortcoming in it, which is like all the other divine attributes that we affirm for Allah in a manner that is most perfect, even if in the case of people it is an attribute of imperfection. However, some of the scholars say that the phrase “Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary” serves to highlight the fact that no matter how much you do of righteous deeds, Allah will reward you for it, so do as much as you like, for Allah will never tire of rewarding you until you grow weary of striving in doing righteous deeds. Based on that, what is meant by weariness [in the case of Allah (may He be exalted)] is the outcome of that weariness [which is the cessation of reward when the person grows weary and stops doing the good deed he was doing]. And some of the scholars said that this hadith does not indicate that Allah becomes weary at all, because if someone says “I will not get up until you get up,” that does not imply that the other person will get up. By the same token, “He does not grow weary until you grow weary” does not imply that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will grow weary.
‘A’ishah also said that the dearest of religious practice to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and according to another report in as-Sahihayn, it says “to Allah” – is that which one persists in and does regularly, even if it is small, as mentioned in the report of Muslim, because persisting in a small action is persisting in worship, dhikr, mindfulness of Allah, intention, sincerity and turning to the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) and a small action that is done persistently will yield a much greater result than a great deed that is done and then stops.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s compassion and kindness towards his ummah.
It also indicates that a small action that is done consistently is better than a greater action that is inconsistent..

It was narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of barley; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of wheat; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of an atom.” He [the narrator] said: Aban said: Qatadah told us: Anas told us, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “of faith,” instead of “goodness.”.

Commentary : Allah’s mercy towards His slaves is immense and without limit, and it cannot be fully described. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will show great generosity to many of His slaves, and he will bring forth from the Fire anyone in whose heart is the smallest amount of goodness and faith.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that no one will remain forever in Hell who has in his heart an atom’s weight of faith. If the Muslim who sinned dies without having repented from his sin, it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him for it, and if He wills, He will punish him, but he will not remain forever in the Fire under any circumstances. Allah will bring forth from the Fire anyone who said La ilaha illa Allah and has in his heart as much as a grain of barley, or a grain of wheat, or even an atom’s weight of goodness, which means faith, as is explained in other reports. That is because goodness, in reality, is that which brings a person closer to Allah (may He be exalted), and that can be nothing other than faith. The word dharrah (translated here as atom) may refer to a small ant, or a speck of dust that may be seen floating in rays of sunlight, like the heads of needles. Barley is mentioned before wheat, because its grains are bigger in size, although they are very similar to one another, and the dharrah is mentioned last because it is so small. This is by way of explaining the issue by using the analogy of increasingly smaller likenesses.
This hadith indicates that merely saying La ilaha illa Allah, without there being any faith in the heart, will not benefit a person or bring him forth from the Fire.
It also clearly indicates how people may have different levels of faith, and that some of those believers who commit major sins may enter the Fire, but they will not abide therein forever..

It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that a Jewish man said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival. He said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. ‘Umar said: We know that day, and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). [It was] when he was standing in ‘Arafah, on a Friday. .

Commentary : The Holy Qur’an is held sacred by all Muslims. The noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn everything having to do with it, such as the reasons for revelation, the story behind the revelation of verses, and when they were revealed, as well as learning all the rulings and meanings of the verses.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tariq ibn Shihab narrates that a Jewish man – namely Ka‘b al-Ahbar, before he became Muslim, as is narrated in Tafsir al-Tabari and al-Awsat by al-Tabarani – came to the caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): There is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival – that is, we would have made it a festival to celebrate, out of respect and honour for that day, and highlighting its virtue. ‘Umar said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3], that is, by causing it to be victorious and prevail over all other religions, {and completed My favor upon you} that is, by guiding you, helping you and perfecting the religion, and with the conquest of Makkah and the destruction of the beacons of jahiliyyah. This is a great verse, and the day when it was revealed is deserving of celebration.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We know that day, and the place in which this verse was revealed, so you are not telling us of something of which we are unaware. It was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday, so it was a day on which two “festivals” were combined: the day of ‘Arafah, and Friday.
The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbar, “we would have taken that day as a festival” imply: and you have not taken it as a festival, as if he was trying to suggest that the verse was not true, because the Muslims had neglected the day on which it was revealed. So ‘Umar explained to him that they did indeed celebrate it on two counts, and they regarded it as a twofold festival.
This hadith indicates that festivals and days to be commemorated cannot be based on personal opinion and ideas, as the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did before us. Rather they are to be based on religious texts and following the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that faith may increase and decrease, as religious commitment may be perfected by perfecting and completing the deeds that it prescribes..

It was narrated that Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah said: A man from Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with dishevelled hair. The rise and fall of his voice could be heard, but his words could not be understood until he came close, and it turned out that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Five prayers every day and night.” The man said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And fasting Ramadan.” He said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned zakah, and the man said: If anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the man turned away, saying: By Allah, I shall do no more than that and no less. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is telling the truth.”.

Commentary : Being assiduous in doing everything prescribed in Islam and carrying out its pillars in the proper manner, with sincerity, is the path to success and prosperity, and a means of salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
In this hadith, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man from Najd – which is a region of Arabia between the Hejaz and Iraq – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That man was Dimam ibn Tha‘labah; his hair was unkempt because of the rigours of travel, and he had a loud voice, but nothing he said could be understood until he drew close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It turned out that he was asking about the teachings of Islam, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by explaining that the first duty of Islam that was required of him was the five prayers, which are to be offered every day and night. He said: Do I have to offer any prayers other than these five prayers? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: You do not have to offer any other prayers, unless you voluntarily do some of the regular Sunnah and other Sunnah prayers, which are encouraged (mustahabb) and you will be rewarded for doing them, but you will not be punished for not doing them.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that he had to fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. He said: Do I have to do anything else? He said: You do not have to do anything else, unless you do it voluntarily, fasting some days other than Ramadan, for they are encouraged and you will be rewarded for doing that. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him about zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
The man asked: Do I have to do anything other than that? He said: No, unless you give something else in charity voluntarily, and you will be rewarded for that, but it is not obligatory and you will not be sinning if you do not do it. Then the man turned and left, swearing by Allah that he would not do any supererogatory (nafil) deeds in addition to these obligatory duties, and he would not omit any of them. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is speaking the truth.” In other words, if he means what he says, and he does these pillars [of Islam] sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), then he will attain Paradise and be saved from the Fire, even if he does not do any supererogatory actions.
This hadith indicates that if a person limits himself to the obligatory religious duties, as prescribed in the religious texts, then he will succeed, but this does not mean that it is not prescribed for him to do some voluntary acts of worship, because the voluntary actions will complete the obligatory actions (and make up for any shortcomings in them) on the Day of Resurrection..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward, and remains with it until the funeral prayer is offered and the burial is complete, will go back with two qirats of reward, each qirat like Uhud. Whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial is done will go back with one qirat.”.

Commentary : Part of honouring a fellow Muslim and showing kindness to him is attending his funeral when he dies, following the bier and offering the funeral prayer for him. This brings an immense reward for the one who does that out of faith and seeking reward.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions the immense reward to be attained by following the bier, and tells us that the one who follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward – that is, believing in the promise of Allah and seeking reward from Him, doing that sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted) alone, and not seeking to be seen by people or doing it for any other purpose that is contrary to sincerity – and offers the funeral prayer for the deceased, and follows the bier until the burial is completed, will attain two qirats of reward, each qirat like Mount Uhud, which is the well-known mountain on the northern outskirts of Madinah, 4 or 5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is 7 km long, 2 to 3 km wide, and 350 metres high. Attaining these two qirats is subject to three conditions: firstly, following the bier; secondly, offering the funeral prayer; thirdly, attending the burial. As for the one who only offers the funeral prayer and then goes back before the burial is done, he will attain only one qirat of reward.
This hadith encourages us to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, follow his bier and attend his burial. It also highlights the immense grace and generosity of Allah, and how great is the reward that He grants for small deeds..

It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Commentary : Islam urges us to respect people’s honour and lives, and it calls the Muslims to be brothers and have compassion for one another, and not to transgress against one another.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids the Muslim to insult and revile his fellow Muslim, and explains that impugning his honour and shaming him is regarded as evildoing, and it is going against the command of Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing what they have forbidden; according to Islamic teachings, it is worse than merely committing a sin. “And fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” – what is meant here is not disbelief in the sense that it puts one beyond the bounds of faith. Rather it is called disbelief (kufr) in order to emphasize the warning and deter the listener from doing that. Or it may be that it is likened to disbelief because this is the action of one who disbelieves. It may be understood as meaning disbelief in a real sense if the doer believes that it is permissible to do that.
In the original report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Tabi‘i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Murji’ah – who were a group who said that if a person believed, it did not matter if he sinned, and they claimed that the one who committed major sin was not an evil doer. So Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, which affirms that sin is indeed harmful and affects the faith of the one who does it.
This hadith also indicates that some deeds may be described as disbelief (kufr), which implies that other deeds may be called faith (iman)..

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to tell the people when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but two of the Muslim men suddenly started arguing, so he said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but So-and-so and So-and-so started arguing, so it [knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr would be] was taken away from me, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it in seven and nine and five.”.

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan is of great significance and immense virtue, and we have been commanded to seek it and spend the night in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
In this hadith, ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out one day to tell the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) about Laylat al-Qadr and precisely when it would occur, but he saw two men arguing and disputing, so he said: I came out to tell you about Laylat al-Qadr and which night it would be, but I saw two men arguing, so knowledge of its time was taken away. Thus they were deprived of the blessing of (the knowledge of) Laylat al-Qadr; otherwise Laylat al-Qadr will still remain until the Day of Resurrection. Then he said: Perhaps taking away the knowledge of when it will be and leaving its time ambiguous is better for you, so that you will strive hard in seeking it, and thus increase your reward. If it was known exactly when it would be, you might limit your hard work to that time, so you would make less effort and receive less reward. Then he said: So seek it – that is, look for it and strive hard – on the twenty ninth, the twenty seventh, and the twenty fifth of Ramadan. And it was said that what is meant is: look for it on the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, when only nine days are left, or seven, or five, so Laylat al-Qadr may be on the twenty-first night, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, and so on. That is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days), so if you take away nine, you get twenty-one. And it was said that what is meant by nine in the hadith is the night before the twenty-second, what is meant by seven is the night before the twenty-fourth, and so on. This is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days). And it was said that it varies from one year to another.
This hadith also condemns arguing and disputing, because they are a cause of punishment for everyone for the sin of a few.
The hadith also indicates that sins may be a cause of some issues of religion that one needs to know being hidden from him, so the more people commit sins, the more likely it is that this will lead to some issues of religion becoming unknown to them. .

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to the people one day, then Jibril came to him and said: What is faith (iman)? He said: “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.” Jibril said: What is Islam? He said: “Islam is to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him; to establish prayer; to give the obligatory zakah; and to fast Ramadan.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for although you do not see Him, He sees you.” He said: When will the Hour be? He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I shall tell you about its portents: when the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and when the insignificant camel herders compete in building lofty structures. It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the words: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour…} Luqman 31:34]. Then the man turned and left. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Bring him back,” but they did not see anything. Then he said: “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion.”.

Commentary : This hadith discusses different religious duties and acts of worship, both outward and inward, including the tenets of faith, physical actions, sincerity in the heart, and caution regarding everything that could undermine righteous deeds. It covers the basic principles, important issues and foundations of faith, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the meaning of faith, Islam and ihsan when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him in the form of a man and asked him questions, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had come out among the people and was sitting with them. The bringer of the revelation, Jibril (peace be upon him), came to him and asked him about faith, in order to teach the people their religion. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: It means to believe in Allah, which means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
Believing in His angels means believing in all the angels of Allah (may He be exalted): both those who have been mentioned by name – such as Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil – in whom we must believe in detail, and those who have not been mentioned by name, in whom we must believe in general terms.
Believing in His Books means affirming that all the Books that were sent down to the Prophets and Messengers, such as the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an, are the words of Allah and came from Him, and that what they contain – of that which has not been distorted – is true; that Allah sent down the Qur’an to determine what is true in those [previous] Books and to confirm them, and that it is protected from distortion.
Believing in the meeting with Allah means believing and affirming that people will stand before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for the reckoning and the requital of their deeds.
Believing in the Messengers of Allah means believing in and affirming all the Messengers of Allah, and believing that they spoke the truth in what they conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted), and that Allah supported them with miracles which proved that they spoke the truth; that they conveyed Allah’s message from Him and explained to people what He commanded them to explain; that we must respect them and not differentiate between them; and that we must believe that the last of them is our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that all of mankind are obliged to believe in him and follow him.
Believing in the resurrection means believing that Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves and will give life to the dead.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Islam, and he replied: It means to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him, and obeying Him with submission, humility and love.
You should establish prayer, and establishing prayer is done by regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
You should give zakah, which is obligatory, and give it to those who are entitled to it. It is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter.
And you should fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he asked him about ihsan, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying: It means that you worship Allah like one who sees Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah sees him, so you do not omit any aspects of humility, submission, sincerity, and utmost alertness in controlling your thoughts and physical movements, paying attention to proper etiquette both outward and inward, so long as you are in a state of worship. The ultimate level of ihsan is for the believer to worship his Lord as if he sees Him in his heart, so he will constantly bear in mind the fact that he is in that state (as if seeing Allah in his heart). If he is not able to do that and it is too difficult for him, then he moves to a different level of ihsan, which is to worship Allah with the awareness that Allah sees him and knows what he conceals in his heart and what he does openly, for nothing he does is hidden from Him.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Tell me about the Hour, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. In other words, all of creation is the same with regard to knowledge of when the Hour will begin, for none of them have any knowledge of that in reality. This indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) alone has kept the knowledge of it to Himself, hence he said: It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah, then he recited the verse: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die} [Luqmaan 31:34]. These are the keys of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But I shall tell you about its portents. As it is not possible to know the time of the Hour, which he was asked about, he moved on to describing its portents, which are the signs that the Hour is close at hand. The first of its signs is that the slave woman will give birth to her mistress. What is meant is that there would be many conquests in the lands of the disbelievers, which would lead to the acquisition of slaves, so that a woman would be brought from the land of disbelief when she was young, and she would be freed in the Muslim lands, then her mother would be brought as a slave after her, then the daughter would buy her and employ her as a servant, not knowing that she was her mother. This indeed happened in the history of Islam. Or it may be that slave women would give birth to kings, so the king’s mother would be one of his subjects when he was her master and the master of others among his subjects, and in charge of their affairs. Or it may be that what is meant is that defiant disobedience towards parents would become widespread, to the extent that children would treat their mothers like slaves, by insulting them and humiliating them.
The second sign is that the insignificant camel herders will compete in building lofty structures. What is meant by insignificant is unknown herders and shepherds, or those who have nothing and are destitute. Competing in the building of lofty structures means that they will become rich and kings, ruling people.
What is mentioned in this hadith is only two of the minor portents of the Hour; there are many portents, many of which have already appeared.
After the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had answered these questions, the questioner went away. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to bring him back to him, but they could not see anything, either the man or his tracks. It was said that perhaps he said “bring him back to me” in order to alert the Sahabah and make them realize that this was an angel, not a human being. Hence he said to them, “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion”, that is, the principles of their religion. He attributed the act of teaching to him, even though he just asked questions, because he was the cause of this teaching, so he attributed it to him, or because teaching was the aim behind his asking these questions, or because he wanted them to learn, as they did not ask. Or it may be that through Jibril’s questions to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the presence of the Sahabah, he wanted to show them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a great deal of knowledge, and that his knowledge came through the revelation, so that they would become more eager to acquire knowledge and be more interested in it.
This hadith indicates that when the words Islam and faith (iman) are mentioned together, each of them has its own meaning, and when one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the meaning of the other.
It also indicates that the angels may appear in human form, as referred to in the verse: {Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man} [Maryam 19:17].
It also highlights the importance of sincerity and remembering that Allah is always watching.
And it indicates that if a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, “I do not know”, and that does not detract from his status; rather it is indicative of his prudence, piety and abundant knowledge..

It was narrated that an-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “That which is halal is clear and that which is haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will have protected his faith and his honour, but whoever falls into the doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary: soon he will transgress upon it. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits. Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt; indeed, it is the heart.”.

Commentary : This hadith is one of the hadiths which describes the central tenets of Islam. It is a very important hadith, and one of the principal foundations of Islamic teaching. It is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as in it he urges the Muslims to err on the side of caution and avoid doubtful matters concerning which there is no clear reference in the religious texts. He explained that what is halal is clear and evident; it is everything for which there is no evidence that it is prohibited in the Qur’an, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘) or analogy (qiyas), because the basic principle is that things are permissible [unless there is evidence to the contrary]. Similarly, what is haram is also clear and evident; it is everything for which there is evidence that it is prohibited, whether that evidence is from the Qur’an, the Sunnah or scholarly consensus. He stated that between what is halal and what is haram, there is a third category, which is doubtful matters. These are matters concerning which there is no clear ruling as to whether it is halal or haram, so many people are not able to know the ruling on these matters. This includes all doubtful and ambiguous matters, such as wealth from dubious sources, or wealth that is mixed with riba, or other kinds of unlawful wealth. As for cases when one is certain that this wealth has definitely been acquired through riba, then it is one hundred percent haram, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it cannot be regarded as doubtful or dubious. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that whoever avoids doubtful matters is erring on the side of caution, so his faith will be protected from falling short, and his honour will be protected from any aspersions, criticism or bad reputation. As for the one who falls into doubtful matters and has the audacity to accept them, he is exposing himself to danger, for he will soon fall into that which is haram, like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary, which is the land that the king sets aside for his own flocks, and warns anyone who grazes his flocks there without his permission that he will face a severe punishment. If a shepherd grazes his sheep around the land that the king has set aside for himself and designated for his personal use, his flock may enter the sanctuary, in which case he will deserve the punishment of the ruler. By the same token, the one who is careless about doubtful matters is in danger, because those matters may be haram, and he may fall into them, or he may become careless about doubtful matters, and that leads to him becoming negligent and careless in general, so he begins to fall into haram matters deliberately. Falling into dubious matters may lead to falling into minor sins, and falling into minor sins may lead to falling into major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits.” In other words, the sanctuary of Allah is the sins that He has prohibited to His slaves; whoever enters His sanctuary by committing any of those sins is doomed, and whoever comes close to it by doing doubtful things is in danger.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke a comprehensive word which explains what causes the sons of Adam to behave in a righteous or corrupt manner, which is that the basis of physical wellbeing has to do with the soundness or otherwise of the heart. If the heart is (spiritually) sound, then the person’s intentions will only seek what is right and proper, and all his physical faculties will be sound, and he will not be prompted to do anything except obey Allah and avoid His wrath. Thus he will be content with what is halal and have no need of what is haram. But if the heart is (spiritually) corrupt, then the person’s intentions will be corrupt, and all his physical faculties will be corrupt, and he will be prompted to disobey Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and to do that which incurs His wrath. He will not be content with what is halal; rather he will hasten to seek that which is haram, in accordance with what his heart desires and the extent to which it drifts away from the truth..

It was narrated that Abu Jamrah said: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas, who would invite me to sit next to him. He said: Stay with me so I can give you a share of my wealth. So I stayed with him for two months. Then he said: When the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said: “Who are the people – or who are the delegation?” They said: [The tribe of] Rabi‘ah. He said: “Welcome to the people – or the delegation. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, we cannot come to you except in the sacred month, for between us and you there is this tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something clear that we can tell to those whom we left behind, by means of which we may enter Paradise. And they asked him about four kinds of drinks. He commanded them to do four things, and forbade to them four things. He commanded them to believe in Allah alone. He said: “Do you know what believing in Allah alone means?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” [And he commanded them] to establish prayer, give zakâh and fast Ramadan, and to give one fifth of the war booty. And he forbade them to use four things: glazed pitchers, gourds, hollowed-out stumps, and varnished jars. And he said: “Memorize them [these rulings] and tell them to those you left behind.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach the people all matters that would benefit them in their religious affairs, and in this world and the hereafter, so that they would be fully aware of them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Jamrah says: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., at the time when he was the governor of Basra during the caliphate of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to honour him and make him sit next to him. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Stay with me so that you can help me to understand those who come to ask questions. That was because he used to translate for him and tell him what non-Arab petitioners wanted, and he would tell the petitioner what Ibn ‘Abbas said. So he stayed with him for two months, and he heard this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, in which he told the story of the arrival of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays who came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Abdul Qays was the name of a tribe. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked them about their lineage, and they said: Rabi‘ah, referring to their ancestor. Rabi‘ah was the son of Nizar ibn Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnan. They mentioned Rabi‘ah because ‘Abdul Qays was one of his sons. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed them and said: Welcome to the people who have come with nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret. What is meant is that none of them delayed becoming Muslim out of stubbornness, so neither they nor their families were taken captive, or anything else of that nature, that could be a cause of shame or regret. This serves to highlight their honourable position, as they entered Islam willingly, without being subjected to any kind of humiliation.
They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): We can only come to you during the sacred month. They mentioned the word in the singular, but what is meant is all four sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. They were only able to come during these months, and not others, because the Arabs used to refrain from fighting during these months; the disbelievers of the tribes of Mudar lived between Rabi‘ah and Madinah, and the tribe of Rabi‘ah could not reach Madinah except by travelling through their land; they were afraid of them, except during the sacred months, because they refrained from fighting at that time. They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to enjoin upon them something clear, by means of which they could distinguish what was true and what was false, so that they could tell their people in their homeland about it. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do four things: he enjoined them to believe in Allah, and explained that that meant bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn) must be uttered verbally, whilst acknowledging and believing it in the heart, acting in accordance with what these words imply, believing, affirming and testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and that none is rightfully worshipped except Allah; and acknowledging the message of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah and affirming that he is the last of the prophets and messengers, and that it is obligatory upon all people to follow him and believe in him.
Then he enjoined them to establish prayer, which means regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
Then he enjoined them to give zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
Then he enjoined them to fast Ramadan, which means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he added: You should give one-fifth of the war booty, because they were neighbours of the disbelievers of Mudar, and they were people who fought in jihad and captured booty. Booty refers to anything that the Muslims seized of the wealth and property of the disbelievers by means of prevailing over them and defeating them. They were to give one fifth (khums) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as Allah explained in the verse: {Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Messenger, close relatives of the Messenger…} [al-Anfal 8:41], to be spent in the ways prescribed in the religious texts.
Some may be confused by the fact that the report says that he enjoined four things, but mentioned five. The response to that is that the first of the four things that are enjoined is the establishing of prayer. The twin declaration of faith was mentioned only for blessing (barakah). Or, it was suggested, that prayer and zakah were counted as one thing, because they are always mentioned together in the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), or because giving the one fifth is included in the general meaning of giving zakah, and what they have in common is that a specific amount of wealth is to be given in some cases but not in others.
Then he said: And he forbade four things. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade them to use four types of vessels for their food and drink. The first type was glazed pitchers, which were earthenware jars that were painted green or red, or glazed with vitreous material that was used to coat the earthenware jar to block all tiny holes. The second type was gourds, which are a type of squash. What was prohibited was using them as vessels after emptying them out and making them hollow. The third type was hollowed-out stumps, which refers to hollowing out the base of a palm tree so that it could be used as a vessel. The fourth type was varnished jars, which are jars that were coated with tar or pitch, which is made from a plant that is burned after it has dried out; similar substances were used for caulking ships and the like.
The prohibition on using these vessels in particular was because food and drink that were kept in them would soon start to change, and perhaps people might drink from them without realizing that a change had occurred. Then after that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession allowing people to use all kinds of vessels, whilst prohibiting drinking anything that caused intoxication, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I used to forbid you to soak [dried dates and the like] in water skins, but now soak [such things] in all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything that causes intoxication.”
Then at the end of the hadith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the members of the delegation to memorize these words of his, and convey them to those whom the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays had left behind.
This hadith tells us that people of virtue and prominent figures may be sent to meet leaders when there are important matters to be discussed.
It shows that an apology or explanation may be given before raising an issue.
It highlights the main issues and pillars of Islam, apart from Hajj.
It indicates that righteous actions may be called faith.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person may honour a prominent figure.
It shows that a knowledgeable person may seek help from his companions in explaining something to those who are present, and to understand their questions.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person should urge the people to convey knowledge and spread awareness of Islamic rulings.
It indicates that there is no shame in the seeker of knowledge or the one who is requesting a fatwa asking the knowledgeable person to explain his answer further. .

It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated to achieve some worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the main principles and foundations of Islamic teaching, to the extent that it was said concerning it that it constitutes one third of knowledge. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions,” so no prescribed act of worship is valid without being preceded by the intention. “And each person will have what he intended,” so all the Muslim will get from his actions is what he intended thereby. This ruling is general in meaning and applies to all actions, whether they are acts of worship, interactions with others or ordinary actions. Whoever intends by his actions to attain some worldly benefit will gain nothing but that worldly benefit, even if it was an act of worship, and thus he will not attain any reward thereby. Whoever intended by his action to draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted) and to seek His pleasure will attain reward through his deed, even if it was an ordinary action, such as eating or drinking. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some practical examples to explain the impact of intentions on actions. Hence he stated that whoever intended by migrating to obey the command of his Lord, seek His pleasure, and flee for the sake of his faith from persecution, his migration was a kind of hijrah that is prescribed in Islamic teachings and will be accepted by Allah (may He be exalted), and he will be rewarded for it because of his sincere intention. However, the one who migrated in pursuit of some worldly gain or personal objective, such as wealth, trade, or marriage to a beautiful woman, “then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated,” and he will not attain anything from his migration except that worldly benefit that he intended, and he will not attain any reward for that..

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Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): “Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast three days of each month?" She said: 'Yes.' I said to her: "Which days of the month did he use to fast?" She said: "It did not matter to him which days of the month he fasted.".

Commentary : People would ask the Prophet's wives about his custom regarding matters unclear to them or those they liked to learn about.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah informs that she asked ‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her): "Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to fast three days of each month?" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged the observance of fasting for three days every month, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections. In response to her, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: 'Yes', he used to fast them, and this was the minimum he would fast in a month. Then, Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah asked for the specification of these days; whether they were at the start, middle, or end of the month, and whether they were successive or separated? ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told her that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not care about fixing these days; rather, she would find him fasting at the start of the month and at its middle and at its end. It was said: He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) probably did not observe three specific days in a persistent manner, lest it might be thought they were specified.
In a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd, ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast - meaning at the Ghurrah of each month - three days, i.e., the start of the month. The Ghurrah of something is its beginning. It was also said: He meant the white days in the middle of the month during which the moon becomes full, namely the 13th, 14th, and 15th days. This is because Ghurrah also refers to whiteness. So, the Companion ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd, who reported the Hadīth, probably mentioned the usual practice based on his knowledge of the Prophet's conditions and that he used to fast these days. Also, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections, reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would fast so often outside Ramadan until it was said: He does not cease fasting. And he would refrain from fasting until it was said: He does not fast. Nonetheless, he used to fast on certain days, like the days at the start of the month and its middle, as well as on Mondays and Thursdays.
The bottom line is that there were numerous conditions for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding fasting. Every Companion reported what he knew about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or what he saw, or what was suitable in a certain situation; all the reports about the Prophet's fasting are authentic, which falls under permissibility and flexibility for those who want to fast as they wish while being keen to adhere to the Prophet's Sunnah and keep away from the days in which fasting is prohibited.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the practice of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he used to fast often and diligently.

1162

Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about his fasting. He said: . The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry. Thereupon, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We are pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Islam as a religion, with Muhammad as a Messenger, and with our pledge of allegiance as a pledge of allegiance." He said: He was asked about fasting of Ad-Dahr (all days), and he said: May he not fast or break his fast, or he has not fasted or broken his fast. He said: He was asked about fasting for two days and not fasting for one day, and he said: Who could bear that?! He said: He was asked about fasting one day and not fasting for two days, and he said: I wish that Allah had given us the strength for that. He said: He was asked about fasting one day and not fasting for one day, and he said: That is the fasting of my brother David (Dāwūd) (peace be upon him). He said: He was asked about fasting on Monday, and he said: That is the day on which I was born and the day on which I was sent (as a Prophet), or the revelation was sent down to me on that day. He said: And he said: Fasting three days every month and from Ramadan to the next Ramadan is (equivalent to) the fasting of Ad-Dahr (all days). He said: He was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, and he said: It expiates the past year and the coming one. He said: He was asked about fasting on the day of ‘Āshūrā’, and he said: It expiates the past year..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) liked that a Muslim should perform the deeds he can bear and do regularly. People used to ask about his guidance (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding matters confusing and unclear to them, or about things they would like to know, so that they could follow his example and attain success.
In this Hadīth, Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about his fasting, meaning: the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the version by Ahmed, it is mentioned that the questioner was a Bedouin, an Arab living in the desert. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry and the effect of anger became manifest on his face, due to this man's statement and question. He probably got angry because he disliked the question, as he would need to answer it and feared that his answer would lead to some evil, namely that the questioner might think it to be obligatory or too little, or he might restrict himself to it while his condition allowed for more than that. As for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he restricted himself to it due to his preoccupation with the interests and rights of Muslims, and the rights of his wives and guests and those who came to him, lest his example might be followed by anyone, and this would cause harm to some people. The questioner should have said: How much should I fast? Or: How should I fast? Thus, he would pose the question regarding himself, to which he would give him an answer based on his condition, as he gave answers to others on the basis of their respective conditions. Moreover, the Prophet's fasting did not follow one pattern. Rather, it would differ with the difference of conditions. He would sometimes fast often and at other times less often, and a situation like that makes it hard to answer the question.
When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) noticed the Prophet's anger, he - out of politeness and respect towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and as an apology and appeasement to him, and out of pity towards the questioner - said: "We are pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Islam as a religion, with Muhammad as a Messenger," i.e., we are pleased with His planning and predestination for us, and we have taken Him as our God and Deity, apart from anyone else. And we are pleased with Islam as a religion, as we have chosen it from among all religions and entered it being content and submissive, and we did not seek a religion other than Islam. And we are pleased with Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as a Messenger. We are pleased with all he brought from Allah Almighty and accepted that with submission and delight, and we believed what he said, obeyed his commands, and shunned his prohibitions, and we loved, followed, and supported him.
"and with our pledge of allegiance as a pledge of allegiance," which refers to the pledge of allegiance over Hijrah and Jihad. This shows complete faith and submission to Allah and to His Messenger and religion.
When the Prophet's anger subsided, ‘Umar asked him - as related in another version by Muslim - in a more accurate and rational manner that was closer to the truth. He posed his question in a general way that would benefit all people. He asked him about fasting for all days, which is the fasting for all the days of the year consecutively, and about the state of he who observes such fasts, as to whether it is commendable or dispraised. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May he not fast or break his fast;" or he said: "He has not fasted or broken his fast." The meaning: He does not struggle against the severity of hunger and thirst because he gets used to fasting and so it becomes easier for him, and he does not need the patience over the effort upon which the reward is conditional. Hence, he becomes like one who did not fast. And since he does not gain the comfort and pleasure felt by those who break their fast, it is as if he did not break his fast. It was said: This means supplication against him, by way of deterring him. It may also be an informative statement, meaning that it is as if this person did not break the fast because he ate nothing, and he did not observe the fast because his fast was not prescribed by the Lawgiver.
Then, he asked him about a person fasting for two days and not fasting for one day. Thus, the days he fasts are double the days he does not fast, which makes this act of worship more common than the usual way of life. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who could bear that?!", i.e., who can do that being able to continue fasting while discharging his other duties of the day?! He seemed to have disliked it, for it mostly goes beyond people's capacity, and so it is not encouraged by an easy and tolerant religion. It was said: It indicates that the reason for prohibition is weakness, which means: If anyone can bear it, there is nothing wrong with that.
Then, he asked him about a person fasting one day and not fasting for two days. Thus, the days he does not fast are double the days he fasts, and he continues to do that for all his life. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him, saying: I wish that Allah had given us the strength for that. He seemed to have approved of this type of fasting and hoped to observe it. It was said: That his wish pertains to others in his Ummah, for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would bear it and more than that, and it is authentically reported that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to observe continuous fasts. It was said: This means that because of his preoccupation with his wives, guests, activities, and people, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not observe this amount of fasting on a continuous basis. This is not because of his weakness to bear fasting, or his lack of patience over abstinence from eating for this period.
Then, he asked him about a person who fasts one day and does not fast for one day, and who takes that as a habit. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is the fasting of my brother David (Dāwūd) (peace be upon him)." This indirectly indicates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged this fasting, for it is very moderate and it takes the two aspects of worship and habit into the best consideration, and it is one of the most beloved fasts to Allah Almighty, as related in the Two Sahīh Collections. This is because it is not ongoing fasting nor ongoing abandonment of fasting.
Then, he asked him about the reason behind fasting on Monday. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is the day on which I was born and a day on which I was commissioned (as a Prophet)," i.e., the day of the beginning of my prophethood; so, it is the day most worthy of being fasted. Or he said: "the revelation was sent down to me therein;" the revelation began to come down on it.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that fasting three days every month - which applies to specification, like the fasting of the white days: the 13th, 14th, and 15th days; or to generality, like fasting three days at the beginning of the month, its middle, or at its end, successively or sporadically - and the fasting of Ramadan every year is equivalent to the fasting of all days. That is, Allah, out of His grace and generosity, multiplies the reward for every act of goodness and worship, involving words or deeds, tenfold. So, a good deed is multiplied to ten similar good deeds. Likewise, the fasting of one day is recorded as fasting of ten days. Accordingly, if a person fasts three days, it is as if he fasts thirty days, which is a whole month. Thus, by fasting three days every month, it is as if he fasts the entire year, in addition to the obligatory fasting in the month of Ramadan.
And he asked him about fasting on the day of ‘Arafah. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that whoever fasts it, Allah forgives for him the sins of two years: the past year and the coming year. This fasting is to be observed by non-pilgrims, for it is disliked for a pilgrim to fast on the day of ‘Arafah. This is because fasting on this day will make the pilgrim too weak to stand and supplicate. As for non-pilgrims, they are addressed by this Hadīth to the relevant merit and attainment of rewards from Allah Almighty. The day of ‘Arafah is the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. It was called as such because it comprises one of the pillars of Hajj, namely standing at ‘Arafah in Makkah.
Then, he asked him about the fasting of the day of ‘Āshūrā’, which is the tenth day of the month of Muharram. This is the day in which Allah saved Moses (peace be upon him) and his people from Pharaoh. So, Moses fasted it in gratitude to Allah for His favor in destroying the oppressors. In response, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah forgives by fasting this day the sins of the past year.
This expiation includes minor sins, not the major ones. As for major sins, they can only be expiated by repentance or mercy from Allah, or it is hoped the major sins will be alleviated. It was said: The expiation for the coming year is that He will preserve him from committing sins in it. It was also said: that He will give him an amount of mercy and reward that expiates for the past year and the next one if it comes and he commits sins therein.
These questions by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) point to his proper understanding. He first calmed the anger of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and then asked him about certain types of fasting that comprise all that a Muslim can observe, and he knew their rulings, while demonstrating which of them are valid and which are not and pointing out the merit of some of them. Meanwhile, he taught us all of that. So, whoever wishes can observe the valid fast and choose what is more suitable for himself and his ability.
The Hadīth points out the merit of fasting on Monday.
It also points out the merit of fasting on the day of ‘Āshūrā’.
It also shows the merit of fasting on the day of ‘Arafah.
And it demonstrates the merit of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
The Hadīth points out that Allah is Kind to His servants, and He facilitates things for them and removes hardships and restrictions from them.
The Hadīth prohibits fasting for all days.
And it forbids overburdening oneself in worship with things beyond one's capacity..

1163

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported in a Marfū‘ Hadīth: He [i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)] was asked: "Which prayer is the most excellent after the obligatory prayer? And which fasting is the most excellent after the month of Ramadan?" He said: "The most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer in the middle of the night, and the most excellent fasting after the month of Ramadan is fasting Allah's month of Al-Muharram.".

Commentary : Prayer and fasting are among the pillars of Islam. Allah determined the obligatory prayer as five prayers during the day and night and determined the obligatory fasting as the fasting of the month of Ramadan. But, if anyone wants to perform these two forms of worship on a voluntary basis, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) specified its meritorious times during which the servant obtains the best reward.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the best times and conditions for offering prayer and observing fast voluntarily. So, someone asked him: What are the best prayers after performing the five obligatory prayers, which must be offered? These are the best forms of worship whereby a servant can seek closeness to Allah Almighty before thinking about supererogatory and additional worship, in case he wants to offer that voluntarily. In a clarifying and demonstrating reply, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer in the middle of the night." This is because prayer during the night is more likely to be free from Riyā’ (show-off) and closer to sincerity, and the praying person can offer it in a focused and carefree manner away from daytime preoccupations. Plus, this is more helpful in remembering the Qur’an and not forgetting some of the verses. The middle of the night means: the last third of the night.
And he was asked about the most excellent fasting after the obligatory fasting of Ramadan, and he replied that the most excellent fasting after the month of Ramadan is fasting Allah's month of Al-Muharram, which is one of the sacred months within which Allah prohibited fighting. The month is attributed to Allah by way of extolment. It is the first month in the Hijri calendar, which is a reason for him to start it with the doing of good and receive it with worship. This is one of the best deeds, just as the first part of the day is received with Dhikr. So, it is hoped that this expiates for the rest of the year, akin to the merit of Dhikr in the early part of the day. It is also probable that since fighting was prohibited during Muharram, seizing its time for fasting was a good opportunity because the times during which fighting is permissible may entail that the believer does not fast, for fasting causes weakness.
The Hadīth points out the merit of prayer in the middle of the night.
It demonstrates the merit of fasting during the month of Muharram.
It also indicates that supererogatory and voluntary worship can be offered after performing the obligations..

1164

Abu Ayyūb al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If anyone fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days in Shawwāl, it will be like a perpetual fast.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast some days every month on a voluntary basis, and he urged his Companions to do the same. He also urged the fasting of some days within the months of the year, given their abundant reward.
In this Hadīth, he directed the Muslims to fast six days in Shawwāl, after Ramadan, and pointed out that if anyone fasts the entire Ramadan and then fasts six days in Shawwāl, successive or sporadic - for fasting them successively or sporadically falls under the adherence to the Sunnah - he will obtain a reward equivalent to fasting the entire year. This stems from the great bounty of Allah towards His Muslim servants, as He multiplies the reward for them. This is explained by the verse that reads: {Whoever comes with a good deed will be rewarded tenfold.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 160] The month of Ramadan is equivalent to ten months, and fasting six days after Eid al-Fitr completes the year.
The Hadīth points out the merit of fasting six days in the month of Shawwāl..

1166

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was shown Laylat al-Qadr, and then some members of my family woke me up, and I was caused to forget it. So, seek it in the remaining ten days." [And in a version]: I forgot it..

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr is a great night whose status Allah points out in Surat al-Qadr. In this night the Qur’an was revealed; worship in it is better than worship in a thousand months; the angels descend in it with the permission of Allah; and it contains safety, security, and peace. It is known to occur, but its time is unknown. Several versions are reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the specification of Laylat al-Qadr. This Hadīth is one of those versions, and in it the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was shown Laylat al-Qadr," i.e., I was made aware of the specification of Laylat al-Qadr and on which night it occurs, but "some members of my family woke me up." This indicates that the Prophet's sighting of it was in a dream. However, his dreams (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the dreams of the prophets (peace be upon them) were divine revelations. This does not denote that he did not learn about it during wakefulness. As the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was caused to forget it, he said: "So, seek it in the remaining ten days," i.e., try to find it in the remaining ten days, which are the last ten days of the month of Ramadan as a whole. Other versions in the Two Sahīh Collections state that it occurs on odd-numbered days within the last ten days of Ramadan. The Prophet's statement: "seek it" denotes encouragement to try to find it. This should be done by engaging in worship, supplication, and pious acts.
This Hadīth mentions that the reason behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forgetting Laylat al-Qadr was that some members of his household awakened him. And it is mentioned in a Hadīth in the Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection, reported by ‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him), that the reason behind that was a dispute and conflict between two men. And also in a Hadīth in the Sahīh Muslim Collection, reported by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), with the wording: "There came two men contending with each other and along with them was the devil." To reconcile these two Hadīths, this may either be taken to denote plurality; thus, the vision in the Hadīth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a dream. The forgetfulness happened because of awakening, and the vision in the Hadīth reported by others happened during wakefulness, while the forgetfulness occurred because of the mentioned dispute. Or it may be taken to suggest the occurring of the two stories, in which case the forgetfulness happened twice for two reasons. Or this may probably mean: Some members of my family awakened me, and I heard the dispute between the two men and got up to mediate between them. So, I was caused to forget it, due to my preoccupation with the two men.
The Hadīth indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was subject to forgetfulness, in what Allah willed.
It points out that Laylat al-Qadr lies in the last ten days of Ramadan.
It urges us to seek Laylat al-Qadr..

1168

‘Abdullāh ibn ’Unays reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was shown Laylat al-Qadr and then I was caused to forget it. I saw myself prostrating in water and mud on its morning." He said: We had rain during the twenty-third night. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer and left, and indeed the trace of water and mud was on his forehead and nose. He said: ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Unays used to say: The twenty-third..

Commentary : There is no doubt that the greatest month in the sight of Allah is the month of Ramadan, and the greatest night is Laylat al-Qadr. Therefore, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) diligently tried to specify it. So, numerous Hadīths were reported on determining this night.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was shown Laylat al-Qadr and then I was caused to forget it," i.e., I came to know on which day it occurs. Then, this knowledge was taken away from me. Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) informed him of its specific time in that year. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw in a dream - and the dreams of the prophets are true and truth, and constitute revelation from Allah Almighty - that its sign is that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was prostrating in water and mud. Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) related that it rained on the twenty-third night. The Prophet's vision of himself prostrating in water and mud came true. He led them in Qiyām al-Layl and departed after the prayer as the trace of water and mud was on his forehead and nose due to prostrating over them. This was confirmation of the Prophet's dream. The roof of his mosque was made of palm leaf stalks. Based on this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ’Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) used to determine Laylat al-Qadr to be the twenty-third night every year. Several Hadīths are reported specifying the time of Laylat al-Qadr. The scholars had a lot to say on reconciling these Hadīths or favoring some above others. This includes: that Laylat al-Qadr moves every year within the last ten days of Ramadan. It was called Laylat al-Qadr because of its high status and rank, or because the pious deeds performed therein are of great significance. Out of Allah's wisdom, He concealed it from people for them to diligently seek it within the nights, and thus, they will engage more in worship, which brings benefits to them.
The Hadīth mentions prostration on water and mud.
It states that the dreams of the prophets are true.
It urges us to seek Laylat al-Qadr and utilize it for the performance of righteous deeds, given the increased merit and reward therein.
It affirms prostration on the forehead and nose..

1170

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were talking about Laylat al-Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "Who amongst you remembers when the moon rose and it was like a half of plate?".

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr is a great night. Allah points out its status in Surat al-Qadr. The Qur’an was revealed therein. Worship in it is better than worship in a thousand months. The angels descend in it with the permission of Allah, and it contains safety, security, and peace. It is known to occur, but its time is unknown. Several versions are reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the specification of Laylat al-Qadr or the nature of its night.
This Hadīth is one of those versions, and it identifies one of the characteristics of Laylat al-Qadr. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they talked to one another about Laylat al-Qadr and its status and significance, the merit of performing Qiyām al-Layl therein, and its signs which were mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who amongst you remembers when the moon rose, and it was like a half of plate?" He likened the moon to half of a food plate. The meaning: Who amongst you remembers the night in which half of the moon appeared like half of a food plate? This was the sign of Laylat al-Qadr in this month known to them and in that year, or the sign of Laylat al-Qadr in all years. This indicates that Laylat al-Qadr can be seen and verified by whomever Allah wills..

1175

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would strive more in the last ten days than he would strive in other than them..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was most keen on attaining rewards, and he was good at utilizing the virtuous times, including the last ten days of Ramadan, which are the best nights of the year, and they contain Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), which is better than a thousand months.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates that when the last ten days of Ramadan came - starting from the night of the 21th day until the end of the month - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would strive more in them than he would strive at other times, i.e., more than his diligence in other nights. This is due to the significance and merit of those nights and in pursuit of Laylat al-Qadr. He would engage more in righteous deeds and worship, draw close to Allah Almighty, retire in his praying place, and keep away from women. This is demonstrated by another version in the Two Sahīh Collections: "When the ten days came, he would pray all night, wake up his family, show diligence, and tie up his lower garment firmly."
The Hadīth demonstrates keenness to engage diligently in worship during the last ten days of Ramadan.
It indicates that one should strive to have the best possible ending of Ramadan..

1176

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fasting during the ten days..

Commentary : The month of Dhul-Hijjah is one of the sacred months. It includes the ten days at its beginning, during which righteous deeds are greatly meritorious. They include the day of ‘Arafah, the ninth day. And they include the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, the tenth day. A number of Hadīths are reported on their merit.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) fasting during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. In another version narrated by Muslim, she said: "He did not fast the ten days." The ten days here refer to the nine days from the beginning of Dhul-Hijjah, for fasting on the day of Eid is forbidden.
This Hadīth indicates that it is disliked fasting the ten days; whereas other Hadīths point to the merit of performing pious deeds - which include fasting - in those ten days. It is authentically narrated in the Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are no deeds on any day better than deeds in these," i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. It is probable that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not observe fasting on these days because he would sometimes abandon certain deeds, though he would like to perform them, for fear that they might be ordained upon his Ummah. The merit of fasting the day of ‘Arafah by non-pilgrims is mentioned in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "Fasting the day of ‘Arafah, I expect from Allah that it expiates the sins of the preceding year and the next one.".

1184

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) proclaim Talbiyah with his hair matted, saying: "Labbayka allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-hamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, la sharīka lak." (Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at Your service, here I am at Your service. You have no partner; the praise, the favor, and the dominion belong to You. You have no partner). He would not say anything more than these words. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer two Rak‘ahs in Dhul-Hulayfah, and when his she-camel stood upright with him on its back near the mosque of Dhul-Hulayfah, he proclaimed Talbiyah with these words. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) used to proclaim Talbiyah like the Talbiyah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with these words and would say: Labbayka allahumma labbayk, labbayka wa sa‘dayk, wa al-khayr fi yadayk, labbayka wa ar-raghba’ ilayka wa al-‘amal (Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at Your service. Here I am at Your service, in bliss. Good is in Your Hands. Here I am at Your service; things are sought of You, and deeds are done for Your sake)..

Commentary : This Hadīth demonstrates the manner of the Prophet's Talbiyah upon assuming Ihrām for Hajj. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "proclaimed Talbiyah," i.e., he said Talbiyah in a loud voice, "with his hair matted," i.e., he put something like glue in his hair to prevent it from drooping or to keep insects away. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his Talbiyah: "Labbayka allahumma labbayk" (Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at Your service), i.e., I repeat my response to You in complying with Your command to perform Hajj; so, I respond to Your command time and again. "labbayka la sharīka laka labbayk" (Here I am at Your service; You have no partner), i.e., You alone are Sovereign in Your dominion, without any opponent or partner. "inna al-hamda wa an-ni‘mata laka" (the praise, the favor... belong to You), i.e., praise, gratitude, and laudation are due to You alone, and every favor comes from You, and You are the Giver of it. "wa al-mulk, la sharīka lak" (and the dominion belongs to You; You have no partner). He mentioned the dominion after the praise and favor to generalize the causes of obedience and demonstrate the aspects of submission and worship. Then, he followed that with the words "la sharīka lak" (You have no partner) to dispel any resemblance to Him and affirm that He alone is the Possessor of the dominion, the praise, and the favor. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not say anything beyond these words in his Talbiyah and the assumption of Ihrām. It is said: The wisdom behind Talbiyah is to note Allah's honor to His servants as they come to His House after a call from Him.
Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered two Rak‘ahs in the mosque of Dhul-Hulayfah. This refers to the Zhuhr prayer performed in a shortened form, as related in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim and reported by Ibn ‘Abbās. Dhul-Hulayfah is a place lying outside Madīnah, on the way to Makkah. Dhul-Hulayfah is located 6 or 7 miles, nearly 9 or 10km, away from Madīnah. It is the Miqāt of the people of Madīnah and the non-residents who pass by it. It is known today among the ordinary people as Abiyār ‘Ali or Ābār ‘Ali. It lies about 420km away from Makkah. On the day he arrived in Dhul-Hulayfah, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ‘Asr prayer therein as two Rak‘ahs. Then, he performed the Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, Fajr, and Zhuhr prayers there. Thus, he offered five prayers there and stayed for a day and night. "and when his she-camel stood upright with him on its back near the mosque of Dhul-Hulayfah," i.e., he rode his she-camel, and it stood up in preparation for moving, "he proclaimed Talbiyah with these words," i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) raised his voice as he said this supplication mentioned earlier.
Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) would assume Ihrām and raise his voice as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do and say: "Labbayka allahumma labbayk, labbayka wa sa‘dayk" (Here I am at Your service, O Allah, here I am at Your service. Here I am at Your service, in bliss), i.e., bliss after bliss, and I repeat that time and time again. "Wa al-Khayr fi yadayk" (Good is in Your Hands); good comes from You alone. "Labbayka wa ar-raghba’ ilayka wa al-‘amal." (Here I am at Your service; things are sought from You, and deeds are done for Your sake), i.e., things are sought from You and asked of You.
This addition was from the words of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Other additions to Talbiyah are reported from some of the Companions, who added them by way of increasing what is good. It is narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not criticize the Talbiyah proclaimed by any of his Companions..

1185

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The polytheists used to say: "Labbayk la sharika lak" (Here I am at Your service; there is no partner with You.) He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would say: "Woe to you! Enough, enough." They would say: "illa sharika howa lak; tamlikuhu wa ma malak" (Except a partner with You, whom You possess and all what he possesses." They would say that while performing Tawāf around the House!.

Commentary : Talbiyah for Hajj among the Muslims involves proclamation of the Tawhīd of Allah, sincere devotion to Him, and keeping away from Shirk. As for the polytheists, they used to proclaim Talbiyah for Hajj with Shirk.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the polytheists used to say while performing Tawāf around the Ka‘bah: "Labbayk, there is no partner with You." So, they would commence the Talbiyah with Tawhīd. Since the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knew what they would add after that, he would say to them when they pronounced Talbiyah with Tawhīd: "Woe to you!" i.e., you will be in ruin and destruction for what you add to the Talbiyah. "Enough, enough!" i.e., your statement of Tawhīd is sufficient. Limit your Talbiyah to it and do not add the subsequent words: "illa sharika howa lak; tamlikuhu wa ma malak" (Except a partner with You, whom You possess and all what he possesses." By the partner, they meant their idols. This phrase in Arabic (tamlikuhu wa ma malak) has two potential meanings: First: You possess him and what is in his possession. Second: You possess him and he possesses nothing. They acknowledge that he is not worthy of any worship, for he is capable of nothing for himself or others, and that indeed the Sovereign is Allah. Nonetheless, they associate him with Allah in worship, out of ignorance or stubbornness, transgression, and arrogance! Allah Almighty says: {They have taken besides Him other gods who can create nothing but are themselves created. Nor do they have the power to harm or benefit themselves, nor do they have the power to cause death, give life or resurrect the dead.} [Surat al-Furqān: 3]
Moreover, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) says that they used to say that while performing Tawāf around the Sacred House of Allah by way of seeking closeness to Allah Almighty through false words, which are rejected..

1186

Sālim reported: When Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was told that Ihrām should start from Al-Baydā’, he would say: Al-Baydā’ about which you tell a lie about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)! The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not proclaim Talbiyah except at the tree when his camel stood up with him on its back..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) learned the rituals of Hajj from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Hajj, as he enjoined them to do, and they passed them on to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, Sālim ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar mentions that when his father ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) was told that raising one's voice with Talbiyah in Hajj or ‘Umrah should start from Al-Baydā’, he would deny that and say: "Al-Baydā’ about which you tell a lie about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)!" i.e., you allege that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started his Talbiyah in his Hajj when he reached Al-Baydā’. You are mistaken in this. He attributed lying to them, for they said something contrary to reality. This does not mean intentional lying. Indeed, the Arabs tend to say to one who made an error: You lied. Al-Baydā’ is a place near Dhul-Hulayfah from the direction of Makkah. It was called Baydā’ for the absence of landmarks therein such as buildings and the like. What is meant here is the elevated and high place opposite Dhul-Hulayfah from the direction of Makkah.
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explained what is right to them, namely that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise his voice with Talbiyah "except at the tree" located near the mosque of Dhul-Hulayfah, which is a village situated 6 or 7 miles (nearly 10km) away from Madīnah, and it is the Miqāt for the people of Madīnah and the non-residents who pass by it. This happened when he set out for the Farewell Hajj. He raised his voice with Talbiyah as he rode his camel and made it stand up to leave, after he had assumed Ihrām at that location.
The difference between the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) over the places from which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed Talbiyah is probably caused by the fact that each of them talked about what he saw. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left Madīnah for Hajj. When he prayed in the mosque of Dhul-Hulayfah, he proclaimed Talbiyah for Hajj, which some people heard and memorized from him. Then, he rode his she-camel, and it stood up, he proclaimed the Talbiyah, of which some people became aware, for they were coming in groups. So, they heard him and said: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed the Talbiyah when his she-camel stood up with him on its back. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) proceeded, and when he ascended the elevated place of Al-Baydā’, he proclaimed the Talbiyah, which some people became cognizant of and said: Indeed, he proclaimed the Talbiyah when he ascended the elevated place of Al-Baydā’. So, each of them transmitted what he had heard. This shows that the difference arose over the starting of the Talbiyah and the assumption of Ihrām from the Miqāt. This confusion is cleared up by a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd, in which Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, he proclaimed the Talbiyah in his place of prayer, proclaimed the Talbiyah when his she-camel stood up with him on its back, and proclaimed the Talbiyah when he ascended the elevated place of Al-Baydā’.".

1195

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Zayd ibn Arqam came, and ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās said to him, reminding him: "How did you tell me about the meat of the game presented as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in a state of Ihrām?" He said that he said: "He was presented with a slice of the meat of the game, and he refused it, saying: "Indeed, we will not eat it; we are in a state of Ihrām.".

Commentary : Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it. During it, some permissible things become forbidden for those who assume Ihrām for Hajj. One of these is that Allah Almighty says: {But hunting land animals is forbidden to you as long as you are on pilgrimage.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 96]
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Tāwūs ibn Kaysān al-Yamāni relates that Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Kufa to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), and Ibn ‘Abbās asked him to relate to him what he had previously told him about the Prophet's action when some meat from a hunted land animal was presented to him as a gift while he was in a state of Ihrām for Hajj. In other words, did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) accept it and eat therefrom or refuse it? So, Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was presented with some meat and he knew that it was part of a hunted land animal, he refused the gift and did not accept it from the person who offered it to him. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to the man who presented the gift that he refused it because he was in a state of Ihrām, and a Muhrim may not eat from hunted land animals.
In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ate from his game while being in a state of Ihrām. However, Abu Qatādah was not in a state of Ihrām when he hunted this animal from which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ate. Reconciling the two Hadīths, the scholars said that he refused the first gift because the man hunted it for his sake, whereas he deemed the second game lawful because no role was played by a Muhrim in its hunt, and he did not hunt it for his sake. So, if a non-Muhrim hunts an animal for himself and then presents part of it to a Muhrim, there is nothing wrong with that, and the Muhrim may eat from it.
The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's guidance upon refusing a gift, and that he would mention the reason for refusing it. This stems from his good manners (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

1197

Mu‘ādh ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Uthmān at-Taymi reported: We were with Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullāh as we were in a state of Ihrām. A bird was presented to him as a gift. Meanwhile, Talhah was sleeping. Some of us ate and some of us refrained. When Talhah woke up, he agreed with those who ate it and said: "We ate it along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Commentary : Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it. During it, some permissible things become forbidden for those who assume Ihrām for Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Uthmān at-Taymi says that they were one day with the Companion Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) as the people were in a state of Ihrām for Hajj or ‘Umrah. Meanwhile, a grilled or cooked bird was gifted to Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him), and it probably was a hunted bird. Talhah was reclining, asleep. So, he did not know about the bird gifted to him, and the ruling on eating therefrom was not clear to those in the state of Ihrām. Therefore, the people fell under two categories; some of them ate from this bird, and others feared and refrained from eating from the gifted bird thinking that a Muhrim may not eat from it. "When Talhah woke up, he agreed with those who ate it," i.e., he described their action as right, by words or deeds. Clarifying the reason behind his approval of those who ate, Talhah said: We ate the like of that along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while we were in a state of Ihrām. So, eat from what was gifted to me.
In the Two Sahīh Collections, Ibn ‘Abbās reported: As-Sa‘b ibn Jaththāmah al-Laythi presented to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) the meat of a zebra while he was in Al-Abwā’ or Waddān (they are two places). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declined to eat therefrom. Upon noticing the unpleasant feeling on his face, he said to him: "Indeed, we only declined it because we are in a state of Ihrām."
Reconciling between the two Hadīths, it is to be said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the bird for them because the Muhrims played no role in hunting it. This is also explicitly mentioned in a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, in which Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he hunted a zebra, and when they asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he said to them: "Did anyone of you command him or point to him with something?" They said: 'No.' So, he said: "Then, eat what is remaining of its meat."
As for declining the meat of the hunted animal from As-Sa‘b ibn Jaththāmah, this is because he hunted it for the Prophet's sake, and he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in a state of Ihrām, and a Muhrim may not eat from the meat of a prey which was hunted for him. Had he not been in a state of Ihrām, he would have accepted it and eaten it.
The Hadīth shows how the Companions used to explain the rulings of the religion to the contemporary Tābi‘is..

1202

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got himself cupped and paid the cupper his wage, and he put medicine in his nose..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has made good things lawful for His slaves and made unlawful for them anything evil and impure concerning food, drink, gains, trade, etc. The Shariah has also urged Muslims to have self-esteem and to elevate themselves from lowly things.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "got himself cupped," i.e., he asked someone to cup him. Cupping is to extract some blood from the body by pricking the area of pain and then absorbing and extracting this blood after collecting it by means of a cup, which is an instrument resembling a funnel. Cupping provides treatment for a variety of pains. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) paid the person who cupped him his wage for that. This is part of the Prophet's actual acts of Sunnah. If it was prohibited to give a wage to a cupper, he would not pay this cupper a wage. The scholars took the Hadīths prohibiting the earning by a cupper and stating that it is impure to denote purification and exaltation above lowly earnings and to urge noble manners and lofty matters. Or perhaps the prohibition was in the early days of Islam, and it was subsequently abolished. So, when he paid the cupper his wage, he abrogated the previous ruling.
Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned another medicine which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used, saying: "and he put medicine in his nose." To use it, a person lies down and places something below his shoulders to raise them, and then he puts drops of the medicine into his nose, so that they can reach his brain. Then, the illness comes out with sneezing.
The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's use of medicine and his pursuit of the proper means of treatment.
It mentions that the cupper took a wage for cupping..

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