It was narrated from ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) that al-Harith ibn Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you? The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, which is the hardest of all, then before it passes I have grasped what is said. And sometimes the angel comes to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I grasp what he says.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the revelation, and they would watch out for its coming. One example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which al-Harith ibn Hisham (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): How does the revelation come down to you from heaven? What is meant by the revelation is that which Jibril (peace be upon him) brought down to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by the command of Allah (may He be glorified). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that on some occasions it came to him like the ringing of a bell, which is the sound that is made by metal when it is struck repeatedly. A bell is a metal object that makes a sound when it is shaken, and this type was the hardest type of revelation for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to bear when it came upon him, because it was weighty, but the hardship he endured ended when the revelation ended, at which moment he had already grasped and memorized the words of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) that had been brought to him by the angel. On other occasions, the angel appeared to him in the form of a man and spoke to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so he learned from him the words of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) that were brought to him.
This hadith highlights the weightiness of the revelation, as Allah (may He be exalted), says:
“Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word”
[al-Muzzammil 73:5].
That is due to inherent human weakness and inability to bear the receiving of such momentous communication from the divine, and fear of falling short with regard to what he was commanded to do or say..

It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbas said, regarding the verse, {Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur’an} [al-Qiyamah 75:16]:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to suffer great hardship when the revelation came down, and he would move his lips [with the words of revelation]. – Ibn ‘Abbas said: I will move my lips to demonstrate for you how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would move his lips; and Sa‘id said: I will move my lips to demonstrate for you how Ibn ‘Abbas moved his lips, and he moved his lips. – Then Allah, may He be exalted, revealed the words:
{Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur’an.
Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation}
[al-Qiyamah 75:16-17].
He said: We will collect it for you in your heart, then you will recite it.
{So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation}
[al-Qiyamah 75:18].
He said: So listen to it and pay attention.
{Then upon Us is its clarification [to you]}
[al-Qiyamah 19:19].
Then We guarantee that you will be able to recite it. So after that, when Jibril came to him, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would listen, then when Jibril left, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would recite it as he [Jibril] had recited it.
.

Commentary : The descent of the revelation to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his receiving thereof was something very difficult for him, and his sweat would pour from him, because of the hardship that he endured when receiving the revelation.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions the reason for revelation of the verse: {Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur’an} [al-Qiyamah 75:16]. He tells us that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would suffer hardship when receiving the revelation, because he was overwhelmed with awe of the angel and of what he received from him, and because of the weightiness of the revelation. Because he was afraid that he would lose the Qur’an and that it would escape his mind before he was able to grasp it, he would move his lips as the revelation of the Qur’an was coming down to him, lest Jibril (peace be upon him) depart from him before he had fully memorized what had been brought down to him. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, sent down the words:
{Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an.
Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation}: that is, We will collect it in your heart so that you will not forget it.
{So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation}: that is, so listen to it and pay attention.
{Then upon Us is its clarification [to you]}: that is, then We will ensure that you will recite it. Thus Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, guaranteed to instill the Qur’an firmly in the Prophet’s heart, so that he would be able to recite it whenever he wanted after the revelation had ended. So after that, when Jibril brought revelation to him, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would listen without hastening when receiving it, in compliance with the command of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Then when Jibril (peace be upon him) left him, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would recite it exactly as Jibril (peace be upon him) had recited it.
The narrator said: Ibn ‘Abbas said: I will move my lips to demonstrate for you how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would move his lips; and Sa‘id said: I will move my lips to demonstrate for you how Ibn ‘Abbas moved his lips, and he moved his lips – this movement of the lips was in addition to the comment. According to the terminology of hadith scholarship, this hadith is called al-musalsal bi tahrik al-shafah (meaning that the series of narrators demonstrated the same movement of the lips), but there was an interruption in this series of narrators (meaning that not every narrator demonstrated the movement of the lips)..

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb told him that Heraclius sent for him and a group of Quraysh, who were doing trade in Syria during the period in which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had made a truce with Abu Sufyan and the disbelievers of Quraysh. They came to meet him in Aelia [Jerusalem], and he summoned them to his court, where he was surrounded by the prominent figures of Byzantium. Then he called them and called his interpreter, and said: Which of you is most closely related to this man who claims that he is a prophet? Abu Sufyan said: I said: I am the most closely related to him. [Heraclius] said: Bring him closer to me, and bring his companions and make them stand behind him. Then he said to his interpreter: Tell them that I am going to ask this one about this man, and if he lies to me, then tell me that he is lying. [Abu Sufyan said:] By Allah, were it not for the shame that would ensue if they caught me lying, I would have lied about him. Then the first thing that he asked me about him was when he said: What is his lineage among you? I said: Among us, he is of good lineage. He said: Did anyone among you ever say what he is saying before him? I said: No. He said: Were any of his forefathers kings? I said: No. He said: Do the nobles among the people follow him, or the weak and lowly? I said: Rather the weak and lowly. He said: Are they increasing in number or decreasing? I said: Rather they are increasing. He said: Do any of them recant out of displeasure with his religion after entering it? I said: No. He said: Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said? I said: No. He said: Does he act treacherously? I said: No, but at present we have a truce with him, and we do not know how he will behave. [Abu Sufyan said:] I was not able to say any word [against the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] except this word. He said: Have you fought him? I said: Yes. He said: And how was your fight with him? I said: The war between us and him alternates; sometimes we lose and sometimes he loses. He said: What does he tell you to do? I said: He says: Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything else with Him; give up what your forefathers said. And he enjoins us to pray, to give zakah, to be honest and practise self-restraint, and to uphold ties of kinship. [Heraclius] said to the interpreter: Tell him: I asked you about his lineage, and you said that among you he is of a good lineage. Such are the Messengers; they are always sent from the best lineage among the people. I asked you whether anyone among you had said such things before, and you said no. I say: If anyone had said this before him, I would have thought that he was a man who was repeating the words of someone who came before him. I asked you whether any of his forefathers had been kings, and you said no. I say: If any of his forefathers had been kings, I would have thought that he was a man who was seeking the kingdom of his father. I asked you whether you had ever accused him of lying before he said what he said, and you said no. I am sure that he would not have refrained from telling lies about people then told lies about Allah. I asked you whether the nobles of the people follow him or the weak and lowly, and you said that the weak and lowly follow him. They are always the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether they are increasing in number or decreasing, and you said that they are increasing. This is how it is with faith, until it is completed. I asked you whether anyone had recanted out of displeasure with his religion after having entered it, and you said no. Such is faith, when its sweetness enters the heart. I asked you whether he acts treacherously, and you said no. Such are the messengers; they do not act treacherously. I asked you what he enjoins upon you, and you said that he enjoins you to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him, and he forbids you to worship idols. He enjoins you to pray, and to be honest and practise self-restraint. If what you say is true, then he will gain control over the place where these two feet of mine are standing. I knew that he would appear, but I did not think that he would be from among you. If I knew that I could reach him, I would have taken the trouble to meet him, and if I were with him, I would have washed his feet. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with which he had sent Dihyah to the governor of Busra, and gave it to Heraclius, who read it. [The letter said:] “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantium. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance. To proceed: I call you with the call of Islam: become Muslim; you will be safe and Allah will give you a twofold reward. But if you turn away, then the sin of the subjects will be upon you. {Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]’} [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64].”
Abu Sufyan said: When he said what he said and finished reading the letter, there was a great hubbub around him and voices were raised. We were asked to leave, and I said to my companions when we were asked to leave: This matter of Ibn Abi Kabshah is becoming significant; even the king of Banu al-Asfar is afraid of him. I remained certain that he would prevail until Allah caused me to become Muslim. Ibn al-Natur, the governor of Aelia, was a friend of Heraclius; he was the bishop of the Christians of Syria. He narrated that when Heraclius came to Aelia, he woke up one morning in a state of distress, and one of his advisors said: You do not look well. Ibn al-Natur said: Heraclius was an astrologer who used to watch the stars, and when they asked him about that, he said: Last night, when I looked at the stars, I saw that the king of the circumcised had appeared. Who practices circumcision in this nation? They said: No one practices circumcision except the Jews; do not worry about them. Write to the cities of your kingdom, instructing them to kill the Jews among them. Whilst they were not sure what to do, a man was brought to Heraclius who had been sent by the king of Ghassan to tell him about the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). When Heraclius heard the news he had brought, he said: Go and look, is he [the envoy from Ghassan] circumcised or not? They went and looked at him, then they told [Heraclius] that he was indeed circumcised. He asked him about the Arabs, and he said: They practice circumcision. Heraclius said: The king of this nation has emerged. Then Heraclius wrote to a friend of his in Rome, who was as knowledgeable as he was, and Heraclius set out for Homs. No sooner had he arrived in Homs but he received a letter from his friend, agreeing with Heraclius that this was the time when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would appear, and that he was indeed a prophet. Heraclius called for a meeting with the prominent figures among the Byzantines in a palace of his in Homs. He issued orders that the doors be locked, then he came out to them and said: O Byzantines, do you not want to follow the path of prosperity and guidance, so that your dominion may continue? Then give allegiance to this Prophet. They raced to the doors like wild donkeys, but found them locked. When Heraclius saw how averse they were [to following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)], and despaired of them ever believing, he said: Bring them back to me. And he said: I said what I said just now as a test, to see how firm your adherence to your religion is, and I have seen it. So they bowed down to him and were pleased with him, and that was the end of the story of Heraclius..

Commentary : In this important hadith, Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that whilst he was on a trade journey in Syria, with others of Quraysh – which took place before he became Muslim, at which time Abu Sufyan was the leader of the trade caravans that were sent out by Quraysh – Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantium, sent for him, asking to meet him. That occurred during the truce that had been drawn up between the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the disbelievers of Quraysh, after the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah, in 6 AH. Al-Hudaybiyyah was the name of a well near Makkah, approximately 20 km away along the old Jeddah road. The Muslims and polytheists had agreed not to fight for ten years.
Abu Sufyan and his companions met Heraclius in the city of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), which was called Aelia. He summoned them to meet him in his court, where he was surrounded by Christian scholars and senior statesmen. Then he called them to come closer to him, and he sent for his interpreter, who translated words from one language to another. The interpreter said: Which of you is most closely related to this man who claims that he is a prophet? Here he was referring to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). From the questions of Heraclius, it seems that he wanted to be certain of what he had heard about him [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] and to find out more about him, as is usually the case with kings and rulers. Abu Sufyan replied: I am the most closely related to him. This was true, because Banu Haashim and Banu Umayyah were cousins, descended from a common ancestor. Heraclius ordered the Byzantines to bring Abu Sufyan closer to where he was sitting, so that he could ask him about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he brought his companions close and made them stand behind Abu Sufyan, and he said to his interpreter: Tell them that I am going to ask this man about Muhammad, and if he lies to me, they should tell me that he is lying. What he meant was: Do not feel so shy that you keep quiet if he tells lies. This was to ensure that what he would hear from him would be true, and so that he would only testify to the truth. Abu Sufyan later swore by Allah that were it not that he would be ashamed if they told people in his homeland that he had told lies, which would result in him being shamed by his people, he would have told lies about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he would have described him in ways that were not true. This is the impact of shirk and disbelief on those who follow that path; it makes them far removed from being truthful and fair-minded with one who follows a religion and faith other than theirs. If there is one among them who is fair-minded, that is only because he still has some element of honesty and innocence and thus speaks the truth, or he is afraid of being shamed among his people and described as a liar. This is one of the sound characteristics that the Arabs still adhered to, as was the case with Abu Sufyan in this hadith.
The first question he asked him was: What is Muhammad’s lineage among you? Abu Sufyan replied that he was from a prominent lineage. Then he asked him whether anyone among the Arabs had claimed to be a prophet before he appeared, and he said no, it never happened that anyone claimed to be a prophet before him. Then he asked him whether any of his forefathers were kings, and he replied: No. Then he asked him whether the prominent figures and leaders were the ones who followed him, or the lowly, young and poor? He replied: Rather most of his followers are the weak and lowly. Then he asked him whether they were increasing in number or decreasing? He replied: Rather they are increasing and their numbers are rising. Then he asked him whether any of them had recanted out of displeasure with his religion; in other words, out of resentment, hatred and aversion towards Islam. He replied: No. Then he asked him whether they had ever accused him of lying before he claimed to be a prophet, and he replied: No. Then he asked him whether he acted treacherously and broke covenants, and he replied: No, but we have a truce – meaning a temporary cessation of fighting for ten years; this was the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah – and we do not know how he will behave, whether he will uphold the treaty or act treacherously and break it. Abu Sufyan’s intention in saying that was to try to give the impression to Heraclius that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) might act treacherously and break this treaty. Hence he said: “I was not able to say any word [against the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] except this word,” meaning that his aim in giving this answer was to cast aspersions on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then Heraclius asked him: Have you fought him? And he replied: Yes. Then he asked him: And how was your fight with him? He said: The war between us and him alternates – meaning that victory goes by turns; sometimes he prevails over us and sometimes we prevail over him. Then he asked him: What does he enjoin you to do? He replied: He says: Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him; give up what your forefathers said. And he enjoins us to pray, be honest and practice self-restraint – which means refraining from doing unlawful things and everything that is contrary to decency. And he enjoins us to uphold ties of kinship, and show kindness to relatives in particular and to people in general, which includes all acts of kindness.
After Heraclius had questioned Abu Sufyan, he explained to him the reason for every question and what he wanted to learn, that could highlight the true nature of this Prophet. So Heraclius told him that he asked him about the lineage of Muhammad, and he told him that he was of a good lineage; such are the Messengers, for Allah chooses them from among the noblest and best in lineage of the people, for one who is of noble lineage will be furthest removed from false claims, and the people will be more likely to believe him and follow him. He asked him whether anyone among [the Arabs] had said such things before him, and Abu Sufyan said that that had not happened, so Heraclius said: I say: If anyone had said this before him, I would have thought that he was a man who was imitating someone else who had claimed to be a prophet. Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan whether any of his forefathers had been kings, and he said no. So Heraclius said: If any of his forefathers had been kings, I would have thought that he was a man who was trying to regain the kingdom of his father for himself, but he is not descended from kings so that one might think that of him. Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan whether they had accused him of lying before he said what he said, and Abu Sufyan said that they had not done that. So Heraclius said: I am sure that he would not have refrained from telling lies about people then told lies about Allah, because telling lies about Allah is worse and a greater offence. He asked him whether the nobles of the people followed him, or the weak and lowly, and Abu Sufyan said that the weak and lowly followed him. They are usually the followers of the Messengers, as is known from their life stories. That is because the nobles do not like anyone to be given precedence over them, whereas the weak and lowly do not refrain; rather they hasten to accept and follow the truth. This is what is mostly the case, although among the earliest followers of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were some prominent figures who became some of the foremost followers of his religion, such as Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, Hamzah and others. Heraclius asked him whether they were increasing in number or decreasing, and Abu Sufyan told him that they were increasing. This is how it is with faith, until it is completed. The fact that they were increasing in numbers indicated that he was indeed a Prophet, because they saw further evidence for the truth every day, and so more people became Muslim every day. He asked him whether any of them had recanted out of displeasure with his religion after having entered it, and he said no. Heraclius told him that this is how faith is when its sweetness enters the heart: once that sweetness has entered the heart and settled in it, it never leaves it. Heraclius asked him whether he acted treacherously, and he said no. Such are the Messengers; they never acted treacherously because treachery is a shortcoming, and people of virtue and noble character would not stoop to that level, let alone the Prophets. He asked him what he enjoined upon them, and he said that he enjoined them to worship Allah alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he forbade them to worship idols, which are three-dimensional images made of materials such as stone and wood, in the form of a human image. And he enjoined them to pray, be honest and exercise self-restraint.
Then Heraclius told Abu Sufyan that if what he had told him was true, then this man was indeed a Prophet and he would take control of the land of Bayt al-Maqdis, which refers to Greater Syria or the domain of Heraclius. Then he said: I knew that he would appear, but I did not think that he would be from among you. If I knew that I could reach him, I would have taken the trouble to meet him – meaning that he would have endured the hardships of travel – and if I were with him, I would have washed his feet – by way of honouring him, showing respect to him and serving him. This is to be understood as it appears to be, or it may be understood as indicating how serious he would be in obeying him and following his commands, to the extent that he would be willing to do such a thing himself.
Then Heraclius called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with which he had sent Dihyah al-Kalbi to the ruler of Busra, who was the governor of that city, namely al-Harith ibn Abi Shamr al-Ghassani. The ruler of Busra had sent the letter to Heraclius, who read it. In the letter it said: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger, to Heraclius, the ruler of Byzantium” – who is held in high esteem by his people. “Peace be upon those who follow true guidance” – this is the greeting to be used when addressing disbelievers. “To proceed: I call you with the call of Islam” – that is, with the call that Allah has enjoined. “Become Muslim; you will be safe” – by being spared in this world from war and the jizyah, and in the hereafter by being saved from the Fire. This phrase, “Become Muslim; you will be safe”, is very brief, very eloquent and very concise. “And Allah will give you a twofold reward” – one reward for believing in your Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), and another reward for becoming Muslim. “But if you turn away, then the sin of the subjects will be upon you.” What is meant is: the sins of the peasants, farmers, your followers and your subjects among the ordinary people will be upon you. That is because he was a barrier that stood between them and the religion of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
{Say, ‘O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]’} [Al ‘Imran 3:64]. In other words, evidence has been established and it has become binding upon you to follow it, so acknowledge that we, in exclusion to you, are Muslims who submit to Allah, and you are disbelievers in Allah (may He be exalted).
“Abu Sufyan said: When Heraclius said what he said, and finished reading the letter, there was a great hubbub in his court” – meaning that there was a great deal of clamour and dispute – and voices were raised, and we were asked to leave his court. Abu Sufyan said to his companions: “This matter of Ibn Abi Kabshah is becoming significant” – meaning: the matter of Muhammad, whom we used to call by this name by way of mockery when he spoke to us, and we would say, Here is Ibn Abi Kabshah, conveying a message from heaven! Abu Kabshah was the Prophet’s foster-father; his name was al-Harith ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza. “Even the king of Banu al-Asfar is afraid of him” – as he has become so important that the ruler of the Byzantines fears him, and acknowledges his virtue and that he is a prophet. Then Abu Sufyan stated that he became certain that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would prevail and his religion would spread widely in the near future, then Allah caused him to become Muslim and guided him to Islam.
Ibn al-Natur, who was the governor of Jerusalem and a friend of Heraclius, was a Christian religious leader in Syria. He narrated that when Heraclius came to Aelia, he was in an ill temper, meaning that he was anxious and worried. One of his advisors – who were his generals and inner circle – said to him: “You do not look well,” and we have noticed a change in your colour, which indicates that you are suffering from some worries and distress. Ibn al-Natur said: “Heraclius was an astrologer who used to watch the stars” – as he claimed that he could learn from them what would happen in the future or was happening at the present moment. When they asked him, he told them: “Last night, when I looked at the stars, I saw that the king of the circumcised had appeared” – meaning, I learned from the stars that the king of the nation that practices circumcision has appeared. “Who practices circumcision in this nation? They said: No one practices circumcision except the Jews; do not worry about them” – because they have no state and no power. “Write to the cities of your kingdom, instructing them to kill the Jews among them.” In other words, if you are afraid of them, then eradicate them. “Whilst they were not sure what to do, a man” – who was ‘Adiy ibn Hatim – “was brought to Heraclius who had been sent by the king of Ghassan to tell him about the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).” He said: There has emerged among us a man who claims to be a prophet; some people followed him and others opposed him. When Heraclius heard this news, he said: “Go and look, is he [the envoy from Ghassan] circumcised or not?” What is meant is that when Heraclius summoned this man and asked him about the story of that man who claimed to be a prophet, he instructed them to examine him and see whether he was circumcised or not. They told him that they had found him to be circumcised, so he asked him about the Arabs, and the envoy told him that they practised circumcision. Thus he realized that what he had seen [in the stars] referred to the Arabs, so Heraclius said: “The king of this nation has emerged.” In other words, this is the one whom I saw in the stars; what it meant is that the king of the nation that practices circumcision, namely the Arabs, has appeared in this land, and their state will prevail over all of this land. Then Heraclius wrote to a friend of his in Rome, which is the capital of Italy today, who was his equal in knowledge. Heraclius travelled to Homs, and as soon as he arrived there, a letter came to him from his friend in Rome – who was the bishop of Rome – agreeing with his interpretation about the appearance of the Prophet, and that he was indeed the Prophet whom ‘Isa (Jesus) had foretold. Heraclius called for a meeting with the prominent figures among the Byzantines in a great palace in Homs, so that he could tell them something important. Then he issued orders that the doors be locked. In other words, he entered a private section of the palace and locked the doors, then he looked out from his balcony, which was the highest part of the structure, and said: O Byzantines, do you want to be prosperous; do you want to be successful and guided, which means adhering to the truth in belief, words and deeds; do you want your dominion to continue and last? If you want that, then give allegiance to Muhammad, pledging to follow Islam. But they raced to the doors like wild donkeys – meaning that they leapt up like wild donkeys and rushed to the doors, wanting to get to Heraclius and kill him, but they found the doors locked. When Heraclius saw how averse they were to Islam and how violently they revolted against him, and he despaired of them ever believing and realized that they would never obey him, and that he would lose his power and dominion, he recanted and said: Bring them back to me. The Arabic wording may indicate either that he told his troops to keep them away from him, or that he told them to bring them back to him and not let them leave. Then he said to them: “I said what I said just now as a test, to see how firm your adherence to your religion is,” how committed you are to it and how strongly you will defend it. “So they bowed down to him,” in accordance with the custom of the non-Arabs, and that was the end of the story of Heraclius. That was his ultimate decision with regard to his response to the letter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or with regard to whether to believe or not. However, after that other things happened, such as his preparing an army to go to Mu’tah and Tabuk, and his fighting the Muslims, and he remained a disbeliever.
This hadith highlights several of the major principles of Islam and of its message.
It refers to several of the characteristics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and states that they were mentioned in the Torah and Gospel. What Heraclius said (about the Prophets) was something that he had learned from the previous Books. The Torah mentions this description of the Prophet or something similar about the signs of his Prophethood.
In this hadith we also see that one may write to the disbelievers to call them to Islam; one may show kindness to the one to whom the letter is written, and show due respect as is appropriate to his position, in ways that do not overstep the limits according to Islamic teachings.
If one of the People of the Book becomes Muslim, he will have a twofold reward.
The People of the Book had definitive knowledge of the truthfulness of our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); those of them who did not believe in him only refrained from believing in him out of stubbornness or envy, or for fear of losing worldly status and the like.
Lying is regarded as reprehensible by all nations and peoples, and an enemy cannot be trusted not to tell lies about his enemies, so it is essential to be cautious and prudent.
One who is a leader with influence will bear the sin of his own disbelief and the sin of those who act upon his decision and follow him [in deciding not to believe]. The same applies to one who is a cause of someone going astray or who prevents him from being guided. .

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five [pillars]: the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; establishing prayer; giving zakah; Hajj (pilgrimage); and fasting Ramadan.”.

Commentary : In this important hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) likened Islam to a well-built structure, and he likened its five pillars to firm foundations that bear the weight of that structure, for the structure cannot stand firmly without them, and other features of Islam are like a completion of that structure. The first of these pillars is the twin testimony of faith (shahadatayn), the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two testimonies form a single pillar, because they are interconnected and one of them cannot be separated from the other. What is meant by the twin testimony of faith is that the individual utters these words, acknowledging and affirming the oneness of Allah and that He alone is deserving of worship, to the exclusion of all others, and acknowledging and affirming that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah is the Messenger of Allah, believing that in his heart, and acting in accordance with the meanings thereof. This is the testimony that will benefit a person in the hereafter, so that he will attain Paradise and be saved from Hell.
The second pillar is establishing the prayer, which means regularly performing the five obligatory prayers every day and night – namely Fajr, Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Isha’ – performing the prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
The third pillar is giving 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 minimum threshold (nisab), 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 fourth pillar is Hajj, which means going to the holy places to perform the rituals as an act of worship to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), once in a lifetime. In order for hajj to be obligatory, one must be physically and financially able to do it.
The fifth and last pillar is fasting Ramadan, which is a physical act of worship. The word siyam (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.
This hadith indicates that the pillars of Islam may be divided into four categories: that which is verbal and in the heart, namely the twin declaration of faith, which must be uttered on the tongue and believed in the heart; that which involves a physical action, namely prayer and fasting; that which is purely financial, namely zakah; and that which is both physical and financial, namely Hajj..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Faith is 60-odd branches, and decency (haya’) is a branch of faith.”.

Commentary : Faith consists of both words and deeds. It includes what one says in one’s heart, words uttered on the tongue, deeds of the heart, physical deeds and deeds of the tongue. It has many parts and branches, by means of which people may vary in virtue. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that the branches and characteristics of faith are 60-odd in number. The word translated here as “-odd” refers to a number between 3 and 10. What is meant is that faith has many characteristics and is composed of many deeds, including: deeds of the heart, such as affirming the oneness of Allah (Tawhid), putting one’s trust in Him, hope and fear; deeds of the tongue, such as uttering the twin declaration of faith, remembering Allah (dhikr), supplication (du‘a’) and reading and reciting Qur’an, and so on; and physical deeds, such as prayer, fasting, helping the desperate and standing up for one who has been wronged. The report narrated by Muslim explains the highest and lowest characteristics of faith: “The highest is saying La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) and the lowest is removing a harmful thing from the road.”
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained how important the characteristic of decency (haya’) is, and said that it is one of the characteristics of faith. Decency is a characteristic that motivates one to avoid what is reprehensible and prevents one from falling short in giving others their due rights. It is of two types: innate and religiously prescribed. What is referred to in this hadith is the type of decency that is prescribed in Islamic teachings, which makes one feel too shy before Allah (may He be exalted), lest He sees you where He has forbidden you to be, or He does not see you where He has commanded you to be. In this sense, decency is the strongest motive to do good and the greatest deterrent against doing evil. Hence it is part of faith; in fact it is a sign of perfect faith.
Decency is singled out for mention here because it is something natural [to many people], and many may not realize that it is a part of faith. This indicates that good manners and attitudes are also connected to faith and to the various levels of faith. The branches of faith are referred to briefly in this hadith, but they are explained and discussed in detail in other hadith texts. The mention of a particular number does not mean that they are limited to 60-odd or 70-odd; rather it indicates that there are many deeds of faith.
This hadith clearly states that deeds are part of faith..

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe, and the [true] muhajir is the one who shuns (hajara) that which Allah has forbidden.”.

Commentary : This hadith is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) teaches us to acquire Islamic manners and attitudes, which increase love and harmony among the Muslims. What it means is that the perfect Muslim who attains all the good characteristics that Islam promotes is the one who does not harm any other Muslim in word or deed. The tongue and hand are mentioned in particular, because of the many mistakes they commit and the great deal of harm that they cause, because most ills result from these two things. The tongue tells lies, backbites, reviles and bears false witness, and the hand strikes, kills, steals and so on. The tongue is mentioned first, because causing harm and offence with the tongue is more frequent and easier, and it is more hurtful; it affects both the living and the dead. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that the one who may be called a muhajir (lit. migrant) in a perfect sense is the one who shuns (hajara) that which Allah has forbidden. So the muhajir who is truly deserving of praise is the one who combines leaving his homeland and people with shunning that which Allah (may He be exalted) has forbidden. Simply migrating from the land of shirk whilst persisting in sin is not hijrah (migration) in a complete and perfect sense. The muhajir in the true sense is the one who does not stop at physical migration, leaving a land of war for a land of safety; rather he is the one who shuns (hajara) everything that Allah has forbidden.
This hadith urges us to refrain from harming any Muslims in any way.
It also teaches us that what a person appears outwardly to be is not something that Allah cares about, unless it is supported by righteous deeds that confirm the soundness of the outward appearance..

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): What aspect of Islam is best? He said: “Offering food to people, and saying salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”.

Commentary : In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains which deeds of Islam are better than others, after believing and doing the pillars of Islam. That was in response to a question that someone asked. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned two things: the first was frequently offering food to people, by which he meant more than what is required in zakah. That includes charity, gifts, hosting people, giving feasts and feeding the poor, seeking the pleasure of Allah (may He be exalted), because food is necessary for the maintenance of physical well-being, and the virtue of offering food to people increases at times when the need for it is greater, which is at times of famine and when prices are high.
The second thing is saying salaam to every Muslim, seeking the pleasure of Allah, without differentiating between one person and another. That is because the greeting of Islam is for all Muslims, and the greeting of salaam is the first means of creating harmony and bringing about a sense of love among Muslims. Spreading the greeting of salaam enhances harmony and love among the Muslims and makes their slogan apparent and widespread, in contrast to other religious communities. In addition to that, it teaches self-discipline and humility, and shows respect to other Muslims.
Offering food and spreading the greeting of salaam are mentioned together in this hadith because by means of both, one will show kindness in word and deed, which is the most perfect kindness. This is described as being the best of Islam after fulfilling the obligatory duties of Islam, because any Muslim who would offer food and spread the greeting of salaam would surely affirm his strong belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day..

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”.

Commentary : In this hadith – of which it was said that it is a quarter of Islam and is one of the four hadiths from which good manners and characteristics stem – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that no Muslim can attain perfect faith – and the negation here does not mean that he is no longer a Muslim at all; rather it means that he has not attained perfect faith – until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself of good deeds and all types of goodness in both religious and worldly terms, and he dislikes for him what he dislikes for himself. So if he sees some shortcoming in the religious commitment of his Muslim brother, he strives to point it out and help him rectify it, and if he sees him doing good, he supports him and helps him to be steadfast in that and to do more. So the believer is not truly a believer until he likes for people what he likes for himself. That can only come from having a heart that is free of any rancour, ill feelings and envy, because envy leads to the envier hating to see anyone surpass him in anything good or even to see him equalling him in that, because he wants to be superior to people by means of what he has of virtues and achievements, and he wants to be the only one to stand out in that regard. But faith requires the opposite of that, which is to wish for all the believers to share with him in the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him..

It was narrated that Anas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you [truly] believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child and all the people.”.

Commentary : Love of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is one of the basic principles of faith, and it is accompanied by love of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Allah has issued a warning to the one who gives precedence over that to any of the things to which one may have a natural inclination to love, such as family, wealth, homeland and the like, as He says: {Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command} [at-Tawbah 9:24]. The believer is not a believer in the perfect sense until he gives precedence to love of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) over love of anyone else. Love of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stems from love of the One Who sent him.
Sound love dictates following the beloved and loving what he loves, and hating what he hates. Love means going along with the beloved in all situations. If this love is sincere, it must inevitably make one follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhere to his Sunnah. The sign of loving the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is that if obeying the commands of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conflicts with any other inclination or person that would prompt one to do otherwise, one gives precedence to obeying the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and complying with his commands over the other thing. This is an indication that one’s love for the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is sound. But if one gives precedence to going along with any of these other things that one has a natural inclination to love over obeying the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and complying with his commands, this indicates that he has not attained the perfect faith that is required of him. Part of loving the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is supporting his Sunnah and defending his message, and wishing that one had lived during his lifetime so that he could have offered his life and his wealth to protect him. This love is not sound until one holds the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in high esteem and gives him precedence over any parent, child, person who did one a favour or person whom one likes.
This hadith is very concise, because these few words carry a great deal of meaning. That is because there are three types of love: love based on respect and veneration, such as love of a parent; love based on compassion and mercy, such as love of a child; and love that results from liking someone and finding that one has much in common with him, such as love of any other person. This hadith refers to all the reasons why one person may love another..

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three characteristics, whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith: when Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than all others; when he loves someone and only loves him for the sake of Allah; and when he would hate to go back to disbelief as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the basic principles of Islam. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) speaks of three characteristics that are among the most sublime characteristics of faith. Whoever perfects these characteristics will find the sweetness of faith, for faith has a sweetness and a flavour that may be tasted in the heart just as the sweetness of food and drink may be tasted in the mouth. Just as one cannot enjoy the sweetness of food and drink except when one is in good health, by the same token, if the heart is sound and free of the disease of misleading whims and desires and forbidden pleasures, it will taste the sweetness of faith, but if it is sick and unhealthy, it will not taste the sweetness of faith; rather it may find sweetness in that which could lead to loss and doom, namely desires and sins. Whoever tastes the sweetness of faith will find pleasure in doing acts of worship and obedience, and will give them precedence over worldly pursuits, putting up with hardship for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted).
The first characteristic is when Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than all others. Love of Allah stems from knowing His names and attributes, contemplating His creation and what is in it of wisdom, purpose and wondrous things. Love of Allah also stems from reflecting on the blessing that He has bestowed upon people, for all of that is indicative of His perfect might, wisdom, knowledge and mercy. A person’s love for His Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) will lead him to adhere to His laws and obey Him, and refrain from what He has forbidden. Love of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stems from love of Allah, and what results from that love is following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in what he enjoins and forbids, such as obeying Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). The Muslim should love the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) more than he loves himself and more than he loves his father, his mother, his son, his daughter, his wife, his friend, his relatives, and all people.
The second characteristic is when one loves someone and only loves him for the sake of Allah. This encourages us to love one another for the sake of Allah, which is one of the strongest bonds of faith, for it is not love for the sake of exchanging benefits or attaining worldly gains; rather what brings them together is love for the sake of Allah. As a result of that love, the Muslim will try to help and benefit his Muslim brother and will refrain from harming him, as it says in the hadith narrated in as-Sahihayn: “The Muslim is the brother of his fellow Muslim; he does not wrong him or let him down. Whoever meets his brother’s needs, Allah will meet his needs, and whoever relieves a Muslim of some worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection. Whoever covers a Muslim (conceals his sin), Allah will cover him (conceal his sin) on the Day of Resurrection.”
The third characteristic is when the Muslim would hate to go back to disbelief as he would hate to be thrown into the fire. For when faith takes root in the heart and the individual adheres sincerely to it and tastes its sweetness and flavour, he will love it and will love to be steadfast in adhering to it and to learn more about it, and he would hate to leave it. In his case, his hating to leave it will be greater than his hatred of being thrown into the fire. When a person tastes the sweetness of faith in his heart, he realizes the bitterness of disbelief, evildoing and sin. It was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said this as a warning to the Sahabah, for they had been disbelievers then had become Muslim, but some individuals still had some inclination in their hearts to what they had known in the past. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained to them that going back to disbelief would be like a man throwing himself into the fire, because the ultimate fate of the disbelievers is to be thrown into the fire of hell; recanting one’s repentance and going back to sin is also like throwing oneself into the fire of hell, because of the seriousness of the sin of disbelief and going back to it. .

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The sign of faith is loving the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy is hating the Ansar.”.

Commentary : The Ansar possessed many virtues and attained great honour. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the virtue of the Ansar in more than one hadith.
This hadith highlights some of their virtues. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to love the Ansar. They were the people of Madinah who lived there before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to the city. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the sign of a person having perfect faith is that he loves the Ansar because of their having been true to what they promised Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), which was that they would give shelter to His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), support him against his enemies at the time of weakness and hardship, be good neighbours to him, show great friendship to him and love him sincerely. Thus the Ansar supported the cause of Allah and supported His Messenger, so loving them is part of having perfect love for Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Muslim’s love for the Ansar is one of the signs of his having sound faith and being sincere in his Islam. If someone hates them, his hatred of them is a sign of his hypocrisy and of evil that he is harbouring in his heart.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to love the close friends of the Most Gracious and acknowledge their virtue, and it is a warning against hating them and showing enmity towards them. Loving the close friends and beloved ones of Allah is part of faith..

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was present at Badr and was one of the leaders on the night of al-‘Aqabah – that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, when he had a group of his companions around him: “Swear allegiance to me, pledging that you will not associate anything with Allah; you will not steal; you will not commit zina (unlawful sexual relations); you will not kill your children; you will not commit any fabrication between your hands and feet; and you will not disobey [me] in anything that is right and proper. Whoever among you fulfils that, his reward will be due from Allah. Whoever commits any of those [infractions] and is punished in this world, it will be an expiation for him, and whoever commits any of those [infractions] then Allah conceals [his sin], then it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him, and if He wills, He will punish him.”
And we swore allegiance to him on that basis..

Commentary : ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) was present at the Battle of Badr, and he was one of the leaders who stepped forward to swear allegiance, pledging to support the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on the night of al-‘Aqabah in Mina - when the Prophet was in Makkah, before he migrated to Madinah. Jamrat al-‘Aqabah is named after that place. They were twelve men, and they are the group referred to here. In this hadith, ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of what happened on that night, when those leaders swore allegiance to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Swearing allegiance is like making a covenant and a promise. The Arabic term comes from a root meaning to buy, because it is like a transaction, as if each party gives what it has in return for what the other party has. On the part of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) there was the promise of reward, and on the part of the others, there was the commitment to obey.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted their oath of allegiance and made a deal with them that they should not associate anything with Allah, and that they should affirm Allah’s oneness with belief in Tawhid that was pure and free from shirk, worshipping Him alone. In return for that, paradise would be theirs. They also pledged that they would not steal, because Islam came to protect people’s wealth. They pledged that they would not commit zina, because Islam protects people’s honour and lineage. He also accepted their pledge that they would not kill their children; children are mentioned in particular, because killing them is both murder and severing ties of kinship, and in most cases they killed their children because of poverty or for fear of poverty. He accepted their pledge that they would not commit any fabrication between their hands and feet; fabrication means making things up and telling lies. Fabrication is connected to hands and feet here because most actions are done by means of them, even though other faculties may also be involved. He accepted their pledge that they would not disobey his command in anything that was right and proper, and disobedience is the opposite of obedience. The word ma‘ruf (translated here as anything that is right and proper) is a comprehensive term which includes everything that is known to be part of obeying Allah (may He be exalted) and showing kindness to people. Whoever held fast to what he had pledged to do and did not commit any of these sins that are forbidden, his reward was assured and he would find it on the Day of Resurrection with his Lord, because he did not break his promise.
If someone commits any of the sins that incur a hadd punishment according to Islamic teachings, such as zina and stealing, and incurs the penalty, being subjected to the hadd punishment in this world, that hadd punishment will erase that sin and the punishment thereof will be waived from him in the hereafter, because Allah is too generous and too merciful to punish His slave twice. If someone commits one of these sins and Allah conceals his sin in this world, and he is not punished for that sin, then he is subject to the will of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted): if He wills, He will forgive him and admit him to Paradise along with the first to enter it, and if He wills, He will punish him in Hell commensurate with his offence, then admit him to Paradise..

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Soon the best wealth that a Muslim will have will be sheep that he follows to the mountaintops and places where rain falls, fleeing from tribulations for the sake of his faith.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to warn his ummah about tribulations (fitnahs), especially those that will occur at the end of time.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained to the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) that soon circumstances would change, and tribulations would come, affecting all people and reaching everywhere. When that happened, the best wealth a Muslim could have at that time would be sheep. They are singled out for mention because their nature is quiet and tranquil, and there is blessing (barakah) in them, because the one who keeps away from people and tends sheep can eat their meat and the meat of their offspring, drink their milk, and make use of their wool for clothing and other things, and the sheep can graze on plants and vegetation in the mountains and drink from springs. These benefits and the option of going to mountainous locations are not found with anything other than sheep. By the same token, their increase in weight and number is furthest removed from earnings that could be contaminated with any unlawful elements, such as riba, and earnings that could be contaminated with dubious elements. They are amenable and do not require much care, but they bring many benefits. He can graze them and follow them to the mountaintops, which offer protection to the one who seeks refuge in them from his enemy. The “places where rain falls” are the bottoms of valleys and oases in the desert, because in such places one can find vegetation and water, so he can drink and give water to his sheep and let them graze on that vegetation. Thus he may flee for the sake of his faith, to avoid falling prey to those tribulations and seeking to save himself, for if he exposes himself to tribulations, he may not be able to save himself from falling into sin.
What is meant by tribulations in this hadith is those in which truth is mixed with falsehood, and one cannot tell them apart. As for tribulations in which truth can be distinguished from falsehood, the individual is required to side with the truth and strive to oppose falsehood. Or it may be that what is meant by tribulations is when corruption overwhelms the people of a particular era and the people of falsehood become strong whilst the people of faith become weak. In that case, the one who remains there [where the tribulation is] will not be safe, so he should flee for the sake of his faith, because loss of faith cannot be compensated by anything.
This hadith also highlights the virtue of raising sheep, and shows that they are the most beneficial kind of wealth at times of tribulation. It also warns against exposing oneself to tribulations and falling into them..

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do something, he would enjoin them to do deeds that they were able to do. They said: We are not like you, O Messenger of Allah, for Allah has forgiven your previous and future sins. He got so angry that that could be seen in his face, then he said: “The one who fears Allah the most among you and has the most knowledge of Him is me.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to make things easy for people, and he did not burden them with good deeds and acts of worship that were beyond them and that they would not be able to do. He warned them against taking on too much and going to extremes.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin his companions to do that which they were able to do and could persist in, because he was keen that they should be consistent in doing good deeds, not that they should do a great number of such deeds. But because they were so keen to do acts of obedience and worship, they wanted to strive hard, so they asked for permission to do more acts of worship, seeking to do good and earn increased reward. They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Your previous and future sins have been forgiven; you do not need to strive, yet despite that you continue to do good deeds. So how about us, when our sins are many?
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got angry at that, and told them that he was the one who feared Allah the most among them and had the most knowledge of Him. In other words, the matter is not as you think. If going to extremes in worship and overburdening oneself with more than one could bear constituted obedience to Allah, I would be the first among you to do that, because I have the most knowledge of what is pleasing to Allah, and the more knowledge a person has, the more he will strive in obedience and worship, and the more he will fear Allah. This indicates that it is part of the Sunnah to be moderate in doing supererogatory (nafil) acts of worship, and to commit only to that which one is able to do regularly, because exhausting oneself in worship leads to resenting it and giving it up.
This hadith is also indicative of the Prophet’s kindness towards his ummah, and indicates that religion is easy..

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three characteristics, whoever has them will taste the sweetness of faith: the one for whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than all others; the one who loves a person and only loves him for the sake of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted); and the one who would hate to go back to disbelief, after Allah has saved him from it, as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.”.

Commentary : 114371.

1204

Nubayh ibn Wahb reported: We went out with Abān ibn ‘Uthmān. When we were at Malal, the eyes of ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydullāh became sore and, when we reached Ar-Rawhā’, the pain grew intense. He sent (someone) to Abān ibn ‘Uthmān to ask him (what to do). He sent him (a message) to apply aloes to them, for ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that if the eyes of a man in a state of Ihrām become sore, he should bind them with aloes..

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. A Muhrim is forbidden from things that have been lawful for him before Ihrām, like applying kohl to his eyes. Hajj involves hardship that entails facilitation. An aspect of facilitation is to allow him to use permissible things for medical treatment.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Nubayh ibn Wahb informs that they went out in a state of Ihrām for Hajj with Abān ibn ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a leader of pilgrims. As they reached an area called Malal, which is located to the direct west of the basin of Wādi al-‘Aqīq, west of Madīnah; it is nearly 50km away from it, the eyes of ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydullāh started becoming sore. Then, when they reached the area of Ar-Rawhā’, the pain grew intense in a way that required treatment. Ar-Rawhā’: A place between the Two Sacred Mosques, located 80km away from Madīnah. So, he sent someone to Abān ibn ‘Uthmān to ask him about the ruling on medical treatment for the eyes of a Muhrim. Abān ibn ‘Uthmān sent the response to him saying that his father ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that if the eyes of a Muhrim become sore, he should bind them and put drops of aloes into the eyes. Aloes: A dry extract of a bitter tree. The intended meaning is that he should mix aloes with water and place drops from it into his eyes, or apply it to his eyes like kohl, or put it on his eyes. Aloe is not perfume, so it is not forbidden for a Muhrim.
The Hadīth indicates that a Muhrim can bind the eyes and other areas with aloes..

1209

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Asmā’ bint ‘Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr at the tree. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Abu Bakr to ask her to take a bath and assume Ihrām..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth among the pillars of Islam. It is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it. Hajj involves hardship that entails facilitation. An example is that if a Muhrim woman gives birth during her state of Ihrām and before embarking upon the rituals of Hajj, she may take a bath, purify herself, and assume Ihrām for Hajj. She, however, may not perform Tawāf except after her complete purification. This represents facilitation for her, so that she will not miss Hajj on its specific days. The Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates that Asmā’ bint ‘Umays gave birth. This is called Nefās in Arabic, for the coming out of a Nafs (a soul), which is the baby or blood. Asmā’ bint ‘Umays was the wife of Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with both of them). When she gave birth to her son Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with both of them) on the way to the Farewell Hajj, in the tenth Hijri year, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her husband Abu Bakr to order her to take a bath to remove her postpartum blood and assume Ihrām for Hajj. This bath is meant for cleanliness, not purification, for a newly-delivered woman is like a menstruating woman: she does not become pure unless the blood stops flowing.
A woman in a menstrual or postpartum period can validly perform all the rituals of Hajj except for Tawāf, as indicated by a Hadīth narrated by An-Nasā’i and Ibn Mājah, in which Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and she should do what people do," of Dhikr and Talbiyah, and stand at Mina, ‘Arafāt, and Muzdalifah, "except that she should not perform Tawāf around the House," i.e., she should not perform Tawāf Ar-Rukn around the honorable Ka‘bah unless she becomes pure of the postpartum bleeding, after which she can do Tawāf.
His statement "at the tree" refers to the tree underneath which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to stop when he left Madīnah for Makkah to perform ‘Umrah or Hajj. He would alight in the shade of this tree, pray, and then assume Ihrām for ‘Umrah or Hajj. In the version by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh, narrated by Muslim, she gave birth in Dhu al-Hulayfah, and in the version by An-Nasā’i: "in Al-Baydā’". These three locations are close to each other. The tree is located in Dhu al-Hulayfah, and Al-Baydā’ lies on the outskirts of Dhu al-Hulayfah.
The Hadīth points to the validity of Ihrām by a woman in her postpartum period or menstruation as she takes a bath for assuming Ihrām.
It shows Islam's facilitation and care for women who newly delivered in order for them not to miss Hajj and become obliged to return in a subsequent year.
It also indicates that Talbiyah should be proclaimed upon assuming Ihrām for Hajj or ‘Umrah, and that women are like men in this regard..

1211

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Ifrād Hajj..

1213

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We came with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) intending to perform the Ifrād Hajj, and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) came to perform ‘Umrah. Then, when we were in Sarif, her menses started. When we arrived, we performed Tawāf around the Ka‘bah and the rituals between Safa and Marwah. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded those of us who did not have a Hady (sacrificial animal) to end our Ihrām. We said: "End [our] Ihrām to what degree?" He said: 'Completely.' So, we had intercourse with our wives, put on perfume, and wore our garments, with only four nights separating us from ‘Arafah. Then, we assumed the Ihrām on the day of Tarwiyah. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the place of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and found her weeping. He said: "What is the matter with you?" She said: "I have got my menses, and the people ended their Ihrām, but I did not end it, nor did I perform Tawāf around the House, and the people are going for Hajj now." He said: "This is something that Allah decreed for the daughters of Adam. Take a bath and then assume Ihrām for Hajj." She did so and performed all the rituals. Then, when she became pure, she performed Tawāf around the Ka‘bah and the rituals between Safa and Marwah. Then, he said: "You have ended Ihrām from your Hajj and ‘Umrah at the same time." She said: "O Messenger of Allah, I feel upset because I did not make Tawāf around the House until I performed Hajj." He said: "Take her, O ‘Abdur-Rahmān, and make her perform ‘Umrah from At-Tan‘īm." That was on the night of Al-Hasbah..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam which Allah Almighty ordained upon His servants. It must be performed by those who are physically and financially capable. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj once, in the tenth Hijri year, and it was called the Farewell Hajj. So, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) conveyed the details of this Hajj from him, in order for us to learn the manner of Hajj enjoined by Allah, Exalted be He.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they - i.e., most of them - came with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ready for the Hajj of Ifrād. Ihlāl: raising one's voice with Talbiyah. It here means intending to assume Ihrām. Ifrād means that the pilgrim assumes Ihrām for Hajj only. ‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), was among those who assumed Ihrām for ‘Umrah. When they were in 'Sarif', the name of a place ten miles (nearly 16km) away from Makkah, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) got her menses. When they arrived in Makkah, they performed Tawāf around the Ka‘bah, and then performed Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah, which are the rituals of ‘Umrah. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who did not bring a Hady - anything offered to the Ka‘bah from livestock, camels, cows, and sheep as an act of worship to Allah - to end their Ihrām. They asked: To what extent should we end our Ihrām? They were hesitant regarding that because they came for Hajj, and a performer of Hajj should not end his Ihrām until he has completed all the rituals. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) answered them: 'Completely' i.e., all things forbidden due to Ihrām are now permissible. This state is called Tamattu‘ in Hajj. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and some of his Companions were among those who brought the Hady with them. So, they did not end their Ihrām. Those who did not bring the Hady obeyed the Prophet's command by taking off their clothing of Ihrām and then they cut their hair - they did not shave it so that they could do so after Hajj - and engaged in sexual intercourse with their women, applied perfume, and wore the clothes forbidden under Ihrām. At that point, only four nights separated them from standing at ‘Arafah, on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. Then, those who performed ‘Umrah in Tamattu‘ Hajj assumed Ihrām for Hajj on the day of Tarwiyah, the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. It was called as such because the water was little in Mina; so, they would quench their thirst with water and would carry it for later use.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the place of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and found her weeping. He asked her why she wept, and she told him about her menses and that it prevented her from performing ‘Umrah, as she did not perform Tawāf around the Ka‘bah, and that she was still in her menstruation while the people were preparing for the rituals of Hajj. So, she was weeping over missing all of that. Comforting her, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This" i.e., the menses, is something that Allah Almighty decreed for the daughters of Adam. So, take a bath for cleansing and then assume Ihrām for Hajj, i.e., be in the Ihrām you have assumed. A woman in menstruation or postpartum period may perform all the rituals of Hajj except for Tawāf, as per the Prophet's statement: "So, do all what the pilgrims do, but do not perform Tawāf." Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined her to do. She performed all the rituals, standing at ‘Arafah and going to Muzdalifah and Mina. Then, when she became pure from her menses, she performed Tawāf around the Ka‘bah, and performed Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed her that she ended Ihrām from both her Hajj and ‘Umrah, and this is because the rituals of ‘Umrah were incorporated into Hajj, as she became a performer of Qirān Hajj. Therefore, she ended Ihrām from both at the same time. Thereupon, ‘Ā’ishah said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "I feel upset because I did not make Tawāf around the House until I performed Hajj," i.e., when she assumed Ihrām for ‘Umrah in the beginning. She used the word Hajj and meant ‘Umrah. The intended meaning is that she did not perform the ‘Umrah of Tamattu‘ like others. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked her brother ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to take her to At-Tan‘īm so that she could assume Ihrām for ‘Umrah from there - comforting her heart. At-Tan‘īm is a place situated from 5 to 6 kilometers away from Makkah, and it is the closest area of Al-Hill (outside of the sacred precinct) to the House. It was called as such because Mount Nu‘aym lies to its right side and Mount Nā‘im lies to its left, and the valley is called Na‘mān. All that happened during the night of Al-Hasbah, i.e., the night of stay in Al-Muhassab after departing from Mina. Al-Muhassab is a place outside Makkah, and it is a broad channel area that contains tiny pebbles. It lies between Mina and Makkah and is closer to Mina. It is said: It is the place of throwing the pebbles in Mina. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted there after the days of throwing the pebbles, where his freed slave Abu Rāfi‘ had set up the tent for him. The stopping and staying in this place happened before the farewell Tawāf. It is narrated in the Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection "that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’ prayers and then had a sleep in Al-Muhassab, after which he rode toward the House and performed Tawāf around it."
The Hadīth indicates that if a performer of ‘Umrah is a resident of Makkah or coming from outside Makkah and lies within the Miqāt, his Miqāt is from Al-Hill, and if he lies outside the Miqāt, then his Miqāt is the Miqāt of his Hajj.
It also mentions that Hajj may be dissolved and turned into ‘Umrah.
The Hadīth demonstrates that one Tawāf and one Sa‘i are sufficient for both the Hajj and ‘Umrah of a performer of Qirān Hajj..

1214

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When we ended Ihrām, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to assume Ihrām as we headed to Mina. He said: We pronounced Talbiyah in Al-Abtah..

Commentary : The Prophet's Hajj abounded with rulings. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the rulings related to Hajj and ‘Umrah and what should be done by a performer of Qirān, Tamattu‘, or Ifrād Hajj, as well as other rituals and rites that he ordered his Ummah to learn from him.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that during the Farewell Hajj, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them, after they ended their Ihrām following the performance of ‘Umrah, to assume Ihrām for Hajj. Earlier, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered some of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to end their Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah, addressing this command to those who had not brought the sacrificial animals with them. This was known as Tamattu‘ Hajj. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to assume Ihrām for Hajj as they headed to Mina on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Tarwiyah. He said: "We pronounced the Talbiyah," which is to raise one's voice in saying the Talbiyah and to have the intention of Ihrām for Hajj "in Al-Abtah", which is the Bat'hā’ of Makkah, a place full of pebbles and sand. It is also known as Al-Bat'hā’. This is a place located between Mina and Makkah, and it is closer to Mina. It is said: It is the place for throwing the Jamarāt in Mina. It used to be called Khayf Bani Kinānah, and it lies outside Makkah, in the direction of Madīnah. They assumed Ihrām in Al-Abtah because they had alighted there. Indeed, if anyone wants to assume Ihrām for Hajj while he is in Makkah, he should assume it from the place where he stays or alights.
The Hadīth mentions Tamattu‘ Hajj, as ‘Umrah is performed first.
It indicates that Ihrām for Hajj should be assumed on the day of Tarwiyah, which is the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah..

1215

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Neither the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) nor his Companions performed Tawāf between Safa and Marwah except for one Tawāf. [Another version adds]: his first Tawāf.

Commentary : Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is an act of worship for those who can find a way to do it. Ihrām for it can either be assumed as Ifrād, Qirān, or Tamattu‘, which is performing ‘Umrah before Hajj. This Hadīth clarifies one of the aspects of the Prophet's performance of Hajj in the Farewell Hajj. He performed Qirān Hajj, combining Hajj and ‘Umrah, because he had the sacrificial animals with him. Therefore, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Neither the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) nor his Companions performed Tawāf between Safa and Marwah except for one Tawāf." Another version adds: "his first Tawāf," i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those with him who performed Qirān Hajj did not engage in Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah except for one Sa‘i, which is the Sa‘i performed along with Tawāf al-Qudūm (Arrival). Indeed, one Tawāf and one Sa‘i are sufficient for the performer of Qirān Hajj, in which the rituals of ‘Umrah are included in the rituals of Hajj.
As for those who perform Tamattu‘ Hajj, doing ‘Umrah before Hajj, they are required to perform two Sa‘is: one Sa‘i for their ‘Umrah and one Sa‘i for their Hajj on the Day of Nahr (Slaughter). This is clarified by a Hadīth narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, and the wording here is of Al-Bukhāri, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "Those who raised their voices in Talbiyah for ‘Umrah performed Tawāf around the House and between Safa and Marwah. Then, they ended Ihrām, and then they performed another Tawāf after returning from Mina," i.e., those who performed Tamattu‘ Hajj. "As for those who combined Hajj and ‘Umrah," i.e., who performed Qirān Hajj, "they performed one Tawāf.".

1217

Abu Nadrah reported: Ibn ‘Abbās used to enjoin Mut‘ah, whereas Ibn az-Zubayr used to prohibit it. He said: I mentioned that to Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh, who said: "This Hadīth happened in my presence. We performed Tamattu‘ with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). When ‘Umar rose up, he said: 'Indeed, Allah made permissible for His Messenger what He willed through what He willed, and indeed the Qur’an was already revealed. So, {Complete Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah} [Surat al-Baqarah: 196] as Allah commanded you and cut off the marriage to these women. No man who married a woman for an appointed duration will be brought to me except that I will stone him.'" [And in a version]: Separate your Hajj from your ‘Umrah, for this makes your Hajj more complete and your ‘Umrah more complete..

Commentary : Mut‘ah in the Shariah is a term that jointly refers to the performance of ‘Umrah in Mut‘ah until the coming of Hajj and to the Mut‘ah marriage. The right meaning is to be understood from the context where it occurs. There was a difference of opinion among the Prophet's Companions over the Mut‘ah marriage, with some deeming it permissible and others forbidding it, according to what each side understood from the Prophet's Sunnah. Likewise, there was a difference of opinion over Tamattu‘ of ‘Umrah until the advent of Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Nadrah Al-Mundhir ibn Mālik al-Basri relates that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) used to enjoin Mut‘ah, whereas ‘Abdullāh ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to prohibit it. The difference arose over the interpretation of the meaning of Mut‘ah here: whether it is the Mut‘ah of Hajj or the Mut‘ah marriage. In a version by Muslim: "Ibn ‘Abbās and Ibn az-Zubayr differed over the two kinds of Mut‘ah." The Mut‘ah marriage is to marry a woman for a specified period, using the word Tamattu‘, in return for a sum of money. This kind of marriage was permissible at the beginning. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it since the day of the Battle of Khaybar until the Day of Judgment. Tamattu‘ in Hajj is when the pilgrim assumes Ihrām for ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj and then ends his Ihrām, after which he assumes Ihrām for Hajj in the same year. So, if he comes to Makkah during the months of Hajj and performs ‘Umrah and completes it, he may end his Ihrām and enjoy all that is lawful until the rituals of Hajj begin.
So, Abu Nadrah mentioned that difference of opinion to Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "This Hadīth happened in my presence" i.e., I was present while it happened. He (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed out that they observed Tamattu‘ during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Jābir's response comprises the Mut‘ah of Hajj and the Mut‘ah marriage. "When ‘Umar rose up," i.e., assuming the caliphate, he said: "Indeed, Allah made permissible for His Messenger what He willed" of rulings "through what He willed" of the revelation which He willed to send down - the Qur’an's verses and the Prophet's Hadīths. He thus indicated that such Mut‘ah marriages were exclusively permissible for them. "and indeed the Qur’an was already revealed," i.e., it was sent down and placed in order, its injunctions were completed and established, and its rulings settled; so, it is not subject to abrogation or alteration after the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away; and it contains the command to complete Hajj and ‘Umrah. Allah Almighty says: {And Complete Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 196] By this, he meant that the Mut‘ah of Hajj was abolished when Allah commanded that Hajj and ‘Umrah be completed; and likewise, the Mut‘ah marriage was abolished when Allah mentioned the conditions of marriage in His Book and clarified its rulings; so, nothing can be added thereto, omitted therefrom, or changed. "So, complete Hajj and ‘Umrah for Allah, as Allah commanded you." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) held that the completion of Hajj and ‘Umrah can be achieved by performing each of them separately. So, ‘Umar's statement apparently indicates that it is invalid to dissolve Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah. He did not mean by this to contradict the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Muslim narrated: "that Abu Mūsa asked ‘Umar about that, and ‘Umar said: Indeed, I am aware that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions engaged in it, but I disliked that the married persons should have intercourse with them under the shade of trees and then set out for Hajj with water trickling down of their heads." The meaning: I disliked Tamattu‘, for it entails exit from Ihrām and engaging in sexual intercourse with women until the departure for Hajj. It is authentically narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections that Surāqah ibn Mālik asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he ordered his Companions to dissolve Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah and observe Tamattu‘ until Hajj, saying: Does this apply to this year of ours or forever? Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: But forever.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said on the Mut‘ah marriage: "and cut off," i.e., halt and finish this matter, namely marrying these women, i.e., the Mut‘ah. "No man who married a woman for an appointed duration will be brought to me except that I will stone him." So, he considered the Mut‘ah marriage to be like adultery. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the Mut‘ah marriage in the beginning and then forbade it later during the Battle of Khaybar and until the Day of Judgment, and he declared it unlawful during the Farewell Hajj, as narrated by Al-Bukhāri, Muslim, and others.
The Hadīth warns against doing anything prohibited by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It forbids the Mut‘ah marriage..

1218

Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn reported: We entered the place of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh, he asked about the people, and when my turn came, I said: "I am Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn." He patted my head with his hand and undid my upper button and then undid my lower button. He then placed his hand between my nipples, and I was a young boy then. He then said: "Welcome, son of my brother, ask what you wish." I asked him, and he was blind. The time of prayer came, and he stood wrapped in a mantle. Whenever he placed it on his shoulder, its ends fell due to its shortness, and his gown was placed on a rack by his side. He led us in prayer. I said: "Tell me about the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)." He signaled with his hand and folded his fingers, indicating nine. He said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) remained nine years during which he did not perform Hajj. Then, there was a public announcement in the tenth year to the effect that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was about to perform Hajj. A large number of people came to Madīnah, everyone desiring to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and act like him. We went out with him until we reached Dhu al-Hulayfah. Asmā’ bint ‘Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. She sent a message to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) asking him: 'What should I do?' He said: 'Take a bath, bandage your private parts with a cloth, and assume Ihrām.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) prayed in the mosque and then mounted Al-Qaswā’, and his she-camel stood erect with him on its back, on Al-Baydā’ (the wilderness). I looked as far as I could see and saw (many) people on mounts, on foot in front of him, a similar number on his right side, a similar number on his left side, and a similar number behind him. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was among us, the Qur’an was being revealed to him, and he knew its interpretation. Whatever he did according to it, we did it. He then raised his voice as he declared Allah’s oneness: 'Labbayka allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-hamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, la sharīka lak (I am at Your service, O Allah, You have no partner; the praise, the favor, and the dominion belong to You. You have no partner). The people raised their voices too saying this as they wanted to say. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did not make any comment and he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) continued his Talbiyah. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We did not intend to perform anything but Hajj. We did not know ‘Umrah. When we came with him to the House, he touched the Corner, doing Ramal (brisk walk) for three rounds and walking for four. Then, he went forward to the Maqām Ibrahim (Station of Abraham) (peace be upon him). He recited: {And take the station of Abraham as a place of prayer} [Surat al-Baqarah: 125]. He kept the Station between him and the House. My father used to say: 'I do not know that he narrated it from anyone except the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).' He used to recite in the two Rak‘ahs the Surahs of: {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} and: {Say: 'O disbelievers.'} He then returned to the Corner and touched it, after which he went out by the gate to Safa. When he reached near Safa, he recited: '{Indeed, Safa and Marwah [mounts] are among the symbols of Allah} [Surat al Baqarah: 158]. I begin with what Allah began with.' He then began with Safa and ascended it until he saw the House and faced the Qiblah. So, he declared the oneness of Allah, proclaimed his greatness, and said: La ilaha illa Allahu wahdahu la sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulle shay’in qadīr, la ilaha illahu wahdahu, anjaza wa‘dah, wa nasara abdah, wa hazama al-ahzābaha wahdah (There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. The dominion and the praise belong to Him, and He is Able to do all things. There is no god but Allah, alone. He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and routed the confederates, alone.) He then supplicated during that, saying such words three times. Then, he descended to Marwah, and when his feet reached the bottom of the valley, he walked quickly, and when we ascended, he walked, until he reached Marwah. He did at Marwah what he did at Safa, and when it was the end of his Tawāf at Marwah, he said: 'If I had known before what I came to know afterward regarding this matter of mine, I would not have brought sacrificial animals and would have made it an ‘Umrah; so, if any of you has no sacrificial animals, he may end his Ihrām and make it an ‘Umrah.' Thereupon, Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Ju‘shum got up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, does this apply to the present year or forever?' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) intertwined his fingers and said: '‘Umrah has been incorporated in Hajj - twice - No, but forever and ever.' ‘Ali came from Yemen with the sacrificial animals of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and found Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) among one of those who had taken off their Ihrām, and she put on colored clothes and used cohl into her eyes. He expressed disapproval of that, so she said: 'My father commanded me to do this.' He said: ‘Ali said in Iraq: 'I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to complain against Fātimah for what she had done and to ask for the opinion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding what she had mentioned to me. He said: 'She spoke the truth; she spoke the truth. What did you say when you put on Ihrām for Hajj?' He said: 'O Allah, I put on Ihrām for the same purpose for which Your Messenger has put it on.' He said: 'I have sacrificial animals with me; so, do not take off Ihrām.' He said: The total of those sacrificial animals brought by ‘Ali from Yemen and of those brought by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was one hundred. He said: Then, all the people except the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those who had the sacrificial animals with them took off their Ihrāms and shortened their hair. When the Day of Tarwiyah came, they went towards Mina having put on their Ihrāms for Hajj, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) rode and prayed the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, and Fajr prayers at Mina. After that, he waited a little until the sun rose and gave orders for a tent of hair to be set up at Namirah. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) proceeded, and the Quraysh had no doubt that he would halt at Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām, as the Quraysh used to do in Jāhiliyyah; but he kept on until he reached ‘Arafah and found that the tent had been set up at Namirah. There, he dismounted, and when the sun had passed the meridian, he ordered for Al-Qaswā' to be brought, and when it was saddled for him, he went down to the bottom of the valley and addressed the people, saying: 'Indeed, your blood and your property are as inviolable to you as this day of yours in this month of yours in this town of yours. Lo! Everything pertaining to Jāhiliyyah has been put under my feet and claims for blood vengeance belonging to Jāhiliyyah have been abolished. The first of those murdered among us whose blood vengeance I remit is the son of Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith. He was suckled among Banu Sa‘d and then killed by Hudhayl. The usury of Jāhiliyyah is abolished, and the first of usury which I abolish is our usury, the usury of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, for it is all abolished. Fear Allah regarding women, for you have got them under Allah’s security and have the right to intercourse with them by Allah’s word. It is your right upon them that they should not allow anyone whom you dislike to step on your mattresses; so, if they do that, beat them, but not severely. You are responsible for providing them with food and clothing in a fitting manner. I have left among you something, if you hold on to it, you will never again go astray: the Book of Allah. You will be asked about me, so what will you say?' They said: 'We testify that you have conveyed, fulfilled, and given advice.' Then, he raised his forefinger towards the sky, and pointing it at the people, he said: 'O Allah, bear witness; O Allah, bear witness,' three times. Then, Bilāl called the Adhān and then the Iqāmah, and he performed the Zhuhr prayer. Then, he called the Iqāmah, and he offered the ‘Asr prayer, offering no prayer between the two. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rode and came to the place of standing, making Al-Qaswā’ turn its back to the rocks and having the path taken by those who went on foot in front of him, and he faced the Qiblah. He remained standing until sunset, and the yellow light had somewhat gone, until the disc of the sun had disappeared. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took Usāmah up behind him and severely picked the rein of Al-Qaswā’, so much so that its head was touching the front part of the saddle. Pointing with his right hand, he said: 'O people, calmness, calmness.' Whenever he ascended a mound, he let its rein a little loose so that it could ascend, until he came to Muzdalifah, where he performed the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers with one Adhān and two Iqāmahs. He did not offer supererogatory prayers between them. Then, he lay down until dawn and performed the Fajr prayer when the morning light was clear, with one Adhān and one Iqāmah. Then, he mounted Al-Qaswā’ and came to Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām. He faced the Qiblah, supplicated to Him, and proclaimed His greatness, glorified Him, and declared His oneness, and he kept standing until the daylight was noticeably clear. Then, he departed before the sun rose and made Al-Fadl ibn ‘Abbās ride behind him, and he was a man with beautiful hair, white, and handsome. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) departed, women in howdahs began to quickly pass him by. Al-Fadl began to look at them. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) placed his hand on the face of Al-Fadl, but Al-Fadl turned his face towards the other side, looking. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also turned his hand to the other side, and Al-Fadl also turned his face to the other side, looking at them until he reached the Valley of Muhassir. He urged the camel a little and following a middle road that leads to Al-Jamrah Al-Kubra, he came to the Jamrah that is beside the tree and threw seven small pebbles at it, saying Takbīr with each pebble of them - pebbles like date stones. He threw them from the bottom of the valley. Then, he went to the place of the sacrifice and sacrificed sixty-three camels with his own hand. He then let ‘Ali sacrifice the remainder, and he shared his sacrificial animals with him. After that, he ordered that a piece of flesh from each camel be put in a pot, and when it was cooked, the two of them ate some of it and drank some of its broth. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) rode and headed to the House and performed the Zhuhr prayer in Makkah. He then went to Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who were supplying water at Zamzam, and said: 'Draw water, Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib! Were it not that people would take the right to draw water from you, I would draw it along with you.' So, they handed him a bucket and he drank from it.".

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth among the pillars of Islam. It is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it. All its actions are taken from the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Tābi‘īs would go to the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ask them and learn from them the Hadīths of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and what he did and said regarding the acts of worship.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, known as Al-Bāqir - one of the descendants of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - relates that he and others entered the place of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him), who asked about those who entered, one by one. Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) was blind at the time, as he became blind in the latter part of his life. When he asked about Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn, and he said his name to him, he extended his hand to Muhammad's head and undid the upper button on his shirt and then undid the lower button, i.e., he loosened it from the buttonhole to reveal his chest and place his hand on it, out of complete compassion towards him, for he is one of the household of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He welcomed him. Jābir did that with him to give him a friendly feeling in light of his young age, as Muhammad was a young boy at the time. He said to him: "Welcome, son of my brother." He meant the brotherhood of religion, not blood relationship. All that Jābir did was out of extreme respect for the Prophet's household, in recognition of their status, and to distinguish them from others and treat them in a manner that befits their rank.
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him to ask him whatever he wished, which he did. The time of prayer came. So, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) stood wrapped in a mantle. Whenever he placed it on his shoulder, its ends fell off his shoulder due to its shortness, and his Ridā’, the garment that covers the upper body, was placed on a rack by his side. A rack is a group of sticks or pieces of wood whose heads are joined together, whereas their pillars have space in between; clothes are hung over it. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in prayer, offering that prayer whose time came. After the prayer, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn asked him to tell him about the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj once, and it is called the Farewell Hajj. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed with his hand and folded nine of his fingers, as the Arabs would use their fingers in counting. It is as if he wanted to count from one to nine. Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained in Madīnah for nine years after the Hijrah without performing Hajj. Then, in the tenth year after Hijrah, he ordered for a public announcement to be made to inform the people that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was going to perform Hajj that year. This is because he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to gather a large number of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), for them to prepared for Hajj with him, learn the rituals and rulings, observe his words and actions, and so that he would give them advice. Thus, those who were present would inform those who were absent, and the call of Islam would spread. The public announcement was not limited to the people of Madīnah only, but it extended to all places and regions. As a result, a lot of people came to Madīnah, all desiring and seeking to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and act like him in Hajj, for he was the role model.
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that they went out with him as five nights were remaining of the month of Dhul-Qi‘dah, as related in the version by An-Nasā’i and in the Two Sahīh Collections, in a Hadīth in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that he left Madīnah by daytime after performing the Zhuhr prayer as four Rak‘ahs in Madīnah. He departed between the Zhuhr and ‘Asr, until he reached Dhu al-Hulayfah, the Miqāt of the people of Madīnah and non-residents who pass by it. It is a village located nearly 6 or 7 miles (10km) away from Madīnah. In modern times, it is known among the general public as Abiyār ‘Ali or Ābār ‘Ali and it lies 420km away from Makkah.
In this place, Asmā’ bint ‘Umays, the wife of Abu Bakr as-Siddīq, gave birth to her son Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). She sent a message to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking him about what she should do with her Ihrām after she entered into a postpartum period. In response, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed her to take a bath for cleanliness, for the blood of postpartum bleeding does not cease except after the end of the postpartum period. Therefore, he ordered her, saying: "and bandage your private parts with a cloth." This is to put a piece of cloth over the area of bleeding - the private parts - to stop the flow of blood. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her to assume Ihrām with intention and Talbiyah. A woman in a menstrual or postpartum period can validly perform all the rituals of Hajj except for Tawāf, as indicated by a Hadīth narrated by An-Nasā’i and Ibn Mājah, in which Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and she should do what people do," of Dhikr and Talbiyah, and stand at Mina, ‘Arafāt, and Muzdalifah, "except that she may not perform Tawāf around the House," i.e., she may not perform Tawāf Ar-Rukn around the honorable Ka‘bah unless she becomes pure of the postpartum bleeding, after which she can do Tawāf.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Zhuhr prayer as two Rak‘ahs, before leaving the Miqāt and after assuming Ihrām. The day when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reached Dhu al-Hulayfah, he offered the ‘Asr prayer as two Rak‘ahs. Then, he performed the Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, Fajr, and Zhuhr prayers there; thus, he offered five prayers in it and stayed for a day and a night. He probably stayed in that place so that people would successively come to him, and they would thus be acquainted with the manner of his Hajj from its start, as Hajj begins from the Miqāt where Ihrām is assumed.
Thereafter, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mounted Al-Qaswā’, the name of his riding she-camel, and his she-camel stood erect with him on its back, in "Al-Baydā’''. Al-Baydā’ in Arabic language means the empty desert. But here it refers to a certain place between Makkah and Madīnah, and it is located above the two signposts of Dhu al-Hulayfah for those who ascend from the valley. At the beginning of Al-Baydā’ lies a well. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he looked as far as he could see before him and found people around the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), some of whom were riding and others on foot - they were in front of him, on his right side, on his left side, and behind him. The words of Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) indicate the large number of people and their presence and show how much they were keen to pursue the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him); they did what he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did, and they followed him and adhered to his course and way. Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) clarified that the people did that out of their belief that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the one to whom the Qur'an was revealed, and so he was the one who knew its interpretation and the explanation of its meanings and objectives, which included the rituals of Hajj and ‘Umrah.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) raised his voice as he proclaimed the word of Tawhīd; he said: Labbayka allahumma labbayk, labbayka la sharīka laka labbayk, inna al-hamda wa an-ni‘mata laka wa al-mulk, la sharīka lak (I am at Your service, O Allah, You have no partner; the praise, the favor, and the dominion belong to You. You have no partner). It means I repeat my response to You in my compliance with Your command to perform Hajj, for You are the One Who is worthy of gratitude and praise, because You alone possess the ultimate perfection, and You are the true Bestower of favor. There is no favor except that it comes from You; and You are the sole Possessor of the enduring ownership, and every ownership of anyone other than Yours is doomed to vanish. The wisdom behind Talbiyah is to point out the honor Allah Almighty bestows upon His servants as they come to His House in response to a call from Him, which contradicts the words of Shirk the polytheists who used to say in their Talbiyah during the Jāhiliyyah era. They used to say: "Labbayk la sharīka lak illa sharīkan howa lak, tamlikuhu wa ma malak (You have no partner except for a partner who You own, You possess him and what he possesses), according to a Hadīth narrated by Muslim and reported by Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him).
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The people too raised their voices saying what they used to say," i.e., they did not commit to this particular Talbiyah which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed. This is demonstrated by a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, in which Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "People would say Talbiyah and they were not criticized, and people would say Takbīr and they were not criticized;" and the Hadīth narrated by Muslim, in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he used to say Talbiyah like the Talbiyah said by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and add the following to it: "Labbayk, Labbayk, wa sa‘dayk, wa al-khayru biyadayka labbayk, wa ar-raghba’ ilayka wa al-‘amal (I am here ready to obey You. Good is in Your Hands. Reward is sought from You, and work is done for Your sake." There are other relevant Hadīths reported by the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as they understood that it is not specified. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not reject any of these; he would hear them and not criticize them. His silence denotes the approval of their Talbiyahs.
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued to say his Talbiyah and kept to it. Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We did not intend to perform anything but Hajj." This was in the beginning, at the time of their departure from Madīnah; otherwise, some of them actually assumed Ihrām for ‘Umrah; or he was talking about the case applying to most of them; or that the main objective of their departure was to perform Hajj, even if some of them intended to perform ‘Umrah. Jābir then said: "We did not know ‘Umrah." He probably said that about their initial condition, before Ihrām. They used to regard the performance of ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj as a heinous immorality. But when it was the time of Ihrām, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made things clear to them, saying, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections: "Whoever wants to assume Ihrām for Hajj, let him do so. Whoever wants to assume Ihrām for ‘Umrah, let him do so, and whoever wants to assume Ihrām for Hajj and ‘Umrah, let him do so." This dispelled the illusion they had harbored, and they remained like that.
When they reached Makkah - which happened on the morning of the 4th day of Dhul-Hijjah - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions came to the Ka‘bah, and he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) touched the Corner, by which he meant the Black Stone. Touching it includes passing the hand over it and kissing it. Then, he began Tawāf around the House, doing it for seven rounds. In the first three rounds, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took quick and short steps, whereas he walked normally in the other four rounds. He would start the round from the front of the Black Stone and would finish it there.
After he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the Tawāf around the Ka‘bah, he headed to the Station of Abraham and recited the verse that reads: {Take the Station of Abraham as a place for prayer.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 125], i.e., O people, take the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer where you pray, as an act of worship from you to Allah Almighty, and as an honor to Abraham (peace be upon him) from Allah, Exalted be He. This is after finishing the Tawāf around the Ka‘bah, with the Station lying between the House and the praying person. The Station of Abraham is the place of his standing. It is the stone upon which Abraham (peace be upon him) stood at the time of his construction of the Ka‘bah, and it has his footprint. Its location is well-known nowadays beside the Ka‘bah. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made the Station between himself and the House and prayed behind the Station, in compliance with Allah's command.
Ja‘far ibn Muhammad says that his father Muhammad related from Jābir that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited in these two Rak‘ahs Surat: {Say: "O disbelievers"} in the first Rak‘ah, after Al-Fātihah, and in the second Rak‘ah Surat: {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}, as related in Sunan At-Tirmidhi and Sunan An-Nasā’i. The version here is not meant to specify the order.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned after offering the two Rak‘ahs of Tawāf to the Black Stone once again and touched it. Thereafter, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out from the gate of Banu Makhzūm, which is known as the gate of Safa. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out through it because it was the nearest gate to Mount Safa, and because Safa and Marwah were then located outside the Mosque. When he approached Mount Safa, he recited the verse that reads: {Indeed, Safa and Marwah [mounts] are among the symbols of Allah.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 158] And he said: "I begin with what Allah has begun with," i.e., Allah Almighty mentioned Safa first; so, we begin with it in Sa‘i. It was called Safa because its stones are of the Safa type, which is smooth and hard. It is located at the bottom of Mount Abu Qubays. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began Sa‘i from Safa and ascended Mount Safa until he could see the honorable Ka‘bah, then he faced the Qiblah, declared the oneness of Allah, proclaimed his greatness, and said: "There is no god but Allah, alone," He is One in divinity and in Essence, "with no partner to Him" in divinity or attributes. "The dominion and the praise belong to Him," i.e., He possesses everything, and He can dispose of His dominion as He wishes. And to Him belongs the greatness and the good laudation and comprehensive gratitude for His favors and grace. "and He is Able to do all things;" nothing escapes His power. The absolute ability belongs to Him, Exalted be He. "There is no god but Allah, alone; He fulfilled His promise," i.e., He fulfilled the promise He made to him that He, Exalted be He, would make the religion dominant. "supported His servant," i.e., He gave a great victory to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). "and routed the confederates alone," i.e., He defeated them without fighting by human beings and without a cause on their part. The confederates are those who allied together against the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the battle of the Trench in the 5 A.H. He uttered this Dhikr three times and supplicated with what Allah enabled him to say after each time.
Then, he descended and walked to Marwah, and when his feet went down and headed downwards "at the bottom of the valley," which refers to the low area between the two mountains, "he walked quickly," i.e., he hastened his steps. When his feet ascended and went upwards, he walked normally, until he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came and went up on Mount Marwah, which is a high place at the bottom of Mount Qu‘ayqi‘ān, in the north-east of the Sacred Mosque. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did at Marwah what he had done at Safa, facing the Qiblah and engaging in Dhikr and supplication. The Prophet's Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah consisted of seven rounds. From Safa to Marwah is one round, and from Marwah to Safa is another round. He would begin with Safa and end with Marwah. The place of the Prophet's Sa‘i is now highlighted and marked with green lamps hung on the ceiling along the distance for which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Sa‘i.
When he was in the last part of his Tawāf - the seventh round that would end at Marwah - he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "If I had known before what I have come to know afterwards regarding this matter of mine," i.e., If I had known at the beginning of the matter what I came to know at its end - that is the permissibility of performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj - I would not have brought sacrificial animals with me from outside Makkah and would have performed a Tamattu‘ Hajj. He wanted to do the opposite of what the people of Jāhiliyyah used to do in their beliefs and deeds. The existence of sacrificial animals prevents the pilgrim from ending the Ihrām of Hajj and making it an ‘Umrah and then ending its Ihrām. The matter the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to know afterward is the hardship faced by his Companions as they ended their Ihrām apart from him; they even stopped, hesitated, and came back to ask him. By contrast, those who did not bring sacrificial animals with them could end the Ihrām for Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah. His statement "If I had known before..." was meant to comfort his Companions whom he ordered to end their Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah, because they had not brought the sacrificial animals with them. Sacrificial animals are the cattle, camels, and sheep that are gifted to the House as a means of closeness to Allah Almighty. This also indicates that Tamattu‘ is better than Qirān and Ifrād, and that if the sacrificial animals are brought, the performer of Qirān and Ifrād Hajj remains in his Ihrām until the Day of Nahr.
Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Ju‘shum (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Does this apply to the present year or forever?" i.e., is the permissibility of ending Hajj and turning it into ‘Umrah and performing ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, or along with Hajj particularly related to this year or it applies forever? Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) intertwined his fingers and said: "‘Umrah has been incorporated in Hajj," i.e., ‘Umrah has entered the months of Hajj. He said that twice. He then said: "but forever and ever;" this is a general ruling on the legitimacy of performing Tamattu‘ Hajj, doing ‘Umrah before Hajj, in all years, not only a particular one.
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Yemen with sacrificial animals. Before his Hajj, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had sent him as a judge and collector of Zakah, and he returned, and on the way, he raised his voice in Talbiyah and intended to enter the rituals. When ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) entered Makkah, and he was yet to learn about the Tamattu‘ the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had commanded his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to engage in, he found his wife Fātimah, the Prophet's daughter, to be one of those who ended their Ihrām, and she wore 'colored' clothing, which women are forbidden to wear under Ihrām, and she put kohl in her eyes. This all indicates she was fully adorned and had ended Ihrām. He expressed disapproval of that, thinking it to be impermissible. She informed him that it was the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who commanded her to end the Ihrām. So, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and complained to him about Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her), i.e., he mentioned to him what entailed rebuking her for what she did; and he sought the Prophet's opinion about what she mentioned about him and that he expressed disapproval of what she did. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "She spoke the truth; she spoke the truth;" he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed the trueness of what Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) informed him about.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "What did you say when you put on Ihrām for Hajj?" i.e., what did you intend to perform when you assumed Ihrām: Hajj or ‘Umrah, or both of them? ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he said: "O Allah, I put on Ihrām for the same purpose for which Your Messenger has put it on," i.e., I assume the same Ihrām as the Ihrām of Your Messenger. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have sacrificial animals with me;" this is to clarify why he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not end his Ihrām. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) also brought the sacrificial animals with him. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved his assumption of Ihrām and instructed him to continue with it.
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the total of sacrificial animals brought by ‘Ali from Yemen and by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from Madīnah was one hundred.
Those who had not brought the sacrificial animals with them ended their Ihrām in compliance with the command of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they cut their hair and stayed as non-Muhrims (out of Ihrām), engaging in things forbidden for them under Ihrām. He said, "and shortened their hair," though shaving is better than shortening, as authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Regarding that, it was said: So that some hair should remain until the rituals of Hajj and can be shaved on the Day of Nahr after throwing pebbles at Jamrat al-‘Aqabah.
Meanwhile, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those who had sacrificial animals with them did not end their Ihrām. When it was the Day of Tarwiyah - the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, and it was called as such because water in Mina was little, and they used to drink water from there and carry it for later - the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions headed to Mina. The performers of Tamattu‘ Hajj assumed new Ihrāms for their Hajj. As for the performers of Qirān Hajj - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those who had sacrificial animals with them - they remained in their Ihrām. Ihrām should be assumed in the place where one alights, and the Companions alighted with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in Al-Abtah, so they assumed Ihrām therein, as related in the Two Sahīh Collections. Mina is a valley surrounded by mountains, which is located east of Makkah, on the road between Makkah and Mount ‘Arafah, and it lies 6km away from the Sacred Mosque. Mina: It is a place where rituals of Hajj are performed, the pilgrims stay on the Day of Tarwiyah, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, and the Days of Tashrīq. It includes the area of throwing the Jamarāt, which happens between the rise and setting of the sun in those days of Hajj, and it is where the sacrificial animals are slaughtered.
Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mounted the she-camel upon the rise of the sun on the Day of Tarwiyah, and he offered the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, ‘Ishā’, and Fajr prayers at Mina, each prayer at its time. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained for a little after the performance of the Fajr prayer until the sun rose, and he ordered that a tent be set up for him - and it used to be made of hair, i.e., the hair of goats and wool of sheep - at Namirah before his arrival at ‘Arafah. Namirah lies to the west of the Mash‘ar of ‘Arafāt, and part of the western side of the Namirah Mosque is located in the valley of ‘Uranah.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions headed from Mina to the ‘Arafah Mount, which lies outside the boundaries of the Sacred Mosque, on the road that links Makkah to Tā’if. It is located 22km to the east of Makkah, 10km away from Mina, and 6km away from Muzdalifah; and its total area is estimated to be around 10.4km. The Quraysh had no doubt that he would stop at "Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām," a mountain in Muzdalifah which is called Quzah; this is where the mosque of Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām is located, at the beginning of Muzdalifah. Some people from the Quraysh thought that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would do as the Quraysh used to do in Jāhiliyyah. In a version by Muslim: The Arabs in Jāhiliyyah would be prompted to perform Hajj by a man known as "Abu Sayyārah". He was a man from Banu Bajīlah called ‘Umayrah ibn al-A‘lam, who used to ride a donkey without a packsaddle and with nothing for the rider to sit on. He would depart from Muzdalifah and not go out to ‘Arafāt.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went past Muzdalifah and did not stop at it. Rather, he directly headed to ‘Arafāt. When he approached it, he found the tent set up at Namirah. He alighted at it and stayed there until the sun passed the meridian and moved from the middle of the sky, from the east to the west. He ordered for his she-camel Al-Qaswā’ to be brought, and the saddle was fastened on its back so that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) could ride it. He rode it and came to the bottom of the valley, the valley of ‘Uranah, which is one of the valleys of Makkah. It lies to the west of ‘Arafāt and cuts through the land of Al-Mughammas, passing by the end of ‘Arafāt from the western side, by the Namirah Mosque. Then, it meets with the valley of Nu‘mān and passes south of Makkah, at the boundaries of the Sacred Precincts. At this place, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood, addressed the people, and admonished them, saying: "Indeed, your blood and your property," i.e., shedding your blood and taking your property without right "are as inviolable to you" in an emphatic manner like the inviolability of the day of ‘Arafah, the inviolability of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, and the inviolability of Makkah. This denotes emphasis and severity.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Lo! Everything pertaining to Jāhiliyyah," i.e., what they newly introduced and the legislations they laid down in Hajj and other things before Islam. Jāhiliyyah: It is the period in which people were upon Shirk before the advent of Islam. It was given this name because of their prevalent ignorance. "has been put under my feet," i.e., it is false and void and does not count. "and claims for blood vengeance belonging to Jāhiliyyah have been abolished," i.e., they are abandoned, with no legal retribution, blood money, or expiation. The first of those murdered among us whose blood vengeance I remit and abolish - as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would begin with himself - is the son of Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib. Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith was the Prophet's cousin. No legal retribution or blood money was due regarding him; rather, these were void, for his case belongs to the claims for blood vengeance in Jāhiliyyah. "He was suckled," i.e., this son had a wet nurse from Banu Sa‘d, and the tribe of Hudhayl killed him.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The usury of Jāhiliyyah;" usury is prohibited in Jāhiliyyah and Islam. Yet, he attributed it to Jāhiliyyah because they legalized it for themselves. Then, when Islam came, it established its unlawfulness. Usury is a transaction among people with an interest on principal debts and loans, be it the Fadl (excess) usury or the Nasī’ah (deferred) usury. Allah Almighty prohibited it and gave a warning regarding it. Allah Almighty says: {Those who consume usury will not stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except like those being beaten by Satan. That is because they say: "Trade is just like usury." But Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury. Whoever desists because of receiving admonition from his Lord may keep his past gains, and his case is left to Allah. But whoever returns to it, they are the people of the Fire; they will abide therein forever.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 275] His words "is abolished" mean false and void. All usurious transactions that had previously been conducted in Jāhiliyyah and part of them remains, this is void. Abolished here refers to the interest, not the principal amount, for it will be given back to its owner, as Allah Almighty also says: {However, if you repent, you may retain your capital.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 279] "and the first of usury which I abolish is our usury, the usury of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, for it is all abolished." He began with the usury of his uncle Al-‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) given his relation to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), so that the people would imitate him in words and deeds and abolish that from their debtors.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised them to be kind to women, saying: "Fear Allah regarding women," i.e., fear the punishment of Allah Almighty for failing to observe the rights of your wives and their worldly and religious interests, by treating them fairly and taking care of their rights. "for you have got them under Allah’s security and have the right to intercourse with them by Allah’s word," i.e., you married them by the Shariah of Allah, and Allah made sexual intercourse a right for you upon them. Thus, they are trusts with you. So, you should take care of these trusts and not subject them to harm or offense; rather, you should be benevolent to them and treat them kindly. The word of Allah refers to the contract, which relies on two words of proposal and acceptance from the guardian and the husband.
When he enjoined kindness to women, he mentioned the rights due upon them, saying: "It is your right upon them that they should not allow anyone whom you dislike stepping on your mattresses," i.e., those you dislike that they enter your houses, which applies to men and women, relatives, and non-relatives. It was said: This statement is not understood to denote prohibition from adultery, for this is prohibited with those the husband dislikes and those he does not dislike. "However, if they did so" and allowed in your houses those you dislike entering, without your approval, then you, O men, can discipline them, even if this discipline reaches the limit of beating; "beat them, but not severely," i.e., not hard, or harsh beating. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) also mentioned the rights due upon men to their wives. Due to them is provision, including food, drink, dwelling, and clothing, as much as is sufficient for them, without extravagance or miserliness, or according to their condition in terms of poverty and richness.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have left among you something," i.e., within you. This is addressed to all Muslims, whet.

1218

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Makkah, he went to the Stone and touched it and then walked to its right side, engaging in three rounds of Ramal (a fast walk), and walking four..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth among the pillars of Islam. It is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it, and all its rituals must be taken from the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This Hadīth reveals one of the aspects of the Prophet's performance of Hajj during the Farewell Hajj, regarding touching the Stone and then performing Tawāf around the Ka‘bah. Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Makkah for Hajj, in the Farewell Hajj, during the 8th Hijri year, he headed to the Black Stone, which is located in the corner of the Ka‘bah close to the gate in the eastern side, and its height from the ground is two cubits and two-thirds of a cubit. "And touched it," which includes wiping over it and kissing it. Then, he walked to the right and began circumambulating the Ka‘bah, with it being to his left. He performed Tawāf around the House for seven rounds. He walked in a fast manner with short steps during the first three rounds and walked at the normal pace in the remaining four rounds.
The Hadīth indicates that Tawāf should be started from the Black Stone after touching it.
It also points out that the performer of Tawāf should walk to the right after touching the Stone, with the House being to his left.
And it demonstrates that one should engage in Ramal during the first three rounds in the Tawāf of Qudūm (arrival), and one should walk calmly in the last four rounds..

1218

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I slaughtered the sacrificial animals here, and all of Mina is a place of slaughter; so, slaughter your sacrificial animals in your dwellings; and I stood here, and all of ‘Arafah is a place of standing; and I stood here, and all of Jam‘ is a place of standing.".

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, and all its rituals must be taken from the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This Hadīth reveals one of the aspects of the Prophet's performance of Hajj in the Farewell Hajj and demonstrates his leniency and compassion towards his Ummah with regard to standing at ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah and the slaughter of sacrificial animals in Mina. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I slaughtered the sacrificial animals here," i.e., I slaughtered them in this place of mine in Mina. The place where he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered the sacrificial animals was Al-Jamrah As-Sughra, which is the first Jamrah after the Khayf Mosque in Mina. However, out of his desire to facilitate things for his Ummah, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and all of Mina is a place of slaughter," i.e., it is valid to slaughter sacrificial animals anywhere in it. So, slaughter the sacrificial animals in your places and dwellings. Mina is a valley surrounded by mountains and located to the east of Makkah, on the way between Makkah and Mount ‘Arafah, and it is situated nearly 6km away from the Sacred Mosque. Mina is the place where the rituals of Hajj are performed and the pilgrims stay during the day of Tarwiyah, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, and the days of Tashrīq, and it is the site of throwing the Jamarāt, which happens between sunrise and sunset during these days of Hajj. The Hady (sacrificial animals by pilgrims) are also slaughtered there.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and I stood here" in my place at ‘Arafah "and all of ‘Arafah is a place of standing" where it is valid to stand on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. Mount ‘Arafah lies outside the boundaries of the Sacred Mosque, on the way between Makkah and Tā’if, and it is located nearly 22km away from Makkah, 10km from Mina, and 6km from Muzdalifah.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and I stood here, and all of Jam‘ is a place of standing," i.e., I stood here in Muzdalifah at Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām, and all of Muzdalifah is a place of standing. Muzdalifah is the name for the place where the pilgrims alight after departing from ‘Arafāt and stay there for the night of the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah. It includes Al-Mash‘ar Al-Harām and is situated nearly 12km away from ‘Arafah and next to the Mash‘ar of Mina. Muzdalifah was called 'Jam‘' because the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers are combined there (combining in Arabic: Jam‘). It is also said: It was named after the practice of its people, as they gather (Yajtami‘) therein and seek closeness to Allah (Yazdalif) by standing in it.
The Hadīth points to the validity of standing anywhere at ‘Arafah and Muzdalifah.
It indicates that all of Mina is a place of slaughter, and it is valid to slaughter the sacrificial animals at any place therein.
The Hadīth urges us not to jostle against one another at the rituals of Hajj and to disperse across the places..

1224

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Tamattu‘ in Hajj was for the Companions of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in particular..

Commentary : Tamattu‘ in Hajj is when a pilgrim intends to perform ‘Umrah along with Hajj. As he comes to Makkah and performs ‘Umrah, he ends his Ihrām and enjoys all that is lawful until the beginning of the rituals of Hajj on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah.
In this tradition, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Tamattu‘ in Hajj was for the Companions of Muhammad in particular. In other words, dissolving Hajj and turning it into ‘Umrah pertained to the Companions alone. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered some of his Companions, who had not brought the sacrificial animals with them, to do this during the Farewell Hajj. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who dissolved their Hajj and turned it into ‘Umrah. As for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the other Companions who had brought the sacrificial animals with them, they were performers of Qirān Hajj, i.e., they combined Hajj and ‘Umrah with one Ihrām.
His statement contradicts some Sahīh Hadiths that are authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), which indicate that Tamattu‘ is permissible during the months of Hajj. It is said: The statement of Abu Dharr is taken to mean that the due and compulsory dissolution was that which the Prophet's Companions did. As for others, this is only recommended.
In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections - and the wording here is by Muslim - Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I had known before what I came to know afterward regarding this matter of mine, I would not have brought the sacrificial animals but made it an ‘Umrah. So, if any of you has no sacrificial animals, he may dissolve his Ihrām and turn it into an ‘Umrah." Thereupon, Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Ju‘shum got up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, does this apply to this year of ours, or forever?" i.e., is the permissibility to dissolve Hajj and turn it into ‘Umrah and to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj or along with Hajj related to this year or does it apply forever? "Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) intertwined his fingers" signaling that this applies to all years, and not one year in particular "and said: 'The ‘Umrah has been incorporated in Hajj - twice - No, but forever and ever,'" i.e., ‘Umrah has become permissible during the months of Hajj. This means: It is legitimate to perform ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj and to perform it along with Hajj.
In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The verse of Tamattu‘ was revealed in the Book of Allah - meaning Tamattu‘ Hajj - and the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to perform it. Then, no verse was revealed to abrogate the verse on Tamattu‘ Hajj, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not prohibit it until he passed away. The verse in question is the one that reads: {then if anyone takes a break between ‘Umrah and Hajj, he must offer a sacrifice of whatever animal is available.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 196].

1225

Ghunaym ibn Qays reported: I asked Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās about Tamattu‘ and he said: We performed that when this was then a disbeliever in the shady dwellings, i.e., the houses of Makkah. [And in a version]: Tamattu‘ in Hajj..

Commentary : In Jāhiliyyah, the Arabs used to regard assuming Ihrām for ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj (Rajab, Dhul-Qi‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram) as one of the worst immoral acts and gravest sins. They would prohibit ‘Umrah until the end of the month of Muharram. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) abolished the habits of Jāhiliyyah, including the prohibition of ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj, and established the Shariah of Islam.
In this tradition, Ghunaym ibn Qays says that he asked the Companion Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) about Tamattu‘ in Hajj. Tamattu‘ in Hajj is when a pilgrim intends to perform ‘Umrah along with Hajj. As he comes to Makkah and performs ‘Umrah, he ends his Ihrām and enjoys all that is lawful until the beginning of the rituals of Hajj on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah. In response, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We performed that," i.e., we, the Companions of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), engaged in Tamattu‘, performing ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj. "When this", referring to Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him). Perhaps he wanted to forbid Tamattu‘ altogether during the months of Hajj, and he was then the caliph of Muslims. "Was then a disbeliever," i.e., Mu‘āwiyah was following the religion of Jāhiliyyah and residing "in the shady dwellings," i.e., the houses of Makkah. This is because these houses were covered with fronds of date palms.
Accordingly, the Tamattu‘ here in the words of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) is intended to refer to the ‘Umrah performed during the 7th Hijri year, which was offered to make up for an earlier missed ‘Umrah. Mu‘āwiyah was a disbeliever at the time. He embraced Islam thereafter, during the year of the Conquest of Makkah, in 8 A.H. The bottom line is that ‘Umrah was performed during the months of Hajj..

1226

Mutarrif reported: ‘Imrān ibn Husayn said to me: "I will narrate to you a Hadīth today by which Allah will benefit you after today, and know that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made some members of his family perform ‘Umrah during the ten days. No verse was revealed to abrogate that, and he did not prohibit it till he passed away. So, after him, everyone held the opinion he liked." [And in a version]: A man held the opinion as he liked, meaning ‘Umar..

Commentary : Tamattu‘ in Hajj is when the pilgrim assumes Ihrām for ‘Umrah along with his Hajj. So, when he comes to Makkah and performs ‘Umrah and completes it, he may end his Ihrām and enjoy all that is lawful until the rituals of Hajj begin, on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah. Some of the Companions did it along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Hajj.
In this Hadīth, ‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ash-Shikhkhīr: "I will narrate to you a Hadīth today by which Allah will benefit you after today" i.e., Allah will benefit you by it for the rest of your life, given the Fiqh and religious knowledge contained therein. And know that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted some of his wives to perform ‘Umrah during the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, before the commencement of the Hajj rituals. He meant to say to him: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made some of his wives perform ‘Umrah with Tamattu‘ before Hajj. In the version by Al-Bukhāri: "We performed it along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." Then, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that nothing of the Qur’an forbade Tamattu‘ in Hajj and abrogate this ruling; also, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not prohibit Tamattu‘ in Hajj till he passed away. But, after his death, "everyone held the opinion he liked." In a version: "A man held the opinion he liked" i.e., after the Prophet's death, some people adopted an opinion not supported by proof from the Qur’an or the Sunnah. By this statement, he was referring to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), for he was the one who forbade Mut‘ah in Hajj. His forbiddance, however, was not meant as prohibition. Rather, he intended to encourage people to perform Hajj of Ifrād only, since ‘Umrah is available all year long. So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not prohibit Tamattu‘ altogether. He only wanted to encourage Ifrād.
In a version by Muslim, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "So, separate your Hajj from your ‘Umrah. This makes your Hajj more complete and your ‘Umrah more complete." This points to his forbiddance of Tamattu‘ in Hajj. Perhaps he saw this as more perfect for both acts of worship, or he probably based his opinion on another meaning, such that people should not cease to come to the House; rather, they should frequent it, coming once for Hajj and another time for ‘Umrah - and Allah knows best.
The Hadīth shows that the Companions engaged in Ijtihād regarding religious rulings, and some of them objected to others citing religious texts.
It demonstrates the validity of Tamattu‘ in Hajj, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made some of his wives observe it..

1232

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pronouncing Talbiyah for Hajj and ‘Umrah together. Bakr said: I narrated that to Ibn ‘Umar, who said: "He pronounced Talbiyah for Hajj only." I met Anas and narrated to him the words of Ibn ‘Umar, and he said: "You only count us as children. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Labbayk ‘Umrah and Hajj.".

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth among the pillars of Islam. It is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it, and all its rituals must be taken from the Prophet's Sunnah. The Tābi‘īs used to go to the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ask them and learn from them the Hadīths of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his words and deeds in the acts of worship.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "pronouncing Talbiyah for Hajj and ‘Umrah together" in the Farewell Hajj. This indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing Hajj of Qirān. Then, Bakr ibn ‘Abdullāh - who narrated this Hadīth from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) - informed that he related to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) what Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said. Thereupon, ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him), commenting on the statement of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "He pronounced Talbiyah for Hajj only" i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing Hajj of Ifrād and did not perform ‘Umrah with it. Bakr stated that he returned to Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him about this statement by Ibn ‘Umar; thereupon, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You only count us as children" i.e., you only consider us to be children who know nothing about the conditions and Sunnahs of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He (may Allah be pleased with him) was alluding to his young age during the period in which he accompanied and served the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madīnah as an emigrant, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was aged ten at the time. Accordingly, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was twenty years old during the Farewell Hajj. So, Hadīths are to be accepted from him, especially after he reached the age of adolescence and maturity. So, by these words of his, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed disapproval of anyone who may think this way about him. He, therefore, said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Labbayk ‘Umrah and Hajj." Thus, he (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed what he narrated from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that he saw and heard him do that.
The correct and more predominant view is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj of Qirān, as stated by Anas. Whoever advocated a different view based it on what he saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing or heard him saying in the assumption of Ihrām. He who heard him assuming Ihrām for Hajj thought that he performed Hajj of Ifrād; he who heard him assuming Ihrām for ‘Umrah thought that he performed Hajj of Tamattu‘; and he who heard him assuming Ihrām for Hajj and ‘Umrah together knew that he performed Hajj of Qirān, making Hajj and ‘Umrah with one Ihrām, and that ‘Umrah was incorporated into the rituals of Hajj..

1233

Wabarah reported: A man asked Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "May I perform Tawāf around the House while I have assumed Ihrām for Hajj?" He said: "What prevents you from doing that?" He said: "I saw the son of so-and-so expressing disapproval of it, and you are dearer to us than him. We saw that he was allured by worldly life." Thereupon, he said: "And who amongst us - or amongst you - has not been allured by worldly life?" Then, he said: "We saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) assuming Ihrām for Hajj, performing Tawāf around the House, and making Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah. So, the Sunnah of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is more worthy of being followed than the Sunnah of so-and-so, if you are truthful.".

Commentary : Hajj is of great significance, and its rituals were taken in detail from the Prophet's Hajj. Hence, the Tābi‘īs (may Allah have mercy upon them) were keen to verify all that was reported and attributed to him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Wabarah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān al-Kūfi relates that a man asked ‘Abdullūh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Is it valid for me to perform Tawāf around the House after assuming Ihrām and before standing at ‘Arafah and performing the other rituals? His words "while I have assumed Ihrām for Hajj" mean that he assumed Ihrām for Hajj of Ifrād and was not performing Hajj of Tamattu‘ or Qirān. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: What prevents you from starting with Tawāf?! This indicates that Ibn ‘Umar approved the performance of Tawāf first. In response, the questioner said: "I saw the son of so-and-so", meaning ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), "expressing disapproval of it." In a version by Muslim: "Ibn ‘Abbās says: Do not perform Tawāf around the House until you have come to the standing." He (may Allah be pleased with him) used to forbid starting with Tawāf before coming to ‘Arafah. "and you are dearer to us than him"; he meant that he gave precedence to the view of Ibn ‘Umar over the view of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them), alleging that Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) was allured by worldly life, for he was appointed as a governor of Basrah by his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him), and authority brings possible peril and temptation. As for Ibn ‘Umar, he did not assume any post of authority.
As for the statement by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "And who amongst us has not been allured by worldly life?" It stems from his asceticism, modesty, and fairness, and it came as a response to this man's criticism of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) and demonstrated the merit of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him).
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) assumed Ihrām for Hajj, performed Tawāf al-Qudūm around the House for seven rounds, and made Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah. This means that he started Tawāf and Sa‘i before going out to Mina and ‘Arafah. It is said: If a Muhrim performs Hajj of Ifrād, this Tawāf counts as Tawāf al-Qudūm, and if he performs ‘Umrah only or Hajj of Tamattu‘ or Qirān, this Tawāf counts as the Tawāf for ‘Umrah, whether he intends it as such or not; and a performer of Hajj of Qirān is required to perform another Tawāf for Al-Qudūm.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is famously reported to have assumed Ihrām for Hajj of Qirān, performing Hajj and ‘Umrah together. So, his Tawāf was for the ‘Umrah, and then ‘Umrah was incorporated into the rituals of Hajj.
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) outlined a rule for this man to follow in his pursuit of knowledge, namely that the Sunnah of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is more worthy of being followed than the Sunnah of so-and-so. His words "if you are truthful" mean: If you are sincere in following the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), do not deviate from his practice.
The Hadīth shows the Companions' caution not to backbite or defame one another.
It indicates that it is unacceptable to praise oneself while despising others..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Faith is 60-odd branches, and decency (haya’) is a branch of faith.”.

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): What aspect of Islam is best? He said: “Offering food to people, and saying salaam to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”.

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”.

It was narrated that Anas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you [truly] believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child and all the people.”.

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The sign of faith is loving the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy is hating the Ansar.”.

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Asmā’ bint ‘Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr at the tree. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded Abu Bakr to ask her to take a bath and assume Ihrām..

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Ifrād Hajj..

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When we ended Ihrām, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to assume Ihrām as we headed to Mina. He said: We pronounced Talbiyah in Al-Abtah..

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Neither the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) nor his Companions performed Tawāf between Safa and Marwah except for one Tawāf. [Another version adds]: his first Tawāf.

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Makkah, he went to the Stone and touched it and then walked to its right side, engaging in three rounds of Ramal (a fast walk), and walking four..

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Tamattu‘ in Hajj was for the Companions of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in particular..

Ghunaym ibn Qays reported: I asked Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās about Tamattu‘ and he said: We performed that when this was then a disbeliever in the shady dwellings, i.e., the houses of Makkah. [And in a version]: Tamattu‘ in Hajj..