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Hadith
477
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Prayer in congregation is twenty-five times better than praying [alone] in one’s house or in one’s marketplace. Indeed, if one of you does wudu’ and does it well, and comes to the mosque only intending to pray, he does not take one step but Allah will elevate him in status one degree thereby, and will remove one sin from him, until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he will be in a state of prayer so long as that is the reason he is there, and the angels will send blessings upon him so long as he remains in the place where he prayed, saying: O Allah forgive him, O Allah have mercy on him – so long as nothing happens..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith and a major pillar of Islam. Islamic teachings urge us to hasten to prayer, and not to stay away from praying in congregation, because of the multiplied reward that that brings.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlights the virtue of prayer in congregation, and tells us that praying in congregation is twenty-five times better than praying alone in one’s house or marketplace. In al-Sahihayn it says that it is twenty-seven times better. This difference depends on the differences in the condition of the worshipper and of the prayer. For some of them it will be twenty-five times better, and for others it will be twenty-seven times better, according to how perfect the prayer is, how properly they performed it, how focused and humble they were when praying, how large the congregation was, the virtues of the members of the congregation, and how sacred the place in which the prayer was offered is. And it was said that there are other factors.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the reason for this increased reward, which is that if the Muslim does wudu’ and does it thoroughly, paying attention to the sunnahs and etiquette of the action, and comes to the mosque intending only to pray, and for no other purpose, he will not take one step but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby and will erase one sin from him, until he enters the mosque. Then when he enters the mosque, he will be in a state of prayer, so long as his reason for being in the mosque is to pray. The angels will send blessings upon him – that is, they will pray for him – so long as he remains in the place where he prayed. Therefore the blessing of the angels depends on his remaining in the place where he prayed, and this virtue, reward and goodness will continue for him so long as nothing happens, which refers to his invalidating his wudu’; if he does invalidate his wudu’, it will become forbidden for the angels to pray for forgiveness for him, even if he remains sitting in that spot. And it was said that what was meant is so long as he does not commit sin.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the angels pray for him, saying in their supplication: O Allah forgive him, O Allah have mercy on him. The difference between forgiveness and mercy is that forgiveness is concealment and pardoning of sins, whereas mercy is showing kindness to him.
This hadith highlights the great virtue and reward of praying in congregation.
It highlights the virtue of waiting for the prayer, and that the one who does that will attain the angels’ prayer for forgiveness for him.
It also urges us to do wudu’ properly..

480
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah [that] the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, what will you do when you find yourself among the dregs of the people… like this?”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) how to recognize fitnahs (tribulations) and how they should deal with them.
This text is a brief part of a hadith in which ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) called out to him to warn him and advise him. He said to him: “O ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, what will you do when you find yourself among the dregs of the people?” The dregs of the people are the lowest and worst of people; one of their characteristics is that they will not commit to a promise or covenant that they made; they will break that promise and will not fulfil it. Honesty will be rare among them, so that no one will appreciate the virtue of honesty and trustworthiness at that time, except a few. “They mingled and became like this,” and he interlaced his fingers. What this means is that they will become so mixed up that one will not be able to tell who among them is good or evil, believer or hypocrite. What is meant by the word in the text “like this” is that in this report, it refers to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) interlacing his fingers.
At the end of the report, it says that ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: What should he do in that situation, if he lives until that time and finds himself among such people? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to take what he knew of truth, and leave what he found reprehensible of falsehood; to keep to himself and discipline himself to follow the right path, and not worry about what was happening to the people and what they were doing. This is by way of ensuring that one is protected from trials and tribulations.
All of this may be understood as meaning that if someone is unable to enjoin what is right, or he fears harm in general, then the duty of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong with the hand and tongue is waived in his case, but he can still resent it in his heart.
In this hadith, we see a warning from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to ‘Abdullah that he would live to see those people, so he forbade him to mix with people like that and urged him, if he lived to see them, to take care of his own self and keep away from those people..

481
It was narrated from Abu Moosa that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The believers are like a structure, parts of which support other parts,” and he interlaced his fingers..

Commentary : Islam built the Muslim community on a solid foundation of brotherhood and mutual support. Allah (may He be exalted) tells us in His Holy Book that the believers are brothers in faith; brotherhood is contrary to rancour and hatred and dictates mutual love, mutual support, and harmony and love among brethren.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that the believers, in their mutual support and holding fast to one another, are like a solid structure that cannot remain standing unless one part supports another, brick by brick. If it begins to develop cracks and becomes unstable, it will collapse and fall. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) interlaced his fingers to indicate that the way in which the believers stand together and support one another is like interlocked fingers. But just as the numerous fingers of the hands belong to one body and one person, similarly the believers, although they are many individuals, all share a common origin and are bound by the bonds of faith.
The Prophet’s demonstration of interlacing his fingers in this hadith was for the purpose of illustrating what he was teaching his companions. When he likened the believers to a structure, parts of which support other parts, that was giving an example in word, then he clarified it with actions, interlacing his fingers to make clearer to them the likeness that he had given in words, and to make it more understandable..

482
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in praying one of the two afternoon prayers – Ibn Sirin said: Abu Hurayrah named it but I forgot it – he led us in praying two rak‘ahs, then he said the taslim. Then he stood up and went to a piece of wood that was set up in the mosque and reclined against it, as if he was angry. He put his right hand over his left hand, interlaced his fingers, and rested his right cheek on the back of his left hand. Those who usually hastened to leave left through the doors of the mosque, and others said: The prayer has been shortened. Among the people were Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, but they felt that they could not speak to him, out of awe. Among the people there was also a man who had long arms, and he was called Dhul Yadayn (He of the two arms). He said: O Messenger of Allah, did you forget or has the prayer been shortened? He said: “I did not forget and it has not been shortened.” Then he said: “Is it as Dhul Yadayn says?” They said: Yes. So he went forward and prayed what he had omitted, then he said the taslim, then he said takbir and prostrated as he usually did, or longer. Then he raised his head and said takbir, then he said takbir and prostrated as he usually did, or longer. Then he raised his head and said takbir. Perhaps they asked him: Then did he say the taslim? He said: I was told that ‘Imran ibn Husayn said: Then he said taslim..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should take measures to help him focus properly and not be distracted whilst praying. But he may make mistakes, omitting or adding some actions in the prayer. This error or forgetfulness needs to be compensated for, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prescribed doing the two prostrations of forgetfulness (sajdatay as-sahw) in such cases.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led them in praying one of the afternoon prayers, Zuhr or ‘Asr. He prayed two rak‘ahs, then he said the taslim. Then he stood up and leaned against a piece of wood that had been set up in the middle of the mosque. He put his right hand over his left hand, interlaced his fingers, and rested his right cheek on the back of his left hand, as if he was angry. Those who usually left quickly after the prayer had exited the mosque, thinking that the prayer had become two rak‘ahs. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) were among those who had prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but they were afraid to speak to him about this matter, out of awe and respect for him. But a man called Dhul Yadayn spoke up and said to him: O Messenger of Allah, did you forget or has the prayer been shortened? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I did not forget and it has not been shortened.” That was because he thought that he had not made a mistake. Then he asked the people who had prayed behind him: Did it really happen that I only prayed two rak‘ahs? They said: Yes. So he went forward to the imam’s place, then he prayed two rak‘ahs to complete the obligatory four. Then he said the tashahhud and the taslim, then he said takbir and prostrated twice, the prostration of forgetfulness, then he said the taslim. The two prostrations were to make up for the mistake and forgetting, and to make up for the shortcoming. They also serve to annoy the Shaytan if there was not actually any shortcoming in the prayer, for the Shaytan tries to confuse the Muslim when he is praying, and tries to spoil his prayer and make it defective. So Allah (may He be exalted) has given the worshipper a way to make up for any shortcoming in his prayer and a way to handle any confusion caused by the Shaytan, and a way to annoy the Shaytan and send him away empty-handed, having failed to achieve his goal. By doing the prostration of forgetfulness the person’s prayer is completed.
This hadith highlights the importance of the prostration of forgetfulness, and that it may be done after the taslim..

483
It was narrated that Musa ibn ‘Uqbah said: I saw Salim ibn ‘Abdillah looking for certain places on the road and praying in those spots. He narrated that his father used to pray in those spots, and that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying in those spots. Nafi‘ told me, from Ibn ‘Umar, that he used to pray in those spots. I asked Salim, and I only think that he agreed with Nafi‘ about all those spots, except that they differed concerning a mosque in the highest part of ar-Rawha’..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him. His son Salim used to follow his example in that regard, as mentioned in this hadith, in which the Tabi‘i Musa ibn ‘Uqbah narrates that he saw Salim ibn ‘Abdillah seeking out certain places on his journey and making an effort to find them, so that he could pray in them. What appears to be the case is that these places were mosques on the roads that led from Madinah, and other places on his journeys. He narrated that his father ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to seek out those places and pray in them, because he had seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray in those places .
Then Musa ibn ‘Uqbah narrates that he asked Nafi‘, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, about these places, and he told him that that was correct, and that Ibn ‘Umar would seek to pray in those places. Salim ibn ‘Abdillah and Nafi‘ agreed on the location of each of those places, except that they differed concerning a mosque in the highest part of ar-Rawha’. Ar-Rawha’ was a village 80 km distant from Madinah. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was well-known for following the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that included praying in the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed. This narrative from Ibn ‘Umar indicates that he went to great lengths, because he was known to be very keen to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

484
It was narrated from Nafi‘ that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt in Dhul Hulayfah when he went for ‘umrah and when he went for Hajj; he would halt beneath a thorny tree on the site of the mosque that is in Dhul Hulayfah. When he returned from a campaign via that route, or he returned from Hajj or ‘umrah, he would go down into the bottom of the valley, and when he emerged from the bottom of the valley, he would make his camel kneel in al-Batha’ which is on the eastern edge of the valley. He would halt there and rest until morning came, not at the mosque that is built of stone and not on the high ground where the mosque is. There was a deep valley in which ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to pray, at the bottom of which there were sandhills. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray there. Then the flash flood brought debris, stones and sand into al-Batha’ and buried the place where ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to pray..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes some of the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt during his journey to Makkah, and that he used to halt in Dhul Hulayfah, which was a village approximately fourteen kilometres from the Prophet’s Mosque; it is the miqat of the people of Madinah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt there when he wanted to do ‘umrah, and he halted there when he went for Hajj, sitting beneath a thorny tree. The word samurah, translated here as thorny tree, refers to a tall tree with branches going in different directions; it offered little shade, and had small leaves and short thorns, and produced high-quality wood. It was also said that it was a kind of tree called talh, which is a huge type of thorny tree.
The phrase “on the site of the mosque that is in Dhul Hulayfah” means that a mosque was built after that, and it was not there at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) returned from a campaign via that road, or returned from Hajj or ‘umrah, he would go down into the bottom of Wadi al-‘Atiq, which is one of the most famous wadis of Madinah. When he came up out of the bottom of the valley, he would make his mount or she-camel that he was riding kneel in the wide watercourse where pebbles collect from the flow of the floodwaters. This is the area on the east side of the valley. He halted to rest in that area, then he would stay there until morning came; he did not halt at the mosque that is built of stone, or on the high ground where the mosque was built. But there was a deep valley where ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray, and at the bottom of this deep valley there was sand that had collected and piled up. This was the same place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray. But with the passage of time, the floodwaters rushed through Wadi al-‘Atiq and made it level with the rocks and sand that it carried from al-Batha’ – the wide watercourse – until the debris carried by the flood buried that place in which ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to pray.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his keenness to seek out places connected to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which included praying in places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed. Ibn ‘Umar’s keenness to do that may be understood on the basis of what is known of his being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

485
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed where the small mosque is that is closer than the mosque in the highest part of ar-Rawha. ‘Abdullah knew the place in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He used to say: it is there on your right when you stand in the mosque to pray. That mosque is on the right-hand side of the road when you are going towards Makkah, a stone’s throw or thereabouts from the larger mosque..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) identifies one of the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journey from Madinah to Makkah, and states that he prayed beside the small mosque that is close to the large mosque in the highest area of ar-Rawha’, which is a village 80 km from Madinah.
This hadith indicates that in ar-Rawha’ there were two mosques, one of which was a large mosque and the other was a small one. The large mosque was in the highest part of ar-Rawha’, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray in that spot; rather he prayed in the small mosque to the right of that mosque.
Ibn ‘Umar knew the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed, and he described it as being to the right of one who enters the mosque. This small mosque was on the right-hand side of the road, and the distance between the two mosques was a stone’s throw, which is not very far.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his keenness to seek out places connected to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which included praying in places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed. Ibn ‘Umar’s keenness to do that may be understood on the basis of what is known of his being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

486
Ibn ‘Umar used to pray facing towards the small mountain of sand at the end of ar-Rawha’; that small mountain was at the edge of the road, before the mosque that is between it and the end of ar-Rawha’ as you are going towards Makkah. A mosque has been built there, but ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar did not pray in that mosque. He used to stand with it on his left and behind him, and pray in front of it, facing towards that small mountain. ‘Abdullah used to depart from ar-Rawha’ in the morning, and he did not pray Zuhr until he reached that place, then he would pray Zuhr there. If he came from Makkah, if he passed it shortly before Fajr, or at the end of the night, he would halt and rest so that he could pray Fajr there..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, Nafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, narrates that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray facing towards the small mountain; what is meant is ‘Irq az-Zibah, which is a small mountain of sand at the end of ar-Rawha’, which is a village 80 km from Madinah. A report in Sahih al-Bukhari explains that in this area there were two mosques close to one another: one of them was small, which was the one near which Ibn ‘Umar used to pray, and the other was a large mosque that was a stone’s throw away from the small mosque. That small mountain ended at the side of the road, near the big mosque which is between it and the end of ar-Rawha’ as you are going towards Makkah. A mosque was built there, but ‘Abdullah did not pray in that mosque; rather he would stand with it on his left and behind him, and pray in front of the mosque, facing towards the small mountain.
As he was returning from the area of ar-Rawha’, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would not pray until he reached that place, then he would pray Zuhr there. If he was coming from Makkah on his way back to Madinah, if he passed by that place shortly before Fajr or at the end of the night – meaning the time between the false dawn and the true dawn; the difference between that and saying shortly before Fajr is that the latter means towards the end of the period mentioned, which is less than an hour – he would halt and rest so that he could pray Fajr there.
Ibn ‘Umar did not clearly say that the reason why he prayed facing towards that small mountain was that he had seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying there, but the fact that he always prayed in that spot whether he was going or coming back, and that he halted to rest there so that he could pray there, indicates that he only did that by way of emulating the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In Sahih al-Bukhari there is a report which says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed on the site of the small mosque that is closer than the mosque in the highest part of ar-Rawha’.
This may be understood on the basis of what is known of Ibn ‘Umar being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

487
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt beneath a huge thornless tree before ar-Ruwaythah on the right-hand side of the road, facing towards the road in a vast and flat area, so that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would emerge from high ground just two miles before ar-Ruwaythah. The top of that tree had broken and fallen inside it; the tree was standing on its trunk, and inside and around the trunk a great deal of sand had piled up..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes a place in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted during his journey from Madinah to Makkah. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted beneath a huge thornless tree, near the village of ar-Ruwaythah; it is approximately 100 km from Madinah. This tree was on the right-hand side of the road, facing it, in a vast, flat area, so that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would emerge from high ground [when he resumed his journey]; between that high ground and the official staging-post in ar-Ruwaythah that was set up by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate was approximately 3 km. This approximate definition was given by Ibn ‘Umar to identify the old location, because so many structures had been set up by the state after the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This is assuming that the pronoun in the word “he emerged” refers to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that the staging-post referred to is one of the stations set up by the state during the caliphate of ‘Umar to collect official correspondence. It was also said that the pronoun may refer to the place, and that what is meant by the word translated above as staging-post is a road that people followed. In that case, what is meant is that the distance from the location of this tree and the place where the road started to descend was two miles.
Then Ibn ‘Umar began to describe how this tree was at the time that he was speaking. Its top had broken off and fallen into its hollow interior, and fallen onto its trunk; it was now standing on its trunk like a structure that was not very wide at the bottom. In and around its trunk a great deal of sand had piled up.
This may be understood on the basis of what is known of Ibn ‘Umar being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

488
It was narrated from Nafi‘ that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed at the edge of an area of higher ground beyond al-‘Arj as you are going towards the hill. Near that mosque there are two or three graves, and on the graves there are piles of stones, on the right-hand side of the road near the rocks of the road, among the rocks. ‘Abdullah used to leave al-‘Arj after the sun passed the meridian in the middle of the day, then he used to pray Zuhr in that mosque..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes some of the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray, and he calls those places masajid (“mosques”; lit. places of prostration) because they are places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated and prayed, or because in the end mosques were built there, after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed in those places. He tells us that he prayed on the edge of an area of higher ground, which refers to an area of wide, elevated land through which floodwaters would flow; it may also refer to a place where water flows from the top of the wadi and what goes down to lower ground. That place is located beyond al-‘Arj, which is a place between Makkah and Madinah. It is so called because it is crooked (ta‘rij). There are several places called al-‘Arj: it was said that it is a village on the road to Makkah from Madinah, 14 miles from ar-Rawha’. It was said that al-‘Arj is five miles from the Prophet’s Mosque. It was said that al-‘Arj is a village on the outskirts of at-Ta’if; it was said that al-‘Arj is a mountain pass in which there is a bend, between Makkah and Madinah, on the road, and it is mentioned with as-Suqya.
Then Ibn ‘Umar tried to identify the features of that place, stating that it is in the region of al-‘Arj as you are going towards the high ground, and beside that mosque there are two or three graves, on which there are large white stones. It is on the right-hand side of the road, near the rocks of the road. The word translated here as rocks may refer to big trees, or to rocks that are found on the road.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to set out from al-‘Arj after the sun passed the meridian in the middle of the day – meaning at midday, when it is very hot – and he would pray Zuhr in that mosque, which is the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his keenness to seek out places connected to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which included praying in places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed. Ibn ‘Umar’s keenness to do that may be understood on the basis of what is known of his being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

489
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted at the large trees on the left-hand side of the road in a watercourse before Harsha; that watercourse is connected to the edge of Harsha, and between it and the road there is the distance an arrow travels. ‘Abdullah used to pray facing towards a large tree, which was the closest of the large trees to the road, and the tallest of them..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted at some large trees on the left-hand side of the road, in a watercourse, which is a sloping place, before Harsha and near to it. Harsha is a mountain in the land of Tihamah, at the place where the roads to Syria and Madinah meet. It is part of al-Juhfah from which the sea is visible. Today it is called Rabigh. That slope is connected to the edge of Jabal Harsha; between it and the road there is the distance that an arrow travels, or the distance that a horse runs, which is two thirds of a mile.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray facing towards a tree, which was the closest tree to the road, and also the tallest. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his keenness to seek out places connected to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which included praying in places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed. Ibn ‘Umar’s keenness to do that may be understood on the basis of what is known of his being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

490
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt in the watercourse that was the closest part of Marr az-Zahran, in the direction of Madinah, when he came down from as-Safrawat. He would halt at the bottom of that watercourse, on the left-hand side of the road as you are going towards Makkah, and between the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted and the road there was no more than a stone’s throw..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt and stay in the watercourse, which is sloping land near Marr az-Zahran. This is a wadi which the common folk call “Batn Marw”, near ‘Arafah; it is so called because of the bitterness (mararah) of its water. It is a wadi that is five miles from Makkah, in the direction of Madinah.
The place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted was at the point where he descended from as-Safrawat, which is an area of valleys or mountains after Marr az-Zahran. He halted at the bottom of that watercourse, on the left-hand side of the road as you are going towards Makkah. Between the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted and the road there was no more than a stone’s throw.
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to forbid the people to seek blessing (barakah) from the places in which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed, fearing that they would ascribe to those places some inherent virtue. This prohibition on his part was by way of blocking a means that may lead to shirk.
As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

491
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt in Dhu Tuwa and stay there overnight until morning, and he would pray Fajr when he came to Makkah. The place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed was on a broad area of high ground, not in the mosque that was built there; rather it was further than that, on a broad area of high ground..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to follow the teachings and practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all situations. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of the keenest of them to follow him in all circumstances, to the extent that he would try hard to seek out the places where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed on his journeys, and pray in those places, seeking blessing (barakah) and out of love for him.
In this hadith, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to halt in Dhu Tuwa – which is the name of a well or a place near Makkah – until morning came, then he would pray Fajr when he came to Makkah from Madinah. The place where he prayed was on a broad area of high ground, which was a spacious area that was higher than the land surrounding it, or a rocky hill. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray in the mosque that was built there subsequently; rather he prayed further than that mosque, according to what Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’.
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to forbid the people to seek blessing (barakah) from the places in which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed, fearing that they would ascribe to those places some inherent virtue. This prohibition on his part was by way of blocking a means that may lead to shirk.
As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition..

492
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face two gaps in the mountain that stood between him and the high mountain in the direction of the Kaaba. Ibn ‘Umar stood with the mosque that had been built there to the left of the mosque that is on the high ground, and the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed was further than that, on the high black ground. Leave ten cubits or thereabouts between you and the high ground, then pray facing towards the two gaps in the mountain that is between you and the Kaaba..

Commentary : Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his keenness to seek out places connected to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which included praying in places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed..
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) describes some of the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. In this hadith, he describes where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in Dhu Tuwa, which is a well-known valley in Makkah, between the two mountain passes. It is close to Makkah, at its border. It is known now as az-Zahir. In it there is Bi’r Dhi Tuwa, which is an ancient well that was dug by ‘Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf. It is in the highest place in Makkah, at al-Bayda’, the home of Muhammad ibn Sayf.
Ibn ‘Umar tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards two gaps in the mountain that was between him and the high mountain, facing towards the Kaaba. The gap in a mountain is the entrance to the road to the mountain, or what slopes down the middle or side of the mountain.
Then Nafi‘ – who is the one who narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, and the most famous of his freed slaves – said: Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) described the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He stood with the mosque that was subsequently built there to the left of the second mosque which is on the edge of the high ground. The place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed was further than that, on the high black ground. You go past the high ground – which is elevated land – for about ten cubits or thereabouts, then pray facing towards the two gaps in the mountain that is between you and the Kaaba. It was said: what appears to be the case is that there were two mosques that were built after the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but nothing is known of them today. This was possible in the past, because it was empty space, but now the area is built-up so it is not possible (to pray there).
Ibn ‘Umar’s keenness to do that may be understood on the basis of what is known of his being very keen to emulate the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But something different was narrated from his father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). When he saw people on a journey from Makkah to Madinah rushing to a certain place, he asked about that, and they said: This is a place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: This is how the People of the Book were doomed; they took places connected to their prophets as places of worship. If prayer becomes due for any of you in that place, then he may pray there, but whoever passes by it when it is not time for prayer, he should not pray there. Narrated by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs.
What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to do by prohibiting people to seek out the places where the prophets had been was to block means that may lead to shirk, for he had more knowledge about that than his son. As for the places concerning which there is a religious text that speaks of the virtue of praying there – such as the Haramayn, al-Aqsa, Quba’ and so on, and also going to any mosques to pray, and even what was narrated about mosques in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, that is not included in this prohibition.
Al-Bukhari narrated nine hadiths from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar identifying the places in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed during his journeys on the way between Madinah and Makkah, including this hadith. It was said that these mosques are not known today, except for the mosque in Dhul Hulayfah and the mosques in ar-Rawha’..

493
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas that he said: I came riding on a female donkey, and at that time I was on the brink of puberty; the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was leading the people in Mina with no wall in front of him. I passed in front of part of the row, then I dismounted, left the donkey to graze and joined the row, and no one objected to me doing that..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the worshipper to have something as a sutrah (screen) in front of him, so that no one would pass in front of him and interrupt his prayer. In the case of congregational prayer, the imam is the sutrah for the people praying behind him.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he came riding on a female donkey, and he was on the brink of puberty, but had not yet reached it. What is meant by that is the age of accountability. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying in Mina with no sutrah, such as a wall and the like, in front of him. Mina is a wadi near the Makkan Haram zone where the pilgrims halt on the day of at-tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhu’l-Hijjah. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) passed in front of some of the rows of worshippers, riding on his donkey, when the imam – namely the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – had no sutrah, then he dismounted and left the donkey to eat grass and graze freely, wandering about in front of the rows, and he joined them in prayer, and no one objected to him doing that.
This hadith indicates that it is acceptable for the imam to pray without a sutrah, and that the imam is the sutrah for those who are praying behind him.
It also indicates that a minor who has reached the age of discernment may acquire knowledge and it is permissible for one who acquired knowledge as a minor to convey it to people as an adult..

93
Gaber said, "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what are the two things quite unavoidable?' He replied, 'He who dies without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise and he who dies associating anything with Allah will enter Hell.'".

Commentary : The Prophet's companions used to ask him about matters of religion. They were the most afraid people of Allah although they hoped for his mercy. In this hadith, Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated that a man came and asked the Prophet ﷺ about a desirable attribute that definitely leads us to enter Paradise and an evil attribute that definitely leads us to enter Hell. The Prophet ﷺ said that dying while believing in Allah is the first attribute. In this case, even if one committed sins, Allah would either forgive him without reckoning or hold him accountable for his sins then he would enter Paradise. In Bukhari and Muslim, Abu Dharr narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "If anyone says, 'There is no god but Allah' then dies, he will enter paradise.' I asked, 'Even if he committed fornication or stealing?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'Even if he committed fornication or stealing.' I repeated, 'Even if he committed fornication or stealing?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'Even if he committed fornication or stealing' thrice. Then the Prophet ﷺ answered in the fourth time, 'Even if he committed fornication or stealing in spite of Abu Dharr’s will.'" By the way, this reward does not include the hypocrites. On the other hand, the Prophet showed that dying while associating partners with Allah is the second attribute, for it is a major polytheism. As a result, Hell will be his eternal abode. Polytheism is to associate others with Allah's divinity or worship. Finally, this hadith includes the following benefits: (1) It shows the virtue of believing and worshipping Allah alone and (2) It warns against polytheism and clarifies its terrible danger..

97
Safwan ibn Muhriz narrated that Jundab ibn Abdullah Al-Bajaly sent a message to 'As'as ibn Salama during the stormy days of Ibn Az-Zubair saying, "Gather some men from your family so I can talk to them." 'As'as sent a messenger to them. When they assembled, Jundab came wearing a yellow hooded cloak and said, "Complete the talks you had." When they fell into conversation then it was his turn to speak, he took the hood off his head and said, "I came to you to narrate a hadith of your Prophet ﷺ. He sent a squad of the Muslims to a tribe of the polytheists. When they confronted one another, there was a man among the army of polytheists whenever he intended to kill a man from among the Muslims, he killed him. There was a man among the Muslims who looked forward to (an opportunity of) his (the polytheist's) inattention. We talked that he was Osama ibn Zaid. When he raised his sword (to kill the polytheist), he uttered, “There is no god but Allah,” but he (Osama) killed him. When the messenger of the glad tidings came to the Prophet ﷺ, he asked him (about the events of the battle) so he informed him about that. He also told him about the man (Osama) and what he had done. The Prophet ﷺ called and asked the man, “Why did you kill him?” He (Osama) answered, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he forcibly struck the Muslims and killed such and such.” He named some of them and added, “I attacked him, but when he saw the sword, he said, ‘There is no god but Allah.’” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Did you kill him?” Osama said, “Yes.” The Prophet ﷺ added, “What would you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’ when it came on the Day of Judgment?” Osama said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, seek forgiveness for me (from Allah).” The Prophet ﷺ answered, “What would you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’ when it came on the Day of Judgment?” He still repeated to him, “What would you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’ when it came on the Day of Judgment?”.

Commentary : Islam is keen to protect people's lives and blood and prevent them from attacking one another, so the testimony of monotheism means embracing Islam and preserving one’s blood, property, and honor. In this hadith, Safwan ibn Muhriz narrated that the Prophet’s companion Jundab ibn Abdullah Al-Bajaly sent a message to ‘As’as ibn Salama during the stormy days of Ibn Az-Zubair who fought the Umayyad caliph in 64th AH. Safwan asked ‘As‘as to gather some of his tribe. When they came, they started talking to each other until Jundab entered. Upon entering, he said to them, “Complete the talks you had.” They talked one by one. It was said that he guided them to speak lest they felt lonely or shameful about his presence. When it was his turn to speak, he took the hood off his head and said, “I came to you to narrate a hadith of your Prophet ﷺ.” He told them that the Prophet ﷺ sent a squad to a polytheist tribe called “Al-Huraqah” as Osama in Zaid narrated in the Two Sahihs. When the two armies confronted one another, there was a skilful polytheist that he killed any Muslim he was fighting. As a result, the companions mentioned that Osama ibn Zaid was waiting for the polytheist's inattention. When Osama surrounded and raised the sword before the polytheist, the latter declared the testimony of monotheism, but Osama killed him, thinking he said that out of fear. One of the Muslims informed the Prophet ﷺ about the Muslims’ victory and Osama’s behavior. The Prophet ﷺ called and asked Osama about the reason of his killing that man. Osama confirmed that the polytheist strongly fought Muslims and killed some of them. He mentioned some companions the polytheists killed. Once Osama raised his sword before him, the polytheist was certain of being killed, so he declared the testimony of monotheism to protect himself. Osama said in another narration of Imam Muslim, “He only said it out of fear of the weapon,” but the Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Did you split his heart to know whether he said it or not?” The Prophet ﷺ refused killing him after uttering the testimony of monotheism and repeated scolding Osama, “What would you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’ when it came on the Day of Judgment?” He meant who would intercede and defend you when facing the word of monotheism on that day or how you killed him after his being protected by Islam. Osama asked the Prophet ﷺ to ask Allah’s forgiveness for him, but he did nothing more than saying, “What would you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’ when it came on the Day of Judgment?” Although it was well known that Osama was one of the most beloved ones to the Prophet ﷺ, but he refused to ask Allah’s forgiveness for him. He may have done so out of scolding him and intimidating others. In Bukhari’s narration, Osama said, “The Prophet ﷺ kept on repeating so till I wished I had not been a Muslim before that day,” for Islam erased all sins committed before one’s embracing it. Osama looked down upon all righteous deeds he did before in comparison to this deed due to the Prophet’s strong refusal. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The role of leaders, scholars, and celebrities that they try their best to guide, preach, and comfort people during stormy times, (2) A Muslim deals with people based on their apparent behaviors while entrusting their hidden matters to Allah, (3) People of monotheism’s blood is sacred, (4) The legitimacy of blaming, rebuking, and exaggerating in preaching about important matters, and (5) The leader scolds the wrongdoer, regardless of his position..

102
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ once passed by a pile of food. When he put his hand into it, his fingers felt some dampness so he asked, “What is this, O owner of the food?" He answered, “It was the rain, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Why did you not put it on the top so that people can see it? He who deceives is not from us.".

Commentary : Honesty is one of the supreme morals that transactions require to avoid disputes in societies. On the contrary, cheating and deception lead to hatred and quarrels among people. This hadith clarifies that cheating is not from Islam and the cheater is in great danger. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a man who is selling a pile of food such as wheat or barley. When he entered his hand into it, he felt some dampness underneath. In the narration of Abu Dawud, Abu Huraira reported, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed a man who was selling food. He asked him, 'What are you selling?' He informed him. It was revealed to him, 'Put your hand into it.' Thus, he put his hand into it and felt that it was damp." When the Prophet asked, "What is this, O owner of the food?" The merchant answered that it was due to the rain. This meant that he put the dry and clean food on the top while putting the wet and bad one at the bottom. The Prophet ﷺ accepted his excuse, alerted him to do the right act and said, “Why did you not put it on the top so that people can see it?" Thus, they could easily know the case of the food, especially they used to sell piles without examining them. The Prophet considered this act as deceitful and said, "He who deceives is not from us." He means he is away from the Prophet's method and teachings. This is a severe rebuke and threat from the Prophet ﷺ to those persisting in deception. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It prohibits deception in all matters, especially in transactions, (2) It stresses the necessity of clarifying products' defects to buyers, (3) It confirms that a ruler has to check people's cases and advise those needing it, and (4) It shows how the Islamic law is keen to keep Muslims away from anything that may harm them..

106
Abu Dharr narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “There are three (types) with whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection: The bestower who does not give anything to anyone but he reminds him of it, the one who sells his product by taking a false oath, and the one who lets down his lower garment (below his ankles).” In another narration, “There are three (types) that Allah will neither speak, look, nor purify them and they will have a painful torment.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to warn his companions against inferior qualities and unacceptable deeds. He was very keen to guide them to all that making them closer to Paradise. In this hadith, he told us about three types of people to whom Allah would not pleasingly speak on the Day of Resurrection to belittle and punish them. In another narration, he said that Allah would not look at them. This means He would neither mercifully look at them nor purify them from their sins and vileness. Above all, they would get a severe punishment. They are as follows: (1) The one who used to proudly remind the poor of the gifts he sent them whether in words or acts. He used to remind them of favors they owed him. Undoubtedly, all of these prohibited acts negate the charity he provided. These forbidden acts include arrogance, enslaving and humiliating the poor, and breaking their hearts. On the contrary, the spender should belong these favors to Allah, the real Giver, and be sure that He will grant him multiple rewards for what he provided. Thus, how does he harm or even remind the needy about his gifts?!, (2) The one who used to deceive and falsely swear to promote his goods. He committed four sins: (a) False swearing, deceiving Muslims, unlawfully taking people's properties, and belittling Allah's rights. Allah said, "Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment." (Aal-Imran: 77), (3) The one who used to lengthen and arrogantly trail his clothes on the ground. In the narration of the two Sahihs, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look at him who trails his lower garment out of pride." It was said that the Prophet ﷺ combined these three types because all of them exalt themselves while despising and belittling people out of pride and arrogance. As a result, Allah would despise and ignore them. His mentioning these three types does not mean exclusiveness, for he mentioned some other types that will get that punishment such as the adulterous old man, the lying king, and the arrogant poor, as Abu Hurairah narrated in Sahih Muslim. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It warns us against reminding the poor of favors, falsely swearing, and trailing clothes. They all will get a severe punishment, (2) It proves Allah's attributes of speech and sight in the manner befitting Him, without any similarity to human attributes. If He neither spoke nor looked at the three mentioned types, whom he would speak and look at..

107
Abu Huraira narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'There are three (types) with whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Resurrection nor purify them - Other narration added, '... nor look at them...' - and they will have a painful torment: Aged adulterer, lying king, and arrogant destitute one.".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to warn his companions against inferior qualities and unacceptable deeds. He was very keen to guide them to all that making them closer to Paradise. In this hadith, he told us about three types of people to whom Allah would not pleasingly speak on the Day of Resurrection to belittle and punish them. He also would neither mercifully look at them nor purify them from their sins and vileness. Above all, they would get a severe punishment. They are as follows: (1) An old man who has committed adultery even though his maturity, reason, lack of lust, and absence of justification, the issues which prevent him from doing so, unlike the young man of strong lust and relative control of himself. The same applies to an old woman if she commits adultery. Generally, adultery is a great sin but it becomes greater if committed by the old ones, (2) A king who used to deceive and lie to his people for his personal benefits. This applies to everyone who is in charge of Muslim affairs. In the narration of An-Nasa'i, the Prophet ﷺ said, "And the unjust leader.", Lying is one of the hypocrites' attributes and generally forbidden for all people but it becomes greater if committed by a king because his word is supreme among people so he does not need to lie to them. He has to be frank and truthful when promising them, (3) A person who is used to be arrogant in spite of his poverty and disability to provide for his sons. He is supposed to be modest with Allah and people and avoid arrogance, for there is no reason making him behave like that. The hadith may refer to a poor who is unable to provide for his sons but he refuses to work or take charity out of arrogance. Thus, he is sinful for preventing food or clothes from reaching his sons. Generally, arrogance is a great sin but it becomes greater if committed by a poor one. This is why you find people surprised when seeing a rich modest person, for lots of rich people are arrogant. These three types of people are addressed by this punishment because of their weak reasons for committing the mentioned sins. They committed them out of arrogance more than needing them. The Prophet’s mentioning these three types does not mean exclusiveness, for he mentioned some other types that will get that punishment such as the one who used to lengthen and trail his clothes, the one who used to swear to promote his goods, and the one who used to remind the poor of his gifts, as narrated by Abu Dharr in Sahih Muslim. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves Allah's attributes of speech and sight in the manner befitting Him, without any similarity to human attributes. If He neither spoke nor looked at the three mentioned types, whom he would speak and look at and, (2) It warns us against adultery, lying, and arrogance..

110
Thabet ibn Ad-Dahhak narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “A person is not obliged to fulfil a vow about something he does not possess. Cursing a believer is like murdering him. Whoever kills himself with something in this world will be punished with it on the day of resurrection. Whoever makes a false claim to gain much thereby Allah will give him less instead of more. Whoever falsely swears an oath which he is asked to take.”.

Commentary : Allah granted his Prophet ﷺ the most comprehensive words so he used to preach and teach people with the fewest words that carried many meanings to hearts. In this hadith, he clarifies that a person is not obliged to fulfill a vow about something he does not possess such as his saying, “If Allah cured my son, I would slaughter my neighbor’s cow.” A vow is to commit oneself to carry out a mandatory matter. The Prophet ﷺ adds, “Cursing a believer is like murdering him.” Cursing is to ask Allah to expel someone from His mercy while murdering him is to expel him from life. This is one of the greatest Prophetic warnings against cursing Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ adds that whoever kills himself by using something sharp, drinking something poisonous, or falling from a mountain, Allah will punish him in the same way he kills himself in the hereafter. Thus, the punishment will be of the same type as the crime. The Prophet ﷺ adds that if a person makes a false claim, regarding linage or rights, to obtain money or benefits, Allah will give him less instead of more. As a result, if he falsely claims to obtain lots of money, Allah will contrarily decrease his money. Instead of gaining more benefits, he will gain less bliss. The last sin the Prophet ﷺ adds is to falsely swear an oath before a judge or ruler to falsely take others’ rights or benefits. He mentions the punishment in another hadith narrated by Ibn Masoud in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet ﷺ said, “If anyone falsely swears an oath which he is asked to take (by a judge or so) to usurp a Muslim’s property, he will meet Allah Who will be angry with him.” Allah confirms this meaning in his saying, “Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah’s Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allah speak to them, nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment.” (Aal Imran: 77) They replace Allah’s covenant and sacred oaths with their temporary worldly whims of money, benefits, etc. Allah describes the price as low out of demeaning it, for they betray Allah’s covenant and dare to falsely swear by his name. Their gain is little whatever its amounts in comparison to Allah’s pleasing and fulfilling His covenants. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to take vows except for what one owns, and (2) It is forbidden to falsely swear by Allah..

114
Omar ibn Al-Khattab reported, “On the day (of the battle) of Khaibar, some Companions of the Prophet ﷺ came and said, ‘So-and-so is a martyr and so-and-so is a martyr.’ Until they came to a man and said, ‘So-and-so is a martyr.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘No. I have seen him in Hell for a mantle - or cloak - which he has stolen.’ Then he said, ‘O Ibn Al-Khattab, go and announce among people that none will enter Paradise but believers.’ I went out and announced that none will enter Paradise but believers.”.

Commentary : The true belief in Allah and what it requires is a reason for entering Paradise. A heart’s belief is followed by a clear obedience in one's behavior and acts. In this hadith, Omar ibn Al-Khattab narrated a situation after Khaybar battle that occurred between Muslims and Jews in the 7th year AH. It was a village inhabited by Jews about 153 Km north of Medina. After the battle, some of the Prophet's Companions were counting this battle's martyrs until they mentioned a man and said, "So-and-so is a martyr." The Prophet ﷺ commented, "No. I have seen him in Hell for a mantle - or cloak - which he has stolen." A cloak is a black square garment. He took it from the spoils without the Prophet's knowledge and consent. He did not give it to the Prophet within the spoils to be divided later. The Prophet ﷺ commanded Omar to go and announce among people that none will enter Paradise but believers. None will initially enter it except those believing in Allah outwardly and inwardly. It was a stern warning to those violating Allah's and the Prophet's commands, for a believer may be punished in Hell for his sins. Afterward, Allah may save him if he wills. In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "He is not a believer who defrauds and steals (from the spoils)." Both the Quran and Sunnah clearly mentioned that it is the one who steals war spoils before they are divided. He will come on the Day of Resurrection with the thing he gained. Allah said, "And whoever betrays, [taking unlawfully], will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection." (Aal-Imran: 161) This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is permissible to praise the dead and mention their virtues, (2) It warns against stealing spoils or public funds, (3) It confirms that stealing spoils contradicts faith, for this person commits a hidden sin while openly betraying Allah only. If he had been a true believer, he would not have hidden from people while openly committing it before Allah, and (4) The quality of faith may be removed due to evil acts..

116
Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated that At-Tufail ibn Amr Ad-Dousy came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, do you need a strong fort and protection?” There was a fort that belonged to the tribe of Daos during the pre-Islamic period. The Prophet ﷺ declined that, for it was the role that Allah reserved for the Ansar. When the Prophet ﷺ immigrated to Medina, At-Tufail immigrated along with a man from his tribe. Medina’s climate did not suit them so his friend fell sick. He could not be patient so he took his arrowheads and cut his knuckles. His hands were bleeding till he died. At-Tufail saw him in a dream in a good state while wrapping his hands. He asked him, “What did your God do with you?” He replied, “He forgave me owing to my immigration to His Prophet ﷺ.” He asked, “What do I see you wrapping your hands?” He replied, “I was told, ‘We would not fix anything of yours which you damaged.’” At-Tufail related that to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ who said, “O Allah, for his hands grant forgiveness.”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ called people for Islam amid an environment full of disbelief and polytheism, which made embracing Islam and immigration to Medina difficult decisions. Immigration to Medina meant leaving one’s homeland, property, and family, a decision that led to a great reward. This hadith relates some aspects of At-Tufail ibn Amr Ad-Dousy’s life, one of the Prophet’s companions. He was one of his people’s notables. Upon embracing Islam, he traveled from Yemen, his homeland, to Mecca to offer to the Prophet ﷺ, before the Prophet's immigration to Medina, to immigrate to Dous tribe in Yemen to live in its strong fort which belonged to them in the pre-Islamic period. The Prophet ﷺ declined, for it was the role that Allah reserved for the Ansar to honor them with the Prophet’s immigration to them. Allah did not open the Prophet’s heart to immigrate to a place other than Medina or allow him to do so. Years later, At-Tufail immigrated in the seventh year with Abu Hurairah or in the eighth year with a man from his tribe to Medina and settled in it. They hated Medina’s climate which did not suit their bodies. As a result, At-Tufail’s friend fell sick and was so disturbed and impatient that he took his arrowheads and cut his knuckles. His hands were bleeding till he died. At-Tufail saw him in a dream in a good state while wrapping his hands. He asked him about Allah’s act with him. He confirmed that Allah had honored and forgiven him due to his immigration to the Prophet ﷺ, which refers to Allah’s great reward for immigration to the Prophet ﷺ. To answer At-Tufail’s question about the reason for covering his hands, the man replied that he was told that Allah would not fix his hands that he cut out of impatience. When At-Tufail related that to the Prophet ﷺ, the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to also include his hands within His forgiveness and mercy. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows Allah’s great reward for immigration to His Prophet ﷺ, (2) It clarifies that Allah forgives whomever He wills among the believers, (3) It indicates the Prophet’s perfect compassion towards the believers, for he asked Allah to forgive the man’s sin he committed by his hands, (4) It confirms At-Tufail’s great virtue of his concern for the Prophet’s safety and his desire to be honored with protecting him in his homeland, (5) It confirms Ansar’s merit and prestige, (6) Muslims cannot consider the one who kills himself a disbeliever unless he believes that this act is permissible, and (7) It proves the punishment of some sinners..

117
Abu Huraira narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Verily, Allah will make wind more delicate than silk blowing from Yemen. It will spare none who has faith equal to the weight of grain (in another narration " ... the weight of a dust particle ...") but cause him to die.".

Commentary : Allah is merciful to his servants in all their circumstances. For example, He will take believers' souls near before the coming of the Last Day when disbelief increases. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that Allah, near the Last Day, would blow a wind from Yemen which would be more delicate than silk out of kindness and honor for the believers. It would spare none who has faith equal to the weight of grain (in another narration "a dust particle") but causes him to die. Their souls would easily come out with their gentle breeze. They would be saved from this life of distress and mixing evil people to satisfyingly live in Paradise under Allah's pleasure away from those evil ones. At that time, the Last Day would begin. In another hadith in Sahih Muslim, Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Hour (Resurrection) will not occur until 'Allah, Allah' is not said on earth." It is a metaphor for the fact that it will come upon people who neither worship, supplicate, nor even mention Allah's name. This hadith does not contradict the hadith in the two Sahihs in which the Prophet said, "‘A section of my nation will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection," for the former hadith means that they will continue to adhere to the truth until this delicate wind causes them to die near the Day of Resurrection. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet's prophethood, (2) It clarifies that dying the righteous ones is one of the signs of the Hour, (3) It confirms that the Hour will only come upon the worst people, and (4) It explains that faith increases and decreases..

118
Abu Huraira narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Be prompt in doing righteous deeds before (you are overtaken by) turbulence which would be like a portion of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning then turn to be a disbeliever in the evening or a believer in the evening then a disbeliever in the morning, in which he would sell his faith for worldly goods.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was keen on his nation, so he used to advise and guide it to righteous deeds. He also used to warn it against negligence and delaying today’s obedience till tomorrow, for one does not know what tomorrow will bring. In this hadith, he commanded his followers to hasten to do good deeds before the escalated trials of the last worldly life, which may make them busy with them or distract them from the virtuous deeds. The trials he talked about are those mixing truthfulness with falsehood so one cannot distinguish between them. These trials will be like undistinguished portions of the dark night. This is a metaphor for its severity, harm, and comprehensiveness of all those witnessing them. As a result, a man would be a believer in the morning then turn to be a disbeliever in the evening or a believer in the evening then a disbeliever in the morning. These trials may deprive him of the attribute of faith to the extent that he may turn and change his belief in the same day for pleasures with poor price. These worldly enjoyments will disappear one day whether we leave them or they leave us. Undoubtedly, promptness in doing righteous deeds protects from trials. As a result, the believers should beware and be prompt to do them before it is too late. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is a sign of the Prophet's prophethood, (2) It encourages us to hasten to the virtuous deeds before we are diverted by trials, (3) It warns against trials and temptations, (4) It urges us to not be deceived by our righteous deeds and instead keep fearing Allah, for the rewards of deeds are decided by their ending, and (5) It confirms the importance of sticking to the religion and being cautious when enjoying the worldly pleasures..

121
Ibn Shemasa Al-Mary narrated, “We visited Amr ibn Al-'As when he was on his deathbed. He turned his face towards the wall while weeping for a long time. His son said to him twice, ‘O father, did not the Prophet ﷺ give you glad tidings of such and such?’ Amr turned his face to him and said, ‘The best thing we have (for hereafter) is the testimony of ‘There is no true god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.’ I have passed through three phases (during my life). I remember that I hated none more than the Prophet ﷺ and I did not have any other desire stronger than that of killing him. Had I died in that state, I would have definitely been one of Hell’s dwellers. When Allah instilled loving for Islam in my heart, I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, ‘Extend your right hand, so that I pledge allegiance to you.’ He ﷺ stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew mine. He ﷺ said, ‘What is the matter, Amr?’ I said, ‘I wanted to lay down some conditions.’ He ﷺ asked, ‘What conditions do you want to set out?’ I replied, ‘To be granted forgiveness.’ He ﷺ said, ‘Did you not know that (embracing) Islam wipe out what (misdeeds) was before it, emigration wipe out what (misdeeds) was before it, and pilgrimage wipe out what (misdeeds) was before it?’ None was dearer to me than the Prophet ﷺ and none was more respectable than him in my eyes. I could not catch a full glimpse at his face due to my utmost respect. If I was asked to describe him, I would not be able to do so, for I could not catch a full glimpse at his face. Had I died in that state, I would have hoped to be one of Paradise’s dwellers. Thereafter, I was made responsible for many things which I did not know what it held in store for me. When I die, do not let a mourner or a fire accompany my bier. When you bury me, throw the earth gently over me and stand over my grave for the space of slaughtering and distributing a camel’s meat so that I enjoy your intimacy while answering my God’s Messengers.’”.

Commentary : The true believer combines fearing Allah’s punishment by avoiding prohibitions with hoping for His mercy by performing righteous acts. The Prophet’s Companions showed the best examples of this behavior. In this hadith, Abderrahman ibn Shemasa Al-Mahry narrated that they visited Amr ibn Al-‘As when he was on his deathbed. He was weeping for a long time out of fearing Allah and remembering the Day of Resurrection despite his honor of companying the Prophet ﷺ and outstanding courage in defending Islam. It was the ongoing state of the righteous people that they used to fear Allah and weep due to their ‘dereliction,’ no matter how great their obedience was. Amr turned his face to the wall lest the attendants may have distanced himself from communing with Allah and contemplating the Hereafter’s expected events. He also wanted to conceal his grief, sorrow, and tears. To relieve his sadness and calm him down, his son Abdullah repeatedly reminded him of the Prophet’s glad tidings to him. In the narration of Ahmad, “He was reminding him of his companionship of the Prophet ﷺ and conquering the Levant.” Then Amr turned his face and said to them that the best thing he had for the hereafter was the belief in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Afterward, he divided his lifetime into three phases: (1) It was the period of his disbelief. He deeply hated the Prophet ﷺ and his highest desire was to have a chance to kill him. He confirmed that if he had died in that state, he would have entered Hell forever, (2) It was his period of embracing Islam, accompanying the Prophet ﷺ, and doing righteous deeds. On that day, Allah instilled faith in his heart, he went to the Prophet ﷺ after Al-Hudaybeya Treaty to pledge allegiance to him and promise to follow him and support Islam. He extended his hand then withdrew it. When the Prophet ﷺ asked him about the reason, he confirmed that he had a condition before taking that important step. He wanted his misdeeds to be forgiven. To answer hi, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned three matters that erase one’s previous misdeeds and his disbelief, the most severe sin: (1) Islam, (2) Emigration: It was obligatory to preserve one’s religion by migrating from Mecca to Medina during the Prophet’s lifetime, and (3) The accepted pilgrimage. In the two Sahihs, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever performs pilgrimage for Allah's sake and neither has sexual relations (with his wife) nor does evil, he will return as if he were a newborn (free from all sins).” At this stage, the Prophet ﷺ was his most beloved and respectable one to the extent that he was not able to catch a full glimpse at the Prophet’s face due to utmost respect. Additionally, he could not describe him for the same reason. He confirmed that if he had died in that great state, he would have hoped to be among the people of Paradise, (3) It was the stage of having political responsibilities after the Prophet ﷺ died. He described those events of that period that he did not know what they held in store for him. He did not know whether he would be rewarded or punished for that period. He conquered and then was appointed as a ruler of Egypt for ten years and three months throughout Omar’s, Othman’s, and Mu’aweya’s caliphates. He participated in Mu’aweya’s war against Ali ibn Abi Taleb. Finally, he advised the attendants and his family to neither let any female mourner nor fire accompany his funeral. A female mourner is a woman used to raise her voice and cry while counting the deceased’s virtues. As for accompanying the deceased with fire, it may mean one of the following possibilities: (1) It was a habit that some followed as an optimism that the deceased would be saved from Hell, (2) It was an act of the pre-Islamic times, or (3) It was a habit of reprehensible proudness. Afterward, he advised them to throw the earth gently over his grave and stand around it for the space of slaughtering and distributing a camel’s meat so that he enjoyed their intimacy while he was answering the grave’s angels. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows the high prestige of Islam, migration, and pilgrimage, for each can remove one’s previous misdeeds, (2) It is forbidden that a deceased is followed by a mourner or a fire, (3) It clarifies how deeply the companions respect and revere the Prophet, (4) To die having good thought of Allah, a dying person has to be reminded for his righteous deeds and Quranic verses and Prophetic hadith talking about virtues of hope and forgiveness. We have to give him glad tidings of what Allah has prepared for Muslims, (5) A true believer always fears Allah, regardless of his abundant righteous deeds, (6) It proves that there will be two angels in the grave to ask everyone certain questions about Islam, (7) It urges us to stay around the grave a little after burial to comfort the deceased and supplicate Allah for his steadfastness, and (8) It shows that we should throw the earth gently over the grave and avoid sitting on it..

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Abu Hurairah said, "When this verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ‘To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things.’ (Al-Baqarah: 284), the Messenger's Companions felt it hard, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), sat down on their knees, and said, 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we were assigned to do some duties which were within our power such as prayer, fasting, jihad, and charity. There was a verse revealed to you that was beyond our power.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Do you want to say what the people of two Books (Jews and Christians) said before you, 'We hear and disobey?' You should rather say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).' Thereupon, they said, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).' When the people recited it and it smoothly flowed on their tongues, then Allah revealed immediately afterward, 'The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), 'We make no distinction between any of His Messengers' — and they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgive ness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).' When they did that, Allah abrogated it and revealed, 'Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has incurred. 'Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error,' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Yes.' 'Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians).' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Yes.' 'Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Yes.' 'Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Supporter and give us victory over the disbelieving people.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Yes.'".

Commentary : The Prophet’s Companions were quick at responding to Allah’s and His Prophet’s orders. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated a story about the following Quranic verse, “To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things.” (Al-Baqarah: 284) It means that all creation in this universe belongs to Allah only. He is the true Creator, Manager, and Owner unlike what people own in this life as temporary property. He is All-Knower to the extent that he knows whether people reveal or conceal. All people will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection to be rewarded out of his mercy, or punished out of his justice, for He has the real power over all things. Once revealed, it was difficult for the Prophet’s Companions to be held accountable for their thoughts and feelings. Some went to the Prophet (ﷺ), sat down on their knees out of fear, and confirmed that all obligatory Islamic acts were bearable but that verse was deeply unbearable. They were afraid of being held accountable for thoughts and feelings that none could control. The Prophet (ﷺ) was not satisfied with their way and was afraid that they were affected by the way of satisfying with some rules and dissatisfying with others. He confirmed to them that it was the way of the people of the Book to say, “We hear and we disobey.” (Al-Baqarah: 93 & Aal-Imran: 46) Instead, he commanded them to say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” (Al-Baqarah: 285) When they said that out of submission and humbleness to Allah, He abrogated it with the following verse, “The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), 'We make no distinction between any of His Messengers' — and they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all). Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has incurred. 'Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians). Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Supporter and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Al-Baqarah: 285, 286) It means that both the Prophet (ﷺ) and the faithful believe in the Quran then confirms that all believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. The faithful believe that Allah is the One and Self Sufficient, without any partner. They believe in all the angels, prophets, and books revealed to his messengers. They do not differentiate between any of them. They do not believe in others while disbelieving in others. Rather, they believe that they are all truthful, righteous, guided, and guiding people to the path of goodness even if some may abrogate the laws of others based on Allah’s will until all laws are abrogated by the Prophet Muhammad’s law, the Seal of all Prophets, on whose law the Hour will be established. On the other hand, when the believers hear Allah’s commands, they obey and act upon them. They always ask Allah’s forgiveness, for they deeply know that to Him is the return on the Day of reckoning. Moreover, Allah does not burden any person beyond his scope. He is rewarded for his righteous deeds and punished for his evil deeds. Allah does not punish his servants for their thoughts, feelings, or whispers. Then, Allah mentions some believers’ supplications with his answers. They ask Allah not to punish them if they forget or unintentionally make mistakes. They ask Allah not to burden them with unbearable matters as he did with those before them as the Children of Israel and others. They ask Allah not to put on them greater responsibilities that are beyond their strength. Then, they ask Him to forgive their sins and have mercy on them, for He is their Master. Finally, they ask Him to help them against the disbelieving people. The Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that Allah said, “Yes” as a response to each supplication, out of His great favors upon those submitting to His command. As for those saying, “We hear and we disobey,” He burdened them with sin and guilt and then punished them for that in this world. On the contrary, Allah honored this nation, unlike any previous ones, provided the Prophet’s Companions with firm faith and blessings, and praised them by saying, “The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), 'We make no distinction between any of His Messengers' — and they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” (Al-Baqarah: 28) Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies the Companions’ deep respect for Allah’s and His Prophet’s command, (2) It confirms that Allah does not burden us with any unbearable matters such as whisperings or thoughts, as long as we do not act upon them, and (3) It proves the abrogation of some rules related to some Quranic verses although they are still recited in the Noble Quran..

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Ibn Abbas narrated, “When this verse was revealed, ‘Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will ring you to account for it.’ (Al-Baqarah: 284), it made the Prophet’s companions more afraid than before of any other verse. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Say, ‘We have heard, obeyed, and submitted ourselves.’ Allah instilled faith in their hearts and revealed this Quranic verse, ‘Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. ‘Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred.’ (Al-Baqarah: 286) Allah said, ‘I indeed did it.’ He also revealed this Quranic verse, ‘Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.’ Allah said, ‘I indeed did it.’ He also revealed, ‘… and forgive us and have mercy upon us. You are our protector.’ Allah said, ‘I indeed did it.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet's companions used to quickly respond to Allah's and His Prophet's commands. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated a hadith about the following verse, ‘Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will ring you to account for it.’ (Al-Baqarah: 284) It means whatever you commit or INTEND to do evil deeds, Allah will ring you to account for it. He confirmed that the Prophet's companions were deeply afraid when this verse was revealed. They were wondering about how they would be punished for something they did not say or do. Anyway, the Prophet guided them to listen and obey Allah's command. As a result, Allah helped and provided them with complete faith, goodness, and deep submission. Accordingly, Allah abrogated the meaning of the verse, "or conceal it." and revealed, "Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity." (Al-Baqarah: 286) The Prophet said in the two Sahihs, "Allah forgives my nation the evil promptings which arise within them as long as they do not act upon them or speak about them.” Allah clarified in this verse that all people would be rewarded for the righteous deeds they did and punished for the evil deeds they committed. Then He inspired us to supplicate, repent, and turn to Him as in his saying, "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred." (Al-Baqarah: 286) It meant: O God, do not punish us for what we unwillingly forget or neglect. So Allah said, “I indeed did it.” They added, "Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us." (Al-Baqarah: 286) A burden is a sin. So Allah said, “I indeed did it.” They added, "And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us." (Al-Baqarah: 286) So Allah said, “I indeed did it.” This refers to His great bounty upon His submissive believers to His command. As for those saying, "We listened and disobeyed," God would burden them with sin and punish them with it in this life before the Hereafter. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The Companions’ intense veneration for Allah's and His Prophet's commands, (2) Allah only commands us to do what we can bear, (3) The devilish whisperings to our hearts will not harm us as long as we neglect and stop thinking about them, (4) Allah forgave Muslims for what they spoke to their own selves as long as they do not speak or act upon, and (5) Allah abrogated some Quranic verses' meanings although they are still recited..

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Abu Hurairah narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Allah said, 'If my servant speaks about doing a good deed, I will record it as one good deed to him although he did not do it. If he did it, I would record it ten good deeds. If he speaks about committing a bad deed, I will forgive him as long as he did not commit it. If he committed it, I would record it as one evil deed.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'The angels said, 'O God, Your servant wants to commit an evil act.' Allah, the best watcher, replied, 'Watch him, if he commits it, record it as one evil act. If he refrains from doing it, record it as one good deed, for he refrains from it for me.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Whoever among you has a good faith, all righteous acts he does are multiplied from ten to seven hundred times. All evil acts he commits are recorded as they are till he meets Allah.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Almighty, is full of mercy and generous in reward. He treats His servants with justice and grace. The following narrations confirm His great generosity in writing down people's righteous and evil acts. The Prophet (ﷺ) narrated that Allah confirmed in the Sacred Hadith that if a person intended to do a righteous act, but did not do it, Allah would record it as a complete righteous act. If he did it, Allah would multiply it tenfold. In the Two Sahihs, Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah will multiply it tenfold up to seven hundred times up to many multiples." Allah said, "The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He wills. And Allah is All‑Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All‑Knower." (Al-Baqarah: 261) This relative reward is based on one's sincerity, truthfulness, and reaching righteous acts to others. On the other hand, Allah confirmed that if a person intended to commit an evil act but did not commit it due to his shyness and fear of Allah, Allah would forgive him. In the Two Sahihs, Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah will record it for him as a complete good deed.” If he committed it, Allah would record it as one evil act out of his mercy without increasing or doubling it as in recording the righteous acts. As for the angels' saying, "O God, Your servant wants to commit an evil act," He is Allah who informs his angels about his servant's intention. As for his saying, "... for he refrains from it for me," He means that the servant does not commit the evil act only because of his fear of Allah, struggling against his self that tends to commit evil acts, and disobeying his prohibited whims. As for the Prophet's saying, "Whoever among you has good faith," he means one's inward and outward sincerity and belief. Finally, this hadith shows Allah's great mercy and grace upon His servants, and (2) It confirms the angels' observation of human acts..

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Abu Huraira narrated, “Some of the Prophet’s companions ﷺ came and asked him, ‘We have thoughts which none of us dare to talk about.’ He asked, ‘Have you experienced that?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is the clear faith.’”.

Commentary : Having a false thought is one of the matters that may corrupt our hearts. It leads us to think about Allah's self, not his blessings. Regular sticking to this type of idea may lead to disbelief. If a false idea comes into one's head, he has to seek refuge in Allah from them. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that some Prophet's companions came and asked him, "We have thoughts which none of us dare to talk about." They were actually trying to stop and deny these ugly insinuations such as, "Who created Allah? How is He? What is he made of?" Because they believed that it was not appropriate for them to think in this manner about Allah. They were afraid that such insinuations would be considered sins. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) asked them, “Have you experienced it?” He confirmed that these thoughts may have come to a believer's head but his faith in Allah drove him to ask about a solution. Moreover, he confirmed the deep faith of his companions by three proofs: (1) Their denial of those terrible thoughts raised by Satan, (2) Their knowledge that they are corrupting insinuations, and (3) Their stopping from expressing them. On the other hand, the disbeliever insists on what is in his heart of likening Allah to His creatures, unlike the true believers who deny such insinuations and stop attributing these descriptions to Allah. As a result, he expels these doubts and seeks refuge in Allah from Satan. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms that Satan used to whisper to humans until he takes them out of faith, so the believer has to be cautious, (2) When such devilish insinuations come to a believer's mind, he has to remain silent and stop speaking about it. Instead, he has to seek refuge in Allah from Satan, (3) It explains how the Prophet's companions took much care of their hearts and were cautious of what may invalidate their faith, and (4) A Muslim is allowed to ask a scholar about any issues or questions he has. He is not allowed to keep silent out of shame, for a Muslim should not be ashamed of asking about the truth..