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

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

806

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

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

812

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

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

813

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

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

818

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

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

821

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

823

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

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

825

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

827

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

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

828

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

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

831

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

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

834

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

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

837

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

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

838

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

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

841

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

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

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..

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..

125

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths