| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

977

Narrated `Abdur Rahman ibn `Aabis: I heard Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) answering the question of a man who wanted to know whether he had joined the Prophet ﷺ in the `Eid prayer. He said to him, "Yes. I could not have joined him had I not been young. He ﷺ came out till he reached the mark which was near the house of Katheer ibn As-Salt. There, he offered the ‘Eid prayer and then delivered the ‘Eid sermon. After he finished the prayer, he went towards the women and Bilal walked in his company. He preached to them and advised them and ordered them to give alms. I saw the women putting their ornaments with their outstretched hands into Bilal's garment. Then the Prophet ﷺ along with Bilal returned home..

Commentary : The ‘Eid prayer has a great importance in Islam; and by it, the power of the religion and the unity and gathering of the Muslims are shown. Furthermore, it is an occasion during which people manifest their joy, pleasure, and longing to draw near to Allah, Exalted be He.

In this hadeeth, the taabi’ee, `Abdur Rahman ibn `Aabis reports that ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) was asked about his presence at the ‘Eid prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. Then, Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with both of them) mentioned that he [indeed] attended the prayer with the Prophet ﷺ and [then] said: “If I was not young, I would not have [been able] to have seen him” - that is to say: that he witnessed the ‘Eid and joined in its events with the Prophet ﷺ as a young boy, who almost was not able to be present [at the events] due to his young age - if it were not for his closeness from the Prophet ﷺ. Despite his young age, he (may Allah be pleased with them) understood what the Prophet ﷺ did on this day. It is possible that his statement meant that he went with the Prophet ﷺ to the women’s prayer space when he ﷺ wanted to exhort them; [as well as] what he is going to report about them [in this narration later on] because the presence of a boy at a such young age (i.e., child) is to be present with women.

Then, Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet ﷺ set out towards the location of the ‘Eid prayer near the house of Katheer ibn al-Salt - [which] is a big house in al-Madeenah, and was used as a Qiblah for the site where the two ‘Eid prayers were performed; and a mark was placed on it for that reason [i.e. to serve as an indicator of which direction the Qiblah was for the prayer]. Katheer ibn al-Salt built his house at a time after the Prophet ﷺ. As it was a landmark that is well-known to people, Ibn ‘Abbaas described that the place of the prayer for ‘Eid was near the house of Katheer, and it overlooked the interior of Buṭhaan - [which] is a valley located near the middle of al-Madeenah.

Then, the Prophet ﷺ performed two rakʿahs for the ‘Eid prayer without an adhaan or iqaamah [being called], nor any sunnah prayers performed before or after it. Afterwards, he ﷺ delivered the sermon to the people, [which] is like the sermon delivered on Fridays - and is comprised of two parts and a pause [in between both of them]; except that it is delivered after the prayer and not before it (as is the case for the Friday sermon).

Then, the Prophet ﷺ came to the women, and with him was Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) - whom was the servant of the Prophet ﷺ and would [oftentimes] be entrusted with collecting the alms.

So, the Prophet ﷺ preached and exhorted to them, and bid them to offer alms. After which, the women of the Companions hastened in doing so, [by] even grabbing their jewellery and tossing it into the garment of Bilal. After that, the Prophet ﷺ went to his house with Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet ﷺ used to gather the alms for the purpose of distributing it amongst those in need; like what his ﷺ custom was with voluntary charities and zakaat.

From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that the Imaam should preach and exhort the women if they do not hear the sermon with the men.

This hadeeth highlights the merit and virtue of Ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them), along with the virtue of the women of the Companions and shows how they hastened with eagerness in offering alms.

It teaches us that when women attend the prayers of men and their congregations, they should be separated from the men as a precaution, out of fear that temptation [may rise] against them.

It teaches us that we should set out towards the site where the ‘Eid prayer will be held, and that the ‘Eid prayer is offered before the sermon is delivered [by the Imaam].

Lastly, we understand from this hadeeth the permissibility of taking young children out towards the place of prayer, so that they may be blessed by attending the prayer, hearing the supplications of the Muslims, and so they may participate in manifesting the rites and ceremonies of Islam with the large number of those who attend.

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979

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them: I witnessed the `Eid al-Fitr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthmaan(may Allah be pleased with them); and all of them offered the ‘Eid prayer before delivering the sermon. Once the Prophet ﷺ finished, (after completing the prayer and the sermon) he gestured with his hand, as if I am now looking at him now, to the men so that they remain seated, as he walked through their rows. He set out with Bilal to the site where the women were seated. Then, he ﷺ recited to them: {O Prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath of allegiance that they will not worship anything other than Allah, will not steal, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, will not kill their children, and will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (by making illegal children belonging to their husbands)} [Quran 60:12] After he finished, he said to them, “Are you fulfilling this covenant?" One lady, other than whom none replied, said, "O Allah's Messenger, yes we do!" (The, sub-narrator, al-Hasan did not know who the lady was.) Upon which, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: "Hasten to give alms, let my father and mother be sacrificed for you." Thereupon, he spread out his garment and the women started throwing fatakhs and rings into his garment. .

Commentary : The Prayer of ‘Eid has requisites, recommended actions, and etiquettes, which the Prophet ﷺ, and his Rightly Guided Caliphs always ensured to perform them; and his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated all of that for us, as they saw and learned them from the Prophet ﷺ.

In this hadeeth, ʿAbdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that he was present at the ‘Eid prayer which he performed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthmaan(may Allah be pleased with them) - and each in [their own] time while [they served] as Caliphs. All of them offered the ‘Eid prayer before the sermon.

This hadeeth is a clear demonstration and evidence toward [distinguishing] that the Prayer of ‘Eid preceded the sermon and the matter, which the Prophet ﷺ pursued diligently in and was observed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) and continued this practice thereafter.

Next, ʿAbdullah ibn ‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon to the people. Ibn ‘Abbaas then states [in his report]: “It is as if I am looking at him,” to confirm in this part of the hadeeth that he remembers the action[s] of the Prophet ﷺ and what he is reporting about it.

[And regarding] his statement: “when [he motioned] with his hands [for them] to remain seated” - this is because the congregation wanted to leave, so he ﷺ ordered them to remain sitting until his needs were met. The other possible interpretation is that they all set out to leave or they wanted to follow him ﷺ, but he ﷺ stopped them and ordered them to remain seated. It is also possible that they wanted to clear and widen the way for the Prophet’s ﷺ passage when he ﷺ began walking between the people and splitting the prayer rows until he came to the prayer area of the women. Thereafter, he ﷺ preached and exhorted the women who were present to realign themselves towards Allah and recited to them the ayah: you to take the oath of allegiance that they will not worship anything other than Allah, will not steal, will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, will not kill their children, and will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood (by making illegal children belonging to their husbands)} [Quran 60:12] It is said, the reason the Prophet ﷺ recited this noble ayah was to remind them of the pledge of allegiance which took place between him and the women when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Makkah.

When he finished reciting the ayah, The Prophet ﷺ asked them: “Are you fulfilling your covenants?” - this was to confirm with them [of the time over] that which they pledged their allegiance to him on these great matters.

Then, one woman from amongst them responded: “Yes.” - namely, that is to say: “We are fulfilling our covenants.” And none, other than her, responded to the Prophet ﷺ; thus, her answer was the final say on behalf of everyone.

Ibn Jurayj, the narrator of the hadeeth, said: “al-Hasan ibn Muslim did not know who the respondent was.” It is said: it is possible that this woman was Asmaa’ bint Yazeed ibn al-Sakan(may Allah be pleased with her) who was known as the preacher of women [i.e., she was given this title because she would speak on behalf of the women and always take the initiative to ask the Prophet about the matters of women].

Then, the Prophet ﷺ ordered them to offer alms. Afterwards, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) spread out his garment, and then said, “Come! Let my father and mother be your sacrifice!” This is an invitation from Bilal [to encourage] them to give alms, and he asked Allah that his father and mother be a ransom for all of them as a protection from all evil. Upon hearing this, all of them hastened to offer alms until they tossed their fatakhs and rings into the garment of Bilal.

The fatakh is a ring which does not have a stone or gem on it.

From the benefits that we can learn from this hadeeth: (i) the virtue of the women among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and their hastening in offering alms. (ii) The Imaam should exhort the women if they do not hear the sermon with the men. And (iii), the permissibility of women giving alms from their wealth and personal jewellery without the permission of their spouses.

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980

Hafsa bint Seereen said, "On ‘Eid we used to forbid our girls to go out for `Eid prayer. A woman came and stayed at the palace of Bani Khalaf, so I went to visit her. She mentioned that her in-law (the husband of her sister) took part in twelve expeditions along with the Prophet ﷺ and her sister was with him in six of them. Her sister mentioned to her that they used to nurse the sick and treat the wounded. Once she asked the Prophet ﷺ: 'O Allah's Messenger! If a woman has no Jilbaab, is there any harm if she does not come out (on `Eid day)?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Her companion should let her share her Jilbab with her, so they both participate in the good deeds and witness the supplications of the believers.' " Hafsa added, "When Um-`Atiya came, I went to her and asked her, 'Did you hear anything about such-and-such?' Um-`Atiya said, 'Yes, let my father be sacrificed for the Prophet ﷺ - whenever she mentioned the name of the Prophet ﷺ she always used to say, 'Let my father be' sacrificed for him -. He said, 'Virgin mature girls staying often screened (or said, 'Mature girls and virgins staying often screened—Aiyoob (the one who narrated it from Hafsa is not sure as which was right) and menstruating women should come out (on the `E’id day). But the menstruating women should keep away from the Musalla. Let all the women should participate in the good deeds [on this day] and witness the supplications of the believers." Hafsa said, "On that I said to Um-`Atiya, 'Also those who are menstruating?' " Um-`Atiya replied, "Yes. Do they not attend `Arafat and such-and-such events?". .

Commentary : Islam has honoured the Muslim woman, protected her dignity, and given her a high status and importance in society, after she did not amount to [nothing] more than a trivial house item before Islam had emerged. The Wise Lawgiver [i.e., Allah] did not forbid the Muslim woman from participating in the demonstration of religious rituals if the religious parameters were maintained. For that reason, she was encouraged to set out towards the site where the ‘Eid prayer is performed - so that she can witness the blessings and the supplications of believers.

In this hadeeth, the female taabiʿee, Hafsah bint Seereen mentioned that they used to forbid the young woman who recently reached puberty from leaving her home to head towards the place of the ‘Eid prayer. Perhaps, they used to do this due to their lack of knowledge with its permissibility; or it is as if they would do that because of what happened after the first generation [i.e., the time of the Prophet ﷺ] - when corruption and the like became rampant.

A woman, whose name is not known, came to them and stayed in the palace of Bani Khalaf, which is a palace near al-Basrah, and is attributed to a descendant of the grandfather of Ṭalha ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Khalaf - who is known as Ṭalha al-Ṭalahaat.

After this woman noticed that the people prevented the women from setting out towards the place where the ‘Eid prayer is performed, she reported to them about the husband of her sister - and that he was present [and took part] alongside the Prophet ﷺ in twelve battles, while her sister was present with her husband for six of them. Her sister related [to her] that she remained with the women to tend to the sick and treat the wounded. On ‘Eid, her sister asked the Prophet ﷺ about the ruling of a woman going out to the place where the ‘Eid prayer was to be held if she did not have a loose veil that covered her head and body. The Prophet ﷺ instructed her to borrow one from one of her sisters in Islam, so as she can set out by herself towards the prayer site to take part in the blessings, making supplication, [and observing] the supplications of the believers.

Then, Hafsah bint Seereen relates that when Umm ʿAtiyyah came, she asked her about the report of the woman [whose name was not known] regarding menstruating women attending the ‘Eid prayer. She confirmed and believed it and reported that the Prophet ﷺ would order all of the women - even those who were on their menses and young women who recently reached puberty - to set out towards the prayer area [on] ‘Eid. In other words, Hafsah bint Seereen asked Umm ʿAtiyyah inquiringly: “Does the menstruating woman take part [in the observances] of ‘Eid?” [To this], Umm ʿAtiyyah replied: “Yes, may my father be sacrificed for the Prophet ﷺ.” Then, she mentioned some examples of cases where menstruating woman would participate [in them]. She said: “Doesn’t the menstruating woman present herself at ʿArafaat and other such places, and partake [in their rites]? “

[Things] such as al-Muzdalifah and throwing the pebbles at the Jamaraat. This is just a [simple] listing of the [various] events and large gatherings which a woman can partake in while she is on her menses. By analogy, it is permissible for the menstruating woman to be present at the site of the ‘Eid prayer, but she should remain behind the rows without praying.

From the benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth: (i) the menstruating woman should not forgo the remembrance of Allah or refrain from attending places of goodness, such as gatherings of knowledge and Allah’s remembrance - other than [at] the masjid, (ii) the Muslim women can go out [and partake in the observances] of ‘Eid, because when the Prophet ﷺ ordered the one who does not have a jilbaab (a long flowing outer garment) to borrow one. So, this is all the more reason for the one who owns a jilbab to attend it, (iii) this narration is a beautiful demonstration of the noble character that the women of the Ansaar had in striving to veil themselves and forbidding their womenfolk from departing [their homes] without a wide and loose jilbaab that covers their bodies, (iv) it is permissible for women to go out to a battle if there is a benefit in doing so, and there is safety from temptation and corruption, and (v) the great respect and veneration of the Companion (may Allah be pleased with them) for the Prophet ﷺ, even [to the point] that they rarely mentioned him ﷺ without offering their fathers and mothers as a ransom to him ﷺ .
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982

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ used to slaughter - or perform nahr – his sacrificial animal at the site of ‘Eid prayer.

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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺtaught us the requisites, recommended actions and etiquettes related to the ‘Eid days. One of these [pertinent] topics is the slaughtering of the sacrificial animal, which is a ritual from amongst the significant Islamic rites.

In this hadeeth, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Prophet ﷺ used to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the site of ‘Eid prayer, in front of the people. He used to slaughter the sacrificial animal by a horizontal cut through the throat – or by the means of nahr which is similar to the regular method of slaughter, but the slaughtering happens by a vertical movement of the spear to the lower part of the throat. The latter method is preferred for slaughtering camels.

It is said that the Prophet ﷺ used the method of nahr on the camels of sacrifice whereas the regular slaughtering method he used on cows and sheep. This ritual was performed at the site of ‘Eid prayer, whenever he ﷺwas in al-Madeenah.

The reason the Prophet ﷺ slaughtered the sacrificial animals at the site of the ‘Eid prayer is so that the people could see him, in order that they may slaughter [their own animals] with certainty after him and observe his manner of slaughtering the animal, because this kind of acts of worship require clarification [so people can be able to perform it]. The other reason is so that the people can [hasten] to slaughter their sacrificial animals after the prayer, as mentioned in the narration documented in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of al-Baraaa’ ibn ʿAaazib(may Allah be pleased with them) wherein he said: “The first thing to be done on this day is to perform the prayer; then, return [to our abodes], and slaughter our sacrificial animals.”

This teaches us that the sacrifice is not valid [if done] before the ‘Eid prayer, because the sacrifice is a public act of worship that [is generally done] in the vicinity of the people. For this reason, doing it in public is preferable; because, by doing so, the sunnah is revived. Nevertheless, it is permissible to perform the ritualistic sacrifice at any place in the house, even inside the houses, and so on.

Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) diligently applied this Sunnah to the extent it was reported that one time he was ill and could not partake in the ‘Eid prayer; therefore, he ordered Naafiʿ to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the site of the ‘Eid prayer. This was reported by [Imaam] Maalik in the Muwatta’.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is we should demonstrate and publicly practise the ritualistic slaughter on the day of ‘Eid..

985

Narrated Jundab(may Allah be pleased with him): On the Day of Nahr, the Prophet ﷺ offered the prayer and delivered the sermon and then slaughtered the sacrifice. Then he said, "Anybody who slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the prayer should slaughter another animal in lieu of it, and the one who has not yet slaughtered should slaughter the sacrifice mentioning Allah's name on it.".

Commentary : The slaughtering of a sacrificial animal is one of the most significant rites of Islam. It is a public ritual in all regions; and is considered an appointed act of worship, and its time enters after the ‘Eid prayer and sermon have been performed.

In this hadeeth, Jundab ibn ʿAbdullah al-Bajalee(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ performed the ‘Eid prayer first on the Day of Nahr. The use of the word nahr here refers to ‘Eid al-Aḍhaa, and it is often called the Day of Nahr because the pilgrims slaughter their sacrificial animals on that day, on the 10th day of DhulHijjah. The Prophet ﷺ offered the ‘Eid prayer without an adhaan or iqaamah, nor any prayers which are performed before or after it. After he ﷺ completed the prayer, he delivered the ‘Eid sermon and exhorted the people. The sermon of ‘Eid is like the sermon delivered on Fridays - and is comprised of two parts and a pause [in between both of them]; except that it is delivered after the prayer and not before it (as is the case for the sermon of Friday). After delivering the ‘Eid sermon, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ slaughtered his sacrificial animal at the Musallaa.

Then, the Prophet ﷺexplained that whoever slaughtered his sacrificial animal before the ‘Eid prayer, effectively, must slaughter another in its place. This is because the first slaughtered animal did not suffice and is not considered a [completion of a] rite, nor as a ritualistic sacrifice. As for the one who did not slaughter his sacrifice before the ‘Eid prayer, then he should slaughter it after the prayer and mention the Name of Allah on it - that is to say: Let him sacrifice it to Allah, because saying bismillah (by the name of Allah) when slaughtering the animal manifests the person’s Islam; differ from those who slaughter for the sake of other things; suppress the Shayṭaan; and be blessed by His Noble Name of Allah – Exalted be He.
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986

Jaabir(may Allah be pleased with him) related that on Day of ‘Eid, the Prophet ﷺ would return by a different road from the one he had taken when going out..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺtaught us the requisites of ‘Eid, along with its recommended actions and etiquettes. One of these [pertinent topics] is how to go to the site where the ‘Eid prayer is held and returning to one’s [home afterwards]. In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ʿAbdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) states that it was the habit of the Prophet ﷺafter leaving from the ‘Eid prayer and his deliverance of the sermon, to return to his abode from another way other than the route which he took to the Musallaa.

It is said that the wisdom of this practise was so that he ﷺ may spread happiness to all his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them); or so they can benefit from it in fulfilling their needs concerning: knowing the rulings, or [that they may] learn [something] and then carry it out, or give charity, or greet them, and the like.

It is also possible that he ﷺ used to do it in order to visit his kin who were not on his first route, or to lessen the crowd amongst him ﷺ, or so that the two paths [that he treaded] may testify for him, or to make the rites of Islam apparent and established, or to vex the hypocrites and Jews, or to alarm them by the multitude of people who were with him, or to be optimistic about [a] transformation of [their] state[s] towards forgiveness and contentment, or that he intended to multiply the reward by increasing the [number of steps] of the two paths in going to the Musallaa and returning from it. All of these aspects are possible, by the permission of Allah, Exalted be He..

991

Naafi’ related that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) would [sometimes] offer Witr [in the form of three prayer units] but would make tasleem after the first two units, and then offer the last unit independently so he could [have some time in between] to attend some of his needs..

Commentary : Witr is the last prayer of the night that Muslims perform after their night supererogatory prayers.

In this hadeeth, the taabi’ee - Naafi’, the servant of ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar, reports that Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) would break the Witr prayer into two parts so as he would perform the concluding part of the prayer (i.e., Taasleem) after the first two units, and then offer the last unit separately. In other words, he would sit to do the tashahhud [i.e., the portion of the prayer where one declares the testimony of faith]; and afterwards, perform the tasleem. Thereafter, he would stand and perform a single unit so that he may try to attend some of his needs”- that is to say, his action was due a need; and that his custom [generally] for the Witr prayer was to perform the three units jointly [i.e., without any breaks or separations].

This is an explanation on how to perform the Witr prayer; it is either prayed three units continuously with one tasleem, or disjointly with two tasleems. In the case of the latter, one should offer two prayer units and conclude it with tasleem [thereafter]. Then, offer the third prayer unit and conclude it with another tasleem..

996

Narrated ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Allah's Messenger ﷺ offered Witr prayer (on different nights) at various hours, extending (from the 'Ishaa' prayer) up to the last hour of the night..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to pray so much at night, and encouraged us to perform the Witr prayer, and to make it the last prayer at night.

In this hadeeth, ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) expounds on the manner of the Prophet ﷺ towards the Witr prayer. The Mother of the Believers, ‘Aishah, was the most knowledgeable person of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at night; she was his wife and witnessed what other people were not able to in relation to his prayers at night. She learned its times, counted the number of its units, its [various] forms, and so forth.

She reported that the time of the prayer of the Prophet ﷺ varied with regards to Witr. Sometimes, he prayed it at the first part of the night; other times he prayed it in the middle of night; and some other times, he prayed it at its end. The reason he prayed it at different time is to make ease and accommodation towards his nation; thus, it is possible to offer the Witr prayer at any time of the night. However, the time of night during which the Prophet ﷺ eventually settled on to offer the Witr prayer was near the time before the appearance of morning twilight.

From this hadeeth we learn that the time of the Witr prayer extends [from the first part of the night] to before Fajr prayer, and that the minimum [number of prayer units] for the Witr prayer is one unit or three.
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999

Narrated Sa`eed ibn Yasaar: I was travelling with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar on the road to Makkah. On the way, I feared that it was nearly fajr time, thus, I dismounted and performed the Witr prayer then joined ‘Abdullah. Upon seeing me, he said, “where have you been” I replied, I feared the time of Fajr to enter so I dismounted and prayed the Witr prayer. He said to me: Is not the Messenger of Allah ﷺ an excellent model and exemplar for you to emulate?' I said, 'Of course, by Allah, [he ﷺ is an excellent example for me to follow]'. He said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray Witr on his camel.".

Commentary : The requirements of prayer in supererogatory prayers are not as strict in obligatory prayer; thus, it was made easier and considerate of the different circumstances of people.

Witr is the last prayer that a Muslim performs at night after the supererogatory prayers. If a Muslim is traveling, then he is granted some concessions that make the business of travel easier for him, such as shortening the prayers, and so on. From these concessions is the permissibility to pray the Witr while riding [on his mount] without [needing] to dismount from his camel, or [any other] means of transportation.

In this hadeeth, the taabi’ee, Saʿid ibn Yasaar reports that he was travelling with ʿAbdullaah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) along the path to Makkah, and they had set out [from their place of departure] at night. However, when he became fearful that the time for the Fajr Prayer was approaching and [was] about to enter without praying Witr; he dismounted from his camel and then performed the Witr prayer. Then, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar said to him: “Where have you been?”

Saʿeed replied: “I feared the time of Fajr to enter; thus, I dismounted and performed the Witr prayer.” To which, ʿAbdullah replied: “Is not the Messenger of Allah ﷺ an excellent model and exemplar for you to emulate?”Saʿeed responded: “Yes, by Allah! He ﷺ is an excellent example for me [to follow].”

ThenʿAbdullah related to him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform the Witr prayer while he was traveling atop the back of his camel, setting out to wherever the camel was being led and that he would perform the opening takbir facing towards the Qiblah so that he could enter into the prayer. The validity of the prayer is not affected if the mount moved into in any direction after that. He ﷺ would motion with his head, gesturing for the movements of bowing and prostration. This was to facilitate and alleviate in matter[s] of supererogatory and voluntary prayers. As for that which is obligatory, one may not pray while he is on his mount - other than out of an excuse pertaining to an intense fear or sickness, and the like..

1000

Ibn ‘Umar narrated: The Prophet ﷺ used to offer (supererogatory) night prayers on his mount, gesturing with his head [for bowing and prostration]. However, he would never do this with compulsory prayers. He also used to pray Witr on his mount..

Commentary : The supererogatory prayer differs from the obligatory prayer with regards to some of its rulings, and some of which have been mentioned in this hadeeth. ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ would pray supererogatory prayers during the journey while he was riding atop his mount that he disembarked with in any direction that he proceeded towards. However, he would first perform the opening takbir while facing the Qiblah, and then his mount would move in any direction after that.

He ﷺ used to motion by gesturing, [and this was done] by moving his head to serve as an indication for the movements of bowing and prostration; and the nodding motions for the prostration were lower than the gestures for bowing. He ﷺ would do this for the supererogatory prayers, including the Witr prayer.

As for the obligatory prayers, he ﷺ would not do this while traveling. But rather, he used to dismount from his riding animal and perform the obligatory prayer on the ground, facing the Qiblah. This was to facilitate and alleviate in matter[s] of supererogatory and voluntary prayers. As for that which is obligatory, one may not pray while he is on his mount - other than out of an excuse pertaining to an intense fear or sickness, and the like..

1002

Narrated ‘Asim: I asked Anas ibn Maalik about the Qunoot [in the prayer]. He replied, "Definitely, it was recited." I asked again, "Was it recited before bowing or after it?" Anas replied, "Before bowing." I said: "But so-and-so told me that you informed him that it had been recited after bowing." Anas said, "He must be mistaken! Allah's Messenger ﷺ recited Qunoot after bowing for a period of one month. It was because he ﷺ sent about seventy men, known as the Reciters, to a group of pagans with whom the Prophet ﷺ had a peace treaty; they were less than them in number. (However, the pagans breached the treaty and killed the seventy Muslim men). Consequently, Allah's Messenger ﷺ recited Qunoot for a period of one month during which he asked Allah to punish them.".

Commentary : The prayer is an act of worship and no act of worship can be sanctioned except on the basis of a textual evidence to that effect. The Prophet ﷺ explained to us all its actions, etiquettes, and what else pertains to it, such as supplications and the Qunoot, which the Sunnah clarified for us, specifically on how to exercise them during times of misfortune.

In this hadeeth, the taabi’ee ‘Aasim al-Ahwal reports that he asked Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) about the legitimacy of the Qunoot, which is a supplication offered during the prayer. It is prescribed to be recited when the imaam begins the last bowing with the supplication so as the people praying behind him say “Ameen” to his supplication.

The answer of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) was that it is legitimate, and that the Prophet ﷺ performed it. Then, ‘Aasim inquired whether it was performed before the bowing or after it? To which, Anas responded by mentioning that it was performed before the bowing. Thereafter, ‘Aasim said to Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) - that: “someone informed me that you said: that the Qunoot was performed after the bowing.”

Anas responded by saying, “Kadhaba” - i.e. “He’s mistaken.” The Arabs say this word for the one who is mistaken: “Kadhabta” [which is literally translated as “you have lied”.]

Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ once performed the Qunoot after the bowing for a month. In a wording [of another narration] as transmitted according to al-Bukhaaree, he adds: “From that incident, the Qunoot began to be performed, as we did not say it before that.” The lesson learned from this statement is that Qunoot is performed during the times of calamities that befall upon the Muslims. The story behind this is that the Prophet ﷺ dispatched a group from the Ahl al-Suffah - and it is said of them: that they were al-Qurraa’ (reciters of the Quran) and were 70 in number - to a tribe of the polytheists - and they were the people of Najd, from BaneeʿAamir - so that they could invite them towards Islam and recite the Quran to them. However, when they camped in a place near a well called Bi’rMaʿoona, ʿAamir ibn al-Ṭufayl and a group of people from the Arab tribes moved towards the encampment - and the respective tribes were Riʿl, Dhakwaan, Banu al-Hayyaan, and ʿUsayyah - and attacked and killed them. No one survived, except Kaʿb ibn Yazeed al-Ansaaree. This occurred in the 4th year A.H.

Anas’ statement [referring to the al-Qurraa’ being sent] “to a tribe of polytheists [whose numbers] were less than them” - that is to say: the number of the Qurraa’ was less than those to whom they were originally dispatched to. It has been said that this means, rather, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent the Qurraa’ to a tribe of the polytheists who had a treaty with him, and not to those who did not. But they violated the treaty when they betrayed the Qurraa’.

The Prophet ﷺ performed the Qunoot continuously for a month, without any breaks. He ﷺ supplicated against them during the Fajr prayer, like what is [reported] in a narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): who narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said “the Qunoot for one month in the Fajr prayer”: and he would say: “Verily, the ʿUsayyah have disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.” According to Abu Dawood, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them): “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed the Qunoot for a month consecutively in the Dhuhr, ʿAsr, Maghrib, ʿIshaa’, and Fajr prayers” [i.e., the five obligatory prayers].

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is the permissibility of: (i) performing the Qunoot before bowing [in the last prayer unit], (ii) saying the Qunoot after bowing in the prayer during times of calamity, and (iii) supplicating against the people of treachery, oppressors, and to announce their names and declare them during the prayer.

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1009

Narrated Salim from his father that he said, "The following poetic verse occurred to my mind while I was looking at the face of the Prophet ﷺ while he was praying for rain. He did not get down till the rainwater flowed profusely from every roof-gutter:

A man with white complexion that rains is sought by virtue of his countenance,

He cares for the orphans and is the guardian of widows,

These were the words of Abu Talib.".

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best of people in manners and the most beautiful of them in character; and his Lord has created him with the most elegant of forms.

In this hadeeth, ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates [about a time] when he saw the face of the Prophet ﷺ while he was praying for rain. [What this] means is: [that] he supplicated and prayed to Allah, Most High, for rainfall, upon which Allah, Exalted be He, answered his prayers and sent forth the rain until every meezaab flowed copiously. Meaning: the rain came down in an abundance. The word meezaab is what the water flows through from a high place [i.e., a gutter on the eaves of a building]. It is as if the rain came pouring down with force from the sky. When Ibn ʿUmar saw that, he remembered the words of Abu Taalib about the Prophet ﷺ:

A man with white complexion that rains is sought by virtue of his countenance,

He cares for the orphans and is the guardian of widows,

Meaning: the people used his supplications as a means of intercession during his lifetime and requested of him to pray for rain on their behalf after they despaired of rain. The Prophet ﷺ was the provider of sustenance for the orphans while [also] taking responsibility for their affairs, financial support, and shelter. And he ﷺ was the protector of the widows and protected them from whatever harm that may have come their way. The words “widows” here is the translation of the Arabic word araamil which is the plural for the word: armalah, and it is used to describe the woman whose husband has passed away [i.e., a widow].

It is as if Abu Taalib alluded to in this poem to what happened during the time of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib - when he prayed for rain on behalf of Quraysh, while the Prophet ﷺ, who was with him, was a young boy. It is possible that he praised him ﷺ with this for noticing the signs of that in him, even if he did not witness these events with him.

From hadeeth, we learn that the Prophet ﷺ possessed outstanding qualities with respect to the beauty of his appearance and disposition; and that he ardently helped people in any way he was able to, and that he did not stop praying for rain until every gutter flowed profusely.

It shows us that composing and reciting poetry in praise of Islam and the Messenger ﷺ is praiseworthy and should not be censured.

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1010

Anas ibn Maalik(may Allah be pleased with him) related that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab used to pray for rain using al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib as a means of intercession to Allah whenever they experienced a drought. He used to say, "O Allah! We interceded through our Prophet to You and You then sent us rain; and now we intercede through our Prophet’s uncle to You, therefore, give us water.” He said they were then given water..

Commentary : Allah, Exalted be He, holds the treasures of the heavens and earth in His hand, and it is out of His mercy that he sends down abundant rain after people despaired from it ceases. When this occurs, the istisqaa’ has been prescribed for them - which is to request [Allah] to send down rain out of Allah’s mercy and compassion.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik(may Allah be pleased with him) reports that whenever it failed to rain during the time of his caliphate, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭaab(may Allah be pleased with him) would pray for rain (al-istisqaa’) - which is to head out to pray with humility, hope and fear, requesting for rain to be sent down; and the prayer of istisqaa’ is a two-units prayer in length.

The word al-Qahṭ used here refers to when it is dry, there is little water, and an absence of rain [i.e., periods of drought].

In this kind of circumstance, ʿUmar would appoint al-‘Abbaas ibn Abd al-Muṭṭalib - the paternal uncle of the Prophet ﷺ - to supplicate on behalf of the people; [and ʿUmar] would say: ‘O Allah! Verily, we used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to call upon You, so that he may be a means for us to You, because of his favour with You. And You heard his prayers and would send rain to us. And after the death of the Prophet ﷺ, we now ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ to serve as a means for us to You [ i.e., by his supplication and prayers for rain, so that it may come down]. So, bless us with rain!’

When ʿUmar used to do that; Allah, Exalted be He, would send down the rain upon them, due to the invocations for rainfall by al-Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with him).

This form of intercession is not an intercession through the righteous man and the [qualities being attributed] to himself, his rank, or his righteousness. But rather, it is an intercession through his invocation and appeals for help towards Allah, Exalted be He. ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not intercede through the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ after his death, because doing this after his passing is impossible. For this reason, he resorted to a possible form of intercession; thus, choosing al-‘Abbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) due to his close familial relationship with the Prophet ﷺ from one perspective; and his righteousness, faith, and piety on the other.

So ʿUmar asked him to supplicate on their behalf, appealing for an abundant and beneficial rainfall.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is we recognize the permissibility of the istisqaa’ prayer, and intercession is sought from the living, and not the dead.

This haadeeth also refutes those who seek intercession to Allah through the dead. .

1013

Narrated Shareek ibn ‘`Abdullah ibn Abi Namir: “I heard Anas ibn Maalik saying, "On a Friday, a person entered the Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Allah's Messenger ﷺ was delivering the sermon. The man stood in front of the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'O Allah's Messenger! The livestock have died, and the roads have been cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e., Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained." Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Allah's Messenger ﷺ was delivering the Friday's sermon. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Messenger! The livestock are dying, and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' "Anas added, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' So, the rain stopped, and we came out walking in the sun." Shareek asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us to turn towards Allah, Most High, by supplicating to Him for all of our affairs, and during times of misfortune specifically; thus, we invoke Him to take away the affliction from us. In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man entered through one of the entrances of al-Masjid al-Nabawee - and this entrance was facing opposite of the pulpit - while the Messenger ﷺ was on the pupil delivering the Friday sermon. The man stood facing the Messenger ﷺ directly and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! The livestock have died, because of the lack of available nourishment and sustenance needed to live due to the restriction of rain, and the roads have been cut off - namely, the paths. The camels could not travel upon them due to their emaciation or weakness because of the scarcity of herbage, or cessation of nourishment [being available]; therefore, they were not brought along, or nothing could be carried by them. For these reasons, I ask you to call upon Allah to send down an abundant rainfall upon us.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ acceded to the man’s invocation and raised his hands in supplication and said: “O Allah! Bless us with rain!”, and he repeated it three times, because one of his customs was that whenever he made supplication, he would do so three times, and if he asked [for anything from his Lord], he would do it three times, as reported in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Ibn Mas’ood(may Allah be pleased with him).

Anas ibn Maalik(may Allah be pleased with them) then reported that the sky was so clear when the Prophet ﷺ was supplicating while standing on his pulpit (i.e., there were no gathering clouds, nor any small, scattered, isolated clouds, nor did they see any winds or any other indicator that would suggest that rain is approaching.) Anas mentioned that between them and Salʿa - which is a mountain near al-Madeenah - there were no house[s] or building[s] obstructing their view. However, after the Prophet ﷺ supplicated, a cloud suddenly appeared from behind Salʿa that was similar to that of a turs in roundness - [but] not in scale. The tursis a weapon of war, that was used for protecting the combatant from the strikes of arrows and swords [i.e. a shield].

On his statement[s]: “When it reached the middle” [this] refers to the [new] small, scattered, isolated cloud which appeared before them.

“of the sky, it spread; then it began to rain.” - namely, the cloud continued circling until it reached the horizon, and then spread [across the sky] at that moment. This served as a sign [that Allah, Most High, would] fill the earth with rain.

[Later], Anas swore that they did not see the sun for a period of six days because the presence of clouds and rain persisted. Then, a man -it is possible that it was the same man [as last time], or someone else - entered the following Friday (the day of Friday) from the [same] entrance which the first petitioner entered, while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the Friday’s sermon. The man stood in front of him ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! The livestock have died due to the large amount of rain, because the pasture[s] have been cut off; thus, the livestock have died from not being able to graze the land. And the roads have [also] been cut off, so it is impossible for them to take the paths due to the large amount of water. So, I ask you to call upon Allah so as clouds withhold the water within and not send down any [more] rainfall or water.’ The Prophet ﷺ then rose his hands, and then said: ‘O Allah! Around us…” - namely, that He sends the rain down around us, and not upon us. What is meant here is to divert the rainfall away from the buildings and send it down where they will not be harmed by it.

‘O Allah! Upon the Aakaam...’ - [Aakaam] is the plural for the word akamah, and it is a [mass] of naturally collected earth, or a massive plateau, or a small mountain, and what projects from the earth or mountains.

‘And al-Aajaam....” - they are tall structures that resemble palaces that served as some of the fortresses of al-Madeenah.

“And al-Dhiiraab…” - [Dhiraab] is the plural for the word Dharib, and it can be a large rock formation that projects from the earth, or small hills that cannot be considered mountain[s].

“And valleys, and places where trees grow.” - meaning: O Allah send the rains down to areas where trees and grasslands grow - and not on the trodden paths.

Accordingly, the rain ceased falling around al-Madeenah, and they departed from the masjid while walking in the sun. That was from the great bounties that Allah placed over His Prophet ﷺ, and through which He manifested his high status in the sight of Allah, Exalted be He.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that this is one sign of many that demonstrate the [truthful] prophethood of our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

It teaches us to observe the etiquette of supplication - the Prophet ﷺ did not call upon Allah to cease the rains categorically, because it is possible that there may be a need for its continuation.

The hadeeth shows us that supplicating Allah for the removal of any harm does not contradict our reliance upon Allah, and that it is permissible to speak with the khateebwhile he is on the pulpit delivering the sermon - out of necessity..

1022

Narrated Abu Ishaaq: 'Abdullah ibn Yazeed al-Ansaari went out with Al-Baraa' ibn 'Aazib, and Zayd ibn Arqam(may Allah be pleased with them) and invoked for rain. He ('Abdullah bin Yazeed) stood up but not on a pulpit and invoked Allah for rain and then offered a two-units prayer with loud recitation without calling the Adhaan or Iqaamah. .

Commentary : The Prayer for Rain (Istisqaa’) was prescribed for the sake [that we can] ask for rain and water when it has been cut off and restricted from when it usually descends. In this prayer, the imaam leads the people in prayer and performs two-units of it with complete humility and submission for Allah, asking Him to send down the rainfall upon them.

In this hadeeth, the taabiʿee, Abu Ishaaq al-Sabee’ee reports that ʿAbdullah ibn Yazeed al-Ansaaree - who was the governor of Kufah at the time of ʿAbdullah ibn al-Zubayr(may Allah be pleased with them) - went out with al-Baraa’ ibn ʿAazib and Zayd ibn Arqam(may Allah be pleased with them) and they performed the Istisqaa’ prayer - which is the appeal for water when it has long failed to appear. So, ʿAbdullah ibn Yazeed(may Allah be pleased with him) stood on his two legs and did not ascend upon the pulpit - to show imploration and weakness before Allah. Then, he asked for Allah’s forgiveness. This is because supplicating and beseeching Allah in fervent supplication are some of the greatest ways in which we can ward off calamity and remove harm. Then, he performed a two-unit prayer with those behind him during which he recited clearly with an audible voice. The two-units prayer is performed without an adhaanor iqaamah being called..

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..

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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..

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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..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book of Hadith