| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

1846

Narrated Anas ibn Maalik (ra): Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered Makkah in the year of its Conquest wearing a Mighfar on his head and when the Prophet (ﷺ) took it off, a person came and said, "Ibn Khatal is holding the covering of the Ka`bah (taking refuge in the Ka`bah)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Kill him."
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims departed from Makkah oppressed, then returned as victors after the Quraysh violated the covenant which existed between them and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as stipulated in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. The Conquest of Makkah is the greatest victory of the Muslims and heralded that the sun of disbelief and polytheism has set in the Arabian Peninsula.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that when the Prophet ﷺentered Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, - which is the eighth year after Hijrah - he had a mighfar on his head, which is a protective helmet with a piece of chain mail connected to it, which warriors wear in combat in order to protect themselves. It has been transmitted on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (ra) that on the Day of the Conquest, the Messenger of Allah ﷺentered Makkah wearing a black turban.” [Saheeh Muslim]. It is possible that the helmet was above the turban, protecting his noble head from the rust of iron, or that the turban was over the helmet and chain mail. Or that he ﷺ first entered the city with the helmet on his head, then removed it and put on the turban after that, and each of the narrators reported what they saw.

After the Prophet ﷺ took off the helmet, a man - whose name is Aboo Barzah Nadlah ibn ‘Ubayd al-Aslamee (ra) or Sa’eed ibn Hurayth (ra) - came to him ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Ibn Khatal is clinging to the curtain of the Ka‘bah.” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ issued his order to kill him.

Ibn Khatal’s name used to be ‘Abd al-‘Uzzaa in the time of ignorance before the Islam. He was from the tribe of Banee Taym ibn Fihr ibn Ghaalib. When he embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah ﷺnamed him ‘Abdullah, and his given name was Khatal ‘Abd Manaaf. The word Khatal was his epithet because one of his jawbones was lower than the other.

The Prophet ﷺhad sent Ibn Khatal to a place with a man who was one of the Ansaar, to collect alms, and was invested with authority over the other man. But when they both were on the way, Ibn Khatal killed the man who was with him from the Ansaar, took his money and belongings. When he returned to Makkah, he brought along two singing female slaves who sang insults about the Prophet ﷺ. Thereafter, the Prophet ﷺ had excluded him from the amnesty which he ﷺ had offered to those who entered the Sacred Mosque during the Conquest of Makkah. He ﷺhad ordered for Ibn Khatal to be killed, even if he was found clinging to the curtains of the Ka‘bah. As a result, Aboo Barzah (ra) killed him, with Sa’eed ibn Hurayth (raa) participating in the act. It may have been Sa’eed ibn Thu’ayb or al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwaam (ras). Ibn Khatal was executed between the site where Ibraheem (as) stood near the Ka‘bah (i.e., the maqam of Ibraheem) and the well of Zamzam; and it was done so for the treacherous acts he committed while being a legally responsible member of the early Islamic community. Therefore, he was executed in retribution for the blood of the Muslim he killed, and then later apostatized from the religion, which was analogous to high treason.

This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of entering Makkah without being in the consecrated state one enters for Hajj or ‘Umrah (i.e., Ihraam).

It shows the permissibility of administering the fixed punishments (Hudood) and retributions (Qisaas) in Makkah.

It also shows that the Ka‘bah does not protect the offender, nor does it prevent the local leadership from issuing an obligatory fixed punishment.

It also highlights the permissibility of wearing a mighfar, and other instruments of war in case of fear of engaging with the enemy, and that does not contradict one’s complete reliance and trust in Allah.

And lastly, it establishes the permissibility of informing the authorities of corrupt people, and that this is not considered a prohibited form of backbiting and talebearing..

1852

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): A woman from the tribe of Juhaynah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "My mother had vowed to perform Hajj, but she died before performing it. May I perform Hajj on my mother's behalf?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother, would you have paid it or not? So, pay Allah's debt as He has more right to be paid."
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Commentary : The vow is an act of worship and pious deed that should not be done for anyone except Allah. He, The Mighty and Majestic, has praised the worship of His righteous servants; promised them rewards and recompense; and mentioned that some of their qualities is fulfilling their vows when He says: {They fulfil their vows} [Quran 76:7].

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that a woman from the Juhaynah tribe came and asked the Prophet ﷺ about the legal verdict for completing the Hajj on behalf of her mother who died yet vowed to perform it but did not complete it before her passing. The Prophet ﷺ said to her: “Perform the Hajj on her behalf.” Then, the Prophet ﷺlikened the Hajj that her mother owes to a debt, and it is incumbent to fulfil it, because it is a right due to a person; and the fulfilment of a vow is a right that Allah, The Almighty has over His creation. Therefore, fulfilling His right is more binding and deserving to observe than the rights of man.

Perhaps, the Prophet ﷺallowed her to perform the Hajj on behalf of her mother with the understanding that the woman had already performed the obligatory Hajj for herself first; and then desired to perform it on behalf of her mother. This is based on a hadeeth transmitted by Aboo Daawood, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra), who narrates: “that the Prophet ﷺonce heard a man say: ‘Here I am O Allah on behalf of Shubrumah.” To which, The Messenger of Allah ﷺasked: “Who is Shubrumah?” The man replied: ‘A brother or close relative of mine.’ He ﷺ said in return: “Have you performed the Hajj on behalf of yourself?” The man said: ‘No.’ The Prophet then said: ‘Perform the Hajj for yourself, then perform it on Shubrumah’s behalf.” In some wordings of the hadeeth, it has been related: “This Hajj is for yourself, then perform the pilgrimage on behalf of Shubrumah.”

This hadeeth shows the permissibility of performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased and the permissibility of vowing to perform the Hajj.

It highlights the permissibility that one can make analogies and offering examples so that the person listening can makes themselves clearer and make an impact on the minds of those listening and make it easier for them to understand.

It shows that likening something that is dissimilar can be equivocated to something that is agreed upon.

It highlights that it is recommended for the scholar who is issuing fatwa to warn others with regard to the evidence he provides, if it results in a benefit and is more appeasing to the inquirer and encouraging that he will comply.

And lastly, it strongly encourages filial piety, reverence, and devotion to parents by fulfilling their vows and debts..

1857

Narrated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): I came riding on my she-ass and had (just) then attained the age of puberty. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was praying at Minaa. I passed in front of a part of the first row and then dismounted from it, and the animal started grazing. I aligned with the people behind Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (The sub-narrator added that happened in Minaa during the Prophet's Farewell Hajj)
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Commentary : The noble Companions (ras) were eager to be close to the Prophet ﷺ and ensured to accompany him ﷺ at his residence and travels. They transmitted to us what they observed and what transpired amongst them in his presence so that we can take lessons and embrace the examples provided by him.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that he set out to perform the Hajj with the Prophet ﷺ, which was on the Farewell Pilgrimage that occurred in the tenth year after Hijrah. He clarifies that he was approaching the age of puberty; that is to say: just a short time before he reached puberty. He was thirteen years and a few months old at that time.

He came to the Prophet ﷺ, who was at the time standing and leading the prayer at Minaa - which is a valley near the Sacred Precinct of Makkah that the pilgrims descend into for the purpose of staying overnight on the Day of Quenching Thirst (i.e. the first day of Hajj, alias Day of Tarwiyah), and the three days after Eid al-Ad-haa in order to throw their pebbles at the three pillars which are known as the Jamaraat - while riding a female donkey (Arabic: ataan) - which is a name of a genus of donkeys that is used for both male and female donkeys - then he passed in between the first prayer row with the donkey; and that was because the Prophet ﷺ served as a barrier for those praying behind him ﷺ. In a report transmitted by al-Bukhaaree, it has been narrated that “he ﷺ led the people in prayer at Minaa without a barricade in front of him” Then, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) dismounted from the she-ass and stood with the people in the row behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺand made the animal walk so that it could graze and eat. And he (ra) added in a narration reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that: “no one objected to me about it.”

This hadeeth highlights the permissibility of children performing the Hajj. And it shows that the barrier utilized by the prayer leader is a barrier for those praying behind him, or that the prayer leader, himself, is one for those who stand behind him in prayer.

And lastly, it highlights that we may endure some unpleasant scenarios when the benefits that result in the outcome may outweigh the harm..

1858

Narrated ‘Aaishah raa: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told me, “If your people were not closer to the era of disbelief, I would have demolished the House and would have built it on the foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) – as Quraysh shortened its construction – and I would have made a back door for it.”
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Commentary : The description of the construction of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) of the House was that it was curved around the two corners of al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee; thus, the Hijr of Ismaa’eel was a part of it, and it had two corners, which are the two Yamaanee corners. But when Quraysh built it in the pre-Islamic era, they made four corners for it, and placed the Hijr of Ismaa’eel behind it, as they wanted to perfectly complete the circumambulation of the Ka’bah, and it is in the form of a semi-circle adjoining the two corners, al-Rukn al-Shaamee and al-Rukn al-‘Iraaqee. Hence, al-Hijr is part of the Ka’bah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aaishah raa reports that the Prophet ﷺinformed her that were Quraysh not new to Islam (i.e., they are still not yet firm in Islam and completely detached from the traces of the pre-Islam) and were there no fear of the hearts denying it, then he ﷺwould have demolished the Sacred House and would have rebuilt it upon the original foundations of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). The Prophet ﷺadded that he ﷺwould have placed a back exit, meaning, a back door. It is reported in the authentic hadeeth that he ﷺsaid: “I would have placed two doors for it, one door for people to enter and the other door for them to exit.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
He ﷺmentioned to her that Quraysh shortened the construction of the House, meaning, they reduced it to its presently built size and did not build the full House upon the original foundations of Ibraaheem; due to the shortage of funds which they collected to complete its construction. This is because they had stipulated beforehand that the money that will be used to construct the Ka’bah will be the purest of wealth and that it will not contain in it any money earned from prohibited or evil sources.
This hadeeth serves as evidence for perpetrating the lesser of two evils in order to repel the greater of them – that is to say, making no changes to the current construction of the Ka’bah is less in harm than the dissension of some Muslims and their turning away from their religion.
It also serves as a proof for the famous maxim: “Repelling the harm takes priority over obtaining benefits.”
From the other benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to deal tactfully with people in matters of religion - other than the obligatory acts by leaving and removing from the people that which they deny (i.e., things they view as the norm and not aware of its opposite)..

1858

Narrated al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed: (While in the company of my parents) I was made to perform Hajj with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I was a seven-year-old boy then.
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Commentary : Islam places conditions on legal accountability, and mandatory obligations upon the Muslim, including that he performs the Hajj if he has attained puberty, is of sound mind, free, and is able to do so.

In this hadeeth, al-Saa’ib ibn Yazeed (ra) reports that he was one of those who went for Hajj while still a young boy, and he was seven years old at the time he performed it. He mentions that he did it with the Prophet ﷺduring the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year after Hijrah. Thus, the pilgrimage is valid for a child, and he will be rewarded for it; however, it does not suffice him as a fulfilment of the religious duty in performing the Hajj itself.

It is reported on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) that a woman lifted one of her children and called out: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there a Hajj for this [little] one?’ He ﷺresponded by saying: ‘Yes, and you will be rewarded” [Saheeh Muslim].

One benefit that we can conclude from this hadeeth, is learning the permissibility and validity of a child performing the Pilgrimage..

1860

Narrated Ibraaheem from his father from his grandfather that 'Umar(ra) in his last Hajj allowed the wives of the Prophet(ﷺ) to perform Hajj and he sent with them 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan(ra) and 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf(ra) as escorts..

Commentary : ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra) was firm about the truth, and did not fear the censure of the rebuker for the sake of Allah. If the truth appeared in something other than what he deemed correct, he (ra) would relinquish his position immediately.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (i.e. one of the early successors to the noble Companions (ras)) Ibraaheem ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf reports that the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (ra) allowed the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ)to go on Hajj during the last one that he (ra) performed, since ‘Umar (ra) did not permit them to go on Hajj after he became the Caliph of the Muslims, based on what The Almighty says: {and remain in your homes} [Quran 33:33]. He used to believe that it was prohibited for them to travel initially. Then, its permissibility became apparent to him, so he allowed them to do so towards the end of his caliphate. So, they set out to perform the Hajj, except for two of the Mothers of the Believers: Zaynab bint Jahsh (raa) and Sawdah bint Zam‘ah (raa). Thus, The Prophet’s wives performed the pilgrimage, except for them; as they both said: “No beast shall move us after the Messenger of Allah said: This is your Hajj, afterwards stay at home and recline on the tops of mats,” as has been mentioned in the Musnad of Ahmad. The mat referred to in the hadeeth is called Husr in Arabic, which is a mat woven and made out of palm leaves and the like and was spread out and used to furnish the home. What is meant by this statement: is that this Hajj was the one that they should obligatorily perform during their lives; and after completing it; they should remain in their homes and sit atop the furnished mats in their homes; and not leave unnecessarily. Some of the Mothers of the Believers interpreted that what was meant by the hadeeth is that nothing was obligatory upon them other than this pilgrimage. But anything more than that was considered supererogatory. This understanding is reaffirmed by the hadeeth narrated by the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishaa (raa), who relates: “Rather, the best struggle for you, women, is to partake in the performance of the Hajj, and complete it as I have performed it.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab sent ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan and ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (ras) along with them when he permitted them to offer the pilgrimage. Trustworthy women also accompanied the wives on their Hajj, and they took the place of a mahram. The other interpretation is that it may be seen that every man is a mahram to them because they are the Mothers of the Believers. ‘Uthmaan used to call out to those around and announce: “No one is to approach them, nor extend a gaze upon them at all, except for a blink of an eye while they are in their howdahs atop of their camels,” as it is mentioned in al-Sunnah al-Kabeer by Imam al-Bayhaqee..

1862

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman may not travel, unless she is accompanied by a mahram, and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Mahram." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger! I intend to go with the such-and-such army, but my wife wants to perform Hajj." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Go along with her (to Hajj).
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Commentary : Women have a significant position in Islam. The religion raises her status, safeguards her, and orders for her: care, support, and patronage in all situations, whether it be in the city, or during travel.

In this hadeeth, there is an illustration of Islam’s protection for women, and its care and concern for them; where the Prophet ﷺ said: “A woman may not travel, unless she is accompanied by a mahram.” A mahram for a woman is anyone who is permanently forbidden from marrying her due to a permitted reason, such as the father, son, the nephews of fellow siblings, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, and the like. So, anything designated as travel is forbidden for a woman without having a husband or mahram in her company.

The Prophet ﷺadded that nor may a man come up to her unless a mahram is with her to show that it is not permissible for a marriageable man to be alone with her; unless one of her mahram is with her because blocking the means to evil is a legitimate objective. Preventing travel and the possibility of marriageable men being alone with women blocks countless means in which wrongdoing may occur, and prevents the temptation of women, which is the strongest trial for men.

Upon hearing this prohibition, one of the Companions (ra)- and he wanted to head out to battle with the Messenger ﷺ - said to the Prophet ﷺ that his wife wanted to perform the Hajj, while he desired to set out for battle against the enemy. So, which concern should he tend to? The Prophet ﷺbided him to set out with his wife and perform the Hajj, so that he may act as a mahram for her and that she may be able to fulfil the obligatory religious duty incumbent upon her. This is because warding off and repelling the enemy is a communal obligation; whereas if it was an individual obligation, it would have taken precedence over departing with her, as can be understood from the authentic hadeeths.

This hadeeth highlights that avoiding corruption takes precedence over bringing about benefits and the good.

It explicitly highlights the prohibition of being alone with marriageable people.

It shows that a man performing Hajj with his wife when she desires to go is superior to his travels in preparation for combat, and that we should give precedence and take caution and care over the most important concerns and distinguish them from matters which conflict with them.

And lastly, it encourages the leader to be on the lookout for the interest of his people.
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1863

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra): When the Prophet (ﷺ) returned after performing his Hajj, he asked Umm Sinaan Al-Ansaaree, "What did prevent you from performing Hajj?" She replied, "Father of so-and-so (i.e., her husband) had two camels and he performed Hajj on one of them, and the second is used for the irrigation of our land." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to her), "Perform `Umrah in the month of Ramadan, as it is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj with me (in reward).
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Commentary : It was the Prophet’s ﷺnoble nature to engage with his Companions and reverently inquiring about their performance of what was obligatory upon them and urge them towards good deeds.

In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺasked Umm Sinaan al-Ansaaree (raa) about the reason she did not partake in Hajj after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage. To which, she told him ﷺthat what had prevented it was that she and her husband, AbooSinaan (ra) did not own any means of transportation except for two camels that carry water for drinking and irrigation. So, her husband went to perform the Hajj with one camel and left the other to irrigate the land which they owned. The Prophet ﷺcomforted her and told her about a deed equal in reward to the Hajj, and that was to perform an ‘Umrah during the month of Ramadan, because an ‘Umrah that is offered in Ramadan is equivalent in its reward to that of the Hajj - or performing the Hajj with him ﷺ, though the narrator doubted that. It does not mean that the ‘Umrah fulfils the necessity of performing the Hajj or takes its place in removing its obligation - even if it appears indicative as such. Rather, it is a mode of hyperbole by strengthening the expression and augmenting a deficiency with something that has been completed (i.e., the pilgrimage itself); in order to encourage its performance. This is similar to what has been reported about the Prophet ﷺstating that [the ayah]: {Say: “He is Allah, who is One and Indivisible} (Quran 112:1) is equivalent to one third of the Quran; where it’s narrated that reciting {Say: “He is Allah, who is One and Indivisible} (Quran 112:1) is equal to the reward of reciting a third of the Quran; but it is not equivalent to reciting a third of the Quran in actuality.

Two benefits we can conclude from this hadeeth is that it highlights that the reward for doing good deeds increases with an increase of cherishing the sanctity of the time in worship, such as increasing the presence of one’s heart, and developing a sense of purpose and realization of their role in relation to Allah.

And lastly, it highlights the merit of performing ‘Umrah during Ramadan..

1864

Narrated Qaz’ah, the freed slave of Ziyaad: I heard Aboo Sa`eed (ra) -who participated in twelve military missions with the Prophet (ﷺ) -saying, "I heard four things from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (or I narrate them from the Prophet (ﷺ) which won my admiration and appreciation. They are: -1. "No woman should travel without her husband or without a Mahram for a two-days' journey. -2. No fasting is permissible on two days of `Eid al-Fitr, and `Eid al-Ad-ha. -3. No prayer may be offered after two prayers: after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets and after the morning prayer till the sun rises. -4. Not to travel (for the purpose of visiting) except for three mosques: Al-Masjid-al-Haram (in Makkah), my Mosque (in al-Madeenah), and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).”
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Commentary : The Companions (ras) were always eager to be near the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; so that: they could drink and be satiated from his ﷺknowledge and be led by his ﷺguidance. They have transmitted what they have learned from him ﷺto us; so, we may walk in his ﷺ path and follow his guidance. Verily, the Prophet ﷺ taught them all of the best in all of their affairs.

In this hadeeth, the Taabi‘ee (i.e. one of the early successors to the Noble Companions (ras)) Qaza‘ah, the freed slave of Ziyaad mentions that he heard AbooSa‘eed al-Khudree (ra) - who fought with the Prophet ﷺin twelve military expeditions - relate that the Prophet ﷺsaid four statements that contain legal issues and rulings. These four declarations had left him in a state of awe and wonder. The two verbs in Arabic used in this hadeeth to describe Aboo Sa’eed’s amazement when hearing these statements have the same meaning, which is astonishment. That is because it is permissible in Arabic to repeat the meaning, due to the different pronunciation and wording. The Arabs do this a lot, as a means to add clarity and emphasis in their vernacular. Or the meaning of the verb used (‘aanawahu) could also mean that it caused him to be happy and delighted as well.

The first of these four statements is that a woman is prohibited from traveling for a two days journey (or longer) without her husband or one of her mahram accompanying her. The mahram for a woman is anyone who is permanently forbidden from marrying her due to a permitted reason related to its inviolable nature, like the father, son, the nephews of fellow siblings, the paternal uncle, the maternal uncle, and the like. It is reported on the authority of AbooHurayrah (ra) that the Prophet ﷺsaid: “A journey the length of a day and night.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim] It has also been transmitted in the same aforementioned works in a report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (ra): “a three days journey.” There is no inconsistency or contradiction between them, however, because the wording differed according to the questioners and people directly involved in the correspondence of the reports. And in all of this, there is no definition in the least regarding what the word “travel” here consists of in regard to length. Nor did he ﷺmention a minimum limit of what is implied in the word ‘travel’ here. The upshot is that anything that may be considered as travel is forbidden for a woman without her husband or a mahram accompanying her - whether it is three days, two days, a single day, half of a day, or anything other than that. Likewise, accompanying a woman in any capacity is restricted to her husband or one of her mahram only; because that serves as a measure to safeguard herself, her honour, and wealth; due to her frailty and helplessness. And this is also due to women being a trial and are more likely to be coveted and desired by others, except in what Allah has created in the souls of man: a natural disposition and propensity to avoid forbidden relationships with kin.

The second is about the prohibition to fast on the ‘Eid holidays (i.e. ‘Eid al Fitr and ‘Eid al-Adhaa). He ﷺforbade fasting on ‘Eid al-Fitr, or the day when one ends their fast in Ramadan, so that there could be a separation between the act of fasting and breaking the fast.

And on ‘Eid al-Ad-haa, or the Day of the Sacrifice, because it is the day which Allah has called and invited His servants to host and honour the people of Minaa and others with what He has prescribed for them with regard to slaughtering a sacrificial animal and eating from it - regardless whether the Muslim fasts on these two days due in part to a vow he has made, or chooses to voluntarily fast, or as an act of expiation. And even if he vows to fast on these two days, his pledge is not settled or fulfilled, because it is a vow made in disobedience, since it is explicitly clear that it is prohibited to fast on these days.

The third is the prohibition of performing prayer after the afternoon prayer (i.e., ‘Asr) until the sun sets; and after dawn until the sun has risen to the height of a lance; which is close to a quarter, or third of an hour (i.e., fifteen to twenty minutes after sunrise). This is excluding prayers that have reasons as to why they are performed such as the performance of makeup prayers, the supererogatory prayer of greeting the mosque, and the like. The wisdom in prohibiting prayer during these two times is because these are the times when those who worship the sun pray; as well as that these are the two times when Satan approaches the sun, so that it is between his two horns.

And the fourth is the prohibition of setting out to travel anywhere except to the following three mosques: The Sacred Mosque in Makkah, The Prophet’s Mosque in al-Madeenah, and Masjid al-Aqsaa in Jerusalem. It is called Al-Aqsaa due to its distance away from The Sacred Mosque and is often translated as “The Furthest Mosque”.

His ﷺstatement: “Do not fasten the saddles to your camels with an intent to travel anywhere, except to these three sacred mosques” is a negation. It is meant to imply a prohibition and is more emphatic and rhetorical in the Arabic language than an outright, explicit prohibition. It is as if he ﷺis saying: ‘It is not upright to intend merely visiting any place, except for these sites; with the purpose of conferring honour and distinction to what distinguishes them from anywhere else.’

The Arabic word, rihaal, used in this hadeeth is the plural for a seat which is used on a camel; like a saddle is used for a horse; and “fastening the saddles'' is often designated as a metonymic phrase for going on a journey because it was a necessary thing to do in preparation for travel in those times, and is mentioned in a way that addressed the riding animal that most travellers rode in that region of world in those days. Otherwise, there is no difference between riding camels, horses, mules, donkeys, and other contemporary modes of transportation, such as: the airplane, car, and the like.

These three mosques are given preference over others because the first is where the people perform Hajj and is the direction to which they turn for prayer - both for the living and the deceased. The second was founded on piety and was built by the best of creation ﷺ, may Allah increase it in eminence. And the third was the direction of prayer for the previous nations.

This hadeeth highlights the significant position women have in Islam, which the religion raises her status, safeguards her, and orders for her: care, support, and patronage in all situations, whether it be in the city, or during travel.

It explains and mentions the times when prayer is prohibited.

And lastly, it highlights the merit the three sacred mosques have over others..

1865

Narrated Anas (ra): The Prophet (ﷺ) saw an old man walking, supported by his two sons, and asked about him. The people informed him that he had vowed to go on foot (to the Ka`bah). He said, "Allah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself," and ordered him to ride.
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Commentary : Allah does not burden any soul with anything other than what it can bear. The condition for legal responsibility and accountability for any action is knowledge, and the ability to act upon it. This is one of the foundations of Islamic law.

In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) reports that the Prophet ﷺsaw a very old man whose bones and strength had weakened and had gotten to the point where he was unable to walk except with the help of someone else. He walked while balancing himself between his sons i.e., he walked between both of them, leaning against them in the process. Then, The Prophet ﷺasked about his state: ‘What is the matter with this one who cannot control himself and almost falls to the ground due to sheer exhaustion and fatigue?’ The told him ﷺthat their father vowed to perform the pilgrimage to the House of Allah (i.e., the Ka‘bah) on foot. The Prophet ﷺdisapproved this action of his, and said: ‘Verily, Allah is not in need of this man torturing himself and burdening himself with something that he is incapable of and unable to do; since Allah, The Almighty, says: {Allah intends ease for you, not hardship} [Quran 2:185].” The Prophet ﷺthen ordered him to ride; due to his inability to fulfil his oath. This is a clear demonstration that the purpose of obligatory worship is not to afflict hardship or incapacitate. Rather, it is an indication of compliance and obedience with the command He has given, and no one is more merciful to creation itself than their Creator, The Almighty and Exalted Be He.

This hadeeth shows the facilitation the religion grants in times of need and hardship.

It highlights that the obligations of the religion and their observance is based upon the ability of the servant to act upon them.

And lastly, it demonstrates that Allah, The Almighty, possesses the attribute of Self-Sufficiency; and is Self-Sufficient by His Essence, and all of His creation are in need and dependent upon He, for All Glory is His Alone..

1866

Narrated ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir: My sister vowed to go on foot to the Ka`bah, and she asked me to take the verdict of the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. So, I did, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "She should walk and also should ride.".

Commentary : The vow is when the person makes an action that is not obligatory incumbent upon himself. So, if what was solemnly pledged was something feasible and was a pious deed not consisting of any sin; yet the servant is unable to fulfil it; then it must be fulfilled somehow. The religion grants facilitation and ease in fulfilling what has been vowed.

In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (ra) reports that his sister had vowed to go on foot to the Ka‘bah. And when she felt distressed for not being able to fulfil her pledge, she requested her brother, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (ra) to ask for the Messenger of Allah’s verdict on her behalf, saying: ‘Is it incumbent upon her to fulfil her vow even though she is unable to do so, or no?’ So, when he asked the Prophet ﷺ this question, he ﷺsaid to him: “Let her walk, and ride.” Meaning: let her walk for however long she is able to and let her ride when she is unable to walk.

It was said that: whoever vows to walk, it is not obligatory for him to do so; whether he is able to do so or not, because walking in and of itself is not an act of obedience. Rather, obedience in this regard pertains to reaching to that place one vowed to reach; like The Ancient House (i.e., an epithet for the Ka‘bah, see Quran 22:29 & 33). It is further added that there is no difference between walking and riding, and for that reason, the Prophet ﷺallowed for ‘Uqbah ibn Naafi‘’s sister to ride even though she vowed to walk. As such, this indicates that the vow is not necessary for walking, even if the pledge goes beyond one’s capability in fulfilling it.

On the contrary, he ﷺordered the very old man to ride in the hadeeth narrated by Anas (ra) in both Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim; he ﷺdid so because the old man was in apparent discomfort. The Prophet ﷺcommanded ‘Uqbah’s sister (raa) to both walk and ride, because she was not described as weak or frail. Thus, it is as if he ﷺordered her to walk if she was able, and to write if she became weak.

This hadeeth highlights the facilitation that the religion grants in times of need and hardship.

And lastly, it highlights that the obligations of the religion and their observance is based upon the ability of the servant to act upon them..

1867

It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet ﷺsaid, “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from such-and-such place to such-and-such place. Its trees may not be cut, and no innovation may be introducedtherein, and whoever introduces an innovation (in religion) therein, will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people.”.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has made Makkah and Al-Madeenah a superior to other places and lands. He declared Makkah a sacred sanctuary for Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and made it a secure land, and declared Al-Madeenah a sacred sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from such-and-such place to such-and-such place.” This is further explained in the hadeeth of ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), who related: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Ayr Mountain to Thawr Mountain.” It is related on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary between its two Laabbahs.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim].
The Arabic word ‘laabah’ means ‘harrah’, which is a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the Harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Mosque of Qubaa’ and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn is located. ‘Ayr Mountain straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah and marks its southern boundary, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. Thawr Mountain, in the northern outskirts, marks the northern boundary, and is about 8 km away from the Prophet’s Mosque. A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality has installed architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Al-Madeenah is manifested in the fact that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable to the extent that no tree may be cut down. As for trees and plants that people grow and plant, it is permissible for people to cut down and eat from them. Hunting animals in Al-Madeenah is also prohibited just like in Makkah, except that there is no expiation required because its sanctuary is not a place for Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals like Makkah. It is narrated on the authority of Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “I declare Al-Madeenah to be sacred throughout the area between its two mountain paths; no blood may be shed therein, weapons may not be carried in it for fighting, and leaves may not be beaten off trees therein except for fodder.” [Saheeh Muslim].
Another aspect of its inviolability is that were a person to perform any act that contravenes Islam, introduce a religious innovation, or commit a major sin therein, he would incur the curse of Allah, i.e., expulsion from His mercy, and the curse of the angels and all people, meaning their supplications against him to be denied Allah’s Mercy. This is a stern warning against such acts, but the intended meaning of the hadeeth’s wording is the prescribed punishment incurred by committing such sins, the first and foremost of which is expulsion from Paradise. However, this curse is not similar to the one incurred by the disbelievers, for they are absolutely denied any chance of receiving the mercy of Allah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that any act that violates the laws of the religion in Al-Madeenah is considered a major sin.
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1868

It was narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ came to Al-Madeenah and ordered a mosque to be built and said, "O tribe of Al-Najjaar! Give me a price (for your land)!" They said, "We do not want its price except from Allah" (i.e., they wished for a reward from Allah for giving up their land freely). So, the Prophet ﷺ ordered the graves of the pagans to be dug out and the land to be leveled, and the date-palm trees to be cut down. The cut date palms were fixed in the direction of the Qiblah of the mosque..

Commentary :
Building a mosque was the first work the Messenger of Allah ﷺperformed after his arrival to Al-Madeenah. This was due to the great importance and significant role of mosques in Islam, being the houses of Allah on earth where prayers are established, and Allah’s remembrance is often mentioned.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)reports that when the Prophet ﷺ migrated from Makkah to Al-Madeenah, the homeland of Islam, he ﷺ commanded that a mosque be built. The land upon which the mosque would be built was originally an orchard owned by someone from the tribe of Al-Najjaar (the tribe to which the maternal uncles of the Prophet ﷺ belonged), of to the Ansaar. He ﷺ summoned them and asked them to estimate the price of their land,so that he could buy it and build the mosque on it. However, they refused to take money in return for the land and told him that they only aspired to the reward of Allah, The Exalted. As the land contained some graves that belonged to the polytheists, their graves were exhumed,since the dead bodies of disbelievers and polytheistsare not given thesanctity of the dead bodies of Muslims. There were also remains of demolished houses; thesewere leveled to the ground. As for the palm trees that were in the land, they were cut down to be used in building the mosque. The trunks of the cut date-palm trees were aligned so as to form the wall facing the Qiblah. The Prophet ﷺ cut down the date-palm trees shortly after his migration to al-Madeenah, whilethe prohibition of cutting the trees of Al-Madeenah - cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim - was only after he ﷺ returned from Khaybar. It is also possible that the prohibition in this regard is limited to cutting down trees to cause corruption, whereas cutting them down for reform purposes (or good reasons) is not deemed prohibited. Another possibility is that the prohibition is confined to the trees that grow naturally rather than those planted by people.
This hadeeth exhibits the virtues and merits of the tribe of Al-Najjaar who belong to the Ansaar.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is not allowed to perform prayers in a graveyard, even if it containss polytheists’ graves, because the prohibition in this regard blocks the way to taking graves as places of prayer. This is because over the course of time, people change, and thus it is feared that people might fall into Fitnah (of taking the graves as places or objects of worship).
It is also inferred from this hadeeth that if the bodies buried in the graveyard are exhumed, and the bones of the dead are taken out, it is no longer considered a graveyard, and thus it is permissible to perform prayer therein.
This hadeeth also serves as evidence on the permissibility of cutting date-palm and other trees for the public interest.
From the other benefits that we can take from this hadeeth is encouraging people tobuild mosques in newly developedareas inhabited by Muslims..

1869

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):The Prophet ﷺsaid, "I have made Al-Madeenah a sanctuary between its two (Harrah) mountains." The Prophet ﷺwent to the tribe of Banoo Haarithah and said (to them), "I see that you have gone out of the sanctuary," but looking around, he added, "No, you are still within limits of the sanctuary."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has made Makkah and Al-Madeenah superior to other places and lands. He declared Makkah a sacred and secure sanctuary for Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and declared Al-Madeenah a sacred sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺhighlights the sacredness of Al-Madeenah and defines the limits of itsinviolable sanctuary. He ﷺ said: “I have made Al-Madeenah a sanctuary between its two (Harrahs)mountains.” i.e., it was declared an sanctuary by the Prophet ﷺ just as Makkah was declared an sanctuary by Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). The Arabic word ‘laabah’ or 'harrah’ (used in the previously cited hadeeth) means a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the Harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Mosque of Qubaa’ and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn is located. ‘Ayr Mountain, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah, and constitutes its southern boundary. Thawr Mountain, around 8 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, is located in the northern outskirts and constitutes the northern boundary.A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality has installed architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Al-Madeenah is manifested in the fact that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable, to the extent that no tree may be cut down. As for trees and plants that people grow and plant, it is permissible for people to cut down and eat from them. Hunting animals in Al-Madeenah is also prohibited, just like Makkah, except that there is no expiation required, because its sanctuary is not a place for Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals like Makkah.
Then, the Prophet ﷺ turned towards the people of Banee Haarithah, belonging to the Aws (i.e., one of the main Arab tribes in Al-Madeenah),whose housesat that time were to the west of the current site of Hamzah’s grave. Considering them outside thesanctuary limits,he ﷺ remarked, “I see that you have gone out of the sanctuary.” However,after looking around and verifying their location, he ﷺ added, “No, you are still within the limits of the sanctuary.”
It is deduced from this hadeeth that a scholar may give his opinion based on what he believes to be most likely, then if he comes to know that he erred, he should simply correct himself and follow the truth.

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1870

Narrated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him):We have nothing except the Book of Allah and this sheet from the Prophet’s words (wherein is written:) “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from the 'Air Mountain to such and such a place, and whoever introduces in it a religious innovation or commits a sin, or gives shelter to such an innovator in it will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And the asylum (of protection) granted by any Muslim is to be secured (respected) by all the other Muslims; and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted, and whoever (freed slave) gives his allegiance and loyalty to other than his manumitters (i.e., take as masters) without their permission incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted.”.

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent to all people, of different skin colors and ethnicities,Arabs and non-Arabs, and he ﷺ did not single out any given people for compliance with certain provisions of the religion. Allah, Most, High, says: (interpretation of meaning): {O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message.} [Quran 5: 67].

In this hadeeth, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he did not have any (written) rulings of Islam except the Quran, and a sheet of paper on which some rulings were documented, and none of these rulings was made exclusive to him, but rather applied to all Muslims. TheProphet ﷺnever concealed any part of the religion from peopleor singled out some of his family members for its knowledge.

Then he (may Allah be pleased with him)mentioned some of the rulings that wereon this sheet, saying: “The Prophet ﷺsaid: ‘Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Aa’ir Mountain to such-and-such place.’ Another hadeeth reads: ‘Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary from ‘Ayr Mountain to Thawr Mountain.’ [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. The two names ‘Aa’ir and ‘Ayr are names of the same mountain. In the same vein, It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Al-Madeenah is a sanctuary between its two harrahs.” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. The Arabic word ‘laabah’ or ‘harrah’ (used in the previously cited hadeeth) means a stony tract or lava field, whose stones are black, as if they were burned with fire. Al-Madeenah, may Allah perpetuate its security and honor, is located between two harrahs; the harrah of Waaqim to the east, where the Qubaa’ Mosque and Waaqim fortress are situated, and the Harrah of Wabarah to the west, where Masjid Al-Qiblatayn (Mosque of the Two Qiblahs) is located. ‘Ayr Mountain, about 8.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, straddles the southern outskirts of Al-Madeenah, and constitutes its southern boundary., and Thawr Mountain, around 8 km from the Prophet’s Mosque, is located in the northern outskirts and constitutes the northern boundary. A Saudi official committee has defined the limits of Al-Madeenah sanctuary, and the Madeenah Municipality hasinstalled architectural signs in the shape of the arcs of the Prophet's Mosque to mark the limits of the sanctuary.
The sacredness of Madeenah entails that whatever lies within its boundaries is declared inviolable (as per the laws of Islam). No animal may be hunted and no tree may be cut down, except those planted by people; it is permissible for them to cut down and eat from such trees only. Even though it is forbidden to hunt in Al-Madeenah (just like in Makkah), there is no prescribed punishment (expiation) for hunting in Al-Madeenah, because, unlike Makkah,it is not a place for performing Hajj or ‘Umrah rituals.
He ﷺ also made mention of the prescribed punishment for performing any act that contravenes Islam (or a religious innovation) or provides support for someone who does so in Al-Madeenah. This includes whoever performs an act that contravenes Islam, commits an offence, does an act of injustice, commits a sin warranting the Hadd (a corporal punishment prescribed by the Sharee`ah), or offers support or refuge toa perpetrator or offender to protect him from his opponent and prevent retaliation.
It also possible that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Muhdath, meaning the religious innovation itself (rather than Muhdith, meaning the one who commits it). Whoever is content with religious innovations, approves of the actions of those who commit them, and does not forbid them, has provided support for those who introduce religious innovations (and therefore the hadeeth applies to him).
Whoever does so has incurred the curse of Allah, i.e., expulsion from His mercy, and the curse of the angels and all people, meaning their supplications against him to be denied the divine mercy. This is a stern warning against such acts, but the intended meaning of the hadeeth’s wording is the prescribed punishment incurred by committing such sin, the first and foremost of which is the expulsion from Paradise. However, this curse is not similar to that incurred by the disbelievers, for they are absolutely denied any chance of receiving the mercy of Allah.
Moreover, Allah does not accept from such a person any ransom to ward off or shield himself from the tormenton the Day of Judgment.
Moreover, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) added that the sheet also included: “\The protection granted by one Muslim is as binding as the one given by them all; men and women, free and slaves alike; there is no difference between them in the slightest. Whenever a Muslim grants protection to someone, it is incumbent on all Muslims to protect him and grant him security. If someone assaults such a person, or breaches a covenant made by a Muslim with him, he has incurred the curse of Allah and thus deserved the punishment of being cursed and rejected, as previously explained.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that whoever gives his Walaa’ (loyalty, i.e., maintaining a relationship of patronage without bondage with one’s manumitter) to other than his real master and manumitter, incurs the curse and rejection as well, because the bond of Walaa’ in Islam is like the bond of lineage, and it is not permissible to forge it. His saying: “Without the permission of his masters” apparently indicates that it is a condition, but it is not actually a condition, because it is not even permissible for him to do so, even if his manumitter gave him permission to offer his Walaa’ to others. Rather, it denotes emphasis on the prohibition of such an act, warning of its invalidity, and underlining the reason for it. This is because were he to seek the permission of his manumitter to give his Walaa’ to another person, he would prevent him, and he would comply.
Shorter and longer versions of the information written in this sheet have been reported.Some of them underlinethe (rulings on the) following topics: blood money, the release of the prisoners of war, that no Muslim may be killed in Qisaas (i.e., retribution) for killing a disbeliever, that the curse of Allah is incurred on those who curse their parents, and many other topics. To reconcile between these hadeeths, it could be said that there was one sheet that included all these narrations and that each of the narrators reported the narrations that they had memorized therefrom.
This hadeeth also refutes the claim of Shiites that ‘Ali ibn Aboo Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him),was someone whom the Prophet ﷺ singled out and entrusted with many secrets of knowledge, rulings of Islam, and treasures of the religion, and that he ﷺdisclosed to the members of his household secrets of knowledge that were exclusive to them!
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that acting in contravention of the Islamic laws in Al-Madeenah is considered a major sin.
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Gaber said, "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what are the two things quite unavoidable?' He replied, 'He who dies without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise and he who dies associating anything with Allah will enter Hell.'".

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

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

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

102

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

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

106

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

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

107

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

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

110

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

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

114

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

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

116

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

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

117

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

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

118

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

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

121

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

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

125

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book of Hadith