It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : This hadith brings great glad tidings from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who is helped to fast the entire month of Ramadan when he is able to do that. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from eating, drinking, sexual activity and all other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Whoever fasts this month “out of faith and in the hope of reward”, believing in the divine command to do it, knowing that it is obligatory, out of fear of punishment for failing to do it, and seeking great reward for his fast – and this is a description of the believer – it is hoped that Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith urges us to fast the month of Ramadan, and highlights the great reward for doing that..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion is easy, and no one commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, but he will be overwhelmed (and unable to continue). So do your best and do not go to extremes, be of good cheer, and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.”.

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of ease. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged us to persist in a moderate approach to doing righteous deeds and acts of worship, and limiting that to what one is able to do and is able to persist in doing regularly. Whoever commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, and goes to extremes, will not be able to carry on, and this over-commitment will overwhelm him and defeat him.
In the beginning of the hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sets out this important principle. He says “Religion is easy”, meaning that it is easy and straightforward in its beliefs, in the manners and attitudes that it promotes, in the righteous deeds that it enjoins and in the things that it prohibits and forbids. Then he advises us to be moderate and to do our best, encouraging us with words of glad tidings and urging us not to despair.
Being moderate is mentioned with regard to doing righteous deeds and in doing acts of worship, so that the individual does not fall short with regard to what he is enjoined to do, and he does not take on of such deeds more than he can bear, and thus he avoids going to extremes or becoming negligent. “Do your best” means: even if you cannot do it perfectly, then try your best to do what is close to that level. “Be of good cheer” means: have hope of reward, because you will be rewarded for your good deeds even if they are few.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us about that which could help us to be moderate and do our best, as he said: “and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.” These are three times that are good for doing righteous deeds and acts of worship which help a person in his journey towards Allah. The morning is the beginning of the day, and the afternoon is the end of the day. The word translated here as night refers to travelling at the end of the night, which is something praiseworthy in the case of physical, worldly journeys and in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah through doing acts of worship and righteous deeds. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said “and during part of the night”; he did not say “at night”, so as to make it easier, because it is difficult to do deeds at night. The beginning of these words sound as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was speaking to a traveller who is trying to cover the distance to reach his destination. So he drew his attention to the times when he has the most energy, when his acts of worship and righteous deeds will produce the best results. Thus he likened man in this world to a traveller, and this is indeed how he is, because this world is a realm of travel and movement that leads to the hereafter, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed out to his ummah that they should strive to make the most of these times of opportunity and any periods of free time that they have.
This hadith motivates people who aspire to do righteous deeds and acts of worship, and gives them glad tidings of the reward that will result from their good deeds..

It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his paternal relatives – or his maternal uncles among the Ansar. He prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or seventeen months, but he was always hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. The first prayer he prayed [facing towards the Kaaba] was ‘Asr prayer, and a number of people prayed with him. One of the men who had prayed with him went out, and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said: I bear witness by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. So they turned as they were [still in the posture of ruku‘] to face towards the Kaaba. The Jews and other People of the Book had liked it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so when he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they did not like that..

Commentary : Religious laws are based on revelation and what Allah (may He be glorified) has enjoined, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) followed that. If he found himself inclined towards something, he would not do it unless he was instructed to do it. In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah, he stayed with Banu al-Najjar, because they were his maternal uncles, or his forefathers on the side of his father’s grandfather, Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf. In the beginning, when prayer was made obligatory, his qiblah [direction faced in the prayer] was Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and he continued to face in that direction for sixteen or seventeen months, but he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Allah (may He be glorified) mentions this feeling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the verse in which He says: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. Thus He promised that He would turn his face towards the qiblah with which he would be pleased. The first prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed whilst facing towards the Kaaba was ‘Asr prayer; there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the fact that that happened in 2 AH. Some of his companions prayed with him, then one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by the people of another mosque. He found them praying, and they were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said to them: I swear by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba in prayer. When they heard him, they believed him and they turned to face towards al-Masjid al-Haram without interrupting their prayer; rather they completed their prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Thus they offered one prayer in two directions: facing towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and facing towards al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].
The Jews liked the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to face towards Bayt al-Maqdis, because that was their qiblah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards the Sacred House, they did not like that. Then Allah (may He be exalted) revealed concerning that the words: {The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?’ Say, ‘To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path’} [al-Baqarah 2:142], as is clearly stated in other reports.
Some of the Sahabah who had only prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis had died or been killed before the qiblah was changed to the Sacred House. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about them, then Allah revealed the words: {Allah would never let your faith go to waste} [al-Baqarah 2:143], referring to their prayers.
In this hadith, we see how quickly the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) responded to the commands of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is prescribed to swear to something in order to confirm it, and that one should respond positively to the one who calls people to Allah and His Messenger..

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “If a person enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah will absolve every bad deed that he committed, then after that he will be treated fairly: a good deed will bring a tenfold reward, up to seven hundredfold, and a bad deed will be recorded as one, unless Allah pardons it.”.

Commentary : Entering Islam will save a person in this world and the hereafter, for Islam is the religion which affirms the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified) and does not associate anything with Him. It is the message that was brought by all the Messengers and Prophets.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that if a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, and becomes a Muslim in the true sense of the word, with no trace of doubt, believing outwardly and inwardly, then Allah will absolve the bad deeds that he committed, meaning the sins, both minor and major, that he committed before he became Muslim, by His grace. Then after becoming Muslim he will be treated fairly and equitably, meaning that Allah will requite him appropriately for everything that he does, whether it is good or bad. So he will be requited for good deeds with reward, and for bad deeds with punishment. He will be rewarded tenfold for every good deed, and that reward may be multiplied up to seven hundredfold. As for bad deeds, each bad deed will be recorded as just one deed, and he will be requited accordingly. Or Allah may pardon him, by His grace, kindness and mercy, so He will not punish him for doing it.
This hadith indicates that Islam erases whatever sins came before it. .

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her apartment, when there was a woman with her. He said: “Who is this?” She said: So-and-so, and she spoke about how much she prayed. He said: “Stop! You should only do as much as you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.” The dearest of religious practice to him was that which a person does regularly and persists in it.

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Commentary : Religion is easy and not difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah the proper way to adhere to religion and to practice it. He explained that the believer should do what he is able to do of worship, whilst encouraging people to be moderate in what they commit themselves to do, so that they will not grow weary or lose energy and momentum. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that the Prophet entered her apartment one day, when another woman was with her. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, ‘A’ishah told him that this was So-and-so, mentioning her by name, then she said how much she prayed and did other acts of worship, praising her a great deal. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked her and said “Stop!” meaning: Stop praising her, for what she is doing is not deserving of praise, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. Proper adherence to religion means following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhering to his Sunnah, not being harsh with oneself and exhausting oneself in doing a lot of acts of worship. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the right way and said: “You should only do as much as you are able to do”, so commit yourself to deeds that you are able to do regularly and persist in, and do as much as you are able to of fasting and praying at night; do not make it hard for yourselves.
With regard to the words “for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary”, some of the scholars said that this ascribes the attribute of weariness to Allah (may He be exalted) but the weariness of Allah is not like the weariness of people, because when a person grows weary it is an attribute of imperfection, as it indicates that he has become bored and tired of this thing. The weariness of Allah, on the other hand, is an attribute of perfection with no element of shortcoming in it, which is like all the other divine attributes that we affirm for Allah in a manner that is most perfect, even if in the case of people it is an attribute of imperfection. However, some of the scholars say that the phrase “Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary” serves to highlight the fact that no matter how much you do of righteous deeds, Allah will reward you for it, so do as much as you like, for Allah will never tire of rewarding you until you grow weary of striving in doing righteous deeds. Based on that, what is meant by weariness [in the case of Allah (may He be exalted)] is the outcome of that weariness [which is the cessation of reward when the person grows weary and stops doing the good deed he was doing]. And some of the scholars said that this hadith does not indicate that Allah becomes weary at all, because if someone says “I will not get up until you get up,” that does not imply that the other person will get up. By the same token, “He does not grow weary until you grow weary” does not imply that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will grow weary.
‘A’ishah also said that the dearest of religious practice to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and according to another report in as-Sahihayn, it says “to Allah” – is that which one persists in and does regularly, even if it is small, as mentioned in the report of Muslim, because persisting in a small action is persisting in worship, dhikr, mindfulness of Allah, intention, sincerity and turning to the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) and a small action that is done persistently will yield a much greater result than a great deed that is done and then stops.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s compassion and kindness towards his ummah.
It also indicates that a small action that is done consistently is better than a greater action that is inconsistent..

It was narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of barley; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of wheat; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of an atom.” He [the narrator] said: Aban said: Qatadah told us: Anas told us, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “of faith,” instead of “goodness.”.

Commentary : Allah’s mercy towards His slaves is immense and without limit, and it cannot be fully described. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will show great generosity to many of His slaves, and he will bring forth from the Fire anyone in whose heart is the smallest amount of goodness and faith.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that no one will remain forever in Hell who has in his heart an atom’s weight of faith. If the Muslim who sinned dies without having repented from his sin, it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him for it, and if He wills, He will punish him, but he will not remain forever in the Fire under any circumstances. Allah will bring forth from the Fire anyone who said La ilaha illa Allah and has in his heart as much as a grain of barley, or a grain of wheat, or even an atom’s weight of goodness, which means faith, as is explained in other reports. That is because goodness, in reality, is that which brings a person closer to Allah (may He be exalted), and that can be nothing other than faith. The word dharrah (translated here as atom) may refer to a small ant, or a speck of dust that may be seen floating in rays of sunlight, like the heads of needles. Barley is mentioned before wheat, because its grains are bigger in size, although they are very similar to one another, and the dharrah is mentioned last because it is so small. This is by way of explaining the issue by using the analogy of increasingly smaller likenesses.
This hadith indicates that merely saying La ilaha illa Allah, without there being any faith in the heart, will not benefit a person or bring him forth from the Fire.
It also clearly indicates how people may have different levels of faith, and that some of those believers who commit major sins may enter the Fire, but they will not abide therein forever..

It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that a Jewish man said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival. He said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. ‘Umar said: We know that day, and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). [It was] when he was standing in ‘Arafah, on a Friday. .

Commentary : The Holy Qur’an is held sacred by all Muslims. The noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn everything having to do with it, such as the reasons for revelation, the story behind the revelation of verses, and when they were revealed, as well as learning all the rulings and meanings of the verses.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tariq ibn Shihab narrates that a Jewish man – namely Ka‘b al-Ahbar, before he became Muslim, as is narrated in Tafsir al-Tabari and al-Awsat by al-Tabarani – came to the caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): There is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival – that is, we would have made it a festival to celebrate, out of respect and honour for that day, and highlighting its virtue. ‘Umar said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3], that is, by causing it to be victorious and prevail over all other religions, {and completed My favor upon you} that is, by guiding you, helping you and perfecting the religion, and with the conquest of Makkah and the destruction of the beacons of jahiliyyah. This is a great verse, and the day when it was revealed is deserving of celebration.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We know that day, and the place in which this verse was revealed, so you are not telling us of something of which we are unaware. It was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday, so it was a day on which two “festivals” were combined: the day of ‘Arafah, and Friday.
The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbar, “we would have taken that day as a festival” imply: and you have not taken it as a festival, as if he was trying to suggest that the verse was not true, because the Muslims had neglected the day on which it was revealed. So ‘Umar explained to him that they did indeed celebrate it on two counts, and they regarded it as a twofold festival.
This hadith indicates that festivals and days to be commemorated cannot be based on personal opinion and ideas, as the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did before us. Rather they are to be based on religious texts and following the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that faith may increase and decrease, as religious commitment may be perfected by perfecting and completing the deeds that it prescribes..

It was narrated that Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah said: A man from Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with dishevelled hair. The rise and fall of his voice could be heard, but his words could not be understood until he came close, and it turned out that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Five prayers every day and night.” The man said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And fasting Ramadan.” He said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned zakah, and the man said: If anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the man turned away, saying: By Allah, I shall do no more than that and no less. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is telling the truth.”.

Commentary : Being assiduous in doing everything prescribed in Islam and carrying out its pillars in the proper manner, with sincerity, is the path to success and prosperity, and a means of salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
In this hadith, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man from Najd – which is a region of Arabia between the Hejaz and Iraq – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That man was Dimam ibn Tha‘labah; his hair was unkempt because of the rigours of travel, and he had a loud voice, but nothing he said could be understood until he drew close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It turned out that he was asking about the teachings of Islam, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by explaining that the first duty of Islam that was required of him was the five prayers, which are to be offered every day and night. He said: Do I have to offer any prayers other than these five prayers? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: You do not have to offer any other prayers, unless you voluntarily do some of the regular Sunnah and other Sunnah prayers, which are encouraged (mustahabb) and you will be rewarded for doing them, but you will not be punished for not doing them.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that he had to fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. He said: Do I have to do anything else? He said: You do not have to do anything else, unless you do it voluntarily, fasting some days other than Ramadan, for they are encouraged and you will be rewarded for doing that. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him about zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
The man asked: Do I have to do anything other than that? He said: No, unless you give something else in charity voluntarily, and you will be rewarded for that, but it is not obligatory and you will not be sinning if you do not do it. Then the man turned and left, swearing by Allah that he would not do any supererogatory (nafil) deeds in addition to these obligatory duties, and he would not omit any of them. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is speaking the truth.” In other words, if he means what he says, and he does these pillars [of Islam] sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), then he will attain Paradise and be saved from the Fire, even if he does not do any supererogatory actions.
This hadith indicates that if a person limits himself to the obligatory religious duties, as prescribed in the religious texts, then he will succeed, but this does not mean that it is not prescribed for him to do some voluntary acts of worship, because the voluntary actions will complete the obligatory actions (and make up for any shortcomings in them) on the Day of Resurrection..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward, and remains with it until the funeral prayer is offered and the burial is complete, will go back with two qirats of reward, each qirat like Uhud. Whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial is done will go back with one qirat.”.

Commentary : Part of honouring a fellow Muslim and showing kindness to him is attending his funeral when he dies, following the bier and offering the funeral prayer for him. This brings an immense reward for the one who does that out of faith and seeking reward.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions the immense reward to be attained by following the bier, and tells us that the one who follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward – that is, believing in the promise of Allah and seeking reward from Him, doing that sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted) alone, and not seeking to be seen by people or doing it for any other purpose that is contrary to sincerity – and offers the funeral prayer for the deceased, and follows the bier until the burial is completed, will attain two qirats of reward, each qirat like Mount Uhud, which is the well-known mountain on the northern outskirts of Madinah, 4 or 5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is 7 km long, 2 to 3 km wide, and 350 metres high. Attaining these two qirats is subject to three conditions: firstly, following the bier; secondly, offering the funeral prayer; thirdly, attending the burial. As for the one who only offers the funeral prayer and then goes back before the burial is done, he will attain only one qirat of reward.
This hadith encourages us to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, follow his bier and attend his burial. It also highlights the immense grace and generosity of Allah, and how great is the reward that He grants for small deeds..

It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Commentary : Islam urges us to respect people’s honour and lives, and it calls the Muslims to be brothers and have compassion for one another, and not to transgress against one another.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids the Muslim to insult and revile his fellow Muslim, and explains that impugning his honour and shaming him is regarded as evildoing, and it is going against the command of Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing what they have forbidden; according to Islamic teachings, it is worse than merely committing a sin. “And fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” – what is meant here is not disbelief in the sense that it puts one beyond the bounds of faith. Rather it is called disbelief (kufr) in order to emphasize the warning and deter the listener from doing that. Or it may be that it is likened to disbelief because this is the action of one who disbelieves. It may be understood as meaning disbelief in a real sense if the doer believes that it is permissible to do that.
In the original report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Tabi‘i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Murji’ah – who were a group who said that if a person believed, it did not matter if he sinned, and they claimed that the one who committed major sin was not an evil doer. So Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, which affirms that sin is indeed harmful and affects the faith of the one who does it.
This hadith also indicates that some deeds may be described as disbelief (kufr), which implies that other deeds may be called faith (iman)..

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to tell the people when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but two of the Muslim men suddenly started arguing, so he said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but So-and-so and So-and-so started arguing, so it [knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr would be] was taken away from me, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it in seven and nine and five.”.

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan is of great significance and immense virtue, and we have been commanded to seek it and spend the night in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
In this hadith, ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out one day to tell the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) about Laylat al-Qadr and precisely when it would occur, but he saw two men arguing and disputing, so he said: I came out to tell you about Laylat al-Qadr and which night it would be, but I saw two men arguing, so knowledge of its time was taken away. Thus they were deprived of the blessing of (the knowledge of) Laylat al-Qadr; otherwise Laylat al-Qadr will still remain until the Day of Resurrection. Then he said: Perhaps taking away the knowledge of when it will be and leaving its time ambiguous is better for you, so that you will strive hard in seeking it, and thus increase your reward. If it was known exactly when it would be, you might limit your hard work to that time, so you would make less effort and receive less reward. Then he said: So seek it – that is, look for it and strive hard – on the twenty ninth, the twenty seventh, and the twenty fifth of Ramadan. And it was said that what is meant is: look for it on the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, when only nine days are left, or seven, or five, so Laylat al-Qadr may be on the twenty-first night, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, and so on. That is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days), so if you take away nine, you get twenty-one. And it was said that what is meant by nine in the hadith is the night before the twenty-second, what is meant by seven is the night before the twenty-fourth, and so on. This is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days). And it was said that it varies from one year to another.
This hadith also condemns arguing and disputing, because they are a cause of punishment for everyone for the sin of a few.
The hadith also indicates that sins may be a cause of some issues of religion that one needs to know being hidden from him, so the more people commit sins, the more likely it is that this will lead to some issues of religion becoming unknown to them. .

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to the people one day, then Jibril came to him and said: What is faith (iman)? He said: “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.” Jibril said: What is Islam? He said: “Islam is to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him; to establish prayer; to give the obligatory zakah; and to fast Ramadan.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for although you do not see Him, He sees you.” He said: When will the Hour be? He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I shall tell you about its portents: when the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and when the insignificant camel herders compete in building lofty structures. It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the words: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour…} Luqman 31:34]. Then the man turned and left. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Bring him back,” but they did not see anything. Then he said: “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion.”.

Commentary : This hadith discusses different religious duties and acts of worship, both outward and inward, including the tenets of faith, physical actions, sincerity in the heart, and caution regarding everything that could undermine righteous deeds. It covers the basic principles, important issues and foundations of faith, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the meaning of faith, Islam and ihsan when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him in the form of a man and asked him questions, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had come out among the people and was sitting with them. The bringer of the revelation, Jibril (peace be upon him), came to him and asked him about faith, in order to teach the people their religion. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: It means to believe in Allah, which means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
Believing in His angels means believing in all the angels of Allah (may He be exalted): both those who have been mentioned by name – such as Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil – in whom we must believe in detail, and those who have not been mentioned by name, in whom we must believe in general terms.
Believing in His Books means affirming that all the Books that were sent down to the Prophets and Messengers, such as the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an, are the words of Allah and came from Him, and that what they contain – of that which has not been distorted – is true; that Allah sent down the Qur’an to determine what is true in those [previous] Books and to confirm them, and that it is protected from distortion.
Believing in the meeting with Allah means believing and affirming that people will stand before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for the reckoning and the requital of their deeds.
Believing in the Messengers of Allah means believing in and affirming all the Messengers of Allah, and believing that they spoke the truth in what they conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted), and that Allah supported them with miracles which proved that they spoke the truth; that they conveyed Allah’s message from Him and explained to people what He commanded them to explain; that we must respect them and not differentiate between them; and that we must believe that the last of them is our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that all of mankind are obliged to believe in him and follow him.
Believing in the resurrection means believing that Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves and will give life to the dead.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Islam, and he replied: It means to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him, and obeying Him with submission, humility and love.
You should establish prayer, and establishing prayer is done by regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
You should give zakah, which is obligatory, and give it to those who are entitled to it. It is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter.
And you should fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he asked him about ihsan, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying: It means that you worship Allah like one who sees Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah sees him, so you do not omit any aspects of humility, submission, sincerity, and utmost alertness in controlling your thoughts and physical movements, paying attention to proper etiquette both outward and inward, so long as you are in a state of worship. The ultimate level of ihsan is for the believer to worship his Lord as if he sees Him in his heart, so he will constantly bear in mind the fact that he is in that state (as if seeing Allah in his heart). If he is not able to do that and it is too difficult for him, then he moves to a different level of ihsan, which is to worship Allah with the awareness that Allah sees him and knows what he conceals in his heart and what he does openly, for nothing he does is hidden from Him.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Tell me about the Hour, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. In other words, all of creation is the same with regard to knowledge of when the Hour will begin, for none of them have any knowledge of that in reality. This indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) alone has kept the knowledge of it to Himself, hence he said: It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah, then he recited the verse: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die} [Luqmaan 31:34]. These are the keys of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But I shall tell you about its portents. As it is not possible to know the time of the Hour, which he was asked about, he moved on to describing its portents, which are the signs that the Hour is close at hand. The first of its signs is that the slave woman will give birth to her mistress. What is meant is that there would be many conquests in the lands of the disbelievers, which would lead to the acquisition of slaves, so that a woman would be brought from the land of disbelief when she was young, and she would be freed in the Muslim lands, then her mother would be brought as a slave after her, then the daughter would buy her and employ her as a servant, not knowing that she was her mother. This indeed happened in the history of Islam. Or it may be that slave women would give birth to kings, so the king’s mother would be one of his subjects when he was her master and the master of others among his subjects, and in charge of their affairs. Or it may be that what is meant is that defiant disobedience towards parents would become widespread, to the extent that children would treat their mothers like slaves, by insulting them and humiliating them.
The second sign is that the insignificant camel herders will compete in building lofty structures. What is meant by insignificant is unknown herders and shepherds, or those who have nothing and are destitute. Competing in the building of lofty structures means that they will become rich and kings, ruling people.
What is mentioned in this hadith is only two of the minor portents of the Hour; there are many portents, many of which have already appeared.
After the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had answered these questions, the questioner went away. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to bring him back to him, but they could not see anything, either the man or his tracks. It was said that perhaps he said “bring him back to me” in order to alert the Sahabah and make them realize that this was an angel, not a human being. Hence he said to them, “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion”, that is, the principles of their religion. He attributed the act of teaching to him, even though he just asked questions, because he was the cause of this teaching, so he attributed it to him, or because teaching was the aim behind his asking these questions, or because he wanted them to learn, as they did not ask. Or it may be that through Jibril’s questions to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the presence of the Sahabah, he wanted to show them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a great deal of knowledge, and that his knowledge came through the revelation, so that they would become more eager to acquire knowledge and be more interested in it.
This hadith indicates that when the words Islam and faith (iman) are mentioned together, each of them has its own meaning, and when one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the meaning of the other.
It also indicates that the angels may appear in human form, as referred to in the verse: {Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man} [Maryam 19:17].
It also highlights the importance of sincerity and remembering that Allah is always watching.
And it indicates that if a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, “I do not know”, and that does not detract from his status; rather it is indicative of his prudence, piety and abundant knowledge..

It was narrated that an-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “That which is halal is clear and that which is haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will have protected his faith and his honour, but whoever falls into the doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary: soon he will transgress upon it. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits. Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt; indeed, it is the heart.”.

Commentary : This hadith is one of the hadiths which describes the central tenets of Islam. It is a very important hadith, and one of the principal foundations of Islamic teaching. It is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as in it he urges the Muslims to err on the side of caution and avoid doubtful matters concerning which there is no clear reference in the religious texts. He explained that what is halal is clear and evident; it is everything for which there is no evidence that it is prohibited in the Qur’an, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘) or analogy (qiyas), because the basic principle is that things are permissible [unless there is evidence to the contrary]. Similarly, what is haram is also clear and evident; it is everything for which there is evidence that it is prohibited, whether that evidence is from the Qur’an, the Sunnah or scholarly consensus. He stated that between what is halal and what is haram, there is a third category, which is doubtful matters. These are matters concerning which there is no clear ruling as to whether it is halal or haram, so many people are not able to know the ruling on these matters. This includes all doubtful and ambiguous matters, such as wealth from dubious sources, or wealth that is mixed with riba, or other kinds of unlawful wealth. As for cases when one is certain that this wealth has definitely been acquired through riba, then it is one hundred percent haram, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it cannot be regarded as doubtful or dubious. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that whoever avoids doubtful matters is erring on the side of caution, so his faith will be protected from falling short, and his honour will be protected from any aspersions, criticism or bad reputation. As for the one who falls into doubtful matters and has the audacity to accept them, he is exposing himself to danger, for he will soon fall into that which is haram, like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary, which is the land that the king sets aside for his own flocks, and warns anyone who grazes his flocks there without his permission that he will face a severe punishment. If a shepherd grazes his sheep around the land that the king has set aside for himself and designated for his personal use, his flock may enter the sanctuary, in which case he will deserve the punishment of the ruler. By the same token, the one who is careless about doubtful matters is in danger, because those matters may be haram, and he may fall into them, or he may become careless about doubtful matters, and that leads to him becoming negligent and careless in general, so he begins to fall into haram matters deliberately. Falling into dubious matters may lead to falling into minor sins, and falling into minor sins may lead to falling into major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits.” In other words, the sanctuary of Allah is the sins that He has prohibited to His slaves; whoever enters His sanctuary by committing any of those sins is doomed, and whoever comes close to it by doing doubtful things is in danger.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke a comprehensive word which explains what causes the sons of Adam to behave in a righteous or corrupt manner, which is that the basis of physical wellbeing has to do with the soundness or otherwise of the heart. If the heart is (spiritually) sound, then the person’s intentions will only seek what is right and proper, and all his physical faculties will be sound, and he will not be prompted to do anything except obey Allah and avoid His wrath. Thus he will be content with what is halal and have no need of what is haram. But if the heart is (spiritually) corrupt, then the person’s intentions will be corrupt, and all his physical faculties will be corrupt, and he will be prompted to disobey Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and to do that which incurs His wrath. He will not be content with what is halal; rather he will hasten to seek that which is haram, in accordance with what his heart desires and the extent to which it drifts away from the truth..

It was narrated that Abu Jamrah said: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas, who would invite me to sit next to him. He said: Stay with me so I can give you a share of my wealth. So I stayed with him for two months. Then he said: When the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said: “Who are the people – or who are the delegation?” They said: [The tribe of] Rabi‘ah. He said: “Welcome to the people – or the delegation. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, we cannot come to you except in the sacred month, for between us and you there is this tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something clear that we can tell to those whom we left behind, by means of which we may enter Paradise. And they asked him about four kinds of drinks. He commanded them to do four things, and forbade to them four things. He commanded them to believe in Allah alone. He said: “Do you know what believing in Allah alone means?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” [And he commanded them] to establish prayer, give zakâh and fast Ramadan, and to give one fifth of the war booty. And he forbade them to use four things: glazed pitchers, gourds, hollowed-out stumps, and varnished jars. And he said: “Memorize them [these rulings] and tell them to those you left behind.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach the people all matters that would benefit them in their religious affairs, and in this world and the hereafter, so that they would be fully aware of them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Jamrah says: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., at the time when he was the governor of Basra during the caliphate of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to honour him and make him sit next to him. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Stay with me so that you can help me to understand those who come to ask questions. That was because he used to translate for him and tell him what non-Arab petitioners wanted, and he would tell the petitioner what Ibn ‘Abbas said. So he stayed with him for two months, and he heard this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, in which he told the story of the arrival of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays who came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Abdul Qays was the name of a tribe. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked them about their lineage, and they said: Rabi‘ah, referring to their ancestor. Rabi‘ah was the son of Nizar ibn Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnan. They mentioned Rabi‘ah because ‘Abdul Qays was one of his sons. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed them and said: Welcome to the people who have come with nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret. What is meant is that none of them delayed becoming Muslim out of stubbornness, so neither they nor their families were taken captive, or anything else of that nature, that could be a cause of shame or regret. This serves to highlight their honourable position, as they entered Islam willingly, without being subjected to any kind of humiliation.
They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): We can only come to you during the sacred month. They mentioned the word in the singular, but what is meant is all four sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. They were only able to come during these months, and not others, because the Arabs used to refrain from fighting during these months; the disbelievers of the tribes of Mudar lived between Rabi‘ah and Madinah, and the tribe of Rabi‘ah could not reach Madinah except by travelling through their land; they were afraid of them, except during the sacred months, because they refrained from fighting at that time. They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to enjoin upon them something clear, by means of which they could distinguish what was true and what was false, so that they could tell their people in their homeland about it. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do four things: he enjoined them to believe in Allah, and explained that that meant bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn) must be uttered verbally, whilst acknowledging and believing it in the heart, acting in accordance with what these words imply, believing, affirming and testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and that none is rightfully worshipped except Allah; and acknowledging the message of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah and affirming that he is the last of the prophets and messengers, and that it is obligatory upon all people to follow him and believe in him.
Then he enjoined them to establish prayer, which means regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
Then he enjoined them to give zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
Then he enjoined them to fast Ramadan, which means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he added: You should give one-fifth of the war booty, because they were neighbours of the disbelievers of Mudar, and they were people who fought in jihad and captured booty. Booty refers to anything that the Muslims seized of the wealth and property of the disbelievers by means of prevailing over them and defeating them. They were to give one fifth (khums) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as Allah explained in the verse: {Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Messenger, close relatives of the Messenger…} [al-Anfal 8:41], to be spent in the ways prescribed in the religious texts.
Some may be confused by the fact that the report says that he enjoined four things, but mentioned five. The response to that is that the first of the four things that are enjoined is the establishing of prayer. The twin declaration of faith was mentioned only for blessing (barakah). Or, it was suggested, that prayer and zakah were counted as one thing, because they are always mentioned together in the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), or because giving the one fifth is included in the general meaning of giving zakah, and what they have in common is that a specific amount of wealth is to be given in some cases but not in others.
Then he said: And he forbade four things. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade them to use four types of vessels for their food and drink. The first type was glazed pitchers, which were earthenware jars that were painted green or red, or glazed with vitreous material that was used to coat the earthenware jar to block all tiny holes. The second type was gourds, which are a type of squash. What was prohibited was using them as vessels after emptying them out and making them hollow. The third type was hollowed-out stumps, which refers to hollowing out the base of a palm tree so that it could be used as a vessel. The fourth type was varnished jars, which are jars that were coated with tar or pitch, which is made from a plant that is burned after it has dried out; similar substances were used for caulking ships and the like.
The prohibition on using these vessels in particular was because food and drink that were kept in them would soon start to change, and perhaps people might drink from them without realizing that a change had occurred. Then after that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession allowing people to use all kinds of vessels, whilst prohibiting drinking anything that caused intoxication, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I used to forbid you to soak [dried dates and the like] in water skins, but now soak [such things] in all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything that causes intoxication.”
Then at the end of the hadith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the members of the delegation to memorize these words of his, and convey them to those whom the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays had left behind.
This hadith tells us that people of virtue and prominent figures may be sent to meet leaders when there are important matters to be discussed.
It shows that an apology or explanation may be given before raising an issue.
It highlights the main issues and pillars of Islam, apart from Hajj.
It indicates that righteous actions may be called faith.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person may honour a prominent figure.
It shows that a knowledgeable person may seek help from his companions in explaining something to those who are present, and to understand their questions.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person should urge the people to convey knowledge and spread awareness of Islamic rulings.
It indicates that there is no shame in the seeker of knowledge or the one who is requesting a fatwa asking the knowledgeable person to explain his answer further. .

It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated to achieve some worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the main principles and foundations of Islamic teaching, to the extent that it was said concerning it that it constitutes one third of knowledge. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions,” so no prescribed act of worship is valid without being preceded by the intention. “And each person will have what he intended,” so all the Muslim will get from his actions is what he intended thereby. This ruling is general in meaning and applies to all actions, whether they are acts of worship, interactions with others or ordinary actions. Whoever intends by his actions to attain some worldly benefit will gain nothing but that worldly benefit, even if it was an act of worship, and thus he will not attain any reward thereby. Whoever intended by his action to draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted) and to seek His pleasure will attain reward through his deed, even if it was an ordinary action, such as eating or drinking. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some practical examples to explain the impact of intentions on actions. Hence he stated that whoever intended by migrating to obey the command of his Lord, seek His pleasure, and flee for the sake of his faith from persecution, his migration was a kind of hijrah that is prescribed in Islamic teachings and will be accepted by Allah (may He be exalted), and he will be rewarded for it because of his sincere intention. However, the one who migrated in pursuit of some worldly gain or personal objective, such as wealth, trade, or marriage to a beautiful woman, “then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated,” and he will not attain anything from his migration except that worldly benefit that he intended, and he will not attain any reward for that..

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‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the morning of ‘Arafah, and some of us were saying Takbīr and some of us were saying Ihlāl (Talbiyah). As for us, we were saying Takbīr. He said: I said: "By Allah, your affair is strange! How did you not say to him: What did you see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing?!".

Commentary : Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is an act of worship for those who can find a way to it. Its pillars, Sunnahs, and etiquettes must be taken from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, the noble Companion ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the morning of the day of ‘Arafah during the Farewell Hajj, in the tenth Hijri year. ‘Arafah: a mountain lying on the way between Makkah and Tā’if and located nearly 22km from Makkah, 10km from Mina, and 6km from Muzdalifah. The most important ritual of Hajj is performed in ‘Arafah, which is standing at ‘Arafah on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah. Some of the people with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) were "saying Takbīr" i.e., saying: Allahu akbar (Allah is the Greatest), and some of them were "saying Ihlāl" i.e., proclaiming Talbiyah, as in another version by Muslim. Ihlāl is to raise one's voice with Talbiyah. This indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved their Dhikr, be it Takbīr or Talbiyah. And it is said: The intended meaning is that he would incorporate some Dhikr into Talbiyah, not that he abandoned Talbiyah altogether, as it is reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not cease Talbiyah till he threw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "As for us, we were saying Takbīr" i.e., he (may Allah be pleased with him) and those with him chose to say Takbīr in this Hajj of theirs.
Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn Abi Salamah - one of the Hadīth narrators - said to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar: "By Allah, your affair is strange! How did you not say to him" i.e., to Ibn ‘Umar as he was narrating this Hadīth which he cited as proof for Takbīr instead of Talbiyah; "What did you see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing?!" I.e., which Dhikr among these Dhikrs you knew or saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: is it Takbīr or Talbiyah? By this, 'Abdullāh ibn Abi Salamah wanted to know what is best, for the Hadīth includes Takbīr and Talbiyah. So, he sought to learn what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was saying to know which of the two Dhikrs was better and abide by it.
The Hadīth mentions Tahlīl and Takbīr by Muhrims during the day of ‘Arafah.
It shows the keenness of the Tābi‘īs to know what is best among the Sunnahs and etiquettes..

1288

Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr reported: We returned along with Ibn ‘Umar until we reached Jam‘. He led us in the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers with one Iqāmah. Then, he left as he said: "This is how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer in this place.".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow the Prophet's example in everything, especially the acts of worship, including the obligation of Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr relates what was done by ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during Hajj. He informs that they returned from ‘Arafāt along with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) until they reached Jam‘, which is Muzdalifah. It is the third among the sacred Mashā‘ir by which the pilgrims pass and is located between Mina and ‘Arafāt. The pilgrims stay there after leaving ‘Arafāt at the end of the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, and then they perform therein the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, combined and shortened, and they collect from it the pebbles for throwing Jamarāt at Mina. The pilgrims stay there till the morning of the following day, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, after which they head to Mina. It is called Jam‘ because people gather (Yajtami‘) therein. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers with one Iqāmah and did not offer a supererogatory prayer between them. He then left. The manner of doing that: He pronounces Iqāmah for prayer and offers the Maghrib prayer as three Rak‘ahs and then makes Taslīm. Then, he offers the ‘Ishā’ prayer as two Rak‘ahs. Indeed, he did so because he saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing it. Then, he said: "This is how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer in this place," i.e., in Muzdalifah. This was explained by another version narrated by Muslim, in which Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers in Jam‘ - i.e., in Muzdalifah - offering the Maghrib as three and the ‘Ishā’ as two Rak‘ahs, with one Iqāmah. In a version by Al-Bukhāri, Ibn ‘Umar mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers with one Iqāmah for each of them.
The Hadīth mentions that the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers are to be combined in Muzdalifah..

1292

’Umm Habībah reported: We used to do it during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): We would set forth during Ghalas (pre-dawn darkness) from Jam‘ to Mina. And in a version: We would set forth during Ghalas from Muzdalifah..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow the Prophet's example in everything, especially the acts of worship, including the obligation of Hajj, whose pillars, Sunnahs, and etiquettes must be taken from the Prophet's guidance, which clarifies in detail what the Qur'an mentions in brief terms.
In this Hadīth, ’Umm Habībah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet's wife, informs that, during the Prophet's lifetime, they used to set forth from Jam‘ - and in a version: Muzdalifah - to Mina at the time of Ghalas. Ghalas: the darkness of the latter part of the night mixed with the light of morning. The meaning: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would send the weak members of his family - the elderly, the women, and the children, as well as the sick - fearing crowdedness for them. So, weak people would stand at Al-Mash'ar al-Harām during the night, remembering Allah Almighty and supplicating Him with what came to their minds. Then, they would head to Mina before the Imām stood at Al-Mash'ar al-Harām and before he left for Mina. Some of them would reach Mina during the Fajr prayer so that they would throw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah. Some of them would reach Mina after that time, and they would throw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, which is the largest Jamrah. This is intended to facilitate things for women and the weak during the rituals of Hajj, as they were allowed to hasten their departure from Muzdalifah to Mina before the rise of the sun.
Jam‘ (Muzdalifah): It is the third among the sacred Mashā‘ir by which the pilgrims pass and is located between Mina and ‘Arafāt. The pilgrims stay there after leaving ‘Arafāt at the end of the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, and then they perform therein the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, combined and shortened, and they collect therein the pebbles for throwing Jamarāt at Mina. The pilgrims stay there till the morning of the following day, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, after which they head to Mina. Mina is a valley surrounded by mountains and located east of Makkah, between Makkah and Mount 'Arafah. It is situated nearly 6km away from the Sacred Mosque. Mina is the place where the rituals of Hajj are performed, and the pilgrims stay during the day of Tarwiyah, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, and the days of Tashrīq. It is the site of throwing the Jamarāt, which happens between sunrise and sunset during these days of Hajj. The Hady are also slaughtered there..

1294

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent me from Jam‘a at the time of Sahar with the luggage of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). I said: Were you informed that Ibn ‘Abbās said: He had sent me in the latter part of the night? He said: No, but only like that: at the time of Sahar. I said to him: Ibn ‘Abbās said: We threw the Jamrah before dawn, and where he performed the Fajr prayer? He said: No, but only like that..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow the Prophet's example in everything, especially the acts of worship, including the obligation of Hajj, whose pillars, Sunnahs, and etiquettes must be taken from the Prophet's guidance, which clarifies in detail what the Qur'an mentions in brief terms.
This Hadīth demonstrates the vast mercy of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) toward the weak members of his Ummah, even during the performance of worship, as he used to enjoin facilitation for people. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him from Muzdalifah to Mina at the time of Sahar. Sahar: the time shortly before dawn. It is said: It extends from the last third of the night to the rise of dawn. "with the luggage of the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." Luggage is the belongings of a traveler which are heavy to carry. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Ibn ‘Abbās along with the weak members of his family, including the elderly, the women, and the children, as well as the sick, for fear that they might be hurt in the crowdedness. So, the weak people would stand at Al-Mash‘ar al-Harām during the night, remembering Allah Almighty and supplicating Him with whatever came to their minds. Then, they would head to Mina before the Imām stood at Al-Mash‘ar al-Harām and before he left for Mina. Some of them reached Mina at the time of the Fajr prayer, and so they threw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, and some others arrived at Mina after that time, and they threw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, which is the largest Jamrah.
Jam‘a is Muzdalifah, and it is the third among the sacred Mashā‘ir by which the pilgrims pass and is located between Mina and ‘Arafāt. The pilgrims stay there after leaving ‘Arafāt at the end of the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, and then they perform therein the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers, combined and shortened, and they collect therein pebbles for throwing Jamarāt at Mina. The pilgrims stay there till the morning of the following day, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, after which they head to Mina.
Ibn Jurayj asked his Shaykh ‘Atā’ ibn Abi Rabāh: Were you informed that Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He had sent me in the latter part of the night"? He replied: No! Rather, he said: "at the time of Sahar" i.e., without specifying a certain hour. So, Ibn Jurayj asked him: Did Ibn ‘Abbās say: We threw the Jamrah before dawn, and where did he perform the Fajr prayer? He replied: No! He did not mention to me when he threw the Jamrah or where he prayed. He did not tell me anything beyond what I have mentioned to you.
The Hadīth shows how Islam facilitates things for the weak people during Hajj and allows them to throw the Jamrah before dawn before people come in crowds.
It demonstrates the integrity in transmitting the Sunnah and traditions from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)..

1297

Jābir reported: I saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) throwing pebbles while riding his mount on the day of Nahr, and he was saying: "Learn your rituals, for I do not know whether I will be performing Hajj after this Hajj of mine.".

1298

’Umm Al-Husayn reported: I performed the Farewell Hajj along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and saw him when he threw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah and returned while he was riding the mount, and Bilāl and Usāmah were with him. One of them was leading his camel, while the other was raising his cloth over the head of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to protect him from the sun. She said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talked at length, and then I heard him saying: "If a maimed slave - I think she said: black - is appointed to govern you, and he leads you according to the Book of Allah Almighty, listen to him and obey him.".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow the Prophet's example in everything, especially the acts of worship, including the obligation of Hajj whose pillars, Sunnahs, and etiquettes must be taken from the Prophet's guidance, which clarifies in detail what the Qur’an mentions in comprehensive terms.
In this Hadīth, the female Companion ’Umm Al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that she performed the Farewell Hajj along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It was called as such because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) seemed to have been bidding farewell to the Companions, and he passed away shortly thereafter. It took place during the tenth Hijri year. She saw him when he threw Jamrat al-‘Aqabah al-Kubra in the morning of the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of Eid al-Ad'ha, and he left on his mount, which is used for traveling. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was riding a she-camel during this Hajj. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) threw the pebbles while he was riding so as to display his act to the people. The Companions with him were Bilāl ibn Rabāh and Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with both of them). One of them was leading the she-camel and pulling it from the front, and the other was raising his clothing over the head of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to shade him from the sun. The version by An-Nasā’i pointed out that the one leading the she-camel was Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) and the one raising his clothing was Usāmah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Then, ’Umm Al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talked at length; In the version by An-Nasā’i: "Then, he delivered a sermon to the people. He praised Allah and lauded Him and mentioned many things" i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned many rulings during this sermon. One of these is that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a maimed slave," i.e., with an amputated limb, nose, or ear ", is appointed to govern you," i.e., is appointed as your leader. Yahya ibn al-Husayn said: "I think she", i.e., his grandmother, "said: black". In the Hadīth reported by Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) and narrated by Al-Bukhāri: "as if his head is like a raisin," A person in whom these traits are combined is in utmost lowliness. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) meant to indicate that people usually disdain him.
If he assumes authority and "leads you according to the Book of Allah Almighty, listen to him and obey him", i.e., listening and obeying is due upon the subjects to such a governor, as long as he adheres to Islam and calls to the Book of Allah Almighty. If, however, he rules according to his personal inclination and in contradiction to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, no obedience is due to him.
The Hadīth mentions that Jamrat al-‘Aqabah is thrown on the day of Nahr.
It demonstrates that Jamrat al-‘Aqabah may be thrown while riding.
It also indicates that a Muhrim can shade his head with a cloth or the like.
The Hadīth points out the obligation to obey the rulers as long as they enjoin things involving obedience to Allah, not disobedience to Him..

1299

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: I saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) throwing the Jamrah with the like of pebbles of Khadhf..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified how to perform Hajj through his statements and acts, and he commanded Muslims to learn the rituals from him. Hence, a Muslim must follow the Prophet's example.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) informs that he saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during Hajj throwing Jamrat al-‘Aqabah in the morning of the day of Nahr, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, and he threw it with pebbles like those of Khadhf. Khadhf: throwing a pebble or a stone or holding it between one's forefingers and throwing it. This is meant to demonstrate the size of the thrown pebbles in terms of smallness and largeness. So, the pebbles the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) threw were larger than chickpeas and smaller than hazelnuts. This denotes the prohibition of exaggeration in religion, like the belief that throwing large stones is more profound than throwing small ones. The throwing comprises seven pebbles each time, and they should be separated and thrown one after the other.
The Hadīth shows the facilitation of Islam in throwing the Jamarāt, and that the stones should be small to avoid causing harm to the people during the rituals..

1299

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) threw pebbles at the Jamrah (stoning pillar) on the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijjah) at Duha (forenoon), but threw after that when the sun passed its zenith..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the manner of performing Hajj through his statements and acts and he commanded Muslims to learn the rituals from him. Hence, Muslims must follow the Prophet's example.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) threw pebbles at the Jamrah, namely Jamrat al-‘Aqabah, on the Day of Nahr, i.e., the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the Day of Eid al-Ad'ha that was so-called given the slaughtering of Hady and ’Ud-hiyahs that occur on that day. "Duha", i.e., is the forenoon time that starts from sunrise until Zawāl (when the sun reaches its zenith). As for the pebbles to be thrown on the Days of Tashrīq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah), the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) threw them after the sun had passed its zenith, and Zawāl starts from noon.
The Jamrahs that should be stoned are three, which are: The first Jamrah: It is called "As-Sughra" (the smallest) or "Ad-Dunya" (the nearest). It is the first Jamrah after Al-Khayf Mosque at Mina. It was called "Dunya", which is derived from "dunuww" (nearness), on account of its being the nearest Jamrah to Al-Khayf Mosque. The second Jamrah: It is called "Al-Wusta" (the middle one). It lies after the first Jamrah and before Jamrat al-‘Aqabah. Jamrat al-‘Aqabah: It is also called "Al-Jamrah al-Kubra" (the biggest Jamrah). It lies at the end of Mina in the direction of Makkah, and it is not part of Mina..

1300

Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Istijmār is by odd numbers, throwing the pebbles is by odd numbers, Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah is by odd numbers, Tawāf is by odd numbers; and when any of you engages in Istjimār, he should do so by odd numbers.".

Commentary : This Hadīth demonstrates some Islamic Sunnahs and etiquettes and Shar‘i teachings. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Istijmār - which is to remove or dry up urine and stools with stones - should be done by odd numbers, i.e., Witr, which is three times. If cleaning is not done three times, he must do it more times until it is achieved. But if it is achieved by an odd number, there should be no more times. And if it is done an even number of times, he should wipe it one more time to make it odd. Likewise, throwing the Jamarāt in Hajj should be done with seven pebbles, which is an odd number. And Sa‘i between Safa and Marwah should comprise seven rounds, which is an odd number. And the Tawāf around the Ka‘bah should consist of seven rounds, which is an odd number.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and when any of you engages in Istjimār, he should do so by odd numbers." It is said that the statement at the beginning of the Hadīth is intended to refer to the number of times of doing it, and the statement here refers to the number of stones involved. Or the statement is repeated to give particular emphasis and attention to this matter, as it may be neglected with its daily repetition, unlike other things. So, the earlier statement is intended for information, and the latter is intended for urging and showing care. And it is said: Istijmār here refers to the use of incense, which is done by putting a stick of incense on a Jamrah of fire (ember); and it should also be done by an odd number..

1305

Anas ibn Mālik reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Mina, he went to the Jamrah (stoning pillar) and threw pebbles at it. After that, he went to his lodging in Mina and sacrificed. Then, he said to the barber: "Shave from here," pointing at his right side, then, at the left side. Then, he distributed it (his hair) among the people. [Another narration reads]: He said to the barber: "Here," and pointed with his hand at the right side like this. Then, he distributed his hair among those who were near him. He said: Then, he pointed at the barber and at the left side. So, he (the barber) shaved it, and he (the Prophet) gave it to ’Umm Sulaym. Another narration reads: He said: He started with the right half, and he distributed it among the people, each one taking a hair or two. Then, he asked for the left half to be shaved, and he did the same with it. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Here, Abu Talhah," and he gave it to Abu Talhah..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the manner of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah through his statements and acts, and he commanded Muslims to learn the rituals from him. Hence, Muslims must follow the Prophet's example.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reached Mina after spending the night at Muzdalifah. Then, he stoned Jamrat al-‘Aqabah al-Kubra on the morning of Eid al-Ad'ha, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah. Stoning is to be done by using small pebbles the size of a chickpea and smaller than a hazelnut, or the size of a bean seed. Mina: It is a valley surrounded by mountains. It is located on the eastern side of Makkah, on the way between Makkah and ‘Arafah Mount. It is almost six kilometers away from the Sacred Mosque. It is the place where the Jamrahs are stoned and where the Hadys (sacrificial animals) are slaughtered.
Then, after throwing the pebbles, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to his dwelling place in Mina and slaughtered his Hadys, which were a hundred. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) slaughtered sixty-three of them with his own hand and ordered ‘Ali to slaughter the rest of the hundred, as mentioned in Sahīh Muslim.
After that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the barber to shave his hair, pointing at his right side so the barber would start with it, then at the left side. Shaving or shortening the hair is the ritual that ends the acts of Hajj and ‘Umrah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then started giving people this hair for the sake of Tabarruk (seeking blessings) from the Prophet's hair. He distributed the hair shaved off the right side among people, then he took the hair shaved off the left side and gave it to ’Umm Sulaym, as mentioned in one of the narrations. In another narration: He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave the hair of the left side to Abu Talhah.
The Hadīth clarifies some of the acts of Hajj that are to be performed in Mina, including stoning Al-Jamrah al-Kubra, then shaving the hair starting with the right side followed by the left side.
The Hadīth also indicates the act of seeking blessings from the Prophet's traces, which is something unique to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It also clarifies the purity of human hair.
Moreover, the Hadīth makes it clear that shaving the head is better than shortening, following the Prophet's example..

1305

Anas ibn Mālik reported: After the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had thrown the pebbles at the Jamrah, slaughtered his sacrifice, and shaved, he turned his right side (of his head) to the barber who shaved it. Then, he called Abu Talhah al-Ansāri and gave it to him. After that, he (the Prophet) turned the left side to him (the barber) and said: "Shave it," and he did. He (the Prophet), then, gave it to Abu Talhah and said: "Distribute it among people.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Companions used to hasten to get any of the Prophet's traces seeking blessings thereby, and this Hadīth presents one of those incidents. Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had thrown pebbles at Jamrat al-‘Aqabah al-Kubra in Mina on the morning of Eid al-Ad'ha, the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, during the Farewell Hajj on the tenth Hijri year, and after he had slaughtered his sacrifice, i.e., slaughtered his sacrificial animal and Hady, and wanted to shave his hair, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned the right side of his head to the barber, as he preferred beginning with the right side in everything, and the barber shaved it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then, called Abu Talhah al-Ansāri, the husband of ’Umm Sulaym who was the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with them), and gave him the hair that was shaved off. He chose him in particular because of his special status. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turned the left side of his head to the barber and said: Shave it, and he did. He, then, gave it to Abu Talhah and said: "Distribute it among people," i.e., among his Companions. Perhaps the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed his hair between them to remain as a blessing and as a reminder among them, as if by doing this he was referring to the approach of his death and to the end of the time of companionship.
In Ahmad's narration, Abu Talhah gave it to ’Umm Sulaym, his wife, who used to mix it in her perfume. It has been established that some of the Companions used to take the Prophet's sweat and add it to their perfume. Others used to seek the traces of his fingers on the food to eat from where he ate, and others used to drink from the leftovers of his drink. All this went along with their compliance with the Sunnah, their following of the Prophet's guidance out of love for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and out of seeking blessings from his honorable traces. This is exclusive to the Prophet's tangible traces.
The Hadīth refers to the act of seeking blessings from the Prophet's hair and keeping it.
The Hadīth also shows how the Imam or the leader consoles his companions and followers by distributing gifts and presents to them.
It also highlights the act of beginning with the right side of the head when shaving.
It denotes the merit of Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) that was obvious in saving his share, then giving him the other half, and granting him the honor of distributing it among people.
The Hadīth also shows consolation between friends in terms of gifts and presents and the fact that consolation does not necessarily entail equality..

1308

Ibn ‘Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Tawāf al-Ifādah (pouring forth) on the Day of Nahr, then returned and prayed Zhuhr in Mina. Nāfi‘ said: Ibn ‘Umar used to perform Tawāf al-Ifādah on the Day of Nahr, then return and pray Zhuhr in Mina, and mention that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did this..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the rituals of Hajj in his words and acts, which were reported by the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) just as they had learned them from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, the great Companion, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), reports that during the Farewell Hajj on the 10th year of Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "performed Tawāf al-Ifādah on the Day of Nahr", i.e., he performed Tawāf al-Ifādah at the Sacred House, referring to the Tawāf that comes after standing at ‘Arafah and throwing pebbles at Al-Jamrah al-Kubra. It was called so because the pilgrim performs it after his Ifādah (setting forth) from Mina to Makkah. The Day of Nahr is the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah and the Day of Eid al-Ad'ha. It was called so because of Nahr (slaughtering) the Hady and Ud-hiyahs on that day. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned after that and prayed Zhuhr in Mina, which is a valley surrounded by mountains, located on the eastern side of Makkah on the way between Makkah and ‘Arafah Mount. Mina is known to be the place of performing the rituals of Hajj and the place where the pilgrims spend the night on the Day of Tarwiyah, the Day of Nahr, and the Days of Tashrīq, as it is the place where the Jamrahs (stoning pillars) are stoned between sunrise and sunset during those days of Hajj, and it is the place where the sacrificial animals are slaughtered.
It was said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Zhuhr in Makkah, as mentioned in Sahīh Muslim on the authority of Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rode and set forth towards the House and prayed Zhuhr in Makkah." It was said: What happened is that after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had performed Tawāf al-Ifādah, the time for Zhuhr prayer became due. So, he prayed Zhuhr in Makkah at its earliest time. Then, he returned to Mina and found the people waiting to pray with him. So, he led them in prayer once again. In this way, the Hadīths could be understood together without needing to give preponderance to some of them over the other.
Nāfi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar and the one who narrated this Hadīth from him, said that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was very keen on following the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in all his actions, whether as a traveler or a resident..

1310

Nāfi‘ reported: that Ibn ‘Umar regarded Tahsīb (stopping at Al-Muhassab after the completion of Hajj) as an act of Sunnah, and he used to perform the Zhuhr prayer in Hasbah during the day of Nafr. Nāfi‘ said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) engaged in Tahsīb, and the caliphs did it after him..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the Tawqīfi acts of worship whose rituals were demonstrated by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Hajj. The Prophet's actions during his Hajj were Sunnah and guidance for those who came after him. The Companions were keen to follow the Prophet's guidance and act like him in all the affairs of Hajj and other things.
In this Hadīth, Nāfi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, informs that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) regarded Tahsīb as an act of Sunnah, i.e., one of the Prophet's actions. Tahsīb: to halt at Muhassab after completing Hajj following the days of throwing the Jamarāt. Muhassab: Al-Abtah or Al-Bat'hā’. It is a place lying between Mina and Makkah and is closer to Mina. It is said: It is the place of throwing the Jamarāt at Mina, and it used to be called Khayf Bani Kinānah. Khayf: The place that goes down from the mountain and rises above the valley. It is located outside Makkah from the direction of Madīnah.
Nāfi‘ informed that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to perform the Zhuhr prayer at Al-Hasbah during the day of Nafr (departure), which is the day of returning from Mina after the completion of the Hajj rituals. The pilgrims have two days of Nafr (departure): First: The second day from the days of Tashrīq. Second: The third day from the days of Tashrīq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah; and this is the day intended here, for it was the day during which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) departed in his Hajj.
Nāfi‘ said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) engaged in Tahsīb, and the caliphs did it after him," i.e., they stopped at Al-Muhassab. This is the view of Ibn' Umar that stopping at this place is one of the Sunnahs of Hajj. However, 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and others would not stop at this place during Hajj after the Prophet's passing. The relevant Hadīths point out that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stopped at this place after the completion of the Hajj rituals, for this was easier for his departure to Madīnah and so that his Companions and those who would leave with him could gather there.
The Hadīth shows how the Companions would pursue the Prophet's guidance and were keen to follow his Sunnah..

1310

Ibn ‘Umar reported: that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar used to alight in Al-Abtah..

Commentary : Hajj is one of the Tawqīfi acts of worship whose rituals were demonstrated by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Hajj. The Prophet's actions during his Hajj were Sunnah and guidance for those who came after him. The Companions were keen to follow the Prophet's guidance and act like him in all the affairs of Hajj and other things.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs "that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)" during his lifetime "and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them)" during their caliphate "used to alight in Al-Abtah." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted there on the 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah after he returned from Mina after the completion of the Hajj rituals. Al-Abtah: It is Al-Muhassab; it is a place lying between Mina and Makkah and is closer to Mina. It is said: It is the place of throwing the Jamarāt at Mina, and it used to be called Khayf Bani Kinānah. Khayf: The place that goes down from the mountain and rises above the valley. It is located outside Makkah from the direction of Madīnah.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stopped there after the end of the days of throwing the Jamarāt, and Rāfi‘, his freed slave (may Allah be pleased with him), had set up a tent for him in this place. After that, Abu Bakr and 'Umar followed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in that, and they would stop in this place at the same time and some of the Companions, like 'Abdullāh ibn' Umar, considered it to be one of the Sunnahs of Hajj, as narrated in the Sahīh Muslim Collection.
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stopped at this place because this was easier for his departure to Madīnah and so that his Companions and those who would leave with him could gather there, as narrated in a version by Muslim, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "that she would not do that, and she said: Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted there because it was an easier place for his departure."
The Hadīth shows how the Companions - such as Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) - would pursue the Prophet's guidance and were keen to follow his Sunnah..

1313

Abu Rāfi‘ reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not command me to stop at Al-Abtah when he departed from Mina, but I came and set up his canvas therein, and he came and alighted. [Another version] adds: And he was in charge of the Prophet's belongings..

Commentary : The rituals of Hajj are among the Tawqīfi acts of worship which were demonstrated by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Farewell Hajj. The Prophet's actions during his Hajj were Sunnah and guidance for those who came after him. The Companions were keen to follow the Prophet's guidance and act like him, and they were also keen to demonstrate what is part of the Sunnah and what is not part of the Sunnah, yet it was accidentally done by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, the noble Companion Abu Rāfi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) - the Prophet's freed slave and servant - "and he was in charge of the Prophet's belongings" i.e., he was responsible for the Prophet's personal items; he informs that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not enjoin him when he departed from Mina, to stop at Al-Abtah, which means a spacious place, and it here refers to a location between Mina and Makkah. It is also called Al-Muhassab and Khayf Bani Kinānah. Al-Abtah today comprises buildings and markets. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) departed from Mina after throwing the pebbles on the 13th day of Dhul-Hijjah, following the completion of the Hajj rituals.
Abu Rāfi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "but I came and set up his canvas therein." Canvas is a tent made of wool or other material. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came, alighted, and rested in this tent set up at Al-Abtah - and this happened before the Farewell Tawāf. In a Hadīth in the Sahīh Al-Bukhāri Collection, Anas ibn Mālik reported: "that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’ prayers and then had a sleep in Al-Muhassab, after which he rode toward the House and performed Tawāf around it."
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted in this place after completing the Hajj rituals, for it was easier for his departure to Madinah and so that his Companions and those who would leave with him could gather there, as narrated in a version by Muslim, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) alighted there because this place was easier for his departure.".

Book of Hadith

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