| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
750
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” And he spoke so sternly about that that he said: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.”.

Commentary : The best is for the worshipper to look at his place of prostration; this is more appropriate so that he can focus on his prayer, and makes it less likely that he will be distracted by other things. It will stop his gaze wandering, and help him to focus and maintain humility in prayer.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against looking up to heaven whilst praying, using very stern words, but at the same time being tactful. Therefore he said, “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) often said, “What is the matter with people who do such and such?”  not mentioning them by name, so as to respect their privacy and spare them embarrassment and shame. Rather he spoke about what he wanted to convey without mentioning them by name, so that they would understand what he meant and comply with it. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against lifting one’s gaze to heaven whilst praying by saying: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.” In other words, either they should stop doing that, or else Allah will snatch away their eyesight, and it will not be returned to them, which refers to them becoming blind. This phrase points to an emphatic prohibition and a stern warning against doing that.
The reason for the prohibition on lifting the gaze to heaven whilst praying is that it is a kind of turning away from the qiblah which Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has chosen for the one who prays, and it makes him look as if he is not praying.
This hadith highlights the stern warning that is addressed to the one who lifts his gaze to heaven that his eyesight may be snatched away.
It indicates that it is permissible to use harsh words of rebuke to deter one who is committing sin.
It indicates that the one who is committing sin may be rebuked and exhorted without mentioning him by name in front of other people. .

751
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. He said: “That is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and is an act of worship that is both physical and spiritual. The Muslim should perform it with total humility and focus, and not let the Shaytan have any share of it, so that his prayer will not be rendered invalid and so that nothing will be detracted from the reward for it.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. Turning the head means moving the face and turning it right or left whilst praying. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered by saying that this is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer. The word translated here as stealing refers to taking or snatching something quickly. What is meant is that turning of the head is something that the Shaytan steals and snatches from the Muslim’s prayer in order to distract him from focusing and showing humility in the prayer. Thus something will be detracted his reward, and that may lead to what is worse than that, namely the prayer being rendered invalid altogether. This indicates that it is prohibited to turn the head whilst praying. .

755
It was narrated that Jabir ibn Samurah said: The people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), so he dismissed him and appointed ‘Ammar as their governor instead. Then they complained to the extent that they said that he [Sa‘d] did not pray properly. So ‘Umar sent for him and said: O Abu Ishaq, these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Abu Ishaq said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long and I made the last two rak‘ahs short. ‘Umar said: This is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq. Then he sent a man, or some men, with him to Kufah, to ask the people of Kufah about him, and he did not omit any mosque but he asked the people there about him, and they spoke well of him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs. There a man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah, and he was known by the kunyah Abu Sa‘dah, stood up and said: As you are adjuring us by Allah, I am bound to tell you that Sa‘d did not lead us in campaigns, he did not share out the booty equally, and he was not just when passing judgement. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. Later on, when the man who said that was asked what had happened, he would say: I am a very old man who has been subjected to trial and temptation. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d. ‘Abd al-Malik said: I saw him later on; his eyebrows had fallen over his eyes because of old age, and when he saw young women in the street, he would try to say sweet words to them. .

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has instructed the believer to pay attention to all his duties and obligations. So he should pay attention to the obligatory worship that is required of him, and do it as Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has enjoined. He should pay due attention to the job or task that has been assigned to him, and do it as he has been instructed to do it and as it should be done. He should pay due attention to giving other people their rights, and take his own rights in full, without anything being detracted from them. So he should not wrong others and he should not be wronged himself.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people of Kufah complained to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was the governor of Kufah. So ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) dismissed him in order to calm the people down and avoid turmoil, even though he trusted him, and he replaced him with ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) as their governor. ‘Umar appointed Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas as commander-in-chief to fight the Persians in 14 AH, and Allah granted the conquest of Iraq at his hands. He founded the city of Kufah in 17 AH, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as governor of the city until he dismissed him in 21 AH, or 20 AH.
Some of the people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), making several allegations against him. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) investigated the matter, and found that the allegations were all false. They even said that he did not pray properly, but this was due to their lack of understanding and their ignorance about how the prayer is to be done, not because  Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) did not pray properly. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d and asked him about their complaints, addressing him by his kunyah: O Abu Ishaq – which was Sa‘d’s kunyah – these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long – that was because after al-Fatihah he would recite whatever he could of Qur’an – and I made the last two rak‘ahs short – because  he would not recite anything after al-Fatihah. It is as if what they criticized in his prayer was his making the recitation lengthy in the first part of the prayer and making it shorter in the second part of the prayer, but those who criticized him for that were ignorant. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) singled out ‘Isha’ prayer for mention, because he thought that their complaint was about this prayer. It was also suggested that what he meant when he referred to ‘Isha’ prayer was both Maghrib and ‘Isha’. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: You have followed the Sunnah in your actions, and you have prayed as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray. This is what we thought you would do.
At the beginning of the hadith, it says that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to question him, then he addressed him as one present: “That is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq.” This indicates that Sa‘d was not there, then he came. ‘Umar sent one man, or some men, to Iraq with him, who were led by Muhammad ibn Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him). This delegation asked the people of Kufah about Sa‘d. They did not leave any of the mosques of Kufah but they questioned its people about him, and they all spoke well of him and praised him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs, who were a tribe of Qays. A man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah stood up and said: As you have adjured us and asked us by Allah (may He be exalted) to tell you about Sa‘d, we will tell you that Sa‘d did not go out on campaign in Allah’s cause, he did not share out the booty fairly, and he was not just when judging between people. He said what he said wrongfully and unfairly towards Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him), falsely attributing to him things of which he was innocent. The reason why he stood up and said that was that he was showing off and seeking a reputation. So Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed against him, saying: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. So he prayed against him, asking for three things, the first of which was that he would live a long life. What was meant was that he should live so long that he would reach the worst age, when a man’s bones grow weak and he loses his strength. Thus this was a supplication against the man, not for him. In addition to long life, the second supplication was that Allah would make him very poor for a long time, which is the worst and hardest kind of life in this world. And he added a third thing, which was worse than the first two, which was that Allah should subject him to trial and temptation, so he was subjected to the temptation of women. Thus when this man, whom Sa‘d had prayed against, was asked about the bad situation in which he found himself, he would say: I am a very old man who has been tried and tempted. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d which was answered. His words “a very old man” refer to the fulfilment of the first supplication, “then cause him to live a long life”; his words “who has been tried and tempted” refer to the third supplication. He did not mention the second supplication, “make him live in poverty for a long time”, because it is included in his words, “I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d.”
‘Abd al-Malik – one of the narrators of the hadith; he was the son of ‘Umayr ibn Suwayd al-Kufi – said: I saw him after his eyebrows grew long and fell over his eyes because of old age. He would try to chat to young women in the streets, and say sweet words to them in front of people. This proves that the supplication of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) was answered, and that his supplication against this man came under the heading of praying against a specific wrongdoer in a manner commensurate with his lack of religious commitment, not praying that he fall into sin. Rather it is praying against him in such a way that leads to an increase in the punishment of the wrongdoer.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and indicates that he was a person whose supplication would be answered.
It indicates that it is permissible to make the first rak‘ah lengthy and to make the second rak‘ah shorter.
It highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Thus they used to pray as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
It indicates that warding off mischief takes precedence over attaining good aims. Therefore ‘Umar dismissed Sa‘d even though he was more qualified than those who came after him, in order to put an end to turmoil and ward off mischief.
It indicates that one may address a man of high standing by his kunyah..

756
It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.”.

Commentary : Prayer has essential parts and obligatory parts without which it is neither valid nor complete. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) confirms one of the essential parts of the prayer, which is reciting Surat al-Fatihah. He tells us that the prayer of one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (i.e., al-Fatihah) in every rak‘ah is not valid. Therefore reciting al-Fatihah is one of the essential parts of the prayer in every rak‘ah, and the prayer is not valid without it. The imam and the one who is praying on his own must recite it, and the one who is praying behind an imam should listen attentively when the imam recites it in prayers in which recitation is done out loud, because of the hadith narrated by Imam Muslim from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), in which it says: “… then when he – meaning the imam – recites, listen attentively.”
This hadith indicates that it is enjoined to recite al-Fatihah in the prayer..

757
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and a man came in and prayed, then he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He returned his greeting, and said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” So the man went back and prayed as he had prayed the first time, then he came and greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” This happened three times, then the man said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do any better than that; teach me. So he said: “When you stand to pray, say takbir, then recite whatever you have learned of Qur’an. Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing, then rise until you are standing up straight. Then prostrate, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then sit up, and pause and be at ease whilst sitting. And do that throughout your prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would point out mistakes to the one who did not pray properly, and he would teach him the correct way to offer the prayer.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and another man – whose name was Khallad ibn Rafi‘ – came in and prayed, rushing through his prayer. He did not pause and let himself be at ease in his standing, bowing or prostrating. When he had finished praying, he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam, and he returned his greeting, then he instructed him to repeat this prayer, because it had been rendered invalid by his failing to pause and let himself be at ease in the movements of the prayer. So the man prayed again, but without pausing, because he rushed through his prayer and did not allow enough time to pause and be at ease, or to be able to recite properly the words of Qur’an and dhikr connected to each part of the prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat it three times, and it may be that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat the prayer more than once in the hope that he would pay more attention, because of the possibility that he had done that out of forgetfulness or heedlessness, but by repeating it he might pay heed and do it in the right manner without the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) needing to teach him. Or it may be that he made him repeat it by way of showing how serious the matter was, which would be more effective in teaching him. But Khallad said to him, swearing by Allah: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I do not know how to pray any better than what you have seen, so teach me how to make my prayer correct. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: When you stand up to pray, say the opening takbir, then recite what you have learned of Qur’an, namely Surat al-Fatihah. According to a report narrated by Ahmad from Rifa‘ah ibn Rafi‘ al-Zuraqi he said: “… then recite the Essence of the Book [i.e., al-Fatihah], then recite whatever you wish…” Thus he instructed him to recite, along with al-Fatihah, whatever he was able to of Qur’an.
He said: “Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing.” According to the report of Ahmad mentioned above, “when you bow, place your palms on your knees, extend your back and bow properly…” Then raise your head from bowing until you are standing up straight, then prostrate, by placing the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes firmly on the ground, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then raise your head from prostration and sit, and pause and be at ease in sitting. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And do that throughout your prayer.” So make sure that you always move at a moderate pace, stand up properly, pause and be at ease when bowing and prostrating, and do not rush in your prayer.
This hadith instructs the Muslim to pause and be at ease in the movements of prayer.
It outlines how to teach people in a gentle manner, without being harsh and rough.
It highlights the good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his kind treatment of his companions..

759
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer and in the second rak‘ah shorter, and he would make the people hear a verse sometimes. In ‘Asr he used to recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer . And he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah of Fajr prayer longer, and in the second rak‘ah shorter..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, there is a description of one of the characteristics of the Prophet’s prayer, namely his recitation in different prayers. Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and make it shorter in the second. Sometimes those who were behind him could hear his recitation, so they would know what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting, even though it is a prayer in which recitation is done quietly, because he would make them hear a verse sometimes. Thus they knew what he was reciting. Sometimes they (may Allah be pleased with them) could recognize that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting from the movement of his beard, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari from Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would do the same in ‘Asr and Fajr; in the first two rak‘ahs he would recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he would make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and shorter in the second, because one’s energy is greater in the first rak‘ah, so it is appropriate to make the second rak‘ah shorter, so as to avoid making people feel tired.
With regard to the amount that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited in each prayer, in Fajr and Zuhr prayer he would recite the long surahs of al-Mufassal, and his recitation would be longer in Fajr than in Zuhr. In ‘Isha’ and ‘Asr he would recite the medium-length surahs of al-Mufassal, and in Maghrib he would recite the short surahs. Al-Mufassal is a group of surahs in the Qur’an ending with Surat al-Nas; there is a difference of opinion as to where it begins. It was said that it begins from Surat al-Hujurat, until the end of the Qur’an; or that it begins from al-Jathiyah, or from Muhammad, or from Qaf, or from al-Fath, or from al-Saffat, or from al-Saff, and there are other views. It is called Mufassal because there are many breaks (fasl) between the surahs, each of which is marked by the Basmalah. And it was said that this is because its surahs have fewer verses, or fewer abrogated verses, and there are other views.
This hadith proves that the first rak‘ah of every prayer should be longer than the second..

761
It was narrated that Abu Ma‘mar said: I said to Khabbab ibn al-Aratt: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recite Qur’an in Zuhr and ‘Asr? He said: Yes. I said: How did you know that he was reciting? He said: By the movement of his beard..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) is asked whether the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited al-Fatihah and another surah in Zuhr and ‘Asr as he did in Maghrib, ‘Isha’ and Fajr, or did he not to recite in those two prayers? Perhaps the reason for this question was that they thought that there was no recitation because the recitation is not done out loud. Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: Yes, he used to recite in Zuhr and ‘Asr. They asked him: How did you know that he was reciting, even though the recitation is done quietly? He replied: By the movement of his beard. In other words, we could tell that he was reciting from the movement of his beard whilst he was standing in prayer.
With regard to the amount that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite, in Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in the first rak‘ah and shorter in the second. According to a report narrated by Muslim from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer around thirty verses, and in the last two around fifteen verses, or he said: half of that. In ‘Asr, in each of the first two rak‘ahs he would recite around fifteen verses, and in the last two [he would recite] half of that.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to lift one’s gaze and look at the imam, and for the one who is praying behind an imam to look at his imam whilst praying, and pay attention to the imam’s movements when he moves down and up again.
It also indicates that recitation is to be done quietly in Zuhr and ‘Asr..

763
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Umm al-Fadl heard him when he was reciting {By those [winds] sent forth in gusts} [al-Mursalat 77:1]. She said: O my son, by Allah you have reminded me with your recitation of this surah that it was the last thing that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he recited it in Maghrib. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in some prayers and shorter in others, taking into consideration people’s situations and the time of day. This was narrated in the hadiths which explain what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in each prayer.
This hadith describes what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did when he recited in Maghrib prayer. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surat al-Mursalat, and his mother Umm al-Fadl – whose name was Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) – heard him and said to him: O my son, you reminded me, with your recitation of Surat al-Mursalat, that it was the last surah I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when he recited it in Maghrib prayer. At-Tirmidhi narrated, with his isnaad from Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to us, with a band of cloth tied around his head because of sickness, and prayed Maghrib, and he recited al-Mursalat. And he never prayed it again after that until he met Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
The Sunnah in Maghrib prayer is to make the recitation short. There are many reports about that which indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not make the recitation lengthy in Maghrib; he only made it lengthy sometimes, as Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her) mentions in this hadith.
It was also narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-A‘raf in Maghrib, as it says in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances.
The hadith under discussion here indicates that his standing and reciting for a long time is something that happened sometimes.
This hadith describes what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did sometimes with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer. .

764
It was narrated that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said: Zayd ibn Thabit said to me: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs?.

Commentary : May Allah be pleased with the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for they were very keen to find out about the sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and to enjoin others to adhere to it and forbid them to go against it.
This hadith tells us that the Sahabi Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him)  said to Marwan ibn al-Hakam one day, rebuking him: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib – referring to the short surahs of al-Mufassal, from the beginning of Surat al-Bayyinah to the end of the Qur’an – when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs? What is meant by the two long surahs is al-A‘raf and al-An‘am; the longer of the two is al-A‘raf, so it is as if what he meant here was Surat al-A‘raf.
It was narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib, as it says in the hadith narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Umm al-Fadl Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances. The hadith under discussion here indicates that this happened sometimes, although in most cases his practice was not to make the recitation in Maghrib lengthy.
This hadith highlights the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer..

765
It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Mut‘im said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting al-Tur in Maghrib..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him) were the keenest of people to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all of his affairs, and especially in prayer. In this hadith, we see one aspect of the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Maghrib prayer, as Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting Surat al-Tur after al-Fatihah in Maghrib prayer. It may be that he recited the entire surah, or that he recited part of it. It is proven from him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib prayer, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her). He also recited Surat al-A‘raf [in Maghrib prayer], as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). He also recited {Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers…)} [al-Kafirun] and { Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say,He is Allah , [who is] One…)}  [al-Ikhlas], as was narrated by Ibn Majah from Ibn ‘Umar; and he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin], as is mentioned in the hadith narrated by Ahmad from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that  the length of time for which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him stood [in Maghrib prayer] varied from time to time..

766
It was narrated that Abu Rafi‘ said: I prayed al-‘atamah [i.e., ‘Isha’] with Abu Hurayrah, and he recited {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat (When the sky has split [open])} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated [during his recitation]. I asked him about that, and he said: I prostrated behind Abu’l-Qasim (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and I will continue to prostrate when reciting [this surah] until I meet him again..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to emulate the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and follow in his footsteps, and to adhere to this until they died.
In this hadith, Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he prayed al-‘atamah, which is ‘Isha’, with Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). They sometimes called ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) because it is prayed at night, when it has become dark.
It is narrated that it is not allowed to call ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as in the hadith narrated by Muslim from ‘Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),  according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your prayer; indeed it is ‘Isha’, but they delay milking the camels until it is very dark [yu‘timuna].” Perhaps Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) did not see anything in the words of the hadith to indicate that it was haram, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) called it ‘atamah  in another hadith, as we see in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Sahihayn. And it was said concerning this that it was because they called Maghrib prayer ‘Isha’, and ‘Isha’ prayer al-‘atamah, according to the time, and that required the explanation to be discussed using their own terminology sometimes. And it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used these words in order to explain that there is no blame on a person for using them, but that is contrary to what is more appropriate.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) recited, {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat  (When the sky has split [open] …)} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated at the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says, {And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]} [al-Inshiqaq 84:21]. Abu Rafi‘ asked him about that, and he replied that he had done this prostration behind Abu’l-Qasim – which is the kunyah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and he would continue to do it for the rest of his life, until he met him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) again.
This verse affirms that there is a prostration of recitation (sajdat al-tilawah) in Surat al-Inshiqaq.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is praying to do the prostration of recitation.
It highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to be steadfast in adhering to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

767
It was narrated from al-Bara’ that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and in one of the rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’ prayer, he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin]..

Commentary : Islamic teachings came to make things easy and not cause hardship to people with regard to acts of worship and other matters, especially when travelling, which usually involves more hardship and difficulty. Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and he led them in praying ‘Isha’ prayer in a shortened form, with two rak‘ahs, in one of which he recited the surah {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun  (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin] after reciting al-Fatihah; according to a report narrated by al-Nasa’i, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited it in the first rak‘ah.
Making the standing in prayer brief was the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when praying ‘Isha’, both when travelling and not travelling, out of compassion towards the people. He told Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) not to make the prayer lengthy, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), when he led the people in prayer and recited Surat al-Baqarah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)  said to him: “O Mu‘adh, are you causing undue hardship to the people?” – he said it three times – “Recite {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] or {Sabbih isma Rabbik al-A‘la (Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High)} [al-A‘la], and similar surahs. Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in ‘Isha’ prayer {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha  (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] and similar surahs.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to transmit reports of the actions and words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and all his affairs, to his ummah for the purpose of spreading knowledge and encouraging people to act in accordance with his Sunnah..

772
It was narrated from ‘Ata’ that he heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: In every prayer there is recitation. Whatever the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made us hear, we make you hear, and whatever he hid from us, we hide from you. If you do not recite more than the Essence of the Qur’an [al-Fatihah], that is sufficient, but if you recite more, that is better..

Commentary : Conveying Islam and teaching it to people is obligatory for every Muslim, commensurate with his knowledge and ability to do that.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the best example of that and does his duty of conveying Islam and teaching knowledge to the people, and not withholding or concealing knowledge. Here he is speaking about prayer, and he tells us that the worshipper must recite Qur’an in every prayer, but in some of the prayers he must recite out loud, when reciting al-Fatihah and whatever else he can of Qur’an. In other prayers, he must recite quietly, in a low voice. All of that is to be based on the actions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who recited out loud in Fajr prayer, and in the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and he used to recite quietly in all other cases. In the supererogatory night prayers [qiyam al-layl] he sometimes recited quietly and sometimes recited out loud, as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) followed him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that, and those who came after them followed them. Thus they recited out loud in the parts of the prayer in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, and they recited quietly in the parts in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly.
Then Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that what is required in terms of recitation is to recite the Essence of the Qur’an, which is al-Fatihah. It is called the Essence of the Qur’an because it includes all the meanings of the Qur’an, and because it is the first surah of the Qur’an. So whoever recites al-Fatihah has done what is required of him, and his prayer is valid, but whoever adds to that recitation whatever he can of Qur’an, that is regarded as supererogatory and the one who does this will be rewarded for it.
This hadith highlights the importance of following the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and avoiding innovation, and being keen to emulate the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is obligatory to recite al-Fatihah in every prayer, whether the prayer is one in which recitation is to be done out loud or one in which it is to be done quietly..

773
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out with a group of his companions, heading towards the market of ‘Ukaz, when the devils had been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and the burning flames had been sent against them. So the devils went back to their people, who said: What is the matter with you? They said: We have been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and burning flames have been sent against us. They said: You have only been prevented from hearing news of heaven because of something new that has happened, so travel throughout the earth, east and west, and find out what has happened to prevent you from hearing news of heaven. Those who headed towards Tihamah went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in Nakhlah, on his way to the market of Ukaz, and he was leading his companions in praying Fajr. When they heard the Qur’an, they listened to it, then they said: This, by Allah, is what has prevented us from hearing the news of heaven. When they returned to their people, they said: O our people, {Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone} [al-Jinn 72:1-2]. Then Allah revealed to his Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): {Say, [O Muhammad], It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened …} [al-Jinn 72:1]. Thus what the jinn had said was revealed to him..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent to the two races, humankind and the jinn, and with him Allah brought to an end the series of messages, so no one is to be believed with regard to matters of the unseen, or anything transmitted from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), of which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not speak.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the devils used to eavesdrop on heaven before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent. When Allah sent His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), He sent burning flames against the devils; the word shihab (translated here as burning flame) refers to a firebrand that is very bright, as if it is a meteor speeding through the sky. After that, the devils were no longer able to do what they had done before of sitting and eavesdropping on news from heaven. This is what Allah tells us about in the verses in which He says: {And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him} [al-Jinn 72:8-9].
When the devils saw what had happened, and realized that they had been prevented from listening to news from heaven, they said: This must be because of something new that has happened. Their people among the jinn – and it may be that what is meant is their leaders and rulers – said to them: Go and look everywhere, and find out what has happened that has prevented you from listening to news from heaven as you used to do. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was with a group of his companions in the market of ‘Ukaz, which was in some part of Makkah; it was a market at which the Arabs would gather, and they would do trade with one another and recite their poetry, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would go out to them and call them to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). When the jinn set out towards Tihamah, which is a place in Makkah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Nakhlah, which is another place in Makkah, and he was leading his companions in Fajr prayer. When the jinn heard the Qur’an, they realized that this was the reason why they were being pelted with burning flames and being prevented from spying on the news of heaven. So they went back to their people and told them about what they had heard of the Qur’an, and Surat al-Jinn was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), telling him about what had happened and what the jinn had said to one another.
This hadith confirms the existence of the jinn, and that they have no knowledge of the unseen or of anything of the news of heaven except what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told of.
It indicates that recitation is to be done out loud in Fajr prayer.
It indicates that the one who wishes to call people to Allah should go to people in the places where they gather in order to call them and teach them about their religion..

774
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud where he was commanded to recite out loud, and recited quietly where he was commanded to recite quietly. {And never is your Lord forgetful} [Maryam 19:64]. {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern} [al-Ahzaab 33:21].

Commentary : The way to learn about the teachings of Islam is from the Holy Qur’an and the soundly-narrated Prophetic Sunnah. In the Qur’an, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) explained what He wanted to explain, and left other issues to be explained by his Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his Sunnah. The prayer is one of matters that are explained in detail in the Prophet’s Sunnah. This principle is what ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) understood and confirmed in this hadith. He stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud in prayer where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite out loud, and he recited quietly where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite quietly. This was not because Allah (may He be exalted) had forgotten about that and not mentioned it in the Qur’an – exalted be He far above such a thing. Rather it was because He (may He be exalted) willed that the details of the prayer should be explained by His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whom we are enjoined to follow with regard to what he recited out loud and what he recited quietly, because he is the best pattern or example, whom Allah has commanded us to follow and not differ from his Sunnah. There are many reports which state that recitation should be done out loud in Fajr prayer and the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and it should be done silently in Zuhr and ‘Asr, the last rak‘ah of Maghrib and the third and fourth rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’. Ibn ‘Abbas described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly, and it cannot be said that he did not recite at all, because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was still leading the prayer, so he must have been reciting, whether he did so quietly or out loud.  .

1361
Nāfi‘ ibn Jubayr reported: Marwān ibn al-Hakam addressed the people and made mention of Makkah and its inhabitants and inviolability. Still, he did not mention Madīnah and its inhabitants or inviolability. Thereupon, Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj called him and said: "What is it that I hear you making mention of Makkah and its inhabitants and its inviolability, but you did not make mention of Madīnah and its inhabitants and its inviolability, while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared what is between its two lava fields as inviolable?! And this is with us on Khawlāni parchment. If you wish, I can make you read it." He said: Marwān became silent and then said: "I heard part of that.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty has given Makkah and Madīnah greater status than other places and positions. Allah rendered Makkah a sanctuary for Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him) and made it a safe town. Likewise, He rendered Madīnah a sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
This Hadīth points out that Madīnah is sacred like Makkah. This version has a story. Marwān ibn al-Hakam - the then-governor of Madīnah - addressed the people and mentioned Makkah and its people and its inviolability but did not mention Madīnah and its people and its inviolability. Its inviolability means that everything becomes secure therein, even animals, which may not be hunted, and trees, which may not be cut down, and that no one may do anything in it that contradicts the religion of Allah or commit a crime, an act of injustice, or a sin for which a legal punishment is prescribed. So, it is forbidden to hunt in Madīnah as it is forbidden in the sanctuary of Makkah, but he who hunts in Madīnah faces no punishment, for it is not a place for the rituals, unlike Makkah.
So, Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj (may Allah be pleased with him) called him and said: "What is it that I hear you making mention of Makkah and its inhabitants and sacredness, but you did not make mention of Madīnah and its inhabitants and its inviolability, while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared what is between its two lava fields as inviolable?!" He meant that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared all of Madīnah inviolable. Madīnah lies between two lava fields, eastern and western. A lava field is a land covered with black stones as if it was burned. The eastern lava field is called "Harrat Wāqim", and it now contains Qubā' and the Wāqim fortress. The western lava field is "Harrat Wabarah", and it contains the mosque called the Mosque of the Two Qiblahs. Its borders from the south and north are between the two mountains' Ayr and Thawr. The Prophetic Sanctuary falls between Mount' Ayr from the south, 8.5km away from the Prophet's Mosque, and Mount Thawr from the north, 8km away from the Prophet's Mosque. An official committee in Saudi Arabia has demarcated the Madīnah sanctuary, and the Madīnah Regional Municipality has put architectural signs in the form of arches like those of the Prophet's Mosque, in many places demonstrating these borders.
Then, Rāfi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "And this is with us" written "on Khawlāni parchment", which is skin attributed to Khawlān, a village in Yemen. Perhaps this skin is characterized by strength and durability suitable for keeping such things. Then, Rāfi‘ said to him: "If you wish, I can make you read it", i.e., if you want to verify this matter by reading the text by yourself, I will enable you to read it. Thereupon, Marwān kept silent and then acknowledged that, saying: "I heard part of that," i.e., the Hadīth in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared Madīnah inviolable.
The Hadīth demonstrates the status of Madīnah.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person should alert others if they make a mistake or forget or overlook a Shar‘i ruling..

1363
Sa‘d reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I declare inviolable what is between the two lava plains of Madīnah, so its thorn trees must not be cut down and its game must not be killed." He also said: "Madīnah is best for them if they only knew. No one leaves it out of dislike for it except that Allah will replace him with someone better, and no one remains therein despite its hardships and distress except that I shall be an intercessor or a witness for him on the Day of Judgment." [Another narration reads]: And no one intends to harm the people of Madīnah except that Allah will cause him to melt in fire like the melting of lead or the dissolution of salt in water..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has granted Makkah and Madīnah a special position that excels other places and positions on account of the Islamic sacred sites found therein, like the Sacred House in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madīnah.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "I declare inviolable what is between the two lava plains of Madīnah," i.e., it is a safe sanctuary, so everything therein should be safe. "Two lava plains": Lava plain, i.e., lava field, which is an area of land with black rocks as if burnt with fire. Madīnah - may Allah increase its honor - is located between two lava fields on the east and the west. The eastern lava field (Harrat Wāqim) now has Qubā’ and Wāqim Fort, whereas the western lava field is Harrat Wabarah, which has a mosque called Masjid Al-Qiblatayn. Its borders from the south and north are between the two mountains ‘Ayr and Thawr. The Prophetic Sanctuary falls between Mount ‘Ayr from the south, which is 8.5 kilometers away from the Prophet's Mosque, and Mount Thawr from the north, which is 8 kilometers away from the Prophet's Mosque. An official committee in Saudi Arabia has demarcated the Madīnah sanctuary, and the Madīnah Regional Municipality has put architectural signs in the form of arches, like those of the Prophet's Mosque, in many places demonstrating these borders.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then clarified what is prohibited within these borders, as it is prohibited to cut down thorn trees, i.e., all trees having thorns, and it is prohibited to hunt animals and birds therein, as they are protected within these borders.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then informed us of some of the merits of Madīnah, saying: "Madīnah is best for them if they only knew," referring to people who would leave Madīnah, i.e., Madīnah is best for those leaving it from such countries for whose sake they are leaving it. Then, he clarified that anyone who leaves and abandons it from among its dwellers out of dislike for it, i.e., out of aversion or unwillingness to get a reward for living there, Allah will replace him with someone better in Madīnah, whether a child born there or someone moving from another city and settling therein.
Then he added that anyone who remains steadfast, patiently enduring its hardships, i.e., straitened circumstances and hunger, "and distress", i.e., its difficulties, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) will be an intercessor or a witness for him on the Day of Judgment. The meaning of this may be: the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) will be a witness for some of the people of Madīnah and an intercessor for the rest of them; or he will be an intercessor for the sinners and a witness for the obedient ones; or a witness for those who die during his lifetime and an intercessor for those who die after him; or maybe "or" here is used in the sense of "and", i.e., he will be an intercessor and a witness for them. This is an exclusive merit in addition to the intercession for the sinners or for the worlds on the Day of Judgment and in addition to his testimony to the entire Ummah.
In another narration, he said: "And no one intends to harm the people of Madīnah except that Allah will cause him to melt in fire like the melting of lead or the dissolution of salt in water," i.e., this will happen to him in the Hereafter. This could also mean: Whoever has ill will towards it during the Prophet's lifetime, or in this worldly life, Muslims will be spared of his harm and his plot will fade away just as the lead fades away in fire. Thus, Allah will not grant him a respite and will not grant him authority; rather, He will soon eliminate him.
The Hadīth stresses the importance of Madīnah and its great inviolability.
It also points out how Allah Almighty hastens to inflict His severe punishment on whoever intends to harm Madīnah and its people..

1364
‘Āmir ibn Saad reported: Saad rode to his castle in Al-‘Aqīq and found a slave cutting down the trees or beating them. So, he took all his belongings. When Saad returned, the people of the slave came to him and talked to him about giving back to their slave or to them what he had taken from their slave. Thereupon, he said: "Allah forbid that I should give back anything which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has given me as a spoil!" He refused to return anything to them..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has given Makkah and Madīnah greater status than other places and positions. Allah rendered Makkah a sanctuary for Abraham (peace be upon him) and made it a safe town. Likewise, He rendered Madīnah a sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Āmir ibn Saad ibn Abi Waqqās informs that Saad ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) rode to his castle in Al-‘Aqīq, a place as close to Madīnah as Al-Baqī 'is close to it, situated nearly 20km away from the Prophet's Mosque. Al-‘Aqīq means: what was ripped by the flood a long time ago. He found a slave cutting trees from the sanctuary of Madīnah or beating them. In other words, he was beating the tree leaves or throwing stones at them. So, Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) took all his belongings, i.e., he took the clothes he was wearing and other things which would be taken from a killed person among the disbelievers, which include his horse, weapon, money, etc. The people of the slave came and asked him to return to their slave or to them what he had taken from their slave. He declined that, citing the Prophet's instruction regarding anyone who does so within the sanctuary of Madīnah. He said: Allah forbid that I should give back anything which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has given me as a spoil, i.e., booty with his permission to anyone who sees someone hunting or cutting trees that he may take his belongings. So, he refused to return what he had taken from them. This is all intended to show extreme rejection and deterrence, and it is also because he considered this act worthy of criticism and firm response so that this issue could spread among the people so that they would refrain from hunting and cutting trees in Madīnah..

1373
Abu Hurayrah reported: When the people saw the first fruits, they would bring them to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received them, he would say: "O Allah, bless for us our fruits, bless for us our Madīnah, bless for us our Sā‘, and bless for us our Mudd. O Allah, indeed Abraham is Your slave, friend, and Prophet, and indeed I am Your slave and Prophet; and he supplicated You regarding Makkah, and I supplicate You regarding Madīnah with the same supplication he made to You for Makkah and the like of it along with it." He said: Then, he would call the youngest child and give these fruits to him..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has endowed some places in the world with particular blessings which He has not given to other places. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate Allah to bless Madīnah and its people and fruits and to fill it with goodness and blessing, as Abraham, the friend of Allah (peace be upon him), supplicated for Makkah.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that when the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) "saw the first fruits", which is the first produce and the first fruits to become ripe in their farms, they would bring them to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as a gift to him, or they would do that out of a desire for the Prophet's supplication and to notify him of the fruits becoming ripe and the Zakah related to them. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received them, he would supplicate for them, saying: "O Allah, bless for us our fruits" with growth, increase, and continuity. Then, he would supplicate for Madīnah, saying: "bless for us our Madīnah", i.e., in its essence in terms of its opulence and the opulence of its people and so on. Blessing is intended to refer to blessing in this world and the Hereafter. Then, he supplicated with regard to the Sā‘ and Mudd of Madīnah, saying: "bless for us our Sā ', and bless for us our Mudd", i.e., bless for us what is measured in our Sā 'and bless for us what is measured in our Mudd, making what is in it more sufficient than what lies elsewhere. The Sā‘ of Madīnah is a measure that consists of four Mudds, and a Mudd equals one pound and a third among the people of Hejaz and two pounds elsewhere.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for Madīnah as Abraham (peace be upon him) supplicated for Makkah; he said: "O Allah, indeed Abraham is Your slave, friend, and Prophet, and indeed I am Your slave and Prophet; and he supplicated You regarding Makkah" by saying: {So make the people’s hearts incline towards them, and provide for them fruits, so that they may be grateful.} [Surat Ibrāhīm: 37] Meaning, provide the people of Makkah with fruits by bringing them from other lands so that they may show gratitude for this blessing. Certainly, Allah answered his supplication and made it a safe sanctuary to which all different fruits are brought.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And I supplicate You regarding Madīnah with the same supplication he made to You for Makkah and the like of it along with it," i.e., with the double of what Abraham (peace be upon him) supplicated for. Thus, Madīnah should have double the blessing in the fruits.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give these fruits he received to the youngest child present, and he probably gave them to children in particular because they have a greater desire, want, and longing for them.
The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's noble manners, great compassion and mercy, and gentle attitude toward the old and young.
It shows the Prophet's love for Madīnah..

1374
Abu Sa‘īd, the freed slave of Al-Mahri, reported: they suffered distress and hardship in Madīnah, and he came to Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri and said to him: "I have a lot of dependents, and we are enduring hardship. I have, therefore, made up my mind to take my dependents to some rural land." Abu Sa‘īd said: "Do not do that; stick to Madīnah, for indeed we came out with the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - I think he said:- until we reached 'Usfān, and he stayed there for some nights. The people said: 'By Allah, we are here for nothing, whereas our children are unprotected, and we do not feel secure about them.' This was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: 'What is this that was conveyed to me from your speech?! - I do not know what he said: By the One by Whom I swear, or by the One in Whose Hand my soul is - I made up my mind, or if you will - I do not know which of that he said - that I should command my she-camel be prepared for proceeding and I will not untie any of its knots until I come to Madīnah.' Then, he said: 'O Allah, indeed Abraham declared Makkah as sacred and rendered it a sanctuary, and I declare Madīnah as sacred and a sanctuary between its two mountains. Thus, no blood is to be shed on it, no weapon is to be carried therein for fighting, and the leaves of trees are not to be beaten off except for fodder. O Allah, bless us in our city; O Allah, bless us in our Sā '; O Allah, bless us in our Mudd; O Allah, bless us in our Sā '; O Allah, bless us in our Mudd; O Allah, bless us in our city; O Allah, give with the blessing two more blessings. By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, there is no ravine or mountain path in Madīnah which two angels do not guard until you reach there.' Then, he said to the people: 'Proceed,' We proceeded and came to Madīnah. By the One in Whose name we take oath - or in Whose name oath is taken - we had hardly put down our camel saddles upon entering Madīnah that we were attacked by Banu ‘Abdullāh ibn Ghatafān, and nothing prevented them from doing it before that.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty endowed some places of the world with particular blessings that He did not give to other places, and He made some places locations for evils and trials and some others locations for goodness and blessings. The Prophet's Madīnah has been endowed with abundant goodness and blessing.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Sa‘īd, the freed slave of Al-Mahri, who was living in Madīnah, relates that they suffered distress and hardship due to poverty and lack of provisions, he complained to Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) about his condition and that he had "a lot of dependents," i.e., the members of one's household and those he supports; and he wants to leave Madīnah and go to some rural land where there are plants and fertility. In response, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) enjoined him to stick to Madīnah and not leave it. Clarifying the reason behind that, he mentioned that they went out of Makkah along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until they reached 'Usfān, a village lying 80km to the northwest of Makkah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in it for nights and days. The people said: "We are here for nothing," i.e., business or work, or anything related to war. "whereas our children are unprotected," i.e., without men or any means of protection. We left them behind, and "we do not feel secure about them"; rather, we fear for them that the enemy may attack them while we are away. These words reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he asked them: "What is this that was conveyed to me from your speech" regarding your dependents and families?! Then Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I do not know what he said"; Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) was doubtful about the oath taken by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), whether he said: "By the One by Whom I swear, or by the One in Whose Hand my soul is"; the latter is the form the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would mostly use for swearing. Also, Abu Sa‘īd was in doubt about whether the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I made up my mind, or if you will", meaning he resolved and intended to do something, but he did not actually do it, or he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left the matter to them; and that is: to command his she-camel be saddled and prepared for riding and travel and he would ride it and proceed and not untie any of the knots of the luggage loaded on it till he reaches Madīnah. This indicates that they alighted in 'Usfān for rest and to let their animals rest. Had it not been for that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have hastened to Madīnah nonstop, which shows the Prophet's intense love for Madīnah.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, indeed Abraham declared Makkah as sacred and rendered it a sanctuary", i.e., he proclaimed its sacredness and informed people that it is a sanctuary because Allah made it sacred. "And I declare Madīnah as sacred"; the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rendered it "a sanctuary between its two mountains." In another version by Muslim: "I declare what is between the two lava fields of Madīnah as sacred." A lava field is called Al-Harrah. Madīnah lies between two lava fields, eastern and western. A lava field is a land covered with black stones as if it was burned. Madīnah is bordered by Mount Thawr, behind' Uhud, from the north and Mount Ayr from the south. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) meant that he declared all of Madīnah as sacred. An official committee in Saudi Arabia has demarcated the Madīnah sanctuary, and the Madīnah Regional Municipality has put architectural signs in the form of arches like those of the Prophet's Mosque, in many places demonstrating these borders.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that his declaration of Madīnah as sacred means: "that no blood is to be shed in it", i.e., nobody is to be unjustly killed therein. The unjust shedding of blood is forbidden everywhere, but shedding it in Makkah and Madīnah is more severely forbidden. "no weapon is to be carried for fighting" except for self-defense and the like. And no tree should be cut off except for fodder. Fodder is a name for grass, hay, barley, and the like, and it is intended to refer to the food of animals.
Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for them to have the blessing in their foods. He said: "O Allah, bless us in our city; O Allah, bless us in our Sā '; O Allah, bless us in our Mudd", i.e., bless the food measured by the two of them. Also, the supplication probably means that blessing should lie in the very measure, and thus, a Mudd in it be sufficient in a way not found elsewhere. The Sā‘ of Madīnah is a measure that consists of four Mudds, and a Mudd equals one pound and a third according to the people of Hejaz and two pounds elsewhere. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his supplication: "O Allah, bless us in our Sā '; O Allah, bless us in our Mudd; O Allah, bless us in our city." And he added: "O Allah, give with the blessing two more blessings", supplicating Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, to increase and multiply the blessings and favors for the people of Madīnah. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore by Allah in Whose Hand lies the soul of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and all humankind: "There is no ravine or mountain path in Madīnah which is not guarded by two angels", i.e., they protect it by the command of Allah Almighty until the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and those with him returned to Madīnah. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined his Companions to prepare for travel. So, they got prepared and proceeded toward Madīnah.
Then Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) swore by Allah Almighty - by Whom every Muslim swears - that once they unloaded their luggage from their animals as they entered Madīnah, Banu' Abdullāh ibn Ghatafān raided Madīnah, those are people who used to be called Banu' Abd al-‘Uzza during Jāhiliyyah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called them Banu' Abdullāh, and then the Arabs called them Banu Muhawwalah due to Tahwīl (the change) of their name. The meaning: In their absence, Madīnah was guarded, as informed by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). No apparent cause prevented those people from raiding Madīnah before the return of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions, except that Allah Almighty and His angels guarded it.
There is no contradiction in this Hadīth between the Prophet's supplication for Madīnah to be blessed and the fact that some of its people endured hardship, as there is no conflict between the existence of hardship in it and the existence of blessing and no harm done if it is lacking with regard to some people. It is said: What appears to be more correct is that the blessing in it lies in the obtainment of sustenance, and the Mudd in it is sufficient for such an amount that needs three Mudds elsewhere. So, the hardship can be endured in getting the Mudd, and the blessing is represented by multiplying the sustenance therein.
The Hadīth mentions that Allah blessed the people of Madīnah with their fruits and foods and placed blessings in their measures.
It demonstrates the Prophet's intense love for Madīnah and how he would yearn for it whenever he went out until he returned.
It points out the merit of Madīnah and that it was guarded during the Prophet's lifetime and numerous guards were stationed in all ravines, by way of increasing the honor of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

1375
Sahl ibn Hunayf reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed with his hand to Madīnah and said: "It is a safe sanctuary.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty endowed some places of the world with particular blessings that He did not give to other places, and He made some places' locations for evils and trials and others' locations for goodness and blessings. The Prophet's Madīnah has been endowed with abundant goodness and blessing.
In this Hadīth, the noble Companion Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed with his hand to Madīnah and then said: "It is a safe sanctuary." So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared it - as in another version by Muslim -: "inviolable throughout the area between its two mountain paths, that no blood should be shed in it, no weapon should be carried in it for fighting, and no leaves should be beaten off trees except for fodder." Fodder is a name for grass, hay, barley, etc. In another version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I declare inviolable the area between the two lava fields of Madīnah, that its large thorn trees should not be cut down or its game be killed." The meaning: It is forbidden to cut down its trees or kill its game. Its sanctuary lies between its two lava fields, the eastern and the western. A lava field is a land covered with black stones as if it was burned. Madīnah is bordered by Mount Thawr to the north, behind ’Uhud, and by Mount ‘Ayr to the south..

1377
Yuhannas, the freed slave of Az-Zubayr, reported that while sitting with 'Abdullāh ibn Umar at the time of the trial, one of his freed female slaves came and greeted him. She said: "I want to leave, O 'Abu' Abdur-Rahmān. The time has become harsh for us." Thereupon, 'Abdullāh said to her: "Stay, O you Lakā ', for indeed I have heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'No one patiently endures its hunger and hardship except that I will be a witness or intercessor for him on the Day of Judgment.'".

Commentary : Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, endowed some places of the earth with particular blessings that He did not give to other places, and He made some of them locations for evils and trials and others for goodness and blessings. The Prophet's Madīnah has been endowed with abundant goodness, blessing, and merit.
In this Hadīth, Yuhannas, the freed slave of Az-Zubayr - or the freed slave of Mus‘ab ibn az-Zubayr - relates that while he was sitting in the company of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), "one of his freed female slaves came and greeted him", a greeting of farewell, as she wanted to leave Madīnah. This was at a time in which some tribulations occurred among the Muslims, involving fighting and the like. He was apparently referring to the trial of Al-Harrah, which took place during the reign of Yazīd ibn Mu‘āwiyah. She said: "I want to leave" Madīnah, "O ‘Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān", the surname of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). And she said: "The time has become harsh for us." This demonstrates the reason behind her desire to depart from Madīnah. She meant that famine had become severe at this time because of the trial. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) disapproved of that and urged her to stay in Madīnah, given the merit of doing so. He said: "Stay, O you Lakā '". The word 'Lakā" is used to refer to a vile person, a slave, a fool who does not benefit from the speech of others, or a child. Ibn' Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed her by this word in a friendly manner and to express disapproval of her desire to depart from Madīnah, for one should not leave it due to difficulty and hardship.
Then, he clarified to her why he enjoined her to stay in Madīnah, and this is because he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "No one patiently endures its hunger and hardship except that I will be a witness or intercessor for him on the Day of Judgment." The intended meaning is that he will be a witness for some of the people of Madīnah and an intercessor for the rest of them; or an intercessor for the disobedient and a witness for the obedient; or a witness for those who die during his lifetime and an intercessor for those who die after him; or the word 'or' here means 'and', in which case the meaning will be that he will be an intercessor and witness for him. This is an additional characteristic besides the intercession for sinners or humankind on the Day of Judgment and besides his testimony over the entire Ummah.
The Hadīth urges dwelling in Madīnah.
It points out the merit of patiently enduring hardship and hunger in Madīnah.
It demonstrates the Prophet's favor upon the people of Madīnah..

1380
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Anti-Christ (Al-Masīh ad-Dajjāl) will come from the east with the intention to attack Madīnah until he will alight behind' Uhud, and then the angels will dissuade his face toward the Levant, and there he will be destroyed.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Madīnah possesses great merits, and Allah Almighty has protected it from evils and ills and the Anti-Christ, preventing him from entering it, as He also protects Makkah from him by virtue of the Prophet's supplication for it.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the Anti-Christ will be keen on going to the Prophet's Madīnah, and his primary goal and intention behind entering it will be to destroy and ruin it. "he will alight behind' Uhud", i.e., he will reach the area behind Mount' Uhud, the well-known mountain lying on the outskirts of Madīnah from the north and situated 4 or 5km away from the Prophet's Mosque. In his story in which he met the Anti-Christ, Tamīm ad-Dāri narrated that he said to him: "and I will travel in the land and not leave any town except that I will stay in it for forty nights, except for Makkah and Taybah (Madīnah), as both of them are forbidden for me. Each time I try to enter one of them, an angel with a sword in his hand unsheathed will confront me and bar my way, and there are angels to guard every passage leading to it." [Narrated by Muslim] But, the angels who guard Madīnah will direct him toward the Levant, which nowadays includes Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon. The Anti-Christ will come to the Levant, and there he will be destroyed, as Jesus the son of Mary (‘Īsa the son of Mariyam) (peace be upon both of them) will descend at the white minaret in eastern Damascus, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. Then, he will pursue him and find him at the gate of Ludd, where the Messiah, the son of Mary, will kill him. as related in another Hadīth narrated by Muslim and others.
The Anti-Christ was called Masīh because one of his eyes is Mamsūh (effaced); he is one-eyed. He is a person from the children of Adam, and his emergence is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment. Allah will afflict His servants through him and enable him to do things of which only Allah Almighty is capable: bringing the dead person he will kill back to life, the emergence of worldly flourishment and abundance along with him, his paradise and fire, his two rivers, the treasures of earth going after him, and his command to the sky to rain and it will rain and to the earth to produce plants and it will produce plants. All this will happen by the will and power of Allah Almighty. He will come on this day from the east. In a Hadīth narrated by At-Tirmidhi, Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Ant-Christ will emerge from a land in the east called Khurāsān," which is located in the east of Iraq..

1381
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A time will come for the people when a man will invite his cousin and relative: 'Come to prosperity, come to prosperity.' But Madīnah is better for them if they only knew. By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, none amongst them will go out with a dislike for it except that Allah will make someone better succeed him therein. Indeed, Madīnah is like a bellows, which expels the impurities. The Last Hour will not come until Madīnah banishes its evils just as a bellows eliminates the impurities of iron.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Madīnah is a blessed spot on earth. Allah rid it of impurities and chose it to be the place of Hijrah for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), the incubator of his mission and the foundation of his state.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that a time will come for the people when a man will call his cousin and relative, saying: "Come to prosperity", i.e., leave Madīnah and hasten to prosperity. By this, he meant that countries would be conquered by the Muslims, and thus, there would be abundant fortunes. Consequently, many of those who left the Hejaz and the Arab land would be inclined to the fortunes they found in these conquered countries and would take them as a homeland and invite their relatives in Madīnah to come to them, given the difficult living there. But in reality, staying in Madīnah is better for them as it is the sanctuary of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his refuge and the place where divine revelation and blessings descended if they only knew the religious benefits and results of staying in it, compared to which the worldly transient and fleeting fortunes they find in living elsewhere would seem trivial. Or the meaning: If they only had any knowledge, i.e., Would that they were among the people of knowledge - by way of emphasis and rebuke.
Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took an oath, saying: "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is", and this is swearing by Allah, Who possesses the life and soul, "none amongst them will go out" i.e., none of those who live in it will abandon and leave it, disliking and being disinterested in it, or disinterested the reward for dwelling in it, except that Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, will make a better person than him will succeed him - who will be born in Madīnah or move to it from another place. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that it banishes evil people from it, and they do not bear to live therein. Only the righteous believers bear to stay in it. Indeed, it does not leave in it anyone in whose heart there is wickedness and corruption. Rather, it distinguishes him from people with sincere hearts and drives him out, as fire separates bad iron from good one. A bellows is the leather by which the blacksmith blows into the fire. The Hour will not occur until Madīnah banishes its evils just as a bellows eliminates the impurities of iron. The impurities of iron are the dirt and filth extricated therefrom by fire. It is said: It is meant to refer here to some of the hypocrites who lived during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Otherwise, many righteous and virtuous people left Madīnah after the Prophet's lifetime, and some wicked and evil people remained therein. It is also said That Madīnah banishes its evils, which probably applies to the time of the Dajjāl and may also apply to different eras.
The Hadīth demonstrates some merits of Madīnah.
It includes one of the signs proving the Prophet's prophethood..

1385
Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed, Allah Almighty named Madīnah Tābah.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Madīnah is a blessed spot on earth. Allah has purified it from filth and has chosen it to be the Prophet's destination of Hijrah (immigration), the incubator of his call, and the basis of his state.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that one of the names by which Allah Almighty called Madīnah is 'Tābah'. The meaning is that Allah Almighty named it in the Preserved Tablet or commanded His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to name it as such in response to the hypocrites concerning its name as Yathrib. Tābah is derived from At-Tīb, which means good scent, or from something Tayyib (good) or something Tāhir (pure), for it has been purified from Shirk (polytheism). It is said: Because it is Tayyibah (good) for those who dwell in it. And it is said: Because living in it is Tayyib (good). It is also said: Because its soil and air are Tayyib. He who stays in it finds a good scent in its soil and walls that can hardly be found elsewhere.
Madīnah used to be called Yathrib before the Prophet's Hijrah to it. In the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have been commanded to go to a town which will devour all towns. People call it Yathrib, but it is Madīnah." He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) seemed to have disliked the name Yathrib, for it comes from "Tathrīb", which means censure and punishment, or from "Tharb", which means corruption, and because it was the name used in Jāhiliyyah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to change bad names. Also, Allah Almighty calls it Madīnah in several Qur'anic verses. When something has numerous names, this denotes its greatness.
As for calling it "Yathrib" in the Qur'anic verse that reads: {And [remember] when a group of them said: "O people of Yathrib, you cannot withstand [the enemy attack], so go back"} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 13], this is taken as a quotation of the words of the hypocrites whose hearts had sickness..

1386
Abu Hurayrah reported that Abu al-Qāsim (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever intends to do harm to the people of this city - meaning Madīnah - Allah will make him dissolve just as salt dissolves in water.".

Commentary : Prophetic Madīnah is a blessed spot on earth. Allah has purified it from filth and has chosen it to be the Prophet's destination in his Hijrah (emigration), the incubator of his call, and the basis of his state.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that Allah Almighty defends Madīnah and its righteous believing dwellers. So, whoever intends to do harm to the people of Madīnah and is determined to hurt them, Allah will make him dissolve as salt dissolves in water, and this will be in the Hereafter as mentioned in Sahīh Muslim: "No one intends evil for the people of Madīnah except that Allah will make him melt in fire like the melting of lead;" so He made the punishment in Hellfire. This could also mean: Whoever has ill will towards it during the Prophet's lifetime, Muslims will be spared his harm, and his plot will fade away just as salt fades away in water. This could also be in reference to whoever has an ill will towards it generally in this life, so Allah will not grant him a respite and will not grant him authority; rather, He will soon eliminate him..

1398
Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported: ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Sa‘īd al-Khudri passed by me, and I said to him: What did you hear your father say about the mosque that was founded on piety? He said: I heard my father say: I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the house of one of his wives and I said: O Messenger of Allah, which of the two mosques is the one founded on piety? He said: He took a handful of pebbles and threw them on the ground and then said: It is this very mosque of yours, i.e., the Madīnah Mosque. I said: I bear witness that this is how I heard your father make mention of it..

Commentary : Piety means fearing Allah and being heedful of Him in all deeds, and abiding by His commands, prohibitions, and rulings in all aspects of life. The Muslim must adopt piety and must seek to attain it. Allah Almighty commended piety and the pious people in the Qur’an.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf reports that ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Sa‘īd al-Khudri passed by him, so he asked him: What did you hear your father, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) say in relation to what is meant by the mosque that was founded on piety, which Allah Almighty described in His statement: {A mosque that was founded on piety from the first day}? [Surat at-Tawbah: 108] That is to say, it was founded and built on fearing Allah and obeying Him from the very beginning.
He told him that Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he was in the house of one of his wives and asked him: "Which of the two mosques is the one founded on piety?" The "two mosques" refer to Qubā’ Mosque and the Madīnah Mosque, which was built by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took a handful of small pebbles from the ground and threw them on the ground, then he answered the question of Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: "It is this very mosque of yours," i.e., the Madīnah Mosque. This is meant as a form of exaggeration in clarifying that it is the Madīnah Mosque.
Thereupon, Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān said to ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Sa‘īd: "I bear witness that this is how I heard your father," i.e., Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), "make mention of it," i.e., he had mentioned to me the like of what you mentioned to me about it.
The Hadīth clarifies the merit of the Prophet's Mosque and the fact that it was founded on piety..

1403
Jābir reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a woman, so he came to his wife Zaynab, while she was tanning a Manī’ah (piece of leather), and satisfied his need. Then, he came out to his Companions and said: "The woman advances in the shape of a devil and retires in the shape of a devil. So, when any of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart." [In another version]: He did not mention: "retires in the shape of a devil.".

Commentary : Islam has protected women from all evil, and the Shariah has commanded women to avoid Tabarruj (impermissible exposure of adornment), so as not to arouse desires and become a cause of tempting others.
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) saw a woman, as if he saw her all of a sudden. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to his wife, Zaynab bint Jahsh, to satisfy his human lust and maintain his chastity. Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) was tanning a piece of leather, i.e., rubbing it. "Manī’ah": it is the leather once put in tannin. He did this only to clarify to people and guide them to what they should do, as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught them with his acts and words. As for what he felt in his heart, he is not to be blamed for it, and it does not negatively affect his status. It is a requirement of human nature and lust. It must not be thought that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did this out of a whim or for being overcome by lust, far be it from him. Rather, he did this by way of legislation and to set an example and to ward off what is expected to happen.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The woman advances in the shape of a devil and retires in the shape of a devil" referring to personal desires and inviting others to be tempted by her, given the natural inclination for women that Allah Almighty has instilled in men and the pleasure they get by looking at women and at whatever is related to them. The woman is, thus like the devil who calls to evil through his whispering and through making evil appealing to them. This is because her advance calls men to look stealthily at her just like the devil that calls to evil and whispering. The same applies to her turning back because the gaze is the heart's guide, so when she turns back, she attracts a man's gaze and he tries to take backdoors to reach her, as seeing her from all directions is a cause of corruption.
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So, when any of you sees a woman," i.e., likes and admires her, because seeing something that arouses one's amazement, leads to admiring it. Another version by Muslim reads: "When any of you admires a woman and his heart is captivated by her, he should go to his wife and have sexual intercourse with her." Here he said: "He should come to his wife," i.e., and have sexual intercourse with her. "For that will repel what he feels in his heart," i.e., his sexual intercourse with his wife will repel what he feels in his heart and will satiate his lust and calm him down.
The Hadīth indicates that there is nothing wrong with one asking his wife for sexual intercourse during daytime or at any other time, even if she is preoccupied with something that could be postponed because a man might be overcome by lust and the delay might cause him harm in his body, or in his heart and sight.
It also denotes how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions the way of ridding the devil's whispers by going for what is lawful instead of what is unlawful..

1405
Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) allowed the Mut‘ah marriage (temporary marriage) for three days in the year of Awtās, then he forbade it..

Commentary : Islam has established the legal marriage system to protect the progeny and people's honor. It has forbidden all means of enjoying women that were widespread in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, which do not protect women's rights.
In this Hadīth, Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted and allowed his Companions to enter into Mut‘ah marriage for three days and that was when it became so hard for them to stay unmarried in the Battle of Awtās, which took place in the same year after the Conquest of Makkah, i.e., 8 AH. The Mut‘ah marriage is a fixed-term marriage, with the word "tamattu‘" (enjoyment) verbally stated, in return for an amount of money. Awtās is a valley in Tā’if where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed the spoils of Hunayn and Awtās. Then, he forbade the Mut‘ah marriage after those three days and made it permanently forbidden until the Day of Judgment.
The Mut‘ah marriage was known during the early stages of Islam and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not forbid them from it during their travels, given their need for it. However, he forbade them from it during their stay and residence in their countries. The ruling of the Mut‘ah marriage passed through various phases, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from it more than once, then he ordered them to engage in it at various times until he made it permanently forbidden. Forbidding the Mut‘ah marriage was reported in many narrations, which point out that the prohibition was in the Conquest of Makkah, which is the most famous opinion, or in the Battle of Awtās, or in the Battle of Khaybar, or during the Prophet's last days in the Farewell Hajj. It was a permanent prohibition and not a temporary one, thus leaving no room for any difference of opinion among the jurists and the leading scholars of the Ummah. Only some of the Shiites hold a different opinion whose opinion does not count..

1405
‘Atā’ reported: Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh came for ‘Umrah. We came to his abode, and the people asked him about certain matters, and then they mentioned Mut'ah. Thereupon, he said: "Yes, we engaged in Mut'ah during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and 'Umar.".

Commentary : Islam has established the Shar‘i marriage system to protect progeny and honor. It has forbidden all means of enjoying women that were widespread in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era of ignorance), which do not protect their rights.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Atā’ ibn Abi Rabāh informs that Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Makkah to perform ‘Umrah, and some of the Tābi‘is came to him in his dwelling and began to ask him about religious matters and seek his Fatwas on them. This was the attitude of the Tābi‘is; they were keen on receiving knowledge from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, they asked him about Mut‘ah marriage, in which a man enjoys a woman in return for compensation agreed upon by them and for a specified period, and the marriage ends with the elapse of this period. In response, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Yes, we engaged in Mut‘ah during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar," i.e., during the reign of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and during the reign of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). In another version by Muslim: "We used to engage in Mut'ah in return for a handful of dates and flour during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr, until 'Umar forbade it in the case of 'Amr ibn Hurayth." 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) married a woman by Mut'ah marriage during the reign of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and she got pregnant from him. The statement of Jābir and the action of 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them) are taken to indicate that the Prophet's prohibition of such marriage did not reach them.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the Mut'ah marriage in the beginning and then forbade it later during the battle of Khyber until the Day of Judgment, and he declared it unlawful during the Farewell Hajj, as narrated by Al-Bukhāri, Muslim, and others. In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the Mut‘ah marriage of women as well as eating the flesh of domestic donkeys. In the Sahīh Muslim Collection: Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) allowed the Mut‘ah marriage for three days in the year of Awtās, and then he forbade it..