It was narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying whilst carrying Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and of Abu’l-‘As ibn Rabi‘ah ibn ‘Abd Shams. When he prostrated he put her down, and when he stood up, he picked her up again..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was kind and forbearing to old and young alike. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) loved children and was compassionate towards them.
In this hadith, Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sometimes led them in an obligatory prayer whilst carrying his granddaughter Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Her father’s name was Abu’l-‘As ibn ar-Rabi‘ ibn ‘Abd Shams. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up, he carried her on his shoulder, as is narrated in as-Sahihayn, and when he bowed and prostrated, he put her down on the ground. Then when he rose from prostration and stood up for the second rak‘ah, he picked her up again, (and continued like that) until he finished his prayer. This indicates that it is permissible to carry children whilst praying, if there are no impure substances (najasah) on them, such as urine, stools and the like.
This hadith highlights the compassion and good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that a slight movement whilst praying, picking up a child whilst praying, and other actions, even if they are many but not consecutive – rather they are intermittent – do not invalidate the prayer..

517

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad ibn al-Had said: My maternal aunt Maymunah bint al-Harith told me: My bed was next to the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and sometimes part of his garment would fall on me whilst I was on my bed..

Commentary : Among the Jews, when a woman menstruated, they would expel her from the house; they would not eat with her, or drink with her or be with her in the same room. In Islamic teachings, however, the menstruating woman is not blamed for something that Allah has decreed for her; her entire body is pure (tahir) apart from the place where the hurt (i.e., menses) is.
This hadith is a brief part of a longer hadith in which the Mother of the Believers Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray in her apartment, and the place where he prayed was next to her bed on which she would be sleeping, and when she was menstruating – as is mentioned in a report in al-Sahihayn – sometimes the garment of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would touch her whilst he was praying.
This indicates that the menstruating woman is not impure (najis) and it indicates that her garment that she wears whilst menstruating is pure (tahir). It also indicates that the menstruating woman may be close to one who is praying, and that does not affect his prayer or interrupt it. This is an example of the ways in which Islam makes things easier for women in all circumstances, and honours women, especially at the time of menses, whereas the Jews used to regard the menstruating woman as impure, so no one would go near her or eat with her..

520

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: Whilst the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was standing in prayer at the Kaaba, and a group of Quraysh were sitting in one of their gatherings, one of them said: Look at this show-off! Which of you will go the recently slaughtered camel of the family of So-and-so, and bring its dung, blood and intestines, then wait until he prostrates and put it between his shoulders? The most wretched of them jumped up [and went and brought that filth], then when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated, he put it between his shoulders. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) remained in prostration, and the polytheists fell about laughing, then someone went to Faatimah (peace be upon her) – who was still a young girl – and she came running, whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was still prostrating, and she lifted [that filth] off him and cast it aside, then she turned to them and berated them. When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he said: “O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh; O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh; O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh.” Then he said: “O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon ‘Amr ibn Hisham, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn ‘Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt and ‘Umarah ibn al-Walid.” ‘Abdullah said: By Allah, I saw them fallen in battle on the day of Badr, then they were dragged to the dry well, the dry well of Badr. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And the people in the dry well were followed with a curse.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sorely mistreated by the polytheists, but he persevered in the face of many difficulties for the sake of spreading his call and conveying the message of his Lord. The polytheists persecuted him in Makkah and elsewhere, but he remained steadfast, seeking reward for that with Allah, in the hope that Allah (may He be glorified) would guide them to enter Islam.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) speaks of one of the kinds of mistreatment that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) endured at the hands of the disbelievers of Quraysh. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was standing in prayer at the Kaaba, and some of the disbelievers of Quraysh were sitting in one of their gatherings, when one of them said: Do you not see this showoff? referring to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He falsely claimed that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was praying at the Kaaba in order to show off, so that people would see his worship. Then that man said: Which of you will go to the recently slaughtered camel of the family of So-and-so …? What is meant is that a specific person had recently slaughtered a camel; the word translated here as camel refers to an animal that has been slaughtered and is being cut up. He wanted someone to go and take the dung, blood and intestines of that camel and bring it to them, then wait until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated, then place that filth between his shoulders. The most wretched of the people, whose name was ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt, went and did what they had agreed on. The polytheists laughed so much at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that they found themselves leaning on one another in their laughter. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) remained in prostration, and someone – it may have been Ibn Mas‘ud himself (may Allah be pleased with him) – went to Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her what had happened. At that time she was still very young. Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) came quickly, removed the filth from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then turned to the polytheists and berated them.
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he prayed against them, saying: “O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh; O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh; O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon Quraysh.” In other words, destroy Quraysh. What is meant is the disbelievers among them, or those whom he named after that. The words were general in meaning but what was meant was specific individuals. Then he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed against specific individuals, as he said: “O Allah, I urge You to wreak vengeance upon ‘Amr ibn Hisham, ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi‘ah, al-Walid ibn ‘Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt and ‘Umarah ibn al-Walid.” On the day of the battle of Badr – which took place in 2 AH, and was the first and greatest battle – all of those whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed against were killed, and were thrown into a dry well. When they were thrown into the dry well, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And the people in the dry well were followed with a curse,” meaning that Allah followed them with a curse, so that just as they were killed in this world, they will be cast out from the mercy of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in the hereafter.
This hadith highlights a clear miracle of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as his supplication was answered and each of those against whom he had prayed was killed..

521

It was narrated from Ibn Shihab that ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz delayed the prayer one day. ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr went to him and told him that al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah delayed the prayer one day when he was in Iraq, then Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari came to him and said: What is this, O Mughirah? Do you not know that Jibril (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came down and prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed; then he prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed; then he prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed; then he prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed; then he prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed – then he said: Thus I have been commanded? ‘Umar said to ‘Urwah: Watch what you are saying! Are you saying that Jibril was the one who defined the times of prayer for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? ‘Urwah said: That is what Bashir ibn Abi Mas‘ud used to narrate from his father.
‘Urwah said: ‘A’ishah told me that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was shining into her apartment, before the apartment became shady..

Commentary : Praying at the beginning of the time for the prayer, and hastening to do so, is among the best of deeds by means of which one may draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the times of prayer in both his words and his actions. The Sahabah after him were careful to offer the prayers on time, and they encouraged one another to do that.
In this hadith, it says that when ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr saw ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz – who at that time was the governor of Madinah, during the caliphate of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan – delaying the prayer, namely ‘Asr prayer, one day, he went to him and told him that al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed the prayer one day when he was in Iraq, and Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) went to him and objected to his doing that. He said to him: Do you not know that Jibril came down and prayed, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed? He was referring to the time when Jibril came down to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and led him in prayer at the times of all five daily prayers; thus he taught the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when the times for the prayers began and when the prayers are to be performed. In other words, he explained the times of prayer to him, and that delaying the prayer from that time to the time when ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz prayed was something that was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The words “Thus I have been commanded” are the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz said to ‘Urwah: Watch what you are saying! In other words, verify what you are narrating; are you saying that Jibril was the one who defined the times of prayer for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? From this question of ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz – was it Jibril who taught the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the times of the prayers? – it seems that he was not aware of this hadith. So ‘Urwah said to him: That is what Bashir ibn Abi Mas‘ud used to narrate from his father, meaning that this was the isnad (chain of narrators) of the report, so that he would know that it was sahih (sound), with an uninterrupted isnad.
Then ‘Urwah said, as further confirmation: ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) told me that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was shining into her apartment, before the apartment became shady. What is meant is that the sun was still high; in other words, he used to offer the prayer at the beginning of its time.
This hadith urges the Muslim to pray at the beginning of the time for the prayer, especially in the case of ‘Asr prayer, and that delaying the prayer may take it to the time when it is not allowed and it is makruh (disliked) to pray.
It also indicates that it is prescribed for the scholar to advise one who is in a position of authority.
And it indicates that one may request verification of a hadith from the one who narrates it..

526

It was narrated from Ibn Mas‘ud that a man kissed a woman, then he came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and told him about that. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) revealed the verse: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds} [Hud 11:114]. The man said: O Messenger of Allah is this for me? He said: “It is for all of my ummah.”.

Commentary : One of the means that help a person to repent is being keen to increase the number of righteous deeds that he does, so that most of his time will be spent in worshipping Allah and his heart will always be thinking of doing righteous deeds. One of these means of expiating sin is prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man kissed a woman who was not permissible for him. Then he came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and told him what had happened. Then Allah revealed this verse: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day} [Hud 11:114]. That is, establish the obligatory prayers at the beginning and end of the day, namely Fajr, Zuhr and ‘Asr; {and in some hours of the night} that is, and establish prayer during the night hours, namely Maghrib and ‘Isha’; {Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds} – righteous deeds, such as prayer and other actions, expiate minor sins. The man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, is this ruling for me alone? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is for all of my ummah.” This was affirmation after affirmation from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that this included both those who were present and those who were absent. In other words, it is for them, and you are one of them.
This expiation is only for minor sins. In the case of major sins, complete repentance is required, fulfilling all the necessary conditions.
This hadith highlights the extent of Allah’s mercy to His slaves, and that He accepts the repentance of those who repent..

527

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: I asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Which deed is most beloved to Allah? He said: “Prayer offered on time.” He said: Then which? He said: “Then honouring one’s parents.” He said: Then which? He said: “Jihad in Allah’s cause.” He told me these, and if I had asked for more, he would have told me more..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) – because of their keenness to do that which would bring them closer to the pleasure of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) – often asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the best deeds and those which would bring them closest to Allah (may He be exalted). The responses of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) varied from one person to another, according to their character and situation, and what would be most beneficial for each of them.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) asks the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Which deed is most beloved to Allah? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered that the most beloved of deeds to Allah (may He be exalted) and the most pleasing to Him is prayer offered at the beginning of its time. That means that the Muslim regularly offers the prayer after hearing the adhan. Mentioning the best time to pray serves to urge and encourage the Muslim to hasten to pray, and not be lazy or delay offering the prayer, because offering the prayer at the beginning of its time indicates that one is keen to do it, and that the Muslim acknowledges the rights of Allah and honours them, that he offers the prayer at the time when it becomes obligatory, without delaying or procrastinating, and that he is not among those of whom Allah (may He be exalted) says: {So woe to those who pray, [But] who are heedless of their prayer} [al-Ma‘un 107:4-5] – they are the ones who delay the prayer from the best time to offer it, or even until its time has ended. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that the next most beloved deed to Allah is honouring one’s parents, by treating them kindly and serving them, and not defiantly disobeying them. That was because Ibn Mas‘ud had a mother, so he needed to be reminded about honouring his parents after the prayer, because prayer is the right of Allah and the rights of parents come after the rights of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted, as He says: {Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination} [Luqman 31:14]. Then Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) asked which deed was most beloved to Allah (may He be exalted) after honouring one’s parents, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that it is jihad in Allah’s cause, to make the word of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) supreme, offering one’s life and wealth, so that the symbols and rituals of Islam may be practised openly.
What is meant is that the best of deeds is fulfilling the rights of Allah that He has enjoined upon His slaves, the best of which is prayer offered on time, then fulfilling the rights of His slaves, the most important of which is honouring one’s parents. And the pinnacle of deeds is jihad in Allah’s cause.
It was said that the wisdom behind singling out these three things for mention – prayer on time, honouring one’s parents, and jihad – is because these three are the best of deeds after faith. The one who neglects the prayer – which is the foundation of faith – at the time when he is aware of its virtue, is more likely to neglect other matters of religion, be careless about them and take them lightly. Similarly, the one who fails to honour his parents is more likely to neglect other rights of people. By the same token, the one who neglects jihad in Allah’s cause – even though he is able to do it when it becomes an individual obligation for him –is more likely to neglect other deeds by means of which he may draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted).
Then Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that if he had asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to tell him about more deeds, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not have refused to tell him of the best deeds.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah and of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to seek out the most sublime of deeds.
It also indicates that Muslims are urged to pray when the time for the prayer begins, to honour their parents, and to strive in jihad in Allah’s cause..

528

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Do you think, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he bathed five times every day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?” They said: There would be no trace of dirt left on him. He said: “That is the likeness of the five daily prayers; Allah erases sins by means of them.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and the most eloquent of the people in speech. One of the effective ways in which he educated and taught people was by making knowledge straightforward and easy to understand, by giving tangible likenesses to make things clearer.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gives the likeness of how sins are erased by means of the five daily prayers, as he likened the five daily prayers to a river at the door of a person in which he bathes five times every day. Just as all dirt would be removed from him, so that there would be no trace of dirt left on him, in like manner the five daily prayers erase sins and misdeeds until there is nothing left of them.
The reason for that is that just as a person may become contaminated with physical dirt on his body and clothes, which he cleanses by means of abundant water, by the same token, the prayers cleanse a person of the dirt of sin, until there is no sin left that has not been expiated and removed, so long as he avoids major sins, as it was narrated in a sahih report by Muslim that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, are expiation for what comes between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”
The view of many scholars is that the prayers expiate all minor sins, so long as one does not persist in them, because by persisting in them they become major sins. As for major sins, they require complete repentance, fulfilling all the necessary conditions..

529

It was narrated that Anas said: I cannot recognize anything of what you do that is the same as it was at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said: What about prayer? He said: Are you not neglecting what you are neglecting in it?.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation and basis of faith, on which the rest is built. Whoever upholds it as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it, will uphold other things, but whoever neglects it will be more neglectful with regard to other duties.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I cannot recognize anything of what you do that is the same as it was at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). According to another report, that was in Damascus, and what he was referring to was the neglect of some sunnahs and much of what was done at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Some of those who heard him were astonished, and it was said: What about the prayer? Meaning that prayer is something that was known at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was still practised. Anas said: Are you not neglecting what you are neglecting in it? What he meant was: that they delayed it from its proper time, or until the time for it ended.
According to a report narrated by Ahmad: “You prayed when the sun was setting.” His aim was to warn them against delaying ‘Asr prayer from the beginning of its time, until the time when prayer is not allowed and it is disliked (makruh) to pray.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah to uphold the sunnahs of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to warn against being heedless with regard to prayer..

532

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Prostrate properly, and do not rest your forearms on the ground as a dog does. If you spit, then do not spit in front of you or to your right, for you are conversing with your Lord.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) how to pray, and the etiquette and sunnahs of prayer.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructs the Muslim to prostrate properly when praying, by resting on his feet (toes), knees, hands and face. The worshipper should not rest his forearms on the ground when prostrating, as a dog rests, which means placing the hands and the elbows on the ground.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade spitting – which means ejecting mucus from the mouth or nose – whilst praying or whilst one is in the mosque. Thus he forbade the worshipper to spit in front of him, which is the direction of the qiblah, or to spit to his right, because that is the honourable side, and all honourable actions are started on the right. That is because the person – whether he is praying or is in the mosque – is standing before his Lord, so he must adhere to proper etiquette and not do anything that it is not appropriate to do before Him (may He be glorified and exalted). Other reports explain that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the worshipper, if he cannot help but spit, to spit to his left or under his foot, in order to bury it, or to spit into the edge of his garment if he cannot spit in any of those directions. The Muslim should take precautions to avoid contaminating the mosque with spittle on the ground, especially if the mosque is carpeted, and he is able to use a handkerchief or the edge of his garment to spit into if he is praying. But if he is not praying, then he can exit the mosque and go somewhere else where he can clean his mouth and nose. This comes under the heading of proper etiquette and respecting the mosque..

539

It was narrated that Abu Dharr al-Ghifari said: We were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and the mu’adhdhin wanted to give the call to prayer for Zuhr, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Wait until it cools down.” Then he wanted to give the call to prayer, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Wait until it cools down.” Then when we saw the shadow of the high ground begin to appear, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Intense heat is from the exhalation of Hell, so when it is intensely hot, wait until it cools down before you pray.”.

Commentary : There are many examples that illustrate the easy-going nature of Islamic teachings. One example of that is that for each prayer there is a considerable amount of time during which the prayer may be offered, so as to avoid hardship and difficulty.
In this hadith, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that they were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and the mu’adhdhin wanted to give the call to prayer for Zuhr, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him to delay it until it had cooled down and the heat had dissipated, so he sat down. Then after a while he wanted to give the call to prayer, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Wait until it cools down.” Then when they saw the shadow of the high ground begin to appear, as a result of the delay, at that point the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Intense heat is from the exhalation of hell – meaning from its scorching heat – so when it is intensely hot, wait until it cools down before you pray.” In the case of Zuhr, waiting until it cools down means delaying going out to offer the prayer until it has cooled down and the heat has reduced in comparison to the heat at the beginning of the noontime..

541

It was narrated from Abu Barzah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Fajr and one of us could recognize the person next to him, and in the prayer he would recite between sixty and one hundred verses. He would pray Zuhr when the sun passed the meridian, and he would pray ‘Asr then one of us would go to the furthest part of the city and come back when the sun was still bright – and I forgot what he said about Maghrib – and we would not mind if ‘Isha’ was delayed until one third of the night had passed. Then he said: until half of the night had passed. Mu‘adh said: Shu‘bah said: I met him once, and he said: or one third of the night..

Commentary : The best guidance is the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He taught his ummah everything having to do with religious matters, including prayer, its timings and how to do it, because of its great importance in Islamic teachings.
In this hadith, Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Fajr and one of us would recognize the person next to him. This indicates that the dawn had grown so light that a worshipper could recognize the person next to him. That was at the end of the prayer; he would make the prayer lengthy and would not finish it until things had become visible and faces had become recognizable. In the prayer he would recite between sixty and one hundred verses.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray Zuhr straight after the sun had passed the meridian in the middle of the day, when the sun started to decline from the middle of the sky.
He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray ‘Asr at such a time that one of them would be able to go to the furthest part of Madinah and come back, and the sun would still be shining strongly, very hot and bright. This indicates that he offered the prayer at the beginning of its time.
Then the narrator, Abu’l-Minhal, says that he forgot what Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) told him about the time when they used to pray Maghrib.
Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: we would not mind if ‘Isha’ was delayed until one third of the night had passed. Then he said: until half of the night had passed. In other words, sometimes they would pray ‘Isha’ after one third, or one half, of the night had passed, because of its virtue. Concerning the virtue of delaying it there is a report narrated by Abu Dawud, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Offer this prayer when it is very dark, for you have been given precedence over other nations because of it; no nation before you ever had a prayer like it.”.

542

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: When we prayed Zuhr behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we would prostrate on our garments to protect ourselves from the heat..

Commentary : Islam is a religion of mercy and ease in all its laws and teachings, and in the application of its teachings, as it takes into consideration an individual’s ability, without causing undue hardship.
In this hadith, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When we prayed Zuhr behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we would pray on our garments. They used to use the edges of their garments when prostrating, placing the cloth between their foreheads and the ground, to protect themselves from the intense heat. That is because in the summer, when temperatures are high, Zuhr prayer is offered during the hottest time of the day, as a result of which the ground is extremely hot.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to take measures to help one do acts of worship without facing any harm or difficulty..

543

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed seven [rak‘ahs] and eight [rak‘ahs] in Madinah: Zuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’. Ayyub said: Perhaps that was on a rainy night? He said: Perhaps..

Commentary : In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when he was in Madinah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed seven [rak‘ahs], meaning that he put ‘Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together, so he delayed Maghrib until the end of its time, when he prayed it with three rak‘ahs, and when he finished it, the time for ‘Isha’ began and he prayed it with four rak‘ahs.
And he prayed eight [rak‘ahs], meaning that he put Zuhr and ‘Asr together in a similar manner. So he delayed Zuhr until the end of its time, and when he had prayed it with four [rak‘ahs], its time had ended and the time for ‘Asr began, so he prayed ‘Asr with four rak‘ahs.
Ayyub – namely Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, the narrator of the hadith, and the one to whom he spoke was Jabir ibn Zayd – said: Perhaps this delay was on a very rainy night? Jabir ibn Zayd said: Perhaps that was on a rainy night. This was an expression of hope on his part that that had happened on a rainy night, because usually the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not delay a prayer from the beginning of its time except for a valid reason and hardship that required the concession allowing a delay.
This hadith indicates that Islam aims to make things easy and avoid causing difficulty, and that it is permissible to avail oneself of concessions with regard to acts of worship..

547

It was narrated that Sayyar ibn Salamah said: My father and I went to see Abu Barzah al-Aslami, and my father said to him: How did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offer the obligatory prayers? He said: He used to pray al-hajir [Zuhr] – which you call the first prayer – when the sun passed the zenith. He would pray ‘Asr, then one of us would be able to go to his residence in the furthest part of Madinah when the sun was still bright – and I forgot what he said about Maghrib – and he liked to delay ‘Isha’ – which you call al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) – and he did not like to sleep before it or to talk after it. He would finish Fajr prayer when a man could recognize the person next to him, and he would recite between sixty and one hundred verses..

Commentary : This hadith highlights the eagerness of the Tabi‘in to seek knowledge of the Sunnah and their keenness to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In it, Sayyar ibn Salamah, who was one of the Tabi‘in, went with his father Salamah to see Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him). Salamah the father of Sayyar asked him about the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and how he used to offer the obligatory prayers that Allah (may He be exalted) prescribed for His slaves. Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) answered by telling him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to offer al-hajir prayer – the word hajir refers to extreme heat; what is meant here is Zuhr prayer, and it is so called because the time for the prayer begins then. They also used to call Zuhr the first prayer, because it was the first prayer in which Jibril (peace be upon him) led the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer this prayer when the sun passed the meridian and began to decline from the middle of the sky towards the west. What that implies is that he used to pray Zuhr at the beginning of its time.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to hasten to pray ‘Asr; he would pray it so early in its time that one of those who had prayed with him could go to his home in the furthest part of Madinah when the sun was still bright and its light and heat had not changed. The narrator forgot what Abu Barzah said about Maghrib prayer. Then Abu Barzah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to delay ‘Isha’ prayer because of the virtue that there is in that. Concerning the virtue of delaying it there is the report narrated by Abu Dawud, which says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Offer this prayer when it is very dark, for you have been given precedence over other nations because of it; no nation before you ever had a prayer like it.” This is the prayer you call al-‘atamah (lit. darkness); al-‘atamah refers to the darkness that appears after the red afterglow disappears. This indicates that this prayer should not be called by this name. It is disliked (makruh) to sleep before ‘Isha’, for fear that one may end up praying it after its time has ended. It is also disliked to speak about worldly matters after it, because that may lead to missing out on praying qiyam al-layl and Fajr.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to finish praying, or turn towards the congregation after praying Fajr, when a man could recognize the person next to him. This indicates that the dawn had grown so light that a worshipper could recognize the person next to him. That was at the end of the prayer; he would make the prayer lengthy and would not finish it until things had become visible and faces had become recognizable. In the prayer he would recite between sixty and one hundred verses..

548

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: We would pray ‘Asr, then one of us would go out to Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, and find them praying ‘Asr..

Commentary : The Sahabah were very keen to teach the people and the Tabi‘in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the times of the prayer, and how it is to be done.
In this hadith, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that they used to pray ‘Asr with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then one of them would go out to Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf and find them still praying ‘Asr. This indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr very early. That was because the houses of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf were in Quba’, two miles away from Madinah. They used to pray ‘Asr in the middle of its time, because they were busy working in their fields, then when they had finished their work, they would get ready to pray by purifying themselves and so on, then they would gather for the prayer. So they would delay the prayer until the middle of its time for that reason.
The beginning of the time for ‘Asr – as is stated in the reports – is when the sun is in the sky and the length of the shadow of a thing is double its height.
This hadith indicates that one may delay ‘Asr so long as the time when praying is disliked (makruh) has not yet begun, because during the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), some of the Sahabah used to offer this prayer later than he did, and what appears to be the case is that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was aware of that and approved of it..

1405

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: 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..

Commentary : The Shar'i marriage is a system that establishes a united family, preserves each party's rights, and highlights human dignity. Mut'ah marriage, on the other hand, damages society and causes loss for women. A man may like a woman and marry her for a specific period in return for a certain compensation. This is no more than fulfilling lust, and it leads to many evils; that's why it was more appropriate to forbid it.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that they used to marry women for enjoyment and fulfilling lust, and this was permissible and then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared it unlawful. This kind of relationship was so lowly that they would agree to "a handful of dates and flour" as a dowry or gift from the man to the woman, which is a small amount, equivalent to a meal. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that they continued to do so while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was living among them. Then, when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, they engaged in Mut'ah marriage during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) until 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade it during his caliphate, in the case of the Companion' 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.
The Hadīth indicates that Mut‘ah marriage is forbidden.
It warns against doing anything forbidden by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It also points out that the ruler can force specific rulings on the people to serve the interests of society..

1406

Sabrah al-Juhani reported: I married a woman from Banu' Āmir by Mut'ah marriage during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for two red Burds (cloaks). Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from Mut'ah..

Commentary : Islam has established the Shar‘i marriage system on the most just standard to preserve progeny and honor, and it has forbidden all means of enjoying women that were widespread in Jāhiliyyah and which do not protect their rights. It began to legislate that gradually so that people could adopt it rightly.
In this Hadīth, Sabrah ibn Ma‘bad al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he married women by Mut‘ah marriage during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Mut‘ah is one of the kinds of marriage in which a man enjoys a woman in return for compensation agreed by them and for a specified period, and the marriage ends with the elapse of that period. Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he married a woman from Banu ‘Āmir by Mut‘ah marriage and gave her two red Burds, a reference to her dowry. Burd: a striped garment opened from the front and placed on the shoulders like a cloak, yet it is smaller than it. A person can wrap it around himself or let it hang down. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade Muslims from Mut‘ah marriage. Another version by Muslim points out that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it in the year of the Conquest of Makkah.
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 during the Conquest of Makkah, and this is the most famous opinion, or during the battle of Awtās, or the battle of Khaybar, or during the Prophet's last days in the Farewell Hajj. It was a permanent prohibition, 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, and their opinion does not count..

1406

Ar-Rabī‘ ibn Sabrah reported that his father joined battle along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during the Conquest of Makkah. He said: We stayed in it for fifteen; thirty including days and nights. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted us to engage in Mut‘ah marriage to women. A man from my people and I went out. I surpassed him in beauty, and he was close to ugliness. Each of us had a Burd (cloak). My Burd was old, while the Burd of my cousin was new and fresh. When we reached the south of Makkah - or its north - we came across a girl like a young smart long-necked she-camel. We said: "Would you agree that one of us engage in Mut‘ah marriage with you?" She said: "What would you give?" Each of us spread out his Burd, and she began to look at the two men and my companion saw her looking on her side. He said: "The Burd of this is old, and my Burd is new and fresh." She said: "The Burd of this is not bad," three times or twice. Then, I engaged in Mut‘ah marriage with her, and I did not come out of it until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared it unlawful. [In a version]: He added: She said: Is this valid? And he said: The Burd of this is old and worn-out..

Commentary : Islam has established the Shar‘i marriage system on the best methods for preserving progeny and honor, and it has forbidden the ways of enjoying women, which were prevalent during Jāhiliyyah and did not protect their rights. It was legislated gradually so people could adopt it rightly and not turn away all at once.
In this Hadīth, Sabrah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he joined the battle along with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the Conquest of Makkah, in 8 A.H., and they stayed there for fifteen nights along with fifteen days. Thus, the total of nights and days was thirty. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave them permission to engage in Mut'ah marriage with women in return for compensation they would agree for a specific period, and it would come to an end with the elapse of this time. So, Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) went out along with a man from his people, who was his cousin, as will be mentioned in this narration. Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was more good-looking than him, and the other man was close to ugliness, i.e., unpleasant look and bad appearance. Each of them had a Burd he wanted to give to the woman he would marry by Mut‘ah. Burd: a striped garment opened from the front and placed on the shoulders like a cloak, yet it is smaller than it. A person can wrap it around himself or let it hang down. The garment of Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was old and worn out, whereas the Burd of his cousin was new. They kept searching until they reached the south of Makkah or its north. There, they came across a girl like "a young smart long-necked she-camel", i.e., she had a long, straight neck and shapely figure. They presented themselves to her so that she could choose one of them to marry her by Mut'ah. In another version, she asked them: "Is this valid?" She meant the validity of this kind of marriage as to whether it is lawful and permissible to enjoy a woman for a certain period of time! He replied to her in the affirmative, as narrated in the Mustakhraj of Abu ‘Awānah. She asked them: What would you offer in return for this marriage? Thereupon, each of them spread out his Burd. She began to look at the two men and compare between them. Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And my companion was looking at her while she was looking on her side. When he saw her in this state, he said: The Burd of this is old, and my Burd is new and fresh, seeking to attract her to himself and keep her away from Sabrah. And in a version, he said: "The Burd of this is old and worn-out." She said: The Burd of this young man is not bad - three times or twice - as if she was reconsidering the matter and thinking of choosing the more youthful of the two men, regardless of how good the Burd was. She chose Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him), and he married her by Mut‘ah. Sabrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he did not leave her until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) declared the Mut‘ah marriage unlawful. In another version by Muslim: "I stayed with her for three. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever has any of these women with whom he engaged in Mut‘ah marriage should let her go."
The Hadīth points out that Mut‘ah marriage was permanently prohibited after it had been permissible.
It affirms the existence of abrogation in the Sunnah..

1406

‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reported: 'Abdullāh ibn az-Zubayr stood up in Makkah and said: "Allah has made blind the hearts of some people as He has deprived them of eyesight that they give a Fatwa in favor of Mut'ah", alluding to a certain man. He called him and said: "You are uncouth and coarse. By my life, Mut'ah was practiced during the lifetime of the leader of the pious", referring to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, Ibn Az-Zubayr said to him: "Do it yourself, and by Allah, if you do that, I will stone you with your stones.".

Commentary : Islam came to preserve honor, as the preservation of honor is one of the five necessities that all divine legislations came to preserve, and these are: religion, life, honor, mind, and wealth.
This Hadīth points out that the issue of Mut‘ah marriage was subject to disagreement among some of the Companions. During the days of his caliphate in the Hejaz, ‘Abdullāh ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to deliver a speech in Makkah, and he said: "Allah has made the hearts of some people blind", i.e., to the truth "as He has deprived them of eyesight", making them unable to see that they give a Fatwa to the people permitting Mut'ah marriage, which is a contract entailing enjoyment of a woman for a specific period in return for a certain dowry. By this statement of his, Ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was "alluding to a certain man", namely 'Abdullāh ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), who lost his eyesight in the latter part of his life. Thereupon, Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) - who was attending the sermon - called him and said: "You are uncouth and coarse", i.e., you are simple-minded, rude, and harsh. Then, he said: "By my life, Mut‘ah was practiced during the lifetime of the leader of the pious", referring to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This is an oath he took over this matter. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) had his personal interpretation of the texts that prohibit Mut‘ah marriage, as he maintained that it is permissible in case of necessity or the like. So, Ibn az-Zubayr said to him: "Do it yourselves, and by Allah, if you do that, I will stone you with your stones" i.e., Mut‘ah marriage is unlawful. So, if you do it after that, you will become an adulterer and you will be punished by stoning to death.
Indeed, Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke the truth when he said that it was practiced during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). But Ibn Az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) was in the right, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away while the prohibition of Mut'ah was the latter of the two relevant rulings.
The Hadīth shows that Mut‘ah marriage is prohibited.
It also indicates that the ruler can talk to the scholars regarding their Fatwas and choose for the people what serves the best interests of society..

1406

Sabrah al-Juhani reported: that he was with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "O people, I had permitted you to engage in Mut‘ah with women, and indeed Allah has forbidden that until the Day of Judgment. So, he who has any of these women should let her go, and do not take back anything you have given them.".

Commentary : The Mut‘ah marriage is a fixed-term marriage, with the word 'tamattu‘' (enjoyment) verbally stated, in return for an amount of money. In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "O people, I had permitted you to engage in Mut‘ah with women" i.e., in the beginning, but the matter has finally been decided now. He clarified to the people that Allah, Exalted be He, forbade the Mut‘ah marriage altogether till 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; 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 during the Conquest of Makkah in the eighth Hijri year, and this is the most famous opinion, or during the battle of Awtās, also in the eighth Hijri year, or during the battle of Khaybar in the seventh Hijri year, or the Prophet's last days in the Farewell Hajj. It was a permanent prohibition, not a temporary one. So, the right thing is that Mut‘ah marriage was abrogated more than once. It was permitted during the battle of Khaybar and then forbidden therein, and then it was permitted in the year of the Conquest of Makkah, which is the year of the battle of Awtās, and then it was permanently forbidden. No difference of opinion remains among the jurists and the scholars of the Ummah over this issue, and none disagrees with that except some Shiites, whose view does not count.
Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded those engaged in Mut'ah marriage to separate from the women married to them, for they were not lawful to them. He also commanded that the man should not take anything of what he gave to the woman in return for enjoying her, even if the separation took place before the appointed period, as she deserved that by copulation with her..

1406

Khālid ibn al-Muhājir ibn Sayfullāh reported: that while he was sitting in the company of a man, a man came to him and asked for a Fatwa on Mut‘ah. He enjoined him to engage in it. Thereupon, Ibn Abi ‘Amrah al-Ansāri said to him: 'Wait.' He said: "What is it?! By Allah, it was practiced during the lifetime of the leader of the pious." Ibn Abi ‘Amrah said: "It was a dispensation in the early days of Islam for one who was driven to it by necessity, just like carrion, blood, and pork. Then Allah finally established the religion and prohibited it altogether.".

Commentary : When Islam came, it was keen to preserve the five necessities that all divine legislations came to preserve, and these are: religion, life, honor, mind, and wealth. It began to be legislated for society gradually so that people could adopt it rightly and not forsake it all at once.
In this Hadīth, the noble Tābi‘i Khālid ibn al-Muhājir ibn Sayfullāh informs that while he was sitting with a man - who was ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), according to the Mustakhraj of Abu ‘Awānah - a man came to him and sought a Fatwa from him about the ruling on marrying women by Mut‘ah marriage for a specific period in return for compensation agreed between them; Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), permitted him to marry women by Mut‘ah marriage. Thereupon, the Tābi‘i Ibn Abi ‘Amrah al-Ansāri - Muhammad ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Hārithah - said to Ibn ‘Abbās: 'Wait!' i.e., stop and do not rush. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "What is it?!" i.e., what is the matter that could prevent me from giving this Fatwa?! It seems he was criticizing him. By this, Ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to reject Ibn Abi' Amrah's disapproval of his Fatwa. Then, he swore by Allah that it was practiced during the lifetime of the leader of the pious, referring to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning: How could you criticize me while the people practiced it during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), at his command?! In reply, Ibn Abi ‘Amrah said that Mut‘ah was a dispensation for Muslims in the early days of Islam for those driven to it by necessity, just like a person driven by necessity to eat carrion, blood, and pork, if he is on the verge of death due to severe hunger. Then Allah completed the religion, perfected His commands and prohibitions, and permanently forbade marrying women by Mut‘ah marriage. Indeed, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke the truth when he swore that it was practiced during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). But Ibn Abi ‘Amrah was right, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away while the prohibition of Mut‘ah was the latter of the two relevant rulings.
The Hadīth demonstrates that some of the Shar‘i rulings were superseded (abrogated).
It indicates that taking an oath for emphasis is legitimate.
It also shows that a great scholar may be unaware of some Shar‘i issues..

1409

‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Muhrim (one in the state of Ihrām) must neither marry, nor give someone in marriage, nor get engaged.".

Commentary : Performing Hajj to Allah's Sacred House - for whoever finds a way thereto - is one of the pillars of Islam and one of its great rituals. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught us its pillars and how to make Ihrām (ritual state of consecration) for it. He clarified what the Muhrim is allowed to do and what he is not allowed to do.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The Muhrim must neither marry," i.e., the Muhrim - who intends by his Ihrām Hajj, ‘Umrah, or both - must not contract marriage for himself and must not marry a woman. "Nor give someone in marriage," i.e., or give someone in marriage through guardianship or proxy. Since he himself is forbidden from getting married during the period of Ihrām; therefore, he is not to give someone in marriage during this period. Also, he should not "get engaged," as this involves hinting at a proposal of marriage. The secret behind such a prohibition is the fact that the Muhrim has engaged in an act of worship that takes up most of his time, so he must not be occupied with anything else that is not consistent with the state of such an act of worship. Allah has forbidden Rafath - which is sexual intercourse with women and what leads to it - while performing Hajj and its relevant acts, for marriage during the state of Ihrām calls one to commit Rafath. The purpose of this journey is to be devoted to Allah and to be occupied only with remembering Him, calling upon Allah loudly, declaring Allah's oneness, and making Dhikr and nothing else..

1409

Nubayh ibn Wahb reported: that ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydullāh ibn Ma‘mar intended to marry his son Talhah to the daughter of Shayba ibn Jubayr during Hajj. Abān ibn ‘Uthmān was the leader of pilgrims at that time. He sent someone to Abān saying: "I intend to marry Talhah ibn ‘Umar, and I like that you attend that." In reply, Abān said to him: "I find you to be a thickheaded Iraqi. I heard ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān say: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'A Muhrim should not marry.'".

Commentary : In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Nubayh ibn Wahb relates that the Tābi‘i ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydullāh wanted to marry his son Talhah to the daughter of Shaybah ibn Jubayr while they were in a state of Ihrām during Hajj. So, they wanted the Tābi‘i Abān ibn ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān to attend the contract. Abān, who was the leader of the Hajj convoy at the time, said to him: "I find you to be a thickheaded Iraqi" i.e., ignorant of the Sunnah. In some versions: 'a Bedouin', and a Bedouin is someone who lives in the desert. It is said: 'Iraqi' here is erroneous, unless he knew that the doctrine of the people of Kufa at the time permitted a Muhrim to marry, in which case 'Iraqi' would be correct, and it would mean: You are adopting their doctrine. Thickheaded denotes roughness along with ignorance.
Then, ‘Abān told them that he heard ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) say: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A Muhrim should not marry" i.e., a Muhrim should not get married. In a version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection: "And he should not marry others off," i.e., a man should not give a woman in marriage either as her guardian or representative. This is because a Muhrim is too busy to engage in marriage contracts, as this would necessarily distract his mind and make him unable to perform worship perfectly, for it involves proposing, asking, inviting, and meeting..

1411

Maymūnah bint al-Hārith reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married her when he was Halāl (outside the state of Ihrām). He said: She was my maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbās..

Commentary : Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the rituals of Hajj in his words and deeds, which were reported by the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) just as they had learned them from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). During Hajj, some of what is permissible becomes forbidden for the one who assumes Ihrām.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Yazīd ibn al-Asamm reports that his maternal aunt, Maymūnah bint al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married her when he was Halāl, i.e., was not a Muhrim (one in the state of Ihrām). In Abu Dāwūd's narration, Maymūnah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married me when we were both Halāl (outside the state of Ihrām) at Sarif." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) contracted marriage with her on his way to Makkah to make ‘Umrah al-Qadā’ (deferred ‘Umrah) in 7 AH, before assuming Ihrām. Their marriage became known after he had assumed Ihrām. Then, he consummated marriage with her when he was outside the state of Ihrām on the way back to Madīnah in an area called Sarif, which is almost 10 kilometers away from Makkah, and it was said: 16 kilometers away, and there are other opinions as well.
Then, Yazīd reported that Maymūnah (may Allah be pleased with her) was his maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) in reference to Ibn ‘Abbas's mistake in what he reported about the Prophet's marrying Maymūnah while being a Muhrim. However, Maymūnah (may Allah be pleased with her) certainly knew herself better than Ibn ‘Abbās. Moreover, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Muhrim (one in the state of Ihrām) must neither marry, nor give someone in marriage, nor get engaged." [Narrated by Muslim].

1424

Abu Hurayrah reported: As I was in the company of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a man came to him and told him that he married a woman from the Ansār. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Did you look at her?" He said: 'No.' He said: "Go and look at her, for indeed, there is something in the eyes of the Ansār.".

Commentary : Islam established the Shar‘i marriage system to preserve progeny and honor and it is keen on the continuity of cordiality and love between the two spouses and legislated means to this end from the beginning of engagement so that it would be more likely for them to continue their life together.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that he was present with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came and informed him that he proposed marriage to a woman from the Ansār - the people of Madīnah - and wanted to marry her. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Did you look at her?" This is an instruction urging the man to look at the woman before proposing marriage, as this would encourage him to marry her or cause him to refrain from her. The man replied that he did not look at her. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to go and look at her. In a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd and reported by Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him): "When one of you asks a woman in marriage; if he is able to look at what will induce him to marry her, let him do so." This points out that a man should look at the woman by himself if he can, so as to see what encourages him to like and marry her.
Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the reason behind his instruction to look at her, saying: "for indeed there is something in the eyes of the Ansār, " i.e., some disliked blueness, smallness, or the like. This signals that a man should usually look at the face and hands, as her beauty can be recognized from the face, and the tenderness of her body can be known through her hands. The looking should happen before betrothal, lest it will be hard for her if he decides to retract his proposal, in case he does not like her.
The Prophet's instruction serves a great interest. There may be something in the woman that would badly affect the continuity of their relationship after marriage, and he can identify it by looking at her, so he will leave her before the consummation of marriage; this would be lighter, simpler, and easier than consummating the marriage and divorcing her after that.
The Hadīth indicates that a man should look at his fiancée before marrying her.
It points out the excellence of the pure Shariah and its perfect guidelines, as it takes into consideration the interests of people by which their livelihood can be set in order in this world and the Hereafter without undergoing regret and sorrow over what was missed..

1426

Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah: "How much was the Sadāq (dowry) paid by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?" She said: "His dowry for his wives was twelve ’Uqiyyahs and one Nashsh. Do you know what the Nashsh is?" I said: "No." She said: "It is a half ’Uqiyyah, so this equals five hundred dirhams, and it was the dowry that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) paid to his wives.".

Commentary : Sadāq is the dowry and the money paid to the woman when getting married. Allah Almighty has made it a right that is due to the woman. Allah Almighty says: {Give women their marriage dowries graciously.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 4]
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reports that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): How much was the dowry paid by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to his wives? She told him that it was twelve ’Uqiyyahs and one Nashsh. The ’Uqiyyah is forty dirhams, and the dirham refers to a coin made of pure silver, and one ’Uqiyyah is equal to 28.35 grams. The Nashsh is half a Uqiyyah. So, the dowry paid by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to his wives was five hundred dirhams. It means that this is what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mostly paid to his wives, simply because Al-Bukhāri narrated that the dowry of Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was emancipating her, and likewise the dowry of Juwayriyah bint al-Hārith was emancipating her. Moreover, An-Najāshi paid four thousand dirhams to Umm Habībah (may Allah be pleased with her) when he gave her in marriage to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). And no mention was made about the dowry of Zaynab bint Jahsh. So, the dowry does not have to be something specific; rather, it depends on everybody's ability and capability..

1428

Anas reported: When the waiting period of Zaynab was over, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to Zayd: "Make mention of me to her." He said: "Zayd went off until he came to her while she was fermenting her flour." He said: When I saw her, I felt her greatness in my chest, so much that I could not look at her; that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made mention of her. So, I turned my back toward her and turned upon my heels. I said: "O Zaynab, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has sent a message making mention of you." She said: "I will not do anything until I consult my Lord." So, she stood at her place of worship, and the Qur’an was revealed. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came and entered her place without permission. He said: I recall when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) served us bread and meat at midday. Then, the people went out, and some men remained talking in the house after the meal. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out, and I followed him. He began to go to his wives' rooms and greet them, and they would say: "O Messenger of Allah, how did you find your wife?" He said: I do not know whether I told him that the people had come out or he told me. He said: He moved on until he entered the house, and I went to enter with him. Thereupon, he placed the curtain between me and him, and the Hijab was sent down. He said: The people were preached by the preaching they received. He added in another version: {O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet unless you are given permission for a meal; not so early as to wait for the meal to be prepared... but Allah is not shy of [telling] the truth.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 53].

Commentary : Zaynab bint Jahsh, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), was the daughter of Umaymah bint 'Abdul-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had married Zaynab off to his freed slave Zayd ibn Hārithah (may Allah be pleased with him), whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had adopted before Allah prohibited adoption. However, Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) saw herself as superior to Zayd, and they used to have such disputes between spouses until Zayd divorced her.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that when the divorce waiting period of Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) came to an end, after Zayd ibn Hārithah (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced her; and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised Zayd regarding his wife before he divorced her, as revealed in the verse that reads: {And [remember, O Prophet] when you were saying to the one who was favored by Allah and favored by you: "Keep your wife and fear Allah."} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 37] And in the other part of the verse, Allah Almighty said to His Prophet: {and you were fearing people, while it was more fitting that you should fear Allah. When Zayd no longer desired her, We gave her to you in marriage.} Allah Almighty informed His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that Zayd would divorce Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with both of them) and that she would be his wife after Zayd divorced her. He, however, concealed that within himself, fearing that the hypocrites might defame him and spread rumors to the effect that he forbade that a man should marry the wife of his son, and he married the wife of Zayd, who used to be called Zayd ibn Muhammad before that was forbidden and adoption was abolished.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): "make mention of me to her" i.e., go and propose marriage to her on my behalf and mention me in her presence and say that I want to propose to her. Zayd left and reached her and saw her "fermenting her flour" i.e., preparing her dough for baking. Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that when his sight fell on her, he found it hard to look at her, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to propose to her. He treated her like the mothers of the believers and averted his gaze from her and turned his back toward her. He stepped backward and stood some distance away from her. This happened before Hijab was prescribed in the Qur’an.
Then Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) told her that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him to propose marriage to her on his behalf. Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that she would not give any response until she consulted her Lord and waited to see what Allah would do regarding her matter. So, she stood at her praying place in the house to offer the Istikhārah (consultation) prayer and "the Qur’an was revealed" i.e., the verses in Surat al-Ahzāb were revealed. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) and entered her place without seeking permission, as she became his wife after Allah Almighty married her off to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) from above seven heavens.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he remembered when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had served them bread and meat in the wedding banquet for his marriage to Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her). All this happened when it was midday and the heat of the sun became intense. Those who ate from the banquet went out and there remained some people who engaged in talking within the house of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and left them in the house, talking. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) came out after him because he was his servant and would always accompany him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to the houses of his wives to check on them and learn about their conditions, and the Prophet's wives would ask him: "O Messenger of Allah, how did you find your wife?" In a version narrated by Al-Bukhāri, it was ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "How did you find your wife? May Allah bless you." It is said: She said that by way of jesting. But it is more likely that she intended supplication for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to be blessed in his family and to be rest assured about them. In a version narrated by Muslim, the reply of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was: 'Fine.'
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he could not remember: Was he the one who told the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that the people, who had lingered and engaged in talking after the banquet, did leave, or it was the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who told him about that? When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) became sure that they had come out of the house, he quickly went and entered the house of Zaynab. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to enter with him, as usual, but the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) put a curtain between the two of them; this was because the verses on Hijab in Surat al-Ahzāb were revealed: {O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet unless you are given permission for a meal; not so early as to wait for the meal to be prepared. But if you are invited, then enter, and when you have eaten, then disperse, without lingering for conversation. Such [behavior] causes annoyance to the Prophet; he is too shy to express it to you, but Allah is not shy of [telling] the truth.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 53]
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The people were preached by the preaching they received", i.e., they complied with the command of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, and the statement of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they came to know the error they committed as they stayed for long in the house of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and engaged in conversation.
The Hadīth points out the merit of Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her).
It indicates that a person should entrust his affairs to Allah Almighty in all his conditions.
It demonstrates the modesty of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It urges performance of the Istikhārah prayer before undertaking any matter.
It also urges checking on one's family to rest assured about them..

1431

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If any of you is invited, let him accept the invitation. If he is fasting, let him pray (for the inviter); if he is not fasting, let him eat.".

Commentary : A manifestation of tolerance of Islam is taking into consideration solidarity and affection between people. Hence, it encourages responding to the inviter and deems it one of the rights that the Muslim owes to his brother, all for the sake of having a society where the spirit of love, brotherhood, solidarity, and coherence prevails.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that if one is invited for food - whether a banquet or something else - by his Muslim brother, he must accept the invitation and go. If one who received the food invitation happens to be fasting, whether it be a voluntary fast, a missed fast, or a vow; since the inviter would not have invited him if it had been an obligatory fast during Ramadān, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guides the fasting person to clarify his status in another version of Muslim, saying: "Let him say: I am fasting" as an apology to the inviter and a way of informing him that he is fasting and cannot eat his food. "Let him pray," i.e., let him pray for the house dwellers to be granted goodness and blessings and let him engage in supplicating for them. Let him also inform his Muslim brother, who invited him, that his abstention is only because of fasting and not because he does not want to eat his food. It was the Arabs' habit to abstain from eating the food of the one towards whom they held evil intentions. If the person invited is not fasting, then let him eat from the food.
The Hadīth signifies a command to accept the invitation for food.
It also encourages supplicating for the food providers (the host)..

1437

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, one of the most important trusts in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment is a man who is intimate with his wife, and she is intimate with him, and then he divulges her secret." Ibn Numayr said: [Another version reads]: Verily, the most important..

Commentary : Having a healthy marital relationship and seeking love and mercy are among the means of protecting this bond and this pledge that Allah has made solemn and has described as being solemn given its strength and significance.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that the most serious breach, betrayal, and violation of trust, and the gravest in terms of punishment in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment, the day of recompense, is the man's betrayal to his wife. "a man who is intimate with his wife, and she is intimate with him" is an indirect reference to sexual intercourse and physical contact between the spouses, i.e., everything related to marital secrets and what each spouse entrusts to the other. Then after this, the man divulges her secret, i.e., the hidden physical defects. It could also mean describing what occurs between the spouses regarding the enjoyment and what the woman says or does during the intercourse. In fact, this is a severe threat and a warning for one who reveals his spouse's secret. The advice is addressed to both spouses along with the warning against divulging each other's secrets. Thus, the man must not reveal her secret and vice versa. However, he mentioned one of them - the husband - to refer to the other, or he made no mention of the wife divulging her husband's secret because the woman, in principle, tends to conceal and hide whatever is indecent and she rarely does this because of her bashfulness, unlike the man who is expected to do this..

1439

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: A man asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "I have a slave-girl and I practice coitus interruptus with her." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, this would not prevent something willed by Allah." He said: The man came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, the slave-girl I mentioned to you has become pregnant." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am the servant and Messenger of Allah.".

Commentary : All the destinies of created beings lie in the Hand of Allah alone. He is the Knower of the unseen things. A Muslim should rely upon Allah, pursue the proper means, and then entrust his affairs to Allah Almighty.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about coitus interruptus and informed that he had a slave-girl with whom he practiced coitus interruptus lest she would get pregnant; so, is it permissible for him to practice coitus interruptus with her or not? Coitus interruptus is practiced by removing the male sex organ out of the woman's vulva before ejaculation, and the man ejaculates outside the vulva, to prevent pregnancy. Replying to him, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, this would not prevent something willed by Allah." The meaning: Indeed, if Allah Almighty predestined the creation of a soul, it would surely be created; and that the fluid and semen may outrun you, and you cannot stop it, and your keenness in this regard would not avail you. The semen could quickly come out without the man practicing coitus interruptus feeling it to execute what Allah predestined. There is no soul determined in the knowledge of Allah Almighty that it will be born except that it will exist in reality, whether coitus interruptus is practiced or not. Likewise, ejaculation may happen inside, and no pregnancy takes place. So, coitus interruptus and ejaculation inside are alike in terms of the fact that pregnancy can only happen by Allah's predestination.
Then, after some time, that man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and spoke to him about this slave-girl with whom he had practiced coitus interruptus and told him that she got pregnant. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am the servant and Messenger of Allah" i.e., what I say to you is true; so, adopt it and be certain of it, for indeed it will surely come to pass.
The Hadīth shows the keenness of the Companions in learning the matters of their religion from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad ibn al-Had said: My maternal aunt Maymunah bint al-Harith told me: My bed was next to the place where the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and sometimes part of his garment would fall on me whilst I was on my bed..

It was narrated that Anas said: I cannot recognize anything of what you do that is the same as it was at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said: What about prayer? He said: Are you not neglecting what you are neglecting in it?.

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Prostrate properly, and do not rest your forearms on the ground as a dog does. If you spit, then do not spit in front of you or to your right, for you are conversing with your Lord.”.

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: When we prayed Zuhr behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we would prostrate on our garments to protect ourselves from the heat..

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed seven [rak‘ahs] and eight [rak‘ahs] in Madinah: Zuhr and ‘Asr, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’. Ayyub said: Perhaps that was on a rainy night? He said: Perhaps..

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: We would pray ‘Asr, then one of us would go out to Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, and find them praying ‘Asr..

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: 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..

Sabrah al-Juhani reported: I married a woman from Banu' Āmir by Mut'ah marriage during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for two red Burds (cloaks). Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from Mut'ah..

‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Muhrim (one in the state of Ihrām) must neither marry, nor give someone in marriage, nor get engaged.".

Maymūnah bint al-Hārith reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married her when he was Halāl (outside the state of Ihrām). He said: She was my maternal aunt and the maternal aunt of Ibn ‘Abbās..

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If any of you is invited, let him accept the invitation. If he is fasting, let him pray (for the inviter); if he is not fasting, let him eat.".