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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1441

Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came across a woman in the advanced stage of pregnancy at the door of a tent, and he said: "Perhaps he wants to copulate with her." They said: 'Yes.' Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I resolved to curse him with a curse that would enter his grave with him. How would he be his heir while this is not lawful for him?! And how would he employ him while this is not lawful for him?!".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid his Companions from unlawful things and all that Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, prohibited. He would sometimes do so by encouraging them to obtain the reward with Allah Almighty and other times by intimidating them from the penalty and punishment of Allah.
In this Hadīth, Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was on a journey, he passed by a woman in the advanced stage of pregnancy. She was one of the captives and was sitting at the door of a tent. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Perhaps he", meaning her owner and master who obtained her as his share of the captives. "wants to copulate with her" i.e., wants to engage in sexual intercourse with her. However, it is not lawful for the master of a pregnant captive to copulate with her until she gives birth. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that he resolved and intended to supplicate against him to be turned away from Allah's mercy and for that to continue after his death. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) intended to curse him because he failed to ascertain the emptiness of her womb, for if he copulates with his captive whom he owns while she is pregnant from someone else, he is thus neglecting to ascertain the emptiness of her womb. However, the cursing did not take place because this man was not aware of the ruling.
His words: "How would he be his heir while this is not lawful for him" means that this slave-girl captive may give birth after six months, and thus, the baby is likely from this captor, and it is likely from someone before him. So, if he is from the captor, then he is his child, and they may inherit from each other; and if he is from someone else, then he and the captor may not inherit from each other, given the lack of blood relationship.
Then, he said: "And how would he employ him," i.e., the child? If he employs him as a slave, it is probable that he came from him, and thus, he will be enslaving his child and cutting off his own lineage, and for this, he will be worthy of cursing. And if he attributes the baby to himself as his child, it is likely that he did not come from him, and thus he will be making him his heir, whereas he is not his heir, and for this, he will be worthy of cursing.
The Hadīth indicates that captivity nullifies previous ownership and dissolves marriage.
It also indicates that when there is a new owner of a female slave, it becomes due to ascertain the emptiness of her womb. So, he may not copulate with her until her womb is verified to be empty of pregnancy.
It also points out that it is forbidden to copulate with a pregnant captive until she gives birth..

1442

Judāmah bint Wahb - sister of ‘Ukkāshah - reported: I was there when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to some people: "I was about to forbid Ghīlah (sexual intercourse during the breastfeeding period), so I considered that the Romans and the Persians do it without any harm done to their children thereby." Then they asked him about coitus interruptus, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is the hidden Wa’d (burying a child alive).".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on benefiting the believers and showed sympathy and concern for them. He left nothing that could be of benefit to them without guiding them to it and ordering them to do it. However, he used to correct the lies and suspicions that were spread among people and inherited from the pre-Islamic era of ignorance out of guidance and politeness.
In this Hadīth, the female Companion Judāmah al-Asadiyyah bint Wahb (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she attended with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) an assembly that had some of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was about to," i.e., I was determined to forbid "Ghīlah", which is having intercourse with one's wife during her breastfeeding period, or a woman's conception during the breastfeeding period. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was determined to forbid it because there was a popular belief at that time that it was harmful to the infant. They used to say that if the breastfeeding woman had sexual intercourse with her husband and conceived during her breastfeeding period, her milk would be spoilt and the child would get weak if he fed on it, and the Arabs would hate and avoid him. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw that the Romans and the Persians - two great kingdoms at that time - did this without worrying about it, besides the fact that it did not cause their children any harm; so, he did not forbid it.
Then, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked him about the ruling on coitus interruptus, which means removing the man's penis from the woman's vagina before ejaculation and ejaculating outside the vagina to avoid conception. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is the hidden Wa’d," considering the coitus interruptus hidden burial of a child alive because it entails wasting the sperm that Allah Almighty has prepared to be a child. So, it resembles killing a child by burying him alive. However, there is no doubt that it is less grave, and this is why he said it is hidden.
In the Two Sahīh Collections, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to those who asked him about the coitus interruptus: "It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Judgment will be born," i.e., no soul to exist in the knowledge of Allah Almighty except that it will come to exist, whether the coitus interruptus is done or not. Despite the coitus interruptus, there could be a small amount of semen ejaculated which Allah destined to form a child, and on the other hand, there could be normal ejaculation without conception. In short, coitus interruptus or normal ejaculation are equal as both do not lead to having a child except by Allah's decree..

1443

‘Āmir ibn Sa‘d reported: that Usāmah ibn Zayd informed his father Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I practice coitus interruptus with my wife." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Why do you do that?" The man said: "I fear for her child - or for her children." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If this was harmful, it would harm the Persians and the Romans." [In a version]: "If it was for that, then no. This does not harm the Persians or the Romans.".

Commentary : Islam is keen on the safety of Muslims and has guided them to what presents good care of children. This includes the exhortation to provide good suckling.
In this Hadīth, Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I practice coitus interruptus with my wife." 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. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: For what reason do you do this act? The man said: "I fear for her child", who suckles from her. This is because if she gets pregnant, her milk will be spoiled, and the body of the baby will become unsound and weak. Or he meant the famous notion among the Arabs that copulation damages milk and that such milk will be a malady and if the baby drinks it, he will become ill. So, he feared that he would be thin and unwell. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "If this was harmful" - copulation or pregnancy during the period of suckling - "it would harm the Persians and the Romans", for the women of the Persians and the Romans suckle their babies while they are pregnant. So, if pregnancy or copulation during the period of suckling was harmful, it would harm their children. But the reality belies that, as they do not care to avoid this matter and their children are in good condition, and you are like them in this regard..

1451

’Umm al-Fadl reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One suckling or two or one sucking or two does not make marriage unlawful." [In a version]: (and) instead of (or)..

Commentary : Islam has made suckling a bond like blood relation, and it has established the unlawfulness of marriage by suckling like the unlawfulness of marriage due to blood relations. It has forbidden a man from marrying his sister, mother, maternal aunt, or paternal aunt by suckling, and so on.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs about the amount that does not establish the ruling on suckling that makes marriage unlawful. He says: "One suckling or two or one sucking or two does not make marriage unlawful." This was said in response to someone who asked about one suckling and two. So, he replied that they do not make marriage unlawful, whether this suckling happens before the completion of two years or beyond that. The amount that makes marriage unlawful is five sucklings taken before the completion of two years. In a Hadīth by Muslim, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "In what was sent down in the Qur’an was ten known sucklings that make (marriage) unlawful. Afterwards, they were abrogated by five known ones. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed away while they were part of what was recited in the Qur’an." And ’Umm Salamah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The only suckling which makes marriage unlawful is what is taken from the breast and enters the bowels and is taken before the time of weaning." Narrated by At-Tirmidhi..

1452

‘Ā’ishah reported: It was revealed in the Qur’an that: ten times of known breastfeeding prohibits (marriage); then it was abrogated and replaced with five times of known (breastfeeding). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) died while these (words of the abrogating verse) were still being recited as part of the Qur’an..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified for his Ummah all that is lawful and unlawful including the rulings of breastfeeding and the consequent rulings related to lineages.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports the amount that used to establish the ruling of breastfeeding, that makes marriage prohibited at first, whereby the woman becomes prohibited for the man to marry the same, as it is prohibited for him by consanguinity (being descended by the same ancestor). She (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that it was first revealed in the Qur’an that ten times of known breastfeeding prohibits marriage. Then, this number was abrogated, and it became five times of known breastfeeding, i.e., known and satiating during the two years of infancy. In At-Tirmidhi's Collection, ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No prohibition results from breastfeeding, except for what penetrates the intestines from the breast before weaning." So, breastfeeding after two full years does not prohibit anything, as Allah Almighty says: {Mothers may breastfeed their children for two full years, for those who wish to complete the full term of breastfeeding.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 233] Abrogation in the Qur’an has three types: First: What is abrogated in terms of ruling and recitation. Second: That which is abrogated in terms of recitation apart from its ruling. Third: That which is abrogated in terms of ruling apart from its recitation. The first two types of abrogation are found in this Hadīth. (Ten times of known breastfeeding prohibits) was abrogated both in terms of ruling and recitation, whereas the five times of breastfeeding was abrogated in terms of recitation only and its ruling has remained.
The statement of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) died while these (words of the abrogating verse) were still being recited as part of the Qur’an" meaning: The abrogation by the five times of breastfeeding was revealed at a very late stage to the extent that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) died while some people were still reciting the part of the five times of breastfeeding as part of the Qur’an because of not being aware of that recent abrogation. Later, when they learned about the abrogation, they stopped reciting it and unanimously agreed that it should not be recited..

1453

Zaynab bint Abi Salamah reported: I heard' Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, say to 'Ā’ishah: By Allah, I do not feel comfortable to be seen by a boy who has passed the age of suckling. She said: Why? Sahlah bint Suhayl came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I see (displeasure) on the face of Abu Hudhayfah because of Sālim entering." She said: Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Suckle him." She said: "He has a beard." He said: "Suckle him, and what is on the face of Abu Hudhayfah will go away." She said: "By Allah, I did not see it on the face of Abu Hudhayfah.".

Commentary : In this Hadīth, Zaynab bint Abi Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that she heard her mother' Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, swearing to 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and saying: "By Allah, I do not feel comfortable" i.e., I do not like it; "to be seen by a boy" from non-Mahram (unrelated) males "who has passed the age of suckling" i.e., he is no longer in need of suckling. Thereupon, ‘Ā’ishah said to ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with both of them): "Why?" i.e., why are you saying this, whereas there is nothing wrong with that if you suckle him or he is suckled by someone who makes him a Mahram (related and non-marriageable) to you? This is evidenced by the fact that "Sahlah bint Suhayl", the wife of Abu Hudhayfah, came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and swore to him that she would see dislike on the face of Abu Hudhayfah because of their foster son Sālim continuing to enter the house as he would usually do when he was young, and he now reached adulthood - particularly after verses had been revealed prohibiting adoption. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Suckle him" to be your son by suckling. She said to him: "He has a beard" for he is an adult man. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Suckle him and what is on the face of Abu Hudhayfah will go away" i.e., the sign of dislike will vanish from him. Sahlah did so and then she swore that she did not find the sign of dislike on the face of Abu Hudhayfah after she had suckled him.
This Hadīth is problematic in terms of explaining it and deriving rulings therefrom, and difference of opinion actually arose over it among the Prophet's wives. ’Umm Salamah and some of the Prophet's wives believed that this was a dispensation from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to the wife of Abu Hudhayfah alone, and they held that there should be no suckling for adults and that the suckling that makes a person a Mahram is the one provided in young age and which grows the bones and builds the body and flesh.
As for ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), she - as reported here - held that suckling causes prohibition of the same things made prohibited by blood relations, whether the suckled one is a child or an adult. She cited as evidence the story of Sālim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) and that the ruling is not exclusively restricted to them.
What appears to be right - and Allah knows best - is that suckling of adults does not count, has no effect, and causes no prohibition, and that true suckling is that which occurs during babyhood; and what happened in the story of Sālim is particularly restricted to him and does not apply to anyone other than him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) affirmed that not every suckling causes prohibition. In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, he said: "Indeed, suckling is from hunger" i.e., the suckling that counts is the one that occurs at the time when milk is relied upon for food and in the amounts that affect the growth of the baby's body.
The Hadīth points out that suckling causes prohibition of the same things made prohibited by blood relations.
It demonstrates that there is a difference of opinion regarding the suckling of adults and its resultant effects..

1454

Zaynab bint Abi Salamah reported that her mother ’Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, reported: The other wives of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) refused to let anyone privately enter their houses by such suckling. They said to ‘Ā’ishah: "By Allah, we do not see this except as a dispensation which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Sālim in particular. No one would enter our houses or see us by such suckling.".

Commentary : The Hadīth addresses an incident that took place during the Prophet's lifetime, namely suckling an adult, which means suckling a person after the age of two years and the time of weaning, and beyond, so that he can be Mahram - like suckling in the age of suckling. ’Umm Salamah, the Prophet's wife, informs that all the wives of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) refused to let anyone privately enter their houses by such suckling that is given to a person after the age of weaning, for they were commanded to observe Hijab. An exception was ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who held the view that such suckling makes marriage unlawful like suckling during babyhood. They swore to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "By Allah, we do not see this except as a dispensation which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Sālim", the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), "in particular"; not generally for everyone. Therefore, we will not let anyone enter our houses or see us by such suckling.
The dispensation which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Sālim in particular is mentioned in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim in his Sahīh Collection, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: that Sālim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, was with Abu Hudhayfah and his family in their house. His wife Sahlah the daughter of Suhayl came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Sālim has reached the age of manhood and understands what men understand. He enters our house, and I think that Abu Hudhayfah is not comfortable with that." Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Suckle him and what Abu Hudhayfah feels will go away." She returned and said: "Indeed, I suckled him, and what Abu Hudhayfah felt went away."
It is reported in a Hadīth narrated by Abu Dāwūd that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) would ask the daughters of her sisters and brothers to suckle whomever she liked to enter her house - even if he was an adult - five times, and then he would enter her house. However, ’Umm Salamah and the other wives of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) refused to let anyone enter their houses by such suckling unless the suckling occurred in the cradle. Hence, the statements and attitudes of other wives of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) constituted evidence that the suckling of an adult does not count, has no weight, and does not establish the unlawfulness of marriage; and that true suckling happens in babyhood, and what happened in the story of Sālim is an exceptional peculiarity that was limited to him and does not apply to anyone else. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emphasized that not every suckling makes marriage unlawful. In a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, he said: "Indeed, suckling is from hunger" i.e., the suckling that counts is the one that occurs at the time when milk is relied upon for food and in the amounts that affect the growth of the baby's body..

1456

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: that at the battle of Hunayn, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army to Awtās. They encountered an enemy, fought, attained victory over them, and took female captives from them. Some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them) seemed to have refrained from having intercourse with them, as they had husbands among the polytheists. So, Allah Almighty revealed in this regard: {Also [prohibited are] married women except for female slaves you may own} [Surat an-Nisā': 24], i.e., they are lawful for you when their waiting periods come to an end..

Commentary : The Shariah regulated the religious rulings regarding times of peace and war. Since war results in captives from the men of the enemy and their women, the Qur’an and the Sunnah clarified the rulings concerning them. It prohibited copulation with pregnant and married female captives until they gave birth or until non-pregnant captives were verified to be non-pregnant by having menses.
In this Hadīth, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that during the battle of Hunayn - which took place in the eighth Hijri year, after the Conquest of Makkah, between the Muslims and the people of Tā’if among the two tribes of Hawāzin and Thaqīf, in a valley called Hunayn, which is situated between Makkah and Tā’if; as the disbelievers had gone out with their property, women, and children; and after Hawāzin and Thaqīf were defeated and Allah granted victory to His Prophet and the Muslims, the fleeing disbelievers withdrew to the valley of Awtās, which is close to Hunayn - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army to them, and they encountered an enemy from the disbelievers, whom they fought, overcame, and defeated. Among their spoils were captives from the polytheist women. Some of the Prophet's Companions refrained - out of fear of committing a sin - from having intercourse with them because they were married women, and a married woman is not lawful for anyone other than her husband. So, they thought that their marriage to their husbands was not severed. Therefore, Allah Almighty revealed verses demonstrating the ruling on copulation with those they refrained from: {Also [prohibited are] married women except for female slaves you may own.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 24] i.e., prohibited for you is marrying married women, except for the women you possess by taking them into captivity, as their marriage to their disbelieving husbands is dissolved. They become lawful for you after their wombs are verified to be empty of the semen of the disbelieving husbands, either by childbirth, in case the woman is pregnant, or by one menstrual period, if she is not pregnant.
The Hadīth indicates that the marriage of polytheists is dissolved if their wives are taken captive, as they go into the ownership of their captors.
It shows how a person should pause, search, and ask about any matter when he is not certain of the reason behind it and its ruling. This is the attitude of anyone who fears Allah Almighty..

1460

‘Abdul-Malik ibn Abi Bakr ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported: that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married ’Umm Salamah and she stayed with him and it was the morning, he said to her: "You are not humbled in the estimation of your husband. If you wish, I will stay with you for seven nights; and if you wish, I will stay with you for three nights, and then visit the others in turn." She said: "Stay for three nights.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was both fair and merciful in dealing with his wives. In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdul-Malik ibn Abi Bakr ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān relates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married' Umm Salamah Hind bint Abi' Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) after her husband Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had died, he stayed in her house for three nights, which was his Sunnah in case the woman was previously married; then when he wanted to leave her house and go to the others, he noticed that she considered the three nights to be little. So, he said to her: "You are not humbled in the estimation of your husband" i.e., you will not be underestimated and your right will not be lost at all. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave her the choice, saying: If you wish, I will stay with you for seven nights" - and stay with other wives of mine for the same period - "and if you wish, I will stay with you for three nights, and then visit the others in turn." i.e., if you are content with these three nights, I will go to my wives in turn, one night at a time, till I come back to you. She said: "Stay for three nights" i.e., I am content with the three nights, to avoid his long absence from her..

1460

‘Abdul-Malik ibn Abi Bakr ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married Umm Salamah, he entered upon her, and when he wanted to leave, she took hold of his garment. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: If you wish, I can stay longer with you and count it for you; a virgin is entitled to seven, whereas a previously married woman is entitled to three..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set the greatest example in fulfilling justice between his wives and putting the family relations in order in case of polygamy.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Bakr ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married ’Umm Salamah Hind bint Abi ’Umayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) after the death of her husband, Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), he entered upon her and consummated the marriage with her. After spending three days with her, he wanted to leave her house for the house of another one of his wives; however, she took hold of his garment so he would stay with her. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to ’Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) what she was entitled to regarding his overnight stay with her, saying: "If you wish" to have more than three days "I can stay longer with you and count it for you," i.e., calculate for you the total time of my stay with you because of this extra time. In other words: I extend my stay and the rest of my wives become entitled to the same number of days. Then, he informed her that a virgin wife - who had not been previously married - was entitled to seven nights than his other wives if he had sexual intercourse with her; whereas the Thayyib - who had been previously married - was entitled to three days.
In another Hadīth narrated by Muslim, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) married ’Umm Salamah and she stayed with him (during the night), he said to her: "Indeed, you are not inferior in the sight of your family," i.e., you will not be underestimated, and none of your right will be lost; rather, you will take it in full. He then gave her the choice to stay for three days with her without having to make up for them or to stay for seven days with her and make it up for the rest of his wives. The three have the privilege of not having to make up for them, while the seven have the privilege of being successive and fulfilling perfect intimacy. ' Umm Salamah said: "Stay three," so she chose the three because they were not to be made up for, and he would, thus, return to her sooner since he would spend the night with them in turn then come to her. However, if she had chosen seven, he would not return to her except after making it up (days) for his other wives, and he would, thus, be far from her for a long time.
The virgin is exclusively granted seven days given her shyness, which requires extra time, patience, sensibleness, and gentleness, besides the fact that one feels inclined to stay longer with her so that he can stay with her for up to seven days in a row. On the other hand, the previously married woman had already experienced marriage, and her need for intimacy is lesser, besides the fact that one is less attached to her than to the virgin. However, given that she is not familiar yet with the company, she is honored by extending the stay, which is three. After that, he has to start dividing his time, whether he has one, two, or three wives before her.
The Hadīth indicates the recommendation of showing kindness to one's family, children, and others..

1462

Anas reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had nine wives. Giving them an equal share of his time meant he would not return to the first woman except on the ninth day. So, they used to gather every night at the house of the one to whom he would come. He was at 'Ā’ishah's house. When Zaynab came, he stretched his hand towards her, thereupon, she said: This is Zaynab. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) withdrew his hand. There was an altercation between the two until their voices became loud. Iqāmah (second call for prayer) was pronounced for prayer and it happened that Abu Bakr was passing by and he heard their voices. He said: O Messenger of Allah, come for prayer and throw dust in their mouths. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out and ‘Ā’ishah said: Now the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) will finish his prayer, and Abu Bakr will come and do such-and-such to me. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, Abu Bakr came to her and spoke to her in harsh words and said: Is this how you behave?!.

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen on reporting all the Prophet's acts, even what used to happen inside the house of his everyday life affairs. The purpose was to know how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to deal with various situations in life to follow his example.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had nine wives. When giving each wife her share and turn on her day and night, he would not return to the wife who took the first turn in his overnight stay except after nine nights, given that he used to stay a day and a night with each of them. It was the habit of the Prophet's wives to gather every night at the house of the one with whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would stay to enjoy his company and be close to him, then, each would go to her room.
One time, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was at ‘Ā’ishah's house, on her day and night, and his wives gathered there as usual. When his wife Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) came, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stretched his hand to her by way of fondling. It is said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) thought it was ‘Ā’ishah because it was night and it was her night and turn. So, ‘Ā’ishah said: "This" towards whom you stretched your hand is "Zaynab", as if ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) criticized the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for fondling someone other than her since it was her night and her turn in her share of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not stretch his hand towards Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) and stopped. Thereupon, Zaynab and 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) altercated, disagreed, and argued due to jealousy "until their voices became loud," i.e., they were making immense noise.
Meanwhile, the time for prayer was due, and the Iqāmah was pronounced, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by while they were in such a state of arguing noisily and loudly. So, he heard the voice of ‘Ā’ishah and Zaynab disputing. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, come out for prayer" and throw dust in their mouths, which is an indirect reference to rebuking and putting an end to their dispute and loud voices. "Hathyah": the amount that fills both hands.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to those who were with her, after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had left with Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "Now the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) will finish his prayer, and Abu Bakr will come and do such-and-such to me," i.e. when Abu Bakr finishes his prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he will come to me and rebuke and scold me severely for what I did, as a father would typically discipline his daughter.
‘Ā’ishah's fears came true, as when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to her, blamed her, rebuked her, and scolded her severely for raising her voice in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Abu Bakr said to ‘Ā’ishah: "Is this how you behave?!" He was blaming her for her dispute with Zaynab in the Prophet's presence.
The Hadīth clarifies the Prophet's fulfillment of justice between his wives and his kindness and courteousness with them.
It signifies how a husband should give each of his wives an equal share of his time.
It also highlights the virtue of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) for showing compassion towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
Moreover, it shows that the less qualified person could call the attention of the more qualified one to what is good for him..

1463

‘Ā’ishah reported: I never saw a woman I would like to be in whose Mislākh (skin) more than Sawdah bint Zam‘ah. She was a woman characterized by sharpness. As she became old, she gave her day with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ‘Ā’ishah. She said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have granted my day with you to ‘Ā’ishah." So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) allocated two days to ‘Ā’ishah; her own day and that of Sawdah..

Commentary : The Mother of the Believers Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, wife of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was one of the ascetic and devout worshippers. The Prophet's wives acknowledged each other's merits and were quite aware of what distinguished each one of them from the others.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that she never wished or liked to be like any of the Prophet's wives or in her place except for Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, as she wished and loved to be like her in worship and obedience, and in her manner and conduct. "Mislākh": skin, and it means: that I become her in terms of the qualities that she admired about her. Her saying: "She was a woman characterized by sharpness" is a way of describing Sawdah, not criticizing her. She meant by that to highlight her strength and solidity in challenging situations. When Sawdah grew old, she granted her day with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ‘Ā’ishah. Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with her) did this out of her sagacity, as she gave her day to the woman who loved the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) most. So, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had two days with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): her day and Sawdah's day. This does not mean that they were two days in a row; rather, what is meant is clarifying the number of ‘Ā’ishah's days with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in each of his rounds with his wives (may Allah be pleased with them).
The Hadīth points out that Ghibtah (envy free from malice) is in goodness, and it means one's wish to be like another in his praiseworthy qualities.
It also clarifies how the Prophet's wives loved him and sought to please him, and it guides the wives to seek to please her husband by doing what he likes..

1467

Abdullah ibn ‘Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This world is an enjoyment, and the best of its enjoyments is a righteous woman.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guided men and youth to choose the righteous woman for marriage because she is one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon man in this world.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reports that "the world is a Matā‘," and Matā‘ is what one benefits from and enjoys, and the best worldly enjoyment for man is the religious wife, who gladdens him by looking at her and by her obedience. She is chaste, guarding herself in his absence, and she is honest, protecting his wealth. This is the essence of the righteous woman; she is righteous in her religion and herself and a reformer of her husband's conditions.
Here, he mentioned the woman in specific terms, and qualified her with righteousness to make it known that she is deemed the evilest worldly enjoyment if she does not have such a characteristic. This is because if righteousness does not prevent her from evil, she becomes evil itself. In this case, she does not push her husband or urge him except towards evil, and the least she can do is to make him crave this world until he puts himself into destruction therein..

1468

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, if he witnesses something, let him speak good or remain silent. And take care of women, for the woman was created from a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is its top. If you attempt to straighten it, you will break it; and if you leave it, it will remain crooked. So, take good care of women..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advises us to adopt manners and morals that enhance familiarity and love between Muslims.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that "whoever believes in Allah" Who created him perfectly, in terms of belief and acts, by testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and by adhering to the pillars of faith and its characteristics as a whole including words and deeds;
and believes in "the Last Day," which is the Day of Judgment to which he will return and where he will receive recompense for his deeds, and here, belief in Allah and the Last Day were mentioned in particular, among all other things that one should believe in; in reference to the beginning and the end of all things, i.e., if he believes in Allah Who created him and that He will recompense him on the Day of Judgment for his good and evil deeds, then, let him speak good or remain silent. This wording is meant to encourage and promote adherence to the command or the prohibition mentioned in the Hadīth. "If he witnesses something" in general, whether between two, a group, or the like, and there is a need for him to speak about it, then let him consider it carefully; if there is goodness in his words, then he should speak, or else he should keep silent.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to advise men to treat their wives kindly in compliance with the commands of Islam. Given the fact that women are originally created with crookedness, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) drew attention to that saying: "Take care of women" with the following addition in Al-Bukhāri version: "good care", i.e., advise each other to treat them kindly. "For the woman was created from a rib," which is one of the chest bones. In other words, there is crookedness in their original creation. "And the most crooked part of the rib is its top", this description is meant as an exaggeration in describing such crookedness and to emphasize the probability of breaking because the difficulty of straightening the top is apparent. It is said: Perhaps this is meant to refer to the woman's upper part that has her head and tongue, from where the crookedness springs. It is also said: That the form of "A‘waj" (crooked) here is meant as a description not to indicate preference, as colors and defects do not have forms indicating preference. If you try to straighten the rib and make it straight, it will break. Similarly, if you want a woman to be perfectly straight in morals, this will lead to breaking her, which is divorcing her. as mentioned in Muslim's version. "And if you leave it, it will remain crooked" as it was originally created, so it is impossible to straighten it. This is set as an example of the crookedness in women's morals; if sought to be upright, this could lead to divorce. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So, take good care of women," i.e.; there is no way except enduring this crookedness patiently. Hence, this should be tolerated with patience, and women should be treated benevolently and kindly.
Or it could be referring to gentle redress; refraining from exaggeration that leads to breaking and from negligence that leads to persistence in crookedness. To sum up, he should not neglect her crookedness if she exceeds her natural deficiency level by committing sins or abandoning duties; however, what is meant is that he should neglect her crookedness regarding what is permissible.
The Hadīth implies guidance to maintaining one's tongue and protecting it from idle talk.
It also sheds light on the importance of appeasement in attracting souls and winning hearts.
Moreover, it shows how women could be handled through pardon and patience with their crookedness..

1469

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let not a believing man hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another - Or he said: another one.".

Commentary : Faith calls to noble morals. Thus, no believing man or woman is free from good manners, as faith requires the existence of praiseworthy qualities in them.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Let not a believing man Yafrak a believing woman," and "fark" means hatred and dislike. The "believing man" and the "believing woman" here refer to the husband and wife. It was said: This is a form of negation that denotes prohibition, i.e., she must not be totally hated. It was also said: It is a prohibition, i.e., the husband must not absolutely hate his wife in such a way that leads to oppressing, abandoning, and turning away from her. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explained this by saying that if the husband hates a bad quality in her, he will find another quality that pleases him. She could be rude but at the same time religious, pretty, chaste, or kind to him, or the like. So, he approves of this good quality that suits him and, thus, faces what he dislikes about her with what he likes about her. In this way, what he likes of her good qualities will help him patiently endure what he dislikes of her bad qualities. So, he forgives the bad for the sake of the good and overlooks what he dislikes for the sake of what he likes. And in this way, he will not absolutely hate her to the extent that he breaks up with her.
The Hadīth encourages good treatment and companionship..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

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

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

’Umm al-Fadl reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One suckling or two or one sucking or two does not make marriage unlawful." [In a version]: (and) instead of (or)..

Abdullah ibn ‘Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This world is an enjoyment, and the best of its enjoyments is a righteous woman.".

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let not a believing man hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another - Or he said: another one.".