It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went on a campaign to Khaybar. We prayed Fajr there when it was still very dark, then the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Abu Talhah rode, and I rode behind Abu Talhah [on his mount]. The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made the mounts run fast in an alleyway of Khaybar, and my knee touched the thigh of the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then his izar slipped and uncovered his thigh, and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). When he entered the town, he said: “Allahu akbar! Khaybar is destroyed! When we descend in the territory of a people, {then evil is the morning of those who were warned} [al-Saffat 37:177}.” He said it three times.
The people were coming out to tend their land, and they said: It’s Muhammad! ‘Abdul ‘Aziz said: Some of our companions said that they also said: and the khamis (five), meaning the army. He [Anas] said: We captured it by force, and the prisoners were gathered together. Then Dihyah al-Kalbi (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said: O Prophet of Allah, give me a slave woman from among the captives. He said: “Go and take a slave woman.” So he took Safiyyah bint Huyayy. Then a man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Prophet of Allah, you have given Dihyah Safiyyah bint Huyayy, the first lady of Qurayzah and al-Nadir; she is only fit for you. He said: “Call him and tell him to bring her back.” So he brought her back and when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked at her, he said: “Take some other slave woman from among the female captives.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) manumitted her and married her. Thabit said to him [Anas]: O Abu Hamzah, what mahr did he give her? He said: Herself [her freedom]; he manumitted her and married her, then on the way back, Umm Sulaym prepared her for him and brought her to him at night, and the next morning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was a bridegroom. He said: “Whoever has any food, let him bring it,” and he spread out a leather mat. And the men began to bring dates and ghee – the narrator said: and I think he mentioned sawiq – and they made hays. And that was the wedding feast of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the example and teacher for the ummah, and his practice and teachings are a source of knowledge for us, from which we derive guidance in all our affairs and learn the right way to handle all matters in war and peace. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conquered Khaybar in 7 AH. Khaybar was a town inhabited by the Jews, approximately 173 km from Madinah in the direction of Syria. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went on campaign to Khaybar, and they prayed Fajr near Khaybar at the beginning of its time, when it was still very dark. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) rode on their mounts, and Anas rode behind Abu Talhah al-Ansari, the husband of his mother Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made the mounts run fast in an alleyway of Khaybar; an alleyway is a narrow street or path that runs between the houses. His izar slipped and uncovered his thigh, and that was because he was going so fast in the streets of Khaybar. The izar is a garment that covers the lower part of the body. When it slipped, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered Khaybar, he said: Allahu akbar! Khaybar is destroyed! Allah has granted us conquest of it. “When we descend in the territory of a people…” – The word translated here as territory originally means courtyard, and refers to a wide space between houses. “…then evil is the morning of those who were warned.” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said it three times, expressing optimism because of what had already been captured of Khaybar.
The situation in Khaybar when the Muslims entered the town was that the people were going out to their work; they were farmers and tillers of land. They said: It is Muhammad and the khamis – meaning the army. The army was called the khamis (five) because it was composed of a vanguard, rearguard, core, right flank and left flank – a total of five parts.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Muslims captured Khaybar by force, not by means of a peace deal. When the prisoners had been gathered together – meaning the captives, men, women and children – Dihyah al-Kalbi came and asked for a slave woman, saying: O Prophet of Allah, give me a slave woman from among the captives. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Go and take a slave woman. So he took Safiyyah bint Huyayy. A man told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that she was not fit for anyone except the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because she was the first lady of Qurayzah and al-Nadir. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed them to call Dihyah and the slave woman whom he had taken from among the captives, and Dihyah brought her back. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked at her, he said to Dihyah: “Take some other slave woman from among the captives.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) manumitted her and married her. Manumission means freeing a person from slavery; this manumission was her mahr (dowry), as was mentioned in the report of Thabit al-Bunani – one of the Tabi‘in – who asked Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) about the mahr with which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) married her, as he said: O Abu Hamzah, what mahr did he give her? He said: Herself; he manumitted her and married her. Then when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on his way back to Madinah, Umm Sulaym prepared her and adorned her, then presented her to him at night. Umm Sulaym brought her as a bride to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when night fell, and in the morning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was a bridegroom, because he had married Safiyyah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: whoever has any food, let him bring it. Then he spread a mat of leather on the ground, to put the food on it, and he collected whatever the people had of dates, ghee and sawiq, which is finely-ground flour. They made hays, which is a mixture of dates, ghee and flour. And that was the wedding feast of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.
It was said: The basis on which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took Safiyyah from Dihyah after giving her to him was that Dihyah willingly brought her back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And it was said in some reports that she fell to the lot of Dihyah, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) bought her from him. And it was said that that happened for other reasons that were appropriate to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his being infallible.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to offer a wedding feast with whatever is available.
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372

It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Fajr, and the believing women would attend the prayer with him, wrapped up in their mirts (enveloping garments), then they would go back to their houses and no one would be able to recognize them..

Commentary : Islam is a religion of modesty, chastity and dignity, and it enjoins the covering of women’s bodies and the wearing of hijab and loose-fitting garments that do not show their bodies or the shape of many parts of the body. That is to protect women and the entire society from the dangerous effects of wanton display and unveiling on societies.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the women used to go out to pray Fajr in the mosque and attend the prayer with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then they would go back to their houses wrapped in their mirts, meaning that they covered their heads and their bodies with enveloping garments, so that they would not be recognized because of the extent of their covering. This is the hijab that Allah (may He be exalted) enjoins upon women. The mirt is a cloth of wool or other fabric, and it is akin to the milhafah (another type of enveloping garment). After hijab was enjoined, the women of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) adhered to it and did not show any part of their adornment except what Allah permitted.
According to a report in al-Sahihayn, no one would recognize them because it was still dark; the word translated here as dark refers to the darkness at the end of the night, after dawn has broken. This refers to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offering Fajr prayer at the beginning of its time.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible for women to go out to pray in the mosques at night..

373

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed wearing a khamisah that had some markings on it. He looked at the markings, then when he had finished praying, he said: “Take this khamisah of mine to Abu Jahm, and bring me the anbijaniyyah of Abu Jahm, because it distracted me just now from my prayer.” Hisham ibn ‘Urwah said, narrating from his father, from ‘A’ishah: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I kept looking at its markings whilst I was praying, and I was afraid that it would distract me.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In it, a person stands before his Lord (may He be glorified and exalted), striving to maintain proper focus of mind, reflecting on the meaning of the words he recites. The Shaytan should have no share of it and no way to distract the worshipper. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us the things that are not allowed when praying. Just as he taught us how to perfect our prayer, he also told us to keep away from anything that may distract the worshipper from his prayer.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed one day wearing a khamisah – which was a garment made of silk mixed with camel hair or wool, on which there were black markings and it was adorned with stripes; it was said that a garment could not be called a khamisah unless it was black and had markings. He looked at the markings, and they almost distracted him from his prayer. So when he had finished his prayer, he said: “Take this khamisah of mine to Abu Jahm, and bring me the anbijaniyyah of Abu Jahm, because it distracted me just now from my prayer.” The anbijaniyyah was a garment made of wool, like velvet, with no markings on it. Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) had given this khamisah to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so he returned it to him and asked him instead for a heavy garment of his, so as to make him feel better and so that his feelings would not be hurt by having his gift returned to him. Hence he told him the reason for returning it. This was also a warning to Abu Jahm lest he be distracted by this or anything else from his prayer.
This hadith indicates that one should keep away from things that will distract one from prayer.
It also highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was kind to his companions and how he avoided hurting their feelings and sought to console them..

374

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that ‘A’ishah had a curtain with which she screened off a part of her house. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Take this curtain of yours away from us, for I kept noticing its images whilst I was praying.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In it, a person stands before his Lord (may He be glorified and exalted), and should have proper focus of mind, reflecting on the meaning of the words he recites. The Shaytan should have no share of it and no way to distract the worshipper. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us the things that are not allowed when praying. Just as he taught us how to perfect our prayer, he also told us to keep away from anything that may distract the worshipper from his prayer.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had a curtain, which was a thin cover on which there were colourful images and patterns, with which she screened off a part of her house. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed her to remove this curtain, because he could still notice its images whilst he was praying, and that distracted him from focusing properly on his prayer. In a report narrated by Muslim, ‘A’ishah said: So we cut it up and made one or two pillows out of it, so that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) could sit on them. The pillows were used in a way that was not honourable, and they were not in a position to be respected.
This hadith indicates that one should keep things that could distract the worshipper away from him.
It indicates that it is not allowed to wear things on which there are images, because as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the curtain on which there were images, it is known that the prohibition on wearing clothes with images on them is more emphatic..

375

It was narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir said: A kind of silk coat was given as a gift to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he put it on and prayed in it. Then when he finished his prayer, he tore it off as if he disliked it and said: “This is not appropriate for the pious.”.

Commentary : Islam forbids men to wear silk, but it permits women to do so. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would apply commands and prohibitions to himself first, then to his family members and other Muslims around him.
In this hadith, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a silk coat was given as a gift to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The giver was Ukaydir, the ruler of Dumat al-Jandal, as is mentioned in another report in Muslim. Ukaydir was a polytheist who became Muslim after that; it was also said that he remained a Christian. The type of silk coat mentioned here had narrow sleeves and a narrow middle, and a slit at the back. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put it on and prayed in it. That was before it was forbidden to wear silk. When he had finished his prayer, he tore it off, because he had received revelation forbidding the wearing of silk, as mentioned in a report narrated by Muslim from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said when he took it off: “Jibril told me not to wear it.” Perhaps this was the beginning of the prohibition. Then he said that it was not appropriate for the obedient slaves of Allah to wear silk. These words of his indicate that that happened before the prohibition came into effect, because the prohibition applies equally to the pious and others..

376

It was narrated that Abu Juhayfah said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a red tent of dyed leather, and I saw Bilal take the leftover wudu’ water of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and I saw the people rushing to take that water. Whoever managed to take some of it would wipe himself with it, and whoever did not manage to take some of it would take some of the moisture from the hands of his companions. Then I saw Bilal take a pointed stick and set it in the ground, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out wearing a red hullah (suit), with his calves showing. He led the people in prayer, facing that pointed stick, and I saw people and animals passing on the other side of the stick..

Commentary : Prayer is the connection between a person and his Lord. In prayer, the worshipper stands conversing with his Lord and turning to Him. Islam enjoins being properly focused when praying, and not being distracted, and it sets out guidelines for the worshipper and for those who are not praying, so that the prayer will not be interrupted and the worshipper’s focus will not be interrupted by the actions of either of them [those who are praying and those who are not praying].
In this hadith, Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a red tent made of dyed leather, and that Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) took the leftover water with which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done wudu’. The people began rushing and racing to take the Prophet’s leftover wudu’ water, seeking blessing (barakah) from his relics. This seeking blessing from relics is something unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); the Sahabah did not seek blessing from anyone else who came after him, such as the awliya’ (close friends of Allah), the righteous, or anyone else. That is because of the blessing and goodness that Allah put in whatever the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touched. Whoever managed to take any of this water would wipe himself with it, and whoever did not get any of this water would take from the moisture on the hand of his companion that was left from the water with which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done wudu’.
Then Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw Bilal take a pointed stick, that was half the length of a spear or more, and had a point like the point of a spear, and stuck it firmly in the ground, to act as a screen (sutrah) in front of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as he was leading the people in prayer, because he was praying in the open. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out, wearing a red hullah – the hullah was a suit consisting of two Yemeni garments, an izar and rida’, woven with red and black stripes, or red and green; it could not be called a hullah unless it was a two-peace garment. He prayed facing towards the stick, which he took as a screen (sutrah), and people and animals passed on the other side of the stick. Thus the stick formed a barrier so that people would not pass directly in front of the imam.
The screen (sutrah) may be in the form of a stick and similar things that have height, especially for one who is praying in an open space. As for praying in the mosque or behind a wall or pillar, these things may serve as a screen for the worshipper..

377

It was narrated that Abu Hazim said: They asked Sahl ibn Sa‘d: Of what was the minbar made? He said: There is no one left among the people who has more knowledge of that than me. It was made of tamarisk wood from al-Ghabah; it was made by So-and-so, the freed slave of So-and-so, for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood on it when it was made and put in place. He turned to face towards the qiblah and said takbir, and the people stood behind him. He recited Qur’an, then he bowed and the people bowed. Then he raised his head, then he moved backwards and prostrated on the ground, then he went back to the minbar, then he bowed, then he raised his head, then he moved backwards and prostrated on the ground. That is what he did..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to give khutbahs (sermons, speeches) on Fridays and on other occasions when speeches were required, standing on a palm trunk in the mosque. That was what he did in the beginning, then he had a minbar made, as that would be more helpful when standing and leaning on it, so that the people could see him more easily.
In this hadith, the Sahabi Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the minbar of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): What was it made of? He said: There is no one left of the people of Madinah who knows more about the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) than me. That is because he was the last of the Sahabah to die in Madinah. He was also the one who went with the young carpenter to bring the wood for the minbar from the trees and tamarisks of al-Ghabah. The tamarisk is a desert tree. Al-Ghabah was a land nine miles – or approximately 14 km – from Madinah. The camels of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed there to graze.
Then Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when the minbar had been made and put in place, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) climbed onto it, then he led the people in prayer from atop the minbar, with the people praying behind him and following him in prayer. When he wanted to prostrate, he moved backwards so that he could prostrate; that was so that he would not turn his back towards the qiblah, and he prostrated on the ground. According to a report narrated in al-Sahihayn: Then he went back. When he had finished the prayer, he turned to face the people and said: O people, I only did that so that you could follow me and learn how to pray. Thus he explained that he had prayed on the minbar so that the people could see how he prayed, and see his movements and how he moved from one posture to another, and thus they could learn from him and learn his Sunnah.
This hadith indicates that the imam may teach the people how to pray when he is in a higher place than those who are praying behind him.
It also indicates that a small movement does not invalidate the prayer..

378

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell from his horse and sustained a cut on his leg – or shoulder – and he swore not to come to his wives for a month. He stayed in a loft that had stairs made of palm trunks, and his companions came to him to visit him as he recovered. He led them in prayer sitting, whilst they were standing, and after he said the taslim, he said: “The imam is only appointed to be followed, so when he says takbir then say takbir; when he bows then bow; when he prostrates then prostrate; and if he prays standing then pray standing.” He came down [from the loft] after twenty-nine days, and they said: O Messenger of Allah, you swore an oath for one month. He said: “This month has twenty-nine days.” .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the rulings and etiquette of praying in congregation, which include following and emulating the imam and listening attentively to his recitation, whilst remaining focused and keeping the rows orderly.
In this hadith, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell from his horse, and sustained a cut on his leg. The word translated here as cut refers to a cut or something a little worse. In addition to that, he also suffered some bruising on his limbs, and pain that prevented him from standing in the prayer. The words “or shoulder” refer to uncertainty on the part of the narrator as to whether the injury was to his leg or his shoulder. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had sworn an oath to keep away from his wives for a month. In other words, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had vowed not to enter upon his wives for a month, so he stayed in a loft or room above ground level. It was said that the word translated here as loft refers to the upper part of the house, like a room, or that it refers to a storeroom which is like a ceiling for the space underneath it. The stairs by which he climbed up to this room were made from the trunks of palm trees. The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to visit him because he was sick, and when the time for prayer came, he led them in prayer whilst he was sitting and they were standing. After he said the taslim [at the end of the prayer], he said to them: “The imam is only appointed to be followed”, that is, to be emulated in his actions and movements, which includes: “when he says takbir then say takbir.” In other words, follow the imam in the takbir and do not precede him. When he bows, follow him in his bowing, and when he prostrates, follow him in his prostration. “And if he prays standing then pray standing.” In al-Sahihayn it says: “And if he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” So the posture of those who are praying behind an imam must be like the posture of the imam in prayer.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came down from his loft and went back to his wives twenty-nine days after he had sworn his oath. The Sahabah pointed out to him that he had sworn to keep away from them for a month, but he said: “This month has twenty-nine days,” meaning that the month in which they were was only twenty-nine days long, because the sighting of the new moon had been confirmed. Otherwise, the month is thirty days, if the new moon is not sighted.
In this hadith, we see that it was possible for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to fall sick like any other human, without that undermining his position and status; in fact it served to increase him in status.
It indicates that one may visit a person if he sustains a minor injury and the like.
It indicates that the imam may pray sitting if he is not able to stand, and those praying behind him should follow him in that.
In this hadith, the Lawgiver shows the way in which congregational prayer is to be performed, in such a manner as to facilitate proper focus in the prayer and to enable worshippers to pray in an orderly manner.
It also confirms that the month is not always complete [with thirty days]..

379

It was narrated that Maymunah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray when I was nearby and was menstruating, and his garment sometimes touched me when he prostrated. And he used to pray on a small mat..

Commentary : There are rulings that apply to the menstruating woman, but it is not one of them that she should not touch anyone and no one should touch her, as was the practice of the Jews with their women. Islam honours women in all circumstances, and permits others to interact with the menstruating woman, speak to her, eat with her, and so on.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her) states that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray when she was near him, and she was menstruating. When he prostrated, his garment would touch her, and he would pray on a small mat made of palm leaves stitched together. It was used to keep the worshipper’s face off the ground.
This hadith was quoted as evidence that the body of the menstruating woman is pure (tahir), and that when a worshipper is praying, if he comes into contact with part of the body (such as the hand or foot) or clothes of another person which are clean and pure, that does not invalidate his prayer, even if the body of the other person is deemed to be ritually impure (whether minor or major impurity). If the worshipper’s garment happens to touch a woman, that does not affect his prayer, even if the woman is menstruating, and being close to a menstruating woman does not invalidate prayer. This is one of the ways in which Islam makes things easy for women in all circumstances, and one of the ways in which Islam honours women, especially at the time of menses..

380

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that his grandmother Mulaykah invited the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to a meal that she had made for him. He ate some of the food, then he said: “Get up and let me lead you in prayer.” Anas said: I got up to fetch a mat of ours that turned black from long use. I sprinkled it with water, then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up, the orphan and I stood in one row behind him, and the old woman stood behind us. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in praying two rak‘ahs, then he left..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best of people in attitude and in raising his companions’ spirits. Every time he visited them, he would teach them some rulings and etiquette, and the Sahabah transmitted his teachings and his Sunnah to the ummah so that they could learn the rulings of Islam from it.
In this hadith, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that his grandmother Mulaykah, who was his maternal grandmother, invited the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to a meal that she had made for him, and he accepted her invitation and ate some of that food. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him) would invite him to their houses, so that he could lead them in prayer and they could receive his blessing. Then after the meal ended, he instructed them to get up and pray so that he could teach them how to pray in a practical manner, or to bless the place for them by praying in it and offering supplication for them. So Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) got up to fetch an old mat that had turned black from long use. He sprinkled it with water, to clean it, soften it and prepare it for people to sit on it, or to remove any uncertainty as to whether it was impure (najis). Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up, and Anas and the orphan – who was Damrah or Dumayrah ibn Sa‘d al-Himyari, or someone else, and he had reached the age of discernment – stood behind him, in one row, and his grandmother Mulaykah stood behind them, because the women stand behind the men and children in the prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led them in praying two rak‘ahs, then he left after he prayed.
This is part of Prophetic etiquette, to make one’s visit brief, to leave after having fulfilled the purpose of one’s visit, and to offer supplication for the people who live there.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible for the worshipper to prostrate on a carpet or rug to keep his face from touching the ground directly. .

382

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that she said: I would sleep in front of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and my legs would be in his qiblah. When he prostrated, he would nudge me and I would draw up my legs, and when he stood up, I would stretch them out again. And at that time there were no lamps in our houses..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should take measures to help him focus properly and not be distracted whilst praying.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she would sleep in front of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and her legs would be in his qiblah; in other words, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray tahajjud on the mat on which his wife was sleeping, and she would be sleeping in front of him whilst he was praying, so she was between him and the qiblah. When he prostrated, he would touch her with his hand to alert her to the fact that he wanted to prostrate, so she would draw up her legs so that he could prostrate. Then when he stood up again, she would stretch her legs out again. At that time there were no lights or lamps in the houses, because they had very little in the way of worldly comforts. This indicates that darkness was the reason why she was in front of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) whilst he was praying.
This hadith indicates that a woman does not interrupt or invalidate the prayer of one who is praying in her direction.
It also indicates that a small movement made whilst praying does not invalidate the prayer..

383

It was narrated from ‘Urwah that ‘A’ishah told him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray whilst she was between him and the qiblah, lying on the mat as if on a bier..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should take measures to help him focus properly and not be distracted whilst praying.
In this hadith, ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray whilst she was between him and the qiblah, lying on the mat – and according to a report in Sahih al-Bukhari: on the mat on which they slept. In other words, she was sleeping in front of him, as if on a bier. Thus she described herself as if in the position of the deceased [during the funeral prayer], because there was nothing to distract the one who was praying.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to pray on any pure (tahir) surface, whether it is a mat or anything else.
It indicates that a woman does not interrupt or invalidate the prayer of one who is praying in her direction.
It also indicates that it is valid to pray facing towards one who is sleeping..

385

It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: We were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and one of us would put the edge of his garment on the place of prostration because of the intense heat..

Commentary : Islam is a religion of ease which made things easier for people in their lives and their worship; it permits people to use whatever will help them to maintain proper focus and humility in prayer, and will help them to prostrate, especially at times of heat and cold, both of which will affect the head when it touches the ground directly.
In this hadith, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that they were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they would put the edge of their garment in the place of prostration because it was so hot. In other words, one of them would put the edge of his garment under his forehead to protect himself from the scorching heat of the ground which had been heated by the rays of the sun. This indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) approved of them doing that, and did not tell them not to do it, out of compassion towards them and so as to make things easier for them.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to prostrate on cloth when it is very hot; to that we may add that this is also valid when it is very cold.
It indicates that a small action whilst praying is overlooked, because putting the edge of one’s garment in the place of prostration is an action, but it is small..

386

It was narrated that Abu Maslamah Sa‘id ibn Yazid al-Azdi said: I asked Anas ibn Malik: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray in his sandals? He said: Yes..

Commentary : It is permissible to pray wearing sandals, so as to make things easier for the Muslim ummah, and also to be different from the Jews.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Maslamah Sa‘id ibn Yazid narrates that he asked Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), the servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray wearing his sandals on his feet, in any prayer, whether it was supererogatory or obligatory? Anas replied in the affirmative, and said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) indeed did that, and this was a concession to make things easier for the ummah. Moreover, it is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawud from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Be different from the Jews, for they do not pray in sandals or khuffs.” What appears to be the case is that this is for the purpose of being different from the Jews.
The word translated here as sandals refers to footwear that is worn to protect the feet from the ground when walking. The reports explain that when wearing sandals, it is stipulated that they should be pure (tahir) and free of any impurities (najasah). Whoever finds anything (najasah) on his sandals should rub them with dust, to purify them.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). .

387

It was narrated that Hammam ibn al-Harith said: I saw Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah urinating, then he did wudu’ and wiped over his khuffs, then he stood up and prayed. He was asked about that, and he said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing something like this. Ibrahim said: They liked that, because Jarir was one of the last to become Muslim..

Commentary : It is permissible to wipe over the khuffs and pray wearing them, so as to make things easier for the Muslim ummah. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Hammam ibn al-Harith narrates that he saw the Sahabi Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) urinating, then he did wudu’ and did not wash his feet; rather he wiped over his khuffs instead. Then he stood up and prayed wearing his khuffs, and did not take them off. He was asked why he had wiped over his khuffs and prayed wearing them, and he said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing something like this; he did no more than wipe over his khuffs, then he prayed wearing them, so I followed his example and emulated his Sunnah. Wiping over the khuffs is a concession that is granted both to the traveller and the one who is not travelling. The maximum time for wiping over the khuffs is three days for one who is travelling, and one day and one night for one who is not travelling. The manner of wiping is to wipe the top of the feet, not the bottom, so long as the individual put his khuffs on when he was in a state of purity, as is the apparent meaning of the reports.
Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i and others among the Tabi‘in liked the hadith of Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah because it indicates that wiping over the khuffs is permitted and that this ruling remains valid and was not abrogated by the verse of wudu’ in Surat al-Ma’idah, which says that it is obligatory to wash the feet. This is the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles} [al-Ma’idah 5:6]. That is because Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) became Muslim after that verse was revealed, as he became Muslim at the end of the Prophet’s life, in the year in which he died, and he saw him wiping over his khuffs. Thus he spoke of what he had seen after the verse of wudu’ had been revealed, so he confirmed that wiping over the khuffs was valid and this ruling remains in effect.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

1471

Ibn ‘Umar reported that he divorced his wife during her menstruation in the Prophet's lifetime. So, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about that and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Order him to take her back and keep her until she attains purity, then menstruates, then attains purity. Then, if he wishes he may keep her, and if he wishes he may divorce her before having intercourse with her. This is the ‘Iddah (waiting period) that Allah Almighty has ordered for the divorce of women." [Another version reads]: That he divorced his wife during her menstruation, once. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded him to take her back and keep her until she attains purity, then menstruates again, while still being with him, then to give her time until she attains purity from her menstruation. After that, if he wanted to divorce her, he could do so when she becomes pure before having sexual intercourse with her, as this is the ‘iddah that Allah commanded for the divorce of women. [Another version reads]: On being asked about this, ‘Abdullah said to someone: "If you divorced your wife once or twice, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do this. However, if you have divorced her thrice, she became forbidden to you until she is married to another man, and you have disobeyed Allah regarding what He commanded you in divorcing your wife.".

Commentary : The legislated divorce is that one divorces his wife one time while being pure (of her menses) without having sexual intercourse with her during this period of purity. It is called Talāq Sunni (Sunnah-compliant divorce). As for the forbidden divorce, it is to divorce one's wife more than once in one utterance, or to divorce her during her menstruation, or during a period of purity in which he had sexual intercourse with her. This is called Talāq Bid‘i (Heretic divorce).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that he divorced his wife - her name was Āminah bint Ghifār, and it was said: Āminah bint ‘Ammār, and there are other opinions as well - during her menstruation before attaining purity, and that was in the Prophet's lifetime. His father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about the ruling on this divorce that occurred during menstruation, whether it is permissible or not, and whether it counts or not. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded him to order his son, ‘Abdullah, to take her back in marriage and keep her with him "until she attains purity" from the menstruation in which he divorced her, "then menstruates" again, "then attains purity" from the second menstruation. After attaining purity from the second menstruation, he could keep her as his wife if he wished or he could divorce her in the second period of purity before having intercourse with her. This state, namely the state of purity, is the time for starting "the ‘Iddah that Allah Almighty has commanded for the divorce," i.e., during which, "women", as Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] That is to say, divorce them while receiving their ‘Iddah, i.e., at the time they could start the ‘Iddah, and the period of menstruation is not counted in the ‘Iddah. So, if one divorces during this time, his divorce does not occur in the state commanded by Allah, which is starting and entering the ‘Iddah, when the divorce occurs during the period of her purity not during the period of her menstruation. This is because, during the purity period, she can keep an accurate count of her ‘Iddah, which is three Qurū’ (menstrual cycles), and "qur’" is purity, and it was said: menstruation.
In another version, Muhammad ibn Rumh - one of the Hadīth narrators - added: Whenever ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was asked about divorcing a woman during menstruation, he would say to the questioner: If you divorced your wife once or twice then take her back, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do so. However, if you divorced her thrice then this is an irrevocable divorce and you cannot take her back and she becomes forbidden for you "until she is married to another man," and he has sexual intercourse with her and then divorces her. After her ‘Iddah is over, she becomes lawful for you again to marry.
And by doing this, you disobeyed Allah and went against Him "regarding what He commanded you in divorcing your wife" during the purity state in which you had intercourse with her, as Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1]
This clarifies that the divorce counts, whether it is Sunni or Bid‘i. The fact that the Bid‘i divorce is forbidden does not entail that it does not occur. It only means that whoever does this deliberately is considered sinful, yet the divorce still counts.
In a version of Muslim, Anas ibn Sīrīn said to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): "Was that divorce that you gave her when she was menstruating counted as such?" and you considered it one of the three divorces. "‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: Why would I not count it? (It must be counted) even if I failed and acted foolishly," i.e, failed to fulfill an obligation or acted foolishly and did not fulfill it, or failed to take her back and acted foolishly. Would that be an excuse for him, or would his foolishness make it not count, or would his failure invalidate it?! It is a question of disapproval whose answer is supposed to be: Yes, it is counted, and his failure and foolishness do not prevent it from being counted.
The Hadīth indicates the keenness of Islam to restrict the circumference of divorce as much as possible, and if it happens, it does not cause harm to any of the spouses.
It also indicates that the husband alone has the right to Raj‘ah (taking the wife back) without the guardian..

1472

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The triple divorce during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that of Abu Bakr and two years of the caliphate of ‘Umar was counted as one. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: "Indeed, people have hastened to a matter regarding which they used to act with deliberation. So, if we would make them count (as three divorces)," and he did that..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has made divorce a kind of respite between the spouses when life between them becomes impossible. In Islam, divorce has certain criteria and results in a number of rights.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that of Abu Bakr and two years of ‘Umar's caliphate, whoever triply divorced his wife in one session or in one time, would count as a single divorce. An example of this is saying: "You are divorced thrice," or saying: "You are divorced. You are divorced. You are divorced." Then the husband can take his wife back during the period of ‘Iddah (waiting period) without a new contract. If the ‘Iddah is over, he can take her back with a new contract. It is not counted as three divorces that would make his wife unlawful for him until she is married to another man. It is deemed to refer to what was most likely meant, which was the intent of confirmation, not for continuing the count. During the lifetime of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), people used this form frequently while most likely intending to continue the count not by way of confirmation. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) made it count as three divorces. He said: "Indeed, people have hastened to a matter regarding which they used to act with deliberation," i.e., they were entitled to three divorces to give themselves a chance to reconsider their affairs, as it might seem better for them to take their wives back. His saying: "So if we made them count," i.e., He consulted those who were with him from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding the one who gave three divorces all at once to make such a divorce an irrevocable triple divorce as he uttered, to deter them from rushing into divorce. Thus, he enforced it on people after consulting the senior Companions and their agreement with him.
This is interpreted from him (may Allah be pleased with him) as a form of Ijtihād and laying down rules that would bring benefit to his subjects within the boundaries of Shariah, without making things too difficult or too easy..

1476

‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek our permission on the day he had to stay with one of his wives (by turns) after the following verse was revealed: {You [O Prophet] may postpone [the turn of] whoever you wish [of your wives], and you may share your time with whoever of them you wish.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 51] Mu‘ādhah said to her: What did you use to say to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he asked your permission? She said: I used to say: Were it up to me, I would not give anyone preference over myself..

Commentary : The Prophet's wives loved him dearly to the extent that they used to compete to please him and show their love to him.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask permission from his wife, whose turn was due, to go to another one of his wives. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had nine wives, and he used to allocate a day for each to stay with her overnight. This act of his seeking permission was after the revelation of the following verse: {You [O Prophet] may postpone [the turn of] whoever you wish [of your wives], and you may share your time with whoever of them you wish, and there is no blame on you if you call back any of those whose turn you have set aside. That is more likely that they will be content and not distressed, and that they will be satisfied with what you give them all. Allah knows what is in your hearts, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 51] This verse means: O Messenger, you have the right to delay the turn of whoever you wish of your wives and not stay overnight with her, and you have the right to share your time with whoever you wish of them and stay overnight with her; and there is no blame on you if you call back any of those whom you have delayed. Giving you the choice and making things flexible for you are more likely to make your wives content and satisfied with what you give them all for knowing that you have not neglected duty and have not withheld a right, and Allah knows what is in your hearts - O men - of inclination to some women apart from others, as Allah is All-Knowing of His slaves' actions and nothing thereof is hidden from Him, and He is Most Forbearing and does not hasten to punish them hoping that they may return to Him in repentance.
The female Tābi‘i Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "What did you use to say to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he asked for your permission?" ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that she used to say to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Were it up to me," i.e., if this act of seeking permission is in my hands, "I would not give anyone preference over myself," i.e., I would not give my day to another wife. This was due to her love to be close to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to serve him, enjoy intimacy with him, and benefit from him.
Such a competition between his wives was not for mere pleasure, intimacy, personal desires, and enjoyment, as is the case with some people. Instead, it was a competition for matters related to the Hereafter and for being close to the master of the first and the last, for expecting the descent of mercy and revelation upon him while being with her and so on.
The Hadīth clarifies one of the Prophet's exclusive rights, namely choosing whomever he wished from his wives whenever he wished.
It also points out some of the etiquettes between spouses and teaches them how a man should seek his wives' permission when sharing his time with them and how the woman should show him love and affection..

1478

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and sought permission to see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He found people sitting at his door and none amongst them had been granted permission, but it was granted to Abu Bakr and he went in. Then came ‘Umar and he sought permission and it was granted to him. He found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sitting sad and silent with his wives around him, and said: He said: I would say something that would make the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laugh. So, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish you had seen the daughter of Khārijah when she asked me for extra money, and I got up and slapped her on the neck. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laughed and said: "They are around me as you see, asking for extra money." So, Abu Bakr got up and slapped ‘Ā’ishah on the neck, and ‘Umar got up and slapped Hafsah on the neck. Both of them did this saying: "Are you asking the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) what he does not have?!" They said: "By Allah, we would never ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for something that he does not have." Then he retreated from them for a month or for twenty-nine days. Then, the following verse was revealed to him: {O Prophet, tell your wives} until the part that reads {for those who do good among you a great reward.} [Surat al-Azāb: 28-29] He said: So, he started with ‘Ā’ishah, saying: "O ‘Ā’ishah, I want to propound something to you but I wish you not to be hasty concerning it until you consult your parents." She said: "What is that, O Messenger of Allah?" So he recited the verse to her. She said: "Is it concerning you, O Messenger of Allah, that I should consult my parents?! Nay, I choose Allah, His Messenger, and the Final Abode; but I ask you not to tell any of your wives what I have said." He said: "None of them asks me except that I will inform her. Allah did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was generous with his wives and provided for them from what Allah granted him. However, he used to spend often on the cause of Allah and on what would benefit people, leaving only a little for himself and his family. This led to some harm felt by his wives; however, Allah Almighty gave them the choice to either endure life patiently or get a divorce and be separated from him kindly.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) once came and sought permission to see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and found people sitting at his door and none among them was granted permission to see the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) granted Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) permission and he entered. Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet's house and sought permission to enter and he permitted him. On entering, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sitting with his wives around him and he was intensely sad, so much so that he stopped talking. So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to himself - and it was said: The speaker was Abu Bakr - (may Allah be pleased with him): "I should say something that would make the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laugh." So, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish you had seen," i.e., if you knew that my wife, the daughter of Khārijah, asked and requested from me an extra amount of money, more than the usual or more than needed, so I got up and "slapped her on the neck," i.e., hit her neck with my hand. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laughed out of the resemblance between his condition and that of ‘Umar. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They", referring to his wives, are sitting "around me as you see, asking for extra money" and requesting more money than the usual amount. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and went to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to slap her on the neck by way of discipline. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also got up to slap his daughter Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) on the neck by way of discipline, and each of them was saying to his daughter: "Are you asking the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for what he does not have?!" It was an expression of rebuke and reprimand for them because of their asking for an extra amount of money while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not have it. "They said: By Allah, we would never ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)," after this "something that he does not have." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry because of this and he retreated from his wives for thirty or twenty-nine days without entering their houses or approaching them. Then, the following verses were revealed: {O Prophet, tell your wives, “If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come, I will give you provision and release you graciously. But if you seek Allah and His Messenger and the Final Abode, then Allah has prepared for those who do good among you a great reward.”} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 28-29] The two verses mean: O Prophet, tell your wives when they ask you for an increase in sustenance and you have nothing to give them as an extra amount: If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come I will give you provision that is given to the divorced women and release you in a way that involves no harm or damage. However, if you seek Allah's pleasure and the pleasure of His Messenger, and you seek Paradise in the Final Abode, then endure your conditions patiently, as Allah has prepared for those who do good among you, through patience and good treatment, a great reward.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started with ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in giving her the choice. He called her and informed her that he had something to propound to her and that he wished she would not hasten to give him a reply without consulting her parents. Perhaps this was out of fear for her because of her young age which entailed the desire for worldly embellishments and her not choosing the Hereafter. She asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about that matter and he recited the verse to her, so she hastened to accept being with the Messenger of Allah, and she said: "Is it concerning you," i.e., being separated from you, or staying with you, or regarding your right, "O Messenger of Allah, that I should consult my parents?!" And she told him that she chose Allah, His Messenger, and the Final Abode. She also asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) not to tell any of his wives about her reply out of her jealousy and keenness to have the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) all for herself and enjoy a great deal of his company. In response, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of them asks me except that I will inform her," to help her make her choice. He justified this by saying that Allah did not send him to be harsh, i.e., causing someone to be in a difficult situation and "‘anat", meaning difficulty and sin as well, "or cause harm," i.e., seek others' mistakes. "But He sent me to teach" people goodness and make things easy. Facilitation here lies in the fact that if he informed them, his other wives would follow the example of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and it would be easy for them to choose Allah Almighty, His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and the Final Abode.
This Hadīth points out that asking permission is from the Prophet's guidance.
It also indicates that one can discipline one's child, even if he grew up.
It shows the ascetic life of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his abstention from worldly life.
It also demonstrates how the Companions used to console the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in his sadness.
It denotes the merit of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them)..

1479

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb reported: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) secluded himself from his wives, he ('Umar) said: I entered the mosque and found the people pelting the ground with pebbles and saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives, and that was before they were commanded with Hijāb. ‘Umar said: I said: I must find this out today. He said: I entered upon ‘Ā’ishah and said: O daughter of Abu Bakr, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?! She said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, stay out of my affairs and mind your receptacle. He said: So, I entered upon Hafsah bint ‘Umar and said to her: O Hafsah, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?! By Allah, you know that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) does not love you, and had it not been for me, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have divorced you. So, she wept bitterly. I said to her: Where is the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)? She said: He is in his cabinet in the attic room. I went there and found Rabāh, the servant of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), sitting on the attic's doorstep with his legs dangling on carved wood, which is a trunk used by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ascend and descend. I called out: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Rabāh looked at the room then looked at me and said nothing. Then, I said: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Rabāh looked at the room then looked at me and said nothing. Then, I raised my voice and said: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). I think the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) thought I had come for Hafsah's sake. By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands me to strike her neck, I will undoubtedly strike her neck. I raised my voice, and he signaled to me to ascend. I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was lying on a straw mat. I sat down and he drew up his lower garment over him and he had nothing else on him, and the mat had left marks on his side. I looked around in the cabinet of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and found only a handful of barley around one Sā‘ and an equal quantity of the leaves of mimosa flava placed in one side of the room, and a semi-tanned leather bag hanging. He said: Tears started falling from my eyes. He said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, what makes you weep? I said: O Prophet of Allah, how could I not weep when this straw mat has left marks on your side and I see nothing in your cabinet except what I have seen, while Caesar and Khosrau are enjoying fruits and rivers, whereas you are the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and His chosen one and this is your cabinet?! He said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, does it not please you that the Hereafter is for us and the worldly life is for them? I said: Yes. He said: When I entered upon him, I saw signs of anger on his face, so I said: O Messenger of Allah, what trouble have the women caused you? If you had divorced them, verily, Allah is with you, His angels, Jibrīl (Gabriel), Mikā’īl (Michael), I, Abu Bakr, and the believers are with you. I rarely spoke - thanks to Allah - any words except that I hoped Allah would confirm the words I uttered, and this verse, Āyat at-Takhyīr (the Verse of Choice), was revealed: {Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 5] {But if you insist on conspiring against him, then indeed Allah is his Protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and moreover, the angels are his supporters.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 4] ‘Ā’ishah bint Abi Bakr and Hafsah were cooperating against the rest of the Prophet's wives. I said: O Messenger of Allah, did you divorce them? He said: No. I said: O Messenger of Allah, when I entered the mosque, I found the Muslims pelting the ground with pebbles and saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives. Should I go down and tell them that you did not divorce them? He said: Yes, if you wish. I kept talking to him until there were no more signs of anger on his face and until he laughed and his teeth showed, and he had the most charming front teeth of all people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) descended and I descended while catching hold of the trunk, but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went down as if he was walking on the ground without touching it with his hand. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you remained in your room for twenty-nine days. He said: The month consists of twenty-nine days. I, thus, stood at the door of the mosque and called out at the top of my voice: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives, and this verse was revealed: {Whenever they hear any news of security or fear, they spread it. If they referred it to the Messenger or to those in authority among them, those with sound judgment among them could know it.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 83] And it was I who drew correct conclusions and Allah Almighty revealed the Verse of Choice..

Commentary : Perhaps the Prophet's wives caused him trouble like women usually cause their husbands trouble, resulting from jealousy, vexation, and the like.
In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) secluded himself from his wives and swore not to enter upon them, for he was angry with them, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) entered the Prophet's mosque "and found the people pelting the ground with pebbles," i.e., moving them around and throwing them on the ground, which is something normally done by someone concerned and absorbed in thought. "And saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives," i.e. when they saw how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept himself away from his wives, they thought that he had divorced them, so they said this. "And that was before they were commanded with Hijāb," i.e., women conceal themselves from men. This remark is questionable; rather, it is a clear mistake since Hijāb was enjoined at the time of the Prophet's marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) in the fourth or fifth year, and Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) was among his wives who were given the choice; and the story of his seclusion from his wives and giving them the choice took place in the ninth year of Hijrah. The best thing said with this regard to: "that it was before they were commanded with Hijāb" is from the words of the narrator who, when seeing that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said he had entered upon 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), thought that this was before Hijāb, so he affirmed it. This could be responded by saying: Entering does not entail removing Hijāb (screen), for he could enter from the door, and she could still talk to him from behind the screen.
Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he said to himself: "I must find this out today," i.e., I must find out the truth about this, did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorce them or not? So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet's wife and Abu Bakr's daughter, and said to her: "O daughter of Abu Bakr, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?!" blaming her for daring to infuriate the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Ibn al-Khattāb, stay out of my affairs," i.e., you are not entitled to admonish me "and mind your receptacle," i.e., rather, you should admonish the one who matters to you, referring to Hafsah bint ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with her). "‘Aybah" (receptacle): the container used for keeping clothes and precious belongings. A man's "‘aybah": his family and those close to him. Then, ‘Umar entered upon his daughter Hafsah and said to her what he had said to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) and added reprovingly: "By Allah, you know that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) does not love you, and had it not been for me, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have divorced you," deterring and frightening her with divorce and the fact that if it had not been for ‘Umar's special status with the Prophet, this would have occurred. Thereupon, Hafsah cried bitterly because of her sadness about being separated from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and expecting her father to be severely mad at her. Then, ‘Umar asked his daughter (may Allah be pleased with both of them) where the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was. Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He is in his cabinet in the attic room." "Mashrubah" (attic room): is an elevated room for storing food and drink. On entering, 'Umar found Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet's servant, "sitting on the attic's doorstep," i.e., on the doorsill "with his legs dangling," i.e., stretching and hanging them "on carved wood", which is a trunk that had stairs used by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ascend to the room and descend from that place using it as a stair. ‘Umar, then, called out to Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with both of them) to seek permission for him to enter upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Rabāh looked inside the room, then, looked at ‘Umar and said nothing. This indirectly indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had heard ‘Umar's voice; however, he expressed no approval or disapproval of permitting him. So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) again sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and Rabāh again looked at the room then looked at ‘Umar and said nothing. On the third time, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his voice so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would hear him and he called out: "O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). I think that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) thought I had come for Hafsah's sake," i.e., to apologize for what she did and defend her. "By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands me to strike her neck, I will certainly strike her neck." This clarified why he sought permission, namely to console the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and bring him out of his sadness and not for anything related to his daughter Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her). Rabāh, thus, signaled with his head to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had permitted him to ascend to him in his attic.
On entering upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), ‘Umar saw him "lying on a straw mat," i.e., lying on his side on the straw mat. Another version in the two "Sahīh Collections" reads: "And he was on a straw mat with nothing between him and the mat," i.e., he was lying thereon without any bedding. "Hasīr" (straw mat): a mat made of palm leaf stalks or others things. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sat down, so the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) drew up his lower garment over his body to cover it more. "Izār" (lower garment): it is the garment used to cover the lower part of the body. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not wearing anything except this lower garment. "and the mat had left marks on his side," i.e., it left marks on his side as a result of sleeping on it. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) looked around, exploring the room where the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was staying and found nothing but a handful - i.e., a pile - of barley equal to one Sā '. Sā‘: it is four Mudds, and one Mudd is equal to an amount that could fill both hands. He found an equal amount of "the leaves of mimosa flava placed in one side of the room," i.e., in one of its sides and at a distance from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It is said that "Qarazh" (mimosa flava) means: a kind of tree used in tanning leather. "And a semi-tanned leather bag hanging," which is leather that is not yet tanned. All this indirectly indicates the threadbareness of the place where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was staying and the straitened circumstances he was living in.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Tears started falling from my eyes," i.e., tears started flowing by way of sympathy for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about the reason for his weeping, so ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "O Prophet of Allah, how could I not weep when this straw mat has left marks on your side and I see nothing in your cabinet except what I see, while Caesar and Khosrau are enjoying fruits and rivers, whereas you are the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and His chosen one and this is your cabinet?!" All this serves as an indirect reference to the bliss that the disbelievers enjoy compared to the conditions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant is that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslims are more entitled to this bliss than the disbelievers. Khosrau: it is the title of the Persians' king. Caesar: it is the title of the Romans' king. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn al-Khattāb, does it not please you that the Hereafter is for us and the worldly life is for them?" In this way, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explained to him the logic of the worldly pleasures and that of the Hereafter, as part of Allah's immutable rule regarding His slaves is to make the disbelievers enjoy the worldly pleasures. In contrast, His believing slaves will enjoy the enjoyments of the Hereafter, taking into consideration the contradiction between these two types of pleasures and the believers' eternal abidance in the bliss of Paradise and, on the contrary, the disbelievers' eternal abidance in Hellfire. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Yes" it pleases me, O Messenger of Allah. There were signs of anger on the Prophet's face that ‘Umar noticed the moment he entered, so, ‘Umar said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, what trouble have the women caused you?" He was trying to alleviate the Prophet's sadness and anger. In other words, no trouble will befall you, and you should not care about any of their affairs. "If you had divorced them, verily, Allah is with you, His angels, Jibrīl (Gabriel):" the angel entrusted with the revelation, "Mikā’īl (Michael):" the angel entrusted with the rain and plants, "I, Abu Bakr, and the believers are with you" also with our support and assistance in Da‘wah (call to Allah) and the divine message. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he rarely spoke - thanks be to Allah for this - words except that he hoped Allah would confirm the words he uttered, i.e., he was secretly asking Allah to confirm the soundness of his advice to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with Qur’an. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was then informed that the Verse of Choice was revealed to confirm his speech with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It is the verse where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave his wives the choice either to remain as his wives or to be divorced and released, as Allah Almighty says: {But if you insist on conspiring against him, then indeed Allah is his Protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and moreover, the angels are his supporters. Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 4-5] It is said: There is no choice in these verses and mentioning it here is a delusion. In Al-Bukhāri's version, it was reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Prophet's wives backed each other against him out of jealousy, so, I said to them: Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives; and so this verse was revealed." The sound opinion here is what was proven in the two Sahīh Collections and others, namely that the Verse of Choice is the verse where Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, tell your wives, “If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come, I will give you provision and release you graciously. But if you seek Allah and His Messenger and the Final Abode, then Allah has prepared for those who do good among you a great reward.”} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 28-29] It is said: There is a missing "and" probably in his saying: "The Verse of Choice", and the correct view is: "This verse and the Verse of Choice were revealed".
He reported that 'Ā’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) used to cooperate against the rest of the Prophet's wives, forming a team together. The cause behind their excessive jealousy was divulging his secret, which made him upset and angry. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then, asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) if he had divorced his wives, trying to find out the truth about what people were saying in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) negated divorcing his wives, and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him of how the people felt sad for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) because of what was circulated about him divorcing his wives. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then asked for the Prophet's permission to go down to the people, inform them of the correct news, and clarify the truth for them to rejoice. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) agreed and said to him: "If you wish," i.e. if you like and want to do so.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he kept talking to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until there were no more signs of anger on his face and his teeth showed from laughing. "And he had the most charming front teeth of all people." "Thaghr" (front teeth): the mouth and front teeth. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) descended from the attic where he had been staying in seclusion, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) descended while catching hold of the trunk and resting on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went down "as if he was walking on the ground without touching it with his hand," i.e., he did not need to rest on the trunk when coming down due to his strength. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, you remained in your room for twenty-nine," i.e., there is one day left to complete a month, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore not to have intercourse with his wives for a month. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The month consists of twenty-nine," i.e., this month was twenty-nine days. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood at the door of the mosque and called out at the top of his voice: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives", telling and informing the Prophet's Companions that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives contrary to what they had been saying, and this verse was revealed: {Whenever they hear any news of security or fear, they spread it. If they referred it to the Messenger or those in authority among them, those with sound judgment could know it.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 83] When the people said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had divorced his wives based on no information from anyone and without verifying or checking this out, Allah Almighty blamed them because if they had referred this to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he would have informed them of the truth about it, or they could have referred it to someone who could ask and find out the truth about it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "And it was I who drew correct conclusions," i.e., verified this matter and checked it out.
"And Allah Almighty revealed the Verse of Choice," as previously mentioned. In the two Sahīh Collections, it was mentioned that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: He started with me as the first woman. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will mention something, but you should only hasten if you consult your parents. She said: Indeed, I know my parents would not order me to leave you." Al-Bukhāri's version reads: "Then, he gave all of his wives the choice, and they said the same as what ‘Ā’ishah had said."
In some narrations in the two Sahīh Collections, the following was reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept himself secluded from his wives because of the honey he used to drink in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh. 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I agreed with Hafsah that the one upon whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would enter should say: I can detect the smell of Maghāfīr in you, did you eat Maghāfīr - Maghāfīr: sweet gum that has a foul odor. When he entered upon one of them, she said that to him, and he said: No, but I drank honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will not drink it again. Thereupon, this verse was revealed: {O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful to you} to: {You both had better turn to Allah in repentance.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 1-4] to ‘Ā’ishah and Hafsah, {And [remember] when the Prophet told one of his wives something in secret} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 3], as he said: No, but I drank honey." It is said: The reason is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had sexual intercourse with his bondmaid Māriyah in the house of Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) learned about it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her not to inform ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). However, Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) revealed the Prophet's secret to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It is also said: The reason is the things they did as a whole that enraged the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and not a specific incident.
The Hadīth shows the Prophet's good morals and how he would honor whoever smiled at him by smiling back at him.
It also indicates the manifest merit of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
It points out how a man should advise his daughter and fix her manners towards her husband.
It also signifies that putting a lot of pressure on women is something dispraised.
It encourages favoring the Hereafter by performing acts of obedience, avoiding sins, and refraining from being preoccupied with the pursuit of worldly pleasures..

1480

Abu Is-hāq reported: I was with Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd sitting in the grand mosque, and Ash-Sha‘bi was with us, and he narrated the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entitled her to no housing or financial maintenance. Then, Al-Aswad took a handful of pebbles and threw it at him and said: Woe to you! How could you narrate this?! ‘Umar said: We must not abandon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on account of a woman's statement. We do not know whether she memorized or forgot. She is entitled to housing and financial maintenance. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1].

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce after sparing no effort in reconciliation between the spouses. He has clarified its rulings and consequences, and He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the spouses would reconsider his stance; otherwise, they should be separated after the third incident of divorce, and the woman becomes unlawful for him after that until she is married to another man.
This Hadīth is related to a story mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections and others about the female Companion Fātimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her) who was triply divorced by her husband. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to move to the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm - who was her cousin and was blind - and spend her 'Iddah (waiting period) there. He made her not entitled to financial maintenance for her particular case, as she used to offend her husband's family verbally or because she was in a desolate area and it was feared that someone might assault her; hence, he moved her to the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm, as he was blind and would not see her. Fātimah bint Qays kept on narrating this Hadīth of hers after the Prophet's death; however, a group of the Companions disapproved of it. The Tābi‘i Abu Is-hāq as-Sabī‘i narrates that he was with Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd an-Nakha‘i - one of the Tābi‘is - in the great mosque, i.e., the grand mosque, which refers to the mosque of Kūfah, while Ash-Sha‘bi - ‘Āmir ibn Sharāhīl one of the Tābi‘is - was narrating the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays in this mosque, i.e., giving a legal fatwa based on this Hadīth. In this Hadīth, it is stated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make Fātimah entitled to housing or financial maintenance after being triply divorced. So, Al-Aswad took a handful of pebbles and threw them at him and said: "Woe to you!", i.e., may Allah afflict you with ruin and destruction. It was a common saying among the Arabs that was not intended as a supplication. "How could you narrate this?!" All this was meant to express Al-Aswad's disapproval of Ash-Sha‘bi's narration of this Hadīth. Then, he informed him that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We must not abandon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on account of a woman's statement," i.e., we do not rely on issuing a Fatwa (legal opinion) like this on the Hadīth of Fātimah, given the importance of such a Fatwa, because she might have memorized it in the wrong way or she might have forgotten. Perhaps what ‘Umar meant by the Prophet's Sunnah was what his rulings indicated of adhering to the Book of Allah not a specific Sunnah in this regard. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then, supported his saying that the triply divorced woman is entitled to housing and financial maintenance in her ‘Iddah by the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with consideration to their waiting period and keep a precise count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] In other words: O people, fear Allah your Lord and beware of disobeying Him by transgressing His limit; do not force your divorced wives out of their houses, where you made them live before divorce, until their ‘Iddah is over. "Shameful act" here refers to recalcitrance and bad morals. It is said: It means indecency towards her husband's family. It is also said that it means: Unless they commit adultery.
The Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays was refuted by a group of the Companions, including ‘Umar, ‘Ā’ishah, and others who knew the Sunnah better than Fātimah bint Qays. Some considered the apparent meaning of the Hadīth and, thus, made the triply divorced woman entitled to spend her 'Iddah wherever she chooses without being obliged to spend the night at her ex-husband's house.
The Hadīth shows how a scholar should be corrected, even in his gatherings of knowledge, if he is mistaken.
It also highlights the Companions' keenness on adhering to the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah..

1480

‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah reported: Abu ‘Amr ibn Hafs ibn al-Mughīrah set out along with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib to Yemen. He sent to his wife, Fātimah bint Qays, one pronouncement of divorce that was still left from her divorce. He commanded Al-Hārith ibn Hishām and ‘Ayyāsh ibn Abi Rabī‘ah to give her alimony. They said to her: By Allah, there is no alimony for you unless you are pregnant. Thereupon, she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what they had said. He said: There is no alimony for you. She, then, asked his permission to move, and he permitted her. She said: O Messenger of Allah, where? He said: To the house of Ibn ’Umm Maktūm, as he was blind and she could take off her clothes in his presence and he would not see her. When her ‘Iddah (waiting period) was over, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave her in marriage to Usāmah ibn Zayd. Marwān sent Qabīsah ibn Dhu’ayb to ask her about the Hadīth, and she narrated it to him, whereupon Marwān said: We have not heard this Hadīth except from a woman. We shall adopt a safe path that we have found people upon. On hearing what Marwān said, Fātimah said: The Qur’an is between me and you. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] She said: This is regarding revocable divorce. What happens after the three? Why do you say there is no alimony for her if she is not pregnant? Then, on what grounds do you restrain her?.

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce and clarified its rulings and consequences after sparing no effort in reconciliation between the spouses. He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the spouses would reconsider their stance; otherwise, they should be separated after the third incident of divorce, and the woman becomes unlawful for him after that until she is married to another man.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah reports that the Companion Abu ‘Amr ibn Hafs ibn al-Mughīrah (may Allah be pleased with him) set out on a journey along with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him there. Abu ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to his wife Fātimah bint Qays a pronouncement of divorce while traveling. He had previously divorced her twice and had taken her back, and this was the third incident that made the divorce irrevocable. Abu ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded Al-Hārith ibn Hishām and ‘Ayyāsh ibn Abi Rabī‘ah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) to give her alimony. Another version narrated by Muslim reads: "He sent his deputy to her with barley, " but Fātimah declined it because she found it inadequate and did not accept it. They said to her: "By Allah, there is no alimony for you" because you are irrevocably divorced, and alimony is not for someone in your case "unless you are pregnant". In the version of An-Nasā’i: "So, she sent to Al-Hārith and 'Ayyāsh asking them for the alimony that was appointed for her by her husband, and they said: By Allah, no alimony is due on us for her unless she is pregnant, and she is not entitled to live in our house except with our permission." Thereupon, Fātimah went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what they had said, namely that she was not entitled to alimony unless she was pregnant. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved of what they had said and said to her: "There is no alimony for you." She then sought the Prophet's permission to move from her house, where she was divorced, as she was afraid for herself. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted her to move to the house of her cousin Ibn' Umm Maktūm as he was blind and would not see her when taking off her clothes. His permission for her to go out is justified by the fact that he permitted her to move for an excuse, namely her indecency towards her husband's relatives or her fear that she might be assaulted, as mentioned in the narrations. However, if there is no need, then it is impermissible for her to go out or move, and it is forbidden to move her. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] "Shameful act" here refers to recalcitrance and bad morals. It is said: It means indecency towards her husband's family. It is also said that it means: Unless they commit adultery.
When her 'Iddah was over, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave her in marriage to Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) for knowing that he was religious, virtuous, had good morals and noble traits.
At that time, Marwān ibn al-Hakam was the ruler of Madīnah. He sent Qabīsah ibn Dhu’ayb to Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask about this Hadīth, and she narrated it to him. The reason why Marwān asked her was mentioned in the version of An-Nasā’i: "'Abdullah ibn' Amr ibn' Uthmān, being a young man in the emirate of Marwān, divorced the daughter of Sa‘īd ibn Zayd and her mother was Bint Qays al-Battah. So, her maternal aunt, Fātimah bint Qays, sent to her commanding her to move from the house of 'Abdullah ibn' Amr. When Marwān heard about that, he sent to the daughter of Sa‘īd, commanding her to return to her house and asking her why she moved from her house before completing her 'Iddah." She informed him of the Hadīth of Fātimah, thereupon, Marwān was sent to Fātimah to verify this Hadīth. After hearing her Hadīth, Marwān said: "We have not heard this Hadīth except from a woman," by way of disapproval, and before Marwān, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) expressed their disapproval of Fātimah's Hadīth. Marwān said: "We shall adopt a safe path that we found people upon," i.e., what is reliable, strong, and authentic and what people held fast upon and adhered to and acted upon. In other words, we shall adopt the opinion that a woman must not leave her house except after her ‘Iddah is over and that there is no alimony for her. On hearing what Marwān said and how he prevented the irrevocably divorced woman from leaving her house under all circumstances, Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Qur’an is between me and you, Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] Taking this as supporting evidence, she said: This prohibition, which is understood from the first part of the verse, addresses the husband who can take back his wife, i.e., the housing is for the divorced woman whose divorce is revocable, which accords with what Allah Almighty says: {Then when they have approached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honorably or part with them honorably.} [Surat at-Talāq: 2] She said: So, what happens after the three incidents of divorce? How do you prevent her from going out, then, you say: There is no alimony for her unless she is pregnant? Then, on what grounds do you restrain her? She said this as an objection to Marwān, who made the irrevocably divorced woman entitled to housing and prevented her from going out without giving her financial maintenance. To sum up, her objection was: If you do not make the alimony obligatory, how could you prevent her from going out if the alimony is the recompense of being restrained?!.

1481

‘Ā’ishah reported: It is no good for Fātimah to mention this. He said: She was referring to her statement: No housing or financial maintenance..

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce for spouses who choose separation after exerting their utmost in reconciliation between them. He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the two spouses would reconsider their stance. Otherwise, they would be separated after the third incident of divorce, and she becomes unlawful for him after this until she gets married to another man. Islam has also regulated the rights and duties between spouses after divorce.
In this Hadīth, Muhammad ibn al-Qāsim narrates that when the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was informed of what Fātimah bint Qays had said, namely that her husband had divorced her thrice and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make her entitled to housing or financial maintenance during her ‘Iddah (waiting period), she said disapprovingly: "It is no good for Fātimah" bint Qays "to mention" and narrate "this" Hadīth to people because it contradicts the explicit texts of the Book of Allah Almighty and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
A group of the Companions, including ‘Umar, ‘Ā’ishah and others, rejected the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays because it contradicts, in their opinion, the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period and keep an accurate count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act. Such are the limits ordained by Allah.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] It is said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to leave her house and spend her 'Iddah in the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm and did not make her entitled to financial maintenance only because of her special case, as she used to verbally offend her husband's family, or because she was in a desolate place and it was feared that her husband or anyone else might assault her. 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) censured her narration..

1482

Fātimah bint Qays reported that she said: "O Messenger of Allah, my husband divorced me thrice, and I am afraid that my house will be broken into." So, he commanded her, and she moved (to another house)..

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce for spouses who choose separation after exerting their utmost in attempting reconciliation between them. He has made it three divorces; so that each of the two spouses would reconsider their stance. Otherwise, they would be separated after the third divorce, and she becomes unlawful for him after this until she gets married to another man. Islam has also regulated the rights and duties between spouses after divorce. Allah Almighty has commanded the divorced woman - whether the divorce is revocable or irrevocable - to spend the ‘Iddah (waiting period) in her house. Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period and keep an accurate count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act. Such are the limits ordained by Allah.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1]
In this Hadīth, Fātimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my husband divorced me thrice," so the divorce was irrevocable and final. "And I am afraid that my house will be broken into" during her stay in his house for her ‘Iddah. "Iqtihām" (breaking into): entering quickly. This means: She was afraid that someone would enter upon her and harm her because she was in a desolate place. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to leave that place and she went to the house of her paternal cousin, Ibn ’Umm Maktūm, because he was blind, and she could take off her clothes without him seeing her. Since she did not spend her ‘Iddah in her husband's house, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make her entitled to habitation or financial sustenance during her ‘Iddah..

1483

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: My maternal aunt was divorced, and she wanted to harvest her date palm trees. A man rebuked her for going out, so she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said: "Yes, go out and harvest your date palm trees, for you may give (some of it) in charity or do a good deed.".

Commentary : The Islamic Shariah has brought facilitation and goodness to people. It takes into consideration their conditions when carrying out the Shariah rulings to prevent them from falling into difficulty or distress.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that his maternal aunt - it was said: her name is Asmā’ - was irrevocably divorced, as mentioned in the version of Abu Dāwūd: "My maternal aunt was divorced thrice." She wanted to go out, during her ‘Iddah (waiting period), to collect the fruits from her date palm trees; however, a man rebuked her and forbade her from going out until her ‘Iddah was over. She went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ask him. She informed him of what had happened and of her condition and her need for harvesting her date palm trees and asked him if it was permissible for her to go out of her house during her ‘Iddah due to this necessity. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) replied saying: "Yes," and the version of Abu Dāwūd reads: "Go out," and collect your fruits, for perhaps after collecting the fruit of your date palm trees you may give part of it in charity to the poor and the needy "or do a good deed." "Ma‘rūf" (good deed): a comprehensive name including every known act of obeying Allah and doing good to people. This is an explanation of permitting the act of going out, even though it came in the form of notifying and urging her to do good. Moreover, he permitted her to go out due to her need to look after her interests, her date palm trees, and her properties as understood from the apparent indication of the beginning of the Hadīth.
Perhaps the difference between charity and a good deed is that the former refers to obligatory charity, while the latter refers to voluntary charity. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this to her only because he knew that she was a charitable person, who used to do good deeds frequently, or he answered her with what would guide her to charity and voluntary charity, and this denotes obvious kindness and wisdom.
The Hadīth implies guiding the questioner to what is good for him in his religion and worldly matters and adding to the response what the questioner needs.
It also indicates the permissibility of going out for the divorced woman during her ‘Iddah for a necessity and for fulfilling her interests that she cannot dispense with.
It denotes the permissibility of being keen on preserving wealth and acquiring it to do good and use it in consoling others.
It also indicates that charity in dates is to be given at the time of their harvest, and gifting others therefrom.
It also includes giving an indirect reference to the dates' owner to give charity and reminding him of good deeds and beneficence..

1493

Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr reported: I was asked about the two who swore the oath of condemnation during the governance of Mus‘ab; should they be separated? I did not know what to say, so I went to Ibn ‘Umar's house in Makkah. I said to the servant: Seek permission for me. He said: He is taking a nap; but he heard my voice and said: Is this Ibn Jubayr? I said: Yes. He said: Come in. By Allah, you have not come at this time except for a need. I entered and found him lying on a saddlecloth and resting his head on a fibre-filled pillow. I said: O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, should the two involved in a case of Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) be separated? He said: Glory be to Allah! Yes. The first one who asked about this was so-and-so, the son of so-and-so. He said: O Messenger of Allah, what if any of us found his wife committing adultery? What should he do? If he were to say anything, his statement would be a horrible matter, and if he were to remain silent, his silence about the matter would also be terrible. He said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept silent and did not answer him. Later on, he came to him and said: I have been afflicted with what I asked you about. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed these verses of Surat an-Nūr: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery]} [Surat an-Nūr: 6] So, he recited them to him, admonished and reminded him, and informed him that the worldly punishment is less severe than the punishment of the Hereafter. He said: No, by the One Who sent you with the truth I did not lie about her. Then, he called her, admonished and reminded her and informed her that the worldly punishment is less severe than the punishment of the Hereafter. She said: No, by the One Who sent you with the truth, he is a liar. So, he started with the man who testified four times by Allah that he was truthful and the fifth time that the curse of Allah would be upon him if he were a liar. Then, the woman came next, and she testified four times by Allah that he was a liar and the fifth time that Allah's wrath would be upon her if he were truthful. Then, he separated the two of them..

Commentary : The noble Shariah has clarified the rulings of marriage between the man and the woman and has explained the rulings of the husband's accusation of his wife for committing adultery without evidence and the consequent practice of Li‘ān, besides other rulings of separation, to protect lineages, repel shame from the spouses, and ward off the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf (false accusation of adultery).
In this Hadīth, the great Tābi‘i Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr tells us that he was asked about the ruling of the two involved in Li‘ān - when a husband accuses his wife of adultery and denies the attribution of her child to himself and the woman negates this, they are required to practice Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) - should they be separated? He did not know what to say and was not aware of the ruling in this regard, and this was during the governance of Mus‘ab ibn az-Zubayr, who was the ruler of Iraq. Mus‘ab did not separate the spouses who practiced Li‘ān, as clarified in another version of Muslim.
Sa‘īd said: "So, I went to the house of Ibn ‘Umar in Makkah" showing that it was a different house than that in Madīnah. It seems that it was the house of Ibn ‘Umar where he stayed when going to Makkah for Hajj or ‘Umrah, and it seems also that Sa‘īd traveled from Kūfah to Makkah. On reaching the house of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), he asked the boy, Ibn ‘Umar's servant, to seek permission for him to enter. The servant informed him that Ibn ‘Umar was taking a nap, it was noontime and midday. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) heard the voice of Ibn Jubayr and recognized him and asked: Is this Ibn Jubayr who is asking for permission? Ibn Jubayr replied: Yes, I am Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr. So, he permitted him to enter and said: "By Allah, you have not come at this time except for a need." This signifies the understanding and modesty of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and how he did not make things difficult for whoever needed him during his rest, knowing that the one who would come to him during his rest had only come for a necessity; hence, he should not be upset with him; rather, he should receive him with a cheerful face. Ibn Jubayr entered upon Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and found him lying on a "saddlecloth," a cloth laid on an animal's back under the saddle, and he was resting his head on a pillow, which is a cushion, and it was filled with fiber, i.e., tree or palm cortex.
Then, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān," which is the nickname of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, and he asked him: Should the two involved in a case of Li‘ān be separated? Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "Glory be to Allah! Yes." Ibn ‘Umar glorified Allah to express his surprise that Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr was unaware of this famous ruling. Ibn ‘Umar then said: "The first one who asked about this," i.e., the first one who asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about what you asked me about "was so-and-so the son of so-and-so," who was ‘Uwaymir al-‘Ajlāni as mentioned in another version in Sahīh Muslim Collection: "The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) separated between the two members of Banu al-‘Ajlān." He asked: O Messenger of Allah, tell me about the ruling of one who found his wife committing adultery; what should he do in such a situation? If he spoke about what he had seen, "his statement would be a horrible matter" that people would find disgusting. It would be Qadhf (false accusation of adultery) that entails flogging as a legally prescribed punishment in case he brought no evidence. "And if he were to remain silent" and did not speak about what he had seen, his silence about the matter would also be horrible and an unbearable feeling of anger. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent and did not answer the man's question, waiting for the revelation and considering this a serious issue. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would hate questions about things that did not occur. This man who asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back after some time and said: O Messenger of Allah, "I have been afflicted by" the matter I had asked you about, i.e., I have been afflicted and tested in this regard, as I saw my wife committing adultery. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed verses of Surat an-Nūr: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves, then the evidence of one of them is to testify four times by Allah that he is telling the truth, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah curse him if he is telling a lie. But she will be spared the punishment if she testifies four times by Allah that he is telling a lie, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah’s wrath be upon her if he is telling the truth.} [Surat an-Nūr: 6-9] This means: That Men who accuse their wives without having witnesses besides their own selves to testify to the truthfulness of their accusation, each of them should testify four times by Allah: that he is telling the truth about accusing his wife of adultery, then, in the fifth testimony, he should add the supplication against himself of being worthy of curse if he was lying about his accusation, which makes her subject to the legal prescribed punishment of adultery. What spares her this punishment is to testify four times by Allah that he is lying about accusing her, then, in her fifth testimony, she should add the supplication against herself of being liable to Allah's wrath if he was telling the truth about what he accuses her of.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses to the man and admonished him in the hope that he might take back his accusation "and reminded him" to repent, telling him that the worldly punishment - which is the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf - is less severe and much easier than the punishment of the Hereafter. However, the man said: "No" I shall not take back what I said because it is true, and he swore, saying: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I did not lie about her by accusing her of adultery and immorality. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called the woman and admonished her to repent in case she had sinned. He reminded and informed her that the worldly punishment - which is the prescribed punishment of adultery, i.e., being stoned - is less severe and much easier than the punishment of the Hereafter. However, the woman swore that her husband was lying in his claim against her. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded both of them to swear the oath of condemnation. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started with the man since Allah Almighty started with him in the verse. The man swore four times by Allah that he was telling the truth about what he accused her of, and in the fifth testimony, he invoked the curse upon himself if he was a liar. Then, it was the woman's turn. So, she swore four times by Allah that her husband was lying about his claim against her by accusing her of adultery and immorality, and in the fifth, she supplicated against herself invoking Allah's wrath upon her if her husband was truthful in what he said. So, none of them admitted the truthfulness of the other. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) separated between them. One of the rulings of Li‘ān is that if each of the spouses insists on what he said, then, they should not be united after Li‘ān and their marriage is invalidated.
The Hadīth clarifies the ruling of Li‘ān and its manner.
It points out how the sinner should be admonished and reminded of repentance..

1495

‘Abdullah reported: It was Friday night, and we were in the mosque when a man from the Ansār (supporters) came and said: If a man found another man with his wife and he speaks about it, you will flog him; or if he kills, you will kill him; and if he remains silent, he will remain silent in anger. By Allah, I will surely ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about it. On the next day, he came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him saying: If a man found another man with his wife and he speaks about it, you will flog him; or if he kills, you will kill him; or if he remains silent, he will remain silent in anger. He said: O Allah, judge; and he kept supplicating, so the verse of Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) was revealed: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves} [Surat an-Nūr: 6], these verses. This man, of all people, was afflicted with this. So, he came with his wife to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and swore the oath of condemnation. The man testified four times by Allah that he was from the truthful, then, the fifth time he invoked a curse that Allah's curse be upon him if he was from the liars. She went to invoke a curse, but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: Stop. However, she refused and invoked a curse. After they had both left, he said: Perhaps she will give birth to a curly-haired black child, and she gave birth to a curly-haired black child..

Commentary : The Shariah has clarified the rulings of marriage between the man and the woman and has explained the rulings of the husband's accusation of his wife for committing adultery without evidence and the consequent practice of Li‘ān, besides other rulings of separation, to protect lineages, repel shame from the spouses, and ward off the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf (false accusation of adultery).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that they were in the Prophet's mosque on Friday night when a man from the Ansār - the people of Madīnah - came. It was Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah, and it is said: ‘Uwaymir al-‘Ajlāni. He said: "If a man found another man with his wife," i.e., he saw her committing adultery with him. If "he speaks" about it, "you will flog him" inflicting on him the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf for having no witnesses, and if "he kills" the adulterer, "you will kill him" by way of legal retribution. "And if he remains silent" and does nothing, "he will remain silent in anger," i.e., anger and hatred for her. It seems that the man's speech was before the revelation of the verses of Li‘ān and it also seems that it was a mere question posed by that man at that time, not a real incident that had already occurred. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to hate such questions as mentioned in the Hadīth of Sahl ibn Sa‘d in the two Sahīh Collections.
Then, this man swore to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about this matter. On the next day - the next morning - the man went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking about what was previously mentioned. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: "O Allah, judge," i.e., clarify to us the ruling in this regard, and he continued supplicating Allah Almighty to clarify this incident, so, the verses of Li‘ān were revealed. These are the verses in which Allah Almighty says: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves, then the evidence of one of them is to testify four times by Allah that he is telling the truth, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah curse him if he is telling a lie. But she will be spared the punishment if she testifies four times by Allah that he is telling a lie, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah’s wrath be upon her if he is telling the truth.} [Surat an-Nūr: 6-9] This means: Men who accuse their wives without having witnesses besides their own selves to testify to the truthfulness of their accusation, each of them should swear four times by Allah that he is telling the truth about accusing his wife of adultery. Then, in the fifth testimony, he should add the supplication against himself of being worthy of condemnation if he is lying about his accusation, which makes her subject to the legally prescribed punishment of adultery. What spares her of this punishment is to testify four times by Allah that he is lying about accusing her. Then, in her fifth testimony, she should add the supplication against herself of being liable for Allah's wrath if he is telling the truth about what he accuses her of.
Among all people, this man was afflicted by the occurrence of what he asked about to his wife. So, he accompanied his wife to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). They both swore the oath of condemnation, i.e., the man testified four times by Allah that he was telling the truth, and then, the fifth time, he invoked the curse of Allah upon himself if he was lying. This is because testimony in an adultery case is not complete except with four witnesses, but this case was witnessed by none except the husband; hence, he was assigned four testimonies so that each oath would replace a witness, as an oath could sometimes replace a witness like when someone is entitled to some right but has one witness only. In this case, the Shariah considers his oath in place of the witness. After completing the four testimonies that replace the four witnesses, nothing is left after the testimony of the four witnesses in adultery against the married person, as in this case, except stoning, which is death. There is nothing left after taking the oath of condemnation four times except the curse of Allah Almighty or His wrath, which also indicates death (ruin). The woman, then, went to swear the oath of condemnation, but the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Stop," a word meant here to deter her, i.e., refrain and take your time. However, she refused to stop or be dissuaded from completing Li‘ān. Hence, she took her part in Li‘ān. When the two parties swore the oath of condemnation and went away after finishing their testimonies, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perhaps she will give birth to" the baby in her womb, and he will be "a curly-haired black child," i.e., not straight-haired, which was the description of the one she was accused of committing adultery with. It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) most likely believed that she was lying, and the child she gave birth to was just as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had described.
The Hadīth clarifies that the ruling of Li‘ān, in principle, is to take place between the man and his wife if he accuses her of adultery and has no witness but himself.
It also points out that things must be judged according to what is apparent, whereas Allah Almighty is the One Who judges the intentions.
It explains how Li‘an must take place in the presence of the Imam or the judge and in the presence of an assembly of people.
It shows the condition that makes Li‘ān obligatory, which is the woman's denial of committing adultery because if she admits it, Li‘ān becomes impermissible and she becomes subject to the legally prescribed punishment.
It also signifies that it is Sunnah for the ruler to admonish the two persons involved in Li‘ān when intending to swear the oath of condemnation, which becomes confirmed after the fifth time..

1496

Muhammad ibn Sīrīn reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik, knowing that he had knowledge of that, and he said: Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah accused his wife of committing adultery with Sharīk ibn Sahmā’, the brother of Al-Barā’ ibn Mālik from his mother's side. He was the first man who practiced Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) in Islam. He swore oaths of Li‘ān against his wife, so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Watch her, if she gives birth to a white-complexioned child having straight hair and sore eyes, he is the son of Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah, but if she gives birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair, and thin shanks, then he is the son of Sharīk ibn Sahmā’." He (the narrator) said: I was informed that she gave birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair, and thin shanks..

1498

Abu Hurayrah reported: Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah al-Ansāri said: O Messenger of Allah, what if a man finds his wife with another man? Should he kill him? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: No. Sa‘d said: Yes, by the One Who honored you with the truth. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Listen to what your master is saying!.

1502

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about the slave whose ownership is shared between two men and one of them emancipates him, he said: He should guarantee..

Commentary : The Shariah has protected all rights including the partners' rights. It has forbidden any kind of offense practiced by one partner against the other. This Hadīth clarifies that when two people own a slave jointly and one of them emancipates his share of that slave, this entails emancipating the rest of the slave. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He should guarantee," it meant that the emancipator should guarantee his partner's share of the slave whom he emancipated, i.e., he is financially responsible for securing the complete freedom of that slave. In the Two Sahīh Collections: "But if he has no money, the slave will be required to work to pay for his freedom, but must not be overburdened." So, it made it clear that if the emancipator is poor and has no money to free the rest of the slave, he remains in slavery and is required to work for his freedom and to pay for the share of the partner who did not emancipate him. However, he should not be assigned tasks that are hard for him or beyond his ability..

Book of Hadith

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