It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell will enter Hell, then Allah (may He be exalted) will say: ‘Bring forth from the Fire whoever had in his heart a mustard seed’s weight of faith.’ They will be brought forth from it having turned black, and will be thrown into the river of al-Haya or al-Hayat (life) – Malik [one of the narrators] was not sure – then they will grow like seeds alongside the course of a stream that flows after it rains. Do you not see how they emerge yellow and curled up?” Wuhayb said: ‘Amr told us it was al-Hayat (life), and he said: “A mustard seed’s weight of good.”.

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified) has bestowed upon His slaves His blessings and mercy in this world and the hereafter. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains some of the blessings that Allah will bestow upon them in the hereafter. He tells us that after the believers among the people of Paradise have entered Paradise by the grace and mercy of Allah, and then because of their righteous deeds, and after the people of Hell have entered Hell – so that everyone who deserves to enter it, of people of faith and others, will enter it so that they might be requited for their bad deeds – then Allah will instruct His angels to bring forth from the Fire everyone who did a mustard seed’s worth of the actions of faith, if they had affirmed the oneness of Allah and believed in that which our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought. Mustard is a well-known plant the seeds of which are given as a likeness of a very small thing. Here it is used as a metaphor for the tiniest of good deeds.
They will be brought forth from the Fire having turned black; in other words they will have become like coal because of the effect of the fire. Then they will be thrown into the river of al-Haya or al-Hayat (life), which indicates that it will be a cause of life being restored to the bodies of those who are brought forth from Hell. Then they will grow like seeds that are sown alongside the course of a stream that flows after it rains, so they grow quickly but there is some weakness in them; in the beginning they emerge from the earth yellow in colour and beautiful to look at, with their leaves furled. Then they grow taller and the leaves unfurl after that, which increases the fragrant plant in beauty.
This hadith states that the level of faith in the heart may vary, and that the people of faith vary in the level of their faith.
It also indicates that the one who commits sin is exposing himself to punishment in the hereafter and may be admitted to Hell, unless Allah pardons him..

It was narrated that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people being presented to me, wearing chemises, some of which reached the chest, and some were other than that. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was presented to me, wearing a chemise that he was dragging.” They said: How did you interpret that, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Faith.”.

Commentary : ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had many virtues. He was the best of this ummah after Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and was inspired and guided to the truth. Some verses in the Qur’an were revealed to support his view. When he became caliph, in charge of the believers, he strove to be just and fair, and he explained to the people many things that were in their best interests; he would guide them to the straight path and make life easy for them.
This hadith highlights some of his virtues, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) about a dream that he had seen. He said: Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the people passing before me, wearing chemises and garments of different lengths. Some of the people were wearing chemises and garments that came halfway down their chests, and did not cover all of their bodies. Some of them were wearing something other than that, so their chemises were shorter or longer than that, or something in between. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab passed before me, wearing a long chemise that he was dragging behind him. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked how he interpreted that, he said: “Faith.” In other words, I interpreted it as referring to faith. What is meant by faith here is adhering to it, such as being keen to comply with the commands and heeding the prohibitions, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was foremost in that regard. Hence he saw him wearing a long and covering garment that he was dragging behind him. The fact that he was dragging his garment indicates that his beautiful legacy would remain after he was gone, so that the Muslims might follow his example. It was also said that the chemise in the dream was interpreted as referring to faith because faith, Islam and righteousness are described as garments. Allah (may He be exalted) says: {But the clothing of righteousness - that is best} [al-A‘raf 7:26]. Just as a chemise covers a person’s ‘awrah and prevents the gaze of others falling on it, in like manner faith protects a person from Hell and from falling into shameful worldly deeds and anything that could cause him harm, because faith envelops on all sides and protects him from permitting infractions, just as a garment protects and envelops a person. So whoever does a great deal of acts of obedience and worship will be more covered and protected, whereas one who has fewer righteous deeds to his credit will have less coverage and protection.
This hadith highlights the great virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also indicates that deeds are part of faith, and that people of faith vary with regard to their deeds. .

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed by a man of the Ansar who was admonishing his brother for being too decent and shy, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Let him be, for decency and shyness (haya’) are part of faith.”.

Commentary : Haya’ (decency, shyness) is all good and is part of faith; it is one of the praiseworthy characteristics that both men and women should seek to acquire, because it prevents a person from falling into sins.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed by a man when he was admonishing his brother for being too decent and shy. What is meant is that he was advising him not to be too shy, because the man was very shy and that prevented him from asking people for his dues. Hence his brother rebuked him for that. But the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to let him continue with this good characteristic, and told him that haya’ (decency and shyness) was part of faith and one of its branches, because it prevents a person from doing what Allah has forbidden. Haya’ is of two types: the first of which is an innate characteristic and is not something that is acquired or developed later on, and this is one of the noblest characteristics that Allah may bestow on a person or create in him, for it makes him refrain from committing abhorrent deeds or engaging in base conduct, and encourages him to acquire noble and sublime characteristics. The second type is that which one may acquire after learning about Allah and about His greatness and how close He is to His slaves, and after learning that He is always watching and that He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the hearts conceal. This is one of the most sublime characteristics of faith; in fact it is one of the highest levels of ihsan..

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and establish prayer and give zakah. If they do that, they will have protected their lives and wealth from me except in cases dictated by Islamic law, and their reckoning will be with Allah.”.

Commentary : Islam is the true religion which Allah (may He be glorified) has ordained for all people, and He will never accept any other religion from anyone. Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers} [Al ‘Imraan 3:85].
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to fight the polytheists who were waging war and preventing the message of Islam from reaching people; Allah had given permission to fight them until they testified to the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and to the message of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); established the obligatory prayers – Fajr, Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Isha’ – by continuing to perform them, fulfilling all the necessary conditions; and gave the obligatory zakah, which is a financial act of worship that is due on all types of wealth that meet the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. This is to be taken from their rich and given to the poor. Prayer and zakah are singled out for mention because they are the foremost physical and financial acts of worship, and other acts of worship stem from them.
If they do these things, then their lives and wealth will be protected, according to Islamic teachings, except – as he said – in cases dictated by Islamic law. This refers to an exception from protection. In other words, Islam protects their lives and wealth, so it is not permissible to kill them, unless they commit a crime or offence which incurs the penalty of execution, according to Islamic rulings. So a murderer may be executed as a retaliatory punishment (qisas), and an apostate and a married or previously-married adulterer may be executed as a hadd punishment. Then on the Day of Resurrection, Allah (may He be exalted) will bring them to account, and He will reward the sincere and punish the hypocrite. As for us, we can only judge matters on the basis of how things appear to be.
This hadith does not mean that the polytheists should be forced to enter Islam. Rather they have the choice between entering Islam or paying the jizyah. If, however, they insist on opposing the message of Islam, then there is no option but to fight them; we are to fight those who fight us in order to prevent us from spreading the message of Allah (may He be exalted), as is explained in the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked: Which deed is best? He said: “Believing in Allah and His Messenger.” It was said: Then which? He said: “Jihad in Allah’s cause.” It was said: Then which? He said: “An accepted Hajj.”.

Commentary : Because of their keenness to do acts of worship and that which would help them to attain the pleasure of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), the Sahabah often asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the best of deeds, and those which would bring them closest to Allah (may He be exalted). The responses of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and varied according to their character and circumstances, and what would be most beneficial for each of them.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked which deed is best, he said: “Belief in Allah and His Messenger.” Believing in Allah (may He be exalted) means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others. Believing in His Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) means believing and affirming that he spoke the truth in what he conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted); that it is obligatory to follow him, venerate him and respect him; that he is the final Prophet and everyone who hears of him must believe in him and follow his way, and whoever does not believe in him and follow his way is not a believer in any of the Prophets and Messengers. The reason why faith is the best of all deeds and brings the greatest reward with Allah is that it is a condition of all Islamically-prescribed acts of worship – such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on – being valid.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about the best of deeds after faith, and he replied: The best of them is jihad in Allah’s cause, which means fighting the enemies of Allah among the polytheists and disbelievers who wage war and oppose the call of Islam. Allah has given us permission to fight them so as to make the word of Allah supreme and to defend His religion and spread it far and wide, and not for any other purpose. Rather the only reason why jihad is the best of deeds after believing in Allah and His Messenger is that it involves offering one’s life for the sake of Allah, and it may also require offering one’s wealth as well.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about the next best deed after jihad, and he said: “An accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur).” This is the Hajj in which all essential parts are done properly and sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted). This is what is acceptable to Allah (may He be glorified), because it is free of showing off and seeking an enhanced reputation, and is not done using unlawful wealth. The apparent meaning of the hadith suggests that Jihad is better than Hajj, but this is to be understood as referring to a supererogatory (nafil) Hajj. As for the obligatory Hajj, it is better than jihad. This applies in cases where jihad is a communal obligation (fard kifayah); if jihad has become an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn), then it definitely takes precedence over the obligatory Hajj, because it must be done immediately..

It was narrated from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave something to a number of people when Sa‘d was sitting there, but he left out a man who I [Sa‘d] liked the most out of them. So I said: O Messenger of Allah, why did you not give to So-and-so? For by Allah, I think that he is a believer. He said: “Or a Muslim.” I kept quiet for a little while, then what I knew of him prompted me to speak again, and I repeated what I had said: I said: Why did you leave out So-and-so? For by Allah, I think that he is a believer. He said: “Or a Muslim.” Then what I knew of him prompted me to speak again, and I repeated what I had said, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) repeated what he had said. Then he said: “O Sa‘d, I may give to one man when someone else is dearer to me than him, for fear that Allah may throw him into the Fire.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to deal with people on the basis of prophetic wisdom, so he knew what was appropriate for each individual around him, and he would deal with him in a manner that could help to rectify his condition and make him steadfast in faith.
In this hadith, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some wealth to a group of those whose hearts were to be softened (towards faith), for many people enter Islam in the hope of gaining wealth or status, then later on faith takes root in their hearts, and they become among the best of the Muslims. The word translated here as “a number of people” refers to a group of between three and ten. This incident happened in the presence of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Prophet left out one man, giving him nothing; that man was the one whom Sa‘d admired the most, and he was the best and most righteous of them, or so Sa‘d thought. So Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the reason why he had left out that man, even though he thought he was a believer on the basis of outward signs which seemed to indicate that he had strong faith. The Prophet (listings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying “Or a Muslim”; what he meant was: do not hasten to deem someone a believer. This was a rebuke to Sa‘d for testifying that someone was a believer, because belief or faith is hidden in the heart, and no one can see it, so testifying to that effect is a testimony that is based on conjecture. So no one should affirm such a thing. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Sa‘d to testify to the man being a Muslim, because that is something that can be seen. But Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) did not understand why the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying “Or a Muslim”. If he had understood that, it could have prevented him from saying that again, so he repeated his words, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) repeated the response that he had given the first time.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained to Sa‘d the reason why he had given to some and had withheld from others, so he said: I may give to a man to soften his heart by means of that gift, for fear that he may become a disbeliever if he is not given anything; I am afraid that if I do not give him anything, he may develop an idea because of which he may become a disbeliever, and then Allah will throw him into the Fire. As for the one whose faith is strong, he is dearer to me, so I entrust him to his faith and I do not fear that he will recant his religion or develop bad ideas if I do not give him anything.
This hadith indicates that part of the teachings of Islam is not to definitively affirm that anyone has faith in his heart, or to swear to that on the basis of what appears to us of his being Muslim and adhering to the teachings of Islam, even though we should treat a person as a Muslim and classify him as such on the basis of what appears outwardly to be the case.
It also indicates that when these two terms, faith (iman) and Islam appear together, then each of them has a different meaning; in that case, Islam refers to outward actions, and faith refers to inward deeds of the heart. .

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I was shown the Fire, and I saw that most of its inhabitants were women, for they are ungrateful.” It was said: Are they ungrateful to Allah? He said: “They are ungrateful to their husbands; they are ungrateful for kind treatment. If you show kindness to one of them for a lifetime, then she sees one thing from you, she says: I have never seen any good from you.”.

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified) created Paradise for His patient and obedient slaves, and He created the Fire for those who refuse, turn away from Him and are ungrateful for His blessings. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the characteristics of many of those who will enter it.
In this hadith, he described one of the characteristics of the people of Hell which is common among women in particular. One day, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) exhorted the women and said to them: I was shown the Fire; Allah (may He be exalted) caused me to look at it by His might, so I saw it with my own eyes. When I looked at it and saw who was in it, I saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women. One of the women said: Why is that, O Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He replied: They will be the majority of the inhabitants of the Fire because they are ungrateful. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not say what they were ungrateful for, so that the women would become curious and want to find out what type of ingratitude he was attributing to them, and also to make their fear greater. Hardly had the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoken these words but one of the women asked: Are they ungrateful to Allah? He said: Rather they are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for kind treatment. In other words, they deny the blessing of the husband and his kind treatment towards them. If the husband treats one of them kindly for an entire lifetime, then she sees one thing from him that she dislikes, she says: I have never seen anything from you that has benefitted me or made me feel happy in my entire life!
Denying blessings is forbidden because if a woman denies the blessing of her husband, she has denied the blessing of Allah, for this blessing that reached her from her husband is in fact a blessing that came from Allah.
Ingratitude towards the husband is mentioned in particular among other types of sins for a subtle and amazing reason, which is the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “If I were to instruct anyone to prostrate to anyone else, I would have instructed women to prostrate to their husbands.” This was narrated by Ahmad and others. The husband’s right over his wife is mentioned alongside the right of Allah because if a woman denies her husband’s rights when his rights over her are so great, this indicates that she is neglecting the rights of Allah. Hence it is described as kufr (which may mean ingratitude or disbelief), but it is not the kufr which may put one beyond the bounds of Islam.
This hadith indicates that kufr is of two types, and that the word kufr may refer to something other than disbelief in Allah (may He be exalted), such as when it refers to ingratitude for blessings, which is a denial of those blessings..

It was narrated that al-Ma‘rur ibn Suwayd said: I met Abu Dharr in ar-Rabadhah. He was wearing a hullah (suit) and his slave was also wearing a hullah. I asked him about that, and he said: I insulted a man and shamed him because of his mother’s origins, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Abu Dharr, did you shame him because of his mother’s origins? Indeed you are a man in whom there is some ignorance (jahiliyyah). Your servants are your brothers whom Allah has put under your control, so whoever has been given control over his brother, let him feed him the same food as he eats, and clothe him in the same garments as he wears. Do not burden them with work that may be overwhelming for them, and if you do assign such work to them, then help them.”.

Commentary : Islam is a religion of sublime manners and etiquette with all people, even servants. It is a religion that does not differentiate between people on the basis of lineage, status, race or colour. Rather differentiation is based on piety and righteous deeds. In this hadith, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) had insulted a man and shamed him because of his mother’s origins by saying “O son of a foreign woman” or “O son of a black woman” and the like. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to know of that, he rebuked Abu Dharr for it, saying: “Did you shame him because of his mother’s origins?” In other words, did you insult him and accuse him of being a shameful person because of his mother? “Indeed you are a man in whom there is some ignorance (jahiliyyah).” Insulting people, impugning them and shaming them are characteristics of ignorance, so this is a deterrent from doing such things, and it highlights how abhorrent such actions are.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him, teaching him, disciplining him and informing him about the rights of servants: “Your servants are your brothers whom Allah has put under your control.” In other words, your servants and slaves who take care of your affairs, and are Muslims, are your brothers in faith whom Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has put under your control, “so whoever has been given control over his brother, let him feed him the same food as he eats, and clothe him in the same garments as he wears. Do not burden them with work that may be overwhelming for them, and if you do assign such work to them, then help them.” So do not ask them to do more work than they are able to do, and if you instruct them to do any such work, then you must help them. When Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) heard these words from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he gave his servant a garment like his own, as al-Ma‘rur ibn Suwayd saw him in ar-Rabadhah – which is a place near Madinah - wearing a hullah, which is a suit composed of two garments, a lower garment (izar or waist wrapper) and an upper garment (rida’ or cloak), and he saw his servant also wearing a hullah. That was in obedience to what Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) had heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the abhorrent nature of the characteristics and attitudes of the jahiliyyah, and tells us that they are to be shunned, in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
It also encourages us to show kindness to slaves and servants and others in similar positions, such as hired workers and the like, and to treat them gently.
It also teaches us not to look down on a fellow Muslim and despise them.
It also highlights the clear virtue of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and his good response to the command of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

It was narrated that al-Ahnaf ibn Qays said: I went to support this man [in fighting] and I met Abu Bakrah [on the way]. He said: Where are you going? I said: To help this man. He said: Go back, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “If two Muslims meet [and fight] with their swords, then the killer and the slain will both be in the Fire.” I said: O Messenger of Allah, the case of the killer is clear, but what about the one who was slain? He said: “He was keen to kill his opposite number.”.

Commentary : Shedding blood unlawfully is one of the greatest sins with which a person could meet Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has warned the one who kills a Muslim unlawfully of a lasting punishment. That is why a group of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed away from the turmoil (fitnah) that occurred after the murder of ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) for fear of playing any part in the shedding of blood unlawfully, which Allah (may He be exalted) would question them about on the Day of Resurrection. One of those who stayed away from fighting was Abu Bakrah Nufay‘ ibn al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him). According to this hadith, when Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw al-Ahnaf ibn Qays going to join the fighting, he said to him: Where are you going? He said To support this man, referring to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of the Camel, which took place in 36 AH. This was a battle which led to a great deal of turmoil; it took place in Basra between ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and his supporters on the one hand, and al-Zubayr, Talhah and ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) and their supporters on the other hand. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had gone there to try to bring about reconciliation, not to fight, then matters got out of hand and there happened what happened. Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) told al-Ahnaf to go back, then he told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: If two Muslims meet and fight with their swords for worldly gain, or without any legitimate justification according to Islamic teachings, then the killer and the slain both deserve to enter Hell.
Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, seeking to understand: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the case of the killer [is clear], but what about the one who was slain?’ In other words: why would he enter the Fire even though he is the one who was killed? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered him by saying: “He was keen to kill his opposite number.” He wanted to kill his opposite number, and if he had had the opportunity to kill him, he would have done so. This does not include a Muslim who fights off another Muslim who is attacking him, for he should fight to protect his wealth or honour, even if he kills or is killed.
The fact that both of them will be in the Fire does not mean that they will abide therein forever. Rather this is a punishment for this sin, then it is up to Allah (may He be exalted): if He wills, He will punish them then bring them out of the Fire like others who affirm His oneness (but commit sins), and if He wills He will pardon them and not punish them at all. Remaining in Hell forever is only for one who regards it as permissible to kill a fellow Muslim.
This hadith indicates that for a Muslim to fight his fellow Muslim for no legitimate reason is a major sin, and that the one who commits a major sin does not become a disbeliever thereby, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) described both fighting parties as Muslims. .

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: When the verse {They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice (zulm)} [al-An‘am 6:82] was revealed, the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Which of us does not commit injustice? Then Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) revealed the words, {Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice} [Luqmaan 31:13]..

Commentary : Associating others with Allah is the gravest of major sins and the worst act of zulm (injustice, wrongdoing). It is an injustice that the one who associates others with Allah does to himself, because Allah has made clear to all people the path of guidance and the way to learn about Allah and His Oneness.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the verse {They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice (zulm)} [al-An‘am 6:82] was revealed, the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were distressed by that, because they thought that what was meant by zulm was sin in general, as one might initially understand, especially because the Arabic word appears in the indefinite form, which would suggest a general meaning referring to any act of wrongdoing. They were worried about that because the apparent meaning of the word zulm is to transgress against people and not give them their dues, and to transgress against oneself by committing sins. Hence they thought that what was meant here was the apparent meaning that first springs to mind, which is doing that which is not appropriate and is contrary to Islamic teachings. So they were concerned, because no one is safe from falling into such sins. Then Allah revealed the words: {Indeed, association [with Him] is great injustice (zulm)} [Luqman 31:13]. Thus it became clear that what is meant is the worst type of zulm, which is shirk (associating others with Allah). Shirk is tantamount to zulm because Allah (may He be glorified) is the Bestower of all blessings, so if His slave associates anything else with Him, he has committed a grave wrong (zulm)..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.”.

Commentary : Hypocrisy is of two types: hypocrisy of belief, which takes a person beyond the bounds of faith, and means pretending outwardly to be Muslim whilst concealing disbelief in one’s heart; and hypocrisy in deed, which means imitating the hypocrites in their manners and attitudes. The latter does not take a person beyond the bounds of faith, but it is a major sin.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) discussed hypocrisy in deed, and described its distinguishing features. He said that among the signs of hypocrisy in deed, which indicate that this person resembles the hypocrites in their actions and attitudes, you will find these three signs, or some of them. The first sign is that when he speaks he lies, to the extent that this person becomes known for telling lies when he speaks. The second sign is that when he makes a promise he breaks it, meaning that he becomes well-known for breaking his promises, so that if he promises to do something, he deliberately breaks that promise. The third sign is that when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust, meaning that he becomes well-known among people for treachery. The things that are mentioned here all stem from one source, namely hypocrisy, which is contrary to honesty and sincerity, the opposite of fulfilling promises, and is contrary to trustworthiness. What is meant in this hadith is that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who possesses these characteristics is like the hypocrites in this regard and has an attitude like theirs. It does not mean that he is a hypocrite in the sense that he pretends to be a Muslim whilst in his heart he is a disbeliever. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not mean that he is a hypocrite like the disbelievers who will abide forever in the lowest levels of Hell.
This hadith points out the blameworthy characteristics of hypocrisy in order to alert people and warn them against falling into that..

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are four characteristics, whoever has them is a pure hypocrite, and whoever has one of them has one of the characteristics of hypocrisy until he gives it up: when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust, when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he argues he resorts to foul speech and irrational talk.”.

Commentary : Hypocrisy means showing outwardly something other than what he feels or believes in his heart. It is divided into hypocrisy in belief and hypocrisy in deed. As for hypocrisy in belief, it means that a person conceals disbelief whilst making an outward show of being a Muslim. This is the hypocrisy for which a person will abide forever in the lowest level of Hell, and he is not counted among those who affirm the oneness of Allah. As for hypocrisy in deed, such a person does affirm the oneness of Allah, and he will not abide forever in Hell.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) discussed hypocrisy in deed, and described its distinguishing characteristics. He said that there are four characteristics, and whoever has them is a pure hypocrite, in the sense that he closely resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics. Whoever has one or some of them is a hypocrite to some degree, until he gives up these characteristics. The first characteristic is that he is well known among the people to be treacherous. The second characteristic is that he is well known for lying when he speaks. The third characteristic is that if he makes a promise he breaks it and does not fulfil the promise that he made. The fourth characteristic is resorting to foul speech and irrational talk when arguing. What is meant by that is that he deliberately rejects the truth, to the extent that what is true becomes false for him, and what is false becomes true. What the hadith means is that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has them is like the hypocrites in this regard, and has the same attitude as they do, not that he is a hypocrite who pretends to be a Muslim whilst inwardly disbelieving. When he mentioned hypocrisy in this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not referring to the hypocrisy for which a person will be in the lowest depth of hell, which is the worst type of disbelief. Rather he meant that these characteristics are akin to the concept of hypocrisy, because hypocrisy means displaying outwardly something other than what is in one’s heart. This concept is applicable in the case of lying, breaking promises and betraying trusts. What is meant by the words “he is a pure hypocrite” is pure in the sense of having these characteristics that are mentioned in the hadith only, not other characteristics..

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : Allah’s grace towards this ummah is immense. By His grace, He has honoured it with seasons of goodness and blessings that bring breezes of divine mercy, to which we are instructed to expose ourselves and make the most of them. One of the greatest of those seasons is Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlights the virtue of this blessed night, and tells us that for the one who happens to catch Laylat al-Qadr and spend the night in prayer, reading Qur’an and doing other acts of worship, Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues. Attaining this virtue depends upon the Muslim doing that out of faith and in the hope of reward, meaning that he believes in the virtue of this night and in the virtue of striving on this night, seeking the pleasure of Allah by worshipping Him and hoping for great reward for staying up on that night. The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
In this hadith, we are encouraged to spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer.
We are also urged to be sincere and seek reward for good deeds with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has guaranteed the one who goes out in His cause, ‘and nothing causes him to go out except faith in Me and belief in My Messengers, that I will cause him to come back with what he attained of reward or booty, or I will admit him to Paradise.’ Were it not that I would make things more difficult for my ummah, I would never have stayed behind from any expedition. I wish that I could be killed in Allah’s cause, then brought back to life, then killed again, then brought back to life again, then killed.”.

Commentary : Jihad in Allah’s cause and martyrdom in His cause are actions of high status and great virtue, because of the immense status and reward that they bring, which make them superior to many other acts of worship.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “Allah has guaranteed”, meaning that He has responded and promised to bestow this blessing upon the one who goes out in His cause with a sincere intention to Allah in his jihad. That is provided that what made him go out was nothing but faith in Allah and belief in His Messengers. If that is the case, then Allah has promised that He will cause him to return to his homeland after the jihad – if he is not martyred – with what he has attained of blessings, which is what he will be granted of reward only, if there is no booty, or reward and booty if they captured booty, or He will admit him to Paradise when those who are close to Him are admitted without being brought to account and without any rebuke for their sins, because their sins have been expiated by martyrdom. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that were it not for the fear of causing hardship for his ummah, he would not have stayed behind from any expedition; rather he would have gone out himself, because of the greatness of the reward for it. Then he stated that he would like to be killed in Allah’s cause, then brought back to life, then killed again in Allah’s cause, then brought back to life again, then killed in Allah’s cause, and brought back to life again, because of the high status and great reward for martyrdom.
This hadith indicates that one may wish for martyrdom, and that it brings an immense reward.
It shows us how compassionate the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was towards his ummah and how kind he was to them, and that if there is a conflict between two interests, one should choose the one that is more important.
It also indicates that it is permissible for a person to say, “I wish that such and such a good thing could happen,” even though he knows that it could never happen.
And it indicates that booty does not detract from the reward of the mujahid..

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

Commentary : The month of Ramadan is one of the seasons of goodness and blessings that bring breezes of divine mercy, to which we are instructed to expose ourselves and make the most of them. One of the virtues of this blessed month is what is mentioned in this hadith, namely the reward that results from praying at night during this month. What is referred to here is the Tarawih prayer, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever prays at night during Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” In other words, whoever does that, believing in Allah Who enjoined him to do that, knowing the virtue of this prayer at night, seeking great reward, and only seeking Allah (may He be exalted), not intending to be seen by people or any other motive that could be contrary to sincerity, the reward for that will be forgiveness of his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to pray at night during the month of Ramadan, and it highlights the greatness of the reward for doing that..

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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