2069

Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered to the Prophet ﷺ barley bread with some rancid fat on it. The Prophet ﷺ had had pawned his armor with a Jew in Al-Madeenah for some barley for his family. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him saying, "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal,” although he ﷺ has nine wives to look after..

Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ led one of the most ascetic lives, and he ﷺ was content with his little share of Rizq (i.e., provision), and generously spent all the spoils of war conferred upon him by Allah, Exalted is He, on the poor and needy and in the Cause of Allah.
In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet ﷺ was once invited over by a Jew - as recorded in Musnad Ahmad – for a meal of barley bread with some rancid fat on it. He ﷺ accepted his invitation and graciously ate that food.
He ﷺ once bought some barley from a Jew for a deferred price, and pawned him his armor that he ﷺ used as protection in war in return for that, because there was no food left in his house. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet ﷺ say: "The household of Muhammad did not possess even a single Saa‘ of wheat or food grains for the evening meal." It means, ‘There had no wheat or barley left in their houses.’ It is noteworthy that he ﷺ did not say those words out of resentment, nor was he complaining, Allah forbid. Rather, he ﷺ said so as a justification for accepting the invitation over such humble food, and for pawning his armor with the Jew.
Then Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He ﷺ had nine wives (to look after),” meaning: while he ﷺ had nine wives, who were in dire need of food, and this clarifies the reason for his purchase of barley on credit and pawning his armor.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to sell and buy food or other commodities on credit.
It is also inferred therefrom that a noble and knowledgeable man should buy his own needs, even if he has someone else to shoulder this task, because all the believers were keen on fulfilling the Prophet’s needs, seeking to win his pleasure and earn rewards for their Hereafter (yet he ﷺ undertook such tasks himself).
It is also deduced from it the permissibility of accepting an invitation for small (and humble) food.
The permissibility of engaging in sales transactions and pawning items of wealth with the People of the Book (i.e., the Christians and Jews) is also deduced from the hadeeth..

2070

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When Aboo Bakr Al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen as the Caliph, he said, "My people know that my earnings from trade were adequate to provide for my family, and as I will be busy serving the Muslim nation; my family will eat from the Public Treasury, and I will practice the profession of serving Muslims (and governing their affairs).".

Commentary :
Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first rightly guided Caliph, the Minister of the Prophet ﷺ, and his Companion during the migration to Al-Madeenah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first free man to embrace Islam and was endowed with the biggest share of faith and ascetism among all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the most beloved people to the Prophet ﷺ and was nicknamed ‘Al-Siddeeq’ because he strongly believed in the Prophet ﷺ.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was chosen as the Caliph after the Prophet’s ﷺdeath, in 11 A.H., he (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Muslims knew that his earnings from trade before he became the Caliph, were adequate to provide for his family from his personal wealth.But after becoming Caliph and being preoccupied with serving Muslims and governing their affairs, he had no time to practice trade as a profession to provide for himself and his dependents (i.e., those for whom he was obliged to provide for as per the laws of Islam). He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed people that he would take an allowance from the Public Treasury to provide for his family and dependents, because he would be busy governing people’s affairs and he still needed to provide for himself and his family. He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed them that he would put his expertise (as a skilled trader) and profession to use in the service of Muslims, in return for which he would be given that allowance. He (may Allah be pleased with him) willingly committed himself to putting his expertise as a skillful trader to use in the service of Muslims by trading with the public funds to compensate Muslims for the allowance that was allocated for him, or more, to be paid from the generated profits. He (may Allah be pleased with him) voluntarily committed himself to do so and it was not one of his duties as the Caliph.
Ibn Sa‘d narrated in Al-Tabaqaat on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: “When Aboo Bakr fell terminally ill, he said on his deathbed, ‘Take stock of my personal fortune that I have acquired since becoming the Caliph, and hand it over to the new Caliph.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “When he (may Allah be pleased with him) died, we did as he commanded and took stock of a servant who used to carry his boys and a camel used to water his garden. We handed these assets over to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in pursuance of Aboo Bakr’s will. On seeing that, ‘Umar, the new Caliph wept and said, ‘O Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), you have made the task of your successor most difficult.’"
The hadeeth highlights the virtues and merits of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), indicating his asceticism and matchless mindfulness of Allah.
It also underlines the virtue of working and earning a living to meet one’s needs and those of his dependents.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to defend oneself against doubts and fend off (potential) accusations, even if they are false.
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2076

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

Commentary :
The wise Laws of Islam is keen to foster good relations between Muslims in their interactions and transactions, reflecting the enjoined solidarity, interdependence, love, and cooperation.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, to confer His mercy on those who display leniency, which denotes facilitation, (making) concession, overlooking, kindness, and lack of rigidity, in three contexts or situations. First, a seller should be lenient and should not be adamant at his price, but should rather be willing to give up some of his rights. Second, a buyer should be lenient and not undervalue the commodity and insist on buying it for a low price. Third, a creditor should be lenient when claiming his money. He should not make it difficult for poor debtors, but should rather gently and leniently claim his money and give respite to insolvent debtors (until they become able to repay).
The hadeeth urges Muslims to opt for forgiveness, good treatment, embodying noble morals, and avoiding dissention in financial transactions.
It also promotes relieving people of hardship when claiming one’s money and pardoning them (i.e., remitting their debts by way of charity).
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2079

Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Both parties in a business transaction have a right to rescind it so long as they have not separated; and if they tell the truth and make everything clear to each other (i.e., a seller speaks the truth with regard to the defects of the purchased commodity, if any, and a buyer speaks the truth with regard to the money) they will be blessed in their transaction, but if they conceal anything and lie, the blessing on their transaction will be eliminated. ".

Commentary :
Since people tend to engage in sales transactions without deliberate thinking, and a seller or buyer may regret missing out on some of his goals, the wise Shareer‘ah granted both parties a period in which they could rescind the contract (and undo their transaction).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ made mention of such a period when he said: “Both parties in a business transaction have a right to rescind it so long as they have not separated.” This means that both the buyer and the seller are given an inalienable right to repudiate the transaction or contract as long as they have not separated, meaning to physically leave the meeting place where they concluded the contract. The Prophet ﷺ underlined that if both parties tell the truth and make everything clear to each other, regarding the price, the description of the purchased commodity, and the like, and clarify any defect, they will be blessed in their transaction. This means that they would obtain greater benefits from such transactions and prices, and both parties would get to recieve the blessing of Allah; a seller would obtain such blessing in the price and the buyer in the purchased commodity. However, if they conceal anything and lie, their transaction will be void of blessings. An example of such concealment is when a seller conceals the defects of the commodity, and the buyer conceals the defect of the price and they lie to one another, regarding the description of the commodity on the part of the seller, and the payment of the price on the part of the buyer.Or the buyer claims to agree on buying the commodity for less than the agreed-upon price and deceives the seller until the time of concluding the sale should come. A buyer may also lie to the seller regarding the reason of the purchase to lower its price, contrary to the truth. Thus, both parties would conceal something from the other and each would be cheating the other from what he owed in the exchange. A common example of the buyer’s lies is when he tries to lower the price of a piece of land by claiming to buy it to build a mosque on it, and after concluding the sale, he would build himself a house instead, and had originally lied merely to lower the price. The Prophet ﷺ underlined that the blessing of such business transactions would be eliminated, meaning it would be devoid of increase and growth due to their mutual lying and deceit.
The hadeeth evidences the Khiyaar Al-Majlis (i.e., an option whereby the parties have right to unilaterally withdraw from a contract as long as the parties do not leave the session of contract) for both the buyer and seller, to repudiate or retain the concluded sale.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that the designated period for availing of this option (Khiyaar Al-Majlis) is after concluding the sale and until the two parties leave the contracting session.
It is also inferred therefrom that a sale becomes binding once the two contracting parties physically leave the contracting session.
The hadeeth also highlights the obligation of adhering to honesty and truthfulness in sales transactions.
It is also deduced therefrom that (blessed) worldly gains can only be attained by good-doing, and that the ominousness of sins and acts of disobedience causes one to miss out on what is good in this worldly life and the Hereafter.
The hadeeth also underlines the virtue of truthfulness, and urges Muslims to adhere to it, and highlights that it is a reason for having one’s earnings blessed.
The hadeeth dispraises lying, urges Muslims to abandon it, and underlines that it is a reason for having one’s earnings deprived of blessing.
It also highlights that the performance of good deeds to attain reward in the Hereafter ensures attainment of what is good in this worldly life and the Hereafter as well.
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2080

Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We used to be given mixed dates (from the spoils of war) and used to sell (barter) two Saa‘s of those mixed dates for one Saa‘ (of good-quality dates). The Prophet ﷺ said (to us), "No (bartering of) two Saa‘s for one Saa‘ nor two Dirhams for one Dirham is permissible", (as it involves Ribaa). .

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, has permitted selling, but deemed Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) forbidden. In fact, the consumption of Ribaa is one of the major sins and destructive evil deeds and it was deemed forbidden in all the previous divine laws, given the evils and social and economic damages it incurs.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree(may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they were given mixed dates (from the spoils of war), which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to distribute to Muslims. Such dates were a mixture of various types of date fruits (of different qualities). They used to sell every two Saa‘s (the Saa‘ was a dry measure used for agricultural produce by the Arabs during the Prophet's ﷺlifetime) of such mixed dates, which were of poor quality, for one Saa‘ of good-quality dates. The Saa’ equaled four Mudds, and the Mudd equaled the measure of two open medium-sized handfuls. The Mudd approximately equals (509) grams in the lowest estimate, and (1072) grams in the highest estimate. The Saa’, on the other hand, is equivalent to between 2036 and 4288 grams.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade them from such a sale, and told them that it was not permissible to sell two Saa‘s of mixed dates for one Saa‘ of good-quality dates, despite the difference in quality, because the exchanged commodities in this barter would be the same; they were both dates. He ﷺ also forbade them from selling two Dirhams of old or poor-quality silver for one Dirham of good-quality silver because they are of the same kind (silver). This transaction was known as Ribaa Al-Fadhl, which involved an exchange or sale transaction in trade which effectively results in charging ‘interest’ through the exchange of the same commodity, but of a different quality or quantity, and this is prohibited as per the laws of Islam.
He ﷺ instructed them instead to sell any given type of date for a monetary value and then buy with that money whatever they wished. Thus, they would avoid taking excess in exchange of a given commodity in the event of a barter of two similar commodities, and the Ribaa involved in such a transaction.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that ignorance of a prohibition warrants pardon until one obtains knowledge of it.
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2081

Aboo Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A man from the Ansaar named Aboo Shu‘ayb, came and told his butcher-servant, "Prepare a meal sufficient for five persons, for I want to invite the Prophet ﷺ along with four other persons as I saw signs of hunger on his face." Aboo Shu‘ayb invited them and another person came along with them. The Prophet ﷺ said (to Aboo Shu‘ayb), “This man followed us, so if you allow him, he will join us, and if you want him to return, he will go back.” Aboo Shu‘ayb said, "No, I have allowed him (i.e. he, too, is welcomed to join you for the meal)..

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) loved the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dearly, and their love for him made themkeenly keep his company, and hastento please him and fulfill his needs.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Mas‘ood ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when Aboo Shu‘ayb Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him) saw the signs of hunger on the Prophet’s face, he said to his servant (or a hired butcher as narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim), “Prepare some food that is sufficient for five persons; one of them is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared a meal for five people because he knew that some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would most likely come along with the Prophet ﷺ. It is also possible that he saw the Prophet ﷺ sitting with four people at that time and he (may Allah be pleased with him) invited them over for the meal, but a sixth man came along uninvited. The Prophet ﷺ asked the host, Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him), for his permission to clarify this sixth guest’s situation and spare him and the host any inconvenience, because he came uninvited. Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him) gave his consent and welcomed the uninvited guest.
The Prophet ﷺ did not give permission to that guest except after obtaining the host’s consent first, contrary to the situation when he ﷺ invited many people over to join him for the meal prepared by Aboo Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him), without seeking Aboo Talhah’s permission, as recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. This is because Aboo Shau‘ayb limited his invitation to five people as he said to his servant, ‘prepare a meal that is sufficient for five people.’ This serves as a thoughtfulgesture on the part of the Prophet ﷺ, teaching us that when a host invites over a specified number of guests, they should abide by that number, and must not bring others along without hispermission.
The hadeeth teaches us that an aspect of showing hospitality to a guest is to invite those in his company as well.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that whoever wishes to invite a group of people over for a meal should prepare for them enough food, and should not serve them a small amount of food (causing theminconvenience).
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable for someone to join a group of people and accompany them to the place of their destination; had it been prohibited, the Prophet ﷺ would have forbidden the man who followed him, and would have commanded him to go back. What is forbidden is to enter someone’s house and show up uninvited without the permission and consent of the host.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that when one of the invited guests seeks the host’s permission to bring someone else with him, the host should give his permission, like what Aboo Shu‘ayb (may Allah be pleased with him) did, and it is indicative of his refined moral character.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is forbidden to eat someone's food without his permission.
The hadeeth also highlights the lawfulness of working and making a living as a butcher.
It is also deduced that a ruler, a noble, or old person is urged to considerately accept the invitation of those of inferior status.
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2084

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Commentary :
Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) is the mother of all evils, and the Laws of Islamhas warned against drinking it and trading in it, because of the harm it incurs on the individual and society.
In this hadeeth, the Mother of Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that when the last ayaat of Al-Baqarah chapter were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them for people in the (Prophet's) Mosque. The version of the hadeeth complied in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim has an addition reading, “about Ribaa.” This narration refers to the ayaat that read (what means): {Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity…[thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.} [Quran 2:275-279]. These ayaat included the prohibition of Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury). Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ deemed trading in Khamr prohibited as well, because it involves selling or buying what is unlawful and leads to falling into the sin of consuming Khamr.
The Arabic word Khamr linguistically denotes covering, because Khamr covers intellect, leading a person to commit other destructive sins.
It is known that the prohibition of Khamr was revealed in the ayaat that reads (what means): {O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. * Satan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?* And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away – then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.} [Quran 5:90-92] These ayaat were revealed long before the ayah about the prohibition of Ribaa, which was either the last ayah to be revealed in the Quran or one of the last ones. It is possible that he ﷺ informed them of the prohibition of trading in Khamr when Khamr was deemed prohibited, then informed them of it again after the ayah on Ribaa was revealed, for the sake of laying emphasis on the prohibition in this regard and to ensure that it wasproclaimed more broadly. It is also possible that he ﷺ made mention of them both to indicate that Ribaa and Khamr are equally prohibited. Perhaps those who attended that assembly were absent during the previous one when he ﷺ proclaimed the prohibition of trading in Khamr.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that trading in Khamr is strictly prohibited, since Allah, Exalted is He, coupled it with Ribaa, about which stern warnings have been reported.
The hadeeth also highlights the emphasis laid by the Laws of Islam on the prohibition of Ribaa and Khamr, since the Prophet ﷺ keenly proclaimed such prohibitions in the mosque, emphasizing their gravity..

2086

‘Awn ibn Abee Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: My father bought a slave who practiced Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy). (My father broke the slave's equipment that he used for cupping). I asked my father why he had done so, and he replied, "The Prophet ﷺ forbade accepting the price of a dog or blood (i.e., fees of Hijaamah), and also forbade the profession of tattooing, getting tattooed and receiving or giving Ribaa, and cursed the image-makers.".

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that which is good lawful to His servants, and decreed unlawful that which is evil to them, and this applies to food, beverages, earnings, trade, and others. The Islamic Laws of Islam also urges Muslims to be a gracious and lift themselves above trivial aspirations.
In this hadeeth, ‘Awn ibn Abee Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that his father Abee Juhayfah Wahab ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Suwaa’iy (may Allah be pleased with him)bought a slave who practiced Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy). He ordered him to break the equipment that he used for cupping, as stated in a narration recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. His son asked him about the reason for breaking the equipment, and he told him that the Prophet ﷺ had forbidden the price of a dog, i.e., selling a dog, and deemed such earnings unlawful as per the Sheree‘ah, because it is prohibited to own and keep dogs. It has been said that guard and hunting dogs are excluded from this prohibition, because they are beneficial, as stated in the narration reported by Al-Daaraqutnee on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reading: “except for a hunting dog.” Another relevant narration reported by Al-Tirmithee reads: “Except for dogs meant for hunting.”
Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ forbade the price of blood, i.e., the fees of Hijaamah. Hijaamah is (a form of alternative medicine) used to remove bad blood from the body. The Prophet ﷺ had Hijaamah performed on him and paid a fee to the Hijaamah therapist, as narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them). Had it been forbidden to pay fees to the Hijaamahtherapist, the Prophet ﷺ would not have had Hijaamah performed on him nor paid fees to thetherapist! Therefore, the hadeeths stating the prohibition of practicing Hijaamah and profiting from it, and declaring the earnings of this profession unlawful, are interpreted as to indicate that such earnings are deemed inferior and urge Muslims to earn their living byother loftier professions, seek superior ways of earning a living, and exhibit fine moral qualities. It is possible that the prohibition was prescribed in the early days of Islam and was later abrogated, when the Prophet ﷺ paid the Hijaamah therapist his fee.
In the hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ also forbade the practice of tattooing and having tattoos. Tattooing means piercing injections into the skin layers, then filling that location with kohl or something else until it turns blue or green. A tattoo is a form of drawing shapes on the body in a different color to a person's skin tone, and people used to use it for beautification purposes. The tattooist is called (in Arabic) ’Waashimah’, and it refers the one who practices tattooing in return for fees or for free, and the one being tattooed is called ’Mawshoomah’. The Prophet ﷺ forbade tattooing because it was practiced by the dissolute and ignorant people and because it involved changing the creation of Allah, Exalted is He.
The Prophet ﷺ forbade dealing in Ribaa for both parties, the payer and recipient of the interest money. Ribaa linguistically means excess, and in Islamic terminology, it is (the measure of excess in one thing when two things are exchanged in some bargain; or), in the case of a loan, an increased amount of the loan at the time of its payment.
There are two kinds of Ribaa; Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., the excess taken in exchange of specific homogenous commodities and encountered in their hand-to-hand purchase and sale or barter transaction), andRibaa Al-Nasee'ah (i.e., increasing the price of an item in return for deferred payment).
The prohibition incorporates both taking and paying Ribaa (interest) money, even if the recipient does not consume Ribaa, and the reference to consumption in this context is due to the fact that it was one of the main sources of income, and most of people’s earnings at the time when this prohibition was revealed were obtained by dealing in Ribaa.
The Prophet ﷺ also cursed the image-makers. The prohibition in this regard applies only to those who make images of animate objects. It was said that the image-makers here are the sculptors who make and carve statues that imitate the creation of Allah, Exalted is He. It was also said they are the ones who make idols for the purpose of worship.
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2087

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Commentary :
Islam laid down etiquette and provisions governing business transactions. Both the buyer and seller are required to acquaint themselves with these provisions and etiquettes, to preserve their religious and worldly interests.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warns against excessive oaths and swearing too much when selling with the aim to promote one’s commodities. Making an oath, if the person is truthful, may help a seller promote his commodity and conclude the sale, but such sale would bedeprived from Allah’s blessing in the future. Allah, Exalted is He, may cause it to be destroyed by means of theft, burning, drowning, usurpation, plunder, or any other form of destruction by the will of Allah, Exalted is He. Thus, such a seller would be exerting such efforts to earn money and it would be all in vain, and this would be his due punishment from Allah, Exalted is He, for his excessive oaths. In the narration recorded by Muslim on the authority of Aboo Qatadaah Al-Ansaaree(may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said: “Beware of excessive swearing (and making oaths) in sale, because it may promote trade, but this practice will eliminate the earnings’ blessing.” The hadeeth may also mean ‘false oaths’, as clarified in the narration reported by Imaam Ahmad reading: “Taking false oaths may help you conclude a sale transaction, but it takes (blessing) away from the earnings.”
The Arabic words used in the hadeeth are ‘Munaffiqah’ meaning inducive to the promotion of the commodity, and ‘Mumhiqah’, meaning eliminating the blessings. Other variations used in different narrations of the hadeeth are ‘Manfaqah’ derived from the word ‘Al-Nafaaq’, meaning saleability, and ‘Mumhaqah’ meaning deprivation of blessing and a reason for it.
The hadeeth lays emphasis on the gravity of excessive swearing (oaths) by the name of Allah, Exalted is He, and underlines that it must only be done for a need.
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2088

‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A man displayed some goods in the market and swore by Allah that he had been offered so much for that, that which was not offered, and he said so, so as to cheat a Muslim. On that occasion, the following ayah was revealed (which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter…} [Quran 3:77] .

Commentary :
Swearing oaths is a serious matter, and Islam has laid emphasis on its gravity, especially making false oaths by means of which a person unlawfully takes the money of his fellow Muslim brother.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that a man offered his commodity for sale in the market and falsely swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he had bought it for such-and-such a price, merely to persuade his fellow Muslim to buy it. On that occasion, the following ayah was revealed. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (that which means): {Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter…} [Quran 3:77]. The ayah reads {Those who exchange} because the two parties of a sale transaction exchange the commodity for money,{the covenant of Allah},meaningthe covenant they made to believe in the Prophet ﷺ and fulfill the trusts, {and their [own] oaths for a small price} meaning their false oaths that they take to affirm the desired statements or actions. The intended meaning is that they trade their covenants with Allah and their oaths, with fleeting worldly gains and desires such as money, benefits, and other worldly gains. The price is described here as being small, to indicate its insignificance, for it was traded for breaching the covenant with Allah and taking a false oath. This makes it fundamentally insignificant, no matter how significantit seemed from a worldly perspective, compared to winning the pleasure of Allah, Exalted is He, and fulfilling the covenants made with Him. Then Allah, Exalted is He, stated the punishment designated for the one who commits such a major sin. He Says (that which means): {…will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 3:77]. It means, ‘They shall have no share in the bliss tasted by the believers in the Hereafter, and Allah, Exalted is He, will not speak to them about what would please them, but would rather say to them that which will cause distress and disappointment to them.’ The ayah goes on, {or look at them on the Day of Resurrection} meaning that He will not mercifully look at them, {nor will He purify them}, from sins and misdeeds by conferring upon them His forgiveness, nor shall He commend them like He would commend His righteous servants. Rather, He shall be angry with them and will punish them for breaching their covenant with Him, {and they will have a painful punishment}, because of what they committed. This is a stern warning about making false oaths, because such a sin combines many corrupt evil deeds, including: lyingin the name of Allah, deceiving a purchaser into buying his commodity, making up lies for the sake of promoting it, and unlawfully taking the money of the purchaser, described here as a ‘small price’with which he shall not be availed for long in this worldly life.
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2094

Aboo Haazim narrated:
Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about the (Prophet’s) pulpit. He replied, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ sent for a woman (Sahl named her) this message: ‘Command your servant-carpenter to make pieces of wood (i.e., a pulpit) for me so that I may sit on it while addressing the people.’ So, she ordered him to make it from the tamarisk (tree) in the forest. He brought it to her and she sent it to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, and he ordered it to be placed in the mosque: so, it was put and he ﷺ sat on it..

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to deliver his speeches to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) while standing or leaning on a palm-tree trunk.When the number of worshippers in the mosque increased, the Prophet ﷺ thought about taking a wooden pulpit to stand and sit on while delivering his speeches to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
This hadeeth relates the story of the Prophet’sﷺ pulpit. The Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Aboo Haazim Salamah ibn Dinaar stated that some men came to the great Companion Sahl ibn Sa‘d Al-Saa‘dee (may Allah be pleased with him) asking him about the Prophet’s ﷺpulpit and he (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the Prophet ﷺ sent a message to a woman. Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned her name, but reporters differed regarding it; some said that it was ‘Aa’ishah and others said it was Minaas. She was from the Ansaar, according to the narration cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, or the emigrants according to another narration also recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, and she had a servant-carpenter. The Prophet ﷺ commanded her to order her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit to sit on it when delivering his speeches.
It has also been narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) that a woman from the Ansaar said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I have a servant-carpenter; he may make you something to sit on (i.e., pulpit), if you wish.” To reconcile between these narrations, it is possible that she asked the Prophet ﷺ first, and then he ﷺ sent her the reported message, indicating his acceptance of her offer, and commanding her to (order her servant to) make the pulpit for him.
The woman complied with the Prophet’s command and instructed her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit from a desert tree called ‘Tarafah’, and the forest was located in Al-‘Awaalee on the route from Al-Madeenah to Al-Shaam, about 14 miles from Al-Madeenah. When the servant finished it, and the woman sent it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he ordered it to be placed in its place in the Prophet’s Mosque, and he ﷺ sat on it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to seek the help of professionals and skilled workers (in various fields) for whatever may bring benefit to Muslims..

2095

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
A woman from the Ansaar said to Allah's Messenger ﷺ, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Shall I make something for you to sit on, as I have a servant who is a carpenter?" He ﷺ replied, "If you wish." So, she (may Allah be pleased with him) had a pulpit made for him. When it was Friday the Prophet ﷺ sat on that pulpit. The date-palm trunk near which the Prophet ﷺ used to deliver his speeches cried so much so that it was about to burst. The Prophet ﷺ came down from the pulpit towards the trunk and embraced it and it started groaning like a crying child and then stopped crying. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has cried because of (missing) what it was used to hearing Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) being recited!".

Commentary :
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to deliver his speeches to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) while standing or leaning on a palm-tree trunk.When the number of worshippers in the mosque increased, the Prophet ﷺconsidered taking a wooden pulpit to stand and sit on while delivering his speeches to the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
This hadeeth relates the story of the Prophet’spulpit and indicates theyearning and longing of the palm-tree trunk for the Prophet ﷺ when he left it and ascended the new pulpit.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that a woman from the Ansaar came to the Prophet ﷺ and offered to make him something to sit on while delivering his speeches, for she had a servant who was also a skilled carpenter. The Prophet ﷺ agreed and said to her, ‘If you wish!’
It was narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ sent a message to a woman from the Ansaar, ‘Command your servant-carpenter to make pieces of wood (i.e., a pulpit) for me so that I may sit on it while addressing the people.’ She may have asked the Prophet ﷺ first, and then he ﷺ sent her that message, indicating his acceptance of her offer, and commanding her to (order her servant to) make it for him.
The woman complied with the Prophet’s ﷺcommand and instructed her servant to make the Prophet ﷺ a pulpit. When the servant finished it, the woman sent it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he ordered it to be placed in its place in the mosque. On Friday, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started to use the pulpit instead of the palm-tree trunk on which he ﷺ used to lean during his speeches, and sat on the new pulpit instead. The deserted trunk wept so much so that it was about to burst. It produced a loud groaning sound,indicating its yearning and longing for the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ came down from the pulpit, went to the trunk and embraced it to comfort it. Itstoppedcryinglittle by little like achild does. The Prophet ﷺ clarified the reason for its crying and said, “It has cried because of (missing) what it was used to hearing of Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) being recited!" It means that the trunk longed for listening to the remembrance of Allah by the Prophet ﷺ when he ﷺ delivered his speeches while standing or leaning on it.
The hadeeth highlights a sign of Prophethood and a miracle with which he ﷺ was aided, having an inanimate object yearn for him and sense his presence and absence.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to stand on an elevated platform while delivering the Khutbah (i.e., Friday speech), and install pulpits in mosques.
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2099

‘Amr said:
Here (i.e., in Makkah) there was a man called Nawwaas and he had camels suffering from a disease causing their thirst to become excessive and unquenchable. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the partner of Nawwaas and bought those camels. The man returned to Nawwaas and told him that he had sold those camels. Nawwaas asked him, "To whom have you sold them?" He replied, "To so-and-so Shaykh (, describing to him how he looked)." Nawwaas said, " Woe to you! By Allah, that Shaykh was Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)." Nawwaas then went to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, "My partner sold you camels suffering from a disease causing their thirst to become unquenchable and he had not recognized you!" Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him to take them back (i.e., annul the sale and return the camels). When Nawwaas went to take them, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "Leave them there; I am happy with the judgment of Allah's Messenger ﷺ that there is no ‘Adwaa (i.e., contagion and transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah). ".

Commentary :
A Muslim is enjoined to be honest and truthful in all situations, including buying and selling. Sales transactions should be based on clarity and honesty about the merits and flaws of the commodity, to eliminate all chances of cheating, which sows hatred and discord among people.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Dinaar stated that ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) bought camels from a man named Nawwaas and that these camels were infected with a disease known as Hiyaam, making their thirst excessive and unquenchable. It may also refer to a disease that resulted in scabies. It was also said that Al-Heem are thescabby camels painted with tar, and which therefore become thirsty due to the higher body temperature caused by it. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) bought these camels from a partner of Nawaaas, and this partner went to Nawwaas and informed him of the sale.He asked him: “To whom have you sold them?” The partner described the buyer to him, and Nawwaas knew that he was Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).He said to him: “Woe to you! By Allah, that Shaykh was Ibn ‘Umar.” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is ‘Wayhaka,’ which literally means ‘woe to you,’ indicating rebuke, and it is said in reference to someone who has made a serious mistake. Nawwaas went to Ibn ‘Umar and informed him that his partner had sold him some sick camels without informing him of their flaws prior to the sale. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to take them back, given the circumstances. When Nawwaas went to take them, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “Leave them there; I am happy with the judgment of Allah's Messenger ﷺ that there is no ‘Adwa (i.e., contagion and transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah),” meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did so in compliance with the Prophet’s statement, ‘There is no ‘Adwaa.’ The Arabic word used in the hadeeth (‘Adwaa) means contagion and transmission of infectious disease from one patient to another. The Prophet’s statement means that diseases cannot cause infection by themselves without the permission and decree of Allah, Exalted is He.People of the pre-Islamic era believed that diseases could spread from one person to another without the permission of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ negated that false belief and clarified to them that diseases are mere causes that may only have effects by the decree and permission of Allah, who causes illness (and that contagion is a means through which Allah effects His decrees).
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and his (remarkable) compliance with the Prophet’s guidance and judgments, even if it seemed to be harmful.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that a sale of a defective commodity is valid as long as the buyer is informed of its flaws and gives his consent.
It is also inferred therefrom that a buyer may return a defective commodity (and annul the transaction) if its defect was concealed by the seller.
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2101

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The example of a good Companion (who sits with you) in comparison with a bad one, is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith's bellows (or furnace); from the first you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell while the bellows would either burn your clothes or your house, or you get a bad nasty smell thereof.".

Commentary :
Keeping the company of righteous people and attending their gatherings is one of the qualities of goodness, and a way to attain happiness in both the worldly life and the Hereafter. Likewise, keeping the company of wicked and evil people isa sign of wickedness and the path to loss and ruin.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ gave a good similitude of the two categories of people: a good (righteous) companion and a bad (evil) one, to help us better understand the intended meanings, and urge us to adhere to what is good and avoid what is evil. The first category in the hadeeth is the righteous companion, a pious person who directs his companions to Allah, Exalted is He, and guides them to the sayings and deeds that bring them closer to Him. The Prophet ﷺ likened such a good companion to the musk seller. Keeping his company yields benefits in all cases; you either buy musk and perfume from him or simply enjoy the pleasant smell. Likewise, a good companion may bring you some tangible benefits or you may simplyfind comfort and joy in his company.
The second category is the bad companion, who drives those in his company away from Allah, Exalted is He, and all sayings and acts that draw them closer to Him. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ likened a bad companion to blacksmith's bellows (or furnace), meaning to a blacksmith. The Arabic word used in the hadeeth ‘Keer’ means a bag-like device made of thick leather (with handles) that is used to blow air onto a fire to keep the flame burning. Such a blacksmith (who blows air onto a fire) will either burn your body or clothes with the sparks, or make you smell an unpleasant odor, causing you distress and inconvenience. Likewise, a bad companion either causes you direct harm by committing sins with him, and accordingly suffering their burning flames, or by witnessing firsthand his ugly and evil deeds and therefore being dispraised for keeping the company of such a wicked person.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to keep the company of righteous and obedient people, and keep away from wicked and ill-mannered ones.
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2103

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

Commentary :
A Hijaamah therapist is the one who performs Hijaamah (i.e., wet cupping therapy), which is (a form of alternative medicine) used to remove bad blood from the body by making superficial incisions on the skin using surgical scalpels, and removing the bad blood using a funnel-like device or special cups on the skin to create suction.It is used to treat different types of pain.
In this hadeeth, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) inferred the permissibility of (undertaking) Hijaamah therapy and the lawfulness of its fees from the action of the Prophet ﷺ, because he ﷺ had Hijaamah performed on him and paid thetherapist a fee. Had paying the Hijaamah therapist been impermissible, the Prophet ﷺ would not have had it performed on him nor paid the fee.
The hadeeths about the unlawfulness of the earnings obtained through performing Hijaamah that described such earnings as ‘unlawful’, and indicate their inferiority and urge Muslims to embody noble manners and seek other loftier means of earning a living. It is also possible that the prohibition was prescribed in the early days of Islam and was later abrogated when the Prophet ﷺ paid the Hijjamah therapist the fee.
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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

| Hadiths

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

‘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..

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)..

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..

‘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..

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)..

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..

Narrated Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):
Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "May Allah's mercy be on him who is lenient in his buying, selling, and in demanding back his money.".

‘Narrated Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the last ayaat of Soorat Al-Baqarah (chapter no. 2) were revealed, the Prophet ﷺ recited them in the mosque and proclaimed the trade of Khamr (i.e., intoxicants) as unlawful..

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Swearing oaths (by a seller) may persuade the buyer to purchase the goods but such sale will be deprived of Allah's blessing.".

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once the Prophet ﷺ got Hijaamah performed on him and paid that Hijaamah therapist who performed it fees. Had it been unlawful, the Prophet ﷺ would not have paid him..