Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once, while we were sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, a dead man was brought. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Did he owe any debts?" People replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and people said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, ''Three Dinars." So, he ﷺ led the prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer. He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He ﷺ asked, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, ("Yes! He has to pay) three Diners.' Thereupon, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt." So, he ﷺ led the prayer.
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Commentary :
Debts are the due rights of others (i.e., the creditors) that must be fulfilled. It is incumbent on a debtor to clear his liability for any debts that he owes. Given the gravity of incurring debts and dying before their repayment, the Prophet ﷺ did not lead the funeral prayer for anyone who owed debts and did not leave any wealth (inheritance) to repay such debts.
In this hadeeth, Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they were once sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ when three dead men were brought on three different occasions. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased men. He ﷺ asked whether the first dead man owed any debts, and when people replied in the negative, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. When he ﷺ asked the same about the second dead man, people replied that he owed a debt, but left three Dinars, which could cover the due debt, and he ﷺ led the prayer. When the third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer, and he knew that the man owed three Dinars, but did not leave any wealth to repay the debt, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) offered to repay his debt, and then the Prophet ﷺ led his funeral prayer, because the debt was transferred to another person, and thus this dead man’s liability was cleared.
The hadeeth highlights the gravity of incurring debts, and that a debtor’s liability is not cleared by his death until it is repaid, by any given way.
The hadeeth underlines the Laws of Islam’s emphasis on preserving people’s financial rights..

2290

Muhammad ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee narrated that that his father Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them)said that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent him (i.e., Hamzah) to collect Sadaqah / Zakaah. A man had committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife’s slave girl. Hamzah took (personal) sureties for the adulterer till they came to ‘Umar, who lashed the adulterer one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (i.e., that the adulterer had already been punished) and excused him because of his ignorance. Jareer Al-Ash‘ath said to Ibn Mas‘ood regarding renegades (i.e., apostates), "Let them repent and take (personal) sureties for them." They repented and their relatives stood sureties for them. According to Hammaad, if somebody stands surety for another person and that person dies, the person giving surety will be released from responsibility. According to Al-Hakam, his responsibilities continues..

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to implement the Hudood (i.e., plural of Hadd, the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Laws of Islam) and complied with the divine provisions in all matters and at all times.A manifestation of such compliance was that they sought taking surety and guarantees to preserve people’s financial rights, and to ensure that the rights of Allah or those of people would not be violated.
In this hadeeth, the Companion Hamzah ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once sent him to levy Zakaah/Sadaqah, and it was brought to his attention that a man had committedillicit sexual intercourse (Fornication) with his wife’s slave girl. This hadeeth gives a brief account of the incident which was delineated by Al-Tahaawee in his two books Sharh Ma‘aanee Al-Aathaar and Sharh Mushkil Al-Aathaar. It reads, “‘Umar sent Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them) to collect Zakaah/Sadaqah. Some money was given to him, and he heard a man saying to his wife, ‘Pay the Zakaah on your freed slave!’ She replied, ‘You should pay the Zakaah on him; he is your son!’” Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them about their story and these statements. He was informed that this woman’s husband had committed Fornication with her slave-girl and she gave birth to a boy. The woman freed the son and then he inherited some wealth from his mother, and they said that such wealth was allocated to his son, whom he had with his wife’s slave girl unlawfully. Upon learning these facts, Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “I will stone you,” meaning to implement the Hadd of Rajm (i.e., stoning to death) on him, because he was a married adulterer. It was said that his act had been reported to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and he had already lashed him one hundred lashes and did not believe that he should have been stoned to death.This could be either because the man did not know that it was impermissible for him to have intercourse with his wife’s slave girl, or it is possible that he did not know it was her slave-girl (i.e., he mistaken her for one of his own slave girls). Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)may have excused himbased on ignorance of the relevant prohibition or on account of doubts.
Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) requested (personal) sureties for the adulterer, to act as his guarantee till he verified the matter with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
They went to ‘Umar, and Hamzah asked him about it and it turned out that the man had been lashed one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (that the adulterer had already been punished).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is valid to stand surety for someone by committing oneself to bring the guaranteed person either to fulfill people’s rights, or to appear before the judge. The surety or guarantee in this context is applicable in relation to the implementation of Hudood and Qisaas (i.e., retribution) on part of those who have the ability to bring the perpetrators or the ones who are required to fulfill these rights, such as the leaders and chiefs of tribes and the like..

2291

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “A man from the Children of Israel asked another one to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I demand a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and he lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender and then closed (i.e., sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said, 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that You are sufficient as a guarantee and surety and he accepted Your guarantee and surety. He then asked for a witness and I told him that You are sufficient as a witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could repay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to find a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to find one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered the money you sent in the piece of wood on your behalf. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.’”.

Commentary :
Whoever incurs a debt with the intention and resolve to repay it, and seeks the help of Allah, Exalted is He, in repaying it, He will bless him with the means to repay it, and satisfy his creditor on his behalf in the Hereafter if he was not able to repay it in this worldly life.
In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ related to us a wonderful story from which we can deduce great lessons. It is a story of two men from the Children of Israel, one of whom lent the other a thousand Dinars. The lender requested the borrower to bring witnesses testifying to the fact that he borrowed that money from him, but the borrower said: 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' When the lender requested a surety, to guarantee him and be legally responsible for repaying the debt if the borrower failed to repay it, the borrower replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The lender believed him and lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea to fulfil some of his needs. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might go back and reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood, made a hole in it, inserted one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender, and then sealed the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea, relying solely on Allah, Exalted is He, and trusting Him to deliver the money on his behalf. He implored Allah, Exalted is He, sincerely hoping that it would reach the creditor by His Power. The truthful man sincerely invoked Allah, Exalted is He, and He answered his invocation.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money. He waited for the borrower to come back and repay the debt as promised. Suddenly, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire, to keep his family warm and use it for cooking food. When he sawed it, he found his money and the message inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came back, apologizing for the delay and bringing one thousand Dinars to him. He explained to him the reason for the delayed repayment. The lender asked him: ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor (borrower) replied, ‘I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender asked him to go back and informed him that Allah, Exalted is He, delivered the money he had sent in the piece of wood on his behalf. He told him that the piece of wood found its way to him, and he asked him to keep the other one thousand Dinars that he had intended to pay.
This indicates the trustworthiness of both the creditor and debtor, and that each of them was sincere and truthful and honored their commitment, after the creditor accepted Allah, Exalted is He, as a guarantor and witness.
It also highlights that Allah, Exalted is He, rewards kind people who help those in need by preserving their wealth, in addition to the reward stored for them in the Hereafter, as He preserved the lender’s wealth by delivering it to him. These are great virtues granted to those who help those in need with their money (loans), place their trust in Allah, Exalted is He, and display keenness in returning the trusts.
The hadeeth also urges debtors to keenly repay their debts and spare no effort to fulfill people’s financial rights over them.
It also underlines the virtue of reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, and the abundant reward bestowed upon those who rely on Him as due..

2292

Narrated Sa’eed ibn Jubayr:
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives.} [Quran 4:33] In this ayah, the Arabic word Mawaaliyaa, means one's heirs. The ayah goes on: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] Ibn ‘Abbaas said, "When the emigrants came to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah, the emigrant would inherit his brother from the Ansaar while the latter's relatives would not inherit him because of the bond of brotherhood which the Prophet ﷺ established between them (i.e., the emigrants and the Ansaar). When the that reads (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] the ruling was abrogated with the other part of the same ayah that reads (what means: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] It canceled the bond brotherhood regarding inheritance)." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share,} [Quran 4:33] remained valid regarding cooperation and mutual advice, while the matter of inheritance was excluded and it became permissible to make a bequest to the person who had the right of inheriting before.

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Commentary :
When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Al-Madeenah and the emigrants followed him, he ﷺ established the bond of brotherhood between the emigrants and Ansaar. A man of the Ansaar would make his emigrant brother a partner in his wealth, house, etc., and when he died, his emigrant brother would inherit him instead of his own (biological) relatives, because of the bond of brotherhood established by the Prophet ﷺ between them. This is the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. The Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aaqadat meaning those who give made a pledge to those whom you made a pledge, and this was one of the seven approved modes of recitation confirmed by Tawaatur (i.e., collectively contiguous narrations transmitted by a large group of trustworthy narrators on the authority of a large group of trustworthy narrators, generation after generation and so forth, and it is absolutely impossible for them to agree on a lie). According to another mode of recitation, the Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aqadat meaning those who made a covenant (i.e., alliances) with you. A man would make a covenant or alliance with another, saying: “My blood is your blood; your revenge is my revenge; your war is my war; I am bound to your peace treaties, and you will inherit me and I will inherit you.” Afterward, the following ayah was revealed; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] meaning that Allah, Exalted is He, made for each of you relatives (heirs), including brothers and cousins on both the mother’s and father’s side who are entitled to inherit. This ayah abrogated the ayah that reads (which means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. Thereafter, only a dead person’s relatives were entitled to inherit him, and those with whom the dead person had made covenants and alliances were no longer entitled to inherit.But such covenants and alliances remained valid regarding support in what is right and permissible, meaning cooperation regarding worldly affairs, and sincerity in compliance withIslam, and this includes cooperating in adhering to the truth, and supporting the wronged people by preventing the oppressor from his acts of injustice. These were some of the due rights of one’s fellow Muslims.It also remained permissible for a Muslim to make a bequest to those who would have inherited him according to the bond of brotherhood, if he wished. As for the distribution of the inheritance after one’s death, only the heirs as per the laws of Islam may inherit him as delineated in the Quran. .

2294

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
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Commentary :
In essence, alliance means a contract or covenant made between people in the pre-Islamic era to support one another with regard to everything they did (i.e., irrespective of whether they were right or wrong). Islam canceled such practices, except for the alliances and covenants made to support the truth and prevent the oppressor from his aggression and injustice. It was narrated on the authority of Jubayr ibn Muti‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no alliance in Islam.” [Muslim]. This means that Islam disapproves the alliances that contravene the rules and laws of Islam, like what they used to make in the pre-Islamic era.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Aasim ibn Sulaymaan Al-Ahwal asked the Companion Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) about this hadeeth, and Anas replied that the Prophet ﷺ made an alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in his own house. This refers to the bond of brotherhood that he ﷺ established between the emigrants and Ansaar, which was a faith-based alliance that does not fall under the category of the forbidden alliances, because it did not contravene the fundamentals of the Islamic Laws of Islam. The forbidden alliances as per the laws of Islam are those according to which people in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance supported their allies in all cases, even if they were unjust oppressors, taking revenge againsta whole tribe for the killing of one person, and establishing inheritance rights based on such alliances, and the like. However, other alliances, which do not involve these Laws of Islam violations, are allowable in Islam, including supporting the oppressed, fulfilling the religious duties, and similar acts that are recommended by the Laws of Islam, such as fostering friendship, mutual affection, and honoring covenants..

2297

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam). Not a single day passed but Allah's Messenger ﷺvisited us twice, in the morning and evening. When Muslims were persecuted, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, who asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land; I will wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold your ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute), show hospitality to the guests, and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh saying to them, "A man like Aboo Bakr should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, upholds his ties of kinship, helps the weak (and destitute), shows hospitality to the guests, and helps the people at times of hardship?" So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read whatever he liked, but he should not harm us or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except in his house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had an idea of building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. He did so and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children of the disbelievers started to gatheraround him and watch him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the disbelieving chiefs of Quraysh. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he should mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam (i.e., performing acts of worship in public). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: Ibn Al-Daghinnah came to Aboo Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Messenger ﷺ was still in Makkah and he said to his Companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and is situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs." So, when the Prophet ﷺ told it, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Al-Madeenah. When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Messenger ﷺand fed two camels which he had with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) led a hard life in Makkah, and the disbelievers made it rather harder by persecuting Muslims, confining the call to Islam, torturing Muslims, and using other means of abuse until Allah, Exalted is He, commanded His Messenger ﷺ to migrate to Al-Madeenah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) gave a glimpse of her experience during that period. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she could not remember her parents, Aboo Bakr and Umm Roomaan (may Allah be pleased with them), believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam) and that the Prophet ﷺ used to visit them twice every day, in the morning and in the evening. When Muslims were persecuted by the disbelievers and the Prophet ﷺ gave permission to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to migrate to Ethiopia, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant, to join his fellow Muslim brothers who had migrated there. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, a place at a five day's journey (140 km) from Makkah, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, which was a famous Arab tribe that belonged to Banee Al-Hoon. He asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land and I would wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold his ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute),” meaning providing for the orphans and the helpless. He added: “… show hospitality to the guests,” by providing food and shelter to them, “and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh, urging them not to drive someone like Aboo Bakr out of Makkah, given his great qualities and remarkable moral character as highlighted above. So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar (i.e., protection) and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house, and to pray and read whatever he likes, but he should not harm us,” referring to praying and reciting the Quran aloud, “or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions and he accepted them. He (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except inside his own house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) thought about building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. It can be fairly said that this was the first mosque ever built in Islam. He (may Allah be pleased with him) built it and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children from the disbelievers gathered around him and watched him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the chiefs of Quraysh, as they knew how tender the hearts of women and young people were, and how vulnerable they would be to incline to Islam. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition, and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him you will revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar, nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam, for fear of our women and children. Thereupon, Ibn Al-Daghinnah went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection (as approved by Quraysh), so you should either abide by these conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." This reflects the strength of Aboo Bakr’s faith and certitude in Allah, Exalted is He.
At that time,the Prophet ﷺ was still in Makkah and he told his Companions that he had seen the land of their emigration in a vision, and the Prophet's visionsare part of the divine revelation to them. He ﷺ meant Al-Madeenah and mentioned some of its distinct descriptions, including being a salty land, where only few trees could grow, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs, meaning lands with black stones. So, when the Prophet ﷺ told them of this vision, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia went to Al-Madeenah as well. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, but Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him)fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees, meaning the leaves that trees shed, for four months, to be able to endure the journey. Such tree leaves were good fodder for animals.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the striking similarity between his moral character and that of the Prophet ﷺ.
It also underlines the good qualities of the polytheist Arabs in the pre-Islamic era, like honoring covenants and the institution of Jiwaar.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to migrate from non-Muslim countries to another place were Muslims feel safe and are able to practice their religion freely and openly.
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2300

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was munificent and generous; he ﷺ openhandedly gave what Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed upon him to the poor and needy.
In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ gifted a group of poor Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) sheep and appointed him to distribute the sheep between them. He (may Allah be pleased with him)distributed to the companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). It was said that a young goat (kid) was one year old. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf.”
The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer a kid as an animal sacrifice, just like he ﷺ did with Aboo Burdah ibn Nayyaar (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer an animal less than one year old as a sacrifice. These were two legal concessions granted to these two Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in particular and not to anyone else. This is based on the opinion suggesting that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth ‘Atood (kid) means a young goat. However, based on the opinion that the word means a one-year-old goat, Al-Udhiyah of the goats, according to Muslim scholars should be a Thaniyah (i.e., one full year-old and starting the second year).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible for a principal to appoint an agent to distribute gifts between specified recipients.
It is also inferred that it is permissible to accept gifts and offer gifted animalsas a sacrifice.
The hadeeth also highlights that an agent is required to consult with the principal regarding the disposal of the residue of the gifts to be distributed.
It is also deduced therefrom that a principal delegates the appointed agent to perform specified tasks.
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2301

‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I had an agreement with Umayyah ibn Khalaf that he would look after my property (or family) in Makkah and I would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When I wrote my name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period." So, I wrote my name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. On the day (of the battle) of Badr, when all people went to sleep, I went up the hill to protect him. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him (i.e., Umayyah) and went to a gathering of Ansaar and said, "(Here is) Umayyah ibn Khalaf! Woe to me if he escapes!" So, a group of men from the Ansaar went out with Bilaal to follow us (‘Abdul-Rahmaan and Umayyah). Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy, but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man, and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt, and I laid myself on him to protect him, but the Ansaar killed him by passing their swords underneath me, and one of them injured my foot with his sword. (The sub narrator said, "‘Abdul-Rahmaan used to show us the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.")
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Commentary :
Fulfillment of covenants is one of the becoming qualities of a true Muslim, and this applies to the covenants made with Muslims and non-Muslims alike. However, it is incumbent upon a Muslim to ensure that his covenants with non-Muslims do not contradict the teachings of Islam, to avoid potential conflict between the two obligations (i.e., honoring his covenants and abiding by the teachings of Islam).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) made a covenant with Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the leaders of the disbelievers in Makkah, to look after his property, family, or both, in Makkah and he would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan literally means that slave of Al-Rahmaan, i.e., The Entirely Merciful. He did not acknowledge Al-Rahmaan (Allah) as his Lord and rather worshipped other deities. In fact, Umayyah’s attitude was motivated by (misguided) zeal for his false beliefs. He said to him: “Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period.” So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. It is noteworthy that ‘Abd Ar-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to write his old name merely to realize the desired benefits of concluding this agreement, and it did not imply his approval or consent to be called the slave of other than Allah, Exalted is He. This was similar to the incident when the Prophet ﷺ approved to erase the Name of Allah ‘Al-Rahmaan’ when writing down the document of the Hudaybiyyah Treaty and wrote instead “In the Name of Allah.”
On the day (of the battle) of Badr, in 2 A.H., between the disbelievers in Makkah and Muslims in Madeenah, Umayyah joined the disbelievers’ army. After the battle ended with the decisive victory of the Muslims, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) went up the hill to protect Umayyah, who was neither among the casualties nor the prisoners of war. When all the people went to sleep, he (may Allah be pleased with him)hastened to protect his ally, but Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw Umayyah, who had severely tortured him in Makkah to force him to convert out of Islam. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went to a gathering of the Ansaar and informed them of Umayyah ibn Khalaf’s presence, urging them to kill him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded them to chase him and make sure that he did not survive. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: “Woe to me if he escapes!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) earnestly sought killing Umayyah, being one of the leaders of Quraysh and the stubbornest disbelievers. Determined to risk his own life to kill him, Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went after him and ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan in the company of a group of the Ansaar. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man,” indicating his slowness, “and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) threw himself on him to protect him from their swords, to honor his covenant with him. However, Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) killed him by passing their swords underneath ‘Abdul-Ramhaan (may Allah be pleased with him), and one of them injured his foot with his sword. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) showed the addressees the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.
It was said that Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) did not honor ‘Abdul-Rahmaan’s covenant and Jiwaar (i.e., protection) for Umayyah because the disbelievers were not allowed any protection on the Battle of Badr. It was also said that this ruling was abrogated with the other hadeeth recorded by Ibn Maajah reading: “The right of giving protection to non-Muslims is extended to the humblest of the believers (and it is incumbent on all Muslims to respect it and give him support).”, and the hadeeth about Umm Haani’ upon the Conquest of Makkah reading: “We have given protection to whom you have granted (protection).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim is required to honor and fulfill his covenants; ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was the friend of Umayyah ibn Khalaf back in Makkah, and he honored their covenant.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is becoming of a Muslim to reciprocate a disbeliever for any favors he might have done him, showing him kindness in return and striving to rescue him from death or dangers.
The hadeeth highlights the tit for tat principle and the enjoined equivalent retaliation against the offending party.
It is inferred that no retaliation is required in the event of getting injured while defending a wrongdoer who deserves punishment.
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2304

Ibn Ka‘b ibn Maalik narrated on the authority of his father (may Allah be pleased with them):
We had some sheep which used to graze at Sala‘. One of our slave girls saw a sheep dying and she broke a stone and slaughtered the dying sheep with it. My father said to people, "Do not eat its meat till I ask the Prophet ﷺ about it (or till I send somebody to ask him)." So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it. ‘Ubaydullaah (a sub-narrator) said, "I admire that girl, for though she was a slave-girl, she boldly slaughtered the sheepherself!”
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Commentary :
Islam preserves people’s wealth and protects it against loss and destruction, and therefore it deems it allowable to slaughter a dying edible animal (i.e., whose consumption is permitted by the Laws of Islam) when sudden death approaches it, using any sharp object that cuts its throat and sheds its blood, to preserve wealth from loss.
In this hadeeth, Ka’b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) related that they had sheep grazing at Sala‘, a mountain in Al-Madeenah located 500 m or less to the west of the Prophet’s Mosque. The slave girl who was shepherding the sheep noticed that one was dying. She broke a stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. When Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him)learned of the incident, he commanded his family to refrain from eating its meat till he asked the Prophet ﷺ about it or sent somebody to ask him. So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that an appointed agent is urged to rectify what he believes to have gone wrong, strive to perform the required task, and do what serves the best interests of the principal.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to use a stone to slaughter animals provided that it is sharp, cuts the throat, and splashes out blood.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable to eat the meat of a dying edible animal if it was slaughtered while it was still alive..

2309

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I was accompanying the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and was riding a slow camel that was lagging behind the others. The Prophet ﷺpassed by me and asked, "Who is this?" I replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" I replied, "I am riding a slow camel." He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" I replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ said, "Give it to me." When I gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the camel and rebuked it. Then that camel surpassed the others thenceforth. The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Sell it to me." I replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messengerﷺ.” He ﷺ said, "Sell it to me. I have bought it for four Dinars and you can keep on riding it till Al-Madeenah." When we approached Al-Madeenah, I started going (towards my house). The Prophet ﷺ said, "Where are you going?" I said, "I have married a widow." He ﷺ said, "Why have not you married a virgin with whom you could play?" I said, "My father died and left daughters, so I decided to marry a widow (, an experienced woman to look after them)." He ﷺ said, "Well done." When we reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "O Bilaal, pay him (the price of the camel) and give him extra money." Bilaal gave me four Dinars and one Qiraat (i.e., a unit of measurement) extra. (A sub-narrator said): Jaabir added, "The extra Qiraat of Allah's Messengerﷺ never parted from me." The Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was endowed with a great moral character,reflected in his gracious manners, one of which was that whenever he ﷺ travelled with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ used to pace himself with the slowest rider in his company, out of his kindness. He ﷺ also used to offer the weak a ride and urge those who were lagging behind to catch up.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) related that he was with the Prophet ﷺ once on a journey back to Al-Madeenah – it was said that this incident took place during the conquest of Makkah - and he was riding a slow camel. The Prophet ﷺ passed by him while he was in this condition. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Who is this?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He ﷺ asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he was late due to his slow camel. He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative, and he ﷺ asked him to give it to him. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the slow camel and urged it to move faster. Then that camel surpassed the others, leading the way, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to sell him this camel, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” However, the Prophet ﷺ refused to take it as a gift and insisted on buying it. He ﷺ bought it for four (gold) Dinars provided that he (may Allah be pleased with him) may keep on riding it till they reached Al-Madeenah, and then the Prophet ﷺ would take it into his possession.
When they approached Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) hastened towards his house. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had married a widow, indicating that she was previously married. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Why have you not married a virgin with whom you could play?" The Prophet ﷺ was asking him about the reason for choosing to marry a previously married woman rather than a virgin, who would most likely be more emotionally attached to her first husband, urging her to strive in making him happy and the like of good qualities that warrants the preference of marrying a virgin. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he had sisters placed under his guardianship after his father’s death, and they needed someone to take care of them and tend to their needs, and a virgin would not be able to shoulder such a task. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to marry a widow, an experienced woman to look after them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Well done,” commending his act. It is deduced from this hadeeth that a Muslim should carefully choose a good wife that would be good for him and his dependents.
When they reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messenger ﷺ commanded Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) to pay him the price of the camel and give him extra money. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave him four Dinars and one Qirat extra. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) was responsible for managing the Prophet’s expenses. It was said that a Qirat equaled one-tenth of a Dinar or otherwise. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "The extra Qirat of Allah's Messenger ﷺ never parted from me." He (may Allah be pleased with him) kept that Qirat and did not dispose of it. ‘Attaa’ ibn Abee Rabaah said: “That Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.”
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s gracious humbleness and kindness with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), checking on them and serving their best interests.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is better to marry a virgin rather than a previously married woman.
The hadeeth underlines the virtues of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), his compassion to his sisters, and putting their best interests first before his own.
It is also inferred that a woman should take care of her husband’s family and tend to the needs of his siblings (dependents).
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2311

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺdeputed me to keep Zakaah (Al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah funds) stealthily. I took hold of him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again." I believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, "I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.He said, "Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again." I pitied him and let him go. In the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺ asked me, "What did your prisoner do?" I replied, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free." Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Verily, he told you a lie and he will return." I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺas it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." I asked, "What are they?" He replied, "Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till you finish the whole ayah. (If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no devil will come near you till morning. " So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I replied, "He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺasked, "What are they?" I replied, "He said to me, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee from the beginning to the end.' He further said to me, '(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you till morning.' (Aboo Hurayrah or another sub-narrator) added that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Aboo Hurayrah?" It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "No." He ﷺ said, "It was Satan."
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Commentary : Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) is one of the greatest ayaat of the Quran, and this hadeeth highlights some of its virtues. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ appointed him to keep and guard the Zakaat Al-Fitr funds. Zakaat Al-Fitr is due before ‘Eid Al-Fitr, and they used to pay it in the form of wheat, dates, and other foodstuff. A man came to him and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah) stealthily. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) seized him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." He (may Allah be pleased with him) released him, and in the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The Prophet ﷺ knew of what had happened through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the man complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so he pitied him and let him go. Allah's Messenger ﷺinformed him that he was lying and that he would be coming again. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that the Prophet ﷺ spoke the truth and believed him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told him that he would. So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) waited for him watchfully to guard the foodstuff. When he showed up and did the same, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) pitied him and let him go again. He informed Allah's Messengerﷺ of what had happened and again he ﷺ told him that the man would come back. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) watchfully waited for him for the third time, and he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff. He (may Allah be pleased with him) caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ,as this is the third time you promised not to return, yet you broke your promise and came." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." He then told him to recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till he finished the whole ayah whenever he went to bed. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursee extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Quran 2:255]. In this ayah, Allah, Exalted is He, describes Himself as the only One worthy of worship; none but Him deserves to be worshiped. He is All-Living; to Him belongs the perfect life that was not preceded by non-existence, nor will it be followed with death. He is Self-Sufficient and stands in no need of anything or anyone, and He disposes of the affairs of all the creation, bestowing upon them their Rizq (provisions). All the creation stands in dire need of Allah, Exalted is He. His perfect Life and Self-Sufficiency entails that neither drowsiness nor sleep should overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. None can intercede with Him except by His permission. He knows all the affairs of the created beings, the past and future ones, and all but Him do not know anything unless He imparts knowledge to them by His will. Given His greatness and vast dominance, His Kursee (i.e., the place of His Feet) encompasses the heavens and the earth. Despite their vastness and greatness, their preservation does not tire Him; it is rather an effortless task for Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great, who is far Exalted above His creation. He is The Most High with His perfect Essence, dominion, and attributes. To Him belongs absolute and perfect grandeur in terms of Essence and Omnipotence.
Satan further said to him, '(If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no devil will come near you till morning. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and he ﷺ said: "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar,” and this is a very beautiful conclusion, because when he (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed his truthfulness in this regard, it gave an illusion of praise, and therefore he ﷺ corrected such an impression with a wording that indicates exaggerated untruthfulness, reflected in the Arabic intensive adjective Kadhoob (i.e., habitual liar).
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ clarified to Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that this prisoner to whom he was talking these three nights was Satan.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) and that it protects those who recite it from the devils.
It is also deduced therefrom that an appointed agent is only entitled to dispose of what is delegated property with the permission of the owner of the property (i.e., principal).
It is also inferred that the Jinn appear to people in human form and talk with them.
It is also deduced that the maximum number of pardonable mistakes is three.
It is also inferred that Satan harms whoever fails to recite Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) before sleep.
It is also deduced that whoever is appointed to preserve something is called Wakeel (i.e., trustee).
The hadeeth also underlines that the Jinn may steal and deceive.
It also highlights that it is allowable to seek knowledge from those who did not act on their knowledge..

2312

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once Bilaal brought Barni (i.e., a kind of dates) to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺasked him, "From where have you brought these?" Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I had some inferior type of dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of it for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them." Thereupon the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware! This is definitely Ribaa! This is definitely Ribaa! Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money."
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Commentary :
Dealing with Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) is one of the gravest major sins, and the Laws of Islam has deemed unlawful every sale that is not free of all suspicions of Ribaa, and has deemed permitted all lawful sales that do not involve Ribaa. People in the Pre-Islamic era engaged in sales transactions that heavily involved Ribaa, but Islam rectified these sales and eliminated the traces of Ribaa.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) related that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) once brought Barni, one of the finest kinds of date. The Prophet ﷺasked him about the source of these dates and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “I had some inferior dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of them for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them.” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware!” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Uwwah, a word used to indicate pain and sadness. The Prophet ﷺ used this word to indicate his pain upon hearing of such an act and that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that his act was sheer Ribaa. In fact, this kind of Ribaa is known as Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity). The Prophet ﷺ advised him about the way to avoid Ribaa in this transaction. He ﷺ said: “Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money.” This means that one should sell the poor-quality dates for money, and then buy with it the fine dates that he wants, to avoid charging excess in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities, and thus avoid Ribaa.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Ribaa Al-Fadhl is prohibited.
The hadeeth also highlights that the ruler or leader should assign care to people’s religious affairs, edify those who lack religious knowledge on their religion, and guide them to the way to avail themselves of that which is lawful. Moreover, a follower should also assign care to his leader.
It is inferred therefrom that any transaction that involves Ribaa is invalid.
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2313

‘Amr narrated:
Concerning the Waqf (i.e., endowment) of ‘Umar: It was not sinful of a trustee (of the Waqf) to eat or provide his friends from it, provided he had no intention of collecting fortune (for himself). Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the manager of the trust of ‘Umar and he used to give presents from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah.
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Commentary :
A trustee of someone’s property is enjoined to preserve it and forbidden from wasting and destroying it. The Laws of Islam clarified the permissible ways in which a trustee may avail himself of the (endowed) property entrusted to him.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Dinaar stated regarding the Waqf endowed by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that that a trustee or administrator of the Waqf bears no sin for availing himself of the property under his care reasonably, and availing his friends of it, provided that he does not hold the intention of collecting a fortune for himself.
‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) managed the Waqf of his father and used to offer gifts from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah. It was said that they were the family of ‘Abdullah, Khaalid ibn Usayd ibn Abee Al-‘Aas. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) offered these gifts from the endowed property in compliance with the specified condition; he (may Allah be pleased with him) either availed his friends of it, which is allowable, or preserved his own share (i.e., fees) to gift it to his friends.
It is noteworthy that this is different from the case when one is entrusted with someone’s wealth, other than Waqf, and he disposes of it without the principal’s permission, which is impermissible.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when someone endows a property for the benefit of a specific category of beneficiaries and his own son happens to fit the profile, he is considered one of the specified beneficiaries (and may avail himself of it).
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2320

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
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Commentary :
A Muslim is rewarded for any beneficial action he performs.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ highlighted the virtue of planting and cultivating lands, and that whenever a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and a bird, person, animal, or any living creature that lives on land and in the water, eats therefrom,he would earn a reward for that. The hadeeth made mention of the Muslim in particular, as he would often hold the intention of providing his fellow Muslims with these plants and food to gain physical strength to worship Allah, Exalted is He, and because only a Muslim would earn rewards for such an act. A non-Muslim does not earn rewards for his good and charitable acts and the ultimate reward he may receive is being subjected to lesser punishments (on the Day of Resurrection). He may also receive his reward in the worldly life in the form of worldly gains.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of planting and cultivating lands.
It also urges Muslims to populate the earth, and to make it a better place for people to live, or for the benefit of the coming generations, for the service of whom he earns rewards.

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2321

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
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Commentary :
It is unbecoming of a Muslim to so preoccupy himself with his worldly affairs that he neglects his religious duties. His keenness to secure worldly gains must not surpass his keenness to prepare himself for the Hereafter. When Aboo Umamaah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a plowshare, a tool used for cultivation, and some agricultural equipment, he (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ had said: “There is no house in which such equipment enters except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it.” This means that when such equipment enters a house, preoccupying its people from preparing themselves for the Hereafter and driving them to neglect their religious duties, including partaking in Jihaad, prayer, and Dhikr, Allah, Exalted is He, would afflict them with humiliation.
It is noteworthy that there is contradiction between this hadeeth and the hadeeths reported about the merits of plowing and cultivating. This hadeeth is interpreted as to refer to the one who preoccupies himself with cultivation, causing him to neglect his religious duties and obligations that he is enjoined to observe! Whoever devotes himself entirely to plowing and cultivating lands, neglecting his other loftier pursuits, will be afflicted with humiliation.
The reference to humiliation here means their commitments to pay the taxes charged by the governors for their land. In the beginning, only Ahl Al-Dhimmah (i.e., free non-Muslim subjects living under Muslim rule) worked in cultivation and agriculture, and therefore the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) disliked to take this line of career. It was also said that this hadeeth urges Muslims to aspire to loftier pursuits, and seek other superior means to earn a living.
The apparent meaning of the hadeeth’s wording seemingly indicates that working in cultivation and agriculture begets humiliation, and this is not true. Rather, engaging in cultivation, agriculture, and tending to one’s property are all recommended and rewardable acts, being of benefit topeople, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said this hadeeth to warn the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) against preoccupying themselves with professions from partaking in Jihaad. Had they given up Jihaad, the disbelievers would have overpowered them, and this would have been the ultimate humiliation that may befall Muslims, to be overpowered by the disbelievers and lose their wealth, womenfolk, and children to them, and ultimately their lives!
It was also said that the hadeeth referred to those settled near enemy borders in particular. If these Muslims preoccupied themselves with cultivation rather than chivalry and horse-riding (i.e., military preparations for Jihaad), their enemies would belittle their strength and dominatethem. Therefore, it is becoming of such people to keenly master chivalry and horse-riding (in preparation for Jihaad),and they should be aided with the needed supplies and equipment by their fellow Muslims.
The hadeeth warns against preoccupying oneself with worldly pursuits from preparing oneself for the Hereafter.

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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

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
.

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
.

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
.

‘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

‘Aasim narrated: I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house." .

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf." .

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him." .

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it." .

‘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..

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
.

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
.

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
.