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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
677
It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith came to us – in this mosque of ours – and said: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray; I pray as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray. I said to Abi Qilabah: How did he pray? He said: Like this shaykh of ours – referring to an old man who used to pause briefly when he lifted his head from prostration, before getting up after the first rak‘ah..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their primary concern and first priority.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Jarmi al-Basri narrates that the Sahabi Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) came to them in their mosques to teach them in a practical manner how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said that the mosque referred to was the mosque of Basra, where he was living. Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with them) said to them: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray. In other words, I do not intend to offer any specific prayer when I lead you in prayer now. It was said that what was meant was: my intention is not to lead you in prayer; rather my intention is to teach you by leading you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray, so that I may teach you how he prayed through actions, and not through words. The intention of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) was to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and when he taught them that, it was not the time for any particular prayer, and he was not intending to lead them in prayer; rather it was a voluntary prayer that he did with the intention of teaching, and it was not an obligatory or Sunnah prayer.
This report was narrated elsewhere by al-Bukhari, in which Abu Qilabah described in detail how Malik ibn al-Huwayrith prayed. He said: He stood, standing fully upright, then he bowed and bowed fully. Then he raised his head, stood up and paused; what is meant is that he stood up straight, then he bowed and made his back level, so that if water were poured on his back, it would remain there, as it says in the hadith of Wabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to his previous posture as it had been before he bowed, then he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who is the one who narrated the hadith from him – when he asked him how he prayed, that the prayer of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it looked, the prayer as it was done by their shaykh. Here he was referring to the Sahabi Abu Burayd ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, who was a very old man. He used to sit briefly during the prayer, after doing the prostration of the first rak‘ah, before standing up for the second rak‘ah. This brief sitting is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (sitting of rest). Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly stated in another hadith that is narrated by al-Bukhari that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying and sitting briefly to rest in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer, when he finished the first rak‘ah before getting up for the second, and when he finished the third before getting up for the fourth. It was said that this brief sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be very brief.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to teach and learn.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to sit briefly to rest in the prayer (jalsat al-istirahah)..

680
It was narrated that al-Zuhri said: Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari – who followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), served him and accompanied him – told me that Abu Bakr was leading them in prayer during the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, whilst they were standing in rows and praying, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching us as he was standing, as if his face were a page of a Mus-haf. Then he smiled cheerfully, and we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr stepped backwards, towards the row, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to lead the prayer. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, [saying]: complete your prayer, and he let the curtain drop. And he died on that day..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who had the greatest knowledge of the high status and position of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They loved him greatly and always observed proper etiquette with him; they were keen to be with him, show respect to him and be close to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They never felt such grief and sorrow as they did when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed away.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque during the final illness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, when they were standing in rows and praying Fajr, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching them as he was standing, as if his face were the page of a Mus-haf, because of the softness and clarity of his skin, and his radiant beauty. Then he smiled cheerfully, rejoicing at their gathering to pray and their unity and adherence to the teachings of Islam.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped backwards to join the row, moving back from the place of the imam to join the congregation, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to pray. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, telling us to stay where we were and complete the prayer, and he let the curtain drop. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died on that day. That happened in Rabi‘ al-Awwal 10 AH, when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sixty-three years old. That was the greatest calamity that ever befell the Muslims, when their noble Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s concern for the prayer and the Muslims, even on the last day of his life in this world.
It identifies the date on which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, and confirms that it was a Monday.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that he was the most qualified of them to succeed him as caliph..

683
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer during his sickness, so he would lead them in prayer. ‘Urwah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, and saw Abu Bakr leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him, he moved backwards, but [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] gestured to him [saying]: Stay where you are. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down in line with Abu Bakr, next to him, so Abu Bakr was following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr..

Commentary : Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most deserving of the Muslims to be the successor (caliph) of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after his death, regardless of the objections of the objectors and the extreme innovators. There is a great deal of evidence and proof from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning this matter, including this hadith. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell sick, he instructed Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to succeed him in leaving the Muslims in prayer. This was an indication from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as to who was most deserving of succeeding him and most deserving and capable of continuing his mission. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better and felt able to come out to the prayer, he came out, at a time when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, he wanted to move back for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him, telling him to stay where he was. Then he sat in line with him, not ahead of him and not behind him. So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the imam, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was following the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was standing and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting, and the people were also standing, following the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice, as he was so weak. Thus they were following Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his prayer. And it was said that in fact the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was an imam for Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr was an imam for the people standing behind him, so that prayer had two imams. Based on that, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed as an imam whilst sitting, when the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith provides evidence that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the most deserving of being his successor (caliph).
It indicates that it is permissible to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the proper etiquette with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is permissible for the imam to stop leading the prayer and start following someone else, without interrupting his prayer.
It also encourages the Muslim to regularly attend the prayers in congregation..

687
It was narrated that ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah said: I went to ‘A’ishah and said: Tell me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). She said: Yes; the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) became very ill, and he said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So we did that, and he washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” Then he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. The people were still in the mosque, waiting for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to Abu Bakr, telling him to lead the people in prayer. The messenger came [to Abu Bakr] and said: The Messenger of Allah is instructing you to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr – who was a tenderhearted man – said: O ‘Umar, lead the people in prayer. But ‘Umar said to him: You are more deserving of that. So Abu Bakr led the people in prayer during those days. Then later on, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, supported by two men – one of whom was al-‘Abbas – to pray Zuhr, when Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he wanted to step back, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him not to step back. He said: “Seat me next to him,” so they seated him next to Abu Bakr. Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting. ‘Ubaydullah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he did not object to anything, except that he said: Did she tell you the name of the man who was with al-‘Abbas? I said: No. He said: He was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)..

Commentary : The greatest calamity that befell the Muslims was the death of their Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). There were several lessons in the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as well as rulings and advice to the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of the condition of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during his final sickness. That was when the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah asked her to tell him about it. So she told him that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) grew very sick, he asked: Have the people prayed, or are they still waiting? It was said to him: They are waiting for you. So he said to them: Put some water in the tub for me. The word translated here as tub refers to a vessel in which water was put for washing clothes. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) washed himself, but when he wanted to get up, he fainted. Fainting is possible in the case of the Prophets (peace be upon them all), because it is a kind of sickness, and it is akin to sleep. This is in contrast to insanity, which is loss of reasoning, and is not possible in the case of the Prophets. That happened to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) three times; he asked whether the people had prayed, then he washed himself, then he fainted when he wanted to stand up. When he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came round the fourth time, he asked: Have the people prayed? He was told that they had gathered and were waiting in the mosque; the people were sitting and waiting for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent a messenger to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), instructing him to lead the people in prayer. The fact that he sent word to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) instructing him to take his place and lead the prayer highlighted the virtue and seniority of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and was an indication that he was most deserving of being his successor (caliph), because leading the prayer is the job of the caliph. When the messenger sent by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Abu Bakr and told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was instructing him to lead the people in prayer, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was a man who wept a great deal and felt very emotional when praying – said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Lead the people in prayer. It was as if Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) understood that the Prophet’s instruction to him regarding the prayer only meant that someone should lead the prayer, not that it was he himself who was specifically being instructed to lead the prayer. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know what had happened between the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his wives with regard to the issue of ‘Umar leading the prayer instead of Abu Bakr, and that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had insisted that Abu Bakr should lead the prayer, as is mentioned in another report. Otherwise, he would not have tried to delegate the leading of prayer to ‘Umar. But ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You are more deserving of that, because of the instructions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went and led the people in prayer for several days when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sick.
Moreover, on one of the days of his sickness, when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in Zuhr prayer, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, and felt able to go out, so he came out, supported by two men, because he was so weak. Those two men were ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them). When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, meaning that he realized that he was there when he heard his voice – and it may be that he turned around when he heard the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – he wanted to move back, so that he could pray in the row behind him as one of the congregation. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him that he should not move back, and he should stay where he was, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down next to him. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) followed the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice. Thus the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the prayer as an imam whilst he was sitting, and the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he approved of everything that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had said, and did not object to anything of it, except that he asked: Did ‘A’ishah tell you the name of the second man on whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was leaning, besides al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him)? ‘Ubaydullah said to him: No, she did not tell me his name. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said that he was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to follow the more difficult option, even if there is a concession [allowing an easier option].
It indicates that it is prescribed to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the importance of praying in congregation.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was the most deserving of them to be his successor (caliph); it also indicates that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was next to him in virtue.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is of lower status to discuss instructions given to him by one who is higher in status.
It highlights the etiquette that is to be observed when dealing with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back, because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

688
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell. He prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, but he gestured to them that they should sit down. When he finished his prayer, he said: “The imam has only been appointed to be followed, so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise; and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting.”.

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell and recovering after falling from his horse, as is mentioned in the report of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated in al-Sahihayn. At that time he was not able to stand, because of his injury, so he prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, so whilst he was praying, he gestured to them to sit down. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he said: The imam is only appointed to be followed in his actions in the prayer, therefore it is not appropriate to differ from him by doing actions before him or being too slow in following him. “so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise” – that is, follow him when he bows and rises from bowing, and in all the actions of the prayer. The word fa, translated here as “then”, indicates that these actions should be done straight after the imam does them, and that the one who is praying behind the imam should not do them before the imam; rather every action that the one who is praying behind the imam does should be done straight after the imam does it. And if the imam prays sitting, then those praying behind him should pray sitting like him. This indicates that following the imam also includes praying sitting, if the imam prays sitting. However, in the hadith of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the final sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the authenticity of which is agreed upon, it says that he led the prayer sitting whilst the people were standing behind him: “…Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting…”
The response to this apparent discrepancy is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
In this hadith, there is the command to follow the imam and not to do any of the actions of the prayer before him, or to differ from him.
It indicates that it is permissible to make gestures and small movements, if necessary, whilst praying..

690
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid said: al-Bara’ – who is not a liar – told me: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),” none of us would bend down [to prostrate] until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prostrated fully, then we would prostrate after him..

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) applied this rule when praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as is described in this hadith, in which al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) raised his head from bowing and said, “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),” and those who were praying behind him stood up straight after bowing, they would remain standing, and none of them would bend down to prostrate or hasten to prostrate until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prostrated fully, by placing his forehead on the ground. Then they would prostrate after him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

691
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Doesn’t one of you fear – or wouldn’t one of you fear – if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey? Or Allah will turn his form into that of a donkey.”.

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warns those who pray behind a imam against failing to follow their imam and raising their heads before the imam raises his head after bowing. He warns the one who does that that Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey, as he said: “Doesn’t one of you fear, if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey? Or He will turn his form into that of a donkey.”
This is a question by way of rebuke and denunciation. It may be that the meaning is metaphorical, because the donkey is renowned for stupidity, and it is as if the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was describing the one who does that as being stupid and lacking in understanding, or warning him that he could be deprived of the blessing of understanding, so he will be like a donkey. Or it may be that the meaning is as it appears to be, so Allah would turn his head into the head of a donkey in a real sense. This is a stern warning and deterrent against failing to follow the imam and doing the actions of prayer before him.
This prayer indicates that it is prohibited to do the actions of prayer before the imam.
It also contains a stern warning to the one who raises his head before the imam does..

692
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: When the first Muhajirin came to al-‘Usbah – a place in Quba’ – before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had more knowledge of Qur’an than any of them..

Commentary : In Islam, no one has superiority over anyone else except in terms of taqwa (righteousness, fear of Allah). Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you} [al-Hujurat 49:13]. It is only on the basis of righteous deeds that one Muslim may be superior to another. The one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us. If a man has more knowledge of the Qur’an than anyone else present, then he has more right to lead the prayer. So no attention should be paid to race, colour, lineage or position. This hadith is the most eloquent proof of that. In it, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Muhajirin (migrants) from Makkah came to al-‘Usbah, which is a place near Quba’ in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, approximately two miles south of it, before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to Madinah, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had the most knowledge of Qur’an, meaning that he had memorized more Qur’an. Salim had been a slave belonging to a woman, then he was manumitted, but that did not prevent him from leading the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayer, because he had memorized more of the Qur’an than the others. Salim had memorized Qur’an from the Sahabah whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had sent to the believers in Madinah to teach them the Qur’an and Islam, such as Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr and others. Salim was not in fact a freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah ibn ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah – who was one of the earliest to become Muslim; rather Salim was the freed slave of a woman of the Ansar who had manumitted him. But he was called the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah because he stayed close to him after he was manumitted, and Abu Hudhayfah had adopted him. Then when the prohibition of adoption was revealed, he continued to be known as the freed slave (mawla) of Abu Hudhayfah.
This hadith indicates that the one who has memorized the most Qur’an is the most deserving of leading the prayer..

693
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslim to obey those in authority with regard to what is right and proper, but not what is wrong and sinful, because of the serious bad consequences that result from rebelling against them. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against disobedience to those in authority and creating division among the Muslims.
This hadith highlights that, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.” In other words, if the one who is appointed to rule you is a man from Ethiopia with a head like a raisin – referring to his black colour and curly hair; this serves to point out that people would usually scorn such a person. What is meant is that the believer must obey the ruler and whomever the ruler appoints in charge of his affairs (as a governor, for example), no matter what his race or colour, so long as he rules the people in accordance with the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as is mentioned in another report in Sahih Muslim. That is, so long as he adheres to Islam and calls the people to the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), regardless of what he looks like, his level of religious commitment and his manners, provided that he does not enjoin the people to disobey Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

694
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “They lead you in prayer, so if they do the right thing, you will be granted the reward, and if they make mistakes, you will be granted the reward and the burden of sin will be on them.”.

Commentary : As the Muslims are instructed to obey their leaders and emulate them in that which does not involve disobedience to Allah (may He be exalted), whether they are leaders in the sense of rulers and caliphs, or leaders who lead the people in prayer, it is only fair that the Muslim should not be held to account for mistakes made by his leader, because he has done what is required of him, which is following the leader, provided that no sin is involved. Hence in this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains to those who pray behind an imam that when the leaders pray, they either pray properly, or they make mistakes in the prayer. If they do the prayer properly, as it should be done, then both they and those who pray behind them will have the reward for that, but if they make mistakes and do not lead the prayer properly, as it should be done, then the burden of sin for the mistakes they have made is theirs alone, and those who pray behind them will have the reward of the prayer.
What is meant by mistake here is not that which is done deliberately, for if a person makes a mistake that is beyond his control, he will not be held to account for it. Rather what is meant by mistake here is the opposite of that which is right and proper, such as introducing an innovation that was not enjoined by Allah, or deliberately going against what Allah has enjoined, on the basis of whims and desires, and so on.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to pray behind any Muslim, whether he is a righteous man or an evildoer..

695
It was narrated from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn Khiyar that he went to ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) – when he was under siege – and said: You are the ruler [and caliph], and we see what calamity has befallen you. The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil), and we feel uncomfortable [praying behind him]. ‘Uthman said: Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing..

Commentary : This hadith testifies to the fair-mindedness of the wronged leader, the Commander of the Faithful, Dhu’l-Nurayn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). When he was besieged in his house at the time of fitnah (turmoil) and the leaders of the fitnah besieged him and wanted to depose him wrongfully, on the basis of fabrications and lies, the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn al-Khiyar said to him: You are the ruler and head of state, so you are the caliph and in the position of greater leadership, and he told him that the people were being led in prayer by an imam who was one of the leaders of fitnah and troubles, and wanted to depose him. It was said that this man was ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays al-Balawi, who is the one who brought the people of Egypt to rebel against ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him); he died in 36 AH.  And it was said that Kinanah ibn Bishr, one of the leaders of the Kharijites, also led the people in prayer. When these people attacked Madinah, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) used to go out and lead the people in prayer, and he continued to do this for a month, then he went out one day and they threw stones at him, which caused him to fall from the minbar, and he was not able to lead the prayer on that day, so Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf led them in prayer. Then they stopped him from doing that, so they were led in prayer sometimes by ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays and sometimes by Kinanah ibn Bishr, and continued to do this for ten days. They were the ones of whom it was said that they were the imams of fitnah. At this time, some of the senior Sahabah – such as Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and others – also led the people in prayer. These noble individuals (may Allah be pleased with them) cannot be described as promoters of fitnah, for they led the prayers with the permission of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), and they did not withdraw their allegiance and obedience to him. They continued to defend him until he died (may Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased).
When ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy, he replied by stating that prayer is the best deed that these people could do. This does not mean that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was praising the promoters and leaders of fitnah; rather the apparent meaning of ‘Uthman’s words suggests that he was granting a concession allowing the people to pray with them, as if he was saying: the fact that they are misguided people who are involved in fitnah will not harm you; if they do good, then go along with them in doing good, and if they do wrong – because they became involved in fitnah or introduced innovations – this will not harm the one who prays behind them, because he is following them in their prayers, but denouncing and rejecting what they have brought of fitnah and innovation.
It was said that what is meant by the words of ‘Ubaydullah, “The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil)”  is that someone other than their regular imam was leading them in prayer at the time of fitnah, not that that imam was calling them to fitnah and striving for this purpose. This is indicated by the words of ‘Uthman, “Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing.” He did not speak ill of the one who was leading them in prayer, and stated that his action (prayer) was among the best of deeds, whilst warning ‘Ubaydullah not to get involved in the fitnah.
This hadith indicates that praying behind one whom you do not like to pray behind is better than stopping prayer in congregation altogether.
It also contains a warning against fitnah (turmoil) and becoming involved in it, and against everything that is denounceable, whether it be words, deeds or beliefs..

698
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I slept at Maymunah’s house, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night. He did wudu’, then he stood and prayed, and I stood on his left. He took hold of me and put me on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. Then he went to sleep, until he was breathing heavily, for when he slept he would breathe heavily. Then the mu’adhdhin came to him, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again..

Commentary : Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was an intelligent boy who was highly motivated with regard to both worship and seeking knowledge. Signs of brilliance appeared in him from an early age, and he was keen to be close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learn from him.
In this hadith, he (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he stayed overnight in the house of his maternal aunt, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night, and Ibn ‘Abbas described for us what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that night. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, then he got up and did wudu’, then he stood up and prayed qiyam al-layl (voluntary prayers at night). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also got up, and did the same as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he stood on his left. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took hold of him and make him stand on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. This is the number of rak‘ahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed on that night. There are other reports which speak of him praying different numbers of rak‘ahs in qiyam; it was narrated that he prayed seven, nine and eleven rak‘ahs. The differences may be understood as referring to different times and situations. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, and began to breathe so heavily that the sound of it could be heard, which is something that happens to some people when they sleep, and it is not blameworthy or odd. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, he usually breathed heavily. Then Bilal came to him to tell him that it was time to pray Fajr, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again, because the Prophet’s eyes slept but his heart did not sleep, so his wudu’ could not be invalidated, because his heart was awake.
This hadith indicates that a young boy may visit and sleep in the houses of his relatives and female mahrams.
It highlights where the one who is praying behind an imam should stand in relation to the imam if only the two of them are praying; the one who is following the imam should stand on his right.
It indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep and did not renew his wudu’ for prayer after having slept. This is because his eyes would sleep but his heart did not sleep.
It also indicates that it is permissible to offer supererogatory prayers in congregation..

703
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it brief, for among them are the weak, the sick and the elderly. But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator for his companions and his ummah after him. He would choose for the people what would be best for them and for others, in both religious and worldly matters. He used to make things easy for the people with regard to worship, especially the prayer, so that people would not be put off and become bored or tired. One example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised imams to pay attention to the situation of worshippers when praying. Hence he said to them: When one of you leads the people in prayer as an imam, let him make it brief – that is, with regard to the recitation, bowing and prostrating. The reason for instructing them to make it brief is that among the worshippers there are those who are physically weak or sick, elderly people, and others who have excuses. These people cannot endure a lengthy prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes, because he knows what he is able to do, and he is able to cut it short if he becomes too tired and the like. This is in contrast to those who are praying behind an imam, for they are detained, as it were, behind the imam until he finishes the prayer.
This hadith highlights how Islamic teachings pay attention to people’s situation and how much energy they have when doing acts of worship. It also highlights the fact that Islam is a religion of ease..

706
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make his prayers brief yet he would do them perfectly and properly. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) describes the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he led the people in prayer. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This is what is referred to in the other report, which says that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the briefest of people in offering prayer, yet it was perfect and complete. This is what is required of the imam: he should make the prayer brief, because he must pay attention to the situation of all the people who are praying behind him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the imam ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As, as we see in the report narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan: “Follow the pace of the weakest of them”; in other words, make your prayer appropriate for the weakest of those who are praying behind you, for there may be among the worshippers those who can endure a lengthy prayer, and others who cannot endure it. Therefore what is required of the imam is to take everyone into consideration by making the prayer brief yet complete and perfect. But when a person is praying on his own, he may make the prayer as long as he wishes, because he knows himself best and what he is able to do.
This hadith urges the imam to show kindness to those who are praying behind him, and to make the prayer brief, without detracting from the perfection of the prayer..

708
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: I never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If he heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief for fear that the child’s mother would be troubled..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This was out of consideration on his part for people’s situations.
Then Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) gave an example of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would cut the prayer short out of consideration for the needs of those who were praying behind him. He said: If the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief, by reciting a short surah, lest the child’s mother be distracted from her prayer, because she would be growing anxious about her child crying.
This hadith urges imams to show kindness to those who are praying behind him and to take their situations into consideration, and not cause them any undue hardship.
It also indicates that the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most perfect prayer, and that the worshipper should be keen to make his prayer like the Prophet’s prayer, so that he will be following his example and thus earn great reward. .

1552
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered an orchard upon ’Umm Ma‘bad and said: O ’Umm Ma‘bad, who planted these palm trees, a Muslim or a disbeliever? She said: Rather, a Muslim. He said: No Muslim plants a plant wherefrom a man, an animal, or a bird eats except that it will be counted for him as a charity until the Day of Judgment..

Commentary : Islam has encouraged all types of righteous and good acts and has made them worthy of reward and recompense. One of these righteous acts promoted by Islam is doing whatever entails goodness and benefit for human beings and animals.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered "an orchard," i.e., a garden of palm trees, and ’Umm Ma‘bad was in that orchard. It is said: She is the wife of Zayd ibn Hārithah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked her about the one who planted the palm trees in that orchard, whether he was a Muslim or a disbeliever. She informed him that the one who planted it was a Muslim. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No Muslim plants a plant," i.e., cultivates plants, "wherefrom a man, an animal, or a bird eats" he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned them in general to include all living beings in the sea and on land, "except that it will be counted for him as a charity until the Day of Judgment" because of eating from what he has planted, as long as the benefit of such plants remains even if it remains until the Day of Judgment. The Muslim was mentioned in particular because he mostly plants with the intention that Muslims would gain strength from the fruits of such a plant to worship Allah Almighty and because the Muslim is the one who gets a reward. In contrast, the disbeliever does not get a reward for his good deeds, which might only alleviate his punishment, or he might be provided with food and thus be repaid in this world.
The Hadīth indicates that rewards in the Hereafter for good deeds are exclusive to Muslims and not for the disbelievers.
It also points out the merit of agriculture and cultivation given their effect in populating the earth and benefitting all creatures.
It encourages the construction of earth so that man himself can live or those who come after him on account of whom he gets rewarded..

1553
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: When - [another version reads]: if - you sell your brother some fruit and it is stricken by a calamity, it is unlawful for you to take anything from him. How can you take your brother's money unjustly?!.

Commentary : Islam is keen on protecting and maintaining rights, and such keenness is manifest in its warning against taking people's rights unjustly and its severe threat against whoever transgresses or violates such a prohibition.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies that if someone buys fruits from his Muslim brother, the form of this sale is to buy the fruits while still on the trees or while still in the seller's possession and not yet delivered to the buyer, then, the fruits are stricken by a calamity, which is a disaster or blight that overruns the fruits, causing their destruction and ruin. In this case, it will not be lawful for the seller, who is the owner of the fruits, to take anything from the buyer. How could he take his brother's money when the fruits are damaged and stricken by blight and calamity that prevented benefiting from them?! No one should take his brother's money wrongfully because when the fruits are spoilt, there is nothing left for the buyer in return for what he has paid. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling fruits before they seem in good condition and ripen - as mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections - since rulings are based on what is predominant.
In the version mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "What is its good condition? He said: Till there is no danger of blight," and it turns out as desired as when it appears to be ripe, for only then, it is safe from disease, which is the blight..

1554
Jābir reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that calamities should be remitted..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) established the pillars of society upon mercy and solidarity, knowing that if financial transactions are not based on justice, they will lead to the spread of oppression and the transgressing of rights among people.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that Jawā’ih (calamities), plural of 'jā’ihah', which is the blight that affects fruits and leads to their eradication, should be remitted. This refers to every prevalent spoiler like rain, snow, locusts, wind, or fire. This means: If fruits are sold after seeming to be in good condition and were then hit by some calamity, the loss is to be suffered by the owner, not the buyer. In a version by Muslim: "If you sell your brother some fruit and it is stricken by a calamity, it is unlawful for you to take anything from him. How can you take your brother's money unjustly?!" This means: None of you should take his brother's money wrongfully because something predominant has overwhelmed the fruits without any negligence on the buyer's part. Therefore, the seller should not require him to pay for what Allah has damaged before he took possession of it in the usual manner, and because when the fruits are spoilt, there is nothing left for the buyer in return for what he has paid..

1556
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: At the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a man suffered a loss in fruits he had purchased, and his debts increased. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Give him charity." So, the people gave him charity, but that was not enough to repay his debt in full. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his creditors: "Take what you find, and that is all you may have.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) established the pillars of society upon mercy and solidarity. He used to urge creditors to reduce the debt for the debtor who was afflicted by some calamity that ruined his property, be it fruits, cash, assets, or anything else. Therefore, it became part of the Muslim's attitude to constantly seek to fulfill his Muslim brother's need, especially in times of calamities and misfortunes.
In this Hadīth, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that at the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), a man's fruits, which he purchased but had not paid for yet, suffered blight that caused them damage, thereby his debts increased. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded people to give him charity so he can repay his debt. In obedience to the Prophet's command, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) gave the man charity; however, what he took from people was not enough to settle his debt because it was huge, and there still remained an unsettled part thereof. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), thus, ordered the creditors - those to whom the debt was owed - to take what they found with him from the remaining fruits that could still be useful in addition to what he got from charity. His saying: "and that is all you may have," i.e., you should not ask for what is left of the debt and what he is not able to repay. It was said: That is all you may have because he is currently bankrupt and should be given respite until it is easy for him to pay it back, as Allah Almighty says: {If the debtor is in hardship, give him respite until it is easy for him to pay [the debt] back.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 280]
The Hadīth denotes that whatever the bankrupt still has, should be taken according to its assessed price. He should not be imprisoned or rebuked; rather, he should be given respite until it is easy for him to pay back, then he could settle his debts.
It also shows the merit of consoling the needy and the indebted, and it encourages the act of giving them charity..

1563
‘Abdullah ibn Abi Qatādah reported: Abu Qatādah went looking for his debtor, who hid from him. Then, when he found him, he (the debtor) said: "I am insolvent." Thereupon he said: "By Allah?" He said: "By Allah." So, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whoever is pleased to be saved by Allah from the anguish of the Day of Judgment, let him give an insolvent respite or grant him remission.'".

Commentary : Islam is keen on providing treatment for evil human tendencies in transactions, as it is keen on solving disputes between people through tolerance and facilitation in fulfilling financial rights.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Qatādah reports that his father, Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him), "went looking for his debtor," and the debtor is the person who owes money to someone else. The debtor hid from Abu Qatādah when he was searching for him, and when Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) found him, the debtor said to him: "I am insolvent," and I have no money to repay your debt. So, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him by Allah if he really did not have money, and the debtor swore by Allah that he was telling the truth.
Thereupon, Abu Qatādah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "'Whoever is pleased," i.e., glad "to be saved by Allah from the anguish of the Day of Judgment," "Karb" (anguish) means distress and poverty, and "the Karb of the Day of Judgment" means: its hardships and horrors. "Let him give the insolvent respite," i.e., postpone or delay the demand for payment for one who failed to repay it on time. "Or grant him remission," i.e., reduce the debt or cancel it, as Allah Almighty says: {If the debtor is in hardship, give him respite until it is easy for him to pay [the debt] back. But if you waive it as charity, that is better for you.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 280]
The Hadīth encourages the act of giving the insolvent person respite or canceling his debt..

1565
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the selling of a camel's copulation, selling water and land for cultivation. This is what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade..

Commentary : There are some natural resources that man cannot dispense with and that are beneficial for all people. If such resources are unavailable, man will perish. Hence, they have been made common among Muslims. Moreover, one may possess what others cannot dispense with, and he may possess something without exerting effort, something that Allah has bestowed upon him, and it could exceed his need, and giving out this surplus is a manifestation of noble morals.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the selling of a camel's copulation. In a version by Al-Bukhāri, Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: "The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the stud fees of a stallion," which is the fee taken for the copulation of a male animal, whether a horse, camel, ram, etc. Its form: When someone gives his stud to someone else who owns females and keeps it with him until the stud mates with the females for a fee in return, or when the owner of the females brings them to the owner of the stud and leaves them with him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade this. It is said that because it is ambiguous and uncertain whether it will be of benefit or not and whether the female will or will not be inseminated, it is presumable and involves uncertainty. Or the prohibition could be interpreted as a way of encouraging noble morals and recommending lending it without a return so animals would reproduce abundantly. This is something that Muslims should be willing to grant each other because it is one type of simple assistance that leads to the dominance of the spirit of cooperation and solidarity among people. In the Hadīth of Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) in At-Tirmidhi Collection, he reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) granted a concession in the honorarium, i.e., the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the acceptance of a gift given by the female owner as an honorarium, not as a compensation.
He also forbade selling water. It is said: The prohibition is general, as water should not be sold to Muslims given the fact that it is from their life necessities. In another version by Muslim, the prohibition has to do with "selling excess water," which is the water exceeding the need of the well owner, his children, cattle, and crops. In the two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not withhold excess water to prevent thereby excess herbage," which is the grass. This means: When a man owns a well in the desert and it has water that exceeds his needs and there is grass that has no other source of water except this water, the cattle owner cannot graze it unless they are watered from this well, in this case, it is unlawful for him to withhold this excess water from the cattle and he has to give it out without compensation.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade land for cultivation, i.e., leasing it for cultivation. This is when a man gives his land to someone to cultivate in return for taking a share of his produce. This has many forms, as the Companions used to cultivate the land in return for one-third, one-fourth, or half its fruits during the lifetime of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the two Sahīh Collections and Musnad of Ahmad Collection - and this is the wording of Ahmad - Hanzhalah ibn Qays reported that Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade leasing farms. He said: I said: Even if it is in return for gold and silver? He said: No, but he forbade it in return for part of its produce, but in return for gold and silver, there is no harm in it." In a version by Muslim: "As for something known and guaranteed, there is nothing wrong with it." This Hadīth indicates that what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden was something clearly evil, namely the unfair and unjust Muzāra‘ah (sharecropping). This is why he prohibited it; however, there is nothing wrong with something known and guaranteed in dinar and dirham, as mentioned in the Hadīths and narrations.
The Hadīth encourages the act of giving excess water for free without demanding compensation..

1568
Rāfi‘ ibn Kahdīj reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The price of a sold dog is evil, the earning of a prostitute is evil, and the earning of a cupper is evil.".

Commentary : Allah has made what is good lawful for His slaves and has made unlawful for them whatever is evil from among food, drink, gains, trade, etc. Shariah has also urged Muslims to have self-esteem and to look down on lowly things.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The price of a sold dog is evil," i.e., unlawful. This means that the price of selling or buying it or what is earned from that is ill-gotten money because it is prohibited to own or raise dogs except for dogs that are used in guarding livestock or farming. It is said: This is a general ruling, whether it is trained to hunt or untrained, and whether it is permissible to keep it or not. It is also said: The dog used in guarding and hunting is an exception because it is useful, as mentioned in the Sunan At-Tirmidhi Collection from the Hadīth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Except for the hunting dog." The version of Ad-Dāraqutni reads: "Except for the dog trained to hunt," which is the one accustomed to hunting. It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the price of the dog except for the dog that is permitted to be kept for a certain benefit, or perhaps the prohibition of the dog's price was at the beginning of Islam. Then it was abrogated later, and it became permissible to use it in hunting and, thus became like all the birds of prey in terms of the permissibility of selling it.
Likewise, the money the adulteress takes in return for adultery and for giving herself to a foreign man is unlawful because adultery is unlawful, and the money gained therefrom is unlawful. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called it "dowry" because it takes the form of a dowry, as it is paid in return for being allowed by the woman to have intercourse with her. In the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, they used to force their slave girls to commit adultery and take it as a means of earning money. But Islam criticized this, as Allah Almighty says: {Do not compel your slave girls into prostitution – if they wish to keep chaste – seeking the worldly gains of this life. But if anyone compels them, then Allah, after such a compulsion, is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Surat an-Nūr: 33]
"And the earnings of a cupper are evil." "Hajjām" (cupper) is the one making Hijāmah (cupping), which means drawing blood from veins and removing the bad blood from the body. Being an evil earning does not mean it is unlawful because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had Hijāmah made for him and he paid the cupper a fee, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections from the Hadīth of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father). Had it been unlawful, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not have given him. So, the Hadīths that forbid the cupper's earnings and clearly state that they are evil are interpreted in the sense of encouraging the act of keeping away from and rising above this means of earning and promoting good morals and noble things. Or perhaps the prohibition was at the beginning of Islam, then it was abrogated. So, when he gave the cupper his fee, this abrogated the previous ruling..

1572
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to kill dogs; even when a woman brought her dog along with her from the desert, we used to kill it. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing them and said: Restrict yourselves to the pitch-black one that has two spots, for it is a devil..

Commentary : The pure Shariah has regulated the rulings of everything even animals, which include dogs. The Shariah has determined the way of benefiting from them and has clarified the rulings of what is lawful and unlawful regarding them.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to kill all dogs without any exception, to the extent that even when a woman came from the Bādiyah, which is the desert, bringing along her dog that would guard her and accompany her, we used to kill it in response to the Prophet's command. Afterwards, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing dogs except for the pitch-black dog, the one that is totally black, "that has two spots," i.e., the two white spots above his eyes, as this dog is to be killed. His saying: "For it is a devil", means either in the true sense of the word for being pure harm that is void of any benefit or it is far from being beneficial and close to being harmful and detrimental, which is the case with the devil. So, this is a simile where the black dog is likened to the devil given its malice and because the black dog is the worst of dogs, the least in benefit, the most harmful, and the most mordacious.
It was authentically reported in other Hadīths that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing dogs except for the mordacious dog that hurts people, which should be killed, as mentioned in the Hadīth of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the two Sahīh Collections: "Five animals are all vicious and harmful and are to be killed inside the Sacred Precincts: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse, and the mordacious dog."
In this Hadīth and similar ones, there is a prohibition of killing dogs, apart from those excluded, which are kept for benefiting from them in guarding, hunting, etc. It is said: Rather, he commanded killing them at first because people were so accustomed to having them, and dogs used to share with them their utensils. So, he wanted to wean them off that and, thus, gave the command of killing. However, when the idea of their filthiness and keeping them away became firmly established in themselves, he forbade this. Such a prohibition abrogated that command. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing all dogs, even jet-black dogs, except for the harmful and aggressive ones..

1578
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivering a sermon in Madīnah saying: "O People, Allah Almighty is alluding to intoxicants, and perhaps Allah will send down a ruling regarding it. So, whoever has some of it, let him sell it and benefit from it." He said: Only a short while after that, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah Almighty has forbidden intoxicants. Whoever knew this verse and had some of it, let him neither drink it nor sell it." He said: The people received this (prohibition) and came out into the street of Madīnah with what they had and poured it all out..

Commentary : Advising common people regarding their religious and worldly affairs is necessary, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the keenest on offering his Ummah advice on their religious and worldly affairs.
In this Hadīth, Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) felt that intoxicants would be prohibited - as it was lawful at first - he advised them to hasten to benefit from it. He addressed his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in a sermon that he delivered in Madīnah saying: "O People, Allah Almighty is alluding to intoxicants," i.e., He is mentioning it without prohibiting it or making it unlawful, in reference to the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say, “In both, there is a great sin, and some benefits for people, but their sin is far greater than their benefit.”} [Surat al-Baqarah: 219] And His saying: {O you who believe, do not approach the prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 43] The two verses include a reference and a hint that intoxicants will be inevitably prohibited. Hence, as a word of advice, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered his Companions that whoever had something of such intoxicants should either sell it or benefit from it before it is completely prohibited in such a way that would make it impermissible to either sell it or benefit from it. This is because some of them used to work and trade in intoxicants and others used to keep and store them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to protect their properties, and only a short while after the Prophet's advice, Allah revealed the prohibition of intoxicants in His Book saying: {O you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters, and divining arrows are of Satan’s evil work; therefore, avoid such [evil], so that you may be successful.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 90] When it was revealed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that whoever learned about this verse must "neither drink it nor sell it." So, all those who had something of the intoxicants poured it all out in the streets of Madīnah.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) understood from the Prophet's prohibition of its drinking and selling that it must not also be used in any aspect. Hence, they hastened to pour it out and ruin it. Had it contained any permissible benefit, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have called attention to it.
The Hadīth indicates how the ruler should take care of his Ummah's interests, prepare people, and gradually issue rulings, especially concerning matters that are deeply rooted in the society.
It also shows how a true believer hastens to respond to Allah's command..

1579
‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Wa‘lah as-Saba’i (from the people of Egypt) reported: That he asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās about what is squeezed from grapes. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: A man gave the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a waterskin of wine as a gift. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: Did you know that Allah has forbidden it? He said: No. He, then, whispered to another man, so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: What did you whisper to him? He said: I ordered him to sell it. He said: The One Who has forbidden drinking it has forbidden selling it. He said: So, he opened the waterskin and poured out what was in it..

Commentary : Khamr (intoxicants) is the mother of all evils and its harm is far greater than its benefit. A Muslim must by no means drink it. The Shariah has forbidden all forms of Khamr and all forms of benefiting from it.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Wa‘lah narrates that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) about the ruling on the drink extracted from grapes; he was apparently asking about the Khamr derived from grapes. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) informed him that a man gave the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "a waterskin of wine" as a gift. "Rāwiyah" (waterskin): a container made of skin. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: Did you know that Allah Almighty has forbidden it? Perhaps the question was intended to find out about his stance, for if he knew about its prohibition, he would object upon him for giving it as a gift, holding and carrying it, and he would be subject to discretionary punishment. However, when he informed him that he did not know about it, he excused him. It is possible that the man was among those outside Madīnah before the ruling of its prohibition spread. So, the man negated having any knowledge about its prohibition and its unlawfulness. This man whispered secretly to another man beside him without letting the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) hear him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), thus, asked him: "What did you whisper to him?" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about what he whispered only because he probably thought that his words to the other man had to do with this wine, so he wanted to clarify to him the comprehensiveness of the ruling of Khamr and how the prohibition is not just about drinking it as will be clarified later. The man answered the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "I ordered him to sell it." In a version by Ahmad: "The man went to his servant and said: Go and sell it," whereupon, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The One Who has forbidden drinking it has forbidden selling it," so selling it is just as prohibited as drinking it. His saying: "The One," is an indirect reference to the name of Allah Almighty, as if he said: Allah has forbidden drinking it and has forbidden selling it. It could also mean: What required the prohibition of drinking it required the prohibition of selling it, since it could only be wanted for drinking, so, if drinking is forbidden, then the sale is impermissible as it is deemed to be consumption of property wrongfully. So, the man opened the Mazādah - which is the waterskin - and poured out what was in it and got rid of it.
What is apparent from the reporting of Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) is that this Hadīth is an answer to the question of ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Wa‘lah is to make it clear that the prohibition is relevant to whatever is considered Khamr, is intoxicating, and causes one to lose control of his mental faculties, whether it is made from grapes or other things.
The Hadīth highlights the Prophet's good approach of teaching.
It points out the prohibition of selling intoxicants.
It indicates that whoever presents something unlawful as a gift, his gift must not be accepted.
It signifies that whoever commits a sin without knowing about its prohibition incurs no sin and must not be subject to discretionary punishment..

1585
‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not sell a dinar for two dinars or a dirham for two dirhams..

Commentary : Riba (usury) is one of the types of exploitation in transactions. It entails great harm and involves unlawful earnings and taking extra money wrongfully. Therefore, it has been prohibited in all the laws that have been revealed. Riba has various types, all of which are prohibited. Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus) is one type and it means selling an item that is subject to Riba rulings for another of the same type with excess in one of the two, like selling a gold dinar for two dinars and a silver dirham for two dirhams, which have been prohibited by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this Hadīth.
An example of this is selling new gold or silver coins for those that weigh more, thus, taking in return for every one coin two old gold or silver coins. The Shariah states that such a sale is not to be concluded unless they are both alike and equal in weight, regardless of the quality or the inferiority, and on condition that the two currencies are present during the sale transaction and are exchanged hand to hand. So, equality and exchange during the contract session are conditions when selling an item for another item of the same type. However, if the type varies and the cause remains - like selling gold for silver - equality is no longer required, but exchange during the contract session is still a condition, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in Sahīh Muslim Collection: "If these classes differ, sell as you wish as long as payment is made hand to hand."
The Hadīth indicates the prohibition of Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus)..

1586
Mālik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathān reported: I came saying: "Who will exchange the dirhams?" Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah, who was with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, said: "Show us your gold, then come to us when our servant comes to give you your silver." Thereupon, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: "No, by Allah, you must either give him his silver (now) or give him back his gold, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Silver for gold is Riba (usury) unless they are exchanged on the spot; wheat for wheat is Riba unless they are exchanged on the spot; barley for barley is Riba unless they are exchanged on the spot; and dried dates for dried dates is Riba unless they are exchanged on the spot.'".

Commentary : Riba (usury) is one of the types of exploitation in transactions. It entails great harm and involves unlawful earnings and taking extra money wrongfully. Therefore, it has been prohibited in all the revealed laws.
In this Hadīth, Mālik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathān (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he came to a gathering and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was among them. Mālik was saying: "Who will exchange the dirhams?" i.e., Who will buy the golden dinars that I have with silver dirhams, as Mālik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathān had one hundred dinars - as mentioned in the version of Al-Bukhāri - which he wanted to exchange for dirhams. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah - who was in this gathering with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) - said: "Show us your gold," i.e., give us your dinars to see them, "then come to us" later on "when our servant comes, we will give you your silver," i.e., the silver dirhams. On hearing this, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No," which indicates his refusal of this kind of transaction. Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) swore that he should give him the silver he wanted to buy on the spot, or he should give him back the gold that he took from him. He explained that by quoting the statement of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Silver for gold is Riba," i.e., selling silver for gold is Riba (usury) in all cases "unless they are exchanged on the spot," i.e., except in the case of physical presence and the immediate exchange of items hand to hand. Likewise, selling "Burr" - which is wheat - for Burr, selling barley for barley, and selling dried dates for dried dates all constitute Riba in all cases except in the case of physical presence and the immediate exchange of items hand to hand.
The Hadīth denotes the prohibition of the Nasī’ah Riba (usury of deferred payment).
It also encourages the act of forbidding evil for whoever has the ability to do so.
It points out that the evidence should be mentioned when forbidding evil.
It also shows that some knowledge may not be known to an old man until someone else reminds him of it..

1587
Abu Qilābah reported: I was in the Levant in a circle and Muslim ibn Yasār was there. There came Abu al-Ash‘ath. He said: They said: Abu al-Ash‘ath, Abu al-Ash‘ath. So, he sat down. I said to him: Narrate to our brother the Hadīth of ‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit. He said: Yes. We set out on an expedition while Mu‘āwiyah was the leader of the people, and we gained a lot of spoils. There were silver utensils among such spoils, so Mu‘āwiyah ordered a man to sell them for the people's payments. The people hastened to that. On hearing about it, 'Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit stood up and said: Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbidding the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dry dates for dry dates, and salt for salt except equal for equal and like for like. So, whoever made or accepted an addition has committed Riba (usury). Thereupon, the people returned what they had taken. On hearing about it, Mu‘āwiyah stood up and delivered a sermon saying: What is the matter with some men narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Hadīths that we had not heard from him although we saw and accompanied him?! Thereupon, ‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit stood up and repeated the story, then said: We will surely narrate what he heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) even if Mu‘āwiyah disliked this, or he said, Even if it is against his will. I do not mind if I do not accompany him in his troops on a black night..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to advise one another in all states. They used to convey the Shariah-related commands and prohibitions without showing favoritism to or fear of a ruler or a caliph, and they would all comply with the truth.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Qilābah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd reports that he was in the Levant - which is currently Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon - and was sitting in a circle that was attended by the Tābi‘i Muslim ibn Yasār. They were probably holding a gathering of knowledge. Then, Abu al-Ash‘ath Sharāhīl ibn Ādah came and sat with them. Abu Qilābah said to him: "Narrate to our brother" referring to Muslim ibn Yasār. Abu al-Ash‘ath responded to him and narrated to him the Hadīth of the Companion ‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) and reported that they fought a battle, led by Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), and the Muslims gained a lot of spoils. "Ghanīmah" (spoils): it is everything Muslims take from the disbelievers' properties after overpowering and conquering them. There were silver utensils among the spoils, so Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded a man to sell them in dirhams as a deferred payment from the people's payments. "U'tiyāt" (payments) is the plural of "u'tiyah", and it refers here to what the country gives the soldiers as a regular payment monthly or annually. This means: He ordered these silver utensils to be sold in dirhams as a deferred payment until the buyers received their salaries. So, people from the army havetened to buy these utensils in return for deferred dirhams until it was time for them to receive their wages. ‘Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him), who was present in the army, learned about this, so he stood up and delivered a sermon saying: Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbidding the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dry dates for dry dates, and salt for salt except equal for equal and like for like, i.e., The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade selling these similar types in all cases unless they are like for like, i.e., equal in weight, and are visible, and present not absent, as mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections: "Do not sell available money for something absent."
The one who gives excess and the one who asks for it each of them has committed the prohibited Riba (usury), and both are equally sinful.
On hearing this, the people returned the utensils they had taken to the man who had sold them to them. When Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) heard about the Hadīth that was narrated by ‘Ubādah, he stood up and delivered a sermon saying: "What is the matter with some men?" alluding to what 'Ubādah (may Allah be pleased with him) had said, "narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Hadīths that we had not heard from him although we saw" him, i.e., we used to be in his presence and accompany him in his journeys. It seems that Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) neither heard nor knew about this Hadīth, as was the case with others who did not know about it initially. The fact that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear it does not serve as proof. Thereupon, Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up when Mu‘āwiyah criticized him, and repeated the Hadīth once again and said: "We will surely narrate," i.e., we will surely tell people "what he heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) even if Mu‘āwiyah disliked it," referring to Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān, the army leader, or he said: "Even if it is against his will," i.e., even if he is disgraced and stuck to dust. Then, he said: "I do not mind if I do not accompany him," i.e., I do not care about not accompanying him, and I do not want to be employed among his soldiers, and I want to part with him on a black night, i.e., dark and moonless.
The Hadīth signifies the keenness to convey the Sunnah acts and spread knowledge even if it is against the will of anyone.
It highlights the prohibition of Riba.
It stresses that the truth should be declared even if the one to whom it is declared is senior..

1588
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Gold for gold, weight for weight, like for like; and silver for silver, weight for weight, like for like. Whoever gives or takes more is engaged in Riba (usury)..

Commentary : Riba (usury) is one of the types of exploitation in transactions. It entails great harm and involves unlawful earnings and taking extra money wrongfully. Therefore, it has been prohibited in all the laws that have been revealed. Riba has various types, all of which are prohibited. Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus) is one type of it; it means selling an item that is subject to Riba rulings for another of the same kind with excess in one of the two, like selling a gold dinar for two dinars and a silver dirham for two dirhams. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us in this Hadīth to sell gold for gold - whether in the form of gold dinars or others - weight for weight and like for like without addition or reduction, so, both should be similar in weight and equal. Likewise, silver is to be sold for silver - whether in the form of silver dirhams or others - weight for weight and like for like without addition or reduction, so both should be equal in weight. Whoever gives more or takes more has committed unlawful Riba.
Other versions have clarified that if the types vary, then selling with a surplus is permissible; however, the sale should not be for a deferred payment; rather, it should be immediate, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in the two Sahīh Collections - and this is the wording of Al-Bukhāri -: "And sell gold for silver and silver for gold as you wish." In Sahīh Muslim Collection: "If these classes differ, sell as you wish as long as payment is made hand to hand."
The Hadīth highlights the prohibition of Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus).
It stresses the prohibition of all transactions that entail harm to people in terms of their properties and relations..

1591
Hanash reported: We were along with Fadālah ibn' Ubayd on an expedition. A necklace made of gold, silver and jewels fell to my and my friends' lot. I wanted to buy it, so I asked Fadālah ibn' Ubayd, at which point he said: Separate its gold and place it in one pan and place your gold in the other pan and do not receive but like for like, as I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not take but like for like..

Commentary : Riba (usury) is one of the types of exploitation in transactions. It entails great harm and involves unlawful earnings and taking extra money wrongfully. Therefore, it has been prohibited in all the laws that have been revealed. Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus) is one of the types of Riba; it means selling an item that is subject to Riba rulings for another of the same type with excess in one of the two, like selling a gold dinar for two dinars and a silver dirham for two dirhams.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Hanash as-San‘āni narrates that they were with the Companion Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) on an expedition. A necklace, a piece of women's jewelry worn around the neck, from the spoils fell to his lot along with a group of his companions and it had gold, silver, and jewels like pearls and the like. Hanash wanted to buy it all and take his companions' share, so he asked Fadālah ibn' Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) about the ruling and manner of buying it along with everything in it. Thereupon, Fadālah (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered him to remove and separate its gold and place it in a balance pan - where the weighed item is put - and to put his gold on the opposite pan so there would be equality between the two amounts of gold without any surplus, and this could not be known except by separating it from the jewels. Then, he should not take of its gold except for like of his own gold that he deemed a payment for it so that he would not give or take any extra and, thus, engage in unlawful Riba. Likewise, the silver in it should be sold for an equal weight, and other jewels should be sold at their price for cash. He then justified this by saying that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever believes in Allah" Who created him and has full faith in Him "and the Last Day", which is the Day of Judgment to which he will return and on which he will receive recompense for his deeds, should not buy gold or silver except like for like in terms of weight without any addition or surplus.
The Hadīth emphasizes the prohibition of Riba, as it linked its prohibition to belief in Allah and the Last Day..