It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith used to show us how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He would do that at a time other than the time of prayer. He stood fully upright and paused, then he bowed perfectly and paused, then he raised his head and stood up straight, pausing for a little while. He led us in a prayer like the prayer of this shaykh of ours, Abu Burayd. When Abu Burayd raised his head from the second prostration, he would sit up straight, then he would get up..

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 top priority and foremost concern.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd tells us that Malik ibn al-Huwayrithused to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in practical terms, by demonstrating it to them. The apparent meaning of this report indicates that he (may Allah be pleased with him) showed them how each essential part of the prayer was to be done, and he did not teach them that at the time of prayer; rather it was at a time other than the time of prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the intention of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) began to teach them about the prayer, he stood fully upright, then he bowed properly, meaning that he made his back level, such that if water were to be poured on his back it would stay there, as it says in the hadith ofWabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to the same posture as before he bowed. “For a little while” means that he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, who narrated this hadith, that the prayer of Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it was done, the prayer as done by their shaykh, meaning Abu Burayd. His name was ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, as stated by Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani. When the Sahabi ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his head from the final prostration – which means the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs – he would sit up straight, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would sit up completely, and did not get up from prostration immediately. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest), and it was said that this is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either old age or sickness. It was also said that it is, in fact, intended to be part of the prayer, but it should be brief. Then ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up for the final rak‘ah, to complete his prayer.
This hadith indicates that one should pause and be at ease in each of the essential parts of the prayer.
It indicates that it is encouraged to learn and teach others.
It indicates that the jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

806

It was narrated from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib and ‘Ata’ ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Abu Hurayrah told them that some people said: O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full and there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the way?” They said: No. He said: “You will surely see Him like that. The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, and He will say: ‘Whoever used to worship something, let him follow it.’ So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, some of them will follow the false gods, then there will remain this ummah, including its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say: ‘We will stay here until our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.’ Then Allah will come to them and say: ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say: ‘You are [indeed] our Lord.’ He will call them, and the sirat (bridge) will be set up over Hell, and I will be the first of the Messengers to cross it with his ummah. On that Day, no one will speak except the Messengers, and the words of the Messengers on that Day will be: ‘O Allah, grant safety, grant safety.’ In Hell there will be hookslike the thorns of al-sa‘dan; have you seen the thorns of al-sa‘dan?” They said: Yes. He said: “They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, but no one knows how big they are except Allah. They will snatch the people on the basis of their deeds. Some of them will be doomed by their deeds, and some of them will be cut into tiny pieces, then saved. Then when Allah wants to show mercy to whomever He wills of the people of Hell, Allah will command the angels to bring forth anyone who used to worship Allah. So they will bring them forth, and they will recognize them by the marks of prostration, for Allah has prohibited the Fire to consume the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, and all of the son of Adam will be consumed by the Fire except the mark of prostration. They will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned to cinders, then the water of life will be poured onto them, and they will grow like a seed grows in the mud left by a flood. Then Allah will finish judging between the people, and there will be left a man between Paradise and Hell – he will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – with his face turned towards Hell. He will say: ‘O Lord, turn my face away from Hell, for its smell is poisoning me and its flames are burning me.’ He will say: ‘If that is done for you, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: ‘No, by Your glory.’ And he will give Allah whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. And when He turns him towards Paradise and he sees its beauty and opulence, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, bring me closer to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had asked for?’ He will say:’ O Lord, I hope that I am not going to be the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah will say: ‘If you are given that, will you not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say: No, by Your glory, I will not ask for anything else.’ And he will give his Lord whatever promises and pledges he wishes. Then He will bring him closer to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty, and what it contains of delights and happiness, he will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, then he will say: ‘O Lord, admit me to Paradise.’ Allah will say to him: ‘Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! Did you not give Me your promises and pledges that you would not ask for anything except what you had been given?’ He will say: ‘O Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation.’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will smile at him, then He will give him permission to enter Paradise. Then he will say: ‘Wish.’ So he will wish until, when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say: ‘What about such and such?’thus his Lord will remind him, until when he has run out of wishes, Allah (may He be exalted) will say: ‘You will have this and as much again.’” Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will say: ‘You will have this and ten times as much.’” Abu Hurayrah said: I do not remember anything from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except that he said “You will have this and as much again.” Abu Sa‘id said: I heard him say: “You will have this and ten times as much.”.

Commentary : The believers’ seeing their Lord on the Day of Resurrection will be the greatest blessing that is granted to them. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to learn more about this and they asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about it, as we see in this hadith, in which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He responded with a clear explanation that left no room for doubt about their seeing Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection. He said: Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on the night when it is full, when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No, O Messenger of Allah. Then he asked them: Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds in the sky? They said: No. So he said: You will surely see Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in like manner, beyond a doubt, very clearly. This was comparing the clarity of seeing, not comparing the two objects seen, for there is nothing like unto Allah (may He be glorified).
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of different types of people and what their situation will be on the Day of Resurrection, for just as people differ in terms of their beliefs in this world, by the same token their situations will differ on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah (may He be exalted) will say to them: Whoever used to worship something, let him follow what he used to worship. So some of them will follow the sun, some of them will follow the moon, and some of them will follow the false gods. The word tawaghit (sing. taghut; translated here as false gods) refers to the Shaytan, idols and every leader of misguidance, or everything that was worshipped besides Allah and was content with that, and barred people from worshipping Allah. There will remain the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), including its hypocrites. As the hypocrites tried to conceal themselves by pretending to belong to this ummah in this world, in the hereafter they will follow them when reality becomes clear to them, hoping to benefit thereby, until {a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment} [al-Hadid 57:13]. It may be that they will be gathered with them because of what they showed outwardly of being Muslim, so they will be kept as they are until Allah distinguishes between the good and the bad. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will come to them, and His coming will be in a manner befitting His essence, without interpreting the matter in a manner other than it appears to be, or denying it, or likening His attributes to those of His creation – but it will be in a manner other than what they know of Him, as a test from Him, to differentiate between them and those who used to worship others. Then He will say: I am your Lord. But they will seek refuge with Allah from Him, because He will not have appeared to them with the attributes that they recognize; rather He will appear with attributes that no one knows except Him (may He be exalted), because with them will be the hypocrites who do not deserve to see Him, and they will be prevented from seeing their Lord. So they will say: We will stay here until our Lord appears to us, and when our Lord appears, we will recognize Him. Then Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will appear to them, with the attributes that are known to them, after the believershave become distinct from the hypocrites. Then He will say to them: I am your Lord. When they see that, they will recognize Him (may He be exalted) thereby, so they will say: You are [indeed] our Lord.
Then the Lord will call them, and the Sirat will be set up across the middle of Hell, or over it. The Siratis a bridge that will extend over the top of Hell; it will be narrower than a hair and sharper than a sword. The people will cross it on the Day of Resurrection, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will be the first of the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) to cross the Sirat, along with his ummah. The supplication of the Messengers at that time will be: “O Allah, grant safety,” out of pity and compassion for them. In Hell there will be many-branched hooks of iron on which people’s flesh will be caught. They will be like the thorns of al-sa‘dan, which is a thorny plant that is good for camels to graze on; it is mentioned by way of comparison. It will snatch people quickly, because of their bad deeds, or according to their deeds. Some of them will be doomed, and some of them will be cut into small pieces like mustard seeds; in other words, the hooks of the Sirat will cut them into pieces until they fall into the Fire. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will save from it whoever used to worship Allah alone, namely the sincere believers, for the disbeliever will never be saved from it and will abide therein for eternity.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that on the Day of Resurrection, the angels will recognize the believers by the marks of prostration, for the Fire will not consume the marks of prostration. There is a difference of scholarly opinion as to what is meant by the marks of prostration. It was said that it is the seven parts of the body (the forehead, the two hands, the two knees, and the two feet). It was also said that what is meant is the forehead only, and this is supported by what is mentioned in the report narrated by Muslim: “Then some people will be brought forth from the Fire, having been burned in it, except for their faces.” They will be brought forth from the Fire having been burned and turned black, then the water of life will be poured over them; whoever drinks it or has it poured over him will never die. Then they will grow as a seed grows in mud and the like, which is what is meant by the mud left by a flood; this phrase refers to mud and other things carried by floodwaters. The word translated here as seed refers to the seeds of desert plants that are not used for food. His growth is likened to the growth of the seed of desert plants, because they are white and grow quickly.
Then Allah will judge between people, and one man – who will be the last of the people of Hell to enter Paradise – will remain between Paradise and Hell, facing towards the Fire. He will say: O Lord, turn my face away from the Fire, for its stench is killing me, meaning that it has poisoned and destroyed me, for it is like poison in my nose, and its flames have burned me, referring to its extreme heat. Allah (may He be exalted) will say: Perhaps if I do what you want for you, you will aspire and ask for more. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will turn his face away from the Fire. Then when he is facing towards Paradise, he will see its beauty and opulence, so he will say: O Lord, bring me nearer to the gate of Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Did you not give your promise and oath that you would not ask for anything except what you already asked for? He will say: O Lord, I gave you my promises, but Your generosity raised my hopes; I do not want to be the most wretched of Your creation. If you leave me in this situation, and do not admit me to Paradise, I will surely be the most wretched of Your creation. Then Allah (may He be exalted) will smile at him in a manner that is befitting to Him, without interpreting that in a manner other than the apparent meaning, and without denying it or likening Allah to His creation. Our Lord will say to him: Perhaps if I grant you what you want, you will ask for something else. Allah (may He be exalted) will only say that, although He knows best what has happened and will happen, so as to show how the son of Adam breaks his promises. The man will swear by the glory of our Lord that he will not ask for anything else, and Allah will accept his promise and oath to that effect. Then Allah will bring him close to the gate of Paradise, and when he reaches its gate and sees its beauty and what it contains of splendors and delights, he will be dazzled. He will keep quiet for as long as Allah wills that he should keep quiet, out of shyness before his Lord, then he will ask his Lord to admit him to Paradise. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: Woe to you, O son of Adam; how treacherous you are! The word wayhaka (translated here as woe to you) is a word of compassion, whereas the word waylaka (which may also be translated as woe to you) is a word of punishment. And it was said that they both mean the same thing. Treachery means failing to fulfil promises. This man will not break his promise out of ignorance; rather he will do that because he will be aware that breaking his promise in this case is more appropriate than keeping it, because asking of his Lord is more appropriate than fulfilling his oath.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that Allah will give this man permission to enter Paradise, then He will say: Wish. So the man will wish until, when he runs out of wishes and has told his Lord everything that he wants and hopes for, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will say to him: You will have what you wish for and as much again. When Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was in the gathering in which Abu Hurayrah narrated this hadith –heard that, he told him that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “You will have this, and ten times as much.” It was said concerning this that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) initially told the people what is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, then Allah, by His generosity, increased what He will give to this person, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of that, and Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated it from him, but Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear that.
This hadith affirms that the believers will see their Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) on the Day of Resurrection.
It indicates that prayer is the best of deeds, because of what it involves of bowing and prostration, for the Fire will not consume the mark of prostration.
It affirms the existence of the Sirat, and that the believers will cross it.
It highlights the virtue of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his ummah, for they will be the first to cross the Sirat, before all other nations.
It indicates that some of the believers will be punished by being admitted to Hell, then Allah (may He be exalted) will show mercy to them by bringing them forth from it.
It indicates that the punishment of the believer will be different from the punishment of the disbeliever, because it will not include all of their bodies; rather the mark of prostration will be safe, and will be a sign for them, by which the intercessors will recognize them and bring them forth from the Fire.
It affirms some characteristics that are unique to the Essence of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). Ahl al-Sunnah affirm for Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) what He has affirmed for Himself, without likening Him to His creation, or discussing how those attributes are, and without denying them or misinterpreting them. Rather they accept this and say: We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord..

812

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two knees, and the toes of the two feet, and we should not tie up our garments or hair.”.

Commentary : Prostration is an important and essential part of the prayer, and is a way in which a person shows submission and humility to his Lord. Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined it in several places in His holy Book.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains the correct way to prostrate. He tells us that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) commanded him to prostrate on seven “bones”, meaning bones of the body. These seven parts are the forehead, which is the part of the face above the nose and eyes, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed to his nose, explaining that the forehead and nose together form one of these seven, and confirming that the one who prostrates should make his nose touch the ground. [These seven] also include the two hands, the two knees and the toes of the two feet and what is next to them. The two hands, the two knees and the two feet are the other six parts. And we should not tie up our garments or hair. Tying up the garment means tucking it up so that it will not drop or hang down. Tying up the hair means tying it with something so that it will not drop down and fall loose. What is meant is that we should not tuck up our hair or garments when prostrating on the ground in order to protect them; rather we should leave them as they are, so that they will fall on the ground and prostrate with the other parts of the body. The wisdom behind that is that if a person lifts up his garment and hair, and prevents them from touching the ground, he will be like one who is arrogant. It was also said that the hair will prostrate with the head if it is not tied up or wrapped up..

813

It was narrated that AbuSalamah said: I went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and said: Will you not come out with us to the palm trees so that we may talk? So he came out. I said: Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Laylat al-Qadr. He said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observedi‘tikaffor the first ten days of Ramadan, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. ThenJibril came to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So he observed i‘tikaf for the middle ten days, and we observed i‘tikaf with him. Then Jibrilcame to him and said: What you are seeking is still ahead of you. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up to address us on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, and said: “Whoever was observing i‘tikafwith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), let him come back, for Laylat al-Qadr was shown to me, but I was caused to forget it. It is in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, and I saw myself [in a dream] prostrating in mud and water.” The roof of the mosque was made of palm branches, and we did not see anything in the sky, then asmall cloud came and it rained, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer,then I saw the traces of mud and water on the face of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and on the tip of his nose, in fulfillment of his dream..

Commentary : The month of Ramadan is the greatest of months in the sight of Allah (may He be exalted), and the greatest of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr. Hence the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) strove hard in seeking it and trying to determine which night it was. There are many reports that speak of when that night occurs, including this hadith, in which the Tabi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awfnarrates that he went to Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to go with him to a piece of land in which there were palm trees, and he asked him to tell him what he had heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about whenLaylat al-Qadr occurs. He told him that one year, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days of Ramadan. Then after that Jibril came to him and told him: Laylat al-Qadr, that you are seeking, is in the nights yet to come. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaffor the middle ten nights, and the Sahabah observed i‘tikaf with him. On the morning of the twentieth of Ramadan, Jibril came to him a second time, and told him something similar to what he had said the first time, referring to the last ten nights of the month. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed his companions, saying: Let whoever has observed i‘tikaf for the first ten days or the middle ten days, and has left the mosque, come back, for I have been told about Laylat al-Qadr, or I have been told when it will be – for Jibril (peace be upon him) had told him when it would be that year, but he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told his companions that he had forgotten it;however, he was certain that it would be in the last ten nights, on an odd-numbered night, which would be the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of the sign of that night in that year, on the basis of a dream that he had seen, and the dreams of the prophets are true. He dreamt that he was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The roof of the Prophet’s Mosque was made of palm branches, and nothing appeared in the sky to suggest that it was going to rain, then suddenly asmall cloud appeared – referring to a thin piece of cloud, then rain fell and the Muslims prayed, and the Prophet’s dream about prostrating in water and mud was fulfilled. The traces of mud appeared on the forehead of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and on the tip of his nose. This happened on the morning of the twentieth, which was the night before the twenty-first, as it says in a report narrated in al-Sahihayn. Thus the dream of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came true.
This hadith indicates that we are encouraged to seek out Laylat al-Qadr and make the most of it by doing righteous deeds, because of what this brings of increased virtue and reward.
It indicates that we are encouraged to observe i‘tikaf in Ramadan.
It confirms that when prostrating, we should make sure that the forehead and nose touch the ground. .

818

It was narrated from Abu Qilabah that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith said to his companions: Shall I not tell you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? And that was at a time that was not the time for prayer. He stood up, then he bowed and said takbir, then he raised his head and stood,pausing for a little while. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while. And he prayed a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah, this shaykh of ours. Ayyub said: He used to do something that I never saw them do: he would sit in the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. He said: We came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and he said: “When you go back to your families, pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time; pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time…When it is time to pray, let one of you give the call to prayer, and let the oldest of you lead you in the prayer.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit them to those who came after them, especially the prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to his companions how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to them: Shall I not show you how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed? This was not at the time for an obligatory prayer, so his prayer was a voluntary prayer that was done with the aim of teaching; it was not an obligatory or supererogatory prayer. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) started to pray, he stood and said the takbir to start the prayer (takbirat al-ihram). Then he bowed and said takbir; the takbir for bowing came after it, not before it. Then he raised his head and stood, pausing for a little while between bowing and prostrating. Then he prostrated, then he raised his head and paused for a little while between the two prostrations, then he did the second prostration.
The Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated that Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in a prayer like the prayer of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was their shaykh and imam.
Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who narrated this hadith from Abu Qilabah and was one of the students of ‘Amr ibn Salimah (may Allah be pleased with him) – said that he used to do something that he did not see anyone else do, which was that he used to sit briefly between the third and fourth [rak‘ahs]. What is meant is that he used to sit briefly, after the second prostration in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs, then stand up after that. This is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or because of sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
Then Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) told them, after finishing his prayer, that they came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after they had become Muslim, and they stayed with him. When they asked his permission to go back to their families, he gave them permission and told them the times of the prayers when they must pray. Then he instructed them, when the time for prayer began, whether they were at home or travelling, that one of them should give the call to prayer and that the oldest of them should lead them in the prayer.
We may reconcile between this and the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The people should be led in prayer by the one who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah”– which is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) – by noting that giving precedence on the basis of age is applicable when the people praying are all equal in terms of knowledge of Qur’an and recitation. This may be understood from the story in this case, because they had become Muslim and migrated together, and they had all accompanied the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stayed with him, and they were equal in terms of what they had learned from him, so there was no criteria to determine who should lead the prayer except age.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible.
It indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) varied in their knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that some of them had knowledge that others did not have.
It indicates that prayer may be done at a time other than the time for prayer, for the purpose of teaching.
It indicates that the Muslim should be keen to teach his family about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed..

821

It was narrated from Thabit that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will do my best to lead you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lead us in prayer. Thabit said: Anas ibn Malik used to do something that I have not seen you do. When he raised his head from bowing, he would stand for so long that one would think that he had forgotten, and [he would sit up] between the prostrations for so long that one would think that he had forgotten..

823

It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith al-Laythi told us that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying, and in the odd-numbered rak‘ahsof his prayer, he did not get up until he had first sat up straight..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, then they were keen to teach this to the Muslims who came after them.
In this hadith, Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) – who used to watch the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he prayed, so that he could learn how he prayed and teach it to those who came after him – tells us that in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer – meaning the first and third rak‘ahs – the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up to start the following rak‘ah straight after prostrating in these odd-numbered rak‘ahs. Rather he would sit briefly, which is called jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest). It was said that this sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah, and it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. And it was said that it is in fact part of the prayer, but it should be brief.
This hadith indicates that jalsat al-istirahah (the sitting of rest) is permissible..

825

It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: Abu Sa‘id led us in prayer and recited the takbir out loud when he lifted his head from prostration, when he prostrated, when he raised [his head again], and when he stood up following the [first] two rak‘ahs, and he said: This is what I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do..

827

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah that he told him that he used to see ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when sitting during the prayer, so I did that too. At that time I was very young, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me not to do that, and said: The Sunnah in prayer is to hold your right foot upright and tuck your left foot underneath you. I said: But you do that. He said: My feet do not carry me. .

Commentary : Conveying the teachings of Islam and teaching them to the people is obligatory upon every Muslim, to the extent of his knowledge and ability, and no Muslim should refuse to convey the teachings even if he is not able to put them into practice himself because of sickness, weakness and the like.
In this hadith, it says that the Tabi‘i ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Umar saw his father (may Allah be pleased with him) kneeling with his buttocks resting on his heels when he sat to recite the tashahhud. This manner of sitting means that a person sits on his buttocks, and tucks his right and left feet under him and sits on them. When his son ‘Abdullah saw him doing that in the prayer, he imitated him and did the same as he did. But Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him not to do that, and when his son said to him,” But you do that,” he told him the reason why he did it, which was that his feet were not able to carry him because of old age or sickness. And he told him that the Sunnah is to sit with the right foot held upright, and to sit on the left foot which is tucked underneath one.
This is the description of sitting to recite the first tashahhud if the prayer consists of four rak‘ahs. In the final tashahhud, the Sunnah is to sit in the manner called tawarruk, because of the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him): When he [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] sat following the [first] two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot, holding the right foot upright, and when he sat in the final rak‘ah, he pushed his left foot forward a little and held the other foot upright, and sat on his buttocks on the ground..

828

It was narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Halhalah, from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Ata’, that he was sitting with a group of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we mentioned the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Humayd al-Sa‘idi said: I know best among you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I saw him when he said takbir; he lifted his hands level with his shoulders. When he bowed, he placed his hands firmly on his knees, then he made his back straight. When he lifted his head, he stood up straight until each vertebra returned to its place. When he prostrated, he put his hands [on the ground] without resting his forearms on the ground or holding them close to his body, and his toes pointed towards the qiblah. When he sat after the first two rak‘ahs, he sat on his left foot and held his right foot upright. When he sat in the final rak‘ah, he brought his left foot forward a little underneath him, held his right foot upright, and sat on his buttocks..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch the movements of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to follow his practice in all things, and to transmit it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Abu Humayd as-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) describes how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. He said to a group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who were talking about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I am the one among you who has most knowledge of how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said to him – as is mentioned in a report narrated by Abu Dawud: how is that, for by Allah you did not keep closer to him than us, and you did not accompany him for longer than us? He said: I kept watching him pray until I learned how he prayed. What he meant was that even though he did not accompany the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the longest time, he made up for that by watching the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he had memorized how he prayed. Then he began to describe the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told them that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram), he would raise his hands level with his shoulders, and when he bowed he would place his hands firmly on his knees, then make his back straight, meaning that when he bowed, he kept his back straight, from the neck, without any bend in it. When he lifted his head from bowing, he would stand up straight until each vertebra returned to its place; the vertebrae are the bones of the spine. What is meant is that he would stand up straight after bowing, then pause briefly whilst standing. When he prostrated, he placed his hands on the ground, without resting his forearms on the ground, which is a posture that resembles that of wild animals and the like. He also did not rest his belly on any part of his thighs, or bring his arms in close to the body or hold them underneath his belly. He would make his toes point towards the qiblah. Then [Abu Humayd] described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat between the two prostrations: he would hold his right foot upright and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it. This is the manner of sitting that is called iftirash. When he sat in the final tashahhud, he would bring his left foot forward a little and hold his right foot upright, and he would sit on his buttocks. This is the manner of sitting that is called tawarruk.
This hadith encourages the Muslim to study and seek knowledge, and to verify what is learned by checking with people of knowledge.
It indicates that it is permissible for a man to describe himself as being more knowledgeable than others, if that will not lead to self-admiration and he wants to explain that to others who hear him.
This hadith describes the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he paused and how he stood up straight in the prayer..

831

It was narrated that Shaqiq ibn Salamah said: ‘Abdullah said: When we prayed behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we said: Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il; peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to us and said: “Indeed Allah is al-Salaam, so when one of you prays, let him say: Al-tahiyyatuLillahiwa’l-salawatuwa’l-tayyibat. Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu. Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah). If you say that, it will include every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. [Then say:]Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to pray and what supplications to say in the prayer. He has taught us what is to be said and when, including the tashahhud following the first two rak‘ahs and the final tashahhud of every prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in their prayer, in the tashahhud, they used to say, “Peace be upon Allah (al-salaamu ‘ala Allah),” as is clearly stated in another report in al-Sahihayn. Then they would say, “Peace be upon Jibril and Mika’il, and peace be upon So-and-so and So-and-so,” mentioning the names of other angels. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard them, he turned to face them and said to them: Indeed Allah is al-Salaam – meaning that it is not right to say Peace be upon Allah. He objected to them saying that, and taught them that what they were saying was the opposite of what should be said, for all well-being (salamah) and mercy belongs to Him and comes from Him, for He is the owner and giver thereof. And it was said that he instructed them to direct their salutation of salaam to people, because people are in need of well-being, whereas Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) does not need that. Al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), which is indicative of His being free of (salamah) all shortcomings and defects.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them what they should say in the tashahhud. “Al-tahhiyatuLillah (all compliments are due to Allah) – this refers to salutations, or to being free of defects and shortcomings. It was also said that it refers to sovereignty, everlastingness or greatness. It was also said that what is meant by compliments is all types of glory and greatness. What is meant is that all of this belongs to Allah (may He be exalted) by right. “Al-salawat (prayers)” – it was said that what is meant here is the five daily prayers, or all acts of worship, or supplications, or mercy. And it was said that tahiyyat (translated here as compliments) refers to verbal acts of worship and salawat (translated here as prayers) refers to physical acts of worship, and tayyibat (translated here as pure words) refers to financial acts of worship. With regard to the word “wa’l-tayyibat (translated here as ‘and pure words’)”, this refers to a good word, or it refers specifically to the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). It was also said that it refers to righteous deeds in general. “Al-salaamu ‘alaykaayyuha’l-Nabiyyuwarahmatullahiwabarakatuhu” – salaam here is meant in the sense of greeting; what is meant is that we direct to you greetings and salutations. And it was said that what is meant is well-being and safety, in which case the meaning is: May you be safe from any harm. And it was said that it refers to the name of Allah al-Salaam, in which case the meaning is: May you be blessed by virtue of the divine name al-Salaam. Barakah (blessing) is an increase in goodness. “Al-salaamu ‘alayna (peace be upon us)” is addressed to ourselves; “wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahi’l-salihin (and upon the righteous slaves of Allah)” refers to those who obey the commands of Allah and carry out their duties towards Him and towards His slaves. Thus the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught them to refer to him separately, because of his honourable status and the great rights that he has over them, then he taught them to mention themselves in particular, because it is more appropriate to be more concerned about themselves. Then he instructed them to send greetings and salutations to all of the righteous, indicating that supplication for the believers should include all of them. Then he told them that when they say “Al-salaamu ‘alaynawa ‘ala ‘ibadillah’i-salihin (Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah),”the benefit of this salaam will reach every righteous slave on earth or in heaven. This includes the angels, the jinn and humans.
“Ashhaduan la ilahailla Allah (I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah)” – a report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar adds the words “wahdahu la sharikalah (alone, with no partner or associate).” This is testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified), and there is none that is deserving of worship except Him. The words “waashhaduannaMuhammadan ‘abduhuwarasuluhu (and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)” are an affirmation that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah is a Messenger from Allah to all people, and that he is the last of the Messengers whom all people are required to obey and follow..

834

It was narrated from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Teach me a supplication that I may offer in my prayer. He said: “Say: Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran, wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (O Allah, indeedI have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins except You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful).”.

Commentary : No one can avoid falling short in his duty to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and committing some sins. In this hadith, we see a concise supplication that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) when he asked him to teach him a supplication that he could offer in his prayer. What appears to be the case is that he wanted something that he could say following the final tashahhud and sending blessings on the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Say: “Allahummainnizalamtunafsizulmankathiran (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly),” by committing sins and falling short in my duty to Allah (may He be exalted). “wa la yaghfirul-dhunubailla anta (and no one forgives sins except You)” – and this is an admission of sin and an acknowledgement that sin is the action of the person himself, and it is an admission and acknowledgement that no one forgives sins except Allah, because of His perfect sovereignty. “faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indikawarhamni, innaka anta al-Ghafurul-Rahim (so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for indeed You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful)” – this is like the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and who can forgive sins except Allah?} [Al ‘Imran 3:135]. This is an affirmation of the oneness of the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted), and seeking His forgiveness by means of this admission.
This supplication is an example of concise speech, as it contains an admission of serious shortcomings – which is the fact that the individual has wronged himself greatly – and seeking the greatest blessing, which is forgiveness and mercy, for forgiveness conceals and erases sins, and mercy is the sending of blessings and granting of good. Thus the former is akin to being drawn away from the Fire and the latter is akin to being admitted to Paradise, and this is the great triumph..

837

Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim, the women would get up and leave when he finished his taslim, and he would stay where he was for a while, before he got up to leave..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen that women should not mix with men, and he would take measures to prevent them mixing with men, because of the great mischief that results from that. In this hadith, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said the taslim at the end of the prayer, the women would get up as soon as he finished the taslim, and hasten to leave the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not rush to get up. Rather he would stay where he was for a little while after finishing the prayer, so that the women would have the chance to exit the mosque and leave before the men started leaving, lest some of the men who were leaving after the prayer come in close contact with the women. All of this was by way of barring means that could lead to evil, and keeping men and women separated for fear of fitnah (temptation). In congregational prayers, the women’s rows were at the back, with the children’s rows in front of them, and in front of the children were the men’s rows, behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith indicates that the imam should pay attention to the circumstances of those praying behind him, and he should take measures to avoid any situation that could lead to impropriety.
It indicates that one should avoid being in any dubious situation in which one could be accused of mischief.
It indicates that men should not mix with non-mahram women in the streets, let alone in houses..

838

It was narrated that ‘Itban ibn Malik said: We prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and we said the taslim when he said the taslim..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them, especially with regard to prayer, which is the foundation of faith.
In this hadith, ‘Itban ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates a report about when to say the taslim when praying behind an imam. He tells us that the taslim of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), when they were praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came at the same time as the taslim of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other words, they would begin to say their salaam after he began to say his salaam and before he finished saying it. And it was said that this is not what is meant; rather what is meant is that they said the taslim straight after he finished his, with no lag, and this was expressed by suggesting this it happened at the same time, because when things come immediately after one another, it is almost like they are happening at the same time..

841

It was narrated from Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr when the people have finished an obligatory prayer is something that used to take place at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And Ibn ‘Abbas said: I used to know that they had finished the prayer when I heard that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all things, and to transmit that to those who came after them. Part of the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions was to remember Allah (dhikr) after the prescribed prayers, and to raise their voices in doing that.
In this hadith, Abu Ma‘bad, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) told him that raising the voice in dhikr is something that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), meaning the dhikrs and du‘a’s that followed the prayer, such as seeking forgiveness (istighfar), glorifying Allah (tasbih), praising Him (tahmid) and magnifying Him (takbir), when the people had finished the obligatory prayer. This is something that happened and was practised at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What is meant by finishing the prayer is the taslim. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) would know that the people had finished the prayer when he heard the dhikr. This highlights the fact that it is permissible to say dhikr out loud following the prayer. This hadith may be understood as meaning that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only said it out loud in order to teach the people what to say in dhikr, not that he always did that..

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..

Book of Hadith

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