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Hadith
145
It was narrated from Wasi‘ ibn Habban from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, that he used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself, do not face towards the qiblah or towards Bayt al-Maqdis. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: I climbed up on the roof of a house of ours one day, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks to relieve himself, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He said: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs? I said: I do not know, by Allah. Malik said: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the etiquette, both words and deeds, of relieving oneself, and in his Sunnah he highlighted what should and should not be done.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Wasi‘ ibn Habban tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: Some people say that when you sit to relieve yourself – and he referred to sitting because that is what is usually the case, otherwise there is no difference between sitting and standing – then do not face towards the Holy Kaaba, which is the qiblah, or towards Bayt al-Maqdis, which refers to al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem]. He singled out Bayt al-Maqdis for mention because it was the first qiblah of the Muslims. What he meant by the people was those who used to say that the prohibition on facing towards the qiblah or turning one’s back towards it when relieving oneself was general in meaning and applied whether one was relieving oneself in the desert or in a structure. Those who said that included Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Abu Hurayrah, Ma‘qil al-Asadi and others (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day he climbed up on the roof of a house; according to a report in al-Sahihayn, it was the roof of Hafsah’s house – she was his sister and the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as was stated clearly in a report narrated by Muslim. He saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting on two bricks – which are rectangular or square moulded objects made of clay, used in construction – facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis when he was relieving himself. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, he was facing towards al-Sham (Greater Syria) with his back towards the Kaaba. What Ibn ‘Umar saw was what was visible of the Prophet’s body, not what it is not permissible to look at, such as the ‘awrah and so on; he only saw the upper part of his body and what was clearly visible of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that Ibn ‘Umar did not deliberately look at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that situation; rather he climbed up to the roof for some purpose, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari – I climbed up to the roof of Hafsah’s house for some purpose – and he turned by accident, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bayhaqi. When it so happened that he saw him in that situation without intending to, he did not want that to pass without learning something from it, so he learned this Islamic ruling. The hadith of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) explains that there is nothing wrong with relieving oneself in a place built for that purpose, whether one is facing towards the qiblah or has one’s back towards it. Rather the prohibition applies only when relieving oneself in places where it is possible to turn away from the direction of the qiblah, in the desert or the wilderness and the like.
Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Wasi‘ ibn Habban: Perhaps you are one of those who pray on their thighs?, meaning one of those who are unaware of the Sunnah when prostrating, which is to keep the belly away from the thighs. The narrator explained that in the hadith by saying: That refers to one who prays and does not lift himself up off the ground; he prostrates as if stuck to the ground. This is by way of warning him not to pray in this manner, and criticizing those who do that. It also means: if you are one of those who are not unaware of that, then you would know the difference between relieving oneself in an open space or in an enclosed space, and the difference between facing towards the Kaaba and facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis.
This hadith indicates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) sometimes differed in their understanding of some Sunnahs, and that each of them understood and applied what he heard in general terms.
It also indicates that they would try to learn what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in all situations and they transmitted it, and that all of it is a source of Islamic rulings..

146
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature in al-Manasi‘, which was a vast open space. ‘Umar used to say to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): Prevent your wives from going out, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do that. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out one night at ‘Isha’ time; she was a tall woman, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! – hoping that the command of hijab would be revealed, then Allah sent down the verse of hijab..

Commentary : The wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are the mothers of the believers, and they are held in especially high esteem by people. Allah sent down some rulings that were specific to them, to protect them and raise their status. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to go out at night to answer the call of nature – meaning to relieve themselves by urinating or defecating – in al-Manasi‘, which refers to places on the edge of Madinah, near al-Baqi‘. This was a vast open space, in which there were no buildings. They used to go out to that place at night. In the beginning, they used to go out to that place because there were no outhouses or bathrooms in people’s houses, and that was a concession that was granted to them. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) started to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to prevent his wives from going out of their houses, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not do what ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him to do. That was because their going out was something that could not be avoided. Then Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went out one night at ‘Isha’ time, when it was dark, so that no one would notice her. But she was a tall woman, and was distinct for that reason, so ‘Umar called out to her: We recognize you, O Sawdah! because he wanted the command of hijab to be revealed. Then Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) revealed the verse of hijab, in which He says: {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful} [al-Ahzab 33:59].
With regard to concealing themselves when going out to relieve themselves, the women went through three stages, the first of which was covering themselves with darkness, because they used to go out at night, not by day. ‘A’ishah said in the story of the slander (al-ifk): Umm Mistah went out with me towards al-Manasi‘, which was where we would go to answer the call of nature, and we only went out at night. Then the command of hijab was revealed, so they covered themselves with garments, but some of them might have a distinctive appearance, hence ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We recognize you, O Sawdah! This was the second stage. Then when people began to have bathrooms in their houses, the women were prevented from going out of their houses except for a need or an essential reason. That was the third stage.
In this hadith, we see that one who is of lower standing may suggest something to one who is of higher standing with regard to an issue that he feels is important, and we see the virtue of this sort of discussion if the intention behind it is not to cause trouble, for by means of it some hidden issues of knowledge may become apparent.
It highlights the importance of being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger.
It indicates that women may go out to do errands if there is a need for that.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)..

147
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Permission has been given for you to go out to tend to your needs.” Hishaam said: That is, to answer the call of nature..

Commentary : This hadith has to do with the hijab of the Mothers of the Believers, the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They used to go out to relieve themselves, but ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about their observing hijab and being prevented from going out of their houses. The reason for this hadith – as was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim – was that Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went out to answer the call of nature after the hijab had been enjoined – and what is meant by hijab here is covering the head and face – and she was a woman of large build, so when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her, he said: O Sawdah! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think about how you go out. She went back and complained about that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was he was eating his supper. Revelation came to him, then he said: “Permission has been given to you to go out to relieve yourselves.” What is meant in this hadith, as was explained by Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, one of the narrators of the hadith, was answering the call of nature. At that time they used to go out to a spacious flat piece of land to answer the call of nature. Women are also allowed to go out if they have errands to do and valid reasons for going out, and their going out is not limited to relieving themselves, because Allah gave them permission to go out to answer the call of nature after the command of hijab had been sent down, and before people began to have outhouses and bathrooms in their houses. When permission was given to them for that, it was also given for them to go out for other purposes, or to uphold ties of kinship as Allah had enjoined upon them, and the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had also instructed the women to go out to the prayer on the two Eids, which indicates that what is meant is that women may go out for all kinds of needs..

153
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you drinks, let him not breathe into the vessel, and if he goes to relieve himself, let him not touch his penis with his right hand or wipe himself with his right hand.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator. He taught his ummah everything that is beneficial for them, which includes his teaching them the etiquette of eating and drinking, and of relieving oneself, as in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade breathing into the vessel when drinking. If the individual wants to breathe whilst drinking, he should breathe outside the vessel, whilst holding it in his hand, lest that be off-putting to others who will then refuse to drink from the same vessel, and so that the smell of the vessel will not be changed by too many people breathing into it. That was also for the sake of cleanliness and the well-being of all, and to protect against contagion and so on. This is general in meaning and applies to all kinds of drinks, water and others.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also forbade wiping oneself with the right hand, which refers to cleaning oneself after relieving oneself. And he forbade touching the private part with the right hand. So the individual should not touch his penis with his right hand after urinating. That is because the right hand is to be used for good things, and should not be used to remove filth and dirt. Everything else should be done with the left hand.
This hadith highlights how Islam was the first to highlight proper etiquette when eating and drinking, and to promote personal and public hygiene, for the well-being and safety of all..

155
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he went out to relieve himself, and he did not look around him. I came close to him, and he said: “Bring me some pebbles so that I can clean myself with them – or words to that effect – but do not bring me any bone or piece of [dried] dung.” I brought him some pebbles, carrying them in the edge of my garment, and put them next to him, then I walked away from him. When he had finished, he used the pebbles..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to follow the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and stay close to him, in order to learn about their religion from him.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he walked behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), following him, when he was going out to relieve himself. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not usually look to his right and left when walking. Then Abu Hurayrah came close to him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) noticed that he was there, so he asked him to find him some clean pebbles with which to purify himself and remove the traces of impurity (najasah) that were left after urinating or defecating. Then he said to him: “But do not bring me any bone or piece of dung”; they cannot be used to clean oneself, because bones are the food of our brethren among the jinn, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari, so they should not be contaminated with impurities. The word translated here as dung refers to the dried droppings of animals and it is not pure (tahir).
So Abu Hurayrah collected the pebbles in the hem of his garment, then placed them beside the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he did not look at him in this situation. This highlights the etiquette of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he had learned from the Prophet’s teachings. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished relieving himself, he used those pebbles to remove the traces of impurity, until he was clean.
In this hadith, we see that one may use pebbles to clean oneself after relieving oneself (istinja’), and it is forbidden to use bones or dried dung.
It indicates that one may help the person who is relieving himself by looking for pebbles for him. The report indicates that one should respond to anyone who asks for help, if one is able to help.
It indicates that it is prescribed to follow prominent people and scholars, even if they do not instruct you to do that.
It indicates that a leader may give tasks to some of his followers. .

156
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to relieve himself, and he instructed me to bring him three pebbles. I found two pebbles, and I looked for a third but I could not find another, so I picked up a piece of dried dung and brought it to him. He took the two pebbles and threw away the dried dung, and said: “This is unclean.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the Sunnahs of purifying and cleansing ourselves from urine and stools when we relieve ourselves by using whatever is available of that which may be used to cleanse and purify.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him explains that it is acceptable to clean oneself with pebbles (istijmar) after relieving oneself. After he had relieved himself – and the word used originally refers to low-lying land, then was used to refer to relieving oneself because the one who relieves himself looks for low-lying land in which to conceal himself from the eyes of other people – he instructed Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to bring him three pebbles with which to clean himself. Ibn Mas‘ud brought him two pebbles, but he could not find a third, so he brought a piece of dried dung; it was said that the word used in the original Arabic refers specifically to the dung of horses, mules and donkeys. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rejected it and said: This is unclean. In other words, dried dung is impure, or it is not permissible to use it.
In this hadith, we see that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cleaned himself (instinja’) with two pebbles only. It was narrated by Muslim, from Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should clean himself with fewer than three pebbles.” We may reconcile between the reports by noting that using three is recommended in order to be on the safe side and ensure that cleaning oneself is done properly, and to use an odd number, because he said, “Whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number.” But if someone is unable to find three pebbles, then using two is sufficient..

157
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make things easy for his ummah, and explained to them what it was permissible to do when purifying oneself and doing wudu’, and what was sufficient in that regard.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part once. This highlights the minimum extent that is required in wudu’, which is an obligation without which prayer is not acceptable.
This hadith indicates that wudu’ is acceptable if each part is washed once. It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also washed each part twice, as is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd that was narrated by al-Bukhari, according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ washing each part twice. But the Sunnah when doing wudu’, and the most perfect way of doing it, is to wash each part three times, as mentioned in the hadith of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan that was narrated by al-Bukhari..

160
It was narrated from Humran that when ‘Uthman did wudu’, he said: Shall I not narrate to you a hadith which, were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you? I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “No man does wudu’ and does it well, and offers the prayer, but Allah will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer and the next prayer until he has prayed it.” ‘Urwah said: The verse is: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined doing wudu’ well, and explained the goodness that there is in it, and the reward that results from it, in many hadiths, including this one. In this hadith, he explains that whoever does wudu’ well, then offers the prayer for which he did wudu’, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will forgive him [for his minor sins] between this prayer that he prayed and the following prayer, as is mentioned in other reports. So if a person does wudu’ well for the five daily prayers, he will be forgiven for the sins of that entire day. What is meant here is minor sins, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiates whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.”
The caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith after he did a complete wudu’, washing each part three times, then he narrated that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in this manner. Then ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Were it not for a verse, I would not have narrated it to you. In other words, were it not that Allah (may He be exalted) enjoined the one who acquired some knowledge to convey it, I would not have been keen to narrate this hadith to you. ‘Urwah said: The verse is the one in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse} [al-Baqarah 2:159]. This highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to convey the Sunnah and teach it to people, and it indicates how a ruler should play a role in carrying out the duty to preserve and promote Islam..

162
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you does wudu’, let him put water in his nose then blow it out, and whoever cleans himself with pebbles, let him use an odd number. When one of you wakes up from his sleep, let him wash his hand before putting it into his vessel of wudu’ water, for one of you does not know where his hand spent the night.”.

Commentary : This hadith highlights some points of Islamic etiquette and teachings. In it, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: When one if you does wudu’, meaning that when he wants to do wudu’ and starts to do it, then let him put water in his nose by sniffing it up until it gets into his nose, then let him push it out with a forceful exhalation, so as to clean out any dirt that may be inside the nose. And whoever cleans himself with pebbles, meaning that he wants to wipe his front or back passage after relieving himself by using pebbles, let him use an odd number, so let him use three or five pebbles, and so on, so that the place will be thoroughly cleansed of dirt. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the one who wakes up from his sleep to wash his hand and purify it with water before he puts it into the vessel containing the water with which he will do wudu’. That is because the sleeper does not know where his hand spent the night whilst he was sleeping, and he cannot be certain that it did not become unclean by touching some impurity on the body. This is a precaution so that the water will not become contaminated with something that may have got stuck to his hand whilst he was sleeping.
This hadith encourages us to take precautions and be careful in the case of doubt and uncertainty, and to take measures to protect and maintain the original state of water, which is originally clean and pure.
It indicates that one may use ambiguous words when it is not appropriate to be blunt or explicit. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “One of you does not know where his hand spent the night,” instead of saying something explicit..

164
It was narrated from Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, that he saw ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan call for water for wudu’. Then he poured some of the water onto his hands from the vessel and washed them three times. Then he put his right hand into the water then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water up into his nose and blew it out. Then he washed his face three times, and his arms up to the elbows three times. Then he wiped his head, then he washed each foot three times. Then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, and he said: “Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, Allah will forgive him his previous sins.”.

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to transmit the Sunnah and teach it to those who came after them, so that they could spread the true religion and the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Humran, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, narrates that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), during his time as caliph of the Muslims, called for a vessel containing water for wudu’. He poured some water from the vessel onto his hands and washed them three times, before putting his hands into the vessel, so as to cleanse and purify them. Then he put his right hand into the  water and took out a handful of water, then rinsed his mouth by putting the water into his mouth and moving it around, then spitting it out, so as to wash his mouth thoroughly. Then he spat out the water from his mouth. Then he sniffed water up to make it reach the top of his nose, then he blew it out, so as to cleanse his nose of any dirt that might be in it. Then he washed his face three times. The definition of the face is from the hairline to the bottom of the chin, and from one earlobe to the other, right and left. What is meant is that he made the water reach every part of the face. Then he washed each arm up to the elbow three times. Then he wiped his head, and wiping is less than washing. What is meant by the head here is where the hair grows. Then he washed each foot up to the ankle, as is mentioned in the reports. In all of that, he gave each part its fair share of water and washing.
Then after finishing his wudu’, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine. Thus he stated that his wudu’ was a precise imitation of the wudu’ of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was done to teach those around him of the Tabi‘in and those who wanted to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever does wudu’ in a manner similar to this wudu’ of mine, then prays two rak‘ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, so that he does those two rak‘ahs with sincerity and proper focus, in an unhurried manner, Allah will forgive him his previous minor sins, because in the case of major sins, repentance is essential. So major sins are excluded from the general meaning of the statement, based on the report narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The five daily prayers, one Jumu‘ah to the next, and one Ramadan to the next, expiate whatever sins come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.” It is also stipulated that the one who repents should put right any wrongs that he did, and fulfil other conditions of repentance.
This hadith highlights the virtue of wudu’ and praying with sincerity, without showing off.
It indicates that teaching by demonstrating actions is more effective than teaching by words alone.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to teach people about matters of faith even when he was caliph. .

166
It was narrated from ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj that he said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar: O Abu ‘Abdul Rahman, I saw you doing four things that I have not seen any of your companions doing. He said: What are they, O Ibn Jurayj? He said: I saw that you do not touch any corners [of the Kaaba] except the two Yemeni corners; I saw that you wear sandals made of tanned leather; I saw that you use wars [memecylon tinctorium] as a dye; and I saw that when you were in Makkah, the people entered ihram when they saw the new moon, but you did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah. ‘Abdullah said: As for the corners, I never saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touch any but the two Yemeni corners. As for the sandals of tanned leather, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there were no hairs, and doing wudu’ in them, so I like to wear them. As for using wars as a dye, I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using it as a dye, so I like to use it as a dye. As for entering ihram, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entering ihram until he set out on his mount [on the day of al-tarwiyah]..

Commentary : ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to follow the Prophet’s Sunnah in every aspect of his life and in his acts of worship. He would do some things that others did not do, because of this great keenness of his to follow the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
This hadith highlights some of those things, as the Tabi‘i ‘Ubayd ibn Jurayj asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about four things that he had not seen any of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing. It may be that what he meant was that no one else did all four of those deeds, although some might do one or two of them. The first of these four things was: he saw that he did not touch any of the corners of the Kaaba when circumambulating it (tawaf) except the two Yemeni corners which are on the southern side of the Kaaba. What is meant is the “black corner” [where the Black Stone is], which is the corner of the Kaaba that is next to the door, on the eastern side, and the one that is parallel to it, opposite al-Safa. As for the other two corners on the northern side, he did not touch them; Hijr Isma‘il is on that side. Perhaps he used to do that because the two Yemeni corners are built on the foundations of Ibrahim, and the corner where the Black Stone is has two characteristics: it was built on the foundations of Ibrahim and it contains the Black Stone.
The second action was wearing sandals made of tanned leather, on which there was no hair. It was said that they were made from the tanned hide of a cow. It was said that he only objected to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) doing that because that was the footwear of people of luxury, and ordinary people used to wear sandals made of hides that still had hair and was not tanned.
The third action was dying his hair with wars, which is a plant similar to saffron and may be mixed with it.
The fourth action was that when he was staying in Makkah, he did not enter ihram until the day of al-tarwiyah, which is the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah. It is so called because on that day they used to prepare water (yatarawwawna), preparing it and carrying it so that they could use it in ‘Arafah for drinking and other purposes. His companions used to enter ihram when they saw the new moon of Dhul Hijjah. The word translated here as entering ihram refers to raising the voice in reciting the Talbiyah with the intention of entering ihram for Hajj or ‘umrah.
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) responded that he did these things as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done them. He never saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) touching any of the corners of the Kaaba except the two Yemeni corners. He saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wearing sandals on which there was no hair and doing wudu’ in them, so he liked to do what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. He saw him using wars as a dye, and this may refer to dyeing his garment, because of the report in Sunan Abi Dawud from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) using wars as a dye, and nothing was dearer to him than that. He used to dye all of his garments with it, even his turban. Most of the Sahabah and Tabi‘in used to dye their hair and beards with wars. It was also suggested that perhaps he used to perfume himself with it, not that he used it as a dye.
And he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) not entering ihram until he set out on his mount; that is, when his camel stood up fully with him in the saddle, setting out on his way. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only entered ihram when he began to do the actions of Hajj and started moving [towards Mina]. Hence Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delayed entering ihram until the time when he began to do the actions of Hajj and headed towards Mina, which is the day of al-tarwiyah. At that time they would set out from Makkah towards Mina. Thus Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a follower, not an innovator. May Allah be pleased with all the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the fact that it is valid to do wudu’ wearing sandals.
It indicates that goodness is in following the Sunnah, and in striving to reach conclusions (ijtihad) and make analogies (qiyas) on the basis thereof, for those who are qualified to do that.
It indicates that the learner may ask the knowledgeable person about what he sees him doing, and does not know or understand the basis for that, and the knowledgeable person may explain that to the one who asks..

168
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right when putting on his shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself and in all things..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to watch what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did and listen to his words, so that they could acquire knowledge from him, act upon it and convey it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to start on the right. In addition to starting on the right, the Arabic term also includes taking and giving with the right hand, by way of seeking blessing (barakah). It was pleasing and comfortable for him to start on the right in all his actions; that was because he liked optimistic attitudes, for the companions of the right are the people of Paradise. In one report, al-Bukhari added the words “as much as he could.” Here the hadith points out that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would maintain this habit so long as there was no reason that would make it impossible. One aspect of that is that he would start on the right when putting on his sandals or shoes, so he would put the shoe on the right foot before the left foot. When combing his hair, he would start on the right, and when doing wudu’ or ghusl to cleanse himself of impurity, he would start on the right before the left. He would also do that in other actions. As for dirty or off-putting matters, he would use his left hand and would start on the left, such as when cleaning himself after relieving himself, or entering the outhouse.
It was said that it is as by mentioning putting on shoes, which has to do with the feet, and combing the hair, which has to do with the head, and purification, which is the key to different acts of worship, he was referring to all parts of the body, as he would start on the right in all of these cases, when doing noble actions concerning them..

170
It was narrated that Ibn Sirin said: I said to ‘Abidah: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which we obtained from Anas or from the family of Anas. He said: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it..

Commentary : The Sahabah and Tabi‘in were the people who had the greatest love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were the keenest to seek his relics.
In this hadith, Muhammad ibn Sirin, one of the Tabi‘in, narrates that he said to ‘Abidah – who was ibn ‘Amr al-Salmani, one of the senior Tabi‘in: We have some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in our possession; it was given to us by Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or by his family. It is as if he was saying that they sought blessing (barakah) from this hair, and held it in high esteem. Anas ibn Malik was the son of the wife of Abu Talhah; she was known as Umm Sulaym. Abu Talhah acquired some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when his head was shaved during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and it remained until it was inherited by his heirs and his freed slaves. Sirin, the father of Muhammad, was a freed slave of Anas ibn Malik, and he obtained some of this hair.
‘Abidah said to Ibn Sirin: If I had one hair of his, that would be dearer to me than this world and everything in it. Thus ‘Abidah wished that he could have one hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is indicative of the high esteem in which they held the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as his worth in their view was far greater than this world and everything in it. That was because of their great love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was proven that some of the Sahabah used to take the sweat of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and add it to their perfume. Others would seek where he had put his fingers in the food, and eat from that place. Yet others would drink his leftover water and other drinks. This is in addition to their keenness to follow his Sunnah and teachings, out of love for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and seeking blessing from his relics. This applies only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also highlights the great love that the Tabi‘in had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

171
It was narrated from Anas that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head, Abu Talhah was the first one to take some of his hair..

Commentary : The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to race to take his relics, seeking blessing from them; this is applicable only to the relics of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself. In this hadith, we see one example of that. Anas ibn Maalik narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shaved his head in Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH, he shared out his shaved hair among the people, and Abu Talhah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), the husband of Umm Sulaym, who was the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), was the first one to take some of the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Muslim narrated that when [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] had stoned the Jamrah and offered his sacrifice, he turned the right side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, then he called Abu Talhah and gave the hair to him, then he turned the left side of his head to the barber and he shaved it, and he gave that hair to Abu Talhah too, and said to him: “Share it out among the people.” According to a report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Talhah gave it to Umm Sulaym to put it in her perfume.
This hadith indicates that human hair is pure (tahir).
It also indicates that one may seek blessing from the hair of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and it is permissible to keep it..

172
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If a dog drinks from the vessel of one of you, let him wash it seven times.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to explain issues pertaining to purification, and to explain to them which substances were impure, and how to remove their traces and purify an item that had been contaminated with them. An example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined washing a vessel seven times if a dog drinks from it. The procedure that is sufficient to purify the vessel from which a dog has drunk is to wash it seven times, one of which should be with dust or soil, as was narrated by al-Nasa’i: “… one of which should be with dust.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “The first of which should be with dust”; according to another report narrated by Muslim, “and the eighth time rub it with dust.” The dog is singled out for mention in this regard, because of what is known about how impure (najis) the dog is, and how it may carry many diseases in its saliva. There is wisdom behind cleaning the vessel this number of times in this manner, which is known to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). It was said that using dust or soil to wash the vessel is to be done because dust or soil has the ability to kill the diseases that are usually caused by the dog and may attach themselves to the vessel, which water alone cannot remove. Repeatedly washing the vessel with water will ensure that it is clean.
There is no difference between different types of dogs in this regard, and whether they are the types of dogs that it is permissible to keep, such as hunting dogs, or they are types that it is not permissible to keep..

1591
Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the Day of Khaybar, making deals with the Jews with the Wuqiyyah of gold for two or three dinars, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not sell gold for gold except weight for weight..

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, 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.
In this Hadīth, Fadālah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the Battle of Khaybar in 7 AH. They were making deals with the Jews and buying from them one Wuqiyyah of gold worth forty silver dirhams for "two or three dinars", and the dinar was equal to 12 dirhams. It could mean they were selling one' Uqiyyah of gold, beads, and others for two or three dinars. It is known that this amount of pure gold is not to be sold for two or three dinars, and this was the reason why the Companions made such a transaction, as they thought it was permissible because the gold was mixed with other things. However, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from selling gold for gold "except weight for weight," i.e., each must be equal to the other in terms of weight without any addition or surplus.
The Hadīth highlights the prohibition of Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus)..

1592
Ma‘mar ibn ‘Abdullah reported: That he sent his servant with one Sā‘ of wheat and said to him: Sell it then buy with it barley. The servant went and took one Sā‘ and part of a Sā‘. When he came to Ma‘mar, he informed him of that, whereupon, Ma‘mar said to him: Why did you do that?! Go ahead and return it and do not take except like for like, as I used to hear the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Food for food, like for like. He said: Our food at that time was barley. It was said to him: It is not like it. He said: I am afraid that it could be similar..

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, 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 Sā‘ of wheat for two Sā‘s thereof, or one hundred grams of gold for one hundred and ten grams thereof.
In this Hadīth, Ma‘mar ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Nadlah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he sent his servant with one Sā‘ of wheat and ordered him to sell it for cash, i.e., for dirhams and dinars, then buy barley with its price. The boy went and bought one Sā‘ of barley and part of a Sā in return for the wheat directly without selling the wheat first and then buying the barley with its price. Perhaps he did that because buying barley was the goal and it was achieved by this.
When the servant returned to Ma‘mar, he informed him of what he had done, i.e., selling one Sā‘ of wheat for one Sā‘ and more of barley. Ma‘mar asked him: Why did you do that?! This is an objecting question. Then, he ordered him to return and bring back the wheat and return the barley and not to take the barley from him except like for like in terms of weight. Then, he clarified to him the reason for returning the extra barley, as he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Food for food," i.e., when selling one of them for another, it should be "like for like," i.e., in terms of weight and amount without any addition or surplus, and the two foods here refer to those of the same type, as it was mentioned in a version in Sahīh Muslim Collection that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If these classes differ, sell as you wish as long as payment is made hand to hand."
Ma‘mar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Our food at that time was barley," i.e., it was the staple food during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Some of those who were present objected that barley and wheat are not of the same type, i.e., wheat and barley are two different types, therefore, surplus between them is not unlawful. Ma‘mar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am afraid that it could be similar," i.e., a similar case. In other words, he was afraid it was included among the similar types and, thus, should have the same ruling of the prohibition of Riba since wheat and barley are close and each of them is called food. He (may Allah be pleased with him) did this out of religious prudence and as a precautionary measure.
The Hadīth highlights the prohibition of Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus).
It shows how the Companions were cautious not to fall into committing what is unlawful..

1594
Abu Nadrah reported: I asked Ibn' Abbās about Sarf (currency exchange), and he said: Is it hand to hand? I said: Yes. He said: There is no harm in it. I informed Abu Sa‘īd about it, saying: I asked Ibn' Abbās about Sarf, and he said: Is it hand to hand? I said: Yes. He said: There is no harm in it. He said: Did he say that?! We will write to him not to give you this Fatwa (legal opinion). He said: By Allah, some of the boys of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) brought dry dates, but he rejected them and said: It seems those are not from the dry dates of our land. He said: This year, there was something wrong with the dry dates of our land - or with our dry dates - so I took that and made some addition, whereupon he said: You made an addition! You committed Riba (usury)! Do not approach this. If you have doubts about your dry dates, sell them and then buy the dry dates you like..

Commentary : Riba (usury) is one of the gravest major sins. The Shariah has forbidden all sales that involve a possibility of Riba and has permitted lawful sales that are free of Riba. The pre-Islamic era of ignorance was swarming with Riba-based sales, so Islam rectified and refined such sale transactions.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Nadrah al-Mundhir ibn Mālik al-‘Abdi narrates that he asked the Companion ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) about Sarf, which is selling an item for another of the same type with a surplus and an addition in the taken or given item, like selling a dinar for two dinars or a dirham for two dirhams; whether it is a Riba-based sale or not. Ibn ‘Abbās answered by saying that it is not Riba in case it is exchanged hand to hand, i.e., at the time that the act of selling took place. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) did not deem selling an item for another of the same type with a surplus Riba, and he believed that Riba is not unlawful except in case of a deferred payment.
So, Abu Nadrah informed Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Fatwa of Ibn ‘Abbās, whereupon Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he would write to Ibn ‘Abbās not to give such a Fatwa and would review it with him, clarify the truth, and advise him. Then, Abu Sa‘īd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated his supporting reference and evidence in forbidding the Riba of surplus and addition. He swore and said: "By Allah, some of the boys of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)," who are the servants, "brought dry dates, but he rejected them," the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rejected them because they were not from the dry dates produced by their land and not the ones known among them. It was said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): This year, the dry dates of Madīnah were of bad quality. So, the servant took some of the bad dry dates and exchanged them for others and brought those good dry dates to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in return for the defective ones and gave the buyer an excess in the weight and amount of the defective dry dates. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You made an addition! You committed Riba (usury)! Do not approach this," i.e., what you did and the addition you made in the weight is from Riba. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from eating from the dry dates he had brought. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him by way of teaching: "If you find some doubt about your dry dates, sell them and then buy the dry dates you like," thus, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade him from taking dry dates for dry dates. So, if there was something wrong with his dry dates, he should first sell them for money, then buy with that money whatever he liked of the dry dates, and there should be no surplus between the two.
It seems that Ibn ‘Abbās gave that Fatwa of permissibility based on the apparent indication of the Prophet's statement mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections: "Riba is only in Nasī’ah (deferred payment)." This apparently indicates exclusiveness, as if he said: There is no Riba except in the deferred payment. However, there is a report in the Sahīh Muslim Collection indicating that Ibn ‘Abbās reconsidered his stance regarding his Fatwa, as Abu as-Sahbā’ narrated: "That he asked Ibn ‘Abbās about it in Makkah, and he disliked it," i.e., he disliked the permissibility of surplus in Sarf.
The Hadīth highlights the prohibition of Riba al-Fadl (usury of surplus).
It indicates the invalidity of the transaction that involves Riba.
It highlights the fact that the Shariah rulings are to be sought only through the Qur‘an and the Sunnah.
It shows how the Companions used to correct each other whenever they made a mistake..