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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
549
It was narrated that Abu Umamah ibn Sahl said: We prayed Zuhr with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, then we left and came to Anas ibn Malik, and we found him praying ‘Asr. I said: O uncle, what is this prayer that you were praying? He said: ‘Asr, and this is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that we used to offer with him..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged the Muslims to pray and to offer the prayer at the beginning of its time. The Sahabah were keen to follow the commands and instructions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but some of the rulers and governors after the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs delayed the prayers until the end of their times.
In this hadith, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl says: “We prayed Zuhr with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, then we left and came to Anas ibn Malik, and we found him praying ‘Asr.” ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz had prayed Zuhr at the end of its time, and Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time, upholding the Sunnah. The beginning of the time for ‘Asr – as is stated in the reports – is when the sun is in the sky and the length of the shadow of a thing is double its height.
When Abu Umamah saw him praying ‘Asr just after they had prayed with ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, he asked him what prayer he had been praying. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he had been praying ‘Asr, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had enjoined, and as we used to pray it with him at this time.
It was said that ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz used to pray Zuhr sometimes at the end of its time. That was when he was a governor in Madinah. In this matter, he followed the example of those of Banu Umayyah who used to delay it, until ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr advised him, then he stopped doing that and began to offer the prayers at the beginning of their times.
This hadith highlights the keenness of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), no matter how much people changed it.
It also indicates that with the passage of time, people and rulers became less committed to following the Sunnah..

550
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still high and bright, then someone would go to al-‘Awali and come to the people there when the sun was still high. Some of the areas of al-‘Awali were four miles or so from Madinah..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen about the matter of prayer, and was very keen to teach his companions the beginning and end of the time for each of the five daily prayers.
In this hadith, the Sahabi Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still high and bright, meaning that it was still clear, before it began to turn yellow or change colour. The beginning of the time for ‘Asr – as is stated in the reports – is when the sun is in the sky and the length of the shadow of a thing is double its height.
If a person went to al-‘Awali after having prayed ‘Asr with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he would come to the people there whilst the sun was still high, but not a high as it had been previously. al-‘Awali refers to villages and clusters of houses around Madinah in the direction of Najd, some of which were four miles or so – or approximately six kilometres – from Madinah. This is indicative of how early the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed ‘Asr, as soon as the time for it began..

552
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The one who misses ‘Asr, it is as if he lost his family and his wealth.”.

Commentary : ‘Asr prayer is of great importance, for it is the middle prayer. We have been enjoined to uphold all prayers, especially ‘Asr prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who misses ‘Asr prayer and does not offer it on time, delaying it until the sun has set with no excuse, it is as if he lost his family and his wealth, and ended up bereft of family or wealth; when he sees the reward [that he missed out on], he will be filled with sorrow and regret like that of one who loses his family and his wealth.
This hadith is a warning against neglecting and missing ‘Asr prayer..

553
It was narrated that Abu’l-Malih said: We were on a campaign with Buraydah on a cloudy day, and he said: Pray ‘Asr early, for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever misses ‘Asr prayer, his good deeds are rendered invalid.”.

Commentary : ‘Asr prayer is of great importance, for it is the middle prayer. We have been enjoined to uphold all prayers, especially ‘Asr prayer.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu’l-Malih ibn Usamah al-Hudhali narrated that they were on a campaign with Buraydah ibn al-Husayb al-Aslami, on a cloudy day. This indicates that the sun was not visible in the usual fashion, which would enable them to be certain that the time for prayer had begun. So he instructed them to hasten to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time. It was said that the reason why he mentioned in particular that it was a cloudy day was because that would be a cause of delaying the prayer, either because of one who was overly cautious and wanted to be sure that its time had begun, but would delay it so much that its time would end, or because of one who was preoccupied with something else, so he would think that there was still time, then he would get carried away in what he was preoccupied with until the time for the prayer ended.
Then Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained to them that the reason for urging them to pray ‘Asr at the beginning of its time was that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever misses ‘Asr prayer,” and deliberately delays it until its time has ended, with no excuse, “his good deeds are rendered invalid,” and the reward for them is lost, so he will have no reward at all.
This hadith indicates that it is better to be on the safe side and offer prayer at the beginning of its time when the weather changes and the sun is not visible as it usually is, for fear that the time for the prayer will end.
It is also a warning against neglecting ‘Asr prayer and missing it..

554
It was narrated that Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah said: We were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he looked at the moon one night – meaning when it was full – and said: “You will see your Lord as you see this moon; you will have no trouble looking at Him. If you can avoid being overwhelmed by something that prevents you from praying before the sun rises and before it sets, then do that.” Then he recited the verse: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39]. Isma‘il said: Do that, so that you will not miss it..

Commentary : Islam urges the Muslim to attend the prayers in congregation in general, and to attend ‘Asr and Fajr prayer in particular. The emphasis on these two prayers is because the angels gather at these two times, and take up people’s deeds.
In this hadith, Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that they were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he looked at the moon on the night when it is full, which is the night of the fourteenth of the Hijri month, and said: You – O believers – will see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection as you see this moon, in a real sense, with no doubt about that. The phrase “you will have no trouble” means: You will not crowd one another when you look at Him as you do when there is uncertainty as to whether what you are looking for is visible or not, as you do when looking for the new moon, and so on. In a variant reading of the same phrase, the meaning indicated is that there will be no unfairness with regard to seeing Him, and no toil involved, so it will not be the case that some of you see Him whilst others do not; rather you will all see Him. A third variant indicates that you will not push and shove one another, or dispute.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged them, saying, “If you can avoid being overwhelmed” that is, if you are able to avoid causes of being overwhelmed which make you unable to pray, such as sleeping or being busy with things that keep you from praying, then avoid them. So do not neglect to pray before the sun rises, namely Fajr, or before the sun sets, namely ‘Asr. “… then do that,” i.e., offer these two prayers at these two times. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the verse: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39].
This hadith highlights the virtue of offering the two prayers of Fajr and ‘Asr..

555
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Angels come to you in succession, angels by night and angels by day, and they meet at Fajr prayer and ‘Asr prayer. Then those who spent the night among you ascend [to heaven] and Allah asks them, although He knows best about them: ‘In what state did you leave My slaves?’ They say: ‘We left them when they were praying, and we came to them when they were praying.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to urge and encourage his companions to do any deeds that were good and beneficial for them, because of the increased virtue and reward that those actions brought.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that the angels take turns in guarding the people. One group guards them by night and another group guards them by day, then the angels of the day and the angels of the night meet at two times, the first of which is at Fajr prayer, when the angels of the day come down at the beginning of the prayer, and the angels of the night are still present, so they meet them. And the angels of the night meet the angels of the day at ‘Asr prayer which is the second time. Then the angels of the night ascend after Fajr prayer, and the Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) asks them – although He knows best about them – In what state did you leave My slaves? He has no need to ask them that, because He is all-knowing about them; rather He asks them about that among those on high by way of emphasizing the status of the sons of Adam and to highlight their virtue and boast about them before the angels. So they say: We left them when they were praying Fajr and we came to them when they were praying ‘Asr; they are always praying. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) asks the angels of the day the same question, and they give the same answer as the angels of the night.
This hadith indicates that prayer is the most sublime act of worship, because the question and answer in this hadith have to do with it.
It also indicates that Fajr and ‘Asr are among the greatest of the prayers.
It indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) speaks with His angels as He wills, without likening that speech to human speech, or denying it, or interpreting it in a way other than the apparent meaning..

556
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If one of you catches up with a ‘sajdah’ of ‘Asr prayer before the sun sets, let him complete his prayer. And if he catches up with a ‘sajdah’ of Fajr prayer before the sun rises, let him complete his prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that is limited to the way it is prescribed in the religious texts. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) defined its times, and explained the beginning and end of each time, and how one may catch up with the prayer before its time ends.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) described the minimum amount of the prayer that one may do (before the time for it ends) so that he may be regarded as having caught up with the prayer, and that the one who delays doing an obligatory prayer until its time has almost ended, but he manages to catch up with even one ‘sajdah’ before its time ends, is regarded as having caught up with the prayer within its time, even if he does the remaining rak‘ahs after the time for the prayer has ended. What is meant by ‘sajdah’ (lit. prostration) here is a complete rak‘ah, with its ruku‘ (bowing) and sujud (prostration). The prayer may be called sujud (lit. prostration), just as it may also be called ruku‘ (bowing).
It was also said that what is meant by sajdah in the phrase “If one of you catches up with a sajdah” is sajdah in the true sense (that is, prostration), and not an entire rak‘ah. If catching up with the prayer has to do with the ruling on the prayer, it is the same whether one catches up with a complete rak‘ah or less than that. It is sufficient to catch up with the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) [before the time for the prayer ends], because this is the issue of catching up with the prayer (and avoiding falling into sin by missing the prayer), therefore catching up with the rak‘ah is the same as catching up with the takbirat al-ihram.
These two prayers (Fajr and ‘Asr) are singled out for mention, to the exclusion of others – even though this ruling is not specific to them; rather it includes all the prayers – because they are done at the two ends of the day, and if the worshipper has offered part of the prayer, then the sun rises or sets, he will realize that the time for the prayer has ended. So if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not explain this ruling, the worshipper would think that he had missed the prayer and his prayer had been rendered invalid because the time had ended. Moreover, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had forbidden praying at the time of sunrise and sunset. Therefore he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the prayer of the one who catches up with a rak‘ah of these two prayers (before the time for them ends) is valid, lest the worshipper think that his prayer had been rendered invalid with the ending of these two times.
This applies to one who has a legitimate excuse for not having offered the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time. He may pray at the end of that time, and catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset; otherwise, the best of deeds is offering prayer on time.
It was said that what is meant in this hadith is that if a person is among those who are accountable and required to pray, and is able to catch up with as much as one rak‘ah of the prayer before the sun rises, then he is regarded as having caught up with it and fulfilled the obligation of praying Fajr. This applies only to those with legitimate excuses; if a menstruating woman becomes pure (and rushes to do ghusl), or an insane person recovers his sanity, or a Christian becomes Muslim, or a boy reaches puberty, if any of these people catches up with one rak‘ah then he or she has fulfilled the obligation of praying..

557
It was narrated from Salim ibn ‘Abdillah, from his father, that he told him that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The duration of your stay, in comparison to the nations who came before you, is like the time between ‘Asr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah, and they acted upon it until midday and became exhausted. They were given one qirat (carat; a measure of gold) each. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel, and they acted upon it until the time of ‘Asr prayer, then they became exhausted. So they were given one qirat each. Then we were given the Qur’an, and we strove until sunset, and we were given two qirats each. The people of the (previous) two Books said: ‘O our Lord, You have given these people two qirats each, and You gave us one qirat each, although we did more work?’ Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) said: ‘Have I wronged you with regard to your reward?’ They said: ‘No.’ He said: ‘That is My grace that I bestow upon whomever I will.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the precedence given to this ummah over the nations who came before them, namely the Jews and Christians. That is because of their good response to the commands of Allah and His Messenger.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The duration of your stay, in comparison to the nations who came before you”, namely the followers of Musa and ‘Isa (peace be upon them), “is like the time between ‘Asr prayer and sunset.” This is indicative of how close the onset of the Hour is. This is a likeness that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave of the efforts of the three nations. The people of the Torah – namely the Jews – were given the Torah, which is the Book that Allah (may He be glorified) sent down to Musa (peace be upon him), and they acted in accordance with what it contained, until midday, whereupon they became exhausted and fell short, and were unable to complete the full day’s work. So Allah gave each of them his reward, one qirat each.
Then the people of the Gospel – namely the Christians – were given the Gospel, which is the Book that Allah (may He be glorified) sent down to ‘Isa (peace be upon him), and they acted in accordance with what it contained until the time of ‘Asr prayer, whereupon they became exhausted and stopped striving. They were given their reward, one qirat each.
Then we – namely the Muslim ummah – were given the Qur’an, and we strove until sunset, then Allah gave us our reward, two qirats each, which is double the reward given to the previous nations.
The people of the two Books – the Jews and the Christians – said: O our Lord, You have given these people two qirats each, and you gave us one qirat each, although we strove more! In other words, You have given them more than us, although they did less work than us. But Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) said: Have I wronged you and detracted anything from your reward? They said: No, You have not detracted anything from our reward. He said: Everything that I give of reward is by My grace, and I bestow it upon whomever I will.
This hadith indicates that this ummah is given precedence and a great reward, even though its efforts are less.
It also indicates that deeds are judged by the last of them..

558
It was narrated from Abu Musa, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The likeness of the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians is that of a man who hired some people to do work for him until nightfall, so they worked until midday, then they said: We have no need of your wages. So he hired some other people, and said: Work for the rest of the day, and you will have what I promised [to the people before you]. So they worked until the time of ‘Asr prayer, then they said: Whatever we have done is for you. Then he hired another group of people, and they worked for the rest of the day, until the sun set, and they received in full the wages of the two previous groups..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) highlighted the precedence given to this ummah over the nations who came before them, namely the Jews and Christians. That is because of their good response to the commands of Allah and His Messenger.
In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: The likeness of the Muslims, the Jews and the Christians – that is, with their Prophets – is that of a man who hired some people to do some work for him until nightfall, so they worked until midday, but they did not complete their work, and they said: We have no need of your wages, and we will not ask you for anything. What is meant by these people is the Jews.
Then the man hired some other people, and said: Complete the work that they began, and I will give you what I had promised them of wages. So they worked until the time for ‘Asr prayer came, then they said: What we have done is not valid, and we have no need of the wages that you promised us. What is meant by these people is the Christians.
Then the man hired some other people, and they worked for the rest of that day, until the sun set. And they received in full the wages of the two earlier groups. What is meant by these people is the Muslim ummah.
This is the likeness of the Muslims who accepted the guidance brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the likeness of the Jews and Christians, who disbelieved and rejected the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, we see that precedence is given to this ummah, and they are granted their reward in full, despite the fact that their effort was less.
It also indicates that deeds are judged by the last of them.
And it indicates that likenesses may be given for the purpose of teaching and explaining..

559
It was narrated that Rafi‘ ibn Khadij said: We would pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then one of us would leave and still be able to see as far as his arrows would fall..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very concerned about the matter of prayer, which included his being concerned to teach his companions the beginning and end of the time for each of the five daily prayers.
In this hadith, Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they would pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and they would finish the prayer and leave the mosque, and one of them would still be able to see as far as his arrows would fall when shot from a bow. What is meant is that there was still enough light after sunset for them to be able to see where their arrows would land, even though that was so far away. This is a metaphor to indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Maghrib at the beginning of its time, as soon as the sun set. The time for Maghrib begins when the sun disappears.
This hadith indicates that we should hasten to pray Maghrib and keep it brief..

560
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali said: al-Hajjaj came and we asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah, and he said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot, ‘Asr when the sun was still bright, Maghrib when the sun dropped below the horizon, and ‘Isha’ at different times; if he saw that the people had gathered, he would hasten to pray, and if he saw that they were slow to come, he would delay it. And they, or the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), would pray Fajr when the light of dawn began to appear..

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) has commanded us to establish prayer, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us how to establish it; he instructed us to do its essential parts and sunnahs properly, observe the etiquette of prayer, and do it on time.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali narrated that al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi came to Madinah as its governor during the caliphate of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, following the killing of Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) in 73 AH. The people asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) about delaying the prayer, and how they should pray, and when? That was because al-Hajjaj used to delay the prayer. So Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot [bi’l-hajirah]; he would pray immediately after the sun passed the meridian, at the time when it was extremely hot. The word hajirah refers to extreme heat, but comes from a root that refers to stopping or refraining, because the people stop their dealings and their comings and goings at this time, due to the extreme heat, and they take a nap.
He used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still clear, pure in colour and bright, and he would pray Maghrib when the sun disappeared and its disk dropped below the horizon. He would pray ‘Isha’ at different times; if he saw that the Sahabah had gathered, he would hasten to pray ‘Isha’, but if they were slow, he would delay the prayer. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray Fajr at the beginning of its time, when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night.
Jabir answered the people’s questions by specifying these times to indicate that they should adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that they should offer each prayer at the beginning of its time. A report narrated by Abu Dawud from Ibn Mas‘ud indicates that when he asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) what he should do if he lived to see governors delaying the prayers, he told him: “Offer the prayer on time, and make your prayer with them supererogatory (nafil).” This was prophetic advice to the Muslims at such times, telling them that they should offer the prayer at the beginning of its time amongst themselves, or in their houses, and not to do that openly, then they should pray with the governors at the later time when they offered the prayer in congregation, or they issued instructions that the prayer was to be offered at that time, so as not to cause division in the Muslim community by openly opposing those in authority and not praying with them, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslims to obey those in authority so long as they establish the prayer – as is stated in other reports. But there is a report which prohibits offering the same prayer twice in one day, if there is no reason to do so. However, in this case, there is a valid reason for repeating it, which is obeying those in authority and not causing division in the community. So the first prayer is regarded as obligatory, and the second prayer is regarded as supererogatory.
This hadith indicates that Zuhr prayer should be offered at the beginning of its time, after the sun passes the meridian.
It indicates that it is prescribed to delay ‘Isha’ prayer according to when the worshippers prefer to gather.
It highlights the virtue of praying at the beginning of the time for the prayer, and warns against delaying it; and it tells us that we should continue to attend the prayers with the leaders of the Muslims, even if they are wrongdoers..

561
It was narrated that Salamah said: We used to pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when the sun disappeared below the horizon..

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103]. This hadith describes the time for Maghrib prayer, as Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to pray Maghrib with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when the sun was concealed and disappeared below the horizon, and the horizon was like a screen or curtain that prevented us from seeing it. The time for praying Maghrib lasts until the dusk or red afterglow disappears, as it is narrated in Sahih Muslim from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “… and the time for Maghrib prayer lasts so long as the dusk has not disappeared…”
This hadith indicates that we should hasten to pray Maghrib when the sun sets.
It also describes the beginning of the time for Maghrib prayer..

563
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your Maghrib prayer.” The Bedouins used to call it ‘Isha’..

Commentary : One aspect of proper etiquette towards Allah and His Messenger is to keep the names of things as Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and His Messenger named them, especially the names of the prayers. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin” meaning the Bedouin of the Jaahiliyyah, “with regard to the name of your Maghrib prayer.” The Bedouin are the desert-dwelling Arabs who do not reside in towns, and only enter the towns when necessary. Al-‘Arab (the Arabs) was the general name for the people of Arabia at that time, regardless of whether they lived in the desert or in cities and towns. What is meant is: do not be influenced by their habits, for they call Maghrib ‘Isha’; do not use the word ‘Isha’ to refer to Maghrib as they do, because they used to change the names, and they would call ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah (lit. darkness), because they used to delay milking the she-camels until the time when it was extremely dark. Then Islam came to correct this mistake, and taught them the proper name for each prayer.
This hadith criticizes calling Maghrib ‘Isha’.
It indicates that if the names given to things by Islam differ from their customary names, we should give precedence to the Islamic names over the customary names.
It indicates that the Muslim should not imitate the practices of the Jahiliyyah even with regard to names; rather he should follow Islamic teachings in all his affairs, because there is divine wisdom in the selection of names and other things, so it is not appropriate to choose something different..

564
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him led us in ‘Isha’ prayer one night – which is what the people call al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) prayer – then when he finished, he turned to us and said: “Do you see this night of yours? In one hundred years from this night, there will be no one left of those who are on the face of the earth tonight.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah and informed them of everything that was in their best interests, which includes telling them of some future events of which Allah (may He be exalted) had granted him knowledge. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in praying ‘Isha’ one night; this is the prayer that the people call al-‘atamah. The fact that he mentioned here that ‘Isha’ was called al-‘atamah indicates that the use of this name had become very common, even though the name for this prayer as ‘Isha’ is mentioned in the Book of Allah, in the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {and after the night prayer [salat al-‘Isha’]} [al-Nur 24:58]. There were also reports which forbid calling ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as in the hadith narrated by Muslim from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your prayer; indeed it is ‘Isha’, but they delay milking the camels until it is very dark [yu‘timuna].” Those who were aware of the prohibition on that needed to mention it in order to make people aware of the matter. However, it is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he called it ‘atamah, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated in al-Sahihayn: “If they knew what there is in al-‘atamah (i.e., ‘Isha’ prayer) and al-subh (i.e., Fajr prayer), they would come to them, even if they had to crawl.” It was said that the mention of this prayer as al-‘atamah was addressed to those who only knew of ‘Isha’ by this name, so he mentioned it by the name with which they were familiar, or he mentioned that to explain that there is nothing wrong with mentioning it by that name, even though it is different from what is more appropriate.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer and turned to face those present, and told them that after one hundred years, none of those on the face of the earth would remain. This does not mean that no one who was alive then would not live past the age of one hundred years; rather it meant that everyone on the face of the earth that night would not live longer than one hundred years from that night, whether he was young or old at that time. This is an example of knowledge of the unseen that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) granted to him; it is one of the proofs of the truthfulness of his prophethood (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

565
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, who was the son of al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, said: We asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah about the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he said: He used to pray Zuhr when it was very hot, ‘Asr when the sun was bright, and Maghrib when the sun dropped below the horizon. With regard to ‘Isha’, if a large number of people had gathered he would hasten to pray, but if they were few he would delay it. And he would pray Fajr when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night..

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103].. By His mercy towards His slaves, Allah has allocated plenty of time (for each prayer), out of consideration for their circumstances and situations. This hadith highlights the best time at which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered each prayer. Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Zuhr at the time when it is very hot, which is the middle of the day when heat is most intense. This time is called hajirah in Arabic, which comes from a root that refers to stopping or refraining, because the people stop their dealings and their comings and goings at this time, due to the extreme heat, and they take a nap..
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray ‘Asr when the sun was still bright, before it had become yellow or changed. He would pray Maghrib when the sun disappeared, meaning that the disc of the sun dropped below the horizon. In the case of ‘Isha’ prayer, if a large number of people had gathered he would hasten to pray it, but if their numbers were few, he would delay it. In other words, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) paid attention to the situation of the worshippers. If they were present at the beginning of the time for the prayer, which is when the red afterglow disappears, they would pray, but if they had not yet come, he would delay it until almost half of the night had passed, for that is the best time for it, if it does not cause hardship. Then he would pray Fajr when the first light of dawn began to mix with the darkness of night.
This hadith highlights the best times for offering the five daily prayers..

134
Abu Huraira narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'People will keep wondering till it will be said, ‘Allah created all things but who created Allah?’ Whoever finds something like that should say, ‘I believe in Allah.’” In another narration, “The devil comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created the sky? Who created the Earth?’ Then you answered, ‘Allah.’” It mentioned the same content as the first narration but added, “ … and his messengers.”.

Commentary : The pure law of Islam established the relationship among people on the basis of honesty. Muslims are honest about their rights, but some may betray and falsely swear sacred oaths to take people's properties, especially if the proof of the right holder is not clear. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that if a Muslim falsely swears to take people's properties, Allah will prevent him from entering Paradise and make him enter Hell as a punishment for his lying and depriving people of their rights by false oaths. This will be his punishment on condition that he thinks this act is permissible and does not return the property to its owner. Islam considers it a grave sin, for the false oath is one of the major sins, and the Islamic rulings are based on apparent proofs and oaths, even if the person to whom the ruling was made was a liar. As a result, a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) if the one who committed this sin would enter Hell even if the right unjustly taken was trivial. The Prophet replied that he would definitely enter Hell even if it were a small stick from the Arak tree from which the siwak is taken. The oppressor should not underestimate his small sins because lots of people will be punished for their small sins. There is a saying that confirms that most of the worldly fire is from small sparks. This is supported by Allah's saying, "Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment." (Aal-Imran: 77) This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It includes a stern warning against taking people's properties by false oaths and (2) There is no difference between grave and trivial sins as long as they both oppress people..

137
Abu Omama narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If anyone appropriates a Muslim’s right by his (false) oath, Allah definitely makes Hell as his destiny and deprives him of Paradise.” A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, even if it were something insignificant?” The Prophet answered, “Even if it were a stick from an araak tree.”.

Commentary : The pure law of Islam established the relationship among people on the basis of honesty. Muslims are honest about their rights, but some may betray and falsely swear sacred oaths to take people's properties, especially if the proof of the right holder is not clear. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that if a Muslim falsely swears to take people's properties, Allah will prevent him from entering Paradise and make him enter Hell as a punishment for his lying and depriving people of their rights by false oaths. This will be his punishment on condition that he thinks this act is permissible and does not return the property to its owner. Islam considers it a grave sin, for the false oath is one of the major sins, and the Islamic rulings are based on apparent proofs and oaths, even if the person to whom the ruling was made was a liar. As a result, a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) if the one who committed this sin would enter Hell even if the right unjustly taken was trivial. The Prophet replied that he would definitely enter Hell even if it were a small stick from the Arak tree from which the siwak is taken. The oppressor should not underestimate his small sins because lots of people will be punished for their small sins. There is a saying that confirms that most of the worldly fire is from small sparks. This is supported by Allah's saying, "Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment." (Aal-Imran: 77) This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It includes a stern warning against taking people's properties by false oaths and (2) There is no difference between grave and trivial sins as long as they both oppress people..

139
Wa’el ibn Hujr narrated, “A man from Hadramout and another one from Kinda came to the Prophet ﷺ. The first said, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, this man has appropriated my land which belonged to my father.’ The other said, ‘It is my land in my possession. I cultivate it. There is no right for him in it.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the first, ‘Do you have any evidence?’ He replied, ‘No.’ The Prophet ﷺ commented, ‘Then your case is decided on his oath.’ He (the man from Hadramout) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he is a liar and does not care about what he swears to or abstain from taking anything (forbidden).’ The Prophet ﷺ commented, ‘You do not have any other option from him.’ When he (the man from Kinda) was about to take an oath, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commented, ‘If he took an oath to usurp his property unjustly, he would certainly meet Allah turning away from him.’”.

Commentary : Islam established the relationship among people based on honesty, so a Muslim is faithful to his rights and others’ rights, but some people may betray and swear sacred oaths to usurp what does not belong to them, especially if the holder of the right does not have clear proof. In this hadith, Wa’el ibn Hujr narrated that a man from Hadramout, a Yemen town near Aden, and another one from Kinda, a Yamen tribe, came to the Prophet ﷺ to seek his arbitration about a land that they both claimed ownership. The first said, “This man has appropriated my land which belonged to my father,” but the other said, ‘It is my land in my possession. I am cultivating it. He has no right to have it.” The Prophet ﷺ asked the first for his proof of ownership but he answered that he had none. The Prophet ﷺ replied that the case would be decided on his (the man from Kinda) oath that the land belonged to him. As a result, the first man confirmed that the other one was an immoral person who did not care about what he swore to and willingly usurped people's belongings. The Prophet ﷺ explained that the only solution to prover ownership was that the first one provided evidence or the other one took an oath. When he (the man from Kinda) was about to take an oath, the Prophet ﷺ commented, “If he took an oath to usurp his property unjustly, he would certainly find Allah turning away from him.” In a narration in Sahih Muslim, he said, “Allah will be angry with him when he meets Him.” It is severe Prophetic intimidation against those daring to usurp people’s rights by taking false oaths to apparently make them permissible, which leads them to be expelled from Allah’s mercy. In Sunan Abu Daoud, Al-Ash’ath ibn Qais narrated that the man from Kinda tribe, after the Prophet’s warning, changed his mind and said, “It is his land.” Although Islam’s judgment is based on apparent proofs and oaths even if this leads to giving the right to the wrong person, taking false oaths is one of the major sins in Islam. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It severely warns against taking false oaths, especially to usurp people’ rights, (2) Islam’s judgment is based on oaths and proofs, not claims, (3) It is recommended that a judge alerts those falsely swearing to bring them back to the truth, and (4) A judge should equally deal with the two parts during his process of seeking oaths and proofs..

140
Abu Huraira narrated, “A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what would you think if a man came to appropriate my possession?’ The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘Do not give him your property.” He asked, ‘What if he fought me? The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘Fight him.’ He asked again, ‘What if I were killed?’ The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘You would be a martyr.’ He asked again, ‘What if I killed him.’ The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘He would be in the Fire.'".

Commentary : Defending one's self and property, and repelling aggressors are obligatory in Islam to prevent this matter from being repeated to others. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that a man asked the Prophet if a man attacked and robbed him, what would he do? The Prophet said, "Do not give him your property.” This is an explicit command to not give the transgressor one's property. In addition, he guided him to the necessity of fighting this type of people. Then he asked, “What if he fought me?” The transgressor wanted to forcibly take it. The Prophet answered, ‘Fight him.’ It is an explicit command to fight him and prevent oppression. As a matter of fact, this fighting should take place after reminding him of Allah and seeking rulers' and Muslims' help. In Sunan An-Nasa'i, Abu Hurairah narrated, "A man came and said to the Messenger of Allah, 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if someone comes to steal my wealth?' The Prophet replied, 'Remind him of Allah so he leaves it.' The man asked, 'What if he persists?' The Prophet repeated, 'Remind him of Allah so he leaves it.' The man asked, 'What if he persists?' The Prophet repeated, 'Remind him of Allah so he leaves it.' The man asked, 'What if he persists?' The Prophet replied, 'Then fight. If you are killed, you will be in Paradise, and if you kill him, he will be in Hell.'" The Prophet confirmed that he would get the status of a martyr in Hereafter, for he was unjustly killed while defending his property. As for his case in this worldly life, he is washed and prayed over. This does not require that he would get the reward of a war martyr. On the other hand, the other man deserves to enter Hell for his oppression. It is Allah's decision to punish or forgive him. He would definitely enter Hell if he intentionally thought that his forbidden act by Islam was allowable. Hence, he becomes a disbeliever and will not be forgiven, out of warning against attacking people’s property. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It prohibits taking a Muslim’s wealth without his consent, and (2) It confirms that there is no retribution or blood money for killing those fighting Muslims..

146
Ibn Omar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Verily, Islam began as something strange and will be strange as it began so glad tidings to the strangers. It recedes between the two mosques just as the serpent crawls back into its hole.”.

Commentary : Islam appeared in a world filled with injustice, polytheism, and ignorance. Its luminous teachings were strange among people living in complete darkness while its first followers were suffering from several trials until it prevailed among people. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) showed that Islam began as something strange due to its few followers and their suffering. The Meccans wondered about Islam, for it refused the ignorant traditions of the environment from which it emerged. Afterward, the Prophet and his companions immigrated to Medina, which was an additional image of strangeness and suffering. He began to spread Islam and the people began to enter into it in multitude. Later, he confirmed that Islam would return to be strange as it began. It would become strange in its followers' hearts, even if they are large in number. Its followers would adhere to the customs of pre-Islamic times. This way of deficiency and disruption would prevail to the extent that Islam would be stuck by a few Muslims as it began. Then, the Prophet informed that Islam would return and join between the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and the Prophetic Mosque in Medina, which were the cradle of Islam, just like the serpent that crawls back into its hole when it feels afraid. Likewise, Islam will return to Mecca and Medina as it began. Because of this severity, the Prophet said in another narration in Muslim, "So Toba to the strangers." The word "Toba" may either mean: (1) That Paradise will be for those few Muslims at the beginning and end of Islam, or (2) That joy and comfort will be for those few Muslims. The Prophet specifically mentioned those Muslims, for their patience in the face of harm from infidels and heretics. They have been sticking to the true religion and authentic Sunnah even after the people have corrupted and changed the clear message of Islam. Finally, this hadith presented the following benefits: (1) It refers to the virtues of the Sacred and Prophetic Mosques to which Islam returns and joins, which is an indication that the believers always flee to them to protect themselves against temptations, and (2) It is a sign of the Prophet's prophethood..

148
Anas narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The hour (of resurrection) will not occur as long as anyone says, ‘Allah, Allah.’”.

Commentary : At the end of this worldly life, lots of issues will change while immorality and disobedience will spread. At that time, Allah will allow the beginning of Resurrection's Day. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that this day will not come as long as anyone says, "Allah, Allah." It means that there will not be anyone who remembers the name of Allah or worship him. There will be just the evilest people, for Allah has taken the believers' souls, as in Sahih Muslim that Amr ibn Al-Aas narrated that the Prophet said, “Then Allah will raise a wind whose smell is similar to musk and whose touch is similar to silk. It will cause any person who has the weight of a seed of faith in his heart to die. Then only the evilest people will remain to witness the beginning of the Resurrection Day." This does not contradict what was authentically proven in Sahih Muslim that Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A group of my nation will always fight for the sake of rightness and overcome (their enemies) till the day of resurrection," for it means they would be like that till that light wind causes them to die before the Day of Resurrection when its signs begins to appear. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It shows a sign of the Prophet's prophethood, (2) It clarifies the virtue of the believers, for Allah will honor them by causing them to die before the hereafter, and (3) It confirms the virtue of remembering Allah, for those remembering him will not witness the beginning of the Day of Resurrection..

153
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who among this community, Jewish or Christian, hears about me and dies without believing in what was revealed to me, he will be one of the people of Hell.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was sent to all people, including Jews and Christians. All have to believe and follow his guidance. In this hadith, he swore by Allah in Whose hand is the Prophet's life and all creatures' lives. The Prophet often swears in this way. He swore that if anyone from Jinns or mankind heard, during or after the Prophet's life till the day of resurrection, about his message, he would have to believe in him. If anyone dies without believing in him, he is a disbeliever and will be punished with Hell. The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Jews and Christians as an example. It is just like he mentions a specific matter after a general rule. This is the case for the People who have a divine book. How should the case be for those who have none?! Allah said, "Say, [O Muhammad], 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.'" (Al-A'raf: 158) Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It indicates that all people have to believe in the Prophet's message that abrogated all previous messages and (2) Whoever does not believe in the Prophet's message is not a believer but he will be punished with Hell, even if he claims he believes in Allah and some of his messengers such as Moses and Jesus (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all)..

156
Jaber ibn Abdullah narrated, “I heard the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘A section of my nation will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection. Then, Jesus ﷺ, the son of Mary, will descend and their commander said, ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ But he (Jesus) will say, ‘No, some of you are commanders over some of you as an honor from Allah for this nation.’”.

Commentary : Islam's nation is of great rank, for: (1) It is the last nation, (2) Its Prophet is the seal of the prophets, (3) Its Prophet was sent to all people as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, and (4) Its Prophet’s call will continue to the end of time. This nation will remain the last caller to Allah and adhere to the clear truth. All other nations unify against it due to this right. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that a group of this nation would keep fighting Islam's enemies for supporting truth and religion. They would keep raising Islam's banner above other ones and overcoming all enemies near the Last Day. At that time, a soft wind will cause every believer to die. In Sahih Muslim, Amr ibn Al-Aas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then Allah will raise a wind whose smell is similar to musk and whose touch is similar to silk. It will cause any person who has the weight of a seed of faith in his heart to die. Then only the evilest people will remain and the Hour will come upon them." This indicates that Islam's nation will not be deprived of the truth at any time. The truth will be passed and handed down from one generation to another until Jesus, son of Mary, descends, kills the Antichrist, and follows Prophet Muhammad's legislation, which is the final law to the day of Resurrection. It is clarified in the rest of the hadith when that believed group's leader would say to Prophet Jesus, “Come and lead us in prayer.” Prophet Jesus would decline and explain, "No, some of you are commanders over some of you as an honor from Allah for this nation." In Musnad Ahmad, Jaber narrated “It will be said to him, 'Come forward, O spirit of Allah God!' He will answer, 'Let your imam come forward and lead you in prayer.'" As for Prophet Jesus' abandoning leading them in prayer despite his prophethood, it was said that he would do that lest it was thought that the Prophet Muhammad's legislation was abrogated by his descending. It is the remaining law until the Last Day. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet Muhammad's prophethood, (2) It confirms Prophet Jesus' descent and his following the Prophet Muhammad's legislation, (3) It shows the virtue of following the Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah, for the mentioned group was granted victory and steadfastness in resisting enemies by following his Sunnah, (4) It shows the virtue of the Muslim nation that Allah saved it from agreeing on misguidance, so it will remain as a believing group until the Last Day..

157
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The last hour (of worldly life) will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing to the extent that a man goes out with his zakat but does not find anyone accepts it from him and the land of Arab reverts to be meadows and rivers.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) used to tell his companions about the events and signs of the Day of Resurrection and affairs of the end of this worldly life that only Allah knows. Thus, he did that to teach and make them prepare themselves for this great day. In this hadith, he informed us about one of the signs that precede this day. Most people will become rich to the extent that they no longer need the money they have so none will need or accept the zakat. The rich will strive to find a poor person who needs or accepts their zakat with no vein. Another narration in the two Sahihs says, “Until the owner of the money becomes concerned, for none will accept his zakat and the person to whom he will give it will reply, 'I am not in need of it.'" It means either they no longer need the money for their being rich or they become busy with the hereafter away from this worldly life, content with their daily sustenance, and do not save money. The Prophet (ﷺ) also confirmed that the last hour will not come until the Arabian Peninsula becomes meadows and rivers as before. A meadow is a wide land with fresh abundant water and lots of grass where the animals frolic. He meant that the Arabs would cultivate and revive their lands by flowing rivers, planting trees, and sowing grains, away from their usual life of moving from one place to another searching for pasture. Finally, this hadith shows one of the signs that prove his prophethood..

158
Abu Huraira narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When three things appear, no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it did not believe before or earn some good through its faith: Sun’s rising from its place of setting, the Dajjal, and the beast of the earth.’”.

Commentary : The hereafter has minor and major signs. The major ones are little, consecutive, closer to Hereafter, and none of them have occurred yet while the minor ones are many, distant in between, and lots of them have occurred so far. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) told us about three major ones. At that time, repentance will not benefit the one who has not previously repented, faith will not benefit a disbeliever, and performing righteous deeds will not benefit a negligent person. As a result, the Prophet urged us to perform righteous deeds to increase our faith before the three following signs: (1) The Sun's rise from the West, (2) The emergence of the Dajjal (the antichrist). The word Dajjal is derived from "dajal" which means covering. He is called Dajjal, for he covers the truth with his falsehood. He is a human that Allah will send to test His servants. He will be granted miracles like killing then reviving the dead, having the means to pleasure and enjoyment, having his Paradise, Hell, and two rivers, the earth's treasures will follow him, his command the heavens to rain so it rains, and the earth to sprout so it sprouts. All these miracles will happen by Allah's power and will, and (3) The animal of the earth: It will clearly distinguish between believers and disbelievers when people's hearts corrupt, abandon Allah's commands, and change the true religion. It will emerge in Mecca or another place. In Musnad Ahmad, Abu Omamah Al-Bahely narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The animal will come out and label people's noses." Allah said about it, "And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]." (An-Naml: 82) It will act like this with Allah's ability who will make it able to speak to people with words they will understand. The apparent meaning of this hadith confirms that Allah will not accept sinners' repentance when all these three signs rise. On the other hand, there is a hadith in Sahih Muslim showing that the first sign is the Sun's rise from the West. In the Two Sahihs, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established until the sun rises from the West. When the people see it, all living on it (the earth) will believe (in Allah). It will be when "... no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before ..." (Al-An'am: 158) This indicates that people's repentance will not be accepted when this sign emerges. Thus, the hadith may mean that these three signs will closely emerge as the Prophet said, in Sahih Muslim, about the signs of the Sun’s rise and the animal, “which of the two happens first, the second one would follow immediately after that.” The Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows the Prophet's care about advising his nation, (2) It clarifies how the Last Day's signs will have horrible effects on people, especially those three signs, and (3) It confirms the Prophet's prophethood..

166
Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed through the valley of Al-Azraq and asked, ‘Which valley is this?’ They said, ‘This is the valley of Al-Azraq.’ He added, ‘(I perceive) as if I am seeing Moses coming down from the mountain track and loudly calling Allah with talbeya (saying, ‘Here I am! at your service!’).’ Then he (the Prophet ﷺ) came to the mountain track of Harsha and asked, ‘Which is this mountain track?’ They said, ‘It is the mountain track of Harsha.’ He added, ‘(I perceive) as If I am seeing Yunus (Jonah), the son of Matta, riding a well-built she-camel, wearing a cloak of wool, and calling Allah with talbeya. The rein of his she-camel is made of the fibers of date palm.’”.

Commentary : The Sacred House is Allah’s one on earth and Muslims’ prayer direction, whose foundations were raised by Prophet Ibrahim ﷺ, a beloved one to Allah, and his son Ismaeel. Allah informed his prophets of the rite of pilgrimage as Prophet Ibrahim's call. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed through the valley of Al-Azraq in Hijaz, about 100 km to the north-east of Mecca, between Mecca and Medina. When he asked his companion about its name, they answered, “The valley of Al-Azraq.” He said that it was as if he was seeing Prophet Moses coming down from the mountain track while loudly calling Allah with saying talbeya (here I am! At your service!) In another narration in Sahih Muslim, he said, “It is as if I can see Musa - and he mentioned something about his color and hair - while placing his two fingers in his ears and loudly calling Allah with talbeya.” Then, the Prophet ﷺ came to the mountain track of Harsha which was a mountain located at the crossroad of Medina and Levant. When he asked his companions about its name, they answered, “It is the mountain track of Harsha.” He said, “It is as if I am seeing Yunus (Jonah), the son of Matta, riding a well-built she-camel, wearing a cloak of wool, and calling Allah with talbeya. The rein of his she-camel is made of the fibers of date palm.” These events may be explained by one of the following possibilities: (1) Either the Prophet ﷺ saw them during his journey of Al-Isra’, (2) He dreamed of all of these events, or (3) He related what those prophets did in their life as Allah revealed to him. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms that pilgrimage is Allah’s and His Prophets' rites, (2) It encourages Muslims to perform this great rite, (3) It urges Muslims to loudly call Allah with talbeya which indicates Allah’s oneness, (4) A Muslim is recommended to say talbeya when ascending or descending, (5) The state of ihram expresses impartiality to Allah, and (6) Declaring the oneness of Allah is recommended when passing through low valleys as the Prophets did..

167
Jaber narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The Prophets were presented to me. Moses (ﷺ) was as if he was one of the people of Shaou'a. I saw Jesus (ﷺ), the son of Mary. The closest one in resemblance to him was 'Urwah ibn Mas'oud. I saw Ibrahim (may Allah's blessings be upon him). The closest one in resemblance to him was your companion (he meant himself). I saw Gabriel. The closest one I have seen in resemblance to him was Dehya." In another narration, "Dehya ibn Khalifh.".

Commentary : In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) describes and likens some prophets to individual Muslims. He saw some prophets presented to him, either in real life, as souls, during a dream, or during the Journey of ascension as the other narration in the two Sahihs clarified. He showed that Prophet Moses (ﷺ) was thin and tall like the people of Uzd Shanou'a, a Yamani tribe. He likened Prophet Jesus (ﷺ) with the companion Urwa ibn Mas'oud Ath-Thaqafy. He was one of the Meccan leaders who contributed to make the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In the narration of Bukhari, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “As for Jesus, he was red, curly, and broad-chested.” The Prophet (ﷺ) saw Prophet Ibrahim (ﷺ) who was the closest one in resemblance to him. He also saw Gabriel, the angel, who was entrusted with conveying revelation to prophets. The closest one in resemblance to him was the companion Dehya ibn Khalifa Al-Kalby. He was one of the most handsome people who was responsible for meeting kings. Gabriel, the Angel, used to come to the Prophet (ﷺ) in Dehya's appearance. The Prophet (ﷺ) saw Gabriel, the Angel, in his real form as Abdullah ibn Mas'oud narrated in the two Sahihs that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Gabriel with six hundred wings..

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Abdullah ibn Omar narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up among the people, praised Allah as He deserved, mentioned the Dajjal (Antichrist), and then said, ‘Verily, I warn you against him. No Prophet did not warn his people against him. (Even) Noah warned his people against him, but I will tell you something about him that no Prophet told his people about. You have to know that he is one-eyed while Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, is not one-eyed.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) used to mention some events and great tribulations that would happen before the Day of Resurrection and guided people on how to act and protect themselves from them. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Omar narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) once addressed them and praised Allah with the attributes he deserved then warned them against the Antichrist’s evilness and trials of covering the truthful with his falsehood. He is a great sign of the hereafter with whom Allah will test his servants. He is a human to whom Allah will give divine powers such as: (1) Reviving a person he has just murdered, (2) His command of the heaven to rain and earth to bring forth fruit, (3) His paradise and hell, and (4) His two rivers. All these miracles will happen by Allah’s will. The Prophet (ﷺ) warned his nation against his temptations as all previous prophets did, for none of them knew the time of his advent. The benefit of this warning is to believe in his existence, be keen to take him as an enemy, show his disbelief, and sincerely turn to Allah to seek His refuge from his temptation. Even the Prophet Noah, the first Prophet, warned his nation against him. Based on Allah’s revelation to him, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to his companions that he would inform them about the Antichrist’s matters that none of the previous prophets informed their people. He told them that he was a one-eyed person with a protruding eye while the right one was flat, as narrated by Ibn Omar in the Two Sahihs. Having one eye is an attribute of deficiency so the Prophet (ﷺ) proved Allah’s perfect attributes and alerted the people of heedless minds that whoever had a defect in himself could not be a god. Whoever is disabled to correct his deficiency is more disabled to benefit or harm others. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet’s message, (2) The Prophet ﷺ shows some of the Antichrist’s attributes to make his nation beware of him, (3) It shows how the Prophet ﷺ has deep compassion with his nation, (4) It proves Allah’s attribute of sight in the manner that befits Him without any type of negation or resembling Him to any of His creation, and (5) It proves the absolute perfection of Allah’s attributes..

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Abu Huraira narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When I was in Hejr, Qureish asked me about my journey of Isra’. They asked me about some details of Bait Al-Maqdes which I could not recall. It was the most severe distress that I had ever felt. Thus, Allah raised it (Bait Al-Maqdes) before my eyes so I could see it. I told them about anything they were asking me. (During the journey) I met a group of prophets. I saw Moses praying. He was a thin man with curly hair as if he was a man from the tribe of Shanou’a. I saw Jesus, the son of Mary ﷺ praying. The closest one in resemblance to him was Urwah ibn Masoud Ath-Thaqafy. I saw Ibrahim praying. The closest one in resemblance to him is your companion (the Prophet himself). When it was the time of prayer, I led them. When I completed the prayer, someone said, ‘O Muhammad, here is Malik, the keeper of Hell. Greet him.’ When I turned to him, he started to greet me.’”.

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Me’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He honored and ascended him with Gabriel, the Angel, to the highest heaven so he saw Allah’s Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ told us that he once stood at Al-Hejr, a place surrounded by a low wall next to the Kaaba where Qureish leaders used to meet, they asked him to describe Bait Al-Maqdis that he visited during his journey from the Sacred Mosque to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, for they wanted to confirm his truth of traveling there. They knew that he had not traveled to that place ever since. Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ was not concerned with deeply observing all those details. He was busy with lots of things that were more important. He was anxious and distressed that he could not recall those details. As a result, Allah materialized the mosque before his eyes so he could answer all their questions. Additionally, he told us that he saw some prophets like Prophet Moses. In Sahih Muslim, he said, “I passed by Prophet Moses who was praying in his grave.” The Prophet Moses was a thin tall man with curly hair and swarthy skin as if he were from the tribe of Shanou’a, a Yemeni tribe from Qahtan area known for its tall people. The Prophet ﷺ also saw Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, praying. The closest one in resemblance to him was the Prophet’s companion Urwah ibn Masoud Ath-Thaqafy who effectively contributed to ratify Treaty of Hudaybeya. In a narration in Sahih Bukhari, he said, “As for Jesus, he was red, curly, and broad-chested.” The Prophet ﷺ saw Prophet Ibrahim praying. The closest one in resemblance to him was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. When meeting the prophets and the time for prayer began, he led them in prayer. If someone asks, “How did he see Moses praying in his grave and then saw him in his rank in the high heavens?” The answer is that all these story’s details are beyond our imagination. It is Allah’s act, the One, the Almighty. He is even capable of doing more than that. Thus, we believe that he saw Moses praying in his grave, he led all prophets in Bait Al-Maqdes in prayer, and they welcomely received him during his ascending to a heaven after a heaven. After completing his prayer, someone said to him (apparently Gabriel, the Angel), “O Muhammad, this is Malek, the keeper of Hell.” He is one of the angels. He (apparently Gabriel) asked the Prophet ﷺ to greet Malek, but Malek greeted him first. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It showed the Prophet’s virtue and status that Allah granted him, and (2) It clarified how Allah cared and provided his Prophet ﷺ with clear evidence..

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Abdullah ibn Masoud narrated, “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey, he came to Sidrat Al-Muntaha which was in the sixth heaven. That was where everything that ascended from the earth ended and was held there, and where everything that descended from above ended and was held there. Allah said, “When that covered the lote tree which did cover it.” (An-Najm: 16) It meant butterflies of gold. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given three things: The five daily prayers, the last verses of Surat Al-Baqarah, and forgiving grave sins of whoever from his nation dying without associating anything with Allah.”.

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Me’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet ﷺ. It happened in the tenth year of the Prophet's mission. He was taken on a journey from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to Bait Al-Maqdes in Palestine. Then, Allah honoured and took him up with Gabriel, the angel, to the highest heavens to see Paradise along with other greatest signs. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Masoud narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ passed the seven heavens, he reached Sidrat Al-Muntaha (Tree of End) which was a great tree where humankind knew nothing above it. He is Allah who knows what is above. It is a phase to where all human deeds ascend and all Allah's commands descend. Then both commands and deeds are conveyed to the next phase. In a narration in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said, “None of Allah's creation can describe it, due to its beauty.” Imam Ahmad narrated the same expression, but he added that the Prophet ﷺ said, "It turned into a ruby or an emerald.” The narration we explained here showed that this tree was after the sixth heaven, but Anas narrated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that it was after the seventh heaven. More narrators reported the second hadith, so it had preference. After Ibn Masoud recited the Quranic verse, “When that covered the lote tree which did cover it,” (An-Najm:16), he clarified that it was surrounded and covered with butterflies of gold that were between the tree and the Prophet ﷺ. Upon reaching this tree, the Prophet ﷺ was given three things: (1) The five obligatory prayers. They were fifty but Allah reduced them to be five as an act of worship and fifty as for their reward, (2) The last two virtuous verses of Surat Al-Baqarah. In Sahih Muslim, Ibn Abbas reported, "While Gabriel was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, he heard a creaking sound above him. He lifted his head and said, 'It is a gate opened in heaven today which had never been opened before.' Then an angel descended through it. Gabriel said, 'This is an angel coming down to the earth who never came down before.' The angel greeted and said, 'O Muhammad, receive the glad tidings of two lights given to you which were not given to any prophet before. They were Surat Al-Fatihah and the last verses of Surat Al-Baqarah. You will never recite a letter from it, but you will be given it (its reward).'" So, Allah had given them to the Prophet ﷺ in this journey then were revealed to him in Medina, and (3) Allah promised to forgive the great sins committed by anyone of the Prophet's nation if he died while believing in the oneness of Allah without associating partners with Him. The mentioned sins are those ruin their doers and lead them to Hell. The Islamic proofs confirm that whoever commits great sins then dies before repentance will be held accountable for it, but he will not be punished in Hell eternally, unlike the polytheists. Thus, the hadith does not mean that they will not be punished at all. It is said that the hadith refers to some of the Prophet’s nation, so Allah will forgive all major or minor sins of some of the nation, except for polytheism, for He said, “Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives, except that, anything else to whom He wills.” (An-Nisa: 48) As a result, the destiny of those died without repenting from major sins is entrusted to Allah who may punish or forgive them. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It describes the Tree of End, (2) It shows how Allah dignifies his Prophet ﷺ and his nation, and (3) It explains the virtue of the five daily prayers which were prescribed above the seven heavens, unlike other obligatory acts..