Al-‘Araj narrated that It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "Allah's Messengerﷺ said, 'No one should prevent his neighbor from fixing a wooden peg in his wall." It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (to his companions), "Why do I find you aayah to it? By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you."
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Commentary :
Islam assigns great rights to neighbors, and the Prophet ﷺ enjoined Muslims to treat their neighbors nicely, and urged them to be kind and cooperative with them.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ commanded Muslims to be cooperative and considerate with their neighbors, and to give precedence to kindness and tolerance in some situations. One of the situations in which tolerance is urged is when a neighbor wants to fix a wooden peg in his wall, although the neighbor has no right to this wall and it is no co-owned by him. However, one of the rights of the neighbors over each other is to benefit one another, without causing any harm to either party.
It seems that some people in the audience who were listening to this hadeeth from Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not like what they heard and did not approve of it. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: “Why do I find you aayah to it?” It means, ‘Why do you seem dissatisfied with the ruling although it is established by the Prophet’s statement, and you refrain from acting upon it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you!” He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to reproach them and lay more emphasis on this ruling by narrating the hadeeth often to them, even if they disliked it! It could also mean that if they disliked to let their neighbors fix a wooden peg in their wall, he (may Allah be pleased with him) would throw such wooden pegs at their shoulders, and not the walls. This meaning also implies emphasizing the gravity of denouncing the Prophet’s command and rejecting it.
The hadeeth underlines the importance of proclaiming the truth to people, even if it is hard and bitter from them to hear it!
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2465

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Beware! Avoid sitting on roadsides." People said, "There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks." The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the road." They asked, "What are the rights of the road?" He ﷺ said, "They are: lowering your gazes (from looking at what is unlawful to look at), refraining from harming people, returning the greetings of peace, enjoining good and forbidding evil."
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Commentary :
It is not permissible to harm or cause harm to a Muslim, be it a significant or insignificant harm. The Islamic Laws of Islam keenly recognizes and protects the rights and interests of all people.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warned Muslims against sitting on roadsides; on benches, sofas, chairs, or mats, because sitting on roadsides often leads to harming the passers-by, causing them inconvenience by following them with one’s eyes, or narrowing the roads for the pedestrians and limiting their freedom to walk, and the like. Moreover, the one sitting on roadsides may be exposed to Fitnah (i.e., temptations), or imperil others to it, and the like of evils. People said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks,” meaning that they could not do without sitting on roadsides, being their gathering places where they normally met to discuss their personal affairs, talk about their religious and worldly interests, engage in recreational activities by conversing about lawful matters, and comfort one another, and giving this up would be difficult for them. It seems that they understood from his words that it was for the purpose of warning, not an explicit prohibition, or that it was a non-prohibitively disliked act, because the Prophet ﷺ did not prohibit what was beneficial, nor did he ﷺ permit what was harmful. It is also possible that the prohibition of such an act was related to what was done during such gatherings, not for their own sake, and they believed that they could avoid this objectionable aspect for which the gatherings were deemed forbidden; otherwise the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) hastened to comply with the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ. This is why their remarks were more inquiries based on what they understood from his statement, not opposition to him. Had they known that the prohibition in this regard was decisive, they would have hastened to comply immediately. The Prophet ﷺ answered that the prohibition was not of these gatherings in and of themselves, but rather to fulfill the rights of the roads. He ﷺ said: “If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the road,” confirming the Islamic etiquette and rights of the roads. They asked him about such rights, seeking his guidance, and he ﷺ replied: “They are: lowering your gazes (from looking at what is unlawful to look at), refraining from harming people, returning the greetings of peace, enjoining good, and forbidding evil.”
Lowering one’s gaze means refraining from looking at whatever is deemed unlawful to look at as per the laws of Islam, and guarding one’s eyes from seeing what is feared to be a source of Fitnah (i.e., temptations). For instance, one must lower his gazes from looking at what it is not permissible for him to look at, such as looking at women. He ﷺ made mention of lowering the gaze here as a reference to guarding oneself against sources of Fitnah in general (as one may be tempted by women or other passers-by), and consequences of looking at women as they walk down the roads to fulfill their needs.
Refraining from harming people means abstaining from harming others with one’s tongue (words), or hand (actions). This means that one must not verbally abuse passers-by, insult, despise, mock, backbite, or strike them by hand or a stick except rightfully (i.e., for a wrongdoing warranting it as per the laws of Islam). He may not usurp their wealth or belongings wrongfully, pour water on the road, lest it would cause the pedestrians to slip and fall, put obstacles hindering their way, throw dirt or thorns that would hurt the passers-by.People must also refrain from narrowing the roads to pedestrians and limiting their freedom to walk because of their gatherings on roadsides, and causing harm and inconvenience for neighbors by invading the privacy of their womenfolk in their houses and restricting their freedom,which may lead to forcing women to refrain from going out to carry out their errands to fulfill their needs to spare themselves the inconvenience of passing by the roads. In addition, sitting on roadsides also causes the ones sitting there to learn about people’s private conditions what they hate to reveal, and the like of harms that must be eliminated and warded off, and these include refraining from harming animals as well.
Returning the greetings of peace is a religious obligation, and it implies honoring the passers-by, because they greet the one sitting on roadsides and returning the greetings fosters accord and mutual love among Muslims. The one sitting on roadsides must not get frustrated with returning the greetings of the passers-by, because they are inclined to endear themselves to the one sitting on roadsides by greeting and honoring him. Therefore, the one sitting on roadsides should graciously return the greetings of peace with its like or one that is better; he should be gracious and recompense people’s love and consideration in kind. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner].} [Quran 4: 86].
Enjoining good and forbidding evil should be done by means of all the prescribed ways, while avoiding all the unprescribed ones, provided that it would not incur a graver evil, even if the one enjoining good or forbidding evil believes that his act is of no real benefit. If the one sitting on roadsides witnesses any incident that entails advising the doer and edifying him on the truth, he should enjoin what is good. The same goes for seeing what warrants forbidding the evil; he should forbid the evil deed and warn against it, stirring the fear of Allah within the doer. It should be noted that enjoining good and forbidding evil must be done in a loving and kind manner, and must not incur a graver evil than what is being forbidden. For instance, if he sees two disputing people arguing or fighting, he should enjoin them to stop such fighting, and reconcile between them; if he sees a young man chasing a girl or annoying her, he should advise him and prevent him from doing so to the best of his ability without doing anything reckless or causing harm to himself or others, and so on. He should also take into account the need to give priority to the most important and significant interests, and should bear in mind that the elimination of evil takes precedence over the realization of benefit and that the lesser evil may be endured to ward off the graver one.
This was a brief account of the Islamic etiquette of sitting on roadsides, and they also include: good speech, giving directions to a wayfarer, relieving the distressed, guiding the one who has got lost, helping the wronged person, helping people with their loads, and the like.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to treat one another kindly; the ones sitting on roadsides encounter many passers-by, and engage in many interactions with them, and they are required to treat them all kindly and considerately.
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2468

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
I had been eager to ask ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about the two wives of the Prophet ﷺregarding whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated.} [Quran 66:4] (namely, ‘Aa’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with them))till I performed the Hajj along with ‘Umar (and on our way back from Hajj) he (may Allah be pleased with him) went aside (to answer the call of nature) and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler of water. When he had answered the call of nature and returned. I poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he performed ablution. I said, "O Commanders of the believers! Who were the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ to whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated} [Quran 66:4]? He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them). They were ‘Aa’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with them)." Then ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went on relating the narration and said, "I and a neighbor of mine from the Ansaar, from Banee Umayyah ibn Zayd who used to live in ‘Awaalee Al-Madeenah, used to visit the Prophet ﷺ in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went, I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders (i.e., the divine revelation) and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraysh, used to have authority over women, but when we came to live with the Ansaar, we noticed that their women had the upper hand over their men, so our women started acquiring the habits of the women from the Ansaar. Once, I shouted at my wife and she paid me back in my coin and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet ﷺretort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the whole day till night.' What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will be a great loser.' Then I dressed myself and went to Hafsah and asked her, 'Does any of you keep Allah's Messengerﷺangry all the day long till night?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied in the affirmative. I said, 'She is a ruined losing person (and will never have success)! Does not she fear that Allah may get angry for the anger of Allah's Messengerﷺ and thus she will be ruined? Do not ask Allah's Messengerﷺtoo many things, and do not retort upon him in any case, and do not desert him. Demand from me whatever you like, and do not be tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah) in her behavior towards the Prophet ﷺ), for she (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah) is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allah's Messengerﷺ. In those days it was rumored that Ghassaan, (a tribe living in Shaam) was getting prepared their horses to invade us. My companion went (to the Prophet ﷺ on the day of his turn, went and returned to us at night and knocked at my door violently, asking whether I was sleeping. I was scared (by the hard knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. I asked him: What is it? Have Ghassaan come? He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allah's Messenger ﷺ had divorced all his wives. I said, Hafsah is a ruined loser! I expected that would happen someday.' So, I got dressed and offered the Fajr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. Then the Prophet ﷺ entered an upper room and stayed there alone. I went to Hafsah and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you weeping? Did not I warn you? Have Allah's Messengerﷺ divorced you all?' She replied, 'I do not know. He is there in the upper room.' I then went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it and some of them were weeping. Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation. So, I went to the upper room where the Prophet ﷺ was and requested to a black slave of his: "Will you get the permission of (Allah's Messenger) for ‘Umar (to enter)? The slave went in, talked to the Prophet ﷺ about it and came out saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: "Will you get he permission for ‘Umar? He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, the slave called me saying, "Allah's Messengerﷺ has granted you permission." So, I entered upon the Prophet and saw him lying on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and such mat had left its mark on the body of the Prophet ﷺ, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fires. I greeted him and while still standing, I said: "Have you divorced your wives?' He ﷺ raised his eyes to me and replied in the negative. Then while still standing, I said chatting: "Will you heed what I say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! We, the people of Quraysh used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the people whose women had the upper hand over them..." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet ﷺsmiled." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I then said, 'I went to Hafsah and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (‘Aa’ishah) for she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet ﷺ.' The Prophet ﷺ smiled again. When I saw him smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allah, I could not see anything of importance but three hides. I said (to Allah's Messenger ﷺ), "Invoke Allah to make your followers prosperous for the Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do not worship Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ was leaning then (and on hearing my speech he sat straight) and said, 'O Ibn Al-Khattaab! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this worldly life)? These people have been given rewards of their good deeds in this worldly life only.' I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me.’ The Prophet ﷺdid not go to his wives because of the secret which Hafsah had disclosed to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them), and he said that he would not go to his wives for one month as he was angry with them when Allah admonished him. When twenty-nine days had passed, the Prophet ﷺ went to ‘Aa’ishah first of all. She said to him, 'You took an oath that you would not come to us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by day.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The month is also of twenty-nine days.' That month consisted of twenty-nine days. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'When the Divine revelation of Choice was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ started with me, saying to me, 'I am telling you something, but you need not hurry to give the reply till you can consult your parents." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺsaid that Allah Says (what means): {O Prophet, say to your wives, "If you should desire the worldly life and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and give you a gracious release.} [Quran 33:28] ‘Aa’ishah said, 'Am I to consult my parents about this? I indeed prefer Allah, Exalted is He, His Messenger ﷺ, and the Hereafter.' After that the Prophet ﷺgave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did.”
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Commentary :
Like all married couples, the married life of the Prophet ﷺ was not trouble-free and his wives sometimes saddened him with their overjealously or other annoying attitudes.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) stated that he was keen to ask ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) about the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ about whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated.} [Quran 66:4].The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Saaghat meaning deviated from the obligation and duty, and the ayah means, “If you repent to Allah, Exalted is He, your repentance is justifiable and called for, because your hearts have deviated from the truth and what is obligatory on you towards the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, keeping his secret, being keen on his comfort, and respecting his acts.
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) remained keen on asking his question, but could not do so, out of his reverence for ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), until the opportunity presented itself when they went together for Hajj. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) related that on their way back from Hajj, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went aside to a deserted path, to answer the call of nature and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) accompanied him carrying a tumbler of water, i.e., a small container made of leather used for carrying water. When he had answered the call of nature and returned, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he (may Allah be pleased with him) performed ablution. Afterward, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Commander of the believers! Who were the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ to whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated} [Quran 66:4]? ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was astonished at his question, given the fact that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) was well-ayahd in Tafseer and this information should not have missed him. It is also possible that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was astonished at his keenness on learning the ambiguous meanings of the Quran as reflected in his question. It was also said that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked the question. Anyway, he (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that they were ‘Aa’ishah bint Aboo Bakr and Hafsah bint ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them).
Afterward, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went on relating the narration to him and said, “I and a neighbor of mine from the Ansaar,” named Aws ibn Khawlee ibn ‘Abdullah Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) from Banee Umayyah ibn Zayd, “used to live in ‘Awaalee Al-Madeenah,” i.e., the villages near Al-Madeenah, three or four miles away from it in the direction of Najd, “used to visit the Prophet ﷺ in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went, I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders (i.e., the divine revelation) and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraysh, used to have authority over women,” and they had no authority over us, “but when we came to live with the Ansaar, we noticed that their women had the upper hand over their men.” It means that the men from the Ansaar were rather more lenient with their wives. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “So, our women started acquiring the habits of the women from the Ansaar,” copying their attitudes towards their husbands. “Once, I shouted at my wife and she paid me back in my coin and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet ﷺretort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the whole day till night.'” Another version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim reads: “How strange is it that you, O son of Khattaab, do not like anyone to retort upon you, whereas your daughter retorts upon Allah's Messenger ﷺ until he spends the day angry!” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will be a great loser!'”
Then ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he got dressed and went to Hafsah and asked her, “Do any of you keep Allah's Messengerﷺangry all day long till night?” She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied in the affirmative. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “She is a ruined losing person (and will never have success)! Does not she fear that Allah, Exalted is He, may get angry for the anger of His Messengerﷺ and thus she will be ruined?” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) advised his daughter not to ask Allah's Messengerﷺfor too many things, not to retort upon him in any case, and never to desert him even if he ﷺ did. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also told her to demand whatever she wanted and needed from him, and added: “Do not be tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah),” meaning your co-wife, since the Arabs used to refer to co-wives as neighbors, as they share the same husband, “in her behavior towards the Prophet ﷺ), for she (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah) is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allah's Messengerﷺ.” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) urged his daughter to follow his advice and warned her against being tempted by the fact that the Prophet ﷺ might overlook such behavior and attitude from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with him) to follow her example. He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that he ﷺ may tolerate ‘Aa’ishah’s behavior given her special status in his heart, and this would not be the case for Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her)!
He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “In those days it was rumored that Ghassaan,” (a tribe living in Shaam) from Qahtaan tribe who left the area around Ma’rib Dam, scattered, and settled by a well called Ghassaan and therefore they were named after it and lived in Shaam. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Ghassaan was getting prepared their horses to invade us (Muslims). My companion went (to the Prophet ﷺ on the day of his turn), and heard the he ﷺ had divorced all his wives. He went at night and knocked at ‘Umar’s door violently, asking whether he was sleeping. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got scared (by the hard knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: “What is it? Have Ghassaan come?” He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allah's Messenger ﷺ had divorced all his wives. It is possible that the rumor was circulated by the hypocrites that he ﷺ divorced them, contrary to the truth as he ﷺ only forsook them, and this was unusual of him, therefore people thought that he ﷺ had divorced them.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Hafsah is a ruined loser! I expected that would happen someday,” because retorting upon one’s husband incurs his anger and this may ultimately end in divorce. He (may Allah be pleased with him) named Hafsah in particular because she was his daughter and he had just warned her of the gravity of such an attitude.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got dressed, went to the Prophet ﷺ and offered the Fajr prayer with him. Then the Prophet ﷺ entered an upper room, where they used to store food, and stayed there alone, forsaking his wives. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “I went to Hafsah and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you weeping? Did I not warn you (of angering, retorting upon, or deserting Allah's Messengerﷺ)? Has Allah's Messengerﷺ divorced you all?' She replied, 'I do not know. He ﷺ is there in the upper room.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it and some of them, below ten, were weeping. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation,” meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) was concerned with the news about the Prophet ﷺ and that he had divorced his wives, including his daughter! He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “So, I went to the upper room where the Prophet ﷺ was and requested a black slave of his, named Rabaah: ‘Will you get the permission of (Allah's Messengerﷺ) for ‘Umar (to enter)?’ The slave went in, talked to the Prophet ﷺ about it and came out saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he ﷺ did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: ‘Will you get his permission for ‘Umar?’ He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, the slave called me saying, ‘Allah's Messengerﷺ has granted you permission.’ So, I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and saw him lying on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and the mat had left its mark on the body of the Prophet ﷺ, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres. I greeted him and while still standing, I said: ‘Have you divorced your wives?' He ﷺ raised his eyes to me and replied in the negative.
While still standing, I said, chatting: ‘Will you heed what I say, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!’” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was trying to see if the Prophet ﷺ would forgive them or say something to comfort him and ease his anger. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We, the people of Quraysh used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the people whose women had the upper hand over them..." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet ﷺsmiled." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I then said, 'I went to Hafsah and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (‘Aa’ishah) for she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet ﷺ.' The Prophet ﷺ smiled again. When I saw him smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allah, I could not see anything of importance but three hides,” indicating the shabby appearance of the room where the Prophet ﷺ stayed. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “I said (to Allah's Messenger ﷺ), ’Invoke Allah to make your Ummah (followers) prosperous, for the Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do not worship Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ was leaning then, and on hearing my speech he sat straight, disliking my statement, and said, 'O Ibn Al-Khattaab! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this worldly life)? These people, i.e., the Persians and Byzantines, have been given rewards for their good deeds in this worldly life only.'” Thereupon, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet ﷺ to seek Allah's forgiveness for him, for his boldness to say so in his presence.
The Prophet ﷺdeserted his wives because of the secret which Hafsah had disclosed to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them), and this hadeeth did not underline the details of that secret. It was reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ used to spend time with Zaynab bint Jahsh, and that he once drank honey at her house, so Hafsah and ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) agreed that the one whom the Prophet ﷺ visited first should say, “I notice that you have an odor of Maghaafeer (i.e., plural of Mughfur, the gum of a kind of mimosa, the odor of which is unpleasant)! Have you eaten some?” When he ﷺ visited one of them and she said that to him he ﷺ replied, “Do not worry; I drank some honey at the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, but I swear that I shall not do it again. Do not tell anyone of that.” It was also said that the reason was not a particular event, but rather that his wives did many things that made him angry.
He ﷺ had said that he would not go to his wives for one month, as he was very angry with them when Allah, Exalted is He, admonished him. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 66:1].
When twenty-nine days had passed, the Prophet ﷺ went to ‘Aa’ishah first of all. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said to him, “You took an oath that you would not come to us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by day.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “The month is also of twenty-nine days!'”That month consisted of twenty-nine days.
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “When the Divine revelation of Choice was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ started with me.” She (may Allah be pleased with her) was referring to the ayaat that read (what means): {O Prophet, say to your wives, "If you should desire the worldly life and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and give you a gracious release. * But if you should desire Allah and His Messenger and the home of the Hereafter - then indeed, Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a great reward."} [Quran 33: 28-29].
Based on these ayaat, the Prophet ﷺ gave his wives the choice for him to divorce them and give them the due provision, or retain his marriage to them and they should endure the straitened circumstances.
He ﷺ said to me, “I am telling you something, but you need not hurry to give the reply till you consult your parents." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet ﷺ. Heﷺrecited the two ayaat to her, and ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “Am I to consult my parents about this? I, indeed, prefer Allah, Exalted is He, His Messenger ﷺ, and the Hereafter.“ After that the Prophet ﷺgave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did.
The hadeeth highlights the merits of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also underlines the asceticism of the Prophet ﷺ, and the virtue of denouncing worldly pleasures and being content with a humbled life, being a distinct quality of the Prophets.
It also emphasizes that worldly pleasures are fleeting, unlike the eternal bliss of the Hereafter.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a woman is liable to punishment for disclosing her husband’s secrets.
It is also inferred therefrom that even a rational and wise woman may consult her parents or seek the opinion of whom she trusts about her own affairs. It is also deduced that the Prophet ﷺ used to smile back at those who tried to make him laugh out of courtesy.
The hadeeth also highlights keenness in seeking knowledge, taking turns in checking the latest updates on the divine revelation and being concerned with such pursuits.
It also underlines the merits of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aai’shah (may Allah be pleased with her). .

2473

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ judged that seven cubits should be left as a public way when there was a dispute about the land.
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Commentary :
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, people used to refer their differences to the Prophet ﷺ, and he used to make things clear to them and settle their disputes. His statements on those occasions have become legislation for all Muslims.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ issued a decree regarding disputes among neighbors over boundaries, spaciousness, and width of roads between their houses. He ﷺ judged that seven cubits should be left as a public way when there isa dispute among people, neighbors, or landlords regarding the width of the road, when landowners want to build thereon. Seven cubits, or seven arms (i.e., an arm is 69 cm approximately) should be left as a public way. This applies to newly constructed roads in the event of disputes among the landlords. A landlord should leave seven arms as a public way, for the public benefit of Muslims, and place his fence around the rest of his property, or build on it as he wishes. As for the old ways, they should be retained as agreed upon by the concerned owners, provided that due regard should be paid to the rights of the road and those of the neighbors.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the Laws of Islam keenly regulates the urban planning of towns and cities, the construction of roads, and public utilities..

2474

‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Khatimee Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery (i.e., taking away what belongs to others without their permission), and also forbade mutilation (or maiming) of bodies.
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Commentary :
Islam lays a special emphasis on the gravity of violating the inviolability of people's lives, wealth, and honor, and sternly warns against having the audacity to do so.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery, which refers to usurping a Muslim’s wealth forcibly, openly, and unjustly. This includes any transgression against people’s wealth, by means of coercion, theft, or betrayal, and it is a sin, because it involves unlawfully consuming people's wealth.
It was also said that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth - Al-Nuhbaa - means what is taken from wealth before dividing it up and estimating its amount, such as stealing from the spoils of war before division. He ﷺ also forbade the mutilation (or maiming) of bodies, which refers to the punishment that involved mutilation by cutting off bodily organs, such as the nose and ears, or poking out the eyes, and the like, because they involve excessive violence, cruelty, and disregard for human dignity, unless it is authorized by the Laws of Islam by virtue of Qisaas (i.e., retribution); it is not forbidden, because Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.} [Quran 16:126].
The hadeeth highlights one of the etiquettes of Islam and underlines its respect and high regard for individual property..

2475

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "A perpetrator of Fornication (i.e., illegal sexual intercourse) is not a true believer when he commits it; no one who dinks Khamr (intoxicants) is a true believer when he drinks it, and when no thief is a true believer when he steals; and a robber is not a true believer at the time of robbery when people look at him.”
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Commentary :
A Muslim may commit a major sin and repent from it. Allah, Exalted is He, forgives all sins, including major ones, Shirk (i.e., polytheism) aside. When a Muslim commits a sin, no matter how grave it is, Allah, Exalted is He, forgives him and confers upon him His pardon whenever he repents.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ makes it clear that a believer may fall into grave sins, but he cannot be described as a believer when he commits such a major sin. Rather, he is deprived of his faith while committing such major sins. For instance, a perpetrator of Fornication is not a true believer when he is committing Fornication, and it could also mean that the light of faith is removed from his heart at such time. Faith denotes the beliefs harbored in the heart, declarations made by the tongue, and actions, translating such faith (i.e., acting upon it). If a believer commits Fornication, drinks Khamr, or steals, the light of faith is taken away from his heart and he is left with the darkness of sin. It could also mean that the faith of a perpetrator of major sins is imperfect rather than negating his faith altogether. Thus, the hadeeth would mean that a perpetrator of Fornication does not commit such sin while having perfect and true faith. It is also possible that it means that whoever commits such major sins while believing them to be lawful is not a believer, for declaring lawful what is unlawful warrants Kufr (disbelief). The Prophet’s statement could also be a warning against the loss of faith if one becomes accustomed to committing these major sins and persistently adhering to them. Theft (that warrants the prescribed Hadd) means unlawfully taking the property of another person that is recognized by the Laws of Islam as wealth, stealthily from where similar things are normally kept and there is no suspicion involved (i.e., uncertainty warranting the dismissal of the prescribed punishment).
Similarly, a robber is not a true believer when he robs. Robbery means taking someone’s property openly and forcibly. His saying, “the people look at him,”refers to the situation of the people being robbed as they look at the robber while being unable to keep him off, even if they beg him. It could also refer to the fact that a robber takes people’s property openly, contrary to theft and embezzlement that are done stealthily. Robbery is a more serious crime because it involves audacity and indifference to (the inviolability of) people. It was also said that the Arabic word Nuhbah refers to what is taken from property before dividing it up and estimating its amount, such as stealing from the spoils of war before division. Accordingly, the meaning of his saying “the people look at him,” would be that such a sin is so grave and serious that it catches the attention of people just like robbery committed by the dissolute at times of Fitnah (i.e., civil war and dissension).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.
It also emphasizes the gravity of Fornication, theft, consumption of Khamr, and usurping people’s wealth wrongfully..

2478

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺentered (i.e., conquered) Makkah and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka‘bah. He ﷺ started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting the ayah that reads (what means): {And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."} [Quran 17:81]
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allah is the Most High, the Grand.} [Quran 22:62].Islam and Tawheed (i.e., Unique Oneness of Allah) are the clear truth, and Shirk (i.e., polytheism) and idolatry are sheer falsehood. The Prophet ﷺ strove to promote Islam and establish Tawheed on one hand, and demolish Shirk and idolatry on the other hand, and thus Allah, Exalted is He, perfected His light of guidance imparted to the worlds through him.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when Allah, Exalted is He, blessed His Messenger with triumph over the disbelievers at the conquest of Makkah during the month of Ramadan in 8 A.H., he ﷺ entered it to find three hundred and sixty idols around the Ka‘bah, which people had made out of stone and taken as objects of worship. The Prophet ﷺ stabbed these idols with a stick, to demolish them, indicating the humiliation of such idols and their worshippers, and to show people that these idols did not harm or benefit, and could not even protect or defend themselves! While demolishing the idols, the Prophet ﷺ recited the ayah that reads(what means): {And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed, is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."} [Quran 17:81]. The ayah means, ‘O Messenger of Allah, say, ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed, falsehood is innately ever bound to depart,’ to express gratitude to your Lord, acknowledging His grace, and celebrate His victory. It means, ‘Truth, with which Allah, Exalted is He, sent me has triumphed over all the opposing (false) beliefs: Shirk, Kufr (i.e., disbelief), and falsehood.’ They faded away and their power vanished, for falsehood is inherently unstable and precarious at all times.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to recite this ayah when eliminating an evil..

2480

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property is a martyr."
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Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam aims at the preservation of the five necessities, which are: religion, life, intellect, lineage, and property.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that a person has the right to defend his wealth against a usurper or aggressor, and if he is killed while protecting his wealth, he earns the reward of martyrdom in the Hereafter, because Allah, Exalted is He, has legislated the preservation and protection of wealth. If someone fights off his attacker to defend his wealth, he would be fighting in the cause of Allah, and if he is killed in the process, he would be regarded as a martyr in the Hereafter. Such martyrs earn the reward of martyrdom in the Hereafter, but they are not treated as the martyrs who are killed on the battlefield, in the sense that their dead bodies are washed and shrouded and the funeral prayers are performed over them.
The hadeeth urges Muslims to defend their wealth and fend off the attacker rather than surrender to his aggression and allow him to take one’s wealth by force.
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2484

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once (on a journey) our provisions diminished and the people were reduced to poverty. They went to the Prophet ﷺ and asked his permission to slaughter their camels, and he agreed. ‘Umar met them and they told him about it, and he said, "How would you survive after slaughtering your camels?" Then he went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!How would they survive after slaughtering their camels?" Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered ‘Umar, "Call upon the people to bring what has remained of their food." A leather sheet was spread and all the food was collected and heaped over it. Allah's Messenger ﷺstood up and invoked Allah, Exalted is He, to bless it, and then directed all the people to come with their utensils, and they started taking from it till all of them got what was sufficient for them. Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, "I testify that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and I am His Messenger ﷺ."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, supported His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with extraordinary miracles that indicated his prophethood, and one such miracle was the miracle of abundance, blessing small quantities of food to turn into large quantities.
In this hadeeth, Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that they were once on a journey or at one of the battles, probably Tabook; it was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), as recorded in Saheeh Muslim, “On the day of the battle of Tabook, the Muslims were hard pressed by hunger and they asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ‘O Messenger of Allah, grant us permission to slaughter our camels to eat and use their fat.’”
Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “… our provisions diminished and the people were reduced to poverty,” meaning that their food supplies were exhausted and they almost ran out of food. They went to the Prophet ﷺ, seeking permission to slaughter the camels that they were riding to eat their meat, and he ﷺ gave them permission. Upon knowing of it, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “How would you survive if you slaughtered your camels?” Meaning that they would not be able to survive without their riding mounts. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, if it is done, we shall suffer from lack of transportation. I suggest you pool together whatever has been left of the food and supplicate Allah, Exalted is He, to bless it.” He ﷺ agreed, called for leather mat and had it spread out.He ﷺcommanded ‘Umar to call upon the people to bring the leftovers of their provisions. Some provisions were collected on the mat and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ invoked blessings on the small quantity of food, and then called upon people to bring their vessels. They came and started taking handfuls of the blessed food, and everyone filled his vessel with food, with the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ! Thereafter, he ﷺ said: “I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except Allah, Exalted is He, and that I am His Messenger ﷺ,” indicating that this miracle performed by him proved that he was a Messenger of Allah, Exalted is He.
The hadeeth highlights a miracle performed by the Prophet ﷺ and the clear effects of his blessings, as abundantas they are.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that people may offer their advice and give their opinions to the ruler regarding what serves the best interests of Muslims, even if they were not consulted.
It is also inferred therefrom that Muslims are urged to foster solidarity regarding food and share the small quantities of food together..

2485

Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We used to offer the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ and slaughter a camel, the meat of which would be divided in ten parts. We would eat the cooked meat before sunset.
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, set specific times for the daily prayers that must be observed. Performing the prayers at the beginning of their specified times is one of the best good deeds.
In this hadeeth, Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that they would perform ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ, and then go to slaughter a camel. The slaughtered camels were divided into ten parts, and afterward they cooked some of the meat until it was ready before sunset. This indicates that they used to perform ‘Asr prayer at the beginning of its prescribed time. It was also said that this may have been the case during summer, when the days are long..

2486

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “When the people of the Ash‘aree tribe ran short of food during the battles, or the food of their families in Al-Madeenah ran short, they would graciously collect all their remaining food in one sheet and then distribute it among themselves equally by measuring it with a bowl. So, these people are from me, and I am from them.”
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Commentary :
Sympathy and solidarity among people at times of hardship are among the moral values embodied by the Prophets of Allah, and the people of the Ash’aree tribe, from Yemen, to whom belonged Aboo Moosaa Al-Ash‘aree (may Allah be pleased with him), were the epitome of such moral values. The Prophet ﷺ praised them for that quality. He ﷺ said: “When the people of the Ash‘aree tribe ran short,” meaning when their food supplies were exhausted and they almost ran out of food, during the battles, or the food of their families in Al-Madeenah ran short, they would graciously collect all their remaining food in one sheet, “and then distribute it among themselves equally by measuring it with a bowl.” This means than each person received an equal share of the remaining food, and this reflected their exemplary altruism and solidarity, because some of them had no food left to begin with and others had small quantities, yet all took equal shares. Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ said: “So, these people are from me, and I am from them,” meaning that their moral character mirrors mine as reflected in their solidarity, as if he ﷺ was saying that this act conformed with his Sunnah and guidance and they followed his example. This highlights their noble moral character, and urges Muslims to follow their example and do the same.
The hadeeth underlines the great merits of the people of the Ash‘aree tribe, lauding their altruism and solidarity, and the greatest honor that could have been bestowed upon them was the fact that the Prophet attributed them to himself, “these people are from me, and I am from them.”
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2491

Naafi‘ narrated:
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'If one manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, and can afford the price of the other shares according to the adequate price of the slave, the slave will be completely manumitted, otherwise he will be partially manumitted.'” (Ayyoob, a sub-narrator is not sure whether the saying, “otherwise he will be partially manumitted” was said by Naafi‘ or the Prophet ﷺ.)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, created all people free, and hated that some should be enslaved to others. Islam was revealed while the system of slavery was in place (and deeply entrenched into people’s financial and social systems), so the Islamic Laws of Islam keenly assigned special care to the emancipation of slaves, and facilitated its means (to free people from their condition of slavery).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly possessed slave, be it a male or female slave, he should completely manumit him or her if can afford the price of the other shares according to the adequate price of the slave. This means that if the price of the slave is twenty Dirhams, for instance, and he is jointly owned by two masters and one of them manumits his share, he should graciously pay his co-owner the other ten Dirhams, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely to become a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
In the same vein, it was narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.

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2492

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he does not have sufficient money to manumit him, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him)".
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, created all people free, and hated that some should be enslaved to others. Islam was revealed while the system of slavery was in place (and deeply entrenched into people’s financial and social systems), so the Islamic Laws of Islam keenly assigned special care on the emancipation of slaves, and facilitated its means (to free people from their condition of slavery).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ stated that whoever wanted to manumit his share of a jointly possessed slave, he should completely manumit him or her if he can afford the price of the other shares,based on the adequate price of the slave. Such a master is required to pay his co-owner the monetary value of his share, if he can afford it, tomanumit the slave completely to become a free person. Being able to afford it here means having excess wealth beyond his needs and those of his dependents, including their basic needs such as accommodation, clothes, and the like. If he cannot afford it, then the slave will be partially manumitted.
However, if he cannot afford it, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he (the partially manumitted) is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him). This means that the partially manumitted slave may work and earn money to pay the rest of the price to free himself completely, provided that he must not be overburdened by work if he is unable to do so.

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2493

An-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of the person abiding by Allah's order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those people who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them. So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe."
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Commentary :
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the best acts of worship that puts in order the affairs of the Muslims, and rectifies the situation of their nation, and without it, the whole Muslim community would collapse and perish.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ gives an example of the importance of observing the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil. He ﷺ stated that the example of those who comply with the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, by enjoining good and forbidding evil, and those who violate them, i.e., by neglecting that obligation, is like the example of passengers who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water), saving those who are above us from trouble. A version of the hadeeth recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree reads: “One of them (i.e., the people in the lower part) took an ax and started making a hole in the bottom of the boat.” If the people in the upper part let the others do what they had suggested, the ship would sink and they all would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.
Similarly, if those who uphold the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil give it up, the whole nation would be destroyed, but if they keenly enjoin good and forbid evil, they would all be delivered, and the situation of all the people would be rectified.
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2494

‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr narrated that he had asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3] She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O my nephew! This is about an orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (i.e., dower) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr, otherwise they were ordered to marry any other women.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "After that ayah was revealed, people again asked the Prophet ﷺ (about the marriage with orphan girls), so Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah. Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and [yet] you desire to marry them.} [Quran 4:127] What is meant by Allah's Saying in this ayah {what has been recited to you in the Book}, is the other ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3] She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “His Saying {and [yet] you desire to marry them} [Quran 4:127] in the other ayah, means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his guardianship when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy).
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Commentary :
The wise Laws of Islam enjoins care for the orphans and preservation of their wealth, and regulates the affairs of guardianship over orphans’ wealth to best serve their interests.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr asked his maternal aunt ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, about the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O my nephew,” since his mother was Asmaa’ bint Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). “This is about an orphan girl who lives with her guardian,” meaning under his care. An orphan is a minor whose father passes away before he or she reaches puberty.
She added: “and shares his property,” meaning invests her wealth in trade, “Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (i.e., dower) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr,” meaning the highest that may be paid to women of their same social standing.
Otherwise, they were ordered to take one, two, three, or four wives from any other women.
Thereafter, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further stated that after that ayah was revealed, people again asked the Prophet ﷺ (about marriage with orphan girls). Therefore, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah. He Says (what means): {And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and [yet] you desire to marry them.} [Quran 4:127]. She (may Allah be pleased with her) underlined that what was meant by Allah's Saying in this ayah {what has been recited to you in the Book}, was the other ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. His Saying {and [yet] you desire to marry them,} [Quran 4:127] in the other ayah, means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his guardianship and care when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). This means that a guardian may marry off the orphan girl under his care, and he may want to marry her himself. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded him to pay her the due Mahr that is paid to other women or else marry another. Allah, Exalted is He, laid no restrictions on him to marry other women; He Says (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. Moreover, some guardians were not inclined to marry the orphan girls under their care because they possessed no beauty or adequate property in their views. Allah, Exalted is He, forbade them from refraining from marrying off such orphan girls to suitable suitors fearing that they would have a share in the joint property owned by the guardian and orphan girl.
In the pre-Islamic era, a guardian used to throw his robe over orphan girls under his care and this meant that no one would be ever allowed to marry such an orphan girl. If she was beautiful, he would marry her and devour her wealth, and if she was not beautiful, he would deny her marriage until she died and he would inherit her! This unjust practice was deemed prohibited in Islam. It goes without saying that marriage - especially to an orphan girl - must be based on justice and what is permissible as per the laws of Islam.
The hadeeth warns against the oppression and injustice committed against orphans, and urges guardians to fulfill their rights.
It is also inferred therefrom that the guardians are entrusted with those placed under their care and guardianship, and that wronging them constitutes a breach of trust..

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.”.

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..

169

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..

172

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..

173

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..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ judged that seven cubits should be left as a public way when there was a dispute about the land.
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‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Khatimee Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery (i.e., taking away what belongs to others without their permission), and also forbade mutilation (or maiming) of bodies.
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‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property is a martyr."
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Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We used to offer the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ and slaughter a camel, the meat of which would be divided in ten parts. We would eat the cooked meat before sunset.
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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.”.

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

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.”.

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.’”.

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) The Prophet ﷺ judged that seven cubits should be left as a public way when there was a dispute about the land. .

‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Khatimee Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery (i.e., taking away what belongs to others without their permission), and also forbade mutilation (or maiming) of bodies. .

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property is a martyr." .

Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: We used to offer the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ and slaughter a camel, the meat of which would be divided in ten parts. We would eat the cooked meat before sunset. .

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.”.

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

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.”.

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.’”.

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ judged that seven cubits should be left as a public way when there was a dispute about the land.
.

‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Khatimee Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery (i.e., taking away what belongs to others without their permission), and also forbade mutilation (or maiming) of bodies.
.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property is a martyr."
.

Raafi‘ ibn Khadeej (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We used to offer the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ and slaughter a camel, the meat of which would be divided in ten parts. We would eat the cooked meat before sunset.
.