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Hadith
297
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to rest in my lap when I was menstruating, then he would recite Qur’an..

Commentary : There are rulings that apply specifically to the menstruating woman, but she herself is not impure (najis), because the believer never becomes impure, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. Being close to a menstruating woman does not mean that the one who wants to recite Qur’an should not do so. This is what ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) speaks of in this hadith, in which she says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to rest in her lap when she was menstruating. What is meant by the word translated here as resting is leaning on one side whilst sitting. It was also said that what is meant here is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to put his head in her lap when she was menstruating, and whilst he was in that position, he would recite Qur’an; that did not prevent him from reciting.
In this hadith we see how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
This hadith indicates that being close to his menstruating wife does not prevent a husband from reciting Qur’an, and the menstruating woman may listen to Qur’an without any reservations.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

301
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: He used to put his head out to me when he was observing i‘tikaf and I would wash his hair, when I was menstruating..

Commentary : Among the Jews, when one of their women menstruated, they would banish her from the house, and they would not eat with her, drink with her or be in the same room as her. In our religion, however, the menstruating woman is not to be blamed for something that Allah has ordained for her, so her body is pure, apart from the place where the impurity is.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to put his head out to her in her apartment, when he was observing i‘tikaf in the mosque, and she would wash his hair for him, when she was menstruating. According to another report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, she would comb his hair when she was menstruating. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would bring his head close to her when she was in her apartment and the rest of his body was in the mosque, and he was aware of her condition and that she was menstruating, yet despite that she would touch him with her hands and take care of him, without any reservation or prohibition. Her apartment was attached to the mosque.
The hadith refers to cleaning a man’s hair, and other things that come under the heading of adorning oneself.
It indicates that a menstruating woman may care for her husband and help him with personal hygiene.
It indicates that if the one who is observing i‘tikaf puts his head, hand or foot outside the mosque, that does not invalidate his i‘tikaf.
It speaks of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

302
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: When one of us was menstruating, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to be intimate with her, he would tell her to wrap something around herself at the beginning of her menses, then he would be intimate with her. She said: Who among you is able to control his desire as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was able to control his desire?.

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And they ask you about menstruation. Say, It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure} [al-Baqarah 2:222]. What is meant by keeping away from wives in this verse is not having intercourse with them; as for anything other than that, the husband may do it, meaning that he may do everything except intercourse. This is what the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of in this hadith, where she says: When one of us – meaning one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – was menstruating and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to be intimate with her by kissing and so on, other than intercourse, he would tell her to wrap something around her waist at the beginning of her period, so she would wrap herself in an izar (lower garment or waist wrapper) to cover the area between the navel and the knees. That would happen at the beginning of her menses, or when the bleeding was at its heaviest. Then he would be intimate with her, so he would approach her and touch her, but he would not have intercourse with her.
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Who among you is able to control his desire as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was able to control his desire? 
This hadith indicates that one should not be put off by a menstruating woman or show dislike to her, in contrast to the Jews, who would not eat with a woman or sit with her if she was menstruating.
It speaks of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated his wives kindly and paid attention to their condition.
It also indicates that the body of the menstruating woman and whatever she wears are both pure (tahir)..

309
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf, and one of his wives was with him, when she was suffering from istihadah and was bleeding. Sometimes she would put a basin beneath her to catch the blood. He [one the narrators] claimed that ‘A’ishah saw safflower water and said: It is as if this is something that So-and-so used to see..

Commentary : Islamic teachings explain how women should purify themselves following menses and nifas (postpartum bleeding). Some women suffer from menses that last longer than the usual time, and they bleed heavily for longer than the days of the usual period. Islam makes things easier for them in that case.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) observed i‘tikaf in his mosque, isolating himself from people for the purpose of worship, and one of his wives observed i‘tikaf with him. It was said that she was Sawdah bint Zam‘ah, or that she was Ramlah Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan, or that she was Zaynab bint Jahsh. She was suffering from istihadah and was bleeding; istihadah is irregular bleeding that a woman experiences after the end of her normal menses. The blood of istihadah is thin and is not like menstrual blood. Sometimes she would put a basin – meaning a large vessel – beneath her to catch this copious bleeding, lest it contaminate her garment or the mosque.
Khalid ibn Mihran, one of the narrators of this hadith, said regarding the phrase “he claimed”: The word claim may refer to something that one is certain about, even though it is most often used with regard to something one is uncertain about, or to suggest that it is false. ‘Ikrimah claimed that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) saw some safflower water – which comes from a kind of plant and is yellow in colour; it is used as a dye but does not have a fragrance – and said: This yellow is something that resembles what So-and-so used to see at the time of her istihadah. This indicates that the blood of istihadah may be yellow and thin, and is not dark like menstrual blood.
This hadith indicates that a woman who is suffering from istihadah may observe i‘tikaf if she is certain that her bleeding will not contaminate the mosque..

312
It was narrated that Mujahid said: ‘A’ishah said: One of us would have only one garment in which she menstruated. If any blood got onto it, she would put some of her saliva on it and scratch it with her nails..

Commentary : This hadith is indicative of the hard life that the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lived, and that they were content with very little of worldly comforts. In it, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: One of us would have only one garment; what she meant by one of us is the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the Mothers of the Believers. Even though they lived in the house of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), one of them would own only one garment, and they were content with what Allah allocated to them. What ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says in this hadith is not contradicted by what is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), that she had more than one garment, because what ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was referring to in this hadith was their situation at the beginning of Islam, for they were living a life of hardship and scarcity. When Allah granted conquests to the Muslims and their circumstances improved, women would have special garments to wear during their menses, separate from their other garments. It may be that what ‘A’ishah meant by “one garment” is a garment specifically for menses. There is nothing in the context to rule out the idea that she had other garments that she wore when she was not menstruating. That is also in harmony with the hadith of Umm Salamah in this regard.
If any menstrual blood got on the garment of one of the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), she would put some of her saliva on it, then scratch it with her fingernail. Then she would rub it and scratch it with her nail until the traces of blood were removed. It was said that she would do that, because this blood that was removed by scratching was little and could be overlooked. Hence she did not say here that she washed it with water. Similarly, she did not say that she prayed in this garment after removing the traces of blood by using her saliva and scratching it with her fingernail. Rather she used her saliva to remove the traces of blood, and she did not intend to purify the garment. There is a report from her in Sahih al-Bukhari which mentions washing the garment after scratching and rubbing it, and she says: “Then she may pray in it,” which indicates that when she wanted to pray in the garment, she would wash it so that she would be able to pray in it after that.  .

314
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that a woman asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about doing ghusl to purify herself following her menses, and he told her how to do ghusl. He said: “Take a piece of cloth on which there is musk and purify yourself with it.” She said: How do I purify myself? He said: “Purify yourself with it.” She said: How? He said: “Subhan Allah! Purify yourself!” I pulled her to me and said: Follow the traces of blood with it..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught women how to purify themselves and do ghusl following their menses to remove the blood. He described how to do that in a refined and polite manner, to avoid any embarrassment. He taught all of that to his wives, so that they could teach it to the Muslim women.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that a woman – it was said that she was Asma’ bint Shakal, or that she was someone else – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him how she should do ghusl after her menses ended. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told her how to do ghusl, and instructed her to take a piece of wool or cotton on which there was some musk or perfume, then purify the site of the bleeding and where the blood had got to. But the woman did not understand what was meant, so she asked again how she should purify herself with this perfumed piece of cotton. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Subhan Allah! Purify yourself!” He was astonished that she did not know how to purify herself with it, when that was something obvious that no one should be unaware of. At that point, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) pulled her aside and brought her close to herself, and told her: Follow the traces of blood with it; apply it to your private part and anywhere else that the blood got onto, to clean it and remove the smell of menstrual blood.
This hadith highlights how modest and shy the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was, and how well-mannered he was.
It indicates that one should show shyness and embarrassment when speaking of private matters, especially when that is mentioned by men in the presence of women, or by women in the presence of men, and that one should use metaphors and euphemisms, and avoid mentioning them explicitly. One should show shyness and embarrassment if such things are mentioned, and avoid speaking of them explicitly.
It highlights the role of wise and knowledgeable women in conveying information and teaching other women..

318
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has appointed an angel in charge of the womb, and he says: ‘O Lord, is it to be a nutfah (sperm drop)? O Lord, it is it to be a ‘alaqah (a piece of thick coagulated blood)? O Lord, is it to be a mudghah (chewed piece of flesh)?’ Then when Allah wants to complete its creation, he says: ‘Male or female? Doomed or blessed? What is his provision and lifespan?’ And it is decreed in his mother’s womb.”.

Commentary : Everything that Allah creates is already decreed and will be as He wants it to be. There is nothing that happens in His dominion except it happens by His decree and with His knowledge. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has appointed an angel over the womb, which is the place where the embryo develops, as mentioned in this hadith. When the nutfah (sperm drop) is formed, this angel says: O Lord, is it to be a nutfah? This is a question from the angel to the Lord (may He be glorified and exalted). In other words, is it to be a nutfah, so that I should write it, for no one knows what is in the wombs except Allah; rather the angel is appointed to keep a record and write things down. The same thing happens in the following stages: O Lord, is it to a ‘alaqah (a piece of thick coagulated blood)…? And so on. The word nutfah refers to the sperm when it meets the ovum of the woman and fertilizes it. This is the first stage in the development of a human being. When it becomes a ‘alaqah, the angel says: O Lord, is it to be a ‘alaqah? The ‘alaqah is a piece of congealed blood that hangs on the wall of the uterus. When it becomes a mudghah, the angel says: O Lord, is it to be a mudghah? The mudghah is a small piece of flesh, the size of what a man can chew in his mouth. Then when Allah (may He be exalted) wills to complete the creation of this person, the angel asks the Lord (may He be exalted): Male or female? Doomed or blessed? In other words: Will You create it as a male or a female? Will he be one of those who are doomed (destined for Hell) or one of those who are blessed (destined for Paradise)? Then he asks about his provision and lifespan, and he writes down all of that when the person is still in his mother’s womb.
This is indicative of the might and eternal knowledge of Allah, and how He decrees all the affairs of His creation. So the individual should be moderate and not exhaust himself in seeking worldly provision, for everyone will be enabled to follow the path for which he was created; the one who is to be one of the people of Paradise will do the deeds that will enable him to reach Paradise, and the one who is to be one of the people of Hell will choose, by his own free will, the deeds that will lead him to Hell. Allah (may He be glorified) guides those who are blessed to do that which is good and makes available to them the means to do these deeds, and He causes those who are doomed to do evil and has made available for them the means of doing those deeds. That is because Allah has made clear to all the path of good and the path of evil. Thus each person acts with insight and knowledge, and chooses whatever he wants. Whoever chooses to do the deeds of the people of Paradise, Allah will enable him to do that, then He will admit him to Paradise, and He knows from eternity that he will be one of its people. By the same token, whoever chooses to do the deeds of the people of Hell, Allah will leave him to his own devices, until He admits him to Hell on the Day of Resurrection, and He knows from eternity that he will do the deeds of the people of Hell.
However, this does not contradict the command to work and strive in this world in pursuit of provision, and to seek Paradise by doing righteous deeds. Rather what we may understand from this hadith is that we should be moderate in striving (to earn a living), and not grieve over what we miss out on. The individual should strive his utmost and compel himself to do righteous deeds, and he should not neglect striving on the grounds that he is relying on what has already been decided from eternity about what his destiny is.
This hadith indicates that the fate of every person is written and decreed when he is still a foetus in his mother’s womb, after he has been formed and his limbs and faculties have taken their final shape. .

321
It was narrated from Mu‘adhah that a woman said to ‘A’ishah: Is the prayer of one of us valid [if she makes up the prayers] after she becomes pure? She said: Are you a Haruri? We used to menstruate at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he did not instruct us to do that – or, we did not do that..

Commentary : The Haruris are the Kharijis; they first emerged in the region of Harura’, near Kufah in Iraq, two miles from Kufah (approx. 3.5 km), and were named after that place. They are the ones who denounced ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for accepting arbitration in his conflict with Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), then they fought him. They regarded the Muslims as disbelievers and believed it was permissible to shed their blood. Hence when this woman came to ask ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) whether a woman should make up her prayers when she becomes pure following her menses, ‘A’ishah said to her, objecting to that notion: Are you a Haruri? Meaning: are you one of this group of Kharijis? Because some of them used to tell the menstruating woman to make up her missed prayers, which was a sign of extreme tendencies in religious matters. Then she told her that the wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to menstruate at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) but he did not instruct them to make up missed prayers. This is a matter concerning which there is consensus among the Muslim scholars, that a woman who menstruates does not have to make up the prayers missed during her menses, because prayer is an obligation that is repeated on a daily basis, so there is no need to make it up. This is by way of making things easier for women, and not making things too difficult for them by requiring them to make up the prayers that they missed during their menses..

326
It was narrated that Umm ‘Atiyyah said: We used not to regard the brownish and yellowish discharge as being of any significance..

Commentary : Menstrual blood has its own characteristics which women know. It is dark and thick blood that comes on certain days of every month. When this bleeding ceases, the woman should do ghusl and resume praying, as she has become pure. If she sees a yellowish or brownish discharge, or blood that is different from menstrual blood, after the time of her usual menses has ended – and this is what is known as istihadah (irregular bleeding) – she should not regard it as being of any significance, and it is deemed to not be menses. This is what the Sahabiyyah Umm ‘Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was speaking of when she said: We used not to regard the brownish and yellowish discharge as being of any significance. What is meant in this hadith by yellowish and brownish discharge is discharge that a woman may see, which may resemble pus with its yellowish colour. If the woman sees that outside of the days of her usual menses – as is clearly stated in the report narrated by Abu Dawud – she should not regard it as being of any significance, because they did not regard it as coming under the rulings on menses at the time of the Prophet (lessons and peace of Allah be upon him), so they did not stop praying or fasting because of it; rather a woman would do wudu’ for each prayer..

327
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that Umm Habibah suffered from istihadah for seven years. She asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and he instructed her to do ghusl. And he said: “That is a vein.” And she used to do ghusl for every prayer..

Commentary : Menstrual bleeding is something normal and natural, which happens to women every month in most cases, lasting for a certain number of days each month, which a woman usually knows. That is in contrast to the bleeding of istihadah, which is bleeding that happens to a woman because of sickness or health problems. Hence it lasts longer than the usual duration of menses, and lasts longer than the maximum duration of menses. Some women continue to bleed without stopping. Any bleeding that lasts longer than menses is regarded as istihadah.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) tells us that Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), suffered from istihadah, and her istihadah lasted for seven years. She asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) how she should purify herself in order to be able to pray and do other acts of worship, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed her to do ghusl after the days of her original menses had passed. He explained to her that that was bleeding from a vein and not the usual bleeding of menses. Based on that, the ruling for the woman who is suffering from istihadah is that she should do ghusl after the days of her usual menses have passed, and she should not pay any attention to the bleeding that does not stop after the time of her usual menses has ended, because that is the bleeding of istihadah. So she should do wudu’ for each prayer, and put something [like a cloth or pad] to protect herself from the blood, as is mentioned in the reports narrated by Abu Dawud and others from Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh (may Allah be pleased with him).
With regard to the words “she used to do ghusl for every prayer”, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only instructed her to do ghusl following [the time of her normal] menses and resume prayer, and doing ghusl for every prayer was voluntary on her part. It was also said that what is by the phrase translated here as “do[ing] ghusl for every prayer” is simply washing off the blood that got onto her, because that comes under the heading of removing impurity (najasah), which is a condition of prayer being valid. And it was said that the ruling on doing ghusl that is mentioned in this hadith was abrogated by the hadith of Fatimah bint Abi Hubaysh in which there is the command to do wudu’ for every prayer, not ghusl. The two hadiths may be reconciled by interpreting the instruction [to do ghusl] in the hadith of Umm Habibah as referring to something that was recommended (but not obligatory).
In this hadith, we see that istihadah does not prevent a woman from praying or doing other acts of worship..

329
It was narrated from Tawus that Ibn ‘Abbas said: A concession was granted to the menstruating woman [during Hajj] to leave [Makkah without doing the farewell tawaf] if she menstruates..

Commentary : The farewell tawaf is one of the actions of Hajj; it is the final tawaf that the pilgrim does before leaving Makkah.
In this report, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that if a woman gets her menses during Hajj and starts to bleed before doing the farewell tawaf, then she is granted a concession allowing her to omit it, and nothing further is required of her. The farewell tawaf is waived for the menstruating woman if she has already done tawaf al-ifadah, which is the essential tawaf of Hajj, as we see in this hadith, and she may depart and return to her homeland. This is one of the ways in which Islamic teachings make things easy for people..

330
Ibn ‘Umar used to say in the beginning that she should not depart, then I heard him saying that she may depart, for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession to women..

Commentary : The farewell tawaf is one of the actions of Hajj; it is the final tawaf that the pilgrim does before leaving Makkah.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tawus ibn Kaysan narrates that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar used to say, in the beginning, that if a woman gets her menses before doing the farewell tawaf, she should not return home until she becomes pure and does that tawaf. Then he changed his view, and said that she may depart and return home, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted women a concession to that effect. That applies if the woman has done tawaf al-ifadah, which is the essential tawaf of Hajj, before she menstruates; in that case she may depart and return to her homeland without doing the farewell tawaf. This is one of the ways in which Islamic teachings make things easy for people.
From this hadith we learn that if there are two conflicting views, then the view that is based on a religious text takes precedence..

332
It was narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub that a woman died after giving birth, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for her, and he stood in line with her middle..

Commentary : The funeral prayer that is offered for the deceased is a mercy from Allah to His slaves, because in this prayer the people offer supplication for the deceased and pray for forgiveness for him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer the funeral prayer for those of the Sahabah who died, both men and women, and he taught his ummah the Sunnahs and etiquettes that are required when offering the funeral prayer.
In this hadith, Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for a woman who died after giving birth. In al-Sahihayn, it says that she died during her nifas (post-partum bleeding). The deceased woman was Umm Ka‘b al-Ansariyyah, as named by Muslim in his report. After giving birth, a woman is in nifas. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer for her because even though the woman who is bleeding following childbirth (nifas) is not allowed to pray, that does not prevent the funeral prayer being offered for her if she dies during that time. The same applies to menstrual bleeding; the funeral prayer may be offered for a menstruating woman if she dies during her menses. By the same token, the funeral prayer may be offered for one who is junub, if he dies. In each of these cases, the deceased should be washed and the funeral prayer offered for him or her. It may be that what is meant by the Arabic wording of the original text is that the woman died of a stomach disease; perhaps she experienced internal bleeding, or perhaps it came out through her private part like menstrual blood. So if a woman dies in such a case, she is to be washed and the funeral prayer is to be offered for her.
When offering the funeral prayer for a woman, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood in line with her middle and offered the prayer for her; that was so as to conceal the woman from the eyes of the worshippers behind him. This is in contrast to a man, as the Sunnah is to stand in line with his head..

333
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Shaddad said: I heard my maternal aunt Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), say that she would be menstruating and not praying, and that she would be lying down next to the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would prostrate as he was praying on a small mat made of reeds. [She said:] When he prostrated, part of his garment touched me..

Commentary : There are rulings that apply to the menstruating woman, but it is not one of them that she should not touch anyone and no one should touch her, as was the practice of the Jews with their women. Islam honours women in all circumstances, and permits others to interact with the menstruating woman, eat with her, speak to her and so on.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), narrates that at the time of her menses, when she was bleeding, she would not pray at that time, but despite that she would be lying on the floor next to the place where the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated in his room. He would be praying on a small mat made of reeds that was used to protect the hands and face from the heat and cold of the ground, and when he prostrated, his garment would touch her. This indicates that the menstruating woman is not impure (najis). It also indicates that the garment she wears when menstruating is pure (tahir) and that she may be close to one who is praying, and that does not affect or interrupt his prayer. This is one of the ways in which Islam makes things easy for women in all circumstances, and one of the ways in which Islam honours women, especially at the time of menses..

334
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys, and when we were in al-Bayda’ or Dhat al-Jaysh, a necklace of mine broke. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) started to look for it, and the people helped him, but they were not at a watering place, so the people came to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and said: Do you not see what ‘A’ishah has done? She made the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people halt, and they are not at a watering place and they do not have any water with them. Abu Bakr came, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had put his head on my thigh and gone to sleep, and he said: You have detained the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people, and they are not at a watering place and they do not have any water with them. ‘A’ishah said: Abu Bakr rebuked me and said whatever Allah willed he should say, and he started to poke me in my side with his hand, and nothing prevented me from moving except the fact that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sleeping on my thigh. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up in the morning, and when he got up there was no water. Then Allah revealed the verse of tayammum, so they did tayammum. Usayd ibn al-Hudayr said: This is not the first of your blessings, O family of Abu Bakr. Then we made the camel that I had been riding stand up, and we found the necklace under it..

Commentary : Islam came to make things easy for people with regard to purification and wudu’, and it enjoins doing tayammum with clean earth and the like when water is not available, or one is unable to use it. In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that they went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys; that was the campaign of Banul Mustaliq in 6 AH. Then when they were in al-Bayda’ or Dhat al-Jaysh, which are two places after Dhul Hulayfah, between Makkah and Madinah, a necklace of hers broke. It was made of Zafar beads, as is explained in other reports; they were Yemeni beads that were brought from Zafar on the coast. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) halted there to look for it, and the people halted with him, but they were not carrying water with them and there was no watering place in that location. So the people came to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to complain about what his daughter ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had done to them, as she was the reason why they had halted in that place where there was no water. According to a report in al-Sahihayn, the time for prayer came and they had no water with them, so they prayed, then they complained about that to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to her to rebuke her for that, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sleeping, resting his head on her thigh, using it as a pillow. This indicates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not worried, even though there was no water. It may be that he fell asleep before he knew that there was no water. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, rebuking her: You have detained the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people, and delayed their travel! And he said whatever Allah willed he should say of rebukes, and he started poking ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in her side with his fingertips, so that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not be disturbed by that. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wanted to get up and move away from him, and nothing prevented her from doing that except the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asleep, resting his head on her thigh. When morning came, he woke up and he needed to do wudu’, but he could not find any water at that time. Then Allah (may He be exalted) sent down the verse of tayammum that is in Surat al-Ma’idah: {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it} [al-Ma’idah 5:6]. The word tayammamu (seek clean earth) in the verse is either in the past tense, meaning that the people did tayammum because of this verse, or it is in the imperative form, so it is a command to do tayammum, as appears to be the case from the phrasing of the text. Allah revealed the words {then seek clean earth…}, and this is by way of making things easier for them; it was a concession allowing them to do tayammum if they could not find water. The verse explains how to do tayammum, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put it into practice in his Sunnah. The way it is done is by striking the hands once on some clean earth or clean dust, then wiping the face and hands. At this point, Usayd ibn Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This is not the first of your blessings, O family of Abu Bakr, for your blessings are many, and this is one of them. Perhaps he was referring thereby to the incident of the slander (al-ifk).
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that after that, they made the camel that she had been riding stand up, and they found the lost necklace under it. It is as if Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) caused them to be delayed and made them stay in that place so that He might reveal to them a way of making things easier for them.
This hadith highlights the fact that tayammum is prescribed, and mentions the reason why it was prescribed.
It indicates that a father may rebuke her daughter even if she is grown-up and married.
It indicates that a woman may complain to her father, even if she has a husband.
It indicates that a man may visit his daughter, even if her husband is present, if he knows that her husband approves of it.
It indicates that women may wear jewellery and use necklaces so as to adorn themselves for their husbands.
It highlights the virtue of ‘A’ishah and that the Muslims were blessed many times through her. .

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As for Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13), Abu Hurairah said, "He saw Gabriel, the Angel.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’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 heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) and said that was the second time the Prophet saw Gabriel, the Angel, in his real form. The first time was at the beginning of his prophethood when Gabriel filled the sky's horizon, so he did not mean he saw his God. Some scholars think he saw his God with his heart, not his eyes, based on a hadith in Sahih Muslim reported by Ibn Abbas. They said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes. It was also said that Allah firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. It was narrated in Sahih Muslim that Abu Dharr said, "I asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw his God, but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes..

176
As for Allah's saying, "The heart did not lie [about] what it saw." (An-Najm: 11) and "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 11), Ibn Abbas said, "He saw him by his heart twice.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’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 heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Ibn Abbas interpreted Allah's saying, "The heart did not lie [about] what it saw." (An-Najm: 11) that the Prophet's heart did not lie about seeing his God. It was a real vision. He also interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw his God with his heart, as in another narration in Sahih Muslim. It was said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes or He firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. On the contrary, Abu Hurairah narrated in Sahih Muslim that the one who was seen was Gabriel, the Angel. In Sahih Muslim, Abu Dharr said, "I asked the Prophet, 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw his God, but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes..

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Ibn Abbas said, "He saw him by his heart.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’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 heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Ibn Abbas interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) and said, "He saw him with his heart." It was said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes. It was also said that Allah firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. This contradicts another hadith in Sahih Muslim reported by Abu Hurairah that the one who was seen is Gabriel, the Angel, in his real shape. As a result, Abu Hurairah narrated, as in Sahih Muslim, that, "Abu Dharr said, 'I asked the Prophet, 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw Him but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes. Finally, this hadith clarifies that the Prophet saw His God with his heart..

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Aisha, Mother of the Believers, said, “If Muhammad ﷺ were to conceal anything which was sent to him, he would certainly conceal this verse: ‘And [remember, O Muhammad] when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, ‘Keep your wife and fear Allah,’ while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him.’” (Al-Ahzab: 37).

Commentary : The Prophet Muhammad completely reported what Allah revealed to him. He was too trustworthy to conceal anything of the Quran. In this hadith, Aisha, Mother of the Believers, told us that if he, as a reliable person, had wanted to conceal any verse of the Quran, he would have concealed this verse, "And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, 'Keep your wife and fear Allah,' while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished." (Al-Ahzab: 37) Allah reproached him and expressed what he concealed. The Prophet advised his companion Zaid ibn Haritha not to divorce Zainab bint Jahsh although Allah had informed him that Zaid would divorce her and he, the Prophet, would marry her afterward. The Islamic rule is that a Muslim cannot marry his son's wife or ex-wife. The Prophet adopted Zaid ibn Haritha to the extent that the latter was called Zaid ibn Muhammad. Allah wanted to abort the habit of adoption so He revealed to him that Zaid would divorce her and he, the Prophet, had to marry her to abort this habit, confirming that Zaid was not the Prophet's son. The Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to conceal these details lest the hypocrites may have accused him of marrying Zaid’s ex-wife although he prohibited this habit ahead. All of these divine procedures were for great wisdom as Allah stated, "... in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them...." As a result, when Zaid complained to the Prophet about her, the Prophet advised him to keep her in spite of his previous knowledge of the details that Allah showed to him. The favor that Allah bestowed upon Zaid is Islam and the favor that the Prophet bestowed upon Zaid is emancipation. Allah blamed His Prophet for his trying to avoid people's blaming and saying: He commanded his son to divorce his wife so he could marry her afterward. Allah guided His Prophet that He has more right that he fears Him. It was not meant that the Prophet did not fear Allah while fearing people but it was meant that the Prophet feared people's comments while fearing Allah at the same time. It was not a sin, for Allah did not command him to ask His forgiveness. In fact, an act may not be a sin but there is another better act. A Muslim may be excused for some confusing matters that occur in his heart as long as he does not mean to commit a sin. The Prophet hid these details for fear that people would be confused about the above Islamic rule about adoption. Finally, the hadith confirmed that the Prophet is a human who has human attributes..

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Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said, “I said to Abu Dharr, ‘Had I seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would have asked him.’ He (Abu Dharr) asked, ‘What is that thing about which you would have asked him?’ He said, ‘I would have asked him, ‘Had you seen your Lord?’ Abu Dharr said, ‘In fact, I asked him and he replied, ‘I saw light.’”.

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’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 heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said to Abu Dharr that had he seen the Prophet, he would have asked him about something he wanted to know about. When Abu Dharr asked his explanation, Abdullah told him that he had wanted to ask the Prophet if he had seen his God. Abu Dharr confirmed that he had asked the Prophet the same question so the Prophet replied, "I saw light." This means that he saw nothing from Allah but light. Allah's light is a light befitting Him, without any interpretation. It was said that the light he saw was nothing but the veil between Allah and His servants, for Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet said, "His veil is the light. If he were to remove it, the glory of his face would burn all of his creation, as far as his sight reaches." His sight is endless. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw Him but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes. Finally, this hadith clarifies that the Prophet saw His God with his heart..

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Abu Musa narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up among us and said five things, ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty, does not sleep and it does not befit him to sleep. He lowers the scale and raises it. The deed done during the night is taken up to Him before the deed done during the day, and the deed done during the day before the deed done during the night. His veil is the light (“the fire” as in another narration). If He were to remove it, the glory of his Face would burn everything of His creation as far as His gaze reaches.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to choose suitable times to preach to his companions, remind them about Allah periodically, and teach them Allah’s unmatchable attributes. In this hadith, the companion Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once delivered his companions five Islamic teachings. He told them that Allah never slept, for it was not appropriate for Him to sleep. Sleeping is an attribute of deficiency, which is impossible to be his attribute. Allah said, “Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him.” (Al-Baqarah: 255). Additionally, how does the Manager of the heavens and the earth sleep?! The Prophet ﷺ also told them that Allah possessed the scale of justice and provisions, so he restricted or expanded his bliss to his servants, out of his comprehensive wisdom. Also, the Prophet ﷺ informed them that his servant’s righteous or evil deeds done during the night were taken up to Him before those done during the day and vice versa. This indicates that all deeds are immediately raised to Him by His angels, without waiting for the day or night to be completed. There is no doubt that he knows all of these deeds before they are even taken up to Him. As a result, if a servant realizes this, he has to fear and take much care of Allah’s observation during the day and night. Also, the Prophet ﷺ informed them that there was a barrier between Allah and His creation which was the light or fire as in the other narration. There is no contradiction between the two words, for Allah called the lamp’s fire as light as in Surat An-Nour, unlike the dark fire of Hell, Allah forbid, which was not called a light. If Allah were to remove that veil, His face’s glory would burn everything of His creation as far as His gaze reaches. Allah’s sight is endless. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The humans cannot see Allah in this world, but Allah will honor whomever He wishes with this bliss in the Hereafter, (2) It proves the veil between Allah and his creation, in the way that befits him, without negating its meaning or comparing it with his creation’s attributes, (3) It proves some of Allah’s attributes such as: the face, sight, raising and lowering of the scale of justice, in the way that befits him, (4) It is impossible for Allah to sleep, for it is an attribute of deficiency, and (5) It proves that the servants’ deeds are submitted to Allah every day and every night..

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Suhaib narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When the people of Paradise enter it, Allah, the Most-High, asks them, ‘Do you wish Me to give you anything more?’ They answer, ‘Have You not brightened our faces? Have You not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Hell?’ Then the veil is lifted so they are not given something dearer to them than seeing their Lord, the Most-High.’” In another narration, “Then he (the Prophet) recited this verse, ‘For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.’” (Yunus: 26).

Commentary : Paradise is Allah's reward for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. However, He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, provides his servants with another blessing. In this hadith, the Prophet told us that after the people of Paradise entered it, Allah would ask them as a prelude to a coming blessing, "Do you wish Me to give you anything more?” They would answer, "Have You not brightened our faces?" They referred to the verse, "But as for those whose faces will turn white, [they will be] within the mercy of Allah. They will abide therein eternally." (Aal-Imran: 107) They resumed, "Have You not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Hell?" Whitening their faces, granting them satisfaction, admitting them to Paradise, and saving them from Hell were their ultimate hope, but Allah's blessings are endless. Afterward, he would clear the veil of light in between so they could clearly see him, as stated in a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim. They did not imagine that there was not a blessing over entering Paradise so Allah would fulfill His promise and grant them the greatest blessing, as the Prophet said, "Indeed, you will see your God ..." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim) They would not be given something dearer to them than seeing their God, the Most-High. In another narration, the Prophet “recited this verse, 'For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.'" (Yunus: 26) The "best" is their entering Paradise and the "extra" is their looking at their God, as Allah said, "[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, looking at their Lord." (Al-Qiyaama: 22, 23) So, he made it clear that the reward of those preferring Hereafter to the worldly life is to make their faces beautiful at that time. Additionally, they will enjoyably and clearly look at their God's unmatchable dazzling beauty. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows Allah's grace upon his servants of admitting them to Paradise, and (2) It proves that the believers will look at their God in Paradise..

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Ibn Mas’oud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The last to enter Paradise will be a man who will walk once, fall once, and be scorched by Hell. Once crossing a bridge over Hell, he will go beyond it and say, ‘Blessed was He Who saved me from you. Allah gave me something He did not give to anyone earlier or later. ‘Then, a tree will be raised for him so he will say, ‘O God, bring me near this tree so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water.’ Allah, the Exalted, will say, ‘O son of Adam, if I grant you this, will you ask Me for something else?’ He will say, ‘No. my God.’ He will promise Him that he will not ask Him for anything else. His Lord will excuse him because he sees something he cannot resist its temptation. So He will bring him near it so he can enjoy its shade and drink its water. Afterward, a tree more beautiful than the first will be raised for him so he will say, ‘O God, bring me near this tree so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water. I will not ask you something else.’ He said, ‘O son of Adam, did not you promise me not to ask Me for anything else? If I bring you near it, you may ask me for something else.’ He will promise Him not to ask Him for anything else. His God will excuse him because he sees something that he cannot resist its temptation. He will bring him near it so he can enjoy its shade and drink its water. Then, a more beautiful tree than the first two will be raised for him at the gate of Paradise. He will say, ‘O God, bring me near this so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water. I will not ask You for anything else.’ He will say, ‘O son of Adam! Did you not promise Me not to ask Me for anything else?’ He will say, ‘Yes, my God. I will not ask You for anything else.’ His God will excuse him for He sees something that cannot resist its temptation. He will bring him near to it. Then, He will hear the voices of Paradise’s people and say, ‘O God, admit me to it.’ He will say, ‘O son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests to Me? Will it please you if I give you the whole world and a like one along with it?’ He will say, ‘O God! Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!’ Ibn Mas'oud laughed and said to his audience, ‘Will you not ask me why I am laughing?’ They asked, ‘Why are you laughing?’ He said, ‘Here the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughed so we asked him, ‘Why are you laughing O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?’ He answered, ‘Because of the laugh of the God of the worlds when he (the man) said, ‘Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!’ Allah will say, ‘I do not mock you but I have the power to do whatever I will.’”.

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) related the story of the last person to enter Paradise. On his way to Paradise and during his walking over the bridge over Hell, he will sometimes walk, and fall on his face, out of fear and panic that he may fall into it. Sometimes, he will be scorched by Hell. Once crossing it, he will turn to it and say, ‘Blessed was He Who saved me from you.’ He will think that Allah gave him something that He did not give to anyone earlier or later. Afterward, he will not be satisfied with the bliss he would be granted but desire for more of Allah’s generosity. In the meanwhile, Allah will raise a tree for him so he will bring him near it, aiming to enjoy its shade and water. Allah will say to him, “O son of Adam, if I grant you this, will you ask Me for something else?’ The man will promise not to ask Him for anything else. Allah will excuse him because he sees something he cannot resist its temptation. Once again, a more beautiful tree will be raised for him and the same literal story will repeat. In the third time, Allah will raise for him a tree that will be more beautiful than the first two but this time it will be at Paradise’s gate. The same dialogue will repeat and Allah will bring him there. Once he enjoys this tree’s shade and hears the voices of the people of Paradise while enjoying its bliss and speaking to their wives and companions, he will ask Allah to admit him into Paradise. Thus, Allah will ask him, and He knows best, to clarify what makes him satisfied after these frequently fulfilled requests. Thereupon, Allah will promise to grant him the entire world and a like one along with it. Out of surprise and joy, the man will say, “Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!” At this point, Ibn Mas’oud laughed and imitated the Prophet’s laughter due to Allah’s laughter at this man’s expression. Allah’s laughter is different from people’s laughter, for it is a laughter that befits His perfection and majesty. Then, Allah will confirm that he does not mock but will fulfill His promise, for He is All-Powerful and nothing may deduct his dominion. The narration of Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudry in Sahih Muslim completes this story in which the Prophet narrates, “And Allah will remind him, ‘Ask such-and-such.’” It means that He will remind that man, who will be in the lowest rank of Paradise, of the blisses he may miss. Once clarifying all of his desires, Allah will promise to grant him this entire world with its tenfold. Then, he will enter his house in Paradise with his two wide-eyed wives with very white cornea and very dark pupils. They will say, “Praise be to Allah Who created you for us and created us for you.” Due to that huge bliss, he will think that he lives in the highest rank in Paradise. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) People of monotheism will be temporarily punished in Hell and be admitted into Paradise when Allah wills, (2) It clarifies Paradise’s huge bliss in comparison to this worldly bliss, for the man who is in the lowest rank in Paradise will get the double of this entire worldly bliss, and (3) It urges people to frequently perform righteous deeds to get that bliss of Paradise..

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Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) Musa asked his God, 'Who is the lowest in rank among the people of Paradise?' He said, 'He is a man who comes after the people of Paradise were admitted to it and was told, ‘Enter Paradise.’ He says, ‘O God, how can I enter while all people get their abodes and take their shares.' It is said to him, 'Do you accept to have what a king had in the worldly life?' He says, 'O Lord, I accept.' He said, 'Then, you will have it, the same, the same, the same, and the same.' The man says after the fifth reward, 'O Lord, I accept.' He said, 'You will have his share and the tenfold along with whatever your soul desires and your eyes want.' He says, 'O God, I accept.' The Prophet Musa (ﷺ) asked, ''O God, who is the highest in rank?' He says, ‘They are those whom I chose, established their honor with My Hand, and sealed their bounties, which neither eye saw, an ear heard, nor a heart perceived.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'This Quranic verse confirms that, 'No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy." (As-Sajda: 17).

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that the Prophet Moses (ﷺ) asked his God about who would get the lowest status in Paradise. Allah answered him that he would be a man who came after the people of Paradise were admitted to it and Allah would, out of His grace, tell him to enter Paradise. The man wondered how he entered it after seemingly all people took their ranks and bounties. Allah asked him if he was content to have something like the property of a king. It is a huge grant for a man who thinks that there are no more ranks in Paradise. He answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Out of his grace, he continued in his huge grants until he granted him five doubles of what a king’s property in the worldly life. The man answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Moreover, Allah, the generous, increased his grants to be like a king’s property in the worldly life with a tenfold. He also confirmed to him that he would have whatever his soul desires and his eyes want, which was for all people of Paradise as well. He answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Then, the Prophet Moses (ﷺ) asked his God about who was in the highest rank in Paradise. Allah answered that these were his allies that he selected. Their dignity and reward are unmatchable or unchangeable. Allah prepared for them in Paradise which neither eye saw, an ear heard, nor a heart perceived. This Quranic verse confirms this meaning, “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy." (As-Sajda: 17) Allah concealed their rewards as they concealed their righteous deeds in the worldly life, out of sincerity. The reward is of the same type as the work. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) Paradise has ranks and levels, (2) It proves the attribute of Allah’s hand in a way that befits His majesty, without similarity or negation, and (3) It urges people to frequently perform righteous deeds to get that bliss of Paradise..

190
Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'I know the last of the inhabitants of Paradise to enter it and the last of the inhabitants of Hell to come out of it. He is a man who will be brought on the Day of Resurrection then it will be said, 'Present his minor sins to him and withhold his major ones from him.' His minor sins will be presented to him. It will be said, 'On such and such a day, you did so and so and on such and such a day, you did so and so.' He will say, 'Yes." He cannot deny it. He will be afraid of his major sins to be presented. It will be said to him, 'You will have a good reward for every evil deed.' He will say, 'My God, I have done things I do not see here.' Verily, I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ laugh till his front teeth were exposed.".

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) informs us that he knows the last person to enter Paradise and the last person to come out of Hell. He is a Muslim who will be punished in Hell due to his sins. When Allah wants to have mercy on him, He will take him out of Hell to admit him to Paradise. At that time, Allah will command his angels to present to him his minor, not major sins. This may to make him avoid despair at Allah's mercy or due to wisdom that Allah only knows. His evil minor sins will be in detail presented to him based on time and way of committing them. He will acknowledge them without any form of denying. He will be also afraid of his major ones to be presented, for the torment will be greater and more severe. Due to Allah’s mercy, it will be said, "You will have a good reward for every evil deed." In another narration of Abu Awanah, “So if Allah wants good for him, He will say, "Give him a good reward for every evil deed.” As a result, his minor sins will be replaced with good rewards. At that time, the servant will acknowledge his major sins that he was afraid of, hoping Allah's mercy. Thus, the Prophet (ﷺ) laughed until his molars became visible, which is a metaphor for his intense laughter and astonishment. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows Allah's mercy upon people, and (2) It encourages people to frequently perform righteous deeds to enjoy the bliss of Paradise..

191
Abu Az-Zubeir reported that he heard Jaber ibn Abdullah said, when being asked about people’s crossing (over Hell on the Day of Resurrection), “We will come on the Day of Resurrection over a mound above people. All nations will be called along with the idols they worshipped, one after another. Then, our God will come to us and say, ‘Whom are you waiting for?’ They will say, ‘We are waiting for our God.’ He will say, ‘I am your God.’ They will say, ‘(We are not sure) till we gaze at you.’ He will manifest Himself to them smilingly then go along with them and they will follow Him. Every person, a hypocrite or a believer, will be granted a light to follow. There will be spikes and hooks on the bridge of Hell, which will catch whom Allah wills. Then, the hypocrites’ light will be extinguished but the believers will be saved. Their first group consists of seventy thousand whose faces will be like the full bright moon. They will not be held accountable. The second group will be like the brightest star in heaven and so on. Then, it will be the time of intercession. They (the intercessors) will be interceding till he who declared, ‘There is no god but Allah’ while having goodness in his heart like the weight of a barley grain will get out of Hell. They will be brought to the courtyard of Paradise then the people of Paradise will sprinkle water over them till they sprout like a little plant due to the flood water and their burns will disappear. Then, he will be asking (for his God’s bounties) till he is granted the entire world along with ten doubles.”.

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, Abu Az-Zubeir reported that Jaber ibn Abdullah was asked about people’s crossing over Hell on the Day of Resurrection, which was mentioned in Allah’s verse, “There is not one of you, but will pass over it (Hell): this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished.” (Maryam: 71) Jaber answered that Muslims would come on the Day of Resurrection over a mound above people. Ka’b ibn Malek narrated in Musnad Ahmad that the Prophet said, “People will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. I and my nation will be over a hill.” Imam At-Tabary mentioned in his explanation of the Quran that Ibn Umar said, “He and his nation will rise over a hill above the people.” Jaber told that all nations would be called on that day along with the idols they worshipped, as a sign of shame and humiliation. On that day, they would bitterly regret when knowing they were false gods without any benefit. As for the believers, Jaber told that they only followed Allah so they would be waiting their God to follow. Allah would come to them in a way befitting his majesty and asked them about whom they were waiting for. They would answer Him that there were waiting for their God. Once He informed them that he was their God, they would ask Him to for looking at His noble face to recognize Him, as described to them in the Quran and Prophetic tradition. He would manifest Himself smiling to them in a way befitting Himself then go with them. Every person, a hypocrite or a believer, would be granted a light to follow. As for the believer, his light would be according to his faith in Allah, but the hypocrite would be deceived with an unrealistic light as he did with the believers in the world by displaying his faith. All would follow their lights until reaching the bridge over Hell. There would be spikes and hooks on that bridge to catch whom Allah willed. At that hard time, the hypocrites’ light would be extinguished as a recompense to their hypocrisy but the believers would be saved. The hypocrites would not be able to cross the bridge because of the hooks throwing them into Hell. The faces of the first believing saved group would be like the full bright moon, out of Allah’s grace. They would be seventy thousand who would not be held accountable out of their prestige with Allah, for all of their deeds were acceptable. The faces of the second believing saved group would be like the brightest star in heaven, which had less light. The rest of people would cross according to their deeds. Later, Allah would allow people to intercede. The Prophets, angels, and the believers would intercede with Allah to get people out of Hell. The intercessors would be interceding even for he who declared, ‘There is no god but Allah’ while having goodness in his heart like the weight of a barley grain, which was a sign of Allah’s mercy to His servants. They would be saved from Hell and brought to a wide place in Paradise. The people of Paradise would start to sprinkle water over them. Their burned bodies would be healed and sprout like a little plant due to the flood water. Ibn Masoud narrated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet showed that one of them would ask for Allah’s bounties of Paradise. As a result, Allah would grant him the entire world along with ten doubles. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves some attributes to Allah like laughter, coming, and manifestation, (2) It proves the believers’ seeing their God on the Day of Resurrection, (3) It proves intercession, (4) Paradise exists now, and (5) The believers will get rid of hypocrites on that day..

191
Yazid al-Faqir said, "I was admired by an opinion of Khawarij. I set out in a large group intending to perform pilgrimage, then declare that to people. We passed by Medina and found Jaber ibn Abdullah ( sitting against a pillar and narrating the Prophet's hadiths to people. When Jaber mentioned the people of Hell, I said, 'O the Prophet's companion, how are you narrating that although Allah said, '“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him" (Aal-Imran: 192) and "Every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto." (As-Sajda: 20)? Jaber asked me, 'Did you read the Quran?' I answered, 'Yes." He asked, 'Did you hear about the exalted position of the Prophet Muhammad (i.e. in the hereafter)?' I answered, 'Yes.' He said, 'Verily, it is the Prophet Muhammad's position through which Allah will bring out (from Hell) whomsoever He wants.' Then, he described the bridge and passing people over it. I am afraid I may not have remembered so but he claimed that Allah would get some people out of Hell. They would get out of it as if they were the wood of the ebony tree. Then, they would bathe in a river in Paradise and get out as if they were papers. We then asked ourselves, 'Woe be upon you! How can you think that this old man tells a lie against the Messenger of Allah?’ We all left that (doctrine of Khawarij) except one man..

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon His servants and increases their blessings and dignity. In this hadith, Yazid Al-Faqir (a companion of the Prophet's companions) narrated that he admired an opinion of the Kharijites. They are one of the sects of heresies with whom Muslims are afflicted. Although they are frequently practicing Islamic rites, they think that some Muslims are infidels and will eternally remain in Hell due to their committing major sins. Thus, they do not hesitate to shed their blood. This is a false doctrine that contradicts the Quran and the Sunnah. Yazid traveled with a large group from Kufa to Mecca to perform pilgrimage and call people to this misleading doctrine. On their way to Mecca, they passed by Medina and found Jaber ibn Abdullah sitting against a pillar and narrating the Prophet's hadiths to people. Jaber confirmed that some people would initially get into Hell due to their sins, and then get out after being punished. Allah would admit them to Paradise with His mercy. They would be in the lowest status in Paradise. Yazid refused and confirmed to Jaber that this doctrine of proving intercession contradicted Quranic verses like: “Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him" (Aal-Imran: 192) and "Every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto." (As-Sajda: 20) Afterward, Jaber asked him, "Did you read the Qur’an?” Yazid replied, "Yes." Jaber asked him if he heard about the Prophet's exalted position that Allah would grant him in the hereafter as in Allah's truthful promise in the Quran, "It may be that your Lord will raise you to a station of praise." (Al-Isra: 79) It is his status of great intercession for which all people will praise him. Yazid replied, "Yes." Jaber told him that it would be his status of intercession through which Allah would bring out from Hell whomever He wants. Afterward, Jaber described the bridge over Hell through which people would cross it. Yazid was afraid that he may have forgotten some of Jaber's words about the bridge, but he confirmed that Jaber claimed that some people, due to Allah's mercy, would get out of Hell as if they were the wood of the ebony tree, i.e. black, bathe in a river in Paradise, then get out as if they were thick white papers, preparing themselves to get Paradise, as proven in other narrations. Yazid added that they believed Jaber’s words and did not think that he told lies. As a result, Yazid and his friends repented to Allah and came back after performing pilgrimage without calling to the doctrine of Kharijites except one man. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet's intercession on the Day of Resurrection, (2) It proves the bridge over Hell in the hereafter, and (3) It proves that disobedient believers will enter Paradise after being initially punished in Hell..

192
Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Four persons will be brought out from Hell and presented to Allah. One of them will turn and say, ‘O my Lord, if you bring me out from it, do not throw me back into it.’ Then Allah rescues him from it.”.

Commentary : If a Muslim hopes and has good thoughts about Allah, He will accept his deeds and respond to him, for He is Most Compassionate and Merciful to His servants. He created Paradise as an abode of eternal bliss for His pious servants and Hell as a punishment for His disobedient and disbelieved servants. Whoever witnesses Hereafter's terrors and wins Paradise exactly knows Allah's grace and favor upon him. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) informed that there would be four men getting out of Hell on that day. It is said they will be the last ones getting out of it. They would be presented to Him to be reckoned. Allah's command would be that they would be punished in Hell for their sins although they believe in Allah. Afterward, one of them would turn to Allah - after being commanded to go to Hell as a test, as Ahmad's narration mentioned, and call Allah: O Allah, I was hoping if you got me out of it, you would not return me to it. As a result, Allah would save him from Hell and admit him to Paradise as in the narration of Ibn Hibban. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) Allah's extraordinary generosity, (2) The virtue of having good thoughts about Allah, and (3) Urging the generous people to complete their grants, for those who bestow grants do not follow them with the opposite..

195
Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "When Allah, the Almighty, gathers people, the believers will stand till Paradise is brought near them. They will come and say to Adam, 'O father, open Paradise for us.' He will say, 'Did you get out of Paradise but due to your father Adam’s sin? It is not my position to do so. Go to my son Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah.' Ibrahim said, 'It is not my position to do so. I was a friend (of Allah) beyond a veil. Go to Moses with whom Allah conversed.' They will come to Moses who will say, 'It is not my position to do so. Go to Jesus, the word and spirit of Allah.' Jesus will say, 'It is not my position to do so.' They will go to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He will stand and be permitted (to open Paradise's door). Trustworthiness and kinship will be dispatched to stand on the right and left of the Path (over Hell). The first of you will pass just like the lightning." Abu Huraira asked, "You are dearer to me than my father and my mother! Which thing is like the passing of lightning?" The Prophet resumed, "Did you not see how the lightning passes back and forth in the twinkling of an eye? Then (they will pass) like the passing of the wind, like the passing of a bird, and like fast persons, each according to his deeds while your Prophet is standing at the Path saying, 'O God, save us, save us!' (The people will be passing) till the servants' deeds weaken to the extent that a man cannot walk (on that Path) but crawlingly. There are suspended hooks on the Path's sides which are commanded to catch whoever they are required to catch. Some will be scratched and saved while others piled up in Hell." Abu Hurairah said, "By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Huraira, Hell is seventy years deep.".

Commentary : Allah is Most Compassionate and Merciful to His servants, whose mercy encompasses all things. He made Paradise the abode of eternal bliss for His pious servants and Hell the punishment for His disobedient and disbelieved servants. Whoever witnesses Hereafter's terrors and wins Paradise exactly knows Allah's grace and favor upon him. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed us about some events on the Day of Resurrection. On that day, Allah will bring his believing servants near Paradise to the extent that they will be deeply eager to enter it to avoid the terrors of that day. As a result, they will be searching for whoever intercedes for them with Alah to finalize recking people. Anas narrated, as in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet ﷺ said, "So they will be concerned or inspired and say, 'If only we intercede with our God so that He relieves us from our current place." The meaning is either: (1) They will be concerned with interceding with Allah to end the distress they are suffering from, or (2) Allah will inspire them to intercede with him. They will ask some Prophets to intercede with Allah to enter them to Paradise. They will ask Prophet Adam, Father of humankind, but he will decline and remind them about his sin of eating the forbidden tree. He will confirm that it is not his position to do so. The position he mentions is the greatest position of intercession called the Praiseworthy Position. It is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim that Prophet Adam said, "Verily, my God is angry to an extent to which He had never been angry before nor would He be angry afterward. Verily, He forbade me (eating from) the tree, but I disobeyed. Myself! (thrice) Go to someone else." He will guide them to go to Prophet Ibrahim. He was a close friend to Allah, one of the best Prophets, and a grandfather of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. When asking him to intercede with Allah, he will decline and confirm it is not his position to do so, out of modesty, for he was a close friend to Allah, but Allah spoke to him beyond a veil. He will remind them that he lied three times as narrated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Prophet Ibrahim never lied but thrice. Two of them were for the sake of Allah when he said, 'Verily, I am sick,' 'Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it,' and the last one was for Sara (his wife)." He will guide them to go to Prophet Moses with whom Allah spoke without an intermediary or a veil. Allah says, "And to Moses, Allah spoke directly." (An-Nisa: 164) Speech is a proven attribute for Allah and is not similar to others' speech. In the Two Sahihs, they will come and say to Moses, "O Musa! You are the Messenger of Allah whom He distinguished above the people with His Message and His Speech ... He answered, 'Indeed I killed a person whom I was not ordered to kill.'" He will inform them that it is not his position to do so and guide them to go to the Prophet Jesus. In the Two Sahihs, they will say, "O Jesus, you are the Messenger of Allah, His Word which He placed into Mariam, and a Spirit from Him. You spoke to people in the cradle ... He will not mention a sin.” Abu Saeed narrated as in Sunan At-Termidhi that Jesus will say, “I was worshiped besides Allah.” He will inform them that it is not his position to do so. Jesus said, as Anas reported in the Two Sahihs, "But go to Muhammad ﷺ, a servant whose previous and future sins were forgiven.” In Bukhari's narration, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "So they will come to me and I will prostrate under the throne. It will be said, 'O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head, intercede and you will be granted intercession, and ask and you will be granted.’” He will intercede to remove people's distress and sorrow. He will be allowed to enter Paradise as it is apparent in the hadith or granted his promised position of intercession. Also, both trustworthiness and kinship will be dispatched to stand on the right and left of the bridge over Hell, for their high prestige. They will stand there waiting for the trustworthy, traitors, those fostering and breaking ties of kinship. They will support those keeping them and witness against those violating them. Afterward, people will begin to pass the bridge over Hell. The first will rapidly pass just like the lightning without being scratched by fire flames, some will pass like the wind, some will pass like a bird, and some will pass as fast persons, each according to his deeds, out of Allah's mercy and justice. The Prophet ﷺ will be standing at the bridge supplicating Allah, "O God, save us, save us," out of his compassion and mercy for people. Once their deeds weaken, some people will pass crawlingly while others may be caught and thrown to Hell or scratched by suspended hooks on the bridge's sides as Allah commands. Abu Huraira swore that Hell is seventy years deep. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet's intercession, (2) It clarifies the virtue of trustworthiness and kinship, (3) It confirms the reality of the bridge over Hell, (4) It shows the different types of people passing over the bridge, (5) It explains the virtue of Prophet Moses for his speaking to Allah, and (6) One should supplicate Allah according to the situation he experiences..

196
Anas ibn Malek narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I will have the most followers in comparison with other prophets on the Day of Resurrection and the first to knock at the door of Paradise.”.

Commentary : The Prophet's merits are great and supreme. He was sent to all people including Jews and Christians. All people must believe and follow him. This hadith shows some of his virtues on the Day of Resurrection. He will have the most followers on that day in comparison with other prophets. It means that having more followers means having a supreme prophet so Allah dignifies this Muslim nation for dignifying his Prophet. No nation will be like his nation, for it will form half of Paradise's people as in the two Sahihs. Moreover, he will be the first to knock at Paradise's door then its guard will open it for him. Finally, this hadith shows how Allah will dignify his Prophet with most followers and his being the first one to enter paradise..