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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
750
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” And he spoke so sternly about that that he said: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.”.

Commentary : The best is for the worshipper to look at his place of prostration; this is more appropriate so that he can focus on his prayer, and makes it less likely that he will be distracted by other things. It will stop his gaze wandering, and help him to focus and maintain humility in prayer.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against looking up to heaven whilst praying, using very stern words, but at the same time being tactful. Therefore he said, “What is the matter with people who lift their gaze to heaven whilst praying?” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) often said, “What is the matter with people who do such and such?”  not mentioning them by name, so as to respect their privacy and spare them embarrassment and shame. Rather he spoke about what he wanted to convey without mentioning them by name, so that they would understand what he meant and comply with it. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against lifting one’s gaze to heaven whilst praying by saying: “They should certainly stop that, lest their eyesight be snatched away.” In other words, either they should stop doing that, or else Allah will snatch away their eyesight, and it will not be returned to them, which refers to them becoming blind. This phrase points to an emphatic prohibition and a stern warning against doing that.
The reason for the prohibition on lifting the gaze to heaven whilst praying is that it is a kind of turning away from the qiblah which Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has chosen for the one who prays, and it makes him look as if he is not praying.
This hadith highlights the stern warning that is addressed to the one who lifts his gaze to heaven that his eyesight may be snatched away.
It indicates that it is permissible to use harsh words of rebuke to deter one who is committing sin.
It indicates that the one who is committing sin may be rebuked and exhorted without mentioning him by name in front of other people. .

751
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. He said: “That is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and is an act of worship that is both physical and spiritual. The Muslim should perform it with total humility and focus, and not let the Shaytan have any share of it, so that his prayer will not be rendered invalid and so that nothing will be detracted from the reward for it.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about turning the head whilst praying. Turning the head means moving the face and turning it right or left whilst praying. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) answered by saying that this is something that the Shaytan steals from a person’s prayer. The word translated here as stealing refers to taking or snatching something quickly. What is meant is that turning of the head is something that the Shaytan steals and snatches from the Muslim’s prayer in order to distract him from focusing and showing humility in the prayer. Thus something will be detracted his reward, and that may lead to what is worse than that, namely the prayer being rendered invalid altogether. This indicates that it is prohibited to turn the head whilst praying. .

755
It was narrated that Jabir ibn Samurah said: The people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), so he dismissed him and appointed ‘Ammar as their governor instead. Then they complained to the extent that they said that he [Sa‘d] did not pray properly. So ‘Umar sent for him and said: O Abu Ishaq, these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Abu Ishaq said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long and I made the last two rak‘ahs short. ‘Umar said: This is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq. Then he sent a man, or some men, with him to Kufah, to ask the people of Kufah about him, and he did not omit any mosque but he asked the people there about him, and they spoke well of him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs. There a man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah, and he was known by the kunyah Abu Sa‘dah, stood up and said: As you are adjuring us by Allah, I am bound to tell you that Sa‘d did not lead us in campaigns, he did not share out the booty equally, and he was not just when passing judgement. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. Later on, when the man who said that was asked what had happened, he would say: I am a very old man who has been subjected to trial and temptation. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d. ‘Abd al-Malik said: I saw him later on; his eyebrows had fallen over his eyes because of old age, and when he saw young women in the street, he would try to say sweet words to them. .

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has instructed the believer to pay attention to all his duties and obligations. So he should pay attention to the obligatory worship that is required of him, and do it as Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has enjoined. He should pay due attention to the job or task that has been assigned to him, and do it as he has been instructed to do it and as it should be done. He should pay due attention to giving other people their rights, and take his own rights in full, without anything being detracted from them. So he should not wrong others and he should not be wronged himself.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the people of Kufah complained to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was the governor of Kufah. So ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) dismissed him in order to calm the people down and avoid turmoil, even though he trusted him, and he replaced him with ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) as their governor. ‘Umar appointed Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas as commander-in-chief to fight the Persians in 14 AH, and Allah granted the conquest of Iraq at his hands. He founded the city of Kufah in 17 AH, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as governor of the city until he dismissed him in 21 AH, or 20 AH.
Some of the people of Kufah complained about Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), making several allegations against him. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) investigated the matter, and found that the allegations were all false. They even said that he did not pray properly, but this was due to their lack of understanding and their ignorance about how the prayer is to be done, not because  Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) did not pray properly. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d and asked him about their complaints, addressing him by his kunyah: O Abu Ishaq – which was Sa‘d’s kunyah – these people are saying that you do not pray properly. Sa‘d said: By Allah, I used to lead them in prayer and my prayer was exactly as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to lead the prayer, and I did not fall short in this in the slightest. When I led them in ‘Isha’ prayer, I made the first two rak‘ahs long – that was because after al-Fatihah he would recite whatever he could of Qur’an – and I made the last two rak‘ahs short – because  he would not recite anything after al-Fatihah. It is as if what they criticized in his prayer was his making the recitation lengthy in the first part of the prayer and making it shorter in the second part of the prayer, but those who criticized him for that were ignorant. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) singled out ‘Isha’ prayer for mention, because he thought that their complaint was about this prayer. It was also suggested that what he meant when he referred to ‘Isha’ prayer was both Maghrib and ‘Isha’. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: You have followed the Sunnah in your actions, and you have prayed as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray. This is what we thought you would do.
At the beginning of the hadith, it says that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to question him, then he addressed him as one present: “That is what we think of you, O Abu Ishaq.” This indicates that Sa‘d was not there, then he came. ‘Umar sent one man, or some men, to Iraq with him, who were led by Muhammad ibn Maslamah (may Allah be pleased with him). This delegation asked the people of Kufah about Sa‘d. They did not leave any of the mosques of Kufah but they questioned its people about him, and they all spoke well of him and praised him, until he went to a mosque belonging to Banu ‘Abs, who were a tribe of Qays. A man whose name was Usamah ibn Qatadah stood up and said: As you have adjured us and asked us by Allah (may He be exalted) to tell you about Sa‘d, we will tell you that Sa‘d did not go out on campaign in Allah’s cause, he did not share out the booty fairly, and he was not just when judging between people. He said what he said wrongfully and unfairly towards Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him), falsely attributing to him things of which he was innocent. The reason why he stood up and said that was that he was showing off and seeking a reputation. So Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed against him, saying: By Allah, I shall certainly pray for three things: O Allah, if this slave of Yours is lying, and the reason he said that is to show off and seek a reputation, then cause him to live a long life, make him live in poverty for a long time, and put him to trial and temptation. So he prayed against him, asking for three things, the first of which was that he would live a long life. What was meant was that he should live so long that he would reach the worst age, when a man’s bones grow weak and he loses his strength. Thus this was a supplication against the man, not for him. In addition to long life, the second supplication was that Allah would make him very poor for a long time, which is the worst and hardest kind of life in this world. And he added a third thing, which was worse than the first two, which was that Allah should subject him to trial and temptation, so he was subjected to the temptation of women. Thus when this man, whom Sa‘d had prayed against, was asked about the bad situation in which he found himself, he would say: I am a very old man who has been tried and tempted. I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d which was answered. His words “a very old man” refer to the fulfilment of the first supplication, “then cause him to live a long life”; his words “who has been tried and tempted” refer to the third supplication. He did not mention the second supplication, “make him live in poverty for a long time”, because it is included in his words, “I have been affected by the supplication of Sa‘d.”
‘Abd al-Malik – one of the narrators of the hadith; he was the son of ‘Umayr ibn Suwayd al-Kufi – said: I saw him after his eyebrows grew long and fell over his eyes because of old age. He would try to chat to young women in the streets, and say sweet words to them in front of people. This proves that the supplication of Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) was answered, and that his supplication against this man came under the heading of praying against a specific wrongdoer in a manner commensurate with his lack of religious commitment, not praying that he fall into sin. Rather it is praying against him in such a way that leads to an increase in the punishment of the wrongdoer.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and indicates that he was a person whose supplication would be answered.
It indicates that it is permissible to make the first rak‘ah lengthy and to make the second rak‘ah shorter.
It highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Thus they used to pray as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
It indicates that warding off mischief takes precedence over attaining good aims. Therefore ‘Umar dismissed Sa‘d even though he was more qualified than those who came after him, in order to put an end to turmoil and ward off mischief.
It indicates that one may address a man of high standing by his kunyah..

756
It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.”.

Commentary : Prayer has essential parts and obligatory parts without which it is neither valid nor complete. In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) confirms one of the essential parts of the prayer, which is reciting Surat al-Fatihah. He tells us that the prayer of one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (i.e., al-Fatihah) in every rak‘ah is not valid. Therefore reciting al-Fatihah is one of the essential parts of the prayer in every rak‘ah, and the prayer is not valid without it. The imam and the one who is praying on his own must recite it, and the one who is praying behind an imam should listen attentively when the imam recites it in prayers in which recitation is done out loud, because of the hadith narrated by Imam Muslim from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), in which it says: “… then when he – meaning the imam – recites, listen attentively.”
This hadith indicates that it is enjoined to recite al-Fatihah in the prayer..

757
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and a man came in and prayed, then he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He returned his greeting, and said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” So the man went back and prayed as he had prayed the first time, then he came and greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam. He said: “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” This happened three times, then the man said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do any better than that; teach me. So he said: “When you stand to pray, say takbir, then recite whatever you have learned of Qur’an. Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing, then rise until you are standing up straight. Then prostrate, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then sit up, and pause and be at ease whilst sitting. And do that throughout your prayer.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would point out mistakes to the one who did not pray properly, and he would teach him the correct way to offer the prayer.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque, and another man – whose name was Khallad ibn Rafi‘ – came in and prayed, rushing through his prayer. He did not pause and let himself be at ease in his standing, bowing or prostrating. When he had finished praying, he greeted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with salaam, and he returned his greeting, then he instructed him to repeat this prayer, because it had been rendered invalid by his failing to pause and let himself be at ease in the movements of the prayer. So the man prayed again, but without pausing, because he rushed through his prayer and did not allow enough time to pause and be at ease, or to be able to recite properly the words of Qur’an and dhikr connected to each part of the prayer. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat it three times, and it may be that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to repeat the prayer more than once in the hope that he would pay more attention, because of the possibility that he had done that out of forgetfulness or heedlessness, but by repeating it he might pay heed and do it in the right manner without the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) needing to teach him. Or it may be that he made him repeat it by way of showing how serious the matter was, which would be more effective in teaching him. But Khallad said to him, swearing by Allah: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I do not know how to pray any better than what you have seen, so teach me how to make my prayer correct. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: When you stand up to pray, say the opening takbir, then recite what you have learned of Qur’an, namely Surat al-Fatihah. According to a report narrated by Ahmad from Rifa‘ah ibn Rafi‘ al-Zuraqi he said: “… then recite the Essence of the Book [i.e., al-Fatihah], then recite whatever you wish…” Thus he instructed him to recite, along with al-Fatihah, whatever he was able to of Qur’an.
He said: “Then bow, then pause and be at ease in bowing.” According to the report of Ahmad mentioned above, “when you bow, place your palms on your knees, extend your back and bow properly…” Then raise your head from bowing until you are standing up straight, then prostrate, by placing the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes firmly on the ground, then pause and be at ease in prostration. Then raise your head from prostration and sit, and pause and be at ease in sitting. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And do that throughout your prayer.” So make sure that you always move at a moderate pace, stand up properly, pause and be at ease when bowing and prostrating, and do not rush in your prayer.
This hadith instructs the Muslim to pause and be at ease in the movements of prayer.
It outlines how to teach people in a gentle manner, without being harsh and rough.
It highlights the good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his kind treatment of his companions..

759
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer and in the second rak‘ah shorter, and he would make the people hear a verse sometimes. In ‘Asr he used to recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and two surahs, making the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer . And he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah of Fajr prayer longer, and in the second rak‘ah shorter..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, there is a description of one of the characteristics of the Prophet’s prayer, namely his recitation in different prayers. Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he used to make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and make it shorter in the second. Sometimes those who were behind him could hear his recitation, so they would know what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting, even though it is a prayer in which recitation is done quietly, because he would make them hear a verse sometimes. Thus they knew what he was reciting. Sometimes they (may Allah be pleased with them) could recognize that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting from the movement of his beard, as is mentioned in a report narrated by al-Bukhari from Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would do the same in ‘Asr and Fajr; in the first two rak‘ahs he would recite the Opening of the Book [al-Fatihah] and another surah with it, and he would make the recitation in the first rak‘ah longer, and shorter in the second, because one’s energy is greater in the first rak‘ah, so it is appropriate to make the second rak‘ah shorter, so as to avoid making people feel tired.
With regard to the amount that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited in each prayer, in Fajr and Zuhr prayer he would recite the long surahs of al-Mufassal, and his recitation would be longer in Fajr than in Zuhr. In ‘Isha’ and ‘Asr he would recite the medium-length surahs of al-Mufassal, and in Maghrib he would recite the short surahs. Al-Mufassal is a group of surahs in the Qur’an ending with Surat al-Nas; there is a difference of opinion as to where it begins. It was said that it begins from Surat al-Hujurat, until the end of the Qur’an; or that it begins from al-Jathiyah, or from Muhammad, or from Qaf, or from al-Fath, or from al-Saffat, or from al-Saff, and there are other views. It is called Mufassal because there are many breaks (fasl) between the surahs, each of which is marked by the Basmalah. And it was said that this is because its surahs have fewer verses, or fewer abrogated verses, and there are other views.
This hadith proves that the first rak‘ah of every prayer should be longer than the second..

761
It was narrated that Abu Ma‘mar said: I said to Khabbab ibn al-Aratt: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recite Qur’an in Zuhr and ‘Asr? He said: Yes. I said: How did you know that he was reciting? He said: By the movement of his beard..

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has explained how to pray in word and deed. The Sahabah were keen to follow his teachings in prayer, and transmitted that to those who came after them.
In this hadith, Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) is asked whether the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited al-Fatihah and another surah in Zuhr and ‘Asr as he did in Maghrib, ‘Isha’ and Fajr, or did he not to recite in those two prayers? Perhaps the reason for this question was that they thought that there was no recitation because the recitation is not done out loud. Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him) answered: Yes, he used to recite in Zuhr and ‘Asr. They asked him: How did you know that he was reciting, even though the recitation is done quietly? He replied: By the movement of his beard. In other words, we could tell that he was reciting from the movement of his beard whilst he was standing in prayer.
With regard to the amount that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite, in Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in the first rak‘ah and shorter in the second. According to a report narrated by Muslim from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in each of the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr prayer around thirty verses, and in the last two around fifteen verses, or he said: half of that. In ‘Asr, in each of the first two rak‘ahs he would recite around fifteen verses, and in the last two [he would recite] half of that.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to lift one’s gaze and look at the imam, and for the one who is praying behind an imam to look at his imam whilst praying, and pay attention to the imam’s movements when he moves down and up again.
It also indicates that recitation is to be done quietly in Zuhr and ‘Asr..

763
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Umm al-Fadl heard him when he was reciting {By those [winds] sent forth in gusts} [al-Mursalat 77:1]. She said: O my son, by Allah you have reminded me with your recitation of this surah that it was the last thing that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he recited it in Maghrib. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make the recitation longer in some prayers and shorter in others, taking into consideration people’s situations and the time of day. This was narrated in the hadiths which explain what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did in each prayer.
This hadith describes what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did when he recited in Maghrib prayer. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surat al-Mursalat, and his mother Umm al-Fadl – whose name was Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) – heard him and said to him: O my son, you reminded me, with your recitation of Surat al-Mursalat, that it was the last surah I heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when he recited it in Maghrib prayer. At-Tirmidhi narrated, with his isnaad from Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to us, with a band of cloth tied around his head because of sickness, and prayed Maghrib, and he recited al-Mursalat. And he never prayed it again after that until he met Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
The Sunnah in Maghrib prayer is to make the recitation short. There are many reports about that which indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not make the recitation lengthy in Maghrib; he only made it lengthy sometimes, as Umm al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with her) mentions in this hadith.
It was also narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-A‘raf in Maghrib, as it says in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances.
The hadith under discussion here indicates that his standing and reciting for a long time is something that happened sometimes.
This hadith describes what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did sometimes with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer. .

764
It was narrated that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said: Zayd ibn Thabit said to me: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs?.

Commentary : May Allah be pleased with the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for they were very keen to find out about the sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and to enjoin others to adhere to it and forbid them to go against it.
This hadith tells us that the Sahabi Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him)  said to Marwan ibn al-Hakam one day, rebuking him: Why do you recite short surahs in Maghrib – referring to the short surahs of al-Mufassal, from the beginning of Surat al-Bayyinah to the end of the Qur’an – when I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting the longer of the two long surahs? What is meant by the two long surahs is al-A‘raf and al-An‘am; the longer of the two is al-A‘raf, so it is as if what he meant here was Surat al-A‘raf.
It was narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib, as it says in the hadith narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Umm al-Fadl Lubabah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her); he also recited Surat al-Tur [in Maghrib], as it says in a hadith also narrated by al-Bukhari, from Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would sometimes vary the length of his standing [in prayer] according to circumstances. The hadith under discussion here indicates that this happened sometimes, although in most cases his practice was not to make the recitation in Maghrib lengthy.
This hadith highlights the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to recitation in Maghrib prayer..

765
It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Mut‘im said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting al-Tur in Maghrib..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him) were the keenest of people to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all of his affairs, and especially in prayer. In this hadith, we see one aspect of the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Maghrib prayer, as Jubayr ibn Mut‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reciting Surat al-Tur after al-Fatihah in Maghrib prayer. It may be that he recited the entire surah, or that he recited part of it. It is proven from him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he recited Surat al-Mursalat in Maghrib prayer, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her). He also recited Surat al-A‘raf [in Maghrib prayer], as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). He also recited {Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers…)} [al-Kafirun] and { Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say,He is Allah , [who is] One…)}  [al-Ikhlas], as was narrated by Ibn Majah from Ibn ‘Umar; and he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin], as is mentioned in the hadith narrated by Ahmad from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him). All of this indicates that  the length of time for which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him stood [in Maghrib prayer] varied from time to time..

766
It was narrated that Abu Rafi‘ said: I prayed al-‘atamah [i.e., ‘Isha’] with Abu Hurayrah, and he recited {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat (When the sky has split [open])} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated [during his recitation]. I asked him about that, and he said: I prostrated behind Abu’l-Qasim (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and I will continue to prostrate when reciting [this surah] until I meet him again..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to emulate the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and follow in his footsteps, and to adhere to this until they died.
In this hadith, Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he prayed al-‘atamah, which is ‘Isha’, with Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). They sometimes called ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah (lit. darkness) because it is prayed at night, when it has become dark.
It is narrated that it is not allowed to call ‘Isha’ al-‘atamah, as in the hadith narrated by Muslim from ‘Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),  according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not be influenced by the Bedouin with regard to the name of your prayer; indeed it is ‘Isha’, but they delay milking the camels until it is very dark [yu‘timuna].” Perhaps Abu Rafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) did not see anything in the words of the hadith to indicate that it was haram, because the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) called it ‘atamah  in another hadith, as we see in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in al-Sahihayn. And it was said concerning this that it was because they called Maghrib prayer ‘Isha’, and ‘Isha’ prayer al-‘atamah, according to the time, and that required the explanation to be discussed using their own terminology sometimes. And it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used these words in order to explain that there is no blame on a person for using them, but that is contrary to what is more appropriate.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) recited, {Idha as-sama’ unshaqqat  (When the sky has split [open] …)} [al-Inshiqaq], and prostrated at the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says, {And when the Qur'an is recited to them, they do not prostrate [to Allah]} [al-Inshiqaq 84:21]. Abu Rafi‘ asked him about that, and he replied that he had done this prostration behind Abu’l-Qasim – which is the kunyah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and he would continue to do it for the rest of his life, until he met him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) again.
This verse affirms that there is a prostration of recitation (sajdat al-tilawah) in Surat al-Inshiqaq.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is praying to do the prostration of recitation.
It highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to be steadfast in adhering to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

767
It was narrated from al-Bara’ that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and in one of the rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’ prayer, he recited {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin]..

Commentary : Islamic teachings came to make things easy and not cause hardship to people with regard to acts of worship and other matters, especially when travelling, which usually involves more hardship and difficulty. Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey, and he led them in praying ‘Isha’ prayer in a shortened form, with two rak‘ahs, in one of which he recited the surah {Wa’t-tini wa’z-zaytun  (By the fig and the olive)} [al-Tin] after reciting al-Fatihah; according to a report narrated by al-Nasa’i, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited it in the first rak‘ah.
Making the standing in prayer brief was the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when praying ‘Isha’, both when travelling and not travelling, out of compassion towards the people. He told Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) not to make the prayer lengthy, as was narrated in al-Sahihayn from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), when he led the people in prayer and recited Surat al-Baqarah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)  said to him: “O Mu‘adh, are you causing undue hardship to the people?” – he said it three times – “Recite {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] or {Sabbih isma Rabbik al-A‘la (Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High)} [al-A‘la], and similar surahs. Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite in ‘Isha’ prayer {Wa’sh-shamsi wa duhaha  (By the sun and its brightness)} [al-Shams] and similar surahs.
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to transmit reports of the actions and words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and all his affairs, to his ummah for the purpose of spreading knowledge and encouraging people to act in accordance with his Sunnah..

772
It was narrated from ‘Ata’ that he heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: In every prayer there is recitation. Whatever the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made us hear, we make you hear, and whatever he hid from us, we hide from you. If you do not recite more than the Essence of the Qur’an [al-Fatihah], that is sufficient, but if you recite more, that is better..

Commentary : Conveying Islam and teaching it to people is obligatory for every Muslim, commensurate with his knowledge and ability to do that.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) gives the best example of that and does his duty of conveying Islam and teaching knowledge to the people, and not withholding or concealing knowledge. Here he is speaking about prayer, and he tells us that the worshipper must recite Qur’an in every prayer, but in some of the prayers he must recite out loud, when reciting al-Fatihah and whatever else he can of Qur’an. In other prayers, he must recite quietly, in a low voice. All of that is to be based on the actions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who recited out loud in Fajr prayer, and in the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and he used to recite quietly in all other cases. In the supererogatory night prayers [qiyam al-layl] he sometimes recited quietly and sometimes recited out loud, as is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) followed him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in that, and those who came after them followed them. Thus they recited out loud in the parts of the prayer in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, and they recited quietly in the parts in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly.
Then Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that what is required in terms of recitation is to recite the Essence of the Qur’an, which is al-Fatihah. It is called the Essence of the Qur’an because it includes all the meanings of the Qur’an, and because it is the first surah of the Qur’an. So whoever recites al-Fatihah has done what is required of him, and his prayer is valid, but whoever adds to that recitation whatever he can of Qur’an, that is regarded as supererogatory and the one who does this will be rewarded for it.
This hadith highlights the importance of following the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and avoiding innovation, and being keen to emulate the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is obligatory to recite al-Fatihah in every prayer, whether the prayer is one in which recitation is to be done out loud or one in which it is to be done quietly..

773
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out with a group of his companions, heading towards the market of ‘Ukaz, when the devils had been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and the burning flames had been sent against them. So the devils went back to their people, who said: What is the matter with you? They said: We have been prevented from hearing news of heaven, and burning flames have been sent against us. They said: You have only been prevented from hearing news of heaven because of something new that has happened, so travel throughout the earth, east and west, and find out what has happened to prevent you from hearing news of heaven. Those who headed towards Tihamah went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in Nakhlah, on his way to the market of Ukaz, and he was leading his companions in praying Fajr. When they heard the Qur’an, they listened to it, then they said: This, by Allah, is what has prevented us from hearing the news of heaven. When they returned to their people, they said: O our people, {Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone} [al-Jinn 72:1-2]. Then Allah revealed to his Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): {Say, [O Muhammad], It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened …} [al-Jinn 72:1]. Thus what the jinn had said was revealed to him..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent to the two races, humankind and the jinn, and with him Allah brought to an end the series of messages, so no one is to be believed with regard to matters of the unseen, or anything transmitted from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), of which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not speak.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the devils used to eavesdrop on heaven before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sent. When Allah sent His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), He sent burning flames against the devils; the word shihab (translated here as burning flame) refers to a firebrand that is very bright, as if it is a meteor speeding through the sky. After that, the devils were no longer able to do what they had done before of sitting and eavesdropping on news from heaven. This is what Allah tells us about in the verses in which He says: {And we have sought [to reach] the heaven but found it filled with powerful guards and burning flames. And we used to sit therein in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now will find a burning flame lying in wait for him} [al-Jinn 72:8-9].
When the devils saw what had happened, and realized that they had been prevented from listening to news from heaven, they said: This must be because of something new that has happened. Their people among the jinn – and it may be that what is meant is their leaders and rulers – said to them: Go and look everywhere, and find out what has happened that has prevented you from listening to news from heaven as you used to do. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was with a group of his companions in the market of ‘Ukaz, which was in some part of Makkah; it was a market at which the Arabs would gather, and they would do trade with one another and recite their poetry, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would go out to them and call them to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted). When the jinn set out towards Tihamah, which is a place in Makkah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Nakhlah, which is another place in Makkah, and he was leading his companions in Fajr prayer. When the jinn heard the Qur’an, they realized that this was the reason why they were being pelted with burning flames and being prevented from spying on the news of heaven. So they went back to their people and told them about what they had heard of the Qur’an, and Surat al-Jinn was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), telling him about what had happened and what the jinn had said to one another.
This hadith confirms the existence of the jinn, and that they have no knowledge of the unseen or of anything of the news of heaven except what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told of.
It indicates that recitation is to be done out loud in Fajr prayer.
It indicates that the one who wishes to call people to Allah should go to people in the places where they gather in order to call them and teach them about their religion..

774
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud where he was commanded to recite out loud, and recited quietly where he was commanded to recite quietly. {And never is your Lord forgetful} [Maryam 19:64]. {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern} [al-Ahzaab 33:21].

Commentary : The way to learn about the teachings of Islam is from the Holy Qur’an and the soundly-narrated Prophetic Sunnah. In the Qur’an, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) explained what He wanted to explain, and left other issues to be explained by his Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his Sunnah. The prayer is one of matters that are explained in detail in the Prophet’s Sunnah. This principle is what ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) understood and confirmed in this hadith. He stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud in prayer where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite out loud, and he recited quietly where Allah (may He be exalted) had commanded him to recite quietly. This was not because Allah (may He be exalted) had forgotten about that and not mentioned it in the Qur’an – exalted be He far above such a thing. Rather it was because He (may He be exalted) willed that the details of the prayer should be explained by His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whom we are enjoined to follow with regard to what he recited out loud and what he recited quietly, because he is the best pattern or example, whom Allah has commanded us to follow and not differ from his Sunnah. There are many reports which state that recitation should be done out loud in Fajr prayer and the first two rak‘ahs of Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and it should be done silently in Zuhr and ‘Asr, the last rak‘ah of Maghrib and the third and fourth rak‘ahs of ‘Isha’. Ibn ‘Abbas described how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited quietly, and it cannot be said that he did not recite at all, because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was still leading the prayer, so he must have been reciting, whether he did so quietly or out loud.  .

175
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..

176
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..

177
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..

178
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..

179
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..

181
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..

187
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..

189
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..