| Hadiths

Bukhari Hadiths 1356
Muslim Hadiths 558

Hadith

2289

Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
Once, while we were sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, a dead man was brought. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased. He said, "Did he owe any debts?" People replied in the negative. He said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." So, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. Another dead man was brought and people said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, lead his funeral prayer." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, "Yes." He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, ''Three Dinars." So, he ﷺ led the prayer. Then a third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer. He ﷺ said, "Has he left any wealth?" They said, "No." He ﷺ asked, "Did he owe any debts?" They said, ("Yes! He has to pay) three Diners.' Thereupon, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!Lead his funeral prayer, and I will pay his debt." So, he ﷺ led the prayer.
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Commentary :
Debts are the due rights of others (i.e., the creditors) that must be fulfilled. It is incumbent on a debtor to clear his liability for any debts that he owes. Given the gravity of incurring debts and dying before their repayment, the Prophet ﷺ did not lead the funeral prayer for anyone who owed debts and did not leave any wealth (inheritance) to repay such debts.
In this hadeeth, Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that they were once sitting in the company of the Prophet ﷺ when three dead men were brought on three different occasions. The Prophet ﷺ was requested to lead the funeral prayer for the deceased men. He ﷺ asked whether the first dead man owed any debts, and when people replied in the negative, he ﷺ led his funeral prayer. When he ﷺ asked the same about the second dead man, people replied that he owed a debt, but left three Dinars, which could cover the due debt, and he ﷺ led the prayer. When the third dead man was brought and people asked the Prophet ﷺ to lead his funeral prayer, and he knew that the man owed three Dinars, but did not leave any wealth to repay the debt, he ﷺ (refused to lead the prayer and) said, "Then pray for your (dead) companion." Aboo Qataadah (may Allah be pleased with him) offered to repay his debt, and then the Prophet ﷺ led his funeral prayer, because the debt was transferred to another person, and thus this dead man’s liability was cleared.
The hadeeth highlights the gravity of incurring debts, and that a debtor’s liability is not cleared by his death until it is repaid, by any given way.
The hadeeth underlines the Laws of Islam’s emphasis on preserving people’s financial rights..

2290

Muhammad ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee narrated that that his father Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them)said that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent him (i.e., Hamzah) to collect Sadaqah / Zakaah. A man had committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife’s slave girl. Hamzah took (personal) sureties for the adulterer till they came to ‘Umar, who lashed the adulterer one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (i.e., that the adulterer had already been punished) and excused him because of his ignorance. Jareer Al-Ash‘ath said to Ibn Mas‘ood regarding renegades (i.e., apostates), "Let them repent and take (personal) sureties for them." They repented and their relatives stood sureties for them. According to Hammaad, if somebody stands surety for another person and that person dies, the person giving surety will be released from responsibility. According to Al-Hakam, his responsibilities continues..

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to implement the Hudood (i.e., plural of Hadd, the corporal punishment determined by the Islamic Laws of Islam) and complied with the divine provisions in all matters and at all times.A manifestation of such compliance was that they sought taking surety and guarantees to preserve people’s financial rights, and to ensure that the rights of Allah or those of people would not be violated.
In this hadeeth, the Companion Hamzah ibn ‘Amr Al-Aslamee (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once sent him to levy Zakaah/Sadaqah, and it was brought to his attention that a man had committedillicit sexual intercourse (Fornication) with his wife’s slave girl. This hadeeth gives a brief account of the incident which was delineated by Al-Tahaawee in his two books Sharh Ma‘aanee Al-Aathaar and Sharh Mushkil Al-Aathaar. It reads, “‘Umar sent Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them) to collect Zakaah/Sadaqah. Some money was given to him, and he heard a man saying to his wife, ‘Pay the Zakaah on your freed slave!’ She replied, ‘You should pay the Zakaah on him; he is your son!’” Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them about their story and these statements. He was informed that this woman’s husband had committed Fornication with her slave-girl and she gave birth to a boy. The woman freed the son and then he inherited some wealth from his mother, and they said that such wealth was allocated to his son, whom he had with his wife’s slave girl unlawfully. Upon learning these facts, Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “I will stone you,” meaning to implement the Hadd of Rajm (i.e., stoning to death) on him, because he was a married adulterer. It was said that his act had been reported to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and he had already lashed him one hundred lashes and did not believe that he should have been stoned to death.This could be either because the man did not know that it was impermissible for him to have intercourse with his wife’s slave girl, or it is possible that he did not know it was her slave-girl (i.e., he mistaken her for one of his own slave girls). Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)may have excused himbased on ignorance of the relevant prohibition or on account of doubts.
Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) requested (personal) sureties for the adulterer, to act as his guarantee till he verified the matter with ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
They went to ‘Umar, and Hamzah asked him about it and it turned out that the man had been lashed one hundred lashes. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed their claim (that the adulterer had already been punished).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is valid to stand surety for someone by committing oneself to bring the guaranteed person either to fulfill people’s rights, or to appear before the judge. The surety or guarantee in this context is applicable in relation to the implementation of Hudood and Qisaas (i.e., retribution) on part of those who have the ability to bring the perpetrators or the ones who are required to fulfill these rights, such as the leaders and chiefs of tribes and the like..

2291

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “A man from the Children of Israel asked another one to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I demand a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and he lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender and then closed (i.e., sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said, 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that You are sufficient as a guarantee and surety and he accepted Your guarantee and surety. He then asked for a witness and I told him that You are sufficient as a witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could repay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country. One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to find a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to find one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered the money you sent in the piece of wood on your behalf. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.’”.

Commentary :
Whoever incurs a debt with the intention and resolve to repay it, and seeks the help of Allah, Exalted is He, in repaying it, He will bless him with the means to repay it, and satisfy his creditor on his behalf in the Hereafter if he was not able to repay it in this worldly life.
In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ related to us a wonderful story from which we can deduce great lessons. It is a story of two men from the Children of Israel, one of whom lent the other a thousand Dinars. The lender requested the borrower to bring witnesses testifying to the fact that he borrowed that money from him, but the borrower said: 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' When the lender requested a surety, to guarantee him and be legally responsible for repaying the debt if the borrower failed to repay it, the borrower replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The lender believed him and lent him the money to be repaid within a certain period of time. The debtor went across the sea to fulfil some of his needs. When he finished his work, he searched for a conveyance so that he might go back and reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood, made a hole in it, inserted one thousand Dinars and a message to the lender, and then sealed the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea, relying solely on Allah, Exalted is He, and trusting Him to deliver the money on his behalf. He implored Allah, Exalted is He, sincerely hoping that it would reach the creditor by His Power. The truthful man sincerely invoked Allah, Exalted is He, and He answered his invocation.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money. He waited for the borrower to come back and repay the debt as promised. Suddenly, he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire, to keep his family warm and use it for cooking food. When he sawed it, he found his money and the message inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came back, apologizing for the delay and bringing one thousand Dinars to him. He explained to him the reason for the delayed repayment. The lender asked him: ‘Have you sent something to me?’ The debtor (borrower) replied, ‘I have told you I could not find a boat other than the one I have come by.’ The lender asked him to go back and informed him that Allah, Exalted is He, delivered the money he had sent in the piece of wood on his behalf. He told him that the piece of wood found its way to him, and he asked him to keep the other one thousand Dinars that he had intended to pay.
This indicates the trustworthiness of both the creditor and debtor, and that each of them was sincere and truthful and honored their commitment, after the creditor accepted Allah, Exalted is He, as a guarantor and witness.
It also highlights that Allah, Exalted is He, rewards kind people who help those in need by preserving their wealth, in addition to the reward stored for them in the Hereafter, as He preserved the lender’s wealth by delivering it to him. These are great virtues granted to those who help those in need with their money (loans), place their trust in Allah, Exalted is He, and display keenness in returning the trusts.
The hadeeth also urges debtors to keenly repay their debts and spare no effort to fulfill people’s financial rights over them.
It also underlines the virtue of reliance on Allah, Exalted is He, and the abundant reward bestowed upon those who rely on Him as due..

2292

Narrated Sa’eed ibn Jubayr:
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives.} [Quran 4:33] In this ayah, the Arabic word Mawaaliyaa, means one's heirs. The ayah goes on: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] Ibn ‘Abbaas said, "When the emigrants came to the Prophet ﷺ in Al-Madeenah, the emigrant would inherit his brother from the Ansaar while the latter's relatives would not inherit him because of the bond of brotherhood which the Prophet ﷺ established between them (i.e., the emigrants and the Ansaar). When the that reads (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] the ruling was abrogated with the other part of the same ayah that reads (what means: {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33] It canceled the bond brotherhood regarding inheritance)." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share,} [Quran 4:33] remained valid regarding cooperation and mutual advice, while the matter of inheritance was excluded and it became permissible to make a bequest to the person who had the right of inheriting before.

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Commentary :
When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Al-Madeenah and the emigrants followed him, he ﷺ established the bond of brotherhood between the emigrants and Ansaar. A man of the Ansaar would make his emigrant brother a partner in his wealth, house, etc., and when he died, his emigrant brother would inherit him instead of his own (biological) relatives, because of the bond of brotherhood established by the Prophet ﷺ between them. This is the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. The Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aaqadat meaning those who give made a pledge to those whom you made a pledge, and this was one of the seven approved modes of recitation confirmed by Tawaatur (i.e., collectively contiguous narrations transmitted by a large group of trustworthy narrators on the authority of a large group of trustworthy narrators, generation after generation and so forth, and it is absolutely impossible for them to agree on a lie). According to another mode of recitation, the Arabic word used in the ayah is ‘Aqadat meaning those who made a covenant (i.e., alliances) with you. A man would make a covenant or alliance with another, saying: “My blood is your blood; your revenge is my revenge; your war is my war; I am bound to your peace treaties, and you will inherit me and I will inherit you.” Afterward, the following ayah was revealed; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for all, We have made heirs to what is left by parents and relatives,} [Quran 4:33] meaning that Allah, Exalted is He, made for each of you relatives (heirs), including brothers and cousins on both the mother’s and father’s side who are entitled to inherit. This ayah abrogated the ayah that reads (which means): {And to those whom your oaths have bound [to you] - give them their share.} [Quran 4:33]. Thereafter, only a dead person’s relatives were entitled to inherit him, and those with whom the dead person had made covenants and alliances were no longer entitled to inherit.But such covenants and alliances remained valid regarding support in what is right and permissible, meaning cooperation regarding worldly affairs, and sincerity in compliance withIslam, and this includes cooperating in adhering to the truth, and supporting the wronged people by preventing the oppressor from his acts of injustice. These were some of the due rights of one’s fellow Muslims.It also remained permissible for a Muslim to make a bequest to those who would have inherited him according to the bond of brotherhood, if he wished. As for the distribution of the inheritance after one’s death, only the heirs as per the laws of Islam may inherit him as delineated in the Quran. .

2294

‘Aasim narrated:
I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him), "Have you ever heard that the Prophet ﷺsaid, 'There is no alliance in Islam?' " He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet ﷺ made alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in my own house."
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Commentary :
In essence, alliance means a contract or covenant made between people in the pre-Islamic era to support one another with regard to everything they did (i.e., irrespective of whether they were right or wrong). Islam canceled such practices, except for the alliances and covenants made to support the truth and prevent the oppressor from his aggression and injustice. It was narrated on the authority of Jubayr ibn Muti‘im (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no alliance in Islam.” [Muslim]. This means that Islam disapproves the alliances that contravene the rules and laws of Islam, like what they used to make in the pre-Islamic era.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Aasim ibn Sulaymaan Al-Ahwal asked the Companion Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) about this hadeeth, and Anas replied that the Prophet ﷺ made an alliance between the people of Quraysh and the Ansaar in his own house. This refers to the bond of brotherhood that he ﷺ established between the emigrants and Ansaar, which was a faith-based alliance that does not fall under the category of the forbidden alliances, because it did not contravene the fundamentals of the Islamic Laws of Islam. The forbidden alliances as per the laws of Islam are those according to which people in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance supported their allies in all cases, even if they were unjust oppressors, taking revenge againsta whole tribe for the killing of one person, and establishing inheritance rights based on such alliances, and the like. However, other alliances, which do not involve these Laws of Islam violations, are allowable in Islam, including supporting the oppressed, fulfilling the religious duties, and similar acts that are recommended by the Laws of Islam, such as fostering friendship, mutual affection, and honoring covenants..

2297

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam). Not a single day passed but Allah's Messenger ﷺvisited us twice, in the morning and evening. When Muslims were persecuted, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, who asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land; I will wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold your ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute), show hospitality to the guests, and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh saying to them, "A man like Aboo Bakr should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, upholds his ties of kinship, helps the weak (and destitute), shows hospitality to the guests, and helps the people at times of hardship?" So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read whatever he liked, but he should not harm us or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except in his house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had an idea of building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. He did so and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children of the disbelievers started to gatheraround him and watch him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the disbelieving chiefs of Quraysh. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he should mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam (i.e., performing acts of worship in public). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) added: Ibn Al-Daghinnah came to Aboo Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Messenger ﷺ was still in Makkah and he said to his Companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and is situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs." So, when the Prophet ﷺ told it, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Al-Madeenah. When Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Messenger ﷺand fed two camels which he had with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) led a hard life in Makkah, and the disbelievers made it rather harder by persecuting Muslims, confining the call to Islam, torturing Muslims, and using other means of abuse until Allah, Exalted is He, commanded His Messenger ﷺ to migrate to Al-Madeenah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) gave a glimpse of her experience during that period. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she could not remember her parents, Aboo Bakr and Umm Roomaan (may Allah be pleased with them), believing in any religion other than the religion of Allah (i.e., Islam) and that the Prophet ﷺ used to visit them twice every day, in the morning and in the evening. When Muslims were persecuted by the disbelievers and the Prophet ﷺ gave permission to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to migrate to Ethiopia, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant, to join his fellow Muslim brothers who had migrated there. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) reached a place called Bark Al-Ghimaad, a place at a five day's journey (140 km) from Makkah, he met Ibn Al-Daghinnah, the chief of the Qaarah tribe, which was a famous Arab tribe that belonged to Banee Al-Hoon. He asked Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "My people have forced me out of my land and I would wander on the earth and worship my Lord (freely)." Ibn Al-Daghinnah said, "A man like you should not leave his land nor should he be forced out of it; you help the poor earn their living, uphold his ties of kinship, help the weak (and destitute),” meaning providing for the orphans and the helpless. He added: “… show hospitality to the guests,” by providing food and shelter to them, “and help people at times of hardship. You are in my Jiwaar (i.e., protection); go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Al-Daghinnah went along with Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and took him to the chiefs of Quraysh, urging them not to drive someone like Aboo Bakr out of Makkah, given his great qualities and remarkable moral character as highlighted above. So, Quraysh approved Ibn Al-Daghinnah's Jiwaar (i.e., protection) and told Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was secure, and said to Ibn Al-Daghinnah, "Advise Aboo Bakr to worship his Lord in his house, and to pray and read whatever he likes, but he should not harm us,” referring to praying and reciting the Quran aloud, “or do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Al-Daghinnah told Aboo Bakr of all their conditions and he accepted them. He (may Allah be pleased with him) continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Quran aloud except inside his own house. Later on, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) thought about building a mosque (i.e., a prayer area) in the courtyard of his house. It can be fairly said that this was the first mosque ever built in Islam. He (may Allah be pleased with him) built it and started praying and reciting Quran therein publicly. Crowds of women and children from the disbelievers gathered around him and watched him astonishingly. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Quran. This horrified the chiefs of Quraysh, as they knew how tender the hearts of women and young people were, and how vulnerable they would be to incline to Islam. They sent for Ibn Al-Daghinnah and when he came, they said, "We have given Aboo Bakr protection on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated that condition, and has built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Quran in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and children! So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him you will revoke your pledge of protection to him; we do not like to dishonor you by revoking your Jiwaar, nor can we tolerate Aboo Bakr's public declaration of Islam, for fear of our women and children. Thereupon, Ibn Al-Daghinnah went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection (as approved by Quraysh), so you should either abide by these conditions or revoke my Jiwaar, as I do not like to hear the Arabs saying that Ibn Al-Daghinnah gave Jiwaar to a person and his people did not honor it." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I revoke your Jiwaar and am satisfied with Allah's protection." This reflects the strength of Aboo Bakr’s faith and certitude in Allah, Exalted is He.
At that time,the Prophet ﷺ was still in Makkah and he told his Companions that he had seen the land of their emigration in a vision, and the Prophet's visionsare part of the divine revelation to them. He ﷺ meant Al-Madeenah and mentioned some of its distinct descriptions, including being a salty land, where only few trees could grow, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two Harrahs, meaning lands with black stones. So, when the Prophet ﷺ told them of this vision, some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) migrated to Al-Madeenah, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia went to Al-Madeenah as well. Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared for emigration, but Allah's Messengerﷺ said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Messengerﷺreplied in the affirmative. So, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) postponed his departure in order to accompany the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him)fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees, meaning the leaves that trees shed, for four months, to be able to endure the journey. Such tree leaves were good fodder for animals.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the striking similarity between his moral character and that of the Prophet ﷺ.
It also underlines the good qualities of the polytheist Arabs in the pre-Islamic era, like honoring covenants and the institution of Jiwaar.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is allowable to migrate from non-Muslim countries to another place were Muslims feel safe and are able to practice their religion freely and openly.
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2300

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had given him sheep to distribute between his Companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). When he informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf."
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ was munificent and generous; he ﷺ openhandedly gave what Allah, Exalted is He, bestowed upon him to the poor and needy.
In this hadeeth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ gifted a group of poor Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) sheep and appointed him to distribute the sheep between them. He (may Allah be pleased with him)distributed to the companions and a male kid was left (after the distribution). It was said that a young goat (kid) was one year old. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺof it, he said (to him), "Offer it as a sacrifice on your behalf.”
The Prophet ﷺ gave a legal concession to ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer a kid as an animal sacrifice, just like he ﷺ did with Aboo Burdah ibn Nayyaar (may Allah be pleased with him) to offer an animal less than one year old as a sacrifice. These were two legal concessions granted to these two Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in particular and not to anyone else. This is based on the opinion suggesting that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth ‘Atood (kid) means a young goat. However, based on the opinion that the word means a one-year-old goat, Al-Udhiyah of the goats, according to Muslim scholars should be a Thaniyah (i.e., one full year-old and starting the second year).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible for a principal to appoint an agent to distribute gifts between specified recipients.
It is also inferred that it is permissible to accept gifts and offer gifted animalsas a sacrifice.
The hadeeth also highlights that an agent is required to consult with the principal regarding the disposal of the residue of the gifts to be distributed.
It is also deduced therefrom that a principal delegates the appointed agent to perform specified tasks.
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2301

‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
I had an agreement with Umayyah ibn Khalaf that he would look after my property (or family) in Makkah and I would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When I wrote my name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period." So, I wrote my name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. On the day (of the battle) of Badr, when all people went to sleep, I went up the hill to protect him. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him (i.e., Umayyah) and went to a gathering of Ansaar and said, "(Here is) Umayyah ibn Khalaf! Woe to me if he escapes!" So, a group of men from the Ansaar went out with Bilaal to follow us (‘Abdul-Rahmaan and Umayyah). Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy, but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man, and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt, and I laid myself on him to protect him, but the Ansaar killed him by passing their swords underneath me, and one of them injured my foot with his sword. (The sub narrator said, "‘Abdul-Rahmaan used to show us the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.")
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Commentary :
Fulfillment of covenants is one of the becoming qualities of a true Muslim, and this applies to the covenants made with Muslims and non-Muslims alike. However, it is incumbent upon a Muslim to ensure that his covenants with non-Muslims do not contradict the teachings of Islam, to avoid potential conflict between the two obligations (i.e., honoring his covenants and abiding by the teachings of Islam).
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdul-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) made a covenant with Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the leaders of the disbelievers in Makkah, to look after his property, family, or both, in Makkah and he would look after his in Al-Madeenah. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan' in the documents, Umayyah said, "I do not know ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan!' ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan literally means that slave of Al-Rahmaan, i.e., The Entirely Merciful. He did not acknowledge Al-Rahmaan (Allah) as his Lord and rather worshipped other deities. In fact, Umayyah’s attitude was motivated by (misguided) zeal for his false beliefs. He said to him: “Write down to me your name, with which you called yourself in the pre-Islamic period.” So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his name ‘Abdoo ‘Amr instead. It is noteworthy that ‘Abd Ar-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed to write his old name merely to realize the desired benefits of concluding this agreement, and it did not imply his approval or consent to be called the slave of other than Allah, Exalted is He. This was similar to the incident when the Prophet ﷺ approved to erase the Name of Allah ‘Al-Rahmaan’ when writing down the document of the Hudaybiyyah Treaty and wrote instead “In the Name of Allah.”
On the day (of the battle) of Badr, in 2 A.H., between the disbelievers in Makkah and Muslims in Madeenah, Umayyah joined the disbelievers’ army. After the battle ended with the decisive victory of the Muslims, ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) went up the hill to protect Umayyah, who was neither among the casualties nor the prisoners of war. When all the people went to sleep, he (may Allah be pleased with him)hastened to protect his ally, but Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw Umayyah, who had severely tortured him in Makkah to force him to convert out of Islam. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went to a gathering of the Ansaar and informed them of Umayyah ibn Khalaf’s presence, urging them to kill him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded them to chase him and make sure that he did not survive. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: “Woe to me if he escapes!" He (may Allah be pleased with him) earnestly sought killing Umayyah, being one of the leaders of Quraysh and the stubbornest disbelievers. Determined to risk his own life to kill him, Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) went after him and ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan in the company of a group of the Ansaar. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Being afraid that they would catch us, I left Umayyah’s son for them to keep them busy but the Ansaar killed the son and insisted on following us. Umayyah was a fat man,” indicating his slowness, “and when they approached us, I told him to kneel down, and he knelt.” He (may Allah be pleased with him) threw himself on him to protect him from their swords, to honor his covenant with him. However, Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) killed him by passing their swords underneath ‘Abdul-Ramhaan (may Allah be pleased with him), and one of them injured his foot with his sword. ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) showed the addressees the trace of the wound on the back of his foot.
It was said that Bilaal and the Ansaar (may Allah be pleased with them) did not honor ‘Abdul-Rahmaan’s covenant and Jiwaar (i.e., protection) for Umayyah because the disbelievers were not allowed any protection on the Battle of Badr. It was also said that this ruling was abrogated with the other hadeeth recorded by Ibn Maajah reading: “The right of giving protection to non-Muslims is extended to the humblest of the believers (and it is incumbent on all Muslims to respect it and give him support).”, and the hadeeth about Umm Haani’ upon the Conquest of Makkah reading: “We have given protection to whom you have granted (protection).” [Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
It is deduced from the hadeeth that a Muslim is required to honor and fulfill his covenants; ‘Abdul-Rahmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was the friend of Umayyah ibn Khalaf back in Makkah, and he honored their covenant.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is becoming of a Muslim to reciprocate a disbeliever for any favors he might have done him, showing him kindness in return and striving to rescue him from death or dangers.
The hadeeth highlights the tit for tat principle and the enjoined equivalent retaliation against the offending party.
It is inferred that no retaliation is required in the event of getting injured while defending a wrongdoer who deserves punishment.
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2304

Ibn Ka‘b ibn Maalik narrated on the authority of his father (may Allah be pleased with them):
We had some sheep which used to graze at Sala‘. One of our slave girls saw a sheep dying and she broke a stone and slaughtered the dying sheep with it. My father said to people, "Do not eat its meat till I ask the Prophet ﷺ about it (or till I send somebody to ask him)." So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it. ‘Ubaydullaah (a sub-narrator) said, "I admire that girl, for though she was a slave-girl, she boldly slaughtered the sheepherself!”
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Commentary :
Islam preserves people’s wealth and protects it against loss and destruction, and therefore it deems it allowable to slaughter a dying edible animal (i.e., whose consumption is permitted by the Laws of Islam) when sudden death approaches it, using any sharp object that cuts its throat and sheds its blood, to preserve wealth from loss.
In this hadeeth, Ka’b ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) related that they had sheep grazing at Sala‘, a mountain in Al-Madeenah located 500 m or less to the west of the Prophet’s Mosque. The slave girl who was shepherding the sheep noticed that one was dying. She broke a stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. When Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him)learned of the incident, he commanded his family to refrain from eating its meat till he asked the Prophet ﷺ about it or sent somebody to ask him. So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ permitted them to eat it.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that an appointed agent is urged to rectify what he believes to have gone wrong, strive to perform the required task, and do what serves the best interests of the principal.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to use a stone to slaughter animals provided that it is sharp, cuts the throat, and splashes out blood.
It is also inferred therefrom that it is allowable to eat the meat of a dying edible animal if it was slaughtered while it was still alive..

2309

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
I was accompanying the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and was riding a slow camel that was lagging behind the others. The Prophet ﷺpassed by me and asked, "Who is this?" I replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" I replied, "I am riding a slow camel." He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" I replied in the affirmative. He ﷺ said, "Give it to me." When I gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the camel and rebuked it. Then that camel surpassed the others thenceforth. The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Sell it to me." I replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messengerﷺ.” He ﷺ said, "Sell it to me. I have bought it for four Dinars and you can keep on riding it till Al-Madeenah." When we approached Al-Madeenah, I started going (towards my house). The Prophet ﷺ said, "Where are you going?" I said, "I have married a widow." He ﷺ said, "Why have not you married a virgin with whom you could play?" I said, "My father died and left daughters, so I decided to marry a widow (, an experienced woman to look after them)." He ﷺ said, "Well done." When we reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "O Bilaal, pay him (the price of the camel) and give him extra money." Bilaal gave me four Dinars and one Qiraat (i.e., a unit of measurement) extra. (A sub-narrator said): Jaabir added, "The extra Qiraat of Allah's Messengerﷺ never parted from me." The Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.
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Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was endowed with a great moral character,reflected in his gracious manners, one of which was that whenever he ﷺ travelled with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ used to pace himself with the slowest rider in his company, out of his kindness. He ﷺ also used to offer the weak a ride and urge those who were lagging behind to catch up.
In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah(may Allah be pleased with them) related that he was with the Prophet ﷺ once on a journey back to Al-Madeenah – it was said that this incident took place during the conquest of Makkah - and he was riding a slow camel. The Prophet ﷺ passed by him while he was in this condition. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Who is this?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah." He ﷺ asked, "What is the matter, (why are you late)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he was late due to his slow camel. He ﷺ asked, "Do you have a stick?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the affirmative, and he ﷺ asked him to give it to him. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) gave it to him, he ﷺ beat the slow camel and urged it to move faster. Then that camel surpassed the others, leading the way, by the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ asked Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) to sell him this camel, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "It is (a gift) for you, O Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” However, the Prophet ﷺ refused to take it as a gift and insisted on buying it. He ﷺ bought it for four (gold) Dinars provided that he (may Allah be pleased with him) may keep on riding it till they reached Al-Madeenah, and then the Prophet ﷺ would take it into his possession.
When they approached Al-Madeenah, Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) hastened towards his house. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Where are you going?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had married a widow, indicating that she was previously married. The Prophet ﷺ asked, "Why have you not married a virgin with whom you could play?" The Prophet ﷺ was asking him about the reason for choosing to marry a previously married woman rather than a virgin, who would most likely be more emotionally attached to her first husband, urging her to strive in making him happy and the like of good qualities that warrants the preference of marrying a virgin. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that he had sisters placed under his guardianship after his father’s death, and they needed someone to take care of them and tend to their needs, and a virgin would not be able to shoulder such a task. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to marry a widow, an experienced woman to look after them. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Well done,” commending his act. It is deduced from this hadeeth that a Muslim should carefully choose a good wife that would be good for him and his dependents.
When they reached Al-Madeenah, Allah's Messenger ﷺ commanded Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) to pay him the price of the camel and give him extra money. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave him four Dinars and one Qirat extra. Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) was responsible for managing the Prophet’s expenses. It was said that a Qirat equaled one-tenth of a Dinar or otherwise. Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him) added, "The extra Qirat of Allah's Messenger ﷺ never parted from me." He (may Allah be pleased with him) kept that Qirat and did not dispose of it. ‘Attaa’ ibn Abee Rabaah said: “That Qirat was always in Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah's purse.”
The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s gracious humbleness and kindness with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), checking on them and serving their best interests.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that it is better to marry a virgin rather than a previously married woman.
The hadeeth underlines the virtues of Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him), his compassion to his sisters, and putting their best interests first before his own.
It is also inferred that a woman should take care of her husband’s family and tend to the needs of his siblings (dependents).
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2311

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
Allah's Messenger ﷺdeputed me to keep Zakaah (Al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah funds) stealthily. I took hold of him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again." I believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, "I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.He said, "Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again." I pitied him and let him go. In the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺ asked me, "What did your prisoner do?" I replied, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free." Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "Verily, he told you a lie and he will return." I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺas it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." I asked, "What are they?" He replied, "Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till you finish the whole ayah. (If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no devil will come near you till morning. " So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I replied, "He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go." Allah's Messenger ﷺasked, "What are they?" I replied, "He said to me, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursee from the beginning to the end.' He further said to me, '(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you till morning.' (Aboo Hurayrah or another sub-narrator) added that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Aboo Hurayrah?" It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "No." He ﷺ said, "It was Satan."
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Commentary : Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) is one of the greatest ayaat of the Quran, and this hadeeth highlights some of its virtues. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ appointed him to keep and guard the Zakaat Al-Fitr funds. Zakaat Al-Fitr is due before ‘Eid Al-Fitr, and they used to pay it in the form of wheat, dates, and other foodstuff. A man came to him and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Zakaah) stealthily. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) seized him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." He (may Allah be pleased with him) released him, and in the morning, Allah's Messengerﷺasked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! The Prophet ﷺ knew of what had happened through divine revelation. It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the man complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so he pitied him and let him go. Allah's Messenger ﷺinformed him that he was lying and that he would be coming again. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that the Prophet ﷺ spoke the truth and believed him. He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that he would show up again as Allah's Messengerﷺ had told him that he would. So, he (may Allah be pleased with him) waited for him watchfully to guard the foodstuff. When he showed up and did the same, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) pitied him and let him go again. He informed Allah's Messengerﷺ of what had happened and again he ﷺ told him that the man would come back. Therefore, he (may Allah be pleased with him) watchfully waited for him for the third time, and he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff. He (may Allah be pleased with him) caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger ﷺ,as this is the third time you promised not to return, yet you broke your promise and came." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah, Exalted is He, will benefit you." He then told him to recite Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) till he finished the whole ayah whenever he went to bed. Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursee extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Quran 2:255]. In this ayah, Allah, Exalted is He, describes Himself as the only One worthy of worship; none but Him deserves to be worshiped. He is All-Living; to Him belongs the perfect life that was not preceded by non-existence, nor will it be followed with death. He is Self-Sufficient and stands in no need of anything or anyone, and He disposes of the affairs of all the creation, bestowing upon them their Rizq (provisions). All the creation stands in dire need of Allah, Exalted is He. His perfect Life and Self-Sufficiency entails that neither drowsiness nor sleep should overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. None can intercede with Him except by His permission. He knows all the affairs of the created beings, the past and future ones, and all but Him do not know anything unless He imparts knowledge to them by His will. Given His greatness and vast dominance, His Kursee (i.e., the place of His Feet) encompasses the heavens and the earth. Despite their vastness and greatness, their preservation does not tire Him; it is rather an effortless task for Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great, who is far Exalted above His creation. He is The Most High with His perfect Essence, dominion, and attributes. To Him belongs absolute and perfect grandeur in terms of Essence and Omnipotence.
Satan further said to him, '(If you do so), Allah, Exalted is He, will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no devil will come near you till morning. Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and he ﷺ said: "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar,” and this is a very beautiful conclusion, because when he (may Allah be pleased with him) affirmed his truthfulness in this regard, it gave an illusion of praise, and therefore he ﷺ corrected such an impression with a wording that indicates exaggerated untruthfulness, reflected in the Arabic intensive adjective Kadhoob (i.e., habitual liar).
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ clarified to Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that this prisoner to whom he was talking these three nights was Satan.
The hadeeth highlights the virtues of Ayat Al-Kursee (Quran 2:255) and that it protects those who recite it from the devils.
It is also deduced therefrom that an appointed agent is only entitled to dispose of what is delegated property with the permission of the owner of the property (i.e., principal).
It is also inferred that the Jinn appear to people in human form and talk with them.
It is also deduced that the maximum number of pardonable mistakes is three.
It is also inferred that Satan harms whoever fails to recite Dhikr (i.e., remembrance of Allah) before sleep.
It is also deduced that whoever is appointed to preserve something is called Wakeel (i.e., trustee).
The hadeeth also underlines that the Jinn may steal and deceive.
It also highlights that it is allowable to seek knowledge from those who did not act on their knowledge..

2312

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him):
Once Bilaal brought Barni (i.e., a kind of dates) to the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺasked him, "From where have you brought these?" Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "I had some inferior type of dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of it for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them." Thereupon the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware! This is definitely Ribaa! This is definitely Ribaa! Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money."
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Commentary :
Dealing with Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury) is one of the gravest major sins, and the Laws of Islam has deemed unlawful every sale that is not free of all suspicions of Ribaa, and has deemed permitted all lawful sales that do not involve Ribaa. People in the Pre-Islamic era engaged in sales transactions that heavily involved Ribaa, but Islam rectified these sales and eliminated the traces of Ribaa.
In this hadeeth, Aboo Sa’eed(may Allah be pleased with him) related that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) once brought Barni, one of the finest kinds of date. The Prophet ﷺasked him about the source of these dates and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “I had some inferior dates and exchanged two Saa‘s of them for one Saa‘ of Barni dates in order to give it to the Prophet ﷺ to eat them.” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Beware! Beware!” The Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Uwwah, a word used to indicate pain and sadness. The Prophet ﷺ used this word to indicate his pain upon hearing of such an act and that Bilaal (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know that his act was sheer Ribaa. In fact, this kind of Ribaa is known as Ribaa Al-Fadhl (i.e., excess charged in the event of a barter of specific homogenous commodities of different quality or quantity). The Prophet ﷺ advised him about the way to avoid Ribaa in this transaction. He ﷺ said: “Do not do so, but if you want to buy (a superior kind of dates) sell the inferior dates for money and then buy the superior kind of dates with that money.” This means that one should sell the poor-quality dates for money, and then buy with it the fine dates that he wants, to avoid charging excess in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities, and thus avoid Ribaa.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Ribaa Al-Fadhl is prohibited.
The hadeeth also highlights that the ruler or leader should assign care to people’s religious affairs, edify those who lack religious knowledge on their religion, and guide them to the way to avail themselves of that which is lawful. Moreover, a follower should also assign care to his leader.
It is inferred therefrom that any transaction that involves Ribaa is invalid.
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2313

‘Amr narrated:
Concerning the Waqf (i.e., endowment) of ‘Umar: It was not sinful of a trustee (of the Waqf) to eat or provide his friends from it, provided he had no intention of collecting fortune (for himself). Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the manager of the trust of ‘Umar and he used to give presents from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah.
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Commentary :
A trustee of someone’s property is enjoined to preserve it and forbidden from wasting and destroying it. The Laws of Islam clarified the permissible ways in which a trustee may avail himself of the (endowed) property entrusted to him.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Amr ibn Dinaar stated regarding the Waqf endowed by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that that a trustee or administrator of the Waqf bears no sin for availing himself of the property under his care reasonably, and availing his friends of it, provided that he does not hold the intention of collecting a fortune for himself.
‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) managed the Waqf of his father and used to offer gifts from it to those with whom he used to stay at Makkah. It was said that they were the family of ‘Abdullah, Khaalid ibn Usayd ibn Abee Al-‘Aas. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) offered these gifts from the endowed property in compliance with the specified condition; he (may Allah be pleased with him) either availed his friends of it, which is allowable, or preserved his own share (i.e., fees) to gift it to his friends.
It is noteworthy that this is different from the case when one is entrusted with someone’s wealth, other than Waqf, and he disposes of it without the principal’s permission, which is impermissible.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that when someone endows a property for the benefit of a specific category of beneficiaries and his own son happens to fit the profile, he is considered one of the specified beneficiaries (and may avail himself of it).
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2320

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated:
Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "There is none amongst Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a (rewardable) charitable act for him."
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Commentary :
A Muslim is rewarded for any beneficial action he performs.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ highlighted the virtue of planting and cultivating lands, and that whenever a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and a bird, person, animal, or any living creature that lives on land and in the water, eats therefrom,he would earn a reward for that. The hadeeth made mention of the Muslim in particular, as he would often hold the intention of providing his fellow Muslims with these plants and food to gain physical strength to worship Allah, Exalted is He, and because only a Muslim would earn rewards for such an act. A non-Muslim does not earn rewards for his good and charitable acts and the ultimate reward he may receive is being subjected to lesser punishments (on the Day of Resurrection). He may also receive his reward in the worldly life in the form of worldly gains.
The hadeeth underlines the merits of planting and cultivating lands.
It also urges Muslims to populate the earth, and to make it a better place for people to live, or for the benefit of the coming generations, for the service of whom he earns rewards.

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2321

Aboo Umaamah Al-Baahilee (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
I saw a plowshare and some agricultural equipment and said: "I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: "There is no house in which such equipment enter except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it."
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Commentary :
It is unbecoming of a Muslim to so preoccupy himself with his worldly affairs that he neglects his religious duties. His keenness to secure worldly gains must not surpass his keenness to prepare himself for the Hereafter. When Aboo Umamaah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a plowshare, a tool used for cultivation, and some agricultural equipment, he (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ had said: “There is no house in which such equipment enters except that Allah, Exalted is He, will cause humiliation to enter it.” This means that when such equipment enters a house, preoccupying its people from preparing themselves for the Hereafter and driving them to neglect their religious duties, including partaking in Jihaad, prayer, and Dhikr, Allah, Exalted is He, would afflict them with humiliation.
It is noteworthy that there is contradiction between this hadeeth and the hadeeths reported about the merits of plowing and cultivating. This hadeeth is interpreted as to refer to the one who preoccupies himself with cultivation, causing him to neglect his religious duties and obligations that he is enjoined to observe! Whoever devotes himself entirely to plowing and cultivating lands, neglecting his other loftier pursuits, will be afflicted with humiliation.
The reference to humiliation here means their commitments to pay the taxes charged by the governors for their land. In the beginning, only Ahl Al-Dhimmah (i.e., free non-Muslim subjects living under Muslim rule) worked in cultivation and agriculture, and therefore the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) disliked to take this line of career. It was also said that this hadeeth urges Muslims to aspire to loftier pursuits, and seek other superior means to earn a living.
The apparent meaning of the hadeeth’s wording seemingly indicates that working in cultivation and agriculture begets humiliation, and this is not true. Rather, engaging in cultivation, agriculture, and tending to one’s property are all recommended and rewardable acts, being of benefit topeople, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said this hadeeth to warn the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) against preoccupying themselves with professions from partaking in Jihaad. Had they given up Jihaad, the disbelievers would have overpowered them, and this would have been the ultimate humiliation that may befall Muslims, to be overpowered by the disbelievers and lose their wealth, womenfolk, and children to them, and ultimately their lives!
It was also said that the hadeeth referred to those settled near enemy borders in particular. If these Muslims preoccupied themselves with cultivation rather than chivalry and horse-riding (i.e., military preparations for Jihaad), their enemies would belittle their strength and dominatethem. Therefore, it is becoming of such people to keenly master chivalry and horse-riding (in preparation for Jihaad),and they should be aided with the needed supplies and equipment by their fellow Muslims.
The hadeeth warns against preoccupying oneself with worldly pursuits from preparing oneself for the Hereafter.

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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).

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.".

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..

Book of Hadith