Al-‘Araj narrated that It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), "Allah's Messengerﷺ said, 'No one should prevent his neighbor from fixing a wooden peg in his wall." It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) (to his companions), "Why do I find you aayah to it? By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you."
.

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

2465

Aboo Sa’eed Al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Beware! Avoid sitting on roadsides." People said, "There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks." The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the road." They asked, "What are the rights of the road?" He ﷺ said, "They are: lowering your gazes (from looking at what is unlawful to look at), refraining from harming people, returning the greetings of peace, enjoining good and forbidding evil."
.

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

2468

‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
I had been eager to ask ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about the two wives of the Prophet ﷺregarding whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated.} [Quran 66:4] (namely, ‘Aa’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with them))till I performed the Hajj along with ‘Umar (and on our way back from Hajj) he (may Allah be pleased with him) went aside (to answer the call of nature) and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler of water. When he had answered the call of nature and returned. I poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he performed ablution. I said, "O Commanders of the believers! Who were the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ to whom Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated} [Quran 66:4]? He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them). They were ‘Aa’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with them)." Then ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went on relating the narration and said, "I and a neighbor of mine from the Ansaar, from Banee Umayyah ibn Zayd who used to live in ‘Awaalee Al-Madeenah, used to visit the Prophet ﷺ in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went, I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders (i.e., the divine revelation) and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraysh, used to have authority over women, but when we came to live with the Ansaar, we noticed that their women had the upper hand over their men, so our women started acquiring the habits of the women from the Ansaar. Once, I shouted at my wife and she paid me back in my coin and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet ﷺretort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the whole day till night.' What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will be a great loser.' Then I dressed myself and went to Hafsah and asked her, 'Does any of you keep Allah's Messengerﷺangry all the day long till night?' She (may Allah be pleased with her) replied in the affirmative. I said, 'She is a ruined losing person (and will never have success)! Does not she fear that Allah may get angry for the anger of Allah's Messengerﷺ and thus she will be ruined? Do not ask Allah's Messengerﷺtoo many things, and do not retort upon him in any case, and do not desert him. Demand from me whatever you like, and do not be tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah) in her behavior towards the Prophet ﷺ), for she (i.e., ‘Aa’ishah) is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allah's Messengerﷺ. In those days it was rumored that Ghassaan, (a tribe living in Shaam) was getting prepared their horses to invade us. My companion went (to the Prophet ﷺ on the day of his turn, went and returned to us at night and knocked at my door violently, asking whether I was sleeping. I was scared (by the hard knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. I asked him: What is it? Have Ghassaan come? He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allah's Messenger ﷺ had divorced all his wives. I said, Hafsah is a ruined loser! I expected that would happen someday.' So, I got dressed and offered the Fajr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. Then the Prophet ﷺ entered an upper room and stayed there alone. I went to Hafsah and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you weeping? Did not I warn you? Have Allah's Messengerﷺ divorced you all?' She replied, 'I do not know. He is there in the upper room.' I then went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it and some of them were weeping. Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation. So, I went to the upper room where the Prophet ﷺ was and requested to a black slave of his: "Will you get the permission of (Allah's Messenger) for ‘Umar (to enter)? The slave went in, talked to the Prophet ﷺ about it and came out saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: "Will you get he permission for ‘Umar? He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, the slave called me saying, "Allah's Messengerﷺ has granted you permission." So, I entered upon the Prophet and saw him lying on a bedstead made of date-palm leaves and covered with no mattress, and such mat had left its mark on the body of the Prophet ﷺ, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fires. I greeted him and while still standing, I said: "Have you divorced your wives?' He ﷺ raised his eyes to me and replied in the negative. Then while still standing, I said chatting: "Will you heed what I say, 'O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! We, the people of Quraysh used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the people whose women had the upper hand over them..." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet ﷺsmiled." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I then said, 'I went to Hafsah and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (‘Aa’ishah) for she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet ﷺ.' The Prophet ﷺ smiled again. When I saw him smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allah, I could not see anything of importance but three hides. I said (to Allah's Messenger ﷺ), "Invoke Allah to make your followers prosperous for the Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do not worship Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ was leaning then (and on hearing my speech he sat straight) and said, 'O Ibn Al-Khattaab! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this worldly life)? These people have been given rewards of their good deeds in this worldly life only.' I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me.’ The Prophet ﷺdid not go to his wives because of the secret which Hafsah had disclosed to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them), and he said that he would not go to his wives for one month as he was angry with them when Allah admonished him. When twenty-nine days had passed, the Prophet ﷺ went to ‘Aa’ishah first of all. She said to him, 'You took an oath that you would not come to us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by day.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The month is also of twenty-nine days.' That month consisted of twenty-nine days. ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'When the Divine revelation of Choice was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ started with me, saying to me, 'I am telling you something, but you need not hurry to give the reply till you can consult your parents." ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺsaid that Allah Says (what means): {O Prophet, say to your wives, "If you should desire the worldly life and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and give you a gracious release.} [Quran 33:28] ‘Aa’ishah said, 'Am I to consult my parents about this? I indeed prefer Allah, Exalted is He, His Messenger ﷺ, and the Hereafter.' After that the Prophet ﷺgave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did.”
.

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

2473

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

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

2474

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

Commentary :
Islam lays a special emphasis on the gravity of violating the inviolability of people's lives, wealth, and honor, and sternly warns against having the audacity to do so.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn Yazeed Al-Ansaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet ﷺ forbade robbery, which refers to usurping a Muslim’s wealth forcibly, openly, and unjustly. This includes any transgression against people’s wealth, by means of coercion, theft, or betrayal, and it is a sin, because it involves unlawfully consuming people's wealth.
It was also said that the Arabic word used in the hadeeth - Al-Nuhbaa - means what is taken from wealth before dividing it up and estimating its amount, such as stealing from the spoils of war before division. He ﷺ also forbade the mutilation (or maiming) of bodies, which refers to the punishment that involved mutilation by cutting off bodily organs, such as the nose and ears, or poking out the eyes, and the like, because they involve excessive violence, cruelty, and disregard for human dignity, unless it is authorized by the Laws of Islam by virtue of Qisaas (i.e., retribution); it is not forbidden, because Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.} [Quran 16:126].
The hadeeth highlights one of the etiquettes of Islam and underlines its respect and high regard for individual property..

2475

It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺsaid, "A perpetrator of Fornication (i.e., illegal sexual intercourse) is not a true believer when he commits it; no one who dinks Khamr (intoxicants) is a true believer when he drinks it, and when no thief is a true believer when he steals; and a robber is not a true believer at the time of robbery when people look at him.”
.

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

2478

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺentered (i.e., conquered) Makkah and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka‘bah. He ﷺ started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting the ayah that reads (what means): {And say, "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."} [Quran 17:81]
.

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

2480

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

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

2484

Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once (on a journey) our provisions diminished and the people were reduced to poverty. They went to the Prophet ﷺ and asked his permission to slaughter their camels, and he agreed. ‘Umar met them and they told him about it, and he said, "How would you survive after slaughtering your camels?" Then he went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ!How would they survive after slaughtering their camels?" Allah's Messengerﷺ ordered ‘Umar, "Call upon the people to bring what has remained of their food." A leather sheet was spread and all the food was collected and heaped over it. Allah's Messenger ﷺstood up and invoked Allah, Exalted is He, to bless it, and then directed all the people to come with their utensils, and they started taking from it till all of them got what was sufficient for them. Allah's Messengerﷺ then said, "I testify that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and I am His Messenger ﷺ."
.

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

2485

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

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

2486

Aboo Moosaa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “When the people of the Ash‘aree tribe ran short of food during the battles, or the food of their families in Al-Madeenah ran short, they would graciously collect all their remaining food in one sheet and then distribute it among themselves equally by measuring it with a bowl. So, these people are from me, and I am from them.”
.

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

2491

Naafi‘ narrated:
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, 'If one manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, and can afford the price of the other shares according to the adequate price of the slave, the slave will be completely manumitted, otherwise he will be partially manumitted.'” (Ayyoob, a sub-narrator is not sure whether the saying, “otherwise he will be partially manumitted” was said by Naafi‘ or the Prophet ﷺ.)
.

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

.

2492

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever manumits his share of a jointly possessed slave, it is imperative for him to get that slave manumitted completely by paying the remaining price, and if he does not have sufficient money to manumit him, then the price of the slave should be estimated justly, and he is to be allowed to work and earn the amount that will manumit him (without overburdening him)".
.

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

.

2493

An-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of the person abiding by Allah's order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those people who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said, 'Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them. So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe."
.

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

2494

‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr narrated that he had asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3] She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O my nephew! This is about an orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (i.e., dower) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr, otherwise they were ordered to marry any other women.” ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "After that ayah was revealed, people again asked the Prophet ﷺ (about the marriage with orphan girls), so Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah. Allah, Exalted is He Says (what means): {And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and [yet] you desire to marry them.} [Quran 4:127] What is meant by Allah's Saying in this ayah {what has been recited to you in the Book}, is the other ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3] She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “His Saying {and [yet] you desire to marry them} [Quran 4:127] in the other ayah, means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his guardianship when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy).
.

Commentary :
The wise Laws of Islam enjoins care for the orphans and preservation of their wealth, and regulates the affairs of guardianship over orphans’ wealth to best serve their interests.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)‘Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr asked his maternal aunt ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, about the meaning of the ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. She (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O my nephew,” since his mother was Asmaa’ bint Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them). “This is about an orphan girl who lives with her guardian,” meaning under his care. An orphan is a minor whose father passes away before he or she reaches puberty.
She added: “and shares his property,” meaning invests her wealth in trade, “Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (i.e., dower) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr,” meaning the highest that may be paid to women of their same social standing.
Otherwise, they were ordered to take one, two, three, or four wives from any other women.
Thereafter, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) further stated that after that ayah was revealed, people again asked the Prophet ﷺ (about marriage with orphan girls). Therefore, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah. He Says (what means): {And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and [yet] you desire to marry them.} [Quran 4:127]. She (may Allah be pleased with her) underlined that what was meant by Allah's Saying in this ayah {what has been recited to you in the Book}, was the other ayah that reads (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. His Saying {and [yet] you desire to marry them,} [Quran 4:127] in the other ayah, means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his guardianship and care when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). This means that a guardian may marry off the orphan girl under his care, and he may want to marry her himself. Allah, Exalted is He, commanded him to pay her the due Mahr that is paid to other women or else marry another. Allah, Exalted is He, laid no restrictions on him to marry other women; He Says (what means): {And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four.} [Quran 4: 3]. Moreover, some guardians were not inclined to marry the orphan girls under their care because they possessed no beauty or adequate property in their views. Allah, Exalted is He, forbade them from refraining from marrying off such orphan girls to suitable suitors fearing that they would have a share in the joint property owned by the guardian and orphan girl.
In the pre-Islamic era, a guardian used to throw his robe over orphan girls under his care and this meant that no one would be ever allowed to marry such an orphan girl. If she was beautiful, he would marry her and devour her wealth, and if she was not beautiful, he would deny her marriage until she died and he would inherit her! This unjust practice was deemed prohibited in Islam. It goes without saying that marriage - especially to an orphan girl - must be based on justice and what is permissible as per the laws of Islam.
The hadeeth warns against the oppression and injustice committed against orphans, and urges guardians to fulfill their rights.
It is also inferred therefrom that the guardians are entrusted with those placed under their care and guardianship, and that wronging them constitutes a breach of trust..

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

| Hadiths

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

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

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

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

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

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.".

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

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.”.

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.”.

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

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

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

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

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

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

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.".

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

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.”.

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.”.

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

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

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

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