It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : This hadith brings great glad tidings from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who is helped to fast the entire month of Ramadan when he is able to do that. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from eating, drinking, sexual activity and all other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Whoever fasts this month “out of faith and in the hope of reward”, believing in the divine command to do it, knowing that it is obligatory, out of fear of punishment for failing to do it, and seeking great reward for his fast – and this is a description of the believer – it is hoped that Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith urges us to fast the month of Ramadan, and highlights the great reward for doing that..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion is easy, and no one commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, but he will be overwhelmed (and unable to continue). So do your best and do not go to extremes, be of good cheer, and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.”.

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of ease. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged us to persist in a moderate approach to doing righteous deeds and acts of worship, and limiting that to what one is able to do and is able to persist in doing regularly. Whoever commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, and goes to extremes, will not be able to carry on, and this over-commitment will overwhelm him and defeat him.
In the beginning of the hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sets out this important principle. He says “Religion is easy”, meaning that it is easy and straightforward in its beliefs, in the manners and attitudes that it promotes, in the righteous deeds that it enjoins and in the things that it prohibits and forbids. Then he advises us to be moderate and to do our best, encouraging us with words of glad tidings and urging us not to despair.
Being moderate is mentioned with regard to doing righteous deeds and in doing acts of worship, so that the individual does not fall short with regard to what he is enjoined to do, and he does not take on of such deeds more than he can bear, and thus he avoids going to extremes or becoming negligent. “Do your best” means: even if you cannot do it perfectly, then try your best to do what is close to that level. “Be of good cheer” means: have hope of reward, because you will be rewarded for your good deeds even if they are few.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us about that which could help us to be moderate and do our best, as he said: “and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.” These are three times that are good for doing righteous deeds and acts of worship which help a person in his journey towards Allah. The morning is the beginning of the day, and the afternoon is the end of the day. The word translated here as night refers to travelling at the end of the night, which is something praiseworthy in the case of physical, worldly journeys and in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah through doing acts of worship and righteous deeds. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said “and during part of the night”; he did not say “at night”, so as to make it easier, because it is difficult to do deeds at night. The beginning of these words sound as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was speaking to a traveller who is trying to cover the distance to reach his destination. So he drew his attention to the times when he has the most energy, when his acts of worship and righteous deeds will produce the best results. Thus he likened man in this world to a traveller, and this is indeed how he is, because this world is a realm of travel and movement that leads to the hereafter, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed out to his ummah that they should strive to make the most of these times of opportunity and any periods of free time that they have.
This hadith motivates people who aspire to do righteous deeds and acts of worship, and gives them glad tidings of the reward that will result from their good deeds..

It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his paternal relatives – or his maternal uncles among the Ansar. He prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or seventeen months, but he was always hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. The first prayer he prayed [facing towards the Kaaba] was ‘Asr prayer, and a number of people prayed with him. One of the men who had prayed with him went out, and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said: I bear witness by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. So they turned as they were [still in the posture of ruku‘] to face towards the Kaaba. The Jews and other People of the Book had liked it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so when he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they did not like that..

Commentary : Religious laws are based on revelation and what Allah (may He be glorified) has enjoined, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) followed that. If he found himself inclined towards something, he would not do it unless he was instructed to do it. In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah, he stayed with Banu al-Najjar, because they were his maternal uncles, or his forefathers on the side of his father’s grandfather, Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf. In the beginning, when prayer was made obligatory, his qiblah [direction faced in the prayer] was Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and he continued to face in that direction for sixteen or seventeen months, but he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Allah (may He be glorified) mentions this feeling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the verse in which He says: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. Thus He promised that He would turn his face towards the qiblah with which he would be pleased. The first prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed whilst facing towards the Kaaba was ‘Asr prayer; there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the fact that that happened in 2 AH. Some of his companions prayed with him, then one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by the people of another mosque. He found them praying, and they were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said to them: I swear by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba in prayer. When they heard him, they believed him and they turned to face towards al-Masjid al-Haram without interrupting their prayer; rather they completed their prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Thus they offered one prayer in two directions: facing towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and facing towards al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].
The Jews liked the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to face towards Bayt al-Maqdis, because that was their qiblah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards the Sacred House, they did not like that. Then Allah (may He be exalted) revealed concerning that the words: {The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?’ Say, ‘To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path’} [al-Baqarah 2:142], as is clearly stated in other reports.
Some of the Sahabah who had only prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis had died or been killed before the qiblah was changed to the Sacred House. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about them, then Allah revealed the words: {Allah would never let your faith go to waste} [al-Baqarah 2:143], referring to their prayers.
In this hadith, we see how quickly the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) responded to the commands of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is prescribed to swear to something in order to confirm it, and that one should respond positively to the one who calls people to Allah and His Messenger..

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “If a person enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah will absolve every bad deed that he committed, then after that he will be treated fairly: a good deed will bring a tenfold reward, up to seven hundredfold, and a bad deed will be recorded as one, unless Allah pardons it.”.

Commentary : Entering Islam will save a person in this world and the hereafter, for Islam is the religion which affirms the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified) and does not associate anything with Him. It is the message that was brought by all the Messengers and Prophets.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that if a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, and becomes a Muslim in the true sense of the word, with no trace of doubt, believing outwardly and inwardly, then Allah will absolve the bad deeds that he committed, meaning the sins, both minor and major, that he committed before he became Muslim, by His grace. Then after becoming Muslim he will be treated fairly and equitably, meaning that Allah will requite him appropriately for everything that he does, whether it is good or bad. So he will be requited for good deeds with reward, and for bad deeds with punishment. He will be rewarded tenfold for every good deed, and that reward may be multiplied up to seven hundredfold. As for bad deeds, each bad deed will be recorded as just one deed, and he will be requited accordingly. Or Allah may pardon him, by His grace, kindness and mercy, so He will not punish him for doing it.
This hadith indicates that Islam erases whatever sins came before it. .

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her apartment, when there was a woman with her. He said: “Who is this?” She said: So-and-so, and she spoke about how much she prayed. He said: “Stop! You should only do as much as you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.” The dearest of religious practice to him was that which a person does regularly and persists in it.

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Commentary : Religion is easy and not difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah the proper way to adhere to religion and to practice it. He explained that the believer should do what he is able to do of worship, whilst encouraging people to be moderate in what they commit themselves to do, so that they will not grow weary or lose energy and momentum. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that the Prophet entered her apartment one day, when another woman was with her. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, ‘A’ishah told him that this was So-and-so, mentioning her by name, then she said how much she prayed and did other acts of worship, praising her a great deal. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked her and said “Stop!” meaning: Stop praising her, for what she is doing is not deserving of praise, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. Proper adherence to religion means following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhering to his Sunnah, not being harsh with oneself and exhausting oneself in doing a lot of acts of worship. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the right way and said: “You should only do as much as you are able to do”, so commit yourself to deeds that you are able to do regularly and persist in, and do as much as you are able to of fasting and praying at night; do not make it hard for yourselves.
With regard to the words “for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary”, some of the scholars said that this ascribes the attribute of weariness to Allah (may He be exalted) but the weariness of Allah is not like the weariness of people, because when a person grows weary it is an attribute of imperfection, as it indicates that he has become bored and tired of this thing. The weariness of Allah, on the other hand, is an attribute of perfection with no element of shortcoming in it, which is like all the other divine attributes that we affirm for Allah in a manner that is most perfect, even if in the case of people it is an attribute of imperfection. However, some of the scholars say that the phrase “Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary” serves to highlight the fact that no matter how much you do of righteous deeds, Allah will reward you for it, so do as much as you like, for Allah will never tire of rewarding you until you grow weary of striving in doing righteous deeds. Based on that, what is meant by weariness [in the case of Allah (may He be exalted)] is the outcome of that weariness [which is the cessation of reward when the person grows weary and stops doing the good deed he was doing]. And some of the scholars said that this hadith does not indicate that Allah becomes weary at all, because if someone says “I will not get up until you get up,” that does not imply that the other person will get up. By the same token, “He does not grow weary until you grow weary” does not imply that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will grow weary.
‘A’ishah also said that the dearest of religious practice to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and according to another report in as-Sahihayn, it says “to Allah” – is that which one persists in and does regularly, even if it is small, as mentioned in the report of Muslim, because persisting in a small action is persisting in worship, dhikr, mindfulness of Allah, intention, sincerity and turning to the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) and a small action that is done persistently will yield a much greater result than a great deed that is done and then stops.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s compassion and kindness towards his ummah.
It also indicates that a small action that is done consistently is better than a greater action that is inconsistent..

It was narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of barley; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of wheat; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of an atom.” He [the narrator] said: Aban said: Qatadah told us: Anas told us, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “of faith,” instead of “goodness.”.

Commentary : Allah’s mercy towards His slaves is immense and without limit, and it cannot be fully described. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will show great generosity to many of His slaves, and he will bring forth from the Fire anyone in whose heart is the smallest amount of goodness and faith.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that no one will remain forever in Hell who has in his heart an atom’s weight of faith. If the Muslim who sinned dies without having repented from his sin, it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him for it, and if He wills, He will punish him, but he will not remain forever in the Fire under any circumstances. Allah will bring forth from the Fire anyone who said La ilaha illa Allah and has in his heart as much as a grain of barley, or a grain of wheat, or even an atom’s weight of goodness, which means faith, as is explained in other reports. That is because goodness, in reality, is that which brings a person closer to Allah (may He be exalted), and that can be nothing other than faith. The word dharrah (translated here as atom) may refer to a small ant, or a speck of dust that may be seen floating in rays of sunlight, like the heads of needles. Barley is mentioned before wheat, because its grains are bigger in size, although they are very similar to one another, and the dharrah is mentioned last because it is so small. This is by way of explaining the issue by using the analogy of increasingly smaller likenesses.
This hadith indicates that merely saying La ilaha illa Allah, without there being any faith in the heart, will not benefit a person or bring him forth from the Fire.
It also clearly indicates how people may have different levels of faith, and that some of those believers who commit major sins may enter the Fire, but they will not abide therein forever..

It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that a Jewish man said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival. He said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. ‘Umar said: We know that day, and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). [It was] when he was standing in ‘Arafah, on a Friday. .

Commentary : The Holy Qur’an is held sacred by all Muslims. The noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn everything having to do with it, such as the reasons for revelation, the story behind the revelation of verses, and when they were revealed, as well as learning all the rulings and meanings of the verses.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tariq ibn Shihab narrates that a Jewish man – namely Ka‘b al-Ahbar, before he became Muslim, as is narrated in Tafsir al-Tabari and al-Awsat by al-Tabarani – came to the caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): There is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival – that is, we would have made it a festival to celebrate, out of respect and honour for that day, and highlighting its virtue. ‘Umar said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3], that is, by causing it to be victorious and prevail over all other religions, {and completed My favor upon you} that is, by guiding you, helping you and perfecting the religion, and with the conquest of Makkah and the destruction of the beacons of jahiliyyah. This is a great verse, and the day when it was revealed is deserving of celebration.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We know that day, and the place in which this verse was revealed, so you are not telling us of something of which we are unaware. It was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday, so it was a day on which two “festivals” were combined: the day of ‘Arafah, and Friday.
The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbar, “we would have taken that day as a festival” imply: and you have not taken it as a festival, as if he was trying to suggest that the verse was not true, because the Muslims had neglected the day on which it was revealed. So ‘Umar explained to him that they did indeed celebrate it on two counts, and they regarded it as a twofold festival.
This hadith indicates that festivals and days to be commemorated cannot be based on personal opinion and ideas, as the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did before us. Rather they are to be based on religious texts and following the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that faith may increase and decrease, as religious commitment may be perfected by perfecting and completing the deeds that it prescribes..

It was narrated that Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah said: A man from Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with dishevelled hair. The rise and fall of his voice could be heard, but his words could not be understood until he came close, and it turned out that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Five prayers every day and night.” The man said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And fasting Ramadan.” He said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned zakah, and the man said: If anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the man turned away, saying: By Allah, I shall do no more than that and no less. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is telling the truth.”.

Commentary : Being assiduous in doing everything prescribed in Islam and carrying out its pillars in the proper manner, with sincerity, is the path to success and prosperity, and a means of salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
In this hadith, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man from Najd – which is a region of Arabia between the Hejaz and Iraq – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That man was Dimam ibn Tha‘labah; his hair was unkempt because of the rigours of travel, and he had a loud voice, but nothing he said could be understood until he drew close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It turned out that he was asking about the teachings of Islam, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by explaining that the first duty of Islam that was required of him was the five prayers, which are to be offered every day and night. He said: Do I have to offer any prayers other than these five prayers? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: You do not have to offer any other prayers, unless you voluntarily do some of the regular Sunnah and other Sunnah prayers, which are encouraged (mustahabb) and you will be rewarded for doing them, but you will not be punished for not doing them.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that he had to fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. He said: Do I have to do anything else? He said: You do not have to do anything else, unless you do it voluntarily, fasting some days other than Ramadan, for they are encouraged and you will be rewarded for doing that. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him about zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
The man asked: Do I have to do anything other than that? He said: No, unless you give something else in charity voluntarily, and you will be rewarded for that, but it is not obligatory and you will not be sinning if you do not do it. Then the man turned and left, swearing by Allah that he would not do any supererogatory (nafil) deeds in addition to these obligatory duties, and he would not omit any of them. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is speaking the truth.” In other words, if he means what he says, and he does these pillars [of Islam] sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), then he will attain Paradise and be saved from the Fire, even if he does not do any supererogatory actions.
This hadith indicates that if a person limits himself to the obligatory religious duties, as prescribed in the religious texts, then he will succeed, but this does not mean that it is not prescribed for him to do some voluntary acts of worship, because the voluntary actions will complete the obligatory actions (and make up for any shortcomings in them) on the Day of Resurrection..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward, and remains with it until the funeral prayer is offered and the burial is complete, will go back with two qirats of reward, each qirat like Uhud. Whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial is done will go back with one qirat.”.

Commentary : Part of honouring a fellow Muslim and showing kindness to him is attending his funeral when he dies, following the bier and offering the funeral prayer for him. This brings an immense reward for the one who does that out of faith and seeking reward.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions the immense reward to be attained by following the bier, and tells us that the one who follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward – that is, believing in the promise of Allah and seeking reward from Him, doing that sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted) alone, and not seeking to be seen by people or doing it for any other purpose that is contrary to sincerity – and offers the funeral prayer for the deceased, and follows the bier until the burial is completed, will attain two qirats of reward, each qirat like Mount Uhud, which is the well-known mountain on the northern outskirts of Madinah, 4 or 5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is 7 km long, 2 to 3 km wide, and 350 metres high. Attaining these two qirats is subject to three conditions: firstly, following the bier; secondly, offering the funeral prayer; thirdly, attending the burial. As for the one who only offers the funeral prayer and then goes back before the burial is done, he will attain only one qirat of reward.
This hadith encourages us to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, follow his bier and attend his burial. It also highlights the immense grace and generosity of Allah, and how great is the reward that He grants for small deeds..

It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Commentary : Islam urges us to respect people’s honour and lives, and it calls the Muslims to be brothers and have compassion for one another, and not to transgress against one another.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids the Muslim to insult and revile his fellow Muslim, and explains that impugning his honour and shaming him is regarded as evildoing, and it is going against the command of Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing what they have forbidden; according to Islamic teachings, it is worse than merely committing a sin. “And fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” – what is meant here is not disbelief in the sense that it puts one beyond the bounds of faith. Rather it is called disbelief (kufr) in order to emphasize the warning and deter the listener from doing that. Or it may be that it is likened to disbelief because this is the action of one who disbelieves. It may be understood as meaning disbelief in a real sense if the doer believes that it is permissible to do that.
In the original report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Tabi‘i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Murji’ah – who were a group who said that if a person believed, it did not matter if he sinned, and they claimed that the one who committed major sin was not an evil doer. So Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, which affirms that sin is indeed harmful and affects the faith of the one who does it.
This hadith also indicates that some deeds may be described as disbelief (kufr), which implies that other deeds may be called faith (iman)..

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to tell the people when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but two of the Muslim men suddenly started arguing, so he said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but So-and-so and So-and-so started arguing, so it [knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr would be] was taken away from me, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it in seven and nine and five.”.

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan is of great significance and immense virtue, and we have been commanded to seek it and spend the night in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
In this hadith, ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out one day to tell the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) about Laylat al-Qadr and precisely when it would occur, but he saw two men arguing and disputing, so he said: I came out to tell you about Laylat al-Qadr and which night it would be, but I saw two men arguing, so knowledge of its time was taken away. Thus they were deprived of the blessing of (the knowledge of) Laylat al-Qadr; otherwise Laylat al-Qadr will still remain until the Day of Resurrection. Then he said: Perhaps taking away the knowledge of when it will be and leaving its time ambiguous is better for you, so that you will strive hard in seeking it, and thus increase your reward. If it was known exactly when it would be, you might limit your hard work to that time, so you would make less effort and receive less reward. Then he said: So seek it – that is, look for it and strive hard – on the twenty ninth, the twenty seventh, and the twenty fifth of Ramadan. And it was said that what is meant is: look for it on the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, when only nine days are left, or seven, or five, so Laylat al-Qadr may be on the twenty-first night, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, and so on. That is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days), so if you take away nine, you get twenty-one. And it was said that what is meant by nine in the hadith is the night before the twenty-second, what is meant by seven is the night before the twenty-fourth, and so on. This is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days). And it was said that it varies from one year to another.
This hadith also condemns arguing and disputing, because they are a cause of punishment for everyone for the sin of a few.
The hadith also indicates that sins may be a cause of some issues of religion that one needs to know being hidden from him, so the more people commit sins, the more likely it is that this will lead to some issues of religion becoming unknown to them. .

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to the people one day, then Jibril came to him and said: What is faith (iman)? He said: “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.” Jibril said: What is Islam? He said: “Islam is to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him; to establish prayer; to give the obligatory zakah; and to fast Ramadan.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for although you do not see Him, He sees you.” He said: When will the Hour be? He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I shall tell you about its portents: when the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and when the insignificant camel herders compete in building lofty structures. It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the words: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour…} Luqman 31:34]. Then the man turned and left. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Bring him back,” but they did not see anything. Then he said: “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion.”.

Commentary : This hadith discusses different religious duties and acts of worship, both outward and inward, including the tenets of faith, physical actions, sincerity in the heart, and caution regarding everything that could undermine righteous deeds. It covers the basic principles, important issues and foundations of faith, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the meaning of faith, Islam and ihsan when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him in the form of a man and asked him questions, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had come out among the people and was sitting with them. The bringer of the revelation, Jibril (peace be upon him), came to him and asked him about faith, in order to teach the people their religion. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: It means to believe in Allah, which means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
Believing in His angels means believing in all the angels of Allah (may He be exalted): both those who have been mentioned by name – such as Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil – in whom we must believe in detail, and those who have not been mentioned by name, in whom we must believe in general terms.
Believing in His Books means affirming that all the Books that were sent down to the Prophets and Messengers, such as the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an, are the words of Allah and came from Him, and that what they contain – of that which has not been distorted – is true; that Allah sent down the Qur’an to determine what is true in those [previous] Books and to confirm them, and that it is protected from distortion.
Believing in the meeting with Allah means believing and affirming that people will stand before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for the reckoning and the requital of their deeds.
Believing in the Messengers of Allah means believing in and affirming all the Messengers of Allah, and believing that they spoke the truth in what they conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted), and that Allah supported them with miracles which proved that they spoke the truth; that they conveyed Allah’s message from Him and explained to people what He commanded them to explain; that we must respect them and not differentiate between them; and that we must believe that the last of them is our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that all of mankind are obliged to believe in him and follow him.
Believing in the resurrection means believing that Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves and will give life to the dead.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Islam, and he replied: It means to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him, and obeying Him with submission, humility and love.
You should establish prayer, and establishing prayer is done by regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
You should give zakah, which is obligatory, and give it to those who are entitled to it. It is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter.
And you should fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he asked him about ihsan, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying: It means that you worship Allah like one who sees Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah sees him, so you do not omit any aspects of humility, submission, sincerity, and utmost alertness in controlling your thoughts and physical movements, paying attention to proper etiquette both outward and inward, so long as you are in a state of worship. The ultimate level of ihsan is for the believer to worship his Lord as if he sees Him in his heart, so he will constantly bear in mind the fact that he is in that state (as if seeing Allah in his heart). If he is not able to do that and it is too difficult for him, then he moves to a different level of ihsan, which is to worship Allah with the awareness that Allah sees him and knows what he conceals in his heart and what he does openly, for nothing he does is hidden from Him.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Tell me about the Hour, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. In other words, all of creation is the same with regard to knowledge of when the Hour will begin, for none of them have any knowledge of that in reality. This indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) alone has kept the knowledge of it to Himself, hence he said: It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah, then he recited the verse: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die} [Luqmaan 31:34]. These are the keys of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But I shall tell you about its portents. As it is not possible to know the time of the Hour, which he was asked about, he moved on to describing its portents, which are the signs that the Hour is close at hand. The first of its signs is that the slave woman will give birth to her mistress. What is meant is that there would be many conquests in the lands of the disbelievers, which would lead to the acquisition of slaves, so that a woman would be brought from the land of disbelief when she was young, and she would be freed in the Muslim lands, then her mother would be brought as a slave after her, then the daughter would buy her and employ her as a servant, not knowing that she was her mother. This indeed happened in the history of Islam. Or it may be that slave women would give birth to kings, so the king’s mother would be one of his subjects when he was her master and the master of others among his subjects, and in charge of their affairs. Or it may be that what is meant is that defiant disobedience towards parents would become widespread, to the extent that children would treat their mothers like slaves, by insulting them and humiliating them.
The second sign is that the insignificant camel herders will compete in building lofty structures. What is meant by insignificant is unknown herders and shepherds, or those who have nothing and are destitute. Competing in the building of lofty structures means that they will become rich and kings, ruling people.
What is mentioned in this hadith is only two of the minor portents of the Hour; there are many portents, many of which have already appeared.
After the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had answered these questions, the questioner went away. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to bring him back to him, but they could not see anything, either the man or his tracks. It was said that perhaps he said “bring him back to me” in order to alert the Sahabah and make them realize that this was an angel, not a human being. Hence he said to them, “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion”, that is, the principles of their religion. He attributed the act of teaching to him, even though he just asked questions, because he was the cause of this teaching, so he attributed it to him, or because teaching was the aim behind his asking these questions, or because he wanted them to learn, as they did not ask. Or it may be that through Jibril’s questions to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the presence of the Sahabah, he wanted to show them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a great deal of knowledge, and that his knowledge came through the revelation, so that they would become more eager to acquire knowledge and be more interested in it.
This hadith indicates that when the words Islam and faith (iman) are mentioned together, each of them has its own meaning, and when one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the meaning of the other.
It also indicates that the angels may appear in human form, as referred to in the verse: {Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man} [Maryam 19:17].
It also highlights the importance of sincerity and remembering that Allah is always watching.
And it indicates that if a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, “I do not know”, and that does not detract from his status; rather it is indicative of his prudence, piety and abundant knowledge..

It was narrated that an-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “That which is halal is clear and that which is haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will have protected his faith and his honour, but whoever falls into the doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary: soon he will transgress upon it. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits. Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt; indeed, it is the heart.”.

Commentary : This hadith is one of the hadiths which describes the central tenets of Islam. It is a very important hadith, and one of the principal foundations of Islamic teaching. It is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as in it he urges the Muslims to err on the side of caution and avoid doubtful matters concerning which there is no clear reference in the religious texts. He explained that what is halal is clear and evident; it is everything for which there is no evidence that it is prohibited in the Qur’an, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘) or analogy (qiyas), because the basic principle is that things are permissible [unless there is evidence to the contrary]. Similarly, what is haram is also clear and evident; it is everything for which there is evidence that it is prohibited, whether that evidence is from the Qur’an, the Sunnah or scholarly consensus. He stated that between what is halal and what is haram, there is a third category, which is doubtful matters. These are matters concerning which there is no clear ruling as to whether it is halal or haram, so many people are not able to know the ruling on these matters. This includes all doubtful and ambiguous matters, such as wealth from dubious sources, or wealth that is mixed with riba, or other kinds of unlawful wealth. As for cases when one is certain that this wealth has definitely been acquired through riba, then it is one hundred percent haram, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it cannot be regarded as doubtful or dubious. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that whoever avoids doubtful matters is erring on the side of caution, so his faith will be protected from falling short, and his honour will be protected from any aspersions, criticism or bad reputation. As for the one who falls into doubtful matters and has the audacity to accept them, he is exposing himself to danger, for he will soon fall into that which is haram, like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary, which is the land that the king sets aside for his own flocks, and warns anyone who grazes his flocks there without his permission that he will face a severe punishment. If a shepherd grazes his sheep around the land that the king has set aside for himself and designated for his personal use, his flock may enter the sanctuary, in which case he will deserve the punishment of the ruler. By the same token, the one who is careless about doubtful matters is in danger, because those matters may be haram, and he may fall into them, or he may become careless about doubtful matters, and that leads to him becoming negligent and careless in general, so he begins to fall into haram matters deliberately. Falling into dubious matters may lead to falling into minor sins, and falling into minor sins may lead to falling into major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits.” In other words, the sanctuary of Allah is the sins that He has prohibited to His slaves; whoever enters His sanctuary by committing any of those sins is doomed, and whoever comes close to it by doing doubtful things is in danger.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke a comprehensive word which explains what causes the sons of Adam to behave in a righteous or corrupt manner, which is that the basis of physical wellbeing has to do with the soundness or otherwise of the heart. If the heart is (spiritually) sound, then the person’s intentions will only seek what is right and proper, and all his physical faculties will be sound, and he will not be prompted to do anything except obey Allah and avoid His wrath. Thus he will be content with what is halal and have no need of what is haram. But if the heart is (spiritually) corrupt, then the person’s intentions will be corrupt, and all his physical faculties will be corrupt, and he will be prompted to disobey Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and to do that which incurs His wrath. He will not be content with what is halal; rather he will hasten to seek that which is haram, in accordance with what his heart desires and the extent to which it drifts away from the truth..

It was narrated that Abu Jamrah said: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas, who would invite me to sit next to him. He said: Stay with me so I can give you a share of my wealth. So I stayed with him for two months. Then he said: When the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said: “Who are the people – or who are the delegation?” They said: [The tribe of] Rabi‘ah. He said: “Welcome to the people – or the delegation. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, we cannot come to you except in the sacred month, for between us and you there is this tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something clear that we can tell to those whom we left behind, by means of which we may enter Paradise. And they asked him about four kinds of drinks. He commanded them to do four things, and forbade to them four things. He commanded them to believe in Allah alone. He said: “Do you know what believing in Allah alone means?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” [And he commanded them] to establish prayer, give zakâh and fast Ramadan, and to give one fifth of the war booty. And he forbade them to use four things: glazed pitchers, gourds, hollowed-out stumps, and varnished jars. And he said: “Memorize them [these rulings] and tell them to those you left behind.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach the people all matters that would benefit them in their religious affairs, and in this world and the hereafter, so that they would be fully aware of them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Jamrah says: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., at the time when he was the governor of Basra during the caliphate of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to honour him and make him sit next to him. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Stay with me so that you can help me to understand those who come to ask questions. That was because he used to translate for him and tell him what non-Arab petitioners wanted, and he would tell the petitioner what Ibn ‘Abbas said. So he stayed with him for two months, and he heard this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, in which he told the story of the arrival of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays who came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Abdul Qays was the name of a tribe. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked them about their lineage, and they said: Rabi‘ah, referring to their ancestor. Rabi‘ah was the son of Nizar ibn Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnan. They mentioned Rabi‘ah because ‘Abdul Qays was one of his sons. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed them and said: Welcome to the people who have come with nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret. What is meant is that none of them delayed becoming Muslim out of stubbornness, so neither they nor their families were taken captive, or anything else of that nature, that could be a cause of shame or regret. This serves to highlight their honourable position, as they entered Islam willingly, without being subjected to any kind of humiliation.
They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): We can only come to you during the sacred month. They mentioned the word in the singular, but what is meant is all four sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. They were only able to come during these months, and not others, because the Arabs used to refrain from fighting during these months; the disbelievers of the tribes of Mudar lived between Rabi‘ah and Madinah, and the tribe of Rabi‘ah could not reach Madinah except by travelling through their land; they were afraid of them, except during the sacred months, because they refrained from fighting at that time. They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to enjoin upon them something clear, by means of which they could distinguish what was true and what was false, so that they could tell their people in their homeland about it. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do four things: he enjoined them to believe in Allah, and explained that that meant bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn) must be uttered verbally, whilst acknowledging and believing it in the heart, acting in accordance with what these words imply, believing, affirming and testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and that none is rightfully worshipped except Allah; and acknowledging the message of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah and affirming that he is the last of the prophets and messengers, and that it is obligatory upon all people to follow him and believe in him.
Then he enjoined them to establish prayer, which means regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
Then he enjoined them to give zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
Then he enjoined them to fast Ramadan, which means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he added: You should give one-fifth of the war booty, because they were neighbours of the disbelievers of Mudar, and they were people who fought in jihad and captured booty. Booty refers to anything that the Muslims seized of the wealth and property of the disbelievers by means of prevailing over them and defeating them. They were to give one fifth (khums) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as Allah explained in the verse: {Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Messenger, close relatives of the Messenger…} [al-Anfal 8:41], to be spent in the ways prescribed in the religious texts.
Some may be confused by the fact that the report says that he enjoined four things, but mentioned five. The response to that is that the first of the four things that are enjoined is the establishing of prayer. The twin declaration of faith was mentioned only for blessing (barakah). Or, it was suggested, that prayer and zakah were counted as one thing, because they are always mentioned together in the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), or because giving the one fifth is included in the general meaning of giving zakah, and what they have in common is that a specific amount of wealth is to be given in some cases but not in others.
Then he said: And he forbade four things. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade them to use four types of vessels for their food and drink. The first type was glazed pitchers, which were earthenware jars that were painted green or red, or glazed with vitreous material that was used to coat the earthenware jar to block all tiny holes. The second type was gourds, which are a type of squash. What was prohibited was using them as vessels after emptying them out and making them hollow. The third type was hollowed-out stumps, which refers to hollowing out the base of a palm tree so that it could be used as a vessel. The fourth type was varnished jars, which are jars that were coated with tar or pitch, which is made from a plant that is burned after it has dried out; similar substances were used for caulking ships and the like.
The prohibition on using these vessels in particular was because food and drink that were kept in them would soon start to change, and perhaps people might drink from them without realizing that a change had occurred. Then after that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession allowing people to use all kinds of vessels, whilst prohibiting drinking anything that caused intoxication, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I used to forbid you to soak [dried dates and the like] in water skins, but now soak [such things] in all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything that causes intoxication.”
Then at the end of the hadith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the members of the delegation to memorize these words of his, and convey them to those whom the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays had left behind.
This hadith tells us that people of virtue and prominent figures may be sent to meet leaders when there are important matters to be discussed.
It shows that an apology or explanation may be given before raising an issue.
It highlights the main issues and pillars of Islam, apart from Hajj.
It indicates that righteous actions may be called faith.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person may honour a prominent figure.
It shows that a knowledgeable person may seek help from his companions in explaining something to those who are present, and to understand their questions.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person should urge the people to convey knowledge and spread awareness of Islamic rulings.
It indicates that there is no shame in the seeker of knowledge or the one who is requesting a fatwa asking the knowledgeable person to explain his answer further. .

It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated to achieve some worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the main principles and foundations of Islamic teaching, to the extent that it was said concerning it that it constitutes one third of knowledge. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions,” so no prescribed act of worship is valid without being preceded by the intention. “And each person will have what he intended,” so all the Muslim will get from his actions is what he intended thereby. This ruling is general in meaning and applies to all actions, whether they are acts of worship, interactions with others or ordinary actions. Whoever intends by his actions to attain some worldly benefit will gain nothing but that worldly benefit, even if it was an act of worship, and thus he will not attain any reward thereby. Whoever intended by his action to draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted) and to seek His pleasure will attain reward through his deed, even if it was an ordinary action, such as eating or drinking. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some practical examples to explain the impact of intentions on actions. Hence he stated that whoever intended by migrating to obey the command of his Lord, seek His pleasure, and flee for the sake of his faith from persecution, his migration was a kind of hijrah that is prescribed in Islamic teachings and will be accepted by Allah (may He be exalted), and he will be rewarded for it because of his sincere intention. However, the one who migrated in pursuit of some worldly gain or personal objective, such as wealth, trade, or marriage to a beautiful woman, “then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated,” and he will not attain anything from his migration except that worldly benefit that he intended, and he will not attain any reward for that..

300

Aisha said, "I would drink when I was menstruating then hand it (the vessel) to the Prophet ﷺ who would put his mouth where mine had been then drink. I would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating then hand it to the Prophet ﷺ who would put his mouth where mine had been.".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was the best and most merciful one to his family. In this hadith, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, told us about the Prophet's manners with her while she was menstruating. When she drank and handed the vessel to him, he used to place his mouth and drink from the same place from where she was drinking. Similarly, when she ate flesh from a bone, he used to eat from the same place from where she was eating. All of these manners were to give her comfort, protect her from sadness during this difficult period, kindly deal with her, and confirm that it is Islamically allowable to mix with menstruating women. It was unlike what Jews and people of pre-Islamic ignorant times believed that they neither ate nor drank with her during her period. Finally, this Hadith confirms the Prophet's kindness to his wives, especially during menstruation, for women are in dire need of kindness at that time..

302

Anas narrated that the Jews, when a woman menstruated, used to leave eating and living with her. The companions asked the Prophet ﷺ about that, so Allah revealed, "They ask you concerning menstruation. Say, "That is a harm," therefore keep away from women during menses." to the end of the verse (Al-Baqarah: 222). As a result, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do everything except sexual intercourse.” When the Jews were reported about that, they said, 'This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it.' Usaid ibn Hudair and ‘Abbad ibn Beshr came and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the Jews are saying such and such. Will we not have intercourse with them (i.e. during menstruation)?' The face of Allah's Messenger ﷺ changed so we thought he was angry with them. When they went out, they were met by a gift of milk which was being brought to the Prophet ﷺ. He asked for them and gave them a drink. Thereupon, they knew that he was not angry with them.".

Commentary : Islam honored women more than any other civilization or system. It granted her rights, status, and a respected opinion. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Jews, who were living in Medina before the Prophet's advent, used to leave eating or living with menstruating women, believing that they were impure. The Companions asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about how to treat women during this period, so Allah revealed, "They ask you concerning menstruation. Say, 'That is a harm,' therefore keep away from women during menses and go not to them till they are purified. And when they have purified themselves, then go into them as Allah has ordained for you. Truly, Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves." (Al-Baqarah: 222) The meaning is a Muslim has to avoid intercourse with his wife during her menstruation period which is a harm. After her blood stopped and she performed a complete bathing, he was allowed to have intercourse with her in the way that Islam has permitted i.e. penetrating one's penis into her vagina, not her anus. At the end of the verse, Allah confirmed that he loved those who frequently repent and purify. Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) permitted them to do everything like kissing, embracing, etc. during this period except intercourse. Above all, a Muslim can live and eat with them during this period. In Sahih Muslim, Aisha said, "I would drink when I was menstruating then hand it (the vessel) to the Prophet (ﷺ) who would put his mouth where mine had been then drink. I would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating then hand it to the Prophet (ﷺ) who would put his mouth where mine had been." When the Jews knew about the Prophet's guidelines, they said, "This man does not want to leave anything we do without opposing us in it." Both the two companions, Usaid Ibn Hudair and 'Abbad ibn Beshr came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him about the Jews' comment. Due to their anger with the Jews, they asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to oppose the Jews' habit and have intercourse with menstruating wives. Thereupon, the Prophet's face changed to the point that the attending companions thought he was angry with them both, for his teachings were to clarify Allah's laws in this case not to agree nor contradict any sect in Medina as they both thought. After they went out, he feared that they were sad about what happened. To remove any difficult feelings, he asked them to come back to drink the milk that he received as a gift. Therefore, they knew that he was not angry with them. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies the Prophet's forbearing and kindness to his companions, (2) It shows that the Prophet (ﷺ) is only angry when facing something that contradicts Allah's teachings, and (3) It confirms that all Islam's teachings are from Allah..

307

Abdullah ibn Qais, said, "I asked Aisha about how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform Witr prayer." He mentioned the hadith and said, "I asked her, 'What did he do after having sexual intercourse? Did he take a bath before going to sleep or did he sleep before taking a bath?' She said, 'He did all of these acts. He may have taken a bath then slept or performed ablution then slept.' I said, 'All praise is due to Allah Who has made things easy.'".

Commentary : In some acts of worship, the Prophet ﷺ used to perform them in various methods, as his guidance regarding the night prayer, witr prayer, and bathing after intercourse. All of his acts were a source of guidance for his nation. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Qais informed that he asked Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, about how the Prophet ﷺ used to perform Witr prayer. His saying, “He mentioned the hadith” meant that he wanted to summarize the hadith and mention its other part showing the Prophet’s act after having intercourse at night. In Sunan Abu Daoud, Abdullah narrated the first part in which Aisha answered, “He may perform witr prayer at the beginning of the night or performed it at its end.” Abdullah asked, “What about his recitation? Did he recite in a loud or low voice?” She answered, “He used to do all of that. Sometimes he recited in a loud voice and sometimes in a low voice.” The Prophet ﷺ used to perform witr prayer in various ways. He performed it with three, five, seven, nine, and eleven rak’as. He may have recited the Quran during his night prayer in a low voice or a loud voice that those around him could hear. Additionally, Abdullah asked her about the Prophet’s bathing due to intercourse at night. She explained that the Prophet ﷺ may have taken a bath before sleeping or just performed ablution. Abdullah’s saying: “All praise is due to Allah Who has made things easy” may be a comment on all of her answers or her answer about the Prophet’s bath after intercourse. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) Islam facilitated the rules of bathing due to intercourse, (2) It clarified the Muslim predecessors’ keenness to ask about the rules of Islam and follow the Prophet’s acts, deeds, and cases..

308

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When any one of you has intercourse with his wife and wants to repeat it, he should perform ablution." In another narration, he added, "An ablution should be between these two acts.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) taught his nation the related matters to intercourse such as its permissible and prohibited acts and how to purify oneself afterward. In this hadith, he guided a husband who had intercourse with his wife to perform ablution if he wanted to do it again before bathing. It was reported in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah that Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that ablution activated a person to have intercourse once again. Moreover, ablution reduces impurities by cleaning one's penis, which has some benefits: (1) From a medical perspective, it strengthens one's penis, (2) It enables the body to relieve before coming back again, and (3) It completes the pleasure by removing the couple's sperm attached to one’s penis, which may reduce pleasure. It was said that the mentioned ablution referred to only washing a man's penis as exaggerating cleanliness, for it was reported in Sunan Abu Daoud that Aisha (ﷺ) said, “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sleep after having intercourse without touching water.” Some said that her saying, “without touching water” meant bathing which did not contradict ablution. It is possible that the Prophet’s command to perform ablution is, as mentioned, with the aim of seeking cleanliness and activity, for what was reported in Sahih Muslim that Aisha narrated, "The Prophet (ﷺ) used to have intercourse with his wives (one after another) with a single bathing." She did not mention that he performed ablution. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is legitimate to perform ablution between two intercourses, whether it is with the same woman or another one, (2) It is not obligatory to perform bathing immediately after intercourse. It is obligatory when wanting to perform acts of worship like prayer which necessitates bathing, and (3) The legitimacy of frequent intercourse..

314

Aisha narrated that a woman asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), "Is it obligatory upon a woman to bathe if she has a wet dream and sees her semen?" He answered, "Yes." Aisha said to her, "May your hand be covered with dust and injured!" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Leave her alone. Is the resemblance due to something other than that?! If her semen prevails over her husband's, the kid resembles his maternal uncles and if his semen prevails over her semen, the kid resembles his paternal uncles.".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was a teacher for his nation. He used to teach it all the etiquette of intercourse and purity. In this hadith, Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, narrated that a woman (Umm Sulaim as Anas ibn Malek narrated in Sahih Muslim) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) if it was obligatory upon a woman to bathe if having a wet dream and seeing semen. He answered, “Yes.” He welcomed her question while Aisha expressed her refusal of that type of question. He saw that it was an important religious matter that a person had to inquire about. In Abu Daoud’s narration, he said, “Women are counterparts of men,” which meant that Islam addressed them with the same legislation as men. Out of his modesty, he implicitly indicated that both genders may have had a wet dream. He thought that the woman understood what he meant through his concise answer. He clarified that the kid resembled his maternal or paternal uncles based on which semen (father’s or mother’s) preceded the other, which was subject to Allah’s will. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies how the Prophet (ﷺ) took much care of teaching women the rules of Islam, and (2) It confirms that it is permissible for women to directly ask scholars..

315

Thawban, the servant of the Prophet ﷺ, said, “While I was standing beside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, one of Jews’ rabbis came and said, ‘Peace be upon you, O Muhammad.’ I pushed him so strongly back that he was about to fall. He said, ‘Why did you push me?’ I said, ‘Why did you not say, ‘O Messenger of Allah?’ The Jew said, ‘We called him by the name his family named him.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, said, ‘My name is Muhammad which my family named me.’ The Jew said, ‘I came to ask you (something).’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Will you benefit from something if I tell you about it?' He said, ‘I lend my ears to it.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew lines on the ground with a stick and said, ‘Ask.’ The Jew asked, ‘Where will people be on the Day when the earth changes into another earth and the heavens too?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘They will be in darkness beside the Bridge.’ He asked, ‘Who will be the first to cross?’ The Prophet answered, ‘The poor immigrants.’ The Jew asked, ‘What will be their gift when they enter Paradise?’ The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘The side part of a whale’s liver.’ The Jew asked, ‘What will be their food afterward?’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘The Paradise’s bull which is eating from its different quarters will be slaughtered for them.’ The Jew asked, ‘What will be their drink?’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘They will drink from a well called Salsabil.’ The Jew said, ‘You have told the truth. I came to ask you about a thing none among the people on the earth knows except a prophet and one or two men.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Will you benefit if I answer you?’ The Jew, ‘I lend my ears to it.’ The Jew resumed, ‘I came to ask you about the kid.’ The Prophet ﷺ answered, ‘A man’s sperm is white and a woman’s sperm is yellow. If they gather and the man’s sperm precedes the female's, it will be a male kid, Allah willing. If the woman’s sperm precedes the man's, it will be a female kid, Allah willing. The Jew said, ‘You have told the truth. Verily, you are a prophet.’ Then he left. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘He asked me about such and such things that I have had no knowledge till Allah gave me that.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was a mercy to the worlds. He was a teacher, educator, and caller to Allah with wisdom and good preaching. In this hadith, his servant, Thawban, narrated that a Jewish rabbi came and greeted the Prophet ﷺ saying, “Peace be upon you, O Muhammad.” Thawban rejected his way of addressing the Prophet ﷺ by his name and neglecting his description of prophethood. Thawban pushed him so strongly that the Jew was about to fall. When the Jew asked Thawban about the reason for pushing him, Thawban wondered, “Why did you not say, O Messenger of Allah?” The Jew answered that he called the Prophet ﷺ by the name his family called him. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ approved his point of view. The name Muhammad means the frequently praised one who has all praised attributes. The Prophet ﷺ asked him if he wanted to ask to get benefits or aimed to challenge and argue. The Jew confirmed that he was keen to hear and judge the Prophet’s words. The Prophet ﷺ started to draw lines with a wooden stick on the ground, which was an Arab way during thinking. Then, the Prophet ﷺ allowed him to ask. The Jew asked about where the people would be on the day when the earth and the heavens would be altered. The Prophet ﷺ informed him that they would be in the darkness beside the bridge over Hell. In the Two Sahihs, Sahl ibn Sa’d narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection on reddish white land like a pure loaf of bread where none has landmarks.” In addition, the Jew asked who would be the first to cross that bridge so the Prophet ﷺ answered that they would be his poor companions who immigrated from Mecca to Medina with their faith, left their family and properties, and supported him for Allah’s pleasing. The Jew asked about the gift they would get once getting to Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that it would be the side part of a whale’s liver which was the best of its parts. The Jew asked about their lunch (or food as in the other narration) so the Prophet ﷺ answered that it would be Paradise’s bull which was eating from its different quarters. This referred that it was a bull with unique characteristics that were not similar to other bulls or it was the only bull in Paradise. In the Two Sahihs, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Jew asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Will I inform you of their food?” The Prophet answered him, “Yes.” The Jew answered, “Bull and whale. Seventy thousand people will eat from the side part of the whale’s liver.” They may be those seventy persons who will enter Paradise without reckoning so they will be preferred and given the best food. The mentioned number may have meant exaggeration not confining. When the Jew asked the Prophet ﷺ about their drink after eating that bull, he replied that they would drink from a well called Salsabil in Paradise as Allah Almighty said, “And they will be given to drink there of a cup (of wine) mixed with ginger. A spring there, called Salsabil.” (Al-Insan: 17, 18) It water is running so fast. Salsabil means that its water is sweet and easy to enter one’s throat. The Jew believed what the Prophet ﷺ told and added that he came to ask the Prophet ﷺ about something none among the people on the earth knew except a prophet and one or two men. It was a metaphor that only a few people knew it. It was known to a prophet or a few persons that a Prophet informed them about it. The Prophet ﷺ asked him if he wanted to benefit from him if he told him something. The Jew confirmed that he was keen to hear and judge the Prophet’s words. The Jew asked the Prophet ﷺ about how the embryo's gender was determined. The Prophet ﷺ answered that the man’s sperm was white and thick while that of the woman was yellow and thin. If they gathered in a woman’s womb and the man’s sperm preceded the female's, it would be a male kid, Allah willing. If the woman’s sperm preceded the man's, it would be a female kid, Allah willing. The Jew confirmed the Prophet’s truthfulness, for all he mentioned was consistent with what he learned from Torah. He also acknowledged the Prophet’s message but did not bear witness to it. This indicates that the mere acknowledgment without belief in Islam has no benefit, for the Prophet did not confirm that the Jew became Muslim. Once the Jew left, the Prophet ﷺ said that he did not know how to answer the Jew’s questions except after Allah informed him. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It contains some signs that confirm the Prophet’s message, for he told about some matters of the unseen world, (2) The high level of the Prophet’s morals, and (3) It clarifies the virtue of the poor immigrants who Allah will honor with preceding others in crossing the bridge..

323

Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to bath with the water left over by Maimuna (his wife)..

Commentary : Islam honored women and did not treat them like outcasts, as was the case in pre-Islamic times in which men neither mixed, ate, nor drank with women during menstruation or postpartum, believing their filthiness. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to bathe from the water remaining after his wife Maimunah's bathing (Ibn Abbas's aunt) due to intercourse or menstruation as Ibn Majah's narration confirmed. The Prophet's wife used to scoop water with her hand, but the water was still pure as Imam An-Nasa'i narrated, "Some of the Prophet's wives had taken a bath due to intercourse then the Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution from her remaining water. Afterward, she mentioned that to him, but he replied, “Water is not made impure by anything." He meant that water was pure, and a Muslim could use it as long as none of its characteristics changed..

325

Safina, the servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to take a bath with one sa' (four water handfuls) and performed ablution with one mudd (a handful of water)." In another narration, he said, "One mudd sufficed for his ablution.".

Commentary : Islamic law forbids extravagance and Allah warns those following this behavior. Extravagance is the excessive usage of anything. A Muslim should be economical even when using water in ablution or bathing. In this hadith, Safina, the companion and servant of the Prophet, confirmed that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to bathe, due to intercourse, with one sa' (eight water handfuls). Sa’ equals eight pounds. A pound in modern quantities is about 380 or 538 grams. It is a little less or more than a liter. Additionally, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to perform ablution with one mudd (two handfuls of water). This hadith shows the amount that sufficed him, not the amount that a person cannot exceed, for people vary in using water for ablution or bathing. Anyway, using water extravagantly is forbidden in Islam that commands its followers to preserve and wisely use water resources as needed..

326

Safina, the servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to take a bath with one sa' (four water handfuls) and performed ablution with one mudd (a handful of water)." In another narration, he said, "One mudd sufficed for his ablution.".

330

Umm Salama narrated, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I am a woman that braids my head. Should I undo it to take a bath after intercourse?’ He said, ‘No, it is sufficient that you only pour three handfuls of water on your head and then pour water over the rest of your body so you will be purified.'".

Commentary : The required bathing in Islam is to wash the entire body with water, as shown in the Prophetic tradition. In this hadith, Um Salama, the Mother of the Believers, narrated that she said to the Prophet (ﷺ) that she used to braid her head so is it required for her to undo it in case of taking a bath due to sexual intercourse. He answered her that it was sufficient that she poured three handfuls of water on her head and then poured water over the rest of her body. If she did that, she would become purified. In another narration, she asked, "Should I undo it to take a bath due to intercourse or menstruation?" This narration indicates that a woman does not need to undo her braids during bathing due to intercourse or menstruation. On the other hand, it was said that adding the word "menstruation" was not narrated by the most trustworthy narrators. Accordingly, the braids should be undone during bathing due to menstruation, not intercourse. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A Muslim should ask about the religious rules that he does not know, (2) It clarifies how the female Companions were keen to learn the Islamic rules, especially those relating to menstruation, and (3) It explains how a woman takes a bath due to intercourse or menstruation..

331

Ubeid ibn Umeir narrated, "Aishah heard that Abdullah ibn Amr ordered women to undo their (plaits of) hair while bathing. She said, 'What a strange issue from Ibn 'Amr! He ordered women to undo their (plaits of) hair while bathing! Did he not command them to shave their hair? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I used to bathe from a single vessel. I never poured more than three handfuls of water over my head.'".

Commentary : Facilitation is one of the noble virtues of Islamic law. This facilitation is obvious in various issues such as purification and ablution. In this hadith, Ubeid ibn Umeir Al-Laithy narrated that Aishah heard that Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas ordered women to undo their (plaits of) hair while bathing so water would reach all hair. He may have made it obligatory. When she heard that, she wondered and declined his opinion, for it was so difficult that they undo their plaits. So she mocked and added, "Did he not command them to shave their hair?" Her proof is that the Prophet (ﷺ) and she used to bathe from a single vessel. She never poured more than three handfuls of water over her head. Aisha is the most well-known one of these details. On the other hand, there is another related hadith in which Um Salama narrated, "I asked, ’O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I am a woman that braids my head. Should I undo it to take a bath after intercourse?’ He said, ‘No, it is sufficient that you only pour three handfuls of water on your head and then pour water over the rest of your body so you will be purified.'" This hadith confirms that a woman is not required to undo her plaits while bathing due to intercourse..

338

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "A man must not look at a man's private parts nor must a woman look at a woman's private parts. A man must not lie naked under one cover with another man nor must a woman lie naked under one cover with another woman.".

Commentary : Islam blocks all pretexts leading to committing sins and provides humanity with the noblest ideals and the right path to worldly life and the Hereafter. To achieve this goal, Islam commands lowering one’s gaze and forbids looking at private parts, which may lead to committing immoral acts. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ prohibits a man from looking at another man's private parts and also prohibits a woman from looking at another woman's private parts. These teachings involve two commands: (1) Covering one's private parts, and (2) Lowering one’s gaze. Allah pardons the first unintentional glance which may aim to distinguish the way, for example. Islam prohibits us from looking at or touching people's private parts without a need. However, it is permissible to look and touch them if there is a legitimate need such as a medical check, provided that there is a need and without a lust. By the way, this prohibition is not applied to spouses during intercourse. As a rule, a man's private part is from his navel to his knees and a woman's private part is her entire body except her face and hands. On the other hand, the Prophet ﷺ prohibits a man from lying naked under one cover with another man or a woman lying naked under one cover with another woman, for this will lead to touching their private parts. Undoubtedly, touching them is more prohibited than looking at them, for it leads to greater dangers. This prohibition is specifically mentioned, for some people may think that when men meet each other or women meet each other, they are not commanded to lower their gaze or cover their private parts. One's private parts must be covered for every male or female person, except for some categories that Islam excludes..

341

Al-Meswar ibn Makhrama said, "While I was walking and carrying a heavy stone, both my light lower garment and the stone fell. I could not place the stone until I put it in its proper place. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, 'Return and wear your garment and do not walk naked.".

Commentary : Modesty is the manner of Islam. Allah prescribed for His servants what preserves their modesty and covers their private parts. In this hadith, Al-Meswar ibn Makhrama narrated that while he was carrying a heavy stone, his lower garment's tie loosed so his private parts were exposed. He was unable to place the stone and tie his garment because of its heavy weight. He continued to carry it until he placed it in its proper place. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw that, he commanded him to go back and wear his garment to cover his private parts. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "... and do not walk naked." This is a general Islamic rule. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) A Muslim has to cover his private parts, (2) It is forbidden for Muslims to be or walk naked in front of people except being naked in front of a woman's husband or man's wife..

342

Abdullah ibn Ga'far narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day made me mount behind him and confided to me something secret which I would not disclose to anybody. The thing that the Prophet ﷺ most liked to conceal himself behind while relieving himself was a hillock or a stand of date palm trees.".

Commentary : Concealing one's private parts is one of the etiquette of relieving oneself so a Muslim is required to preserve them away from people's eyes. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Ga'far narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) one day made him mount behind him and confided to him something secret. Ga’far was honest and would not disclose it to anybody. This indicated his perfect virtue and supreme status with the Prophet to the extent that he let him in on a secret. Afterward, Abdullah narrated, "The thing that the Prophet most liked to conceal himself behind while relieving himself was a hillock or a stand of date palm trees." It was the Arabs' custom that they relieved themselves in gardens but they later used bathrooms. Finally, this hadith confirms the importance of concealing all one's body while answering the call of nature..

343

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated, "I went to Quba' with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on Monday. When we reached (the habitation) of Banu Salim, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the door of Itban and called him loudly. So he came out dragging his lower garment. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'We made the man haste.' Itban said, 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), if a man leaves his wife suddenly (during intercourse) without ejaculation, what is he required to do?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Washing oneself is obligatory due to ejaculation.'".

Commentary : Purity is the symbol of believers. The Prophet (ﷺ) was keen to teach his companions the matters of purification and they used to ask him about any inquiries they had. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that he went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) on Monday to Quba’. It is a close village located south of Media on the way of coming caravans from Mecca. When they arrived at Banu Salem, a sect of Khazraj tribe, The Prophet (ﷺ) stood at the door of Itban bin Malik Al-Ansari and called him in a loud voice. As a result, Itban came out dragging his lower garment, which is a metaphor for his rapid response to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) thought he made Itban haste. Itban asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the necessity of bathing if a man left his wife suddenly during intercourse without ejaculation. The Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed that bathing is only obligatory if a man ejaculates. This rule was applied at the beginning of Islam, then abrogated by the hadith reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When a man sits between her four parts (his wife) and has intercourse, bathing is compulsory." In Muslim’s narration, he said, "Even if he does not ejaculate.” So, bathing is obligatory for anyone who has intercourse with his wife, whether or not he ejaculates semen. It was the established rule during or after the Prophet's lifetime. Finally, this hadith confirms the legitimacy of loud calling a household to inform them of one's presence..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Aisha said, "I would drink when I was menstruating then hand it (the vessel) to the Prophet ﷺ who would put his mouth where mine had been then drink. I would eat flesh from a bone when I was menstruating then hand it to the Prophet ﷺ who would put his mouth where mine had been.".

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When any one of you has intercourse with his wife and wants to repeat it, he should perform ablution." In another narration, he added, "An ablution should be between these two acts.”.

Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to bath with the water left over by Maimuna (his wife)..

Safina, the servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to take a bath with one sa' (four water handfuls) and performed ablution with one mudd (a handful of water)." In another narration, he said, "One mudd sufficed for his ablution.".

Safina, the servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to take a bath with one sa' (four water handfuls) and performed ablution with one mudd (a handful of water)." In another narration, he said, "One mudd sufficed for his ablution.".

Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "A man must not look at a man's private parts nor must a woman look at a woman's private parts. A man must not lie naked under one cover with another man nor must a woman lie naked under one cover with another woman.".

Al-Meswar ibn Makhrama said, "While I was walking and carrying a heavy stone, both my light lower garment and the stone fell. I could not place the stone until I put it in its proper place. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, 'Return and wear your garment and do not walk naked.".