| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
2730
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
When the people of Khaybar dislocated ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar's hands and feet, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) got up delivering a speech saying, "No doubt, Allah's Messengerﷺmade a contract with the Jews concerning their properties, and said to them, 'We allow you (to stay in your land) as long as Allah, Exalted is He, allows you.' Now ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar went to his land and was attacked at night, and his hands and feet were dislocated, and as we have no enemies there except those Jews, they are our enemies and the only people whom we suspect, I have made up my mind to exile them." When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places, and made a contract with us concerning our properties, and accepted the condition of our residence in our land?" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O the enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie!" ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes …etc.”
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Commentary :
The Jews inside and outside Al-Madeenah continued to scheme against the Muslims and break their covenants with the Prophet ﷺ during his lifetime and with his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) after his death. The Prophet ﷺ evacuated the Jews of Banee Al-Nadheer and Banee Qaynuqaa‘, then the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) evacuated the Jews of Khaybar, as stated in this hadeeth. Khaybar is a town located north of Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam, 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah.
The Prophet ﷺ made an agreement with the Jews of Khaybar concerning their properties, allowing them to keep them in return for paying the Jizyah (i.e., head tax on non-Muslim citizens living under the protection of Muslim rule). He ﷺ agreed for them to work in their farms in Al-Madeenah in return for a specified share of the yield. During the Caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the people of Khaybar insidiously attacked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)and dislocated his hands and feet when he went to them. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a speech and informed the people of what had happened to his son at the hands of some unknown people in Khaybar and underlined that they had no enemies there except those Jews, which made them the prime suspects. He (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had decided that exiling them from Al-Madeenah was the best solution. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to carry out his decision, a son of Abee Al-Huqayq, their chief and leader, came and addressed ‘Umar, "O Commander of the Believers, will you exile us although Muhammad ﷺ allowed us to stay at our places,” meaning made an agreement and covenant with us to stay in Al-Madeenah and take care of our properties, i.e., made a contract with us to stay and work in our farms. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you think that I have forgotten the statement of Allah's Messengerﷺ, i.e., ‘What will your condition be when you are expelled from Khaybar and your camel will be carrying you night after night?’ The Jew replied, "That was a joke made by Aboo Al-Qaasim." He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant that the Prophet ﷺ did not actually mean it and was merely joking. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O enemy of Allah! You are telling a lie." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then expelled them out of Al-Madeenah, and paid them the price of their properties in the form of fruits, money, camel saddles, ropes, etc.
It should be noted that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not request the Qisaas (i.e., retribution) from the Jews for what had befallen his son, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) was attacked at night while he was sleeping, and therefore was not able to identify the attackers.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to conduct a Musaaqaah (i.e., a share tenancy or partnership in the yield of trees) transaction, whereby the landowner hires a worker to water his land and take care of it in return for a fixed share of the produce..

2731
Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah and Marwaan (whose narrations attest each other) narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty), and when they proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem, so take the way on the right." By Allah, Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to inform Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would go to them (i.e., the people of Quraysh). The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he ﷺ said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e., the polytheists of Quraysh) ask me anything which will involve horning the sanctity of Allah’s ordinances, I will grant it to them."  The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a little water which people used in small amounts, and in a short while they used up all its water and complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued sprouting out till all people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. While they were still in that state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihaamah. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform ‘Umrah. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraysh and they have suffered great losses, so if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and people (i.e., the Arab disbelievers from other tribes), and if I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish; they will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight them defending my cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious." Budayl said, "I will inform them of what you have said." So, he set off till he reached Quraysh and said, "We have come from that man (i.e., Muhammadﷺ) whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you if you should like." Some fools among Quraysh shouted that they were not in need of such information, but the wiser ones among them said, "Relate what you heard him saying." Budayl said, "I heard him saying such-and-such," relating what the Prophet ﷺ had told him. ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh for your help, and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Well, this man (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) has offered you a reasonable proposal, you should better accept it and allow me to meet him." They said, "You may meet him." So, he went to the Prophet ﷺand started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Then ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people? Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him and said, "Do you say that we would run and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted on you!" ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing his beard as he was talking while Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah), “Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." ‘Urwah said, "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" Before embracing Islam, Al-Mugheerah was in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and came (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said (to him, "As regards to your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken). ‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. By Allah, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ﷺordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would carry his orders immediately; if he ﷺperformed ablution, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence. ‘Urwah returned to his people and said, "O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and Al-Najaashee, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence." ‘Urwah added, "No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it." A man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Budn were brought before him and people (Muslims) received him while they were reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah." When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka‘bah." Another person called Mikraz ibn Hafs got up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Please conclude a peace treaty with us." So, the Prophet ﷺ called a scribe and said to him, "Write down: By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful." Suhayl said, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." Muslims said, "By Allah, we will not write except: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah.’" Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: "Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you, people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" (Al-Zuhree said, "The Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺhad already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it involves honoring the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by letting him and his Companions perform ‘Umrah and abstain from fighting.)" The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl said, "By Allah, we will not (allow you this year), so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that we have yielded to you, but we will allow you next year." So, the Prophet ﷺ got that written down. Then Suhayl said, "We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from our people, even if he had embraced your religion." Muslims said, "Glorified be Allah! How will such person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim? While they were in this state Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, you will." He said, "I will not!” Mikraz said, "We allow you (to keep him)." Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh). ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)said, "I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' I said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' I said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, 'O Aboo Bakr! Is not he truly Allah's Prophet?' He replied, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).' I said, 'Was he ﷺ not telling us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes, but did he ﷺ tell you that you would go to the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You will go to Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it." (Al-Zuhree said, "In this regard, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)said, 'I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.'") When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." By Allah, none of them got up, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he ﷺ left them and went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her of people's attitudes towards him. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and do not say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call for your barber to shave your head." So, the Prophet ﷺ went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e., slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for his barber who shaved his head. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). Then some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then divorced two wives of his as they were disbelievers. Later on, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other. When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who said (to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abide by the promise you gave us." So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and said, "By Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and
oined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for (i.e., Aboo Baseer and his companions) promising that whoever (amongst them) came to the Prophet ﷺwould be secure. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing … When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26] Their prejudice and haughtiness were the reason they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah and refused to write: "In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,” and prevented them (i.e., Muslims) from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah)..

Commentary :
The Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah was described as a conquest by Allah, Exalted is He, because it had very fruitful outcomes for Islam and Muslims, and many Laws of Islam provisions were prescribed during that period, fostering ease and facilitation for Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Marwaan ibn Al-Hakam narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty) in 6 A.H. When they had proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed,” who was then a disbeliever, “leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem,” a valley near Hijaaz between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, about (60 km) from Makkah, “so take the way on the right." Khaalid was leading the vanguard of Quraysh’s army to investigate the situation of their enemy (i.e., Muslims). The Prophet ﷺ commanded the Muslims to take the way on the right to distance themselves from the way taken by Khaalid and his soldiers. Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to warn Quraysh that the Prophet ﷺ was approaching Makkah. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would reach the people of Quraysh. It was said that the Thaniyah was an area located between Makkah and Al-Madeenah on the way of Al-Hudaybiyah and it was the customarily chosen path to reach Makkah. The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up and continue walking, but in vain. They said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" Meaning that the she-camel stubbornly refrained from walking. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." The Prophet ﷺ was referring to the elephant of Abrahah Al-Habashee when he came to demolish the Ka‘bah and Allah, Exalted is He, prevented him access to Makkah by causing his elephant to stop moving, and this was exactly what happened to the she-camel.
Afterward, he ﷺ swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he ﷺ would agree to whatever the disbelievers of Quraysh should ask for to avoid fighting them out of reverence for Makkah and the Ka‘bah, considering the sacredness of the land and gravity of violating Allah’s Ordinances. The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way (i.e., instead of marching towards Makkah, and turned) till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a small quantity of water which the people used in small amounts.In a short while people used up all its water and then complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued flowing out till all the people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. This was one of the miracles performed by the Prophet ﷺ and the signs of his prophethood.
While people were in such a state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe, Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him.They also belonged to the people of Tihaamah, which referred to Makkah and the surrounding towns and cities. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Budayl made mention of these two names as reference to the disbelievers of Quraysh in general, because all the disbelievers of Quraysh in Makkah could be traced back to these two men. He meant that they camped near the well of Al-Hudaybiyah where there was a large quantity of water. He stated that the disbelievers of Quraysh brought along their milch she-camels or their women and children, indicating their readiness to deny the Prophet ﷺ access to Makkah even if they had to fight the Muslims. Allah's Messengerﷺ clarified to him that they had merely come to perform ‘Umrah and had no intention of fighting them, and urged Quraysh to get out of their way, especially since the war had weakened them and they had suffered great losses. He ﷺ proposed that Quraysh should conclude a truce with the Muslims, during which they should refrain from interfering between the Prophet ﷺ and the Arab disbelievers from other tribes. He ﷺ said, “If I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish;” meaning that if the Prophet ﷺ triumphed over the rest of the Arab disbelievers, Quraysh would be given the chance to follow him and embrace Islam like the others, or retain their peace treaty and truce with him, and in both cases, they would at least sparethemselves fighting and taste some relief. He ﷺ then swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that if they did not accept the truce, he ﷺ would fight them defending his cause till he ﷺ would be killed, and added, “… but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious,” and inevitably grant him triumph.
Budayl ibn Warqaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he would inform Quraysh of what he ﷺ said and his offer. He set off till he reached Quraysh and informed them that he had a message from the Prophet ﷺ. He told them of the offer, but some fools among Quraysh shouted that they did not need to hear such an offer. However, the wise people among them asked him to relate what he had heard the Prophet ﷺ saying and he did. Thereupon, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He meant to highlight his care and compassion for them, and the sincerity of his advice for them, comparing it to that of a father’s advice for his own child.
He added, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh,” a marketplace near Makkah, “for your help,” meaning to fight in support of Quraysh, “and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?” He was trying to urge them to accept his request to meet with the Prophet ﷺ after he liked his (reasonable) proposal related by Budayl. They allowed him to meet the Prophet ﷺ and he started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Thereupon, ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people?” He was referring to the people of Quraysh. He added, “Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." He meant that were Quraysh to defeat the Muslims, they would inevitably flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone since they belonged to various tribes. Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him, in response to his offensive claim that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) should flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you say we would flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah recalled a favor that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for him, which he had not yet reciprocated. Therefore, he refrained from retorting and abusing him back. He said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted to you." ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing the Prophet's beard as he was talking, and this was customarily acceptable by Arabs as a non-verbal gesture indicative of endearment. Meanwhile, Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah, who could not recognize him), "Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." On that, ‘Urwah recalled his treacherous act, and said "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" ‘Urwah was his paternal uncle, and Al-Mugheerah, before embracing Islam, was once in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and went (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. His uncle continued to pay the compensation of his treacherous act to their people. The Prophet ﷺ said about Al-Mugheerah’s act, "As regards your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken).” He ﷺ meant that he accepted his Islam, but rejected such usurped property that was insidiously seized by him.
‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and observed how they treated him. He listed some of his observations about the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). For instance, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who would rub it on his face and skin. Whenever he ﷺ ordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them) would comply immediately and fulfill his needs. If he ﷺ performed ablution, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would vie with one another to take the leftover water. Whenever they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, they would lower their voices and, out of reverence, would not stare at his face constantly.
‘Urwah returned to his people and reported to them his encounter with the Prophet ﷺ and their discussions. He started his talk by expressing his deep admiration and amazement at the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He even stated that the Companions’ reverence to the Prophet ﷺ was much greater that the reverence shown to the kings, Caesar, Khosrau, and Al-Najaashee that he had witnessed firsthand. He then underlined the difference he observed saying, “… yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions.” Afterward, he related to them some of his observations, emphasized that his proposal was reasonable, and urged Quraysh to accept it. After hearing ‘Urwah out, a man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Prophet ﷺ recognized the man and knew his tribe. It was said that this man was named Al-Hulays ibn ‘Alqamah Al-Haarithee. These people highly respected the sacrificial camels and cows and believed that it was unlawful to eat from their meat because they were offerings and gifts to the Sacred House. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to send these camels before them to prove to him that he ﷺ really intended to perform ‘Umrah and did not have any intention to fight. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) drove the Budn before him and the Muslims received him while reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah," meaning that no one should deny the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) access to the Ka‘bah to perform ‘Umrah. When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). This was customarily done to distinguish the camels offered as animal sacrifices from others.
Afterward, Mikraz ibn Hafs also sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl asked the Prophet ﷺ to conclude a peace treaty and truce with Quraysh. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ called for his scribe, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), and said to him, "Write down: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" Suhayl objected, saying, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." The Prophet ﷺ used to open his agreements with that phrase in the early days of Islam. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) objected, but the Prophet ﷺ approved it and asked his scribe to write down instead, “By Your Name, O Allah.’ Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl objected again and said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’” The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" In fact, the Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺ had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it meant revering the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by avoiding fighting in the sanctuary). The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl agreed, but stipulated that they should return to Al-Madeenah and come back the following year so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that Quraysh had yielded to the Prophet ﷺ and were forced into it, and the Prophet ﷺ agreed. They also stipulated that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them whoever came to him from Quraysh to embrace Islam. The Muslims objected and said, “Glorified be Allah! How will such a person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim?” While they were in this state, Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Upon seeing him, Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ eventually accepted that term provided that they should exclude Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked Suhayl to exclude him, but he refused. They negotiated it and Mikraz, who attended the meeting, interfered and said, "We allow you (to keep him)." However, the following statement made by Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) indicated that Suhayl refused and that the Prophet ﷺ returned him. Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him)exclaimed, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed at the Prophet’s stance and such unfair terms that seemed against the interests of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and said to him the same, and he replied, ‘Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged ‘Umar to comply with the Prophet’s command, for he ﷺ was acting incompliance with the divine revelation, and was aided by Allah, Exalted is He. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them,” meaning to atone for his inappropriate attitude towards the Prophet ﷺ in that incident.
When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." However, none of them complied, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. It seems that they delayed their compliance with the command, hoping that the divine revelation should come to annul this peace treaty so that they could perform the ‘Umrah.
When none of them got up, he ﷺ went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and complained to her of the Companions’ attitude towards him and their refusal to comply. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) advised the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to go out without saying a word to anybody till he had slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for the barber to shave his head. He ﷺ approved her opinion and acted upon her advice. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)followed his example,got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). They (may Allah be pleased with them) were very distressed that they were denied access to the Sacred House and prevented from performing ‘Umrah, and also because seeing the Prophet ﷺ doing so meant that the command was final, and that no divine revelation was revealed to annul the peace treaty and its unfair terms.Also, they had delayed their compliance with the Prophet’s command to slaughter their animal sacrifices and shave their heads earlier.
Afterward, some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, after the conclusion of the peace treaty. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10]. The ayah meant that Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the Prophet ﷺ to accept the women who should come to him (to embrace Islam) after testing them to ensure their sincere intentions, and that he ﷺ must not return the believing women to the disbelievers.The believers were also enjoined to divorce their disbelieving wives. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced two wives of his, for they were disbelievers. Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other.
When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who reminded the Prophet ﷺ of the agreement they had to return whoever went to join the Prophet ﷺ from Quraysh. So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah, where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) seized the opportunity and deceived them by saying to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and started praising it. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." Aboo Naseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said so thinking that the Prophet ﷺ would approve his act and allow him to stay, but he ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" He ﷺ exclaimed at his action and described him as a stirrer of war. When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore, on the route to Shaam. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and joined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group, which comprised more than forty men. Whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh incurred serious losses because of them, so much that they sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for Aboo Baseer and his group, commanding them to stop what they were doing, and promising security to whoever (amongst them) should come to him. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing. * They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And if not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know - that you might trample them and there would befall you because of them dishonor without [your] knowledge - [you would have been permitted to enter Makkah]. [This was so] that Allah might admit to His mercy whom He willed. If they had been apart [from them], We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with painful punishment. * When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26]. The ayah referred to the ‘chauvinism’ of Quraysh, meaning their prejudice and haughtiness reflected in the fact that they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah, refused to write: ‘In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,’ and prevented Muslims from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Allah, Exalted is He, supports His religion and grants Muslims victory in ways that may seem indicative of defeat (at first glance) and that patience begets relief.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger is obligatory regardless of knowing or investigating the wisdom behind the command or the prohibition.
It is also deduced therefrom that some (clear) matters may be missed by those endowed with intelligence and insight.
It is also inferred that Islam is founded on absolute submission to the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ..

2736
It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger ﷺsaid, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadeeth No. 419, Vol. 8)
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His Names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.} [Quran 7:180].
The Prophet ﷺ taught Muslims these Divine Names and ensured that they should clearly understand their meanings (and implications).
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺstated that Allah, Exalted is He, has ninety-nine Names, and whoever knows them will enter Paradise. The Arabic verb used in the hadeeth is Ahsaa (lit., to enumerate), meaning to memorize these Names and comprehend their meanings or invoke Allah, Exalted is He, by them; He Says (what means): {… so invoke Him by them.} [Quran 7:180]. This means that we are enjoined to implore Allah, Exalted is He, by these Divine Names, saying, for example, ‘Yaa Dhaa Al-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (i.e., O Possessor of majesty and honor)’ or ‘Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom (i.e., O Ever-Living and Sustainer of [all] existence),’ and the like. It was also said that it means acting upon their meanings and worshiping Allah, Exalted is He, in light of their implications. This means that when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name Al-Raheem (i.e., The Especially Merciful), such knowledge should urge him to seek His Mercy and work towards earning such a bestowal. Similarly, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Ghafoor (i.e., All-Forgiving), such knowledge should urge him to seek His forgiveness and work towards earning such a bestowal. In the same vein, when one learns the Divine Name Al-Samee‘ (i.e., All-Hearing), such knowledge should urge him to be mindful of what may incur His wrath. Also, when a servant of Allah learns the Divine Name ‘Al-Baseer (i.e., All-Seeing)’, such knowledge should urge him to avoid whatever displeases Him.
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2737
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) got some land in Khaybar and he went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about it saying, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you wish, you can give the land as endowment and give its fruits in charity." Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it would not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but its yield would be given in charity to the poor people, to his relatives, to fund the emancipation of slaves, to be spent in Allah's Cause, to (be given to) the wayfarers and guests; and that there would be no harm if the guardian (i.e., administrator) of the endowment ate from it according to his need with good intention, and fed others as well, without storing it for the future (i.e., as personal fortune).”.

Commentary :
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to spend in charity and generously make charitable contributions to help others, and they consulted the Prophet ﷺ in this regard.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that his father, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained land in Khaybar, a village 95 miles (153 km) from Al-Madeenah on the route to Shaam. Khaybar was inhabited by Jews, and after the Prophet ﷺ conquered it in 7 A.H., he ﷺ divided some parts of the land among Muslims and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) obtained some of it. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ to consult him about what he (may Allah be pleased with him) should do with his land. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet ﷺ, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, I got some land in Khaybar better than which I have never had, what do you suggest that I do with it?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) liked this land very much because it was the best land he had ever owned. The Prophet ﷺ advised him to donate it as an endowment and give its fruits in charity. Therefore, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) endowed it on the condition that it must not be sold nor given to anybody as a present and not to be inherited, but that its yield should be given in charity for the following beneficiaries: the poor people, his relatives, the slaves who seek Mukaatabah (i.e., a contract of manumission between a master and a slave whereby the slave is required to pay a certain sum of money during a specific time period in exchange for freedom), i.e., giving them the needed money to buy their freedom, and to be spent in Allah's Cause, meaning for the pilgrims and those who partake in Jihaad who have no wealth to complete their pursuits (i.e., perform Hajj or partake in Jihaad), giving them the needed money to complete their pursuits and return home. Other specified beneficiaries included: the wayfarers, i.e., travelers who have no money to return to their lands, and guests. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also stipulated that there would be no harm if the administrator of the endowment should reasonably avail himself of the revenue generated by the endowed property, according to his need with good intention, and he may also benefit others without storing it for the future (i.e., as a personal fortune).
It is inferred from the hadeeth that it is allowable to donate property as an endowment.
It is also deuced that Muslims are urged to uphold ties of kinship and are allowed to specify them as beneficiaries of the endowment.
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2738
 ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messengerﷺsaid, "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) written and kept ready with him."
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Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He, legislated the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) out of His kindness and mercy for His servants, allowing them to allocate a share of their wealth as a bequest to be offered in charity benefiting others and generating rewards for him or her.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ urged Muslims to hasten to write a Wasiyyah before death should befall them abruptly. He ﷺ clarified that it is becoming of any Muslim, man or woman, who has wealth to write his Wasiyyah to clarify with regard to his dependents, the due financial rights he owes to others, and those owed by others to him, including: (unpaid) debts, expiation, and Zakaah that he had neglected. The Hadeeth underlines that it is unbecoming of a Muslim to stay for two nights without having his Wasiyyah written and kept ready with him. In execution of such a Wasiyyah, the unpaid debts specified therein must be deducted from the estate (before the division of inheritance among the eligible heirs), and any bequest made to be spent in charity should be within one-third of the estate only.
The fact that the Prophet ﷺ specifically stated that this was unbecoming of a ‘Muslim’ aims to urge all Muslims to hasten to comply, since the apparent indication of the hadeeth’s wording is that whoever fails to do so would not be qualified to be a (true) Muslim. It is also possible that it means that this is the most likely case.
Al-Daaramee and Al-Daaraqutnee narrated on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “People used to write their Wasiyyah as follows:
This is what so-and-so, the son of so-and-so (i.e., the deceased’s name) had willed. I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He, and He has no partner, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger; that the Last Hour shall undoubtedly come, and that Allah, Exalted is He, shall resurrect the dead from their graves. I also urge my family and dependents to be mindful of Allah, Exalted is He, reconcile their disputes, and obey Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger ﷺ, if they are true believers. I also advise them with what Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ya‘qoob (Jacob) advised their children as narrated in the ayah reading (what means): {And Ibraaheem (Abraham) instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Ya‘qoob (Jacob), [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."} [Quran 2:132]. I hereby will that such-and-such should be done after my death…”
The hadeeth urges Muslims to write their Wasiyyah.
It is also deduced from the hadeeth that important matters should be documented and written, since it is better and more prudent than relying on memory.
It also urges Muslims to prepare themselves for death, and get ready before it abruptly befalls them, and then it would be too late; a person does not know when death shall befall him or her.
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2740
Talhah ibn Musaarrif said: I asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa (may Allah be pleased with him), "Did the Prophet ﷺwrite a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament)?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "No," I asked him, "How is it then that the writing of a Wasiyyah has been enjoined on people?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "The Prophet’s Wassiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran).”
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Commentary :
This hadeeth refutes the false claims of the Shiites that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him)as his successor. In this hadeeth, Talhah ibn Musaarrif stated that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn Abee Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) as to whether or not the Prophet ﷺwrote a Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) regarding the division of his wealth or nominating his successor, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) replied in the negative, because the Prophet ﷺdid not leave behind considerable wealth entailing writing a Wasiyyah, and also because he ﷺ stated in another hadeeth, recorded in Saheeh Al-Buhkaaree and Saheeh Muslim, that whatever wealth he ﷺ should leave after his death should be given in charity. Thereupon, Talhah ibn Musaarrif inquired about the reason that the Prophet ﷺ did not write a Wasiyyah, despite the fact that Muslims are enjoined to do so; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {Prescribed for you when death approaches [any] one of you if he leaves wealth [is that he should make] a Wasiyyah for the parents and near relatives according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.} [Quran 2:180].
‘Abdullah ibn Abee ‘Awfaa(may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “The Prophet’s Wasiyyah was the Book (i.e., Quran),” meaning that his Wasiyyah for the Muslims was to adhere to the Quran and act upon it, because the Quran is the most important and fundamental asset for Muslims, and it was revealed as clarification for all things, such things being clarified either by explicit statement or through inference. Were Muslims to adhere to the Quran, this would entail compliance with the Prophet’s commands, for Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from.} [Quran 59:7].
Numerous and varied texts and narrations have been reported stating the Prophet’s commandments; some were regarding his household, the rights of the Ansaar and emigrants in particular, and others were regarding all Muslims, like this hadeeth.
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2741
Al-Aswad narrated:
In the presence of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). She (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah? Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or said: in my lap) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died, so when did he ﷺ appoint him in his Wasiyyah?”
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Commentary :
The Shiites were known for fabricating hadeeths and inauthentic reports that support their false claims, and an example of this was fabricating hadeeths suggesting that the Prophet ﷺ nominated ‘Alee ibn Aboo Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor in his Wasiyyah. A group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and some scholars from the following generations as well refuted such claims.
In this hadeeth, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions)Al-Aswad ibn Yazeed narrated that it was brought to the attention of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people mentioned that the Prophet ﷺhad appointed ‘Alee (as his successor) in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament). The Arabic term Wasiyyah denotes connecting the testator’s earthly life with the afterlife (i.e., by willing what should be done after his death). She (may Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed, "When did he appoint him in his Wasiyyah?” She (may Allah be pleased with her) was shocked at their claim that he ﷺ willed that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor or anything else regarding his private affairs or the public affairs of Muslims. She (may Allah be pleased with her) added: “Verily, when he ﷺ died, he was resting against my chest (or she said: ‘in my lap’) and he ﷺ only asked for a wash-basin and then collapsed while in that state, and I could not even perceive that he ﷺ had died.” This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with him in his last moments and he ﷺ did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death at his deathbed.
It is noteworthy that she (may Allah be pleased with her) did not mean that he ﷺ generally did not will that anything in particular should be done after his death. Rather, it was authentically reported that he ﷺ willed that the polytheists should be expelled from the Arabian Peninsula, that the delegations and deputations should be (respected and) rewarded (as he ﷺ used to do), and that the Muslim army under the leadership of Usaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) should be dispatched. Rather, she (may Allah be pleased with her) merely denied that he ﷺ willed (during his fatal illness) that ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) should be his successor. Her testimony in this regard is valid because she (may Allah be pleased with her) was with the Prophet ﷺ during his final days, did not leave his sight, and was present during that specified time. Moreover, were the Prophet ﷺ to nominate a successor after his death, such serious news would have been widely circulated, and such a Wasiyyah would have been proclaimed by people. The fact that it was not proclaimed and circulated proves that he ﷺ did not actually appoint ‘Alee (may Allah be pleased with him) as his successor as claimed.
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2742
Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Prophet ﷺcame visiting me while I was (sick) in Makkah, (‘Aamir, the sub-narrator said, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in his homeland, since he had already migrated). He (i.e., the Prophet) said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah)’ I said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! May I will all my property to be given in charity?" He ﷺ said, "No." I said, "Then, may I will half of it?" He ﷺ said, "No". I said, "One third?" He ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much. It is better for you to leave your inheritors wealthy than to leave them poor begging others, and whatever you spend for Allah's sake will be considered a charitable deed even the handful of food you put in your wife's mouth. May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you, and some others may be harmed by you." At that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter.
.

Commentary :
Islam delineated the provisions of the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament) and bequests and clarified what is permissible and impermissible in this regard.
In this hadeeth, Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺvisited him when he was (sick) in Makkah in 10 A.H., during the Farewell Hajj, according to the version of the hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked to die in Makkah, his homeland, since he had already migrated from it. This was explicitly stated in the version recorded in Saheeh Muslim reading: “I am afraid I may die in the land from where I migrated (as Sa‘d ibn Khawlah had died).” Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on Ibn ‘Afraa’ (i.e., Sa‘d ibn Khawlah),”  who had died in Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ disliked that any of the emigrants should return to Makkah or reside therein any longer after performing Hajj or ‘Umrah.
Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Allah's Messengerﷺ, “May I will all my property to be given in charity?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to bequest all his wealth to be given in charity after his death, but the Prophet ﷺ forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) further asked whether it was allowable for him to bequest half of his wealth to be given in charity, but the Prophet ﷺ also forbade him from doing so. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked whether he might bequest one-third of his wealth, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "Yes, one third, yet even one third is too much.” The Prophet ﷺ was urging Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) to bequest less than the third of his wealth to be given in charity after his death, and then clarified for him that it was better to leave his inheritors rich, by leaving them wealth to inherit, rather than leaving them poor, begging others for money. He ﷺ also informed Sa‘d that were he to survive his illness, what he (may Allah be pleased with him)has spent for the Sake of Allah (i.e., his bequest) would count as an act of charity; he (may Allah be pleased with him) would earn the designated reward whether he lived or died. He ﷺ then explained that a person earns a reward for even the handful of food he puts in his wife's mouth. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to highlight the diversity and numerosity of the acts of charity for which the giver earns rewards, because one’s wife is his closest companion and the lawful outlet for his sexual and emotional desires.
Afterward, the Prophet ﷺ supplicated Allah, Exalted is He, in his favor, saying: “May Allah bless your lifespan so that some people may benefit from you,” meaning benefit from the spoils of war that Muslims would gain thanks to his effort in Jihaad and conquering non-Muslim lands, “and some others may be harmed by you,” meaning the disbelievers who shall be killed at his hand on the battlefield.
The narrator underlined that during that time, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had only one daughter. This means that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was his only child or female member of his family entitled to inherit him, for Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) had paternal relatives who were entitled to inherit him, because he (may Allah be pleased with him) belonged to Banee Zahrah that was a large clan. It was also said that she (may Allah be pleased with her) was the only heir who was entitled to a fixed share of his estate as per the laws of Islam, or that he named her in particular because she was the only heir from his dependents for whom he would have feared loss and poverty. It may also mean that he thought that she would inherit his whole estate, or believed that half of his wealth was too much for her alone.
The reference in the hadeeth to Ibn ‘Afraa’(may Allah be pleased with him)was a mistake by one of the narrators and should have been ‘Ibn Khawlah’ instead. It was also said that Ibn ‘Afraa’ was a nickname or another name for his mother.
It is deduced from the hadeeth that the heirs are more entitled and deserving of the deceased’s wealth than all other people.
It is also inferred that spending on one’s family counts as a good deed.
It is also deduced therefrom that when permissible acts are performed merely for the Sake of Allah, Exalted is He, they count as rewardable acts of worship.
The hadeeth also highlights a sign of his prophethood; he ﷺ foretold what happened to Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him). According to the Prophet’s prophecy, he (may Allah be pleased with him) lived for years after the Farewell Hajj, some people benefited from him, and others were harmed by him.
The hadeeth also urges checking upon the sick people.
It also underlines the Companions’ keenness to perform good deeds.
It encourages Muslims to hasten to write their Wasiyyah upon noticing the signs of death, such as sickness and the like.
It is also inferred from the hadeeth that one may only make a bequest of a third of one’s wealth or less.
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2747
Ibn `Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
The custom (in old days) was that the property of the deceased person would be inherited by his children; as for the parents (of the deceased), they would inherit according to the Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), meaning by means of bequest. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled from that custom whatever He wished and fixed for the male double the share inherited by the female, and for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate) and for the wife an eighth or a fourth and for the husband a half or a fourth.
.

Commentary :
Allah, Exalted is He,clarified the Laws of Islam provisions pertaining to the division of inheritance, Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), and bequests in the Quran, and the Prophet ﷺ delineated them in the Sunnah.
In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said thatthe custom (in earlier days), i.e., before the ayaat about the division of the inheritance were revealed, was that the property of a deceased person would be inherited by his children, and the parents (of the deceased) would inherit according to the Wasiyyah, meaning by means of bequest. The deceased would make a bequest in favor of one or both of the parents. Afterward, Allah, Exalted is He, abrogated and cancelled whatever He wished of such customary practices and approved what He willed for His servants, by revealing the ayaat about the division of the inheritance. For instance, Allah, Exalted is He, revealed (what means): {Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females.} [Quran 4:11]. According to these ayaat, Allah, Exalted is He, decreed that a male child inherits double the share of the female, and fixed for each parent a sixth (of the whole estate), as stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children…} [Quran 4:11]. Allah, Exalted is He, also prescribed for the wife an eighth of the estate if the husband had children (with her or with another wife) or otherwise a fourth. Similarly, a husband is entitled to half of his wife’s estate if she had no children (with him or with another husband), or a fourth if she had children (with him or with another husband). Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {And for you is half of what your wives leave if they have no child. But if they have a child, for you is one fourth of what they leave, after any bequest they [may have] made or debt. And for the wives is one fourth if you leave no child. But if you leave a child, then for them is an eighth of what you leave …} [Quran 4:12]..

2756
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ, my mother died in my absence; will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf."
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Commentary :
A manifestation of Allah’s divine mercy and grace bestowed upon His servants is that He decreed that there should be many ways to raise their levels in Paradise and have their sins forgiven, one of which is decreeing that giving charity on behalf of the deceased should generate reward for the deceased, and benefit him or her after death.
In this hadeeth, ‘AbdullahNarrated Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him)that the mother of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, ‘Amrah bint Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with them) died in his absence. When he (may Allah be pleased with him) came back, he (may Allah be pleased with him) informed the Prophet ﷺ of it and asked, “Will it be of any benefit for her if I give Sadaqah (i.e., charity) on her behalf?” The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes," meaning that the rewards for such charity would benefit her and be added to her record of good deeds. Upon learning that, Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I make you a witness that I gave my garden called Al-Mikhraaf in charity on her behalf." The name Al-Mikhraaf was either the name of the garden or a description of it, indicating fruitfulness and abundant produce. It means that he (may Allah be pleased with him) offered this garden in charity on behalf of his late mother so that she would earn the rewards, endowing it for the public benefit of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) did not specify certain beneficiaries for the endowment, and the Prophet ﷺ did not forbid such an act.
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2759
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
Some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, and, by Allah, it is not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! There are two kinds of guardians (i.e., who are in charge of the division of the inheritance): one who inherits; such person should give (of what he inherits to the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.), the other is the one who does not inherit (e.g. the guardian of the orphans): such person should speak kindly and say (to those who are present at the time of division of the inheritance), "I cannot give it to you (as the wealth belongs to the orphans).
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Commentary :
The wisdom of Allah, Exalted is He, entailed that some ayaat of the Quran may be abrogated. In Islamic terminology, Naskh (i.e., abrogation) in the Quran means to cancel and abrogate some fixed Laws of Islam rulings in the Quran and replace them with new rulings and orders revealed in ayaat afterward. Scholars held different opinions regarding the abrogation of some ayaat based on their knowledge of the dates of revelation (of the abrogated and abrogating ayaat), and the understanding of each scholar (of the relevant ayaat) as well.
In this hadeeth, the well-ayahd scholar Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), who was known as “Turjumaan Al-Quraan” (i.e., the ayahd interpreter of the Quran), related that some people claim that the order in that ayah was abrogated, referring to the ayah that reads (what means): {And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8]. They claimed that this ayah was abrogated by the ayaat about the division of the inheritance, and accordingly none but the specified heirs are entitled to any share of the deceased’s estate, i.e., the heirs mentioned in the relevant ayaat. However, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them) believed that the ayah was not abrogated, and that its indication does not contradict that of the ayaat about the division of the inheritance (that were revealed afterward). He (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that it was not abrogated, but people have stopped acting on it! He (may Allah be pleased with him) explained that it means that if the one dividing the estate is an heir, he or she is enjoined to give (of what he or she inherits) to these beneficiaries (i.e., the relatives, the orphans and the needy, etc.) specified in the ayah. If he or she is not an heir, e.g., an orphan’s legal guardian, he or she is enjoined to refrain from giving them and should considerately apologize to those who are present at that time of the division, as enjoined by Allah, Exalted is He. He Says (what means): {…and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.} [Quran 4:8].
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2766
It was narrated on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Avoid the seven destructive sins." People enquired, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, what are they?" He ﷺ said, 1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship, 2) to practice sorcery, 3) to kill a person whose life Allah has deemed inviolable except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), 4) to consume Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), 5) to devour an orphan's wealth, 6) to flee from the battlefield at the time of fighting, 7) and to slander chaste women, who are good believers and never even think of anything undermining their chastity.”.

Commentary :
These sins are described as ‘destructive’ because they incur the doer’s destruction with the consequences of their designated punishment in this worldly life, and being thrown into Hellfire and deserving its torment in the Hereafter.
In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ warned Muslims against the seven destructive sins, and commanded them to avoid them. When people inquired about them, he ﷺ said, “1) To associate partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship,” and there are two categories of Shirk (i.e., associating partners with Allah, Exalted is He, in worship). First, associating partners with Him in worship, including: stones, trees, and the like (of false objects of worship). Second, minor Shirk (also known as hidden Shirk) means Riyaa’ (i.e., showing off and seeking to impress others to win their praise). Riyaa’ is an act of the heart and inward character trait that none knows except the One who knows the unseen.
The second destructive sin is to practice sorcery, and it may be divided into two categories: first, sorcery by means of written spells and charms such as incantations and talismans, by which the sorcerer uses the devils to harm the affected person, but Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah.} [Quran 2:102]. Second, sorcery by means of medicine and drugs that affect the person’s body and mind, and influence his will and inclination, urging him to be inclined towards somethings and developing an aversion towards others.
The third destructive sin is killing a person whose life was deemed inviolable by Allah, Exalted is He, except for a just cause (i.e., according to the Islamic Laws of Islam), and this applies to those people whose lives are declared inviolable due to being Muslims or being granted protection (e.g. the non-Muslims living under the Muslim rule), or a covenant of safety or security. His saying, ‘except for a just cause,’ means as per the laws of Islam provisions, such as killing someone in implementation of Qisaas (i.e., retribution), Hadd (i.e., a corporal punishment prescribed by the Sharee`ah), or for apostasy.
The fourth destructive sin is the consumption of Ribaa (i.e., interest, usury), which means excess charged in the event of a barter of homogenous commodities without being matched by an increase of compensation in return. Ribaa involves committing an act of injustice against the other party, unlawfully devouring his wealth, and waging war against Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger, as stated in the Quran. The reference to ‘consumption’ (the Arabic word used in the hadeeth is Akl, lit., eating)in this context is due to the fact that eating is one of the fundamental ways of availing oneself of one’s money.
The fifth destructive sin is devouring the orphan’s wealth, which means wasting his or her wealth. The Arabic verb used in the Hadeeth is Akala, lit. to eat, and the reference to eating here is because buying sustenance is the often purpose of spending one’s money.
The sixth destructive sin is fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting against the disbelievers or (Muslim) aggressors, except when such a combatant flees merely for the purpose of maneuvering for battle [as a strategy or a stratagem of war] to relaunch another attack or deceive the enemy; Allah, Exalted is He, Says (what means): {…unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company…} [Quran 8:16].
The seventh destructive sin is slandering chaste women, who are good believers and so innocent that they would never even think of anything undermining their chastity. Slander means accusing someone of Fornication.

Listing these seven destructive sins in this hadeeth does not mean that they are the only grave sins. Rather, other textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnahhave made mention of other grave sins including false speech, committing Fornication with a neighbor’s wife, undutifulness towards parents, false oaths, violating the sanctity of the House of Allah, Exalted is He, and other grave sins that were mentioned in the texts of the Sunnah.

The fact that the Prophet ﷺ stated that there are seven destructive sins does not essentially mean that there are no other destructive sins other than those mentioned in the hadeeth. He ﷺ may have listed those seven sins on that occasion, and received the divine revelation about other ones afterward, or it may be that these seven sins in particular were the most appropriate on that specific occasion.

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2767
Naafi‘ said:
"Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian." The most beloved thing to Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him. When Taawoos was asked about something concerning an orphan's affairs, he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220] ‘Attaa’ said concerning some orphans, "The guardian is to provide for the young and old orphans according to their needs from their shares.".

Commentary :
The Islamic Laws of Islam assigned special care to the rights of orphans, given their weakness and helplessness. The Quran and Sunnah stipulated the preservation of these rights.
In this report, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Naafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated that ‘AbdullahIbn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) never refused to be appointed as a legal guardian for orphans, meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) did not refuse to assume guardianship of orphans whenever one appointed him to be their guardian in his Wasiyyah (i.e., last will and testament), aspiring to the abundant reward for such an act. The Prophet ﷺ said: “I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.” [Al-Bukhaaree].
The most beloved thing to the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Ibn Sireen concerning an orphan's wealth was that the orphan's advisors and guardians would assemble to decide what is best for him.
Moreover, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Taawoos ibn Kaysaan used to remind the guardians of the gravity of dishonest disposal of the orphan’s wealth under their care; he would recite the ayah that reads (what means): {And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender.} [Quran 2:220]. In the same vein, the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) ‘Attaa’ said that a guardian is required to provide for the orphan under his care, from his or her wealth, according to this orphan’s social (and financial) status. .

2768
Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺcame to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Aboo Talhah (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took me to Allah's Messenger ﷺand said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ! Anas is a wise boy, so let him serve you." So, I served him at home and on journeys. If I did anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I did it, and if I refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked me why I refrained from doing it.
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Commentary :
The Prophet ﷺ gave us the optimal example of good treatment of one’s freed slaves and servants.
In this hadeeth, Narrated Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Allah's Messenger ﷺ came to Al-Madeenah, he ﷺ did not have any servant. Therefore, Aboo Talhah Al-Ansaaree (Anas' stepfather) (may Allah be pleased with him) took Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) to Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! Anas is a wise boy,” meaning smart, “so let him serve you." The Prophet ﷺ accepted the generous offer and took Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) as his servant.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he served the Prophet ﷺ during residence and travel. If he (may Allah be pleased with him) did anything, the Prophet ﷺ never asked him why he did it, and if he refrained from doing anything, he ﷺ never asked him why he refrained from doing it. He ﷺ never rebuked him for anything he (may Allah be pleased with him) did or did not do. The version of the hadeeth recorded in Muslim reads: “He ﷺ never said 'Uff' (i.e., an expression of disapproval or irritation) to me.” This reflected the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, patience, and kindness towards his servants.

The hadeeth highlights the Prophet’s ﷺgood moral character, compassion, and kindness towards his servant. He ﷺwas the epitome of compassion and mercy, edifying the whole world on these moral values.

It is deduced from the hadeeth that one should refrain from rebuking his servants regarding worldly affairs.
It is also inferred therefrom that a Muslim is urged to treat those who are inferior to him with consideration and kindness.
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2778
Aboo ‘Abd Al-Rahmaan narrated that when ‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) was circled (by the rebels), he (may Allah be pleased with him) looked upon them from above and said, "I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do not you know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it? Do not you know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equip the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?" They attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. When ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) founded his endowment he said, "Its administrator can eat from it." The management of the endowment can be taken over by the founder himself or any other person, for both cases are permissible..

Commentary :
When some Muslims rebelled against the Caliph ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him), they laid siege to his house in Al-Madeenah for a long period of time. He (may Allah be pleased with him) looked from the top of his house and reminded them of his merits and virtues that were particular to him, and of his giving and contributions in support of Islam and for the benefit of Muslims, aspiring only to the reward of Allah, Exalted is He. He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present at that time to attest to his words, saying: “I adjure you by Allah, and I adjure nobody but the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ; do you not know that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, 'Whoever will (buy and) dig the well of Rumah will be granted Paradise,' and I (bought and) dug it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) bought this well and donated it as an endowment for the benefit of Muslims when the emigrants settled in Al-Madeenah and Muslims needed more water, and its previous owner used to sell them its water. He (may Allah be pleased with him) added: “Do you not know that he ﷺ said. 'Whoever equips the army of ‘Usrah (i.e., the Battle of Tabook) will be granted Paradise,' and I equipped it?” He (may Allah be pleased with him) reminded them that he (may Allah be pleased with him)had funded the Muslim army that marched to fight the Romans during the Battle of Tabook in 9 A.H. It was known as the army of ‘Usrah, meaning ‘hardship’. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) attested whatever he (may Allah be pleased with him) said. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were present then were ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib, Talhah, Al-Zubayr, and Sa‘d ibn Abee Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with them).
It should be noted that his statements aimed to refute the rebels’ false accusations against him regarding the neglect of his duties as a Caliph and nepotism towards his relatives (i.e., appointing his relatives and people from his clan in positions of power).

.

805
An-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān al-Kilābi reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment, preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did not forget afterward. He said: "As if they were two clouds, or two black canopies with 'sharq' (light) between them, or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for their companion.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it and act upon it, for it is the extended rope of Allah, and it leads to salvation on the Day of Judgment, particularly Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān, given their great status.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that "The Qur'an and its people who used to act upon it will be brought forth," i.e., those who recite the Qur'an, have faith in its information and believe it, and act upon its rulings. The Qur'an will be an argument for those people on the Day of Judgment. Excluded from this are those who do not believe in its information or establish its limits; the Qur'an will be an argument against them. This is because the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "The Qur'an is an argument for you or against you." This is supported by the verse that reads: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29]
And by the Prophet's words: "preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān," i.e., they come ahead of the Qur'an. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān to three things, saying: "As if they were two clouds"; in Arabic "Ghamamatān", which means two clouds or two white clouds. A cloud is called such because it clouds the sky and conceals it. "or two canopies," i.e., two clouds that shade their companion from the heat of this situation of standing. He described these two clouds as 'black' because they are thick and piled upon each other. "with 'sharq' between them," i.e., light. The light of 'sharq' is the sun. This indicates that they, albeit thick, do not conceal light. It was said: Sharq means rift, i.e., a gap and break between them. This is like separating every two Surahs in the Mus'haf (copy of the Qur'an) with Basmalah (mentioning Allah's name). "or as if they were two flocks," i.e., two herds or two groups. "of birds in ranks," i.e., extending their wings and being linked to one another. The intended meaning is that they will protect their reciter from the heat of this situation of standing and the distress of the Day of Judgment. 'pleading' i.e., pushing against Hellfire and its keepers or pleading for him in intercession or when he is questioned, when his tongue keeps silent, his lips are distraught, and his arguments are lost. Their companion means: He who acts upon them and what they contain, of rulings and legislations, whether he is a memorizer or a reciter of them.
In the Hadīth: Urging the recitation of the Qur'an and acting upon it; and the merit of Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Āl ‘Imrān..

806
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: As Gabriel (Jibrīl) was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he heard a creak from above. So, he raised his head and said: "That is a gate in the heavens that was opened today; it had never been opened before today." An angel descended from it. He said: "That is an angel that descended to earth; he had never descended before this day." He gave the greeting of peace and said: "Have glad tidings with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it.".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth a divine gift is mentioned for those who recite Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Gabriel (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation, was sitting in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the version by An-Nasā’i: "As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting and Gabriel (peace be upon him) was with him." This means that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), including Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about Gabriel (peace be upon him) sitting with him. "he heard" refers to Gabriel (peace be upon him), and it is also probable the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the one who "heard a creak from above," i.e., in heaven. A creak is a sound released because of the movement of something. Gabriel (peace be upon him) - or the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - raised his head to look at the source of this sound. Gabriel (peace be upon him) said that this is a gate in the heaven of the world, which was opened today and had never been opened except today; and an angel descended from it to the earth, and he had never descended before today. This is all to prepare for something great. Indeed, the opening of one of the gates of the heaven for the first time and the descent of an angel other than Gabriel to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the first time points to the significance of the matter for which he was sent. When the angel descended, he greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said to him: "Have glad tidings" - glad tidings are only given about good things - "with two lights that have been given to you, which none of the prophets were given before you: Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah," i.e., their special reward of their recitation was not given beforehand; otherwise, the entire Qur'an was not given to any prophet before him. Surat al-Fātihah was endowed with this particular merit because it summarizes all the meanings of Imān (faith), Islam, and Ihsān (excellence). It comprises the fundamentals of the Fiqhi rules and knowledge principles. And the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah, beginning from {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers...} to the end of the Surah, are endowed with this particular merit because they contain praise for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is because they comply with their content and submit to their meanings and for their supplication to Allah Almighty and return to Him in all their affairs; and also, because those verses contain the response to their supplications after they were taught to them and they said them, and so He made things easier for them and forgave and supported them.
Then, the angel said: "You will not read one letter of them except that you will be given it." This stems from the great bounty of Allah towards His Prophet and his Ummah. He called them two lights because the recitation of each verse in them brings light to the reciter that illuminates his way and leads him to the right path and the true course, given the sublime meanings contained therein, which include acknowledgment of the Lordship and absolute resort to Allah with the great supplication using their words.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great status of Surat al-Fātihah and the concluding verses of Surat al-Baqarah and urging their recitation.
And in it: Pointing out that there are angel messengers to the prophets other than Gabriel
And in it: Showing the honorable status of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with his Lord, as He honored him with such things that He did not honor the previous prophets with, giving him these two lights
And in it: Affirming the existence of the gates of heaven, that they are opened and closed, and that some angels do not descend to earth except for such glad tidings.

809
Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be guarded against the Dajjāl (Anti-Christ).".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur’an brings goodness and blessing for those who recite it, as it is the extended rope of Allah, causing tranquility of the soul and an abundance of rewards, and it protects a servant from the distresses and trials of worldly life and the horrors and hardships on the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf, Allah will guard, protect, and preserve him from the trial of the Dajjāl, who will emerge at the end of time and claim to be God. The Dajjāl originally refers to someone who often engages in lying and deception. His emergence is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment, and his trial is the gravest on earth from the creation of Adam to the coming of the Hour, as Allah Almighty will enable him to perform some miracles whereby he will mislead his followers. Verily, the memorization of these verses is a cause of protection against the Dajjāl. It was said: This is due to the wonders and miracles existing in these verses. So, whoever knows them will not wonder at the matter of the Dajjāl or be misled by him; and he will patiently endure the trials of the Dajjāl and his apparent bliss and punishment; or that the protection from the Dajjāl is granted by Allah to those who memorize these verses.
Also, there are means of protection against the trial of the Dajjāl, which are not mentioned in this Hadīth, but are authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in other Hadīths: Knowing the names and attributes of Allah, which makes one know that the Dajjāl is a human being who eats and drinks, and Allah is far Exalted above that; the Dajjāl is one-eyed, whereas Allah is not one-eyed; and no one sees his Lord until he dies, whereas the people, including the believers and disbelievers, will see the Dajjāl when he emerges. It also includes the pursuit of Allah's refuge from the trial of the Dajjāl, particularly in prayer, as reported in a Hadīth by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the Two Sahīh Collections that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in prayer: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjāl." And it also includes fleeing and turning away from the Dajjāl, for those who will be present at his time, given the suspicions and amazing supernatural incidents that appear with him and by which a person might be tempted.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the ten verses at the beginning of Surat al-Kahf.
And in it: Clarifying that the trial of the Dajjāl is so severe that protection against him is needed.

810
’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "O Abu al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" I said: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]. Thereupon, he struck me on the chest and said: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir!".

Commentary : The glorious Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah and His straight path. Its recitation brings goodness and blessing and affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of reward. Allah endowed some of its Surahs and verses with a special merit.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day asked him: "O Abu al-Mundhir", a surname for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him). "Do you know which verse of Allah's Book that you have is the greatest?" i.e., in terms of the reward and benefit for its reciter in this world and the Hereafter. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said: Allah and His Messenger know best." This stems from the Companions' politeness towards the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It was said: ’Ubayy knew which verse was the greatest when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about it, but he did not reply out of respect, modesty, and politeness towards him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). If he had answered him the first time he asked him, he would have thus displayed his knowledge. He also probably did not give the answer because he expected that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would probably tell him that another verse is greater than that or inform him of some other benefit. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated the question, he knew that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted him to answer and wanted to test his memorization and information. Thereupon, he answered him that the greatest verse - as far as he knew - is the one that reads: {Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī [footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255] It is called the verse of Kursī. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved his answer and accepted it as correct, and he struck with his honorable hand on the chest of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him). This behavior on the Prophet's part was done by way of gentleness, given his approval and acceptance of this answer and his admiration of the answerer. He said to him: "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu al-Mundhir," i.e., may knowledge be blissful for you. This is meant as a supplication for him to find knowledge easily and be versed therein.
The verse of Kursī is the greatest verse in the Qur'an because it combines such fundamental divine names and attributes that are not combined in any other verse. In it, Allah Almighty describes Himself as the worshiped God other than Whom none is truly worthy of worship. He alone is worthy of worship, out of love and exaltation for Him, given the perfection of His attributes. To Him belongs the complete life, which was not preceded by non-existence, will not be followed by an end, and entails all attributes of perfection. He is Self-Sustaining and does not need anyone, and He undertakes the affairs of His creation, including sustenance and other things. All creatures stand in need of Him and cannot exist without Him. His support of their existence entails all actions of perfection. Part of the perfection of His life and sustainability is that He does not suffer drowsiness or get overcome by sleep, and He is the sole Possessor of all that is in the universe. No one dares to intercede with Him unless He gives him permission. He is the One Who knows all the affairs of His creation; past, present, and future, and all else do not possess anything of Allah's knowledge whatsoever except what He taught them, by His will. His Kursī - the place of His feet - encompassed the heavens and the earth, despite their vastness and greatness, and their preservation is not heavy or hard for Him; rather, this is something easy and simple for Him, Exalted be He. He is the Possessor of absolute exaltedness above all His creation. He is Exalted by His Essence above His Throne and High above His creation by His absolute power and perfect attributes. He is the Possessor of absolute greatness in His Essence, attributes, and authority, and all other than Him are humble before Him and so little next to Him. Nothing is greater than Him, Exalted, Glorified, and Blessed be He.
In the Hadīth: A great merit for ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him).
And in it: Praising a person to his face, if it serves a good purpose and if self-admiration is not feared, and so on
And in it: The knowledgeable person's great respect for his virtuous companions.

811
Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" They said: "How does one recite a third of the Qur'an? He said: "{Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals a third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Recitation of the Qur'an brings goodness and blessing, as it is the strong rope of Allah, and it affords tranquility of the soul and abundant reward. Allah Almighty has particularly endowed Surat al-Ikhlās with great merit.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asks his Companions, by way of teaching them: "Is any of you incapable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" Since this is hard to do, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wondered and asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): How does one recite one-third of the Qur'an in a night?! In response to them, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the recitation of Surat al-Ikhlās {Say: 'He is Allah, the One} equals the recitation of one-third of the Qur'an. So, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd (monotheism), and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one-third based on this consideration. In a version of the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās
And in it: The vast bounty of Allah Almighty towards His servants, as He made the recitation of a short Surah equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an.

811
Abu ad-Dardā’ reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : The glorious Qur'an is the strong rope of Allah and His straight path. Its recitation brings goodness and blessing and affords tranquility of the soul and abundance of reward. Allah endowed some of its Surahs and verses with a special merit.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah Almighty divided the Qur'an into three parts, i.e., sections: One section comprises the stories of the past people, another section contains the Shar‘i (legal) rulings, and the third section includes the belief in Allah's oneness and mention of His attributes. "and He made Surat {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} as one of the parts of the Qur'an", which are three. This is the section of Tawhīd and the mention of Allah's attributes. It is because this Surah includes two of the names of Allah Almighty which comprise all the traits of perfection, and they do not occur in any other Surah of the Qur'an. They are: Al-Ahad (the One) and As-Samad (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah which possesses all the attributes of perfection. This is clarified by the fact that "the One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which no one else shares with Him; and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection. This is because He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and the One before Whom all creatures stand in need and Who does not need anyone, Exalted be He. Since this Surah comprises knowledge of the attributes of perfection, it came to be regarded as one-third compared to the complete knowledge of the attributes of Allah's Essence and the attributes of His actions. It is said: It means that the reward for reciting Surat al-Ikhlās gets multiplied until it becomes tantamount to the reward for reciting one-third of the noble Qur'an.
The Hadīth points out the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās..

812
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an." So, there gathered those who gathered. Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he went back in. We said to one another: "I think this is a revelation that came to him from heaven. That is why he went in." Then, the Prophet of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and said: "Indeed, I said to you that I would recite to you one-third of the Qur'an, and it is indeed equal to one-third of the Qur'an.".

Commentary : Surat al-Ikhlās is a great surah despite its few words, as it contains great and sublime meanings. In it, the meaning of Tawhīd (monotheism) for Allah is refined, worship is solely devoted to Him, and refuge is sought with Him alone, and the son and father are negated from Him, Exalted be He. This is one of the fundamental topics to which the Qur'an refers.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: 'Gather together' i.e., come together. This command indicates that he will inform them about something important, namely that he will really recite to them one-third of the Qur'an, or what equals its third in terms of the meaning and reward. So, there gathered those who gathered from among the people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out and recited to them Surat al-Ikhlās only: {Say: "He is Allah, the One"}. Then, he entered his room. When they saw that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited nothing but this Surah and did not recite one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the amount and the number of verses, they thought that he entered because the revelation was coming down to him and that he would thereafter come out and recite to them the rest of the third of the Qur'an. Then, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out, it was as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) knew what they were thinking about and that they were waiting to hear from him the rest of the third of the Qur'an. So, he informed them that Surat al-Ikhlās equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward. Thus, its reciter obtains the reward for reciting a third of the Qur'an. And it is equal to one-third of the Qur'an based on the consideration of its meanings, as the Qur'an contains rulings, information, and Tawhīd, and knowing the names and attributes of Allah Almighty falls under Tawhīd. And this Surah comprises the third category (Tawhīd); so, it equals one third based on this consideration. In a version in the Sahīh Muslim Collection, it reads: "Indeed, Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and He made {Say: 'He is Allah, the One'} one of the parts of the Qur'an." This is because it contains two of Allah's names, which comprise all the attributes of perfection, and they do not exist in any other Surah of the Qur'an. These two names are: "Al-Ahad" (the One) and "As-Samad" (the Eternal Refuge). They point to the Essence of Allah that possesses all the attributes of perfection. To explain that: "The One" gives a feeling about His particular existence, which none shares with Him, and "the Eternal Refuge" gives a feeling about all the attributes of perfection, for He is the One Whose sovereignty reached the pinnacle of sublimity and perfection, and all creatures need Him, whereas He, Exalted be He, does not need anyone.
In the Hadīth: The good way in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions, and the Companions' politeness towards him
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of Surat al-Ikhlās and that it equals one-third of the Qur'an in terms of the reward and recompense.

814
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?! They are: {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}".

Commentary : What a great religion Islam is! And how great its numerous glad tidings which Allah Almighty gave to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Ummah are. He, Exalted be He, revealed to him the Reminder, the Qur'an, and made its recitation greatly rewardable; each letter is credited with one good deed, and the virtuous deeds are multiplied. And He, Exalted be He, endowed some Surahs and verses with an additional merit for those who recite them, to urge and encourage their recitation.
In this Hadīth, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you not seen that some verses were revealed tonight the like of which has never been seen before?!" This is an exclamatory question, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wondered at the great merit of these verses, the like of whose meanings and blessings were not revealed in other Surahs to him before. Then, he identified those verses, saying that they are the two Surahs: "{Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak} and {Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.}" They are the two refuge-seeking Surahs. They mention the pursuit of refuge, resorting, and asking for protection from Allah, the Lord of creation and the Lord of mankind. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used these two Surahs in seeking refuge with Allah Almighty and performing Ruqyah (faith healing) for himself.
Surat al-Falaq contains the verses that read: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, from the harm of all what He has created; from the harm of the darkening night when it spreads around, from the harm of the sorceresses who blow on knots, and from the harm of the envier when he envies."} The meaning is: Say, O you, the Messenger—I resort to the Lord of the Morning. The Surah begins by describing the One with whom refuge is sought as the Lord of the Daybreak, for this is the time for the outpouring of lights and the descent of goodness and blessings. I seek refuge in this Lord, Who possesses this description, from what is harmful among the creatures. He solely attributes to the One with Whom refuge is sought what He created. He begins with the general words: {from the harm of all what He has created}, i.e., from the evil of His creation, the evil committed by the accountable servants in the form of sins and mutual harm among themselves, and what is done by unaccountable creatures of animals, such as the predatory beasts and insects, by eating, nipping, stinging, and biting, and the different kinds of harm Allah caused to exist in other than animals, like burning in the fire and killing by poison.
Then, He follows it with that whose harm is more hidden in terms of time, and it is the opposite of the break of the day, namely the coming of darkness, with His words: {from the harm of darkening [night] when it spreads around.} This is because harm spreads more easily at this time and getting rid of it becomes more difficult.
He particularly mentions the time in which wickedness is hidden, like the sorceresses who blow on knots and the enviers, and He links the envier with the conditional {when he envies}, because when an envier displays his envy, his evil and harm becomes more effective. Allah combines the evils in this Surah and concludes them with envy, so that it should be known that it is the meanest trait.
And Surat an-Nis is the verses that reads: {Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the harm of the lurking whisperer, who whispers into the hearts of mankind, from among jinn and mankind."} [Surat an-Nās: 1-6] The meaning: Say - O you the Messenger -: I resort to the Lord of mankind and seek refuge in Him. He is the Sovereign of mankind and does whatever He wills to them. There is no other sovereign for them but Him and no true deity for them but Him. I seek refuge in Him from the evil of the devil who throws his whisperings to man if he fails to remember Allah and he goes backwards if he remembers Him. He throws his whisperings into the hearts of people. Such a whisperer could be among humankind and jinns alike.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the great significance of the two refuge-seeking Surahs
And in it: Pointing out that there is nothing in the Qur’an like the two refuge-seeking Surahs in terms of the meanings, blessings, and pursuit of Allah's refuge through them.

817
‘Āmir ibn Wāthila reported: Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abdul-Hārith met ‘Umar at ‘Usfān, and ‘Umar had employed him as a governor of Makkah. He said: "Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of the valley?" He said: "Ibn Abza." He said: "Who is Ibn Abza?" He said: "He is one of our freed slaves." He said: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" He said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty and he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance." ‘Umar said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book some people and degrades others.'".

Commentary : The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen that the rulings of Islam should be applied in all corners of the state. Therefore, he used to ask the governors about their conditions and how they acted in different situations, correcting their errors and holding them accountable for them. He would put in a high status the knowledgeable people of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Shar‘i rulings, in compliance with the principles of the honorable Shariah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Āmir ibn Wāthila (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Companion Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), was one of those who embraced Islam at the time of the Conquest of Makkah and was approved by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate as a ruler and governor of Makkah, and stayed there until he died. Nāfi‘ met ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him), who stopped at ‘Usfān on the way to Hajj. He called him for a meeting, and he met him in ‘Usfān, a village 80km north of Makkah on the way to Madīnah. When they met, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Whom have you appointed as a governor over the people of Makkah in your place for the period of your absence as you meet the Commander of the Faithful? The valley here refers to the valley of Makkah and Tā’if. He informed him that he had appointed Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abza (may Allah be pleased with him), as a governor over them, a freed slave of Nāfi‘ ibn al-Hārith. He embraced Islam during the Prophet's lifetime and lived in Kufa. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed him as a governor of Khorasan.
‘Umar said to him, disapprovingly: "Have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over them?!" i.e., have you appointed a freed slave as a governor over the people of Makkah, the people of the Sacred City, and the people of nobility and high status?! It was said: ‘Umar's disapproval of his appointment as a governor over them was not because he belittled or disdained him, but because of the non-fulfillment of the purpose behind such an appointment, namely to set people's affairs in order and manage them, which requires the governor appointed over them to be a man of awe, greatness, and noble status in the hearts of the general public. To this end, he should be free and of noble descent and high standing; otherwise, people would disrespect and disobey him. Thus, the objective of such a post would fail.
Clarifying the reason behind appointing him over them, Nafi‘(may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He is a reciter of the Book of Allah Almighty," i.e., he is a memorizer of it and knowledgeable about its rulings. "And he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance," i.e., about the division of inheritance according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In other words, Allah Almighty elevated this governor over them by virtue of these things, and they know him to be like that, so they would respect and revere him and obey his command; thus, their affairs would be set aright, and their conditions would become stable. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), liked what he heard about the traits of Ibn Abza and approved the action of Nafi‘ ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him), and thereupon said: "Indeed, your Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah elevates by this Book" the noble Qur'an "some people." Allah elevates those who believe in it, recite it, and sincerely act according to it. He elevates them in this world, by making them lead a good life, and in the Hereafter, by making them among the people of high ranks along with those upon whom Allah bestowed His favor. "and degrades others,", lowering their status; those are the people who do not believe in it, or believe in it yet neglect it and abandon its application. So, He causes them to live in misery and straits in this world and makes them the lowest of the low in the Hereafter.
In the Hadīth: Putting a freed slave in authority over free people if he is knowledgeable about the laws of inheritance
And in it: Knowledge and the Qur'an redress the deficiency in one's lineage
And in it: The merit of knowledge
And in it: The approach of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to follow up on his governors and observe how they ruled their subjects, lest they might neglect their rights, and thus, he would be the one to blame, for he was the chief caretaker.
And in it: The merit and honor of the knowledge of inheritance, for it is the knowledge to which Allah Almighty gave high status, as He Himself undertook the division of inheritance in His glorious Book and did not leave it to anyone..

820
’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: As I was in the mosque, a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner that I found to be strange. Afterward, a man entered and recited in a manner different from the other. When we finished the prayer, we all went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and I said: "This man recited in a manner that I found to be strange, and another man entered and recited in a manner different from his recitation." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to recite, and when they did so, he expressed approval of both. This made me inclined to disbelieve in him, even to an extent I had never reached in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) noticed how I was affected, he gave me a pat on the chest. Thereupon, I broke into a sweat and was filled with fear as though I were looking at Allah Almighty. He said to me: "O ’Ubayy, a message was sent to me: Recite the Qur'an in one mode, but I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the second message: Recite it in two modes. I replied to Him: Make matters easy for my Ummah. So, He sent me the third message: Recite it in seven modes. And you may ask Me for something in return for each reply I sent to you. I said: O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah. And I delayed the third request until the Day when all humankind, even including Abraham (Ibrāhīm) (peace be upon him), will seek my intercession. [In a version]: ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b told me that he was sitting in the mosque when a man entered, prayed, and recited in a manner... and he related a similar Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions the Qur'an to perfection, and he would recite it to them in modes and manners that suited various dialects, all of which belong to Arabic, to make things easy and simple for the Muslims.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was sitting in the Prophet's Mosque, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not present at the time - and ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the memorizers of the Book of Allah Almighty - as a man entered and prayed. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) heard him recite the Qur'an in a way he found to be strange, i.e., ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know this way of recitation and did not hear it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier man. When they all finished the prayer, they went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in one of his rooms. ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): This man recited in a way I found to be strange, as his recitation differed from that of mine. And another man entered and recited in a way different from the recitation of the earlier one. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered both men to recite so that he could hear their recitation and make sure whether it was correct or wrong. The two men recited, and he expressed approval of the recitation of both and said that both were good, or he said to each of them: You have done well. When ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) express approval of their recitation, he thought about denying the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and felt confused and surprised in a way he could not describe and the like of which he had not experienced during Jāhiliyyah, when he was in misguidance and disbelief, which are worthier of this kind of denial. Jāhiliyyah: It is the period during which people were polytheists before the Prophet's mission, and it was called as such because of the prevalence of their ignorance.
When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) experienced the whisperings and promptings of Satan, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck him with his noble hand on his chest, to reassure him. As a result, sweat flowed from all over the body of ’Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), as if he were looking at Allah out of fear and embarrassment about the devil's whispering that influenced him. This indicates that it was a prompting from the devil, which disappeared immediately after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck with his hand on ’Ubayy's chest, and the sweat overflowed from him.
At this point, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed ’Ubayy - by way of reassuring him and making things clear to him - that Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should recite the Qur'an in one mode, i.e., in one way. "but I replied to Him," i.e., to Allah Almighty through Gabriel (Jibrīl) (peace be upon him), the angel in charge of the revelation. "Make matters easy," i.e., he asked Him, Exalted be He, to make the recitation of the Qur'an simple and easy for the Muslim Ummah. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was going back to his Almighty Lord to ask Him to facilitate things for his Ummah, as he is reported to have done regarding prayer. Allah Almighty replied to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the second time: "Recite it in two modes," and on the third time Allah facilitated the matter for the Ummah by its recitation in seven modes. In other words, the Qur'an was revealed in seven ways or seven dialects, intended to make the matter simple and easy. It was said: The Qur'an was first revealed in the language of the Quraysh tribe and the surrounding eloquent Arabs. Then, it was made permissible for the Arabs to recite it in their own languages which they habitually used, along with their different words and rules of parsing. He did not oblige any of them to shift from their language to another because it involved difficulty. This was also for their tribalism and their need for facilitation, so that they could understand the intended meanings. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations such that everyone could change any word to its equivalent in his language. Rather, the criterion in this regard was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Almighty Lord said to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "In return for each reply I sent to you," i.e., in return for each time you came back to Me to ask for facilitation and ease for your Ummah and I replied to you, "you may ask Me for something," i.e., an answered supplication, which you should make, and you will not be disappointed or rejected regarding it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, forgive my Ummah; O Allah, forgive my Ummah" twice. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the third request until the Day of Judgment. It is the Grand Intercession. All humankind will need his intercession, when everyone will say "myself, myself," even Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).
In the Hadīth: Allah's facilitation of things for the Ummah and His mercy towards them
And in it: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the best among the prophets and all humankind.
And in it: The superiority of Abraham (peace be upon him) over all the other prophets, except for our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
And in it: The Prophet's compassion towards his Ummah
And in it: It shows how much the Companions cared about the Qur'an, defended it, and preserved it and its words as they had heard it, without deviation from it.
And in it: Pointing out that the Qur'an was revealed in seven modes
And in it: Pardoning people for the devil's promptings and not holding them accountable for them
And in it: Showing the noble status of Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him), for the devil did not gain control over him and so he could not allure him as he allured many others who were predestined by Allah to suffer misery by persisting in denial. Rather, Allah Almighty inspired him to repent through the Prophet's striking on his chest and his supplication for him.
And in it: Establishing the intercession for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

821
’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by a pond belonging to Banu Ghifār when Jibrīl (Gabriel) (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah Commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in one letter." He said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." He then came to him for the second time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in two letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the third time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in three letters." He (the Prophet) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness, verily, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then, he came to him for the fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur'an in seven letters, and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right.".

Commentary : The Noble Qur’an is the speech of Allah Almighty revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Allah has made its recitation easy for people so that they reflect upon its verses. A form of this facilitation and flexibility is that Allah has permitted its recitation in seven letters and in Qirā’āt (modes of recitation) that He taught to His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who taught them to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who reported these Qirā’at to those who succeeded them.
In this Hadīth, ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was by "Adā’ah (pond) belonging to Banu Ghifār." Adā’ah: still water. It is said that it is a place in Makkah, as Ghifār was a tribe from Kinānah, and their location was near Makkah. It is also said that it is a place in Madīnah attributed to Banu Ghifār because they settled therein.
Gabriel (peace be upon him) - the angel entrusted with the revelation - came to him and said: "Allah Almighty commands you to recite the Qur'an to your Ummah," referring to the Ummah that responded to his call, "in one letter," i.e. in one manner. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I ask Allah for His protection and forgiveness," i.e. I ask Allah Almighty for His ease, facilitation, and forgiveness for them. The Prophet's request for forgiveness was out of fear of negligence committed on their side regarding how they must recite. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, my Ummah cannot bear that," i.e., they cannot stand to agree on one letter given their different dialects. So, uniting them into one dialect is hard for them and challenging for their tongues. Then, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him for the second time and informed him that Allah Almighty commands him to make his Ummah recite the Qur’an in two letters. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said the same thing he said the first time. Then, Gabriel came to him for the third time and informed him that Allah commands him to make his Ummah recite in three letters. And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said what he had said in the two previous times. Then for the fourth time, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him and said: "Allah commands you to make your Ummah recite the Qur’an in seven letters," thus, each one could recite in the manner that suits him, and that is easy for him, "and in whichever letter they recite, they will be right" and correct and their recitation will be sufficient and valid. His saying: "seven letters", means It was revealed in seven manners or seven dialects, which refers to facilitation and ease. It is said that the Qur'an was first revealed in the language of Quraysh and those who lived next to them from among the eloquent Arabs. Then, the Arabs were allowed to recite it in their usual languages despite the difference between them in words and grammatical rules. None of them was asked to leave his language for another one, given the difficulty involved and the pride they had and to make it easy for them to understand the intended meaning. This mentioned permissibility was not granted based on personal inclinations in such a way that everyone would change any word to its equivalent in his language; instead, the criterion here was to hear it from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth reflects the Prophet's keenness in facilitating and making things easy for his Ummah.
It also sheds light on the mercy of Allah Almighty towards His slaves by lightening their burden and revealing the Qur’an in seven letters..

822
Abu Wā’il reported: A man called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to ‘Abdullah and said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter? Do you recite it as 'alif' (first letter of the Arabic alphabet) or as 'yā’' (last letter of the Arabic alphabet) {min mā’in ghayri āsin (of fresh water)} [Surat Muhammad: 15] or: min mā’in ghayri yāsin?" He said: 'Abdullah replied, "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" He said: "Indeed, I do recite the Mufassal (from Surat Qāf till the end of the Qur'an) in one Rak'ah (unit of prayer)." 'Abdullah said: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry! Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones. But if it were to reach the heart and settle therein, then it would be of benefit. The best (acts) of prayer are Rukū' (bowing) and Sujūd (prostration). I am well-acquainted with the Nazhā’ir (pairs of similar Surahs) which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two Surahs in every Rak'ah." Then, 'Abdullah stood up and 'Alqamah followed him; he came out and said: "He informed me about them." [Another version reads]: A man from Banu Bajīlah came to ‘Abdullah, and he did not say: Nahīk ibn Sinān. [Another version reads]: 'Alqamah came to enter upon him, so we said: "Ask him about the Nazhā’ir that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in one Rak'ah." So, he entered upon him and asked him, then, he came out and said: "Twenty Surahs of the Mufassal according to the order (of the Surahs) set by 'Abdullah.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty commanded reflection upon the Qur’an, as He says: {This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you [O Prophet] so that they may reflect upon its verses, and so that people of understanding may take heed.} [Surat Sād: 29] Allah Almighty also says: {Do they not then ponder on the Qur’an?} [Surat an-Nisā’: 82] This is the purpose of its recitation, not just the mere recitation of its letters without understanding or reflection.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Wā’il, brother of Ibn Salamah, reports that a man - and in another version: "from Banu Bajīlah" - called Nahīk ibn Sinān came to 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu' Abdur-Rahmān, how do you recite this letter?" i.e., how do you recite this verse in the Qur'an? "Do you recite it as 'alif' or 'yā"? {{min mā’in ghayri āsin} or (min mā’in ghayri yāsin)?" This means: Does the word start with an alif or a yā'? "Āsin" water is water that has a changed taste and color, whereas "Yāsin" water is smelly and stinking water that affects whoever goes in it with its steam. Thereupon, ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "And have you memorized the whole Qur'an except for this?!" i.e. Have you memorized the whole Qur'an and perfected its words except for this verse and the word you are asking about?! As if he was shocked and rebuking him. Nahīk ibn Sinān gave him an answer denoting how he believed that he had perfected the recitation of the whole Qur’an, as he informed him that he used to recite the Mufassal (short Surahs) in one single Rak‘ah, which indicates the great extent of his memorization and perfection. It is said: The Mufassal starts from Surat Muhammad, and it is said: Surat Qāf, until the end of the Noble Qur’an. It was called so because of the frequent separation between its Surahs with the line "Bismillāh ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm" (In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful). ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) did not answer his question because he got the impression that he was not seeking guidance; rather, he said to him: "Like the hasty recitation of poetry?!" "Hadhdh" (hasty recitation) means excessive hastiness and extreme speed, i.e., do you recite the Qur’an hastily without reflecting upon it as if you are reciting poetry?! As if Ibn Mas‘ūd was criticizing him for reciting the Mufassal in one single Rak‘ah without reflecting upon and contemplating the verses.
Then, Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Verily, there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go beyond their collarbones," which is an indirect reference to incomprehension, i.e., there are people who recite the Qur'an without reflecting upon its verses or contemplating its meanings. Hence, it does not reach their hearts through contemplation and humility, and it does not ascend to heaven, and they do not, thus, receive a reward for it. "Turquwah" (collarbone): It is the protruding upper chest bone from the beginning of the shoulder to the bottom of the neck.
Then, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that when the Qur’an is recited in a reflective and contemplative manner, and the heart consequently grasps its meanings and understands its lessons, it becomes of benefit to its reciter, and this is what is required of a Muslim and is the objective of reciting the Qur’an. Then, he clarified to him that the acts of prayer that have a better and bigger reward are more Rukū‘ and Sujūd, not the lengthy recitation in which the reciter does not reflect upon the meanings of the verses.
Then, he taught him, saying: I am well-acquainted with the Surahs, which are called "Nazhā’ir" and which are the Surahs that have similar meanings or have a similar length, that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine in his Rak'ahs during prayer reciting two of them in every Rak'ah.
Ibn Mas‘ūd then stood up and entered his house, followed by the Tābi'i' Alqamah ibn Qays, who wanted to ask him about these Surahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine. Then, ‘Alqamah came out and said to the people: Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) informed me about them.
Another version reads: 'Alqamah informed them that the Nazhā’ir are "twenty Surahs from the Mufassal," i.e., twenty of the small Surahs according to the order of the Mus-haf that was arranged by 'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd whose order varied from that of Zayd ibn Thābit. These Surahs were mentioned by Abu Dāwūd on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) and they are: Ar-Rahmān and An-Najm in a Rak‘ah, Al-Qamar and Al-Hāqqah in a Rak‘ah, At-Tūr and Adh-Dhāriyāt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Wāqi‘ah and Al-Qalam in a Rak‘ah, Al-Ma‘ārij and An-Nāzi‘āt in a Rak‘ah, Al-Mutaffifīn and ‘Abasa in a Rak‘ah, Al-Muddaththir and Al-Muzzammil in a Rak‘ah, Al-Insān and Al-Qiyāmah in a Rak‘ah, An-Naba’ and Al-Mursalāt in a Rak‘ah, and Ad-Dhukhān and At-Takwīr in a Rak‘ah. If it is said Ad-Dukhān is not from the Mufassal, how did he count it from the Mufassal? The answer: It is a metaphor, as it was mentioned in a version in the Two Sahīh Collections: Eighteen Surahs from the Mufassal and two Surahs from the {Hā Mīm} family.
The Hadīth encourages reflection upon the Qur’an and abstention from reciting it hastily.
It also emphasizes the status and knowledge of Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him)..

830
Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer at Al-Mukhammas and said: "This prayer was presented to those before you, but they wasted it. So, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled, and there is no prayer after it until the Shāhid appears." Shāhid: the star..

Commentary : Prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The 'Asr prayer has a great merit. Hence, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urges Muslims to observe it.
In this Hadīth, Abu Basrah al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led some of his Companions in the ‘Asr prayer at Al-Mukhammas, which is the name of a path in Mount ‘Ayr on the way to Makkah. Then, he informed them that the 'Asr prayer was enjoined upon the preceding nations, but they did not observe it properly, not performing it in its due time, taking it lightly, and abandoning it. Then, Allah gave it to the Ummah of Islam, "so, whoever observes it will have his reward doubled"; the first reward is for observing it, unlike those who neglected it, and the second is a recompense for his deed like the rest of prayers. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then forbade them from offering any supererogatory prayer until the sun sets and the "Shāhid", which is the star, appears. It was called "Shāhid" (witness) because it appears and is present at night and because a star does not appear and is not seen except after sunset. This does not contradict the confirmed texts that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib by sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections and others.
This is a prohibition of prayer at sunset because it was when those who worshipped the sun used to pray. The word "after" here is not meant in a general sense; rather, it is meant to refer to the time of sunset and what is close to it. It is said that the prohibition of prayer during this time is only meant to prohibit delaying the obligatory prayer without a valid excuse until it is performed close to sunset. This prohibition does not include performing obligatory prayers or making up for missed prayers; it is exclusive to the supererogatory prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the observance of prayer.
It also encourages the observance of prayers in their due time.
It clarifies the merit of this Ummah as it carefully maintains a prayer that was not maintained by the preceding nations.
It also points out that the reward of whoever observes the ‘Asr prayer is doubled..

831
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir al-Juhani reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid us from praying or burying our deceased ones at three times: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully risen; when the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon until it passes its zenith; and when the sun starts setting until it fully sets..

Commentary : Allah Almighty sent His Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to all humankind as a guide, bringer of good news, and a warner. There is no goodness for them concerning their life or death except that he guided them to it and urged them to do it. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to preserve for the Muslims their creed. For example, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from praying or burying their dead at three times, which are: "When the sun begins to rise;" this is at the beginning of its rise and appearance. In modern estimation, this is nearly 15 minutes after sunrise. He forbade this because it is a time in which the sun-worshipers used to pray and prostrate to it, as it is a time in which the the sun rises between the two horns the devil. The second time: "When the sun is at its highest point in the sky at noon;" this is at midday, when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This is a time when any standing object at noon no longer has a shadow towards the east or the west, and it is the time of extreme heat. He forbade this timing because Hellfire is flared up during it. The forbidden time continues until the sun passes its zenith for a little towards the west, and there comes the noon at which the time of the Zhuhr prayer comes. The third timing: "and when the sun starts setting," i.e., it moves towards setting until it completely sets, and the disc of the sun disappears. This is a time in which the sun sets between the two horns of the devil. This prohibition does not apply to the obligatory prayers that are performed within their appointed times or as missed prayers; rather,, it applies to supererogatory prayers.
In the Hadīth: The prohibition of praying at these times
And in it: The prohibition of burying the dead at these times.

832
‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: In Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period of ignorance), I used to think that people were misguided and that they were not on the right path, as they worshipped idols. Then, I heard of a man in Makkah who was telling new things. So, I mounted my camel and went to him. I found that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was hiding, for his people were aggressive toward him. So, I acted gently until I entered his place. I said to him: "Who are you?" He said: "I am a Prophet." I said: "What is a Prophet?" He said: "Allah sent me.'' I said: "What did He send you with?" He said: "He sent me with [a message] of maintaining kinship ties, breaking the idols, and upholding the oneness of Allah without associating anything with him." I said: "Who is with you on that?" He said: "A free man and a slave man.'' He said: At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilāl were with him. I said: "I shall follow you.'' He said: "You cannot do that today. Do you not see my situation and that of the people? However, return to your people, and when you hear that I have succeeded in my mission, come to me.'' So, I went to my people. Later, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to Madīnah. It was until some of my people went to Madīnah that I said: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" They said: "People are hastening to him. His own people wanted to kill him, but they could not." So, I went to Madīnah and entered his place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He said: "Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me of what Allah has taught you, which I am ignorant of. Tell me about prayer." He said: "Perform the morning prayer. Then, do not pray until the sun has risen up to the height of a lance, for when it rises, it rises between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it. Then, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until the shadow of the lance shrinks. Then, do not pray, for at that time Hell is fired up. Then, pray when the shadow becomes longer, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until you perform ‘Asr. Then, do not pray until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil. It is when the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it." I further said: "O Prophet, tell me about ablution.'' He said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water and rinses his mouth and nose, the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose will ‘fall’. Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him, the sins of his face fall with water from the edges of his beard. Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows, the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair. Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes. Then, when he stands up for prayer, praises Allah Almighty, extols Him, glorifies Him as He deserves, and empties his heart for Allah, he becomes free from his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.'' ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah narrated this Hadīth to Abu ’Umāmah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Thereupon, Abu Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about what you are saying. Will a man be getting all of this on one occasion?" ‘Amr said: "O Abu ’Umāmah, I am old in age, weak in bones, and close to death. I do not need to tell lies about Allah or the Messenger of Allah. Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times - I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that.".

Commentary : Islam emerged in a world filled with oppression, Shirk (polytheism), and ignorance. The brightness of its teachings was strange to those who lived in complete darkness. Its earlier followers suffered severe tribulations, as they were very few and their enemies regarded them as weak and humiliated, and they would subject them to subjugation and harm, for they did not possess the means of protection either by being large in number or by strength. This was before Allah Almighty endowed them with Hijrah (emigration) to Madīnah, where He provided them with refuge, empowered them, helped them, and made them victorious over their enemies. In this Hadīth, the Companion ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him)—who was the half-brother of Abu Dharr from the mother's side; their mother was Ramlah, from Banu al-Waqī‘ah ibn Harām ibn Ghifār, and he was from Banu Sulaym—says that in Jāhiliyyah, people were polytheists. It was called as such due to the prevalence of their ignorance. He used to think that people were misguided and did not follow anything of the truth or the religion that would benefit them with Allah Almighty. "as they worshipped idols." An idol is anything worshiped apart from Allah, be it made of stone, wood, or trees, and whether it takes the form of a human being or not. Later, he heard about the emergence of a man - meaning the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) - in Makkah who was telling new things concerning Allah Almighty, i.e., the new things related to the prophethood, the message, and the revelation of Allah to him, and the command He sent to him about Tawhīd (monotheism) and the falsity of associating partners with Allah Almighty. So, he mounted his riding animal and traveled to Makkah to learn about the affair of this Prophet. He found the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) hiding from the disbelievers because they were aggressive to him. So, he searched for him in Makkah in a gentle and kind manner so that the Quraysh disbelievers would not repel him, until he found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "What are you?" i.e., what about your condition and your affair? He did not say, "Who are you?" because he did not want to ask about himself but about his traits. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "I am a Prophet," one of the prophets of Allah, as Allah sent revelation to me. He asked him about the reality that distinguishes a prophet from others, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied to him that Allah sent him to all humankind. He further asked him: "What did He send you with?" In reply, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that He sent him with a message of upholding the ties of kinship, who are a person's relatives and all those who are related to him by blood, whether he is an inheritor of them or not. The tie becomes more affirmed if they have a closer blood relationship. The Prophet's response here was appropriate for the questioner or considering the time and condition. The upholding of kinship ties is probably singled out in consideration of the condition of the Arabs, or because other obligations had not yet been prescribed. And he informed him that Allah Almighty sent him with a message of breaking and destroying the idols, prohibiting the devotion of worship to them, and that oneness must be attributed to Allah alone and worship be devoted to Him alone, not associating any of the creation as partners with Him. ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Who is with you on that" Tawhīd and religion? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A free man and a slave man." ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at the time had with him Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the free man, and Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), by whom he meant the slave man, among those who believed in him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), believed his message, and followed his religion. ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah as-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "I shall follow you" and this religion, referring to his conversion to Islam. Hence, I shall accompany you and be with you in this position you are in. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "You cannot do that on this day of yours," i.e., at the present time. This is due to the weakness of the Muslims. It is feared that you will be harmed by the Qurayshi disbelievers. He did not reject his conversion to Islam, but rejected the idea that he would remain with him, citing as the reason for that the few supporters of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the strength of the disbelievers and the severe animosity they displayed. So, he ordered him to go back to his people, remain among them, and continue to be Muslim, and when he hears about the dominance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his victory over the polytheists and the spread of his call across the land, he should come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This is an example of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) talking about future and unseen things, and it falls under the signs of his prophethood (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) returned to his people Banu Sulaym. Then, after a while, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated to Madīnah after staying in Makkah as a prophet for thirteen years, calling people to Tawhīd and the abandonment of Shirk. Meanwhile, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was living among his people. So, he began to look out for news about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in Madīnah, asking travelers who would pass him by. This continued until there came a group, between three and nine persons, from the people of Yathrib, which was the old name for Madīnah, before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) changed it to Taybah and Tābah. He asked them: "What happened to this man who came to Madīnah?" He posed the question in this way so as to conceal his condition from whom he asked, lest they might be enemies of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and so they would not tell him the truth, if they knew he was following his religion. This reflects the good understanding, wisdom, and intelligence of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him). They answered him: People are hastening to him to follow his religion and enter Islam. "His people wanted to," i.e., the Quraysh disbelievers wanted to "kill him" by various methods of cunning and deception, "but they could not." Rather, Allah turned their plots back on their necks and protected His Prophet from that. It was said: This is intended to refer to what the Quraysh tribe plotted against the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after his Hijrah, including the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, and Al-Ahzāb, and others. But they could not eliminate him, as Allah Almighty granted him victory over them. Also, the intended meaning is probably what Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {And [remember] when the disbelievers plotted against you to take you as captive, kill you, or expel you. They plan, and Allah also plans, but Allah is the Best of those who plan.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 30] This is when they plotted against him in these ways. So, Allah permitted him to immigrate, and after he went to Madīnah, Allah Almighty revealed to him "Surat al-Anfāl" wherein He mentions His favors upon him and the affliction he had suffered.
Then, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he came to Madīnah - after the battles of Badr, ’Uhud, the Trench, and Khaybar - and entered the Prophet's place and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?" He replied: Yes, you are the one who met me in Makkah. So, ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked to tell him about what Allah taught the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of which ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was ignorant. He also asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to tell him about the prayer and its time. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) instructed him to offer the morning prayer - and its time begins with the appearance of the true dawn - and then desist from prayer until the sun appears and rises to the height with which prayer is no longer disliked; that's 15 minutes after sunrise, according to modern estimation. This demonstrates the times in which prayer was prohibited, and he explained to him the reason behind this prohibition, saying that the sun rises between two horns of a devil, and at that time the disbelievers who worship the sun prostrate themselves to it. The meaning: The devil adorned to some people the worship of the sun at this time, and he used to take sunrise between the two horns in his head and approach it, and so it would rise between his two horns. And the same happens at the time of sunset. It is as if those who prostrate to the sun do prostrate to him. So, this is meant to keep away from imitation of the disbelievers at their time of prayer. This prohibition pertains to supererogatory prayers whose performance is not associated with a specific reason. A Muslim should not offer them at these two times. As for the missed obligatory prayers, they may be performed at all times of prohibition.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed him that after that time he could offer as many supererogatory prayers as he wished, as related in the version by Abu Dāwūd, "for the prayer is witnessed and attended," i.e., the angels attend it to write down its reward and bear witness for those who perform it. So, it is closer to acceptance and the attainment of mercy. So, he prays "until the shadow of the lance shrinks," i.e., the shadow rises with the lance or in the lance, and nothing of it remains on the ground. This refers to the Arab martial lance, which is nine mediocre spans long. The lance was particularly mentioned because when the Arabs wanted to know the time, they would erect their lances on the ground and then look at their shadows.
When things no longer have a shadow, one should refrain from offering supererogatory prayers that are not associated with a specific reason, for this time is one in which "Hell is fired up," i.e., it is intensely kindled. "when the shadow becomes longer" towards the east, "then pray" any prayer you want to offer. "for the prayer is witnessed and attended." Continue to pray as much as you wish "until you perform ‘Asr." Then, stop offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr, until the sun sets, for it sets between two horns of a devil, and this is a time at which the disbelievers prostrate themselves to it, as previously mentioned.
Then, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about ablution and how to perform it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you approaches his ablution water," i.e., brings water to perform ablution therewith. "and rinses his mouth" by moving water inside the mouth and then discharging it out. "and nose" by inserting water into the nose and then blowing it out to remove any filth inside. the sins of his face, his mouth, and nose "fall." "Then, when he washes his face as Allah commanded him," i.e., in the verse that reads: {when you rise up for prayer, wash your faces.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 6] "the sins of his face will fall with water from the edges of his beard." He mentioned the beard in light of what is more common; yet, it also applies to those who have no beard, such as the beardless men or women. "Then, when he washes his hands up to the elbows," which are the joints in the middle of the arm, "the sins of his hands fall with water from his fingertips. Then, when he wipes over his head, the sins of his head fall with water from the ends of his hair." He mentioned hair in light of what is more common, yet it also applies to those who have no hair. "Then, when he washes his feet up to the ankles" - the two protruding bones at the joint connecting the foot and leg - "the sins of his feet fall with water from his toes." If a person performs ablution in this way and enters the prayer, praises Allah, lauds Him by the well-established attributes, lauds Him by exalting Him above what does not befit Him, and extols Him by ascribing to Him the attributes of glory, might, and honor of which He is worthy; "and empties his heart for Allah," Almighty, i.e., he empties his heart from the impurity of attachment to and reliance upon other than Allah, "he becomes free from his sins" and misdeeds and gets purified from them as he was pure from all sins "on the day his mother gave birth to him."
‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this Hadīth before Abu ’Umāmah, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Abu ’Umāmah said to him: "O ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, think about," i.e., consider, ponder, "what you are saying" about this abundant reward in return for this little act in one situation and one place; a man is given this great reward! The wording by An-Nasā’i: "Is all of this given in one situation?!" This does not denote suspicion by Abu ’Umāmah of ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them). It is only wonder at the immensity of Allah's bounty. ‘Amr replied: "O Abu Umāmah, I am old in age," "weak in bones," i.e., my bones have become thin and lean - a reference to his weakness. "and close to death." "I do not need" or am prompted "to tell lies about Allah" Almighty" or the Messenger of Allah" (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The meaning: The usual causes of lying are non-existent in me. I am not a liar. So, "Had I not heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) only once, twice, thrice - and he counted up to seven times," i.e., he said: four times, until he said: seven times. "I would not have narrated it. However, I heard it more than that." In the version by An-Nasā’i: "My ears heard it, and my heart understood it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." This means he was scrupulous in narrating these words about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Besides, his heart kept it for himself, and he did not undergo forgetfulness. This is all due to keenness to ascertain the validity of the narration.
In the Hadīth: Urging the upholding of kinship ties, as Allah Almighty couples it with Tawhīd
And in it: Supererogatory prayers may be offered at any time, except for the prohibited times.
And in it: Demonstrating the time of the morning prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the times in which it is prohibited to offer non-obligatory prayers
And in it: The merit of performing ablution perfectly
And in it: The merit of Khushū‘ (humility and focus) in prayer
And in it: It is prohibited to imitate the disbelievers in their worship
And in it: Showing the merit of Abu Bakr and Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with both of them), as they embraced Islam ahead of others
And in it: Showing the merit of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wisdom, for he realized during Jāhiliyyah that people were misguided, as they worshiped idols apart from Allah Almighty, and he embraced Islam early on.
And in it: It points out that a Muslim should ask about the best times and places in which he should seek closeness to his Lord and perform a lot of worship to Him.
And in it: News should be verified, even if the reporter is truthful, for he may undergo forgetfulness or the like..

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Khalid ibn Dinar (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated: I asked Abu Al-`Aliyah about a man who becomes in a state of major ritual impurity and has no water available, but has Nabidh (date wine) — should he perform Ghusl with it? He said: No..

Commentary : Water is a great blessing that Allah sent down from the sky and made from it every living thing. From it, people drink and purify themselves, and no other liquid can take its place.
In this Hadith, Abu Khaldah says: "I asked Abu Al-`Aliyah" — who is Rufai ibn Mihran — "about a man," meaning: about the situation of a man "who becomes in a state of major ritual impurity," that is: he becomes in a state of Janabah from the emission of semen, "and has no water" available to perform Ghusl with, "but has Nabidh" Nabidh is what is made from beverages derived from dates, raisins, honey, wheat, and barley, by leaving them soaked in water, then drinking it. "Should he perform Ghusl with it?" That is: would performing Ghusl with it be valid and sufficient? Abu Al-`Aliyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "No," meaning: he should not perform Ghusl with it, and this would not be valid. This narration shows the eagerness of the Successors of the Companions (Tabi`un) for knowledge, learning, and understanding of the religion..

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Narrated by `Abdullah ibn Al-Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him): that he went out for Hajj or `Umrah with people accompanying him, and he was leading them in prayer. One day, he called the Iqamah for prayer — the Fajr prayer — then said: "Let one of you step forward," and he went to relieve himself, saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: 'When one of you wants to relieve himself and the prayer is established, let him begin with relieving himself.'".

Commentary : Humility and contemplation enable the Muslim to turn his heart toward his Lord in prayer, so that his heart is occupied only with remembrance and supplication.
In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn Al-Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) says: that he "went out for Hajj or `Umrah with people accompanying him, and he was leading them in prayer. One day, he called the Iqamah for prayer" — which was "the Fajr prayer — then said: 'Let one of you step forward'" as Imam for the people in prayer, "and he went to relieve himself" to fulfill his need. Then he informed the people of what he had heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: 'When one of you wants to relieve himself and the prayer is established, let him begin'" first "with relieving himself." This is because if he enters prayer while holding back his need, his heart will not be free for prayer, and he will be preoccupied with what is inappropriate.
This Hadith encourages avoiding any distraction of the mind during prayer by anything external to it. It also shows the eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to implement the Hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)..

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It is narrated on the authority of `Uthman ibn `Abd Ar-Rahman At-Taymi that he said: Ibn Abu Mulaykah was asked about Wudu', and he said: I saw `Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) being asked about Wudu', so he called for water and a small vessel was brought to him. He titled it over his right hand, then he inserted it into the water, rinsed his mouth three times, sniffed water into his nose and blew it out three times, washed his face three times, then washed his right hand three times, and his left hand three times. Next, he inserted his hand, took water, and wiped his head and ears, washing their insides and outsides once. Then, he washed his feet and said: Where are those asking about Wudu'? This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah perform Wudu'..

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) carried the banner of religion and raised the standard of Islam, transmitting the knowledge they received from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to the generations that came after them.
In this Hadith, one of the Successors of the Companions (Tabi`un) asked the esteemed Successor, Ibn Abu Mulaykah, about the manner of performing Wudu'. He replied: I saw `Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) "being asked about Wudu’". That is, someone asked him about the manner of performing Wudu’.
The narration continues: "`Uthman called for water" - i.e., he requested water to perform Wudu’ in front of the questioner and show him how to perform it - "A small vessel was brought to him." That is, they brought him a small vessel, which is a small container holding enough water for Wudu’. The narration then reads: "He tilted it over his right hand," which means he inclined it over his right hand and poured water on it, washing his right hand before dipping it into the Wudu’ water. Then, it reads: "Then he inserted it into the water," meaning he then inserted his right hand into the small vessel. The phrase "He rinsed his mouth three times" means he put water in his mouth and then expelled it three times, while "He sniffed water into his nose and blew it out three times" means he put water in his nose and then expelled it three times.
The narration continues: "washed his face three times, then washed his right hand three times, and his left hand three times." That is, he washed his right arm up to the elbows three times and his left arm up to the elbows three times. The narration then reads: "Then he inserted his hand," meaning he dipped his hand into the small vessel, "took water, and wiped his head and ears." That is, he took a handful of water and placed it on his head, wiping his head with it, then wiped his ears as well.
The narration goes on: "washing their insides and outsides once," meaning he washed his ears from the inside and outside once, then washed his feet. It then reads: "and said" - i.e., `Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) - "Where are those asking about Wudu'? That is, where is the one who wants to learn Wudu’?
The narration concludes: " This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah perform Wudu'." That is, I saw the Messenger of Allah perform this Wudu’ in the same manner I have demonstrated to you.
This Hadith underscores teaching through action..

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It is narrated on the authority of `Amr ibn Shu`ayb, from his father, from his grandfather: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, how is Tuhur?" So he called for water in a vessel and washed his hands three times, then washed his face three times, then washed his arms three times, then wiped his head and inserted his index fingers into his ears and wiped the outer part of his ears with his thumbs and the inner part of his ears with his index fingers, then washed his feet three times each. Then he said, "This is how Wudu’ is done. Whoever adds to this or omits from it has done wrong and acted unjustly, or has acted unjustly and done wrong.".

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was keen on teaching the Companions by doing things in front of them so that it would be firmly established in their minds.
In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, how is Tuhur?" The meaning of the question is: How is Wudu’ performed? "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called for water in a vessel, then washed his hands three times, then washed his face three times, then washed his arms three times, then wiped his head, without mentioning a number, then inserted his two index fingers (Sabbahatayn) into his ears," referring to the index fingers of the right and left hands, and they were called Sabbahatayn because they are pointed with during Tasbih (glorifying Allah), "wiped the outer part of his ears with his thumbs and the inner part of his ears with his index fingers , then washed his feet three times each," then he said: " This is how Wudu’ is done. Whoever adds to this", meaning: more than three - "or omits from it" doing less than three "has done wrong" by abandoning the Sunnah and the proprieties of Shari`ah, "and acted unjustly" by not following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and opposing him. He mentioned here the mandatory acts of Wudu’, and did not mention rinsing the mouth or sniffing water into the nose (and then blowing it out); perhaps they are included in washing the face, or they are not mandatory; so he did not mention them.
A group of scholars have considered the addition of "or omits from it" to be inauthentic and counted it among what was criticized about `Amr ibn Shu`ayb; because its apparent meaning is a condemnation of doing it less than three, while it is permissible; for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did it. So, how can it be expressed as a "wrongdoing"? It was said: If the wording is not due to doubt from the narrator, then it is one of the clear errors that leave no room for ambiguity; for performing Wudu’ once or twice is unanimously permitted, and the reports regarding the matter are authentic. It was said regarding his statement “or omits from it” that there is an ellipsis, and its implied meaning is: whoever falls short in the single washing, such as by leaving a patch unwashed during a single rinse, has done wrong. This is supported by what Nu`aym ibn Hammad ibn Mu`awiyah narrated through Al-Muttalib ibn Hantab in a Marfu` narration (a narration attributed to the Prophet): “Wudu’ may be done once, twice, or up to three times, but whoever falls short of one or exceeds three has erred.”
This Hadith highlights the importance of learning through action, along with verbal instruction..

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`Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: "If the religion were based on opinion, then the underside of the Khuff (leather socks) would have been more deserving of being wiped than the upper side. But I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiping over the upper side of his Khuff.".

Commentary : Religion is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) conveyed from the Lord of the Worlds, not what people deduce through personal opinion or limited intellect.
In this Hadith, `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If the religion were based on opinion." That is, if religious rulings were determined by what seems rational or logical to the human mind. The narration reads, "then the underside of the Khuff would have been more deserving of being wiped than the upper side," because it is what most frequently comes into contact with filth and wear. This, on the surface, is what reason and observation might suggest. However, `Ali continues: "But I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiping over the upper side of his Khuff." Meaning, this is what he did, and we follow his practice because his guidance comes from divine wisdom, far beyond what the intellect alone can grasp. Upon closer reflection, it becomes clear that the idea of wiping the bottom of the sock is flawed: the underside is likely to be dirty and wiping it would only soil the hand without any actual benefit, since the purpose of the wiping is not to clean the sock, but to fulfill an act of worship in the prescribed manner.
This Hadith highlights the strength of `Ali’s intellect and his deep faith. It also underscores an important principle: any opinion that contradicts the Sunnah is an invalid opinion, and the Sunnah is always worthier of being followed..

189
`Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah ate a shoulder, then wiped his hand with a cloth that was beneath him, then stood up and prayed”..

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the most humble of people, despite the great virtues and noble qualities Allah had granted him. Among the signs of his humility was that he ate as a servant would eat. In this Hadith, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) “ate a shoulder” — that is, he ate from the meat of a roasted sheep’s shoulder — “then wiped his hand with a cloth that was beneath him.” The “cloth” refers to a rough garment or fabric made of hair. He was sitting on it and used it to wipe his hand rather than washing it. “Then he stood up and prayed”. That is, he prayed without performing a new Wudu’.
This Hadith and others have been cited as evidence that the previous command to perform Wudu’ after eating food touched by fire was later abrogated. The final ruling was that Wudu’ is not required after eating food cooked over fire..

210
Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "I used to experience difficulty with Madhiy, and I would frequently perform Ghusl. I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this, and he said: 'Wudu’ suffices for that.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what about what gets on my clothing from it?' He said: 'It suffices you to take a handful of water and sprinkle it on your garment wherever you think it has touched it.'".

Commentary : Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion toward people. While Ghusl (ritual bath) is mandatory for semen and major ritual impurity, among Islam's leniencies and consideration for people's circumstances is that it distinguishes between thick semen and the light Madhiy (pre-seminal fluid) that frequently emerges when desire is present in a man's body, or following the emission of semen and after performing Ghusl from it.
In this Hadith, Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "I used to experience difficulty with Madhiy," meaning: in its frequent emission and discharge. Madhiy is a thin white fluid that typically precedes or follows the emission of semen and sometimes emerges after urination or during arousal. He said: "And I would frequently perform Ghusl," meaning: because of the discharge of Madhiy, thinking that Ghusl was required for it. Sahl said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about this," meaning: about performing Ghusl for Madhiy. He said: "Wudu’ suffices for that," meaning: Wudu’ is sufficient for it, not Ghusl. Sahl said: "O Messenger of Allah, what about what gets on my clothing from it?" meaning: from this Madhiy. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "It suffices you to take a handful of water and sprinkle it on your garment wherever you think it has touched it," meaning: sprinkle the spot on the garment that the Madhiy has touched with water, until you believe you have removed it..

269
Narrated by `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I would sleep under the same covering while I was menstruating. If it was touched by anything from me, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would wash that spot without going beyond it, then pray in it. And if anything from him — meaning: his garment — touched it, he would wash that spot without going beyond it, then pray in it.".

Commentary : A menstruating woman's body is pure, as is her sweat, and she may undertake all activities such as cooking, kneading dough, baking, and performing all tasks as she did before menstruation began, except for prayer and fasting.
In this Hadith, the Mother of the Believers, `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), says: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I would sleep under the same covering" — the covering being the garment that is closest to the body — "while I was menstruating. If it" — meaning: if that garment — "was touched by anything from me," that is: blood, "the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would wash that spot without going beyond it," meaning: he would limit himself to that specific area only and not exceed it, "then pray in it" — in that covering. "And if anything from him touched it" — meaning: the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) garment — "he would wash that spot without going beyond it, then pray in it."
This Hadith demonstrates the breadth and ease of Islamic law..

363
Narrated by Umm Qays bint Mihsan (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about menstrual blood that gets onto clothing. He said: "Scrape it with a rib and wash it with water and Sidr.".

Commentary : Islam is a religion of ease, and among the manifestations of this ease is making things easier for people and treating them gently, especially in matters that cannot be easily avoided and occur out of necessity rather than choice.
In this Hadith, Umm Qays bint Mihsan (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about menstrual blood that gets onto clothing," meaning: what is the ruling regarding clothes that are stained with menstrual blood? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Scrape it with a rib," meaning: remove it with a stick or something similar like a stone or other object, and scrape it with this to remove the thick, clinging blood. "And wash it with water and Sidr," meaning: after scraping, wash it with something that will improve its scent. Sidr is the Lote tree, and its leaves are used for cleaning. By this, the trace of blood, its smell, and its appearance are removed from the garment..

675
Narrated by `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "And do not differ, lest your hearts differ, and beware of the clamor of the markets.".

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) organized the matter of congregational prayer. He taught us the qualities of the Imam, then who should stand behind him from among those with knowledge who memorize the Quran and with sound minds, then how the rows should be arranged, how people should be gentle with one another, then how children and women should be in the back rows, and other matters.
This Hadith is part of another Hadith, in which he said: "Let those among you who are mature and wise stand close to me," meaning: let those with sound minds and forbearance stand behind me in prayer, "then those who come after them, then those who come after them," meaning: then let the most excellent, then the next most excellent arrange themselves behind them. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "And do not differ, lest your hearts differ," meaning: be harmonious and gentle in your standing next to each other in prayer, for disagreement in this situation becomes a cause for the differing of hearts. Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "And beware of the clamor of the markets," meaning: beware of raising voices in prayer and mosques, and speaking without benefit, as happens in the markets. Do not let thinking about such matters distract you from humility in prayer. It is possible that this is a prohibition against mixing in mosques and in prayer rows, so that those with sound minds and the elderly should not mix with the young and women as in the markets.
This Hadith contains a prohibition against disagreement among people in prayer and in standing in rows. It also contains a warning against raising one's voice and mixing in prayer and mosques, as is often done in the markets..

708
It is narrated on the authority of `Amr ibn Shu`ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, that: We descended with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from the Thaniyyah of Adhakhir, and the time for prayer came. So he prayed facing a wall, using it as a Qiblah, and we stood behind him. Then a Bahmah (small sheep) came passing in front of him, and he kept trying to prevent it until he pressed his stomach against the wall, and it passed behind him..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed the one who is praying to place a Sutrah (barrier) in front of him, so that nothing may pass in front of him and interrupt his prayer. As for the congregational prayer, if the Imam places a barrier for himself, it serves as a barrier for the followers behind him.
In this narration, `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We descended”, meaning, we were on a journey and stopped at a location, “with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from the Thaniyyah of Adhakir”, which is a mountain pass between Makkah and Madinah. The word Thaniyyah refers to a path through the mountains. “The time for prayer came,” meaning the prescribed time had entered, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed with the people “facing a wall”, using it as a Qiblah and barrier, so that no one would pass in front of him and interrupt his prayer. The people were praying behind him. The narration reads, "Then a Bahmah came trying to pass in front of him" - the term Bahmah refers to the offspring of sheep, whether male or female - "He kept trying to prevent it", meaning he kept pushing it away and blocking its path, " until he pressed his stomach was pressed his stomach against the wall ". That is, he moved so close that there was no space left for it to pass in front of him, so it passed behind him instead.
This narration shows that the Sutrah of the Imam serves as a Sutrah for those praying behind him, as the animal passed in front of the followers but behind the Imam, and this did not invalidate the prayer.
The Hadith also teaches that it is upon the one who is praying to prevent anything, human or animal, from passing directly in front of him..

753
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered into prayer, he would raise his hands outstretched..

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) everything related to prayer: movements, stillness, and other matters. The Companions used to observe him and learn from him, and they transmitted this to those who came after them (may Allah be pleased with them all).
In this Hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered into prayer," meaning: when he began it and pronounced the first Takbir, which is the Takbir of Ihram, "he would raise his hands outstretched," meaning: he would raise his hands upward, aligning them with his head or close to that, or other ways that have been narrated regarding his manner (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) of raising them.
This Hadith demonstrates the Companions' meticulous observation of the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) actions and their transmission of these actions to others..

789
On the authority of Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I stand to lead the prayer intending to prolong it, but then I hear the crying of an infant, so I shorten it out of dislike for causing hardship to his mother.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to love to prolong the prayer, but at the same time he would take the people's needs into consideration. He would sometimes shorten the prayer for the sake of certain individuals, as in this Hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I stand to lead the prayer intending to prolong it.” That is, he intended to complete it and perfect it in the usual manner—not the kind of prolonging which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the Imams from doing. “Then I hear the crying of an infant, so I shorten it,” meaning: he would hear the crying of a child who was present with his mother, who was praying in the congregation. So he would lighten the prayer and not prolong it in terms of recitation or other actions, “out of dislike for causing hardship to his mother,” meaning: out of compassion for the child and his mother, due to her being distracted by her child’s crying during the prayer.
This Hadith highlights the importance of taking the condition of the congregation into account during the prayer, and of avoiding causing them hardship by unnecessary lengthening..

792
It is narrated from some of the Companions that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to a man, "What do you say in the prayer?" The man replied, "I recite the Tashahhud and then say: O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and seek refuge in You from the Fire. As for me, I am not good at your murmuring nor the murmuring of Mu`adh." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "It is around these that we murmur.".

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would ask the Companions about their acts of worship and supplications, in order to clarify whether they were correct, or to correct and guide them to what would benefit them in this world and the Hereafter.
In this Hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to a man, "What do you say in the prayer?", meaning: what remembrance and supplication do you say during your prayer? The man said, “I recite the Tashahhud,” referring to the testimony or greetings recited during prayer. “And I say: O Allah, I ask You for Paradise,” meaning: I ask You for entry into it. “And I seek refuge in You from the Fire,” meaning: to be kept far from it and not even come near it. Then the man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “As for me, I am not good at your murmuring nor the murmuring of Mu`adh.” Murmuring refers to low, indistinct speech, a tone that is heard but whose words are not clear, and it is also interpreted as private or concealed speech. The man meant that he was not proficient in the invocations and supplications that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) would say in prayer, nor was he able to formulate supplications with eloquence. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “It is around these that we murmur”. Namely, our invocations revolve around Paradise and Hellfire; all our supplications ultimately aim for the same purpose: to attain Paradise and be protected from the Hellfire.
This Hadith teaches that there is no need for affectation or overelaboration in supplication; rather, sincerity and clarity of intention are what matter most..

832
Narrated by `Abdullah ibn Abu Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "I am unable to memorize anything from the Quran, so teach me something that will suffice for me." He said: "Say: Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah, this is for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, but what is there for me?" He said: "Say: O Allah, have mercy on me, grant me sustenance, grant me well-being, and guide me." When the man stood up, he gestured with his hand like this, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "As for this one, he has filled his hand with goodness.".

Commentary : In this Hadith, a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "I am unable to memorize anything from the Quran," meaning: in terms of memorization, learning, and recitation, "so teach me something that will suffice for me" — something I can recite in prayer and elsewhere. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him: "Say: Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, and there is no power" — meaning: there is no means of escaping sins and warding off disliked evils except by the Will of Allah — "and no strength" for me to perform acts of obedience and attain good "except with Allah," that is: through His guidance, the Almighty. "Al-`Aliyy" (the Most High) is one of the Names of Allah that encompasses a perfect attribute, which is elevation in its three types: elevation of dominance and victory, elevation of status, and elevation of essence. "Al-`Adhim" (the Most Great) is one of the Names of Allah that encompasses a perfect attribute, which is Greatness. The man then said: "O Messenger of Allah, this" — the remembrance and praise — "is for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, but what is there for me" in terms of supplication and requests? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him: "Say: O Allah, have mercy on me, and grant me sustenance" of good things, "and grant me well-being" from evil, "and guide me" to the straight path. "When the man stood up, he gestured with his hand like this," meaning: he clenched it, "and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'As for this one, he has filled his hand with goodness,'" meaning: he has gathered abundant good and reward.
The Hadith demonstrates the ease and compassion of the Islamic Shari`ah. It also highlights the importance of learning the Quran and various Adhkar (remembrances).

119
Narrated by `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform Wudu’ before going to sleep..

Commentary : Purity and cleanliness are among the signs of the believer, and it was from the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) practice to maintain this at all times as much as he was able.
This Hadith explains some of these meanings, where the Mother of the Believers, `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), informs us that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "used to perform Wudu’ before going to sleep," meaning: it was his habit to perform the Wudu’ for prayer before going to sleep..

616
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivering a sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage, in which he said, "Fear Allah, your Lord; perform your five prayers; fast during your month; pay the Zakah of your wealth; obey those in authority among you; and you will enter the Paradise of your Lord.".

Commentary : Drawing closer to Allah by performing what Allah has enjoined, such as prayer, fasting, mandatory almsgiving (Zakah), and pilgrimage, is among the most beloved deeds to Allah the Exalted, and one of the greatest means of entering Paradise.
In this Hadith, Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivering a sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage, in which he said: “Fear Allah, your Lord,” meaning: place a barrier between yourselves and the Punishment of Allah, fear Him as though you see Him, comply with His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. “Perform your five daily prayers,” meaning: perform the five prayers that Allah has enjoined upon you at their prescribed times and observe them consistently. “fast during your month,” meaning: the month of Ramadan. “Pay the Zakah of your wealth,” meaning: pay the due right of Allah from your wealth when it reaches the Nisab (minimum threshold that incurs the obligation of Zakah) and a full lunar year has passed over it. “Obey those in authority among you,” meaning: obey your leader and the one in authority over you, and do not disobey or oppose him. Their obedience is only in what is right. But if they command something that involves disobedience to Allah, then there is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator.
“You will enter the Paradise of your Lord,” meaning: your reward for doing so is that Allah the Exalted, will admit you to Paradise. The reward for the one who fulfills what Allah has enjoined upon him is Paradise and its bliss.
The Hadith includes the command to fulfill what Allah has prescribed of prayer, fasting, and Zakah (mandatory almsgiving).
And in it is the command to obey the ruler and not to oppose or disobey him..

675
Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prescribed the charity of Al-Fitr upon males and females, free persons and slaves: a Sa` of dates or a Sa` of barley. He said: So the people began to equate it to half a Sa` of wheat..

Commentary : In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prescribed the charity of Al-Fitr," referring to Zakat Al-Fitr given at the end of Ramadan. The wisdom behind its obligation includes: to spare the poor from having to ask on the day of `Eid, and to purify the fasting person from (the sinfulness of) any idle talk or inappropriate behavior that may have occurred during the fast. He continued: "males and females, free persons and slaves," indicating that it is mandatory upon every Muslim individual, whether young or old. The obligation is fulfilled on behalf of minors by their parents or guardians, and on behalf of slaves by their masters. It is to be given as "a Sa` of dates or a Sa` of barley," where a Sa` is equivalent to four Mudds, and a Mudd is the amount that fills two cupped hands. Ibn `Umar further stated: "Then people began to equate it," meaning that they began to give Zakat in an amount equivalent to a Sa` of dates or barley.
It is said that the “people” referred to here were Mu`awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) and those who followed his view, who substituted it with "half a Sa` of wheat," i.e., wheat instead of dates or barley..

982
It is narrated on the authority of Buraydah ibn Al-Husaib Al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The believer dies with sweat on his forehead.".

Commentary : The severity of death and its agonies are not necessarily signs of punishment or a bad end. This is clarified in the Hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The believer dies with sweat on his forehead." It has been said that this refers to the intensity of death, such that his forehead sweats as a means of purifying his sins or elevating his rank. It is also said to be a sign of a good ending. Others interpret it as a metaphor for the believer’s lifelong striving in seeking lawful sustenance and his self-discipline through fasting and prayer until he meets Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is also said that his forehead sweats out of modesty when receiving the glad tidings at the moment of death. The "forehead" here refers to the front part of the head.
Ahmad, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on them), and others narrated from Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked: Which people are most severely tested?" He said: "The prophets, then the most exemplary and then the next best, are tested. A man is tested according to the strength of his faith. If he is firm in his faith, his trials are severe, and if there is weakness in his faith, his trials are made easier for him.".

1131
It is narrated on the authority of Ruwayfi` ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him not water his seed to the offspring of another..

Commentary : Islam has prescribed specific rulings to safeguard honor and lineage, especially given that, during times of war, female captives would be taken and distributed among the warriors. Additionally, the buying and selling of slave women (concubines) was a common practice. All such women were lawfully permissible (for intimacy) to their lawful owners. Therefore, Islam legislated the practice of ensuring wombs are free (of pregnancy) when these women were transferred from one man to another.
In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day,” meaning: whoever has complete faith, affirming and acknowledging belief in Allah and the Last Day, and adheres to the laws of Islam, “ let him not water his seed to the offspring of another” that is, he should not deposit his seed ( i.e., have intercourse) except in a womb that is reliably known to be free of any legal impediments to intercourse (i.e., pregnant by or married to another man). This directive came in light of the practice at the time, where men would purchase slave women or acquire female captives in war, who would then be distributed among the warriors or rightful claimants. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed them to ensure the wombs were free(of pregnancy) before engaging in intercourse. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the Hadith regarding the captives of Awtas: “A pregnant woman must not be approached until she gives birth, and a non-pregnant woman until she menstruates once.” He thus prohibited a man from engaging in intercourse with a woman who is pregnant by another man. This is because pregnancy in the womb is like a crop in the soil, and a man’s water (i.e., semen) is what nourishes what lies within the wombs of women.
Therefore, every believer must be cautious with his seed and only place it where Allah and His Messenger have permitted, where there is no ambiguity or religious doubt. Some scholars have stated that the fetus may continue to grow nourished by the semen of the second man, and then be born, appearing as though it is a child shared between two men. This may lead to the newborn inheriting from the second man while it is, in fact, the child of another, or the second man taking ownership of the child while he is, in fact, his own son. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade intercourse with pregnant slave women and captives until they have delivered or experienced one menstrual cycle..

1138
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Coitus interruptus was mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he said: Why would one of you do that? Ibn Abu `Umar added in his narration: He did not say, "None of you should do that." They both said in their narrations: "For there is no soul that Allah has decreed to be created except that He is its Creator.".

Commentary : Every creature has had its lifespan and offspring decreed by Allah, and the Pen has already recorded this; therefore, practicing coitus interruptus to prevent offspring is ultimately of no real benefit.
In this Hadith, Abu Sa`id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "Coitus interruptus was mentioned," referring to the act of withdrawing the male organ from the vagina before ejaculation. This discussion took place "in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)," i.e., during his gathering. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) responded with a tone of disapproval, saying: "Why would one of you do that!" This question expresses disapproval of the practice, which is often done to avoid conception. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reminds them that all matters are ultimately determined by the decree of Allah. If Allah wills for a child to be conceived, it will happen, whether through intentional intercourse or even if ejaculation occurs before withdrawal, without the person realizing it. Thus, the will and decree of Allah will inevitably come to pass.
At-Tirmidhi said that Ibn Abu `Umar added to his narration, and he [the Prophet] did not say: "None of you should do that," meaning that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not explicitly forbid his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), but rather indicated that it is preferable to leave that. In the narration by Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Do you indeed do that?" "There is no blame upon you if you do not do that." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "For there is no soul that Allah has decreed to be created except that He is its Creator." Another narration reads: "Except that it will come forth." That is, Allah has ordained the means for its emergence, even if the man takes precautions through coitus interruptus.
It was said that among the reasons for practicing coitus interruptus is that the woman is nursing, and there is concern for the infant she is nursing in that case; or that the man has limited means and desires to have fewer children; or due to fear of having a child with a slave woman, which would result in the child being born into slavery. However, none of these reasons can stand against the divine command and decree of Allah, and indeed, it is Allah Who provides..

1149
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked whether, if a man had two female slaves, and one of them nursed a slave-boy, and the other had nursed a slave-girl, is it permissible for the boy to marry the girl? He said, "No. The origin of the milk is one.".

Commentary : The Successors of the Companions (Tabi`un) used to ask the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and learn the religion from them. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to transmit the religion to them, teach them, and issue Fatwas for them concerning the new matters that arose.
In this Hadith, the Successor `Amr ibn Ash-Sharid (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated: "`Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked whether, if a man had two female slaves, and one of them nursed a slave-boy, and the other had nursed a slave-girl." That is: one of the two slave women suckled a female child, and the other slave woman suckled a male child. Then he was asked: "Is it permissible for the boy to marry the girl?" That is: is it permissible for the boy who was suckled by the first slave woman to marry the girl who was suckled by the second? Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “No,”—that is, it is not permissible for them to marry one another. “The origin of the milk is one,” meaning: both women were owned by the same man, and it was he who fathered both children. The milk by which the two infants were breastfed was produced as a result of a single man’s procreative act, and thus the children are considered milk-siblings..

1894
Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The one who serves drinks to the people is the last to drink.".

Commentary : Islam promotes manners and conduct that elevate the spirit of those who uphold them, whether in private or in public.
Among the examples of this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) teaches in this Hadith how one should serve the community, how such service uplifts a person’s character, and how one should prioritize the collective interest in all aspects of life.
This Hadith is an abridged version of another narration in which it is mentioned that when the Companions lost access to water during one of their journeys, Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They were saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we are perishing, we are thirsty!’ So he replied, ‘There is no destruction upon you.’ Then he said, ‘Bring me my Ghumar,’ meaning, bring me my small cup, and the Ghumar is a small vessel." He continued: "Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called for the water container (used for Wudu’; Mida'ah), and he began to pour, while I, Abu Qatadah, was giving the people to drink. As soon as the people saw water in the container, they rushed toward it. But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Pour it gently, each of you will have enough to drink.’ So they did as he said, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) continued to pour, and I continued to serve them until no one remained except myself and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) poured and said to me, ‘Drink.’ I replied, ‘I will not drink until you drink, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘The one who serves the people is the last to drink.’" That is, whoever takes on the task of serving others should delay their own turn until everyone has been served.
The Hadith indicates: Whoever is entrusted with an affair of the Muslims must strive for the benefit of the Muslims and delay his own benefit until their benefit is fulfilled.
It highlights the Shari`ah's encouragement to spread virtuous morals among Muslims.
It also indicates the good manners and commitment that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) showed toward the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)..

2428
On the authority of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them), they said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The servant will be brought on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will say to him: 'Did I not give you hearing, sight, wealth, children, and did I not make the cattle and tillage subservient to you, and did I not allow you to hold leadership of people and to settle in Riba`? Did you not think that you would meet Me on this Day of yours?' So he will say: 'No.' So Allah will say to him: 'Today you shall be forgotten just as you have forgotten Me.'".

Commentary : Every servant will be presented before Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, and He will make him acknowledge His blessings that He bestowed upon him in the world, and He will ask him: What did you do with them? And did he fulfill their due gratitude and not neglect the Rights of Allah concerning them?
In this Hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: "The servant will be brought on the Day of Resurrection," meaning for the reckoning and presentation before Allah, "and Allah will say to him," meaning He will ask him and confirm: "Did I not grant you hearing, sight," meaning did I not bestow upon you the blessing of sight and hearing, "wealth, and children," meaning and I provided you with wealth and children, "Did I not subject," meaning I made subservient "the cattle and the tillage to you" from livestock, horses, and cultivation, "allow you to hold leadership," I allowed you to be a leader and a person of status among the people, and in your community, “and to settle in Riba`” — meaning: you possessed Riba`, which refers to homes and cultivated lands. And it was also said: it refers to taking one-fourth of the spoils of war. Then He — the Exalted — will say to him: "Did you not think that you would meet Me on this Day of yours?" That is: Did you believe that there is resurrection, life after death, reckoning, Paradise, and Hell on the Day of Resurrection? "The servant says, 'No,' meaning: I did not think there would be a resurrection after death, and that there would be an accounting on this day. Allah Says to him, 'Today,' on this day, 'you shall be forgotten,' meaning: you will be left neglected, I will turn away from you and abandon you, and withhold My Mercy from you, and you will be treated as one forgotten, 'as you forgot Me,' meaning: this is your recompense as you forgot My obedience and gratitude for the blessings I bestowed upon you..

2883
It is narrated on the authority of An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Quran will come, along with its companions, those who acted upon it in the worldly life, preceded by Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran.” An-Nawwas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave three parables for them, which I have not forgotten since. He said: “They will come as if they were two shades with a brightness between them, or as if they were two dark clouds, or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks, with wings outspread, pleading on behalf of their companion.”’.

Commentary : The Shari`ah encourages the recitation of the Quran with contemplation and reflection upon its verses, along with acting upon the obedience it enjoins and avoiding what it cautions against. It clarifies that whoever does this sincerely, seeking the pleasure of Allah, will be granted a great reward and immense favor on the Day of Judgment.
In this Hadith, An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The Quran will come, along with its companions," meaning those who recited and memorized it, "those who acted upon it in the worldly life," meaning they performed deeds according to its guidance, seeking reward and recompense from Allah. "preceded by Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran," meaning these two Surahs will lead the companions of the Quran on the Day of Judgment. It is also said that they will precede the entire Quran.
An-Nawwas said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave them three parables," meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) likened the precedence of Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran to three parables. An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an said: "I have not forgotten them since," meaning these three parables have remained vividly in my mind. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "They will come," meaning Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran on the Day of Judgment, "as if they were two shades," meaning as if they are two canopies shading their companion and those who memorized them , "with a brightness between them," meaning there will be light and radiance between them.
The second parable given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was: "Or as if they were two dark clouds," meaning as if they were like clouds that act as umbrellas, protecting their reciter from the heat of the Day of Judgment.
The third parable was: "Or as if they were two flocks of birds in ranks," meaning as if they were a canopy of birds lined up with their wings spread, "pleading," meaning defending and protecting "their companion", the one who recited, memorized, and acted upon the verses.
The Hadith involves the encouragement to frequently recite Surat Al-Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran.
It indicates that teaching through examples reinforces the meaning..

86
`Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The best of people after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and the best of people after Abu Bakr is `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).”.

Commentary : The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) have a lofty status. Some of them are superior to others due to the virtue with which Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) favored them.
In this narration, `Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The best of people after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and the best of people after Abu Bakr is `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).” This was due to their strong virtue in the religion of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and their unwavering support for it. Both carried the banner of the Caliphate after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and they fulfilled that trust in the best manner.
This statement is a clear refutation of the Rafidah, who gave precedence to `Ali on account of his lineage and closeness to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), over Abu Bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) made this statement in a sermon in Kufah, as reported by Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him).
This Hadith clearly affirms the virtue and merit of Abu Bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). It also reflects the deep love that `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had for them, along with his humility and recognition of their excellence..

114
It was narrated from `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) gave him the glad tidings that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to recite the Quran fresh (Ghaddan) as it was revealed, let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm `Abd.”.

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would strive to carry the banners of this religion, each according to his ability. At times, one of them would excel and surpass others in a particular matter.
In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Abu Bakr and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) gave me the glad tidings that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Whoever wishes to recite the Quran fresh (Ghaddan) as it was revealed, let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm `Abd.’”
The word Ghaddan refers to something tender and unchanged. It is also said to refer to fruit at its earliest stage. The meaning is that he memorized it and recited it as Allah revealed it adhering to its rulings and reciting it with a pleasant voice. It is also said that it refers to his method and manner of recitation, or that it refers to the verses which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard from him from the beginning of Surat An-Nisa’ to the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {And We have brought you as a witness over these} [An-Nisa’ 4:41] After the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard the recitation of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), he began to say concerning him: “Ask, and it will be granted to you.” This is a testimony that his recitation was accepted and that his supplication was answered.
This Hadith includes the permissibility of giving glad tidings to the believer regarding what pleases him. It also highlights a noble virtue and great merit of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who was among those who memorized and mastered the Quran. It also encourages following the method and manner of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in reciting the Quran and in adhering to its rulings..

117
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever loves Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn has indeed loved me, and whoever hates them has hated me.”.

Commentary : The household of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) possesses many virtues, and they are entitled to certain rights over others. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded that they be loved and forbade hatred toward them.
In this Hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever loves Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn has indeed loved me.” Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn are the sons of `Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They are the two grandsons of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and they are his two fragrant flowers from this world. Among the signs of loving the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is to love Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, "and whoever hates them has hated me." Among the signs of hating the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is to hate Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn. It is sufficient as a mark of wretchedness to hate he (i.e., the Messenger) whose love is part of the perfection of faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined love for his family. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, as narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I remind you, to fear Allah, regarding my household.” Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I am leaving behind two successors among you: the Book of Allah and my household.” Allah the Exalted has removed impurity from the household and purified them completely, as He Says (interpretation of the meaning): {Indeed, Allah only intends to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification} [Al-Ahzab 33:33] This love that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined is not one of extremism—such as raising the members of the household above the level of humanity—nor does it justify hatred toward others among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as is the practice of the Shi`ah in their exaggeration regarding Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising `Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Verily, I am only the slave of Allah and His Messenger.” In Al-Bukhari and Muslim, it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not revile my Companions. Do not revile my Companions. For by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend gold equivalent to Mount Uhud, it would not amount to the Mudd (a handful) of what one of them spent, nor even half of it.”
This Hadith highlights the noble status and great virtue of Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both), and that love for them is part of love for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)..

190
`Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears a Hadith from us and conveys it to others. For perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed has more understanding than the one who heard it.’".

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) urged the conveyance of the call to truth to the people and the transmission of his Sunnah, so that the religion may spread.
In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn Ma`sud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah brighten” — meaning: grant radiance and beauty; this is a supplication that Allah beautifies his physical form and elevates his rank. “A person” — that is, anyone, whether from the noble Companions or those who heard from them. “Who hears a Hadith from us” — referring to the words, actions, or approvals of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In one narration: “...and memorizes it” — meaning: he comprehends it with both his mind and heart and retains it. “And conveys it” — meaning: he transmits it to others exactly as he heard it. “For perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed has more understanding than the one who heard it.” In another narration: “For perhaps a carrier of Fiqh is not a jurist (Faqih), and perhaps a carrier of Fiqh conveys it to one who is more knowledgeable than he.” The particle “perhaps” (Rubba) can be used to express both rarity and frequency. The intended meaning is that it is sometimes — or even often — the case that the narrator who hears a Hadith is neither a scholar nor a jurist. However, he memorizes the Sunnah and transmits it to others — among whom are scholars and jurists capable of deriving rulings, or to someone more capable of understanding and deduction.
This Hadith encourages memorizing the Prophetic Sunnah and conveying it to others. It also illustrates the merit that scholars hold, and the merit of bearing, safeguarding, and conveying knowledge..

200
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Part of what continues to benefit a believer from his deeds and good actions after his death is: knowledge he taught and spread; a righteous child he left behind; a Mus-haf he bequeathed; a mosque he built; a house he built for a wayfarer; a canal he caused to flow; or charity he gave from his wealth during his lifetime while he was in good health—these continue to reach him after his death.”
Part of what continues to benefit a believer from his deeds and good actions after his death is.

Commentary : Islamic law encourages performing acts of righteousness and obedience. The Muslim is instructed to treat this worldly life as a field in which he plants for his Hereafter. It has clarified that some deeds continue to benefit a person even after death.
In this Hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “ Part of what continues to benefit a believer from his deeds and good actions after his death” That is: the impact and reward of these deeds persist beyond the person’s lifetime. This applies broadly to both the righteous and the sinful. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) clarified that what is intended are righteous deeds, when he said: “and good actions after his death.” In other words, the reward continues to reach him. He then gave examples: “Knowledge he taught and spread” — meaning he made it accessible to others by any means, whether through teaching, writing, authoring, or otherwise. “A righteous child he left behind” — and in another version: “a righteous child who prays for him.” Meaning: if the child performs righteous actions taught by the parent, then the parent shares in the reward. “A Mus-haf he bequeathed” — meaning he left behind a copy of the Quran, either as a personal possession or something he endowed for the Muslims. “A mosque he built” — whether through personal effort or financial contribution. “A house he built for a wayfarer” — meaning a shelter or dwelling for travelers. “A canal he caused to flow” — meaning he extracted water, built a means for it to flow, and facilitated its benefit to others. “Charity he gave from his wealth during his lifetime while he was in good health—these continue to reach him after his death” — that is: he gave charity while alive and well, and its reward continues after his passing. Even if some of these actions were not intended to have a lasting effect, Allah out of His Bounty allows any good that benefits people after one’s death, and is a trace of one’s work, to count in one’s record.
This Hadith illustrates the immense grace of Allah toward His believing slaves: He has made some deeds continue in reward even after death. It encourages giving Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity) during one’s lifetime, so its benefit endures. It also shows that books of beneficial knowledge left behind are among the righteous deeds whose reward remains after a person’s death..

541
From Mu`adhah bint `Abdullah Al-`Adawiyyah (may Allah have mercy on her): A woman asked `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), saying: “Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to apply henna or dye?” She replied: “We used to be with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we would apply henna, and he did not forbid us from doing so.”.

Commentary : The Shari`ah (Islamic law) came to bring ease to people, especially in matters related to Taharah (ritual purity).
In this Hadith, Mu`adhah bint `Abdullah Al-`Adawiyyah (may Allah have mercy on her) reports: “A woman asked `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), saying: ‘Is it permissible for a menstruating woman to apply henna or dye?’” meaning: is it permissible for her to apply henna to her hands, feet, or hair while she is in a state of menstruation? `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “We used to be with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and we would apply henna, and he did not forbid us from doing so.” This indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved of their practice, which serves as evidence of its permissibility. The dye left by henna on the hands does not prevent the removal of major impurity—whether due to Janabah (a state of ritual impurity caused by the discharge of semen or sexual intercourse) and menstruation—through ritual bathing (Ghusl), when they perform it..

542
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) carrying Al-Husayn the son of `Ali on his shoulder, and his saliva was dripping on him.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) clarified for his Ummah all matters related to purification. He explained what is pure and what is impure, along with the detailed guidelines for each.
In this Hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) carrying Al-Hasan — and in some versions: Al-Husayn — the son of `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) on his shoulder, and his saliva was dripping on him.” That is, the moisture from his mouth was falling onto the garment of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), indicating that it is pure. Had it been impure, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have washed it. It is also possible that the pronoun "on him" refers to Al-Hasan, and in that case, if it had been impure, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would not have carried a child with impure clothing.
This Hadith also encourages showing gentleness toward children..

660
Narrated by `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him): "We prayed Maghrib with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Some returned, while others remained. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out in haste, breathing heavily, with his garment lifted above his knees, and said: ‘Rejoice! Your Lord has opened one of the gates of Heaven and is boasting about you to the angels, saying: “Look at My slaves—they have fulfilled one mandatory duty and are awaiting another.”’”.

Commentary : Prayer is a pillar from the pillars of Islam. It holds immense virtue and an elevated status among the acts of worship. It is a connection between the servant and his Lord. It is repeated five times a day. The Shari`ah has encouraged its voluntary prayers, and the Prophetic Sunnah has clarified that Allah boasts to His angels about His praying servants and those who await its appointed times.
In this Hadith, `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al-`As (may Allah be pleased with them) conveys some of these meanings. He said: “We prayed Maghrib with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Some returned,” meaning: some people returned to their homes, “while others remained,” meaning: some waited in the Masjid (mosque) after the end of the prayer, awaiting the `Isha’ prayer. “Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out in haste, breathing heavily,” meaning: his breath had quickened, and his breathing was continuous, “with his garment lifted above his knees,” meaning: he had uncovered his clothing and raised it above his knees, such that they were visible this was due to the speed of his walk and his haste because he was carrying glad tidings for them. “And said: ‘Rejoice! Your Lord has opened one of the gates of Heaven and is boasting about you to the angels,’” meaning: He is proudly mentioning you before the angels. The Lord of Might says: “Look at My slaves—they have fulfilled one mandatory duty and are awaiting another.” Meaning: their waiting for the next mandatory prayer in the Masjid after completing the first is a reason for Allah to boast about them to His angels. This is evidence of the virtue of waiting for one prayer after another.
Muslim narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Waiting for the prayer after the prayer—that is the Ribat (enduring at the frontier to guard the Muslim state), that is the Ribat, that is the Ribat.” Thus he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made enduring in acts of worship and waiting patiently for the next prayer a form of Ribat in the path of Allah. For whoever prays a prayer, then sits waiting for another, and remains consistent in doing so he will have filled his life with obedience, and that will be counted as Ribat in the path of Allah..

804
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to like for the Muhajirun and the Ansar to stand directly behind him, so that they could learn from him.”.

Commentary : Prayer represents a spiritual act of worship wherein a person stands before their Creator. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) provided instruction on its proper etiquette and the requisite practices involved, such as the organization of prayer rows and the maintenance of humility, among other related matters.
In this Hadith by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), it is stated: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to like for the Muhajirun and the Ansar to stand directly behind him [in prayer],” meaning: he preferred that they be closest to him in the front rows — “so that they could learn from him.” That is: so they could learn from him the rulings of the prayer, its manner of performance, and anything else the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) might say after the prayer, such as commands, prohibitions, reminders, and other teachings.
Furthermore, as recorded in Sahih Muslim on the authority of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated: “Let those among you who are mature and possess understanding stand closest to me,” meaning: those with intellect and comprehension — so that they may fully grasp what comes from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Some scholars said that “those with maturity” refers to those who have reached puberty, and “those with understanding” refers to those of sound mind. This is an encouragement for people of knowledge and virtue in religion to stand in the front rows of prayer and close to the Imam — as they are most deserving of honor, and because the Imam may at times need to appoint someone to replace him, and they are most suited for that role. Moreover, they are more likely to notice and correct any mistakes the Imam might make — something that others may not be aware of.
This Hadith also highlights the virtue and distinction of the Muhajirun and the Ansar (may Allah be pleased with them)..

809
On the authority of `Uqbah ibn `Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
“Whoever leads the people in prayer and performs it properly, the prayer is for him and for them. But whoever falls short in it, the burden is upon him and not upon them.”.

Commentary : Congregational prayer is of extreme significance, and encompasses numerous virtues. Any deficiencies that may arise from the Imam during the congregational prayer are the sole responsibility of the Imam and do not extend to those praying behind him. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated:
“Whoever leads the people in prayer” — meaning: acts as their Imam in prayer — “and performs it properly,” that is: he completes the prayer with all its pillars, conditions, obligations, and recommended acts, without neglecting anything — “then the prayer is for him and for them,” meaning: he receives the reward for his prayer, and the followers receive the reward for theirs. “But whoever falls short in it,” meaning: if the Imam is deficient in his prayer — “then it is upon him,” that is: the burden of that shortcoming is on the Imam alone; those who prayed behind him bear no responsibility, and they receive full reward for their prayer.
The Hadith shows that the Imam must strive not to fall short in the prayer. It also teaches that if the Imam is deficient in his prayer, the sin falls upon him alone and not upon the rest of the congregation..

1072
On the authority of Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to go out on the day of `Eid, lead the congregation in two Rak`ahs, then he would give the closing salutations [of prayer], stand on his feet, and face the people while they were seated, saying: "Give charity, give charity." It is the women who give most in charity, offering their earrings, as well as rings and other items. If he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a need — such as sending out an expedition — he would then mention it to them, otherwise he would leave.”.

Commentary : The `Eid prayer holds great importance in Islam, as it reflects the strength of the faith, and the unity and assembly of Muslims, along with the expression of joy, happiness, and devotion to Allah, the Almighty. In this Hadith, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to go out on the day of `Eid,” that is, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to go out to a wide, open space. Then, “lead the congregation in two Rak`ahs, then he would give the closing salutations [of prayer], stand on his feet, and face the people while they were seated”, meaning: he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would deliver the `Eid sermon: "saying: Give charity, give charity." That is, part of what he would say in the sermon was his urging of his companions to give charity. The narration continues: “It is the women who give most in charity, offering their earrings” — which are among the adornments women wear and hang on their ears — “as well as rings and other items,” meaning: other pieces of their jewelry. “If he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a need — such as sending out an expedition — he would then mention it to them, otherwise he would leave.” That is: if he intended to dispatch an army to a particular region, he would inform them then. The reason he would give such instructions on the day of `Eid is because the people would already be gathered, and there would be no need to assemble them again.
This Hadith elucidates the guidance provided by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) regarding the `Eid prayer, specifically that the sermon follows the prayer, and that the Imam stands in front of the people. Furthermore, it indicates that encouraging charity should be part of the `Eid sermon..

1117
Narrated by Umm Hani’ (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: "I used to hear the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recitation at night while I was on my `Arish.".

Commentary : In this Hadith, Umm Hani’ bint Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I used to hear the recitation of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recitation at night while I was on my `Arish.” In another narration: “while I was sleeping on my `Arish .” `Arish is something used for shade; here, it refers to the bed on which one sleeps — meaning: she would hear his voice as he recited the Quran during the night. It may have been recitation during prayer or outside of prayer.
The Mother of the Believers `Aʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her), was asked about the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recitation during the night, and she said: “Sometimes he would recite quietly, and sometimes aloud.” That is: he would do one or the other on a given night or two. This points to the permissibility of both options, and that each is equally valid in night prayer. However, reciting aloud is considered preferable, as it helps occupy the heart, fosters attentiveness and energy in worship, and may awaken those who are heedless. The best form of recitation outside of prayer is what is more conducive to humility and further from showing off. Allah the Exalted Said (interpretation of the meaning): {And do not recite your prayer too loudly or too quietly, but seek a way in between} [Al-Isra’ 17:110] This means a moderate approach between loudness and quietness. Moderation is required and is beloved in all matters..

1391
On the authority of `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would spend the night in a state of major ritual impurity (Junub). Then Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would come to inform him of the prayer, so he would get up and perform the ritual bath (Ghusl). I would see the water dripping from his head, then he would go out, and I would hear his voice in the Fajr prayer.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was indeed the best teacher and nurturer for his Ummah. He taught them by both words and actions. Among what he taught were the rulings related to purification and all that pertains to it at all times—what is permitted therein and what is not.
In this Hadith, `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would spend the night in a state of major ritual impurity (Junub)"—that is, he would remain throughout the night in the state of (Junub) and would delay performing the ritual bath (Ghusl). "Then Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) would come to inform him of the prayer"—meaning: he would inform him that it’s time for the Fajr prayer. "So he would get up and perform the ritual bath (Ghusl)"—that is, he would perform (Ghusl) from (Janabah) after the Adhan of Fajr. She said: "I would see the water dripping from his head"—that is, she would see the water running down from his hair as a result of the (Ghusl). "Then he would go out, and I would hear his voice in the Fajr prayer"—meaning: he would go out after performing (Ghusl), and she would hear his voice reciting in the Fajr prayer.
Another narration clarified that this action of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) occurred during Ramadan and outside of it. If it was in Ramadan, then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would begin the fast in the state of (Junub) and would not break his fast. In this action of his is a clarification of the permissibility of delaying Ghusl until the time of Fajr or shortly after it. `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked: "How would the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) act regarding Janabah?" Did he perform Ghusl before going to sleep, or did he sleep before performing it? She said: “He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do all of that—sometimes he would perform Ghusl and then sleep, and sometimes he would perform minor Wudu’ and then sleep.”
This Hadith indicates the leniency of the Shari`ah in matters related to purification from major ritual impurity (Janabah). It also affirms the permissibility of delaying Ghusl until Fajr, and that Janabah does not invalidate fasting if one is in that state before Fajr and intends to fast..

1535
From Nafi` (may Allah have mercy on him), from Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): When `Uthman ibn Madh`un (may Allah be pleased with him) died, he left behind a daughter. Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: My maternal uncle Qudamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was her paternal uncle, gave her to me in marriage without consulting her. That was after her father had died. She disliked the marriage and the girl preferred to marry Al-Mughirah ibn Shu`bah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he married her to him..

Commentary : Islam legislated marriage and defined its conditions and pillars, clarifying what is permissible and what is prohibited in it. Among these matters is that it gave women the right to choose their husbands, and they cannot be married against their will.
In this narration, `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informs us: "that when `Uthman ibn Madh`un died" — meaning: he passed away, and he (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the devout and ascetic Companions — "he left behind a daughter." Her mother was Khuwaylah bint Hakim ibn Umayyah, as mentioned in Imam Ahmad's narration. Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My maternal uncle Qudamah gave her to me in marriage," meaning: her guardian was Qudamah ibn Madh`un, who was the maternal uncle of `Abdullah ibn `Umar, since Ibn `Umar's mother was Zainab bint Madh`un, the sister of `Uthman and Qudamah (may Allah be pleased with them). "And he was her paternal uncle," meaning: the uncle of `Uthman ibn Madh`un’s daughter, and this indicates that he was responsible for her affairs when contracting the marriage. "Without consulting her," meaning: regarding her marriage to Ibn `Umar, "and this was after her father had died. She disliked the marriage," meaning: she did not accept marrying Ibn `Umar. "And the girl preferred to marry Al-Mughirah ibn Shu`bah, so he married her to him," meaning: he married her to him after annulling the first marriage by the option of reaching maturity.
Imam Ahmad's narration mentions the reason for her preference for Al-Mughirah ibn Shu`bah (may Allah be pleased with him), which is what Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I proposed to Qudamah ibn Madh`un for `Uthman ibn Madh`un’s daughter, and he gave her to me in marriage. Al-Mughirah ibn Shu`bah entered — meaning: to see her mother — and enticed her with wealth, so she inclined toward him, and the girl inclined toward her mother's desire. They both refused until their matter was brought before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Qudamah ibn Madh`un (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, she is my niece, he (my brother) entrusted her to me, and I married her to her cousin `Abdullah ibn `Umar. I did not fall short choosing one who is righteous and compatible, but she is a woman, and she has inclined toward her mother's desire.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'She is an orphan, and she cannot be married except with her permission.'" He (Ibn `Umar) said: "By Allah, she was taken from me after I had possessed her, and they married her to Al-Mughirah."
This Hadith establishes the option of maturity for a girl when someone other than her father marries her off. She has the choice after reaching maturity: to remain in her marriage, annul it, or renew the contract with a guardian, witnesses, and dowry..

1572
On the authority of Bahz ibn Hakim, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, with regard to our private parts—what may we expose and what must we conceal He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Guard your private parts except from your wife or those whom your right hand possesses.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, what if the people are gathered closely together?” He said: “If you can prevent anyone from seeing it, then do not let anyone see it.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, what if one of us is alone?” He said: “Allah is more deserving that one be shy before Him than before people.".

Commentary : A Muslim is commanded to observe modesty in general, and specifically to guard his private parts (`Awrah) from being exposed to others. The Shari`ah has clarified what may be exposed of the body—whether male or female—and has defined the boundaries for that.
In this Hadith, Mu`awiyah ibn Haydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I said: O Messenger of Allah, with regard to our private parts—what may we expose and what must we conceal?” —meaning: what are we permitted to uncover, and what are we required to keep covered? The `Awrah refers to that which one would feel shame for if exposed. For a man, it is the area between the navel and the knee. For a free woman, it is her entire body. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: “Guard your private parts” —meaning: guard them from being exposed, or from unlawful intercourse. The first meaning—covering and concealment—is the more appropriate here. “Except from your wife or those whom your right hand possesses” —that is: your wife is permitted to see your entire body, as are the female slaves you lawfully own. This indicates that both marriage and ownership permit viewing each other’s private areas from either side.
This Hadith reflects the meaning of the Saying of Allah, the Exalted (interpretation of the meaning): {And those who guard their private parts * Except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed} [Al-Mu’minun 23:5–6]
Mu`awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) then said: “I said: O Messenger of Allah, what if the people are gathered closely together?” —meaning: when people are gathered tightly and remain in place, such that we may sometimes be unable to fully cover our `Awrah in the complete and proper way—due to a tight garment or it coming undone due to necessity. So he asked: how are we to manage covering the `Awrah in such situations? And how can we prevent them from seeing us? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If you can prevent anyone from seeing it, then do not let anyone see it.” Meaning: protect your private parts to the best of your ability from exposure. Mu`awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what if one of us is alone?’” Meaning: if a person is in seclusion, with no one else present. It is as though he was asking: is it permissible for a person to remove all of his clothing in such a situation? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: “Allah is more deserving that one be shy before Him than before people.” Meaning: guard your private parts out of obedience to Him, seeking what pleases Him and earns His approval. The matter is not limited to covering one’s `Awrah only in front of people. What is not intended here is the idea of covering from Allah Himself—Exalted is His Remembrance and His Praise—for such a thing is impossible.
Exceptions to exposing the `Awrah include: the time of relieving oneself, while performing ritual bathing (Ghusl), though there is scholarly disagreement concerning this, and in cases of medical necessity, and similar situations in which there is a need. In such cases, exposure must be limited to what is needed, without excess.
This Hadith encourages guarding the `Awrah and taking precautions to prevent exposing it in front of anyone other than a spouse or those whom one’s right hand possesses..