logo
lang Lang
العربية

| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
106
It was narrated that ‘Ali said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not tell lies about me; whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.”.

Commentary : In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warns against telling lies about him, or attributing to him any words that he did not utter, or saying about him anything other than what really happened. So it should not be said that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said or did anything that he did not say or do, regardless of whether that is done with a bad intention or a good intention. This prohibition is general and applies to anyone who tells lies, because telling lies about him leads to introducing changes to Islamic teachings, and altering Islamic rulings. The punishment for the one who tells lies about him deliberately is admittance to Hell. Once a divine decree has been issued concerning something, it will inevitably happen and will definitely come to pass. This is a stern warning to anyone who tells lies about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It was said that there is no difference between telling lies against him or telling lies for him, because what is meant by telling lies about him is attributing something to him that is not true, whether it is done with the intention of undermining his message or of supporting his message. Telling lies against Allah comes under the same heading and is telling lies about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because the aim of telling lies against Him is to tell lies with regard to the rulings of religion.
This hadith is indicative of the emphatic prohibition on telling lies about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that whoever narrates a hadith knowing or thinking that it is fabricated is included in this warning, unless he explains the status of the narrators and how weak they are. Similar to that is one who rejects a sahih (sound) hadith that was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) without having any knowledge of the science of hadith, or his reason for rejecting the hadith is stubbornness towards the teachings and rulings of Islam..

111
It was narrated that Abu Juhayfah said: I said to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: Do you have anything in writing? He said: No, except the Book of Allah, or understanding that may be granted to any Muslim man, or what is in this sheet. I said: What is in this sheet? He said: [Information about] blood money, the ransom of prisoners, and that no Muslim should be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever..

Commentary : Some of the people thought that before he died, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) left a will containing secret knowledge to his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). In this report, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly tells us that all of that is contrary to reality, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not leave anything behind except the Qur’an and his Sunnah, and the ability to understand the Qur’an that Allah may grant to an intelligent and knowledgeable Muslim. Thus intelligence and ability to understand is regarded as another level, after learning and memorizing the Book of Allah, because by understanding it, meanings and rulings become clear. Alongside the Qur’an, we may include understanding of the Sunnah and deriving rulings from it. The phrase “understanding that may be granted to any Muslim man” highlights the fact that this understanding is not something exclusive or a monopoly for any one person; rather this understanding is something that any Muslim may have, and it is something that is granted by Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), as He says: {And We gave understanding of the case to Solomon} [al-Anbiya’ 21:79]. Understanding is a blessing that Allah may bestow upon any of His slaves.
Then ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions some issues that were written on a sheet; the word refers to something on which words are written, no matter what it is made of, such as leather, palm leaves and the like. This document contained Islamic rulings that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had not given exclusively to him; rather others also knew about them. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would not have concealed anything of the religion of Allah from people and given it exclusively to some of his family. The issues mentioned on this sheet include ‘aql and diyah; these terms refer to blood money, which is a set amount of wealth, as stipulated in Islamic teachings, which is to be given by the relatives of the killer to the family of the one who was killed. It is called ‘aql because they used to hobble (ya‘qilun) the camels in the courtyard of the family who were entitled to the blood money [which was given in the form of camels]. What is meant is that the rulings on blood money, and the number, types and ages of camels to be given [were written in that document].
The document also contained information on the ransom of prisoners. What is referred to is Muslim prisoners, as it is obligatory to strive to ransom them and secure their release by all permissible means, whether by paying money or otherwise.
And the document stated that “no Muslim should be killed in retaliation for a disbeliever.” What is meant is that if a believer kills a disbeliever who is in a state of war against the Muslims, then there is no retaliatory punishment (qisas) in this case; this is different from the case of a disbeliever who has a covenant with the Muslims and is under Muslim protection. And in some reports, other issues and instructions are also mentioned.
This hadith demonstrates the falseness of the claims invented by the Rafidis and Shia who said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) bequeathed to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) the secrets and foundations of knowledge, and knowledge of the unseen, that he did not tell to anyone else.
It indicates that the Book of Allah is the source of knowledge, and that understanding of knowledge should only be based on the Qur’an and on the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which explain it.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person may derive from the Qur’an, on the basis of his own understanding, something that was not referred to in the books of tafsir. But that is on condition that it is in accordance with the basic principles of Islam..

112
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that [the tribe of] Khuza‘ah killed a man from [the tribe of] Banu Layth – during the year of the conquest of Makkah – in revenge for one of their own whom Banu Layth had killed. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was told about that, so he sat on his camel and addressed the people, saying: “Allah held back killing or the elephant from Makkah – Abu ‘Abdillah [one of the narrators] said it like that; Abu Nu‘aym said: you may take it as being either the elephant or killing; others said that the word is the elephant – and He sent against them the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the believers. O people, it was not permissible for anyone [to fight in Makkah] before me, and it will not be permissible for anyone after me. O people, it was only permitted to me for part of the day, and undoubtedly at this very moment it is sacred; its thorny shrubs are not to be uprooted and its trees are not to be cut down; lost property that has been dropped in it is not to be picked up except by one who will announce it. If someone is killed, there are two options: either to give blood money or the family of the victim may be given the power to kill him. A Yemeni man came and said: Write it down for me, O Messenger of Allah. So he said: Write it down for Abu Fulan (Father of So-and-so). A man of Quraysh said: Except idhkhir, O Messenger of Allah, for we use it in our houses and our graves. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Except idhkhir, except idhkhir.”.

Commentary : During the Jahiliyyah, the people lived lives that were based on misguidance, and they prescribed different types of injustice and bloodshed. Then Islam came and forbade all types of injustice and wrongdoing, and emphatically forbade unlawful bloodshed.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the tribe of Khuza‘ah killed a man from the tribe of Banu Layth in revenge for one of their own whom Banu Layth had killed during the Jahiliyyah. That happened during the year of the conquest of Makkah, 8 AH. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to know of that, so he addressed the people from atop his mount – his she-camel – and explained to them that Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) had held back killing or the elephant from Makkah on the day when Abrahah the Ethiopian had tried to destroy the Kaaba, forty years before the mission of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began. This event is mentioned in the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant} [al-Fil 105:1]. Allah (may He be exalted) sent against the companions of the elephant flocks of birds which struck them with stones of hard clay when they reached the bottom of the valley near Makkah, and destroyed them.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only reminded his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the incident of the elephant in his speech to them in order to highlight the prohibition on killing in Makkah, because even though the people of Makkah were disbelievers at that time, Allah still defended the city, so the sanctity of its people after the advent of Islam is even greater.
But Allah sent against the people of Makkah the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and fighting was only permitted in Makkah at the time when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the city as a conqueror, along with his companions. Then the prohibition on fighting was restored as it had been before. Fighting in Makkah was not permitted to anyone before him and will never be permitted to anyone after him, because the sanctity of Makkah is something ancient, something that was decreed in the distant past and is still ongoing; it is not something that was introduced by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or that is unique to his law. It sanctity was restored after the conquest.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade cutting its vegetation, including large trees, small trees and shrubs, and small plants such as grasses, except the type of grass called idhkir, because the people needed it. It is a type of grass with broad leaves and a pleasant lemony fragrance, the flowers of which may be steeped like tea. It is a beneficial plant that may be burned instead of wood; they used to use it in the roofs of their houses and to cover their graves, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) exempted it from the prohibition on cutting vegetation.
The man from Quraysh who requested the exemption of idhkhir was al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), as is mentioned in as-Sahihayn. His request was a plea, and the Prophet’s granting of that concession was by way of conveying from Allah (may He be exalted) something that came either by way of inspiration or by way of revelation.
The phrase “its thorny shrubs are not to be uprooted” means that they are not to be taken or cut. The mention of thorns indicates that it is more appropriate that other shrubs or trees that are not harmful should be protected, but thorny bushes may be excluded from the prohibition because they are harmful, so it may be permissible to cut them down, by analogy with the permissibility of killing the five vermin in the Haram zone, because what they all have in common is the fact that they are harmful.
It is forbidden to pick up any lost property except by one who will announce it, so nothing that has been dropped by someone in Makkah should be picked up; rather it should be left where it is until its owner comes back and finds it. It should not be picked up except by someone who intends to announce it and keep it until its owner comes.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave the choice to the heirs of the one who has been killed between accepting the blood money (‘aql or diyah) and killing the killer in retaliation (qisas); this applies in the case of deliberate killing. In the case of accidental killing, however, there is no option except the blood money. The blood money (‘aql) is an amount of wealth to be given by the offender to the one who was harmed, commensurate with the degree of the offence. It is called ‘aql because they used to hobble (ya‘qilun) the camels in the courtyard of the family who were entitled to the blood money.
According to the report narrated by Ahmad from Shurayh (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave the diyah for the man of Banu Layth whom the tribe of Khuza‘ah had killed.
Whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was saying that, a Yemeni man – whose name was Abu Shah, as narrated in as-Sahihayn – came and asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to write for him some advice that would benefit him. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Write for Abu Fulan.” This was a clear instruction to write, even though previously the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had forbidden writing down the Sunnah. Most of the scholars said that the hadiths which enjoin writing down the Sunnah abrogated the hadiths which forbid that. The prohibition was for a reason, which was that perhaps the hadiths of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would be mixed with the Qur’an. Once that reason was no longer applicable, permission was given to write hadiths, because the reason for this reservation was no longer applicable. This is supported by the fact that the instruction to write was general in wording and meaning, and it came at a later time. It was also said that the prohibition was on writing hadiths with Qur’an on the same sheet, because they used to listen to the explanation of verses, and perhaps they wrote the explanation with the verses. So they were forbidden to do that, lest they get confused, but they were given permission to write the Sunnah on separate sheets, or perhaps that was allowed for certain individuals in a few instances, such as one who needed it to be written for him, and so on. Once the revelation was completed, that reason was no longer applicable, and that was after the Sahabah’s knowledge of the Qur’an had become well-entrenched and there was no fear that they might mix it with the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And it was said that the prohibition was for those who had reliable memories, for fear that they might begin to rely on writing. As for permission to write the hadith, it was given to those whose memories were not reliable. Some of the Sahabah continued to refrain from writing down hadith by way of being extra cautious and prudent, and because of individual concern lest they incur sin or mix Qur’an with Sunnah, or lest they be distracted from writing down the Qur’an.
In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reminds the people of the blessing of Allah in holding back the elephant from Makkah, which was a sign that was attested to by everyone, good and evil alike.
It indicates that if someone hears beneficial words that he will not be able to memorize properly, he should request that they be written down, as Abu Shah did.
It indicates that it is permissible to ask questions and discuss religious issues with a knowledgeable person or scholar, and to do that in gatherings.
We also see in this hadith the command to write down the hadith and Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). .

113
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that he said: There is no one among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who narrated more hadiths from him than me, except ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, for he used to write down hadiths and I did not..

Commentary : The Sahabah used to preserve the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in various ways. Some of them committed it to memory, and others wrote it down on sheets and in books. Some of them did a great deal of that and some of them did a little.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that there was no one among the Sahabah who narrated more hadiths than him, except ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him); he had a unique advantage over Abu Hurayrah in that he used to write down the hadith; he would write down whatever he heard.
The words of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) imply that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with him) collected more hadiths than he did, even though what is narrated from him is less in number. That is for several reasons, the first of which is that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) lived in Egypt, and he used to travel between Egypt and al-Ta’if to reside for some time in each place. Seekers of knowledge did not travel to those two places as they would travel to Madinah, where Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) lived. Abu Hurayrah was also in a position to issue fatwas and teach hadith until he died, as can be seen from the large number of people who narrated from Abu Hurayrah. It was said that eight hundred of the Tabi‘in narrated from him, which did not happen in the case of anyone else. The second reason is that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was more focused on worship than teaching, so fewer reports were narrated from him. The third reason is something that was unique to Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), which was that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed that he would not forget what he heard from him. The fourth reason was that in Syria, ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) had acquired a camel-load of books of the People of the Book, which he used to read and narrate from them, so many of the leading scholars among the Tabi‘in avoided learning from him.
The words of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly state that they used to write down the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), even though he had previously forbidden them to write down the Sunnah and hadith, as Muslim narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not write down anything from me. Whoever has written down anything from me other than the Qur’an, let him erase it.” That was for fear that the Qur’an might become mixed with other things. But after the Qur’an had been memorized and become well entrenched in the hearts of the Sahabah, and there was no longer any fear of them mixing it with anything else, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave permission to some of the Sahabah to write down hadiths.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with them both).
It also indicates that those of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who were literate both memorized the hadiths and wrote them down as an extra precaution. If a narrator heard a hadith but did not write it down, he relied only on what he had memorized, so his accuracy was based on only one thing, whereas the accuracy of the literate person who also wrote it down was based on two things..

114
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: When the ailment of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) grew intense, he said: “Bring me something on which to write for you some words after which you will not go astray.” ‘Umar said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is gravely ill, and we have the Book of Allah; it is sufficient for us. But they disagreed, and a great clamour broke out, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Go away and leave me alone; no one should quarrel in my presence.” Ibn ‘Abbas went out, saying: What a great calamity it was that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was prevented from writing what he wanted to write..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen for his ummah to remain united and not differ both during his lifetime and after his death. Hence in his Sunnah he clarified all religious matters, highlighted which were most important, and explained in detail many issues concerning which disputes could potentially arise.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet’s pain grew intense during his final illness – and in Sahih al-Bukhari it says that that happened on a Thursday, four days before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died – he asked the Sahabah to let him write for them something after which they would not go astray, and that would be a guide for them to the straight path, after which they would never drift away from the path of truth or deviate from the correct way. But ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke up and said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was overwhelmed with pain, so it was too difficult for him to dictate what he wanted to write, or to write it himself.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) feared for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and was worried that his concern about writing something might exacerbate his pain and sickness, especially as he was prone to fainting during this sickness, and so on. He thought that the Prophet’s command, “Bring me something on which to write,” was by way of guiding them to what would be better and more appropriate, and he said: The Book of Allah is sufficient for us, meaning: we have the Qur’an, and that is enough for us, for Allah (may He be exalted) says, {We have neglected nothing in the Book} [al-An‘am 6:38], and He says: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. There is nothing that will happen until the Day of Resurrection except that there is a clear text concerning it in the Qur’an and Sunnah, or there is a reference to it. This is indicative of ‘Umar’s deep insight; it does not mean that the Qur’an is sufficient with no need for the explanation of the Sunnah. ‘Umar’s main concern was that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) should rest, because he was so ill and overwhelmed by pain, and it would be difficult for him to dictate what he wanted to write or to write it himself, until he recovered, at which time he would be able to dictate whatever he wanted. However, it is as if some of those present insisted on him writing these things. Hence the Sahabah began to argue and there were too many people speaking at once, which prompted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to order them to go out and leave him alone, explaining that it was not appropriate for them to argue in his presence.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to warn them against dissent and disagreement, because that could lead to the loss of something good, as happened with regard to the definition of Laylat al-Qadr and other matters. The dispute and clamour that occurred in this instance were the reason why this writing did not occur; it was not what ‘Umar or anyone else said (may Allah be pleased with them all). At this point, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, when narrating this hadith: What a great calamity it was that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was prevented from writing what he wanted to write. The dispute is the reason why he did not write what he wanted to write.
There is a difference of scholarly opinion as to what he wanted to write. It was said that he wanted to write a document in which he stated some rulings, so as to leave no room for dispute. It was said that he wanted to write the names of the caliphs to come after him, so that there would be no dispute among them. This is supported by a report narrated by Muslim, which says that when his sickness began, when he was in ‘A’ishah’s house, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Call for me your father and your brother, so that I may write something down, for I fear that someone may raise his hopes (of becoming caliph), or someone may suggest (that So-and-so should be the caliph), when Allah and the believers will not accept anyone except Abu Bakr.” A similar report was narrated by al-Bukhari.
This hadith indicates that dispute and argument may be the cause of being deprived of some blessings and goodness.
It indicates that the Sahabah expressed their views on the basis of their individual understanding (ijtihad) in the presence of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to a matter concerning which there was no revelation.
It indicates that proper etiquette when visiting the sick is not to stay with the sick person so long that it causes him annoyance, and not to speak in his presence of things that could upset him.
It indicates that if sickness and pain become too intense, it is permissible for the sick person to tell his visitors to leave.
It is indicative of the virtue of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his understanding of religion.
It tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not clearly state that any particular individual should be the caliph after he was gone..

115
It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up one night and said: “Subhan-Allah! How many fitnahs (tribulations and punishments) have been sent down this night, and how many stores have been opened! Wake up the ladies of the apartments, for she who is clothed in this world may be naked in the hereafter.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was kind and compassionate towards the believers. This hadith highlights one aspect of his compassion towards his ummah. The Mother of the Believers Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up one night, when he was in her house, amazed at what Allah had sent down on that night of tribulations and punishments, and what He had opened of the stores of mercy and so on. He referred to punishment by using the word fitnah, because fitnah is a cause of punishment. He referred to mercy as stores, because Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Or do they have the depositories of the mercy of your Lord?} [Sad 38:9].
This was a dream that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw. What is meant is that that after he was gone, there would be fitnahs and troubles, and that the stores of divine mercy would be opened for his ummah. Fitnahs and troubles indeed happened, as is well known, and the stores were opened as the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) prevailed over the Persians, Byzantines and others.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued instructions to wake his wives to pray and seek refuge with Allah from what had come down, so that they would be the first to seek refuge from the fitnahs and tribulations of this world, for it was not appropriate for them to neglect worship and rely on their being wives of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It is said that this was addressed exclusively to them because they were the ones who were present at that time.
With regard to the phrase “for she who is clothed in this world may be naked in the hereafter”, the word translated as “may” here is sometimes used to indicate that the number referred to is small, or it may be used to indicate that it is great, as is the case here. What is meant is: she who is showered with the blessings of Allah but fails to give thanks, or she who is covered with clothes in this world because she is wealthy, may be naked in the hereafter because she is deprived of reward as she did not strive in the first world; or it may refer to one whose clothing covers part of her body, and exposes part of it, showing off her beauty. It was also said that it refers to one who wears a thin garment that shows the shape of her body, so even if she is covered with clothing, she is naked in reality; or she may be covered with clothing and jewellery, but she is devoid of the garment of piety; or she may be clothed because of the blessing of marriage to a righteous man, but she will be naked in the hereafter because she had no righteous deeds of her own to her credit and the righteousness of her husband will not benefit her.
This hadith indicates that a man may wake his family at night to pray and remember Allah (dhikr), especially when a sign [or natural phenomenon] appears, or following an alarming dream.
It indicates that it is prescribed to say “Subhan-Allah” when one is amazed.
This hadith is one of the signs of the Prophet’s prophethood.
It indicates that prayer protects against fitnahs and troubles, and also protects against calamities.
It also contains a warning against forgetting to give thanks to the Bestower of blessings, and that a woman should not rely on the noble status of her husband..

116
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that he said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in praying ‘Isha’ at the end of his life. When he said the salaam and stood up, he said: “Do you see this night of yours? One hundred years from now, there will be left no one who is alive on the face of the earth tonight.”.

Commentary : In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke of a matter of the unseen of which Allah had informed him, as ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led them in praying ‘Isha’ one day at the end of his life. According to a report narrated by Muslim from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), that happened one month before he died. When he said the salaam and finished his prayer, he turned to them and exhorted them, and he told them that after one hundred years had passed, there would be no one left on the face of the earth who was alive on that night. And this is what happened. Even though some of those people lived to a great age, none of them were left alive one hundred years after that night on which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them of that. That was a reminder to them that life is short. Thus he informed them that they would not live as long as the nations who came before them, so that they would strive hard.
This hadith is one of the signs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

117
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: I stayed overnight in the house of my maternal aunt Maymunah bint al-Harith, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was at her house, as it was her night. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed ‘Isha’ [in the mosque], then he came to his house and prayed four rak‘ahs, then he went to sleep. Then he got up, then he said: “Has the young lad gone to sleep?” or words to that effect. Then he got up, and I went and stood on his left. He made me stand on his right, then he prayed five rak‘ahs, then he prayed two rak‘ahs, then he went to sleep, until I heard his deep, rhythmic breathing. Then he went out to pray..

Commentary : Our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best of people in worshipping his Lord and standing before Him. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and to learn his Sunnah, act in accordance with it and convey it to those who came after them. From an early age, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was very keen to do that.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he stayed one night with his maternal aunt Maymunah bint al-Harith, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when it was her night with him. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed ‘Isha’, he came to her house, then he prayed four rak‘ahs, then he went to sleep. Then he woke up and asked: Has the boy gone to sleep? – referring to Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). He called him al-ghulayyim (translated here as “the young lad”), which is a diminutive form, by way of showing compassion to the young child, and out of concern that he should get enough sleep .
Then when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) got up with him and stood on his left-hand side to pray with him, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took hold of him and made him stand on his right. Then he prayed five rak‘ahs, then he prayed two rak‘ahs, then he went to sleep. The word thumma (translated here as “then”) suggests that some time passed in between, to indicate that his going to sleep did not come immediately after he had prayed; rather he stayed awake for some time after praying, then he went to sleep, until Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) could hear the deep, rhythmic breathing of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which indicates that the sleeper is sleeping deeply. He slept until he got up and went out for Fajr prayer without doing wudu’, as is mentioned in as-Sahihayn. This is something that was unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as falling asleep whilst lying down did not invalidate his wudu’, because although his eyes slept, his heart did not sleep.
The total number of rak‘ahs that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in this report was 11: four, then five, then two. According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. This is the most that is mentioned in any report. The two reports can be reconciled by noting that those who mentioned eleven did not count the first two rak‘ahs of Fajr; those who did mention the first two gave the total as thirteen.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and his intelligence from an early age, and tells us that he was watching what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did all night.
It also highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed at night (qiyam al-layl) and strove hard in worship.
It also indicates that a small movement does not invalidate the prayer. .

118
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The people say that Abu Hurayrah narrates too much. Were it not for two verses in the Book of Allah, I would not have narrated any hadith. Then he recited: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful} [al-Baqarah 2:159-160]. Our brothers among the Muhajirin were preoccupied with going to do business in the marketplaces, and our brothers among the Ansar were preoccupied with tending to their properties. But Abu Hurayrah used to stay with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and was content with just enough to eat. He was present when they were not present and he memorized what they did not memorize..

Commentary : The Sahabah narrated the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to others; some of them narrated a great deal and some of them narrated only a few reports. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the Sahabah who narrated the most, even though he was late in coming to Islam. Therefore some people said that Abu Hurayrah narrated the most hadith of all the Sahabah, but he was afraid that they might develop doubts about the soundness of his hadiths. Therefore he said: Were it not for these two verses – {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful} [al-Baqarah 2:159-160] – in which Allah (may He be exalted) warns the one who withholds knowledge of a curse, he would not have narrated a single hadith to them. But he was afraid that this curse might befall him if he withheld the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Then he explained the reason that helped him to memorize this great number of hadiths which no one else memorized. It was his staying close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) more than anyone else among the Sahabah. That was because the Muhajirin were preoccupied with buying and selling in the marketplaces, which kept them from staying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and regularly attending his gatherings. The Ansar were preoccupied with working for a living in their gardens and fields. As for Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), he stayed close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and was content with a little simple food every day. He attended most of the gatherings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he memorized from him what the others did not memorize, because he was always with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This hadith highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also points to the importance of preserving knowledge and persisting in seeking it.
And it highlights the virtue of being content with little in this world, and giving precedence to seeking knowledge over seeking wealth..

119
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, I hear many hadiths from you that I forget. He said: “Spread out your cloak.” So I spread it out. Then he scooped with his hands, then he said: “Gather it up.” So I gathered it up, and I never forgot anything after that. .

Commentary : The Sahabah were keen to learn and memorize the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and convey it to the ummah who came after them. Abu Hurayrah was one of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) who narrated the most reports, even though he was late in coming to Islam. In this hadith, he narrates that he complained to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he forgot too many hadiths that he had heard from him, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to spread out his garment, after which he made a scooping gesture with his hands. No mention is made of what was scooped, or of what he scooped, because that was simply a gesture. Then he instructed him to gather it up to his chest, so Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did that, then he never forgot anything that he heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This was one of the miracles of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that was the reason why Abu Hurayrah narrated so many reports, as he was in a position to issue fatwas and teach hadiths until he died. Hence many people narrated from him; it was said that eight hundred of the Tabi‘in narrated from him, which did not happen in the case of anyone else. Allah blessed him, and the number of his reports was greater than five thousand.
This hadith highlights one of the miracles of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and shows how the blessing (barakah) of his dua was manifested, as forgetfulness was taken away from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It points to the importance of preserving knowledge and persisting in seeking it..

120
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I memorized two types of knowledge from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). As for the first type, I spread it; as for the second type, if I were to spread it, this throat would be cut..

Commentary : In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he learned two different types of knowledge from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The first type was Islamic knowledge having to do with beliefs and rulings, which he spread and conveyed. As for the other type, if he had conveyed it and narrated it to the people, he would have been slaughtered like a sheep, with his throat cut. The word used in the original Arabic refers to cutting the oesophagus. Perhaps this knowledge had to do with bad rulers or tribulations, such as the murder of ‘Uthman and al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both).
Someone may say: how could he regard it as permissible to withhold a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he said, “Convey from me”? And how could the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) have said something that, if it was mentioned, the one who narrated it would be killed? How could the Muslims, namely the Sahabah and Tabi‘in, regard it as permissible to kill someone who narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? The answer is that what he withheld did not have to do with Islamic teachings, which it is not permissible to withhold or conceal. Abu Hurayrah himself said – as was narrated from him by al-Bukhari –: Were it not for a verse in the Book of Allah, I would not have narrated to you. That verse is: {Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful} [al-Baqarah 2:159-160].
So how can anyone think that he withheld anything having to do with the teachings of Islam after this verse, and after the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued instructions to convey from him, and he used to say to them: “Let those of you who are present convey to those who are absent”? Rather what was concealed was words such as: So-and-so is a hypocrite; or, You will kill ‘Uthman; or, “My ummah will be doomed at the hands of some young men of Quraysh,” the clan of So-and-so. If he had stated their names openly, they would have declared him to be a liar and killed him.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
It also indicates that the one who seeks to enjoin what is right and proper may speak in ambiguous terms if he fears for his life were he to speak clearly. .

121
It was narrated from Jarir that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him during the Farewell Pilgrimage: “Tell the people to listen attentively.” Then he said: “Do not go back to being disbelievers after I am gone, striking one another’s necks.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to advise his ummah and guide them to that which was in their best interests, and he would forbid them to do that which would harm them in their religious and worldly affairs, in this world and the hereafter.
In this hadith, Jarir ibn ‘Abdillah al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, to tell the people to be quiet and pay heed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and to listen attentively to what he was going to say to them. When they fell silent, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed them and warned them not to go back to being disbelievers after he was gone, striking one another’s necks. That would be the case if they let enmity and hatred amongst themselves prompt them to regard it as permissible to shed one another’s blood. It was said: it may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) knew that this would not happen during his lifetime, so he forbade them to do that after he died. In other words, he was saying: when I depart this world, remain steadfast after I am gone in the faith and piety that you are currently adhering to; do not wage war against the Muslims, and do not take their wealth unlawfully. It was also said that what was meant was: Do not let your actions be like the actions of the disbelievers by striking the necks of the Muslims.
This hadith indicates that a person should listen attentively to his companion, so long as he is not speaking of anything haram.
This hadith is also one of the signs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is emphatically forbidden for the Muslims to fight one another and shed one another’s blood..

122
It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: I said to Ibn ‘Abbas: Nawf al-Bakali is claiming that Musa is not the Musa of the Children of Israel; rather he is some other Musa. He said: The enemy of Allah is lying. Ubayy ibn Ka‘b told us, narrating from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Musa the Prophet stood up and addressed the Children of Israel. He was asked: ‘Which of the people is most knowledgeable?’ He said: ‘I am the most knowledgeable.’ Then Allah rebuked him for not referring the matter of knowledge to Him, and Allah revealed to him: ‘One of My slaves, at the junction of the two seas, is more knowledgeable than you.’ He said: ‘O Lord, how can I reach him?’ It was said to him: ‘Carry a fish in a basket, and when you lose it, he will be there.’ So he set out with his servant, Yusha‘ ibn Nun, and they carried a fish in a basket, until they reached the rock, where they lay down their heads and slept. The fish snuck out of the basket and took its course into the sea, slipping away, and Musa and his servant were amazed. They continued on their way for the rest of that night, and the following day, in the morning, Musa said to his servant: ‘Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue.’ Musa did not feel any fatigue until he went beyond the place he had been instructed to seek. His servant said to him: ‘Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan.’ Musa said: ‘That is what we were seeking.’ So they returned, following their footprints. When they reached the rock, they saw a man covered with a garment, or covering himself with his own garment. Musa greeted him with salaam, and Khadir said: ‘Do people in your land greet one another with salaam?’ He said: ‘I am Musa.’ Khadir said: ‘The Musa of the Children of Israel?’ Musa said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘May I follow you so that you might teach me some of that knowledge which you have been taught?’ Khadir said: ‘You will never be able to remain patient with me, O Musa. I have some knowledge that Allah has taught me, which you do not know, and you have some knowledge that He taught you which I do not know.’ Musa said: ‘You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in anything.’ So they set out, walking along the seashore, as they did not have a boat. Then a boat passed by them, so they asked the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized al-Khadir, so they took them on board without any fare. Then a sparrow came and alighted on the edge of the boat, and dipped its beak in the sea once or twice. Al-Khadir said: ‘O Musa, my knowledge and your knowledge has not detracted anything from the knowledge of Allah except as much as the beak of this sparrow has detracted from the water of the sea.’
Then al-Khadir went to one of the planks of the boat and pulled it out. Musa said: ‘These people took us on board without any fare, but you have scuttled their boat so as to drown its crew!’ Al-Khadir said: ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to remain patient with me?’ Musa said: ‘Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not make it too difficult for me to follow you.’ So in the first instance, Musa’s excuse was that he forgot.
Then they continued on their way, and saw a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of the top of the boy’s head and pulled it off with his hands. Musa said: ‘Have you killed an innocent soul who killed no one?’ Al-Khadir said: ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to remain patient with me?’ –  Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: Here it became more certain [that Musa would not be able to remain patient with him] –
Then they continued on their way until they came to the people of a town, and asked its people for food, but they refused to show them any hospitality. In the town, they found a wall that was about to collapse, so al-Khadir gestured with his hands and repaired it. Musa said: ‘If you wish, you could have taken payment for it.’ Khadir said: ‘This is the parting of the ways between me and you.’”
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy on Musa. We wish that he had been patient so that we could have known more about his story with Khadir.”.

Commentary : In this hadith, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr narrates that he asked ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) about Musa, the one who met al-Khadir, because Nawf al-Bakali – who was a Tabi‘i from Damascus, a man of virtue and knowledge, especially with regard to the reports from Jewish sources (Isra’iliyyat), and he was the son of the wife of Ka‘b al-Ahbar – had claimed that he was not Musa, the Messenger who was sent to the Children of Israel. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he was lying, and Sa‘id responded that he was indeed Musa, the Prophet who was sent to the Children of Israel. Then he told him of a hadith narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him), that he heard from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the story of Musa (peace be upon him) and al-Khadir. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that whilst Allah’s Prophet Musa was among a group of Israelites, a man came to him and asked him: Do you know of anyone more knowledgeable than you on earth? Musa (peace be upon him) said no, because he thought that there could not be anyone who was more knowledgeable than him, for he was a prophet who received revelation. But Allah rebuked him for not referring the matter of knowledge to Him. It was said that this was by way of alerting Musa (peace be upon him) and to serve as a lesson for those who came after him, lest anyone else follow his example in self-praise and self-admiration, and thus become doomed. So Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) revealed to him: there is indeed someone who is more knowledgeable than you, to whom Allah has granted knowledge from Himself other than what He has revealed to you. He is a slave of Allah whose name is Khadir, and he is at the junction of the two seas; the two seas were the sea of Persia which is in the east, and the sea of the Byzantines which is in the west. And it was said that the junction of the two seas was at Tangiers, in the furthest reaches of the Maghreb [modern-day Morocco].
So Musa asked: How can I reach him? Allah (may He be exalted) said: Look for him on the seashore, by the rock. He said: O Lord, how will I find the place? Allah said: Take a fish in a basket, and when you lose the fish, then go back to the place where you lost it, and you will meet him there. It was said that he took a salted fish and said to his servant: When you lose the fish, tell me. When they reached the rock by the sea, they lay down their heads and slept, and the fish came out of the basket when they were not looking, went into the sea and swam away. That was something amazing for Musa and his servant, as the fish came back to life, slipped out of the basket and went into the sea. Then the water was held in place with the fish, whilst they proceeded for the rest of that night and the following day. In the morning, Musa said to his servant Yusha‘ ibn Nun: Bring us our morning meal so we can eat. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue. Musa did not experience any fatigue until he went beyond the place he had been instructed to go to in order to meet al-Khadir. The servant said to Musa: {Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan} [al-Kahf 18:62]. That was because, after resting by the sea, the servant forgot the fish, then they travelled on for a while. When the servant remembered that, he told Musa (peace be upon him) about that, so he said to him: {“That is what we were seeking.” So they returned, following their footprints} [al-Kahf 18:64]. So they went back, tracing their footsteps, until they reached the place where they had lost the fish. There they found al-Khadir, covered with his garment. Musa greeted him with salaam, and al-Khadir said: Do people in your land greet one another with salaam?  This appeared in the form of a question, but what was meant was that it was thought unlikely, which indicates that the people of that land were not Muslims at that time. According to a report narrated by Muslim: Musa said to al-Khadir: Al-salaamu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you), so he uncovered his face and said: Wa ‘alaykum al-salaam. The two reports may be reconciled by noting that he asked this question after returning the greeting.
Musa asked him to allow him to follow him, so that he could learn from his knowledge, but al-Khadir explained to him that he would never be able to bear with patience what he would see, because of the difference in the types of knowledge that each of them had learned, even though all of that came from Allah. Musa (peace be upon him) promised him that he would show patience and would never comment on anything that al-Khadir did. So they travelled along the seashore, then a boat passed by them, so they asked the crew to let them on board. They recognized al-Khadir, so they took them on board without any fare, by way of honouring him.
Then a sparrow came and sat on the edge of the boat, and dipped its beak in the sea once or twice, picking up some of the seawater. This was a kind of parable which al-Khadir explained to Musa as meaning that the knowledge of each of them, in comparison to the knowledge of Allah, was like the drop of water that the bird took from the sea.
Then al-Khadir removed a plank from the boat, with the aim of making it appear defective. Musa (peace be upon him) was astounded at his action, especially after the crew of the boat had honoured them, and he asked al-Khadir why he had done that. Al-Khadir said to him: {Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?} [al-Kahf 18:72], so Musa (peace be upon him) apologized. So in the first instance, Musa’s excuse was that he forgot.
Then they disembarked from the boat, and they found a small boy playing with other children. Al-Khadir grabbed the top of his head and separated his head from his body for no obvious reason, or for any offence on the child’s part. Once again, Musa was shocked, and he broke the condition of patience, and asked in amazement: Have you killed an innocent soul for no sin and for not having killed another? This was the second time that he did not show patience.
Then they continued on their way, and entered a town, where they asked its people for food and hospitality, but they refused. Despite that, when al-Khadir found a tumbledown wall that was about to collapse, he built it up and repaired it so that it would not collapse. Musa said to him: If you wish, you could charge a fee for rebuilding it. This was the third time that Musa (peace be upon him) did not show patience, and this was the parting of the ways between them, so they separated after al-Khadir explained to him the wisdom behind all of these things, as is mentioned in the verses in which Allah (may He be exalted) says:
{As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.
And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief,
So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.
And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience}
[al-Kahf 18:79-82].
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy on Musa. We wish that he had been patient.” This was an expression of his wish that Musa (peace be upon him) had adhered to the condition of showing patience with al-Khadir, so that he could have told us of the wondrous and amazing things that would have occurred on their journey together.
After that, the extent of al-Khadir’s knowledge became clear to Musa (peace be upon him), which was based on what Allah had taught him of unseen matters and events that demonstrate the power of Allah, of which the Prophets had no knowledge except what they were told by the Creator (may He be glorified in exalted).
This hadith encourages people to put up with hardship for the sake of seeking knowledge.
It indicates that one should strive to increase in knowledge and seek more of it, and show due respect to one who has more knowledge. It also highlights the virtue of seeking knowledge and of showing the proper etiquette towards scholars and knowledgeable people.
It indicates that one should remain humble when seeking knowledge, and the seeker of knowledge should serve his teacher if he is younger than him.
It highlights an important basic principle of Islam, which is that one should not object on the basis of reason to what one may not understand of the teachings and rulings of Islam, and that nothing may be regarded as good or bad except on the basis of Islamic teachings and religious texts.
It indicates that a person should apologize if he goes against the rules to which he committed himself.
It also indicates that one should judge matters on the basis of what they appear to be, unless one learns otherwise.
It indicates that lying is saying something other than what in fact is the case, either deliberately or by mistake.
It indicates that when there are two evils, it is permissible to ward off the greater evil by committing the lesser evil..

123
It was narrated that Abu Musa said: A man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, what is fighting in Allah’s cause? For one of us may fight out of anger, or he may fight on the basis of tribal feelings. He lifted his head to him, and he only lifted his head to him because the man was standing, and said: “Whoever fights so that the word of Allah may be supreme is fighting in the cause of Allah.”.

Commentary : Having a good intention is a condition of deeds being acceptable to Allah (may He be exalted). Any deed in which this condition is not met will be as worthless as scattered dust, and will not bring any benefit to the doer, whether it is fighting in Allah’s cause or any other deed.
In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the true definition of fighting in Allah’s cause, and told him that a man may fight out of anger, meaning that he is seeking revenge and retaliating against an enemy, or he may fight out of tribal feeling, which is based on pride, in defence of his own people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by stating that the one who fights so that the word of Allah may be supreme, and his aim and intention in fighting is that the word of Tawhid should be the word that prevails in this land, the word that has power and authority that cannot be pushed back, and its dominion has no limits, is truly striving in Allah’s cause. This is the true mujahid who, if he is killed, will attain martyrdom, and if he returns, he will return with reward and booty.
In this hadith, we see that having a sound intention is a condition of deeds being acceptable to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
This hadith highlights what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was given of eloquence and concise speech.
It also mentions that the virtue that is ascribed to the mujahidin is only for those who fight so that the word of Allah (may He be exalted) may be supreme..

125
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: Whilst I was walking with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a remote part of Madinah, and he was leaning on a stick made of palm leaves that he had with him, he passed by a group of Jews. They said to one another: Ask him about the soul. One of them said: Do not ask him, lest he say something about it that you dislike. Another of them said: No, let us ask him. One of them stood up and said: O Abul Qasim, what is the soul? He remained silent, so I thought: Revelation is coming to him. So I stood up. When the revelation had finished, he said: {And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little”} [al-Isra’ 17:85]. Al-A‘mash [one of the narrators] said: This is how it is in our recitation..

Commentary : In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he was walking with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a remote part of Madinah, which was a sparsely populated area, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was leaning on a stick made of palm leaves. He passed by a group of Jews, some of whom wanted to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the soul, thinking that by doing so, they would be asking him something that he could not answer, and thus they would stir up doubts about him. Some of them supported the idea, but others thought that they should not ask him this question, for fear that he might say something about it that they would dislike. Then they decided to go ahead and ask him. The kunyah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was Abul Qasim so they called out to him by this kunyah and asked him about the soul. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) remained silent, and the revelation came down to him, and he recited the verse: {And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little”} [al-Isra’ 17:85]. In other words, knowledge of the soul is a divine matter that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has kept to Himself, to the exclusion of all others, and the knowledge that you have is only a small part of knowledge, because no matter how great human knowledge may grow, it is still limited, and human reason is also limited; the secrets of this universe are too great to be comprehended by finite human reason.
In this hadith, we see that the soul is a matter of the unseen, and one of the secrets of divine knowledge.
It also indicates how very small human knowledge is, and that human reason cannot comprehend everything..

833
‘Ā’ishah reported: 'Umar made a mistake. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has only forbidden seeking the rising of the sun and its setting..

Commentary : The five obligatory prayers have definite times; however, the supererogatory and voluntary prayer is permissible at any time except that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has forbidden praying at certain times. Out of their extreme keenness to carry out obligations and the acts of Sunnah, avoid prohibitions, and maintain the trust of reporting the Shariah, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to correct each other's mistakes and comment on one another.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "'Umar made a mistake," referring to 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) in reporting the absolute prohibition of prayer after 'Asr. She reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had only forbidden "seeking the rising of the sun and its setting." i.e., he forbade intentionally and deliberately praying when the sun rises or sets but did not forbid praying in general after dawn or after ‘Asr. It is said: Rather, the prohibition of prayer during these two times is not a mistake, and ‘Ā’ishah's opinion was based on her own deduction and interpretation. As for the Hadīth text narrated by ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), others from the Companions also narrated it, and more than one understood it the way ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) understood it.
The reason behind the prohibition of prayer during these two times is that the sun rises and sets along with the devil's horn and because some of the disbelievers used to prostrate to the sun and offer prayer to it during these two times. Hence, he forbade praying during them to oppose those disbelievers. Other narrations were reported about permitting prayer at sunrise and sunset, as mentioned in the Two Sahīh Collections: "Whoever catches up with one Rak'ah before the sun rises, he has caught up with the Morning prayer..." When combined with this Hadīth, it is understood that the prohibition refers to the voluntary and supererogatory prayer during such times. As for the one who could not catch up with the prayer at the beginning of its time for a valid excuse, he is permitted to pray at the end of its time and to catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset. Or perhaps the prohibition refers to the act of seeking the rising and setting of the sun on purpose, as for the one who does not do this on purpose - like the one who wakes up from his sleep or the one who remembers after being forgetful - it is permissible for him to pray and there is no blame on him.
The Hadīth warns against keenness on praying at the time when the sun rises and sets..

835
Abu Salamah reported that he asked 'Ā’ishah about the two prostrations that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray after 'Asr, she said: "He used to pray them before 'Asr, but then he got distracted or forgot them, so he prayed them after 'Asr; then, he continued observing them, for whenever he offered a prayer, he would stick to observing it.".

Commentary : Prayer is the best matter, and a Muslim is allowed to offer voluntary prayer at any time of night or day except for the times in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited voluntary prayer, namely after dawn until sunrise and after 'Asr until sunset.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi'i Abu Salamah ibn' Abdur-Rahmān ibn' Awf reports that he asked the Mother of the Believers, 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about the two Rak'ahs (unit of prayer) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray after 'Asr, and why he prayed them, or whether the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed them regularly or not. Thereupon, 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He used to pray them before 'Asr," i.e., as a supererogatory and Sunnah Qabliyyah (before the obligatory prayer) of the 'Asr prayer. "Then, he got distracted from them or forgot them," being doubtful about the reason why he did not pray them before 'Asr that time. "Then, he continued observing them" after that, "as whenever he offered a prayer, he would continue observing it" regularly.
In the Two Sahīh Collections, the reason why he did not pray the two Rak'ahs before 'Asr is mentioned, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said while talking to' Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her): "O Daughter of Abu' Umayyah, you asked about the two Rak'ahs after 'Asr. Some people of 'Abdul-Qays came to me and distracted me from the two Rak'ahs after Zhuhr, so those are the two (Rak'ahs I was praying)." This indicates that the two Rak‘ahs were offered to make up for the missed Sunnah Ba‘diyyah (after the obligatory prayer) of Zhuhr and not to make up for the missed two Rak‘ahs before ‘Asr..

836
Mukhtār ibn Fulful reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik about the voluntary prayer after ‘Asr, and he said: "'Umar used to strike hands for a prayer (offered) after 'Asr, and we used to offer two Rak'ahs after sunset before the Maghrib prayer during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." I asked him, "Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) observe them?" He said: "He used to see us observing them, but he neither commanded nor forbade us.".

Commentary : Prayer is one of the best acts that bring closeness to Allah Almighty; hence, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen on it as a means of drawing closer to Allah Almighty.
This Hadīth emphasizes the Muslims' keenness to learn the religion. The Tābi‘i Mukhtār ibn Fulful narrates that he asked Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) about offering voluntary prayer after the ‘Asr prayer. Anas informed him that during the Caliphate of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he used to strike hands for praying after 'Asr, which is an indirect reference to his prohibition of such a prayer because he did not see the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing this. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) used to follow the Prophet's example in everything; so, whenever he did something, they would race to do it, and whenever he abandoned something, they would leave it. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to forbid praying after ‘Asr for fear of offering a prayer during the prohibited time, namely at sunset. Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: And we used to offer two Rak‘ahs after sunset before the Maghrib prayer during the time of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), i.e., between the Adhān (call to prayer) and the Iqāmah (second call to prayer). Mukhtār ibn Fulful asked him: Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) observe them? Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied saying: He used to see us observing them, but he neither commanded nor forbade us, which denotes his approval of the permissibility of this voluntary prayer.
The Hadīth encourages the act of offering supererogatory prayers.
It also points out the Prophet's approval of offering prayer before Maghrib..

840
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: I witnessed the prayer of fear with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). We stood in two rows behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the enemy was between us and the Qiblah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said takbīr and we all did. He then bowed and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing, and we all did. He then prostrated with the row behind him, while the back row stood in the face of the enemy. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) completed the prostration and the row behind him stood, the back row prostrated and then stood up. Then, the back row moved to the front and the front row moved to the back. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing, and we also raised our heads. Then, he and the row behind him, which was back in the first Rak‘ah, prostrated, whereas the back row stood in the face of the enemy. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the row behind him finished the prostration, the back row prostrated. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ended the prayer with taslīm and we all did the same. Jābir said: ''As those guards of yours do with their leaders.'.

Commentary : The prayer of fear is the prayer whose time comes when the Muslims are engaged in fighting the enemy. Since prayer is the greatest among the practical pillars of Islam, it does not cease to be due under any condition, even during war.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reports on one of the ways of performing the prayer of fear during war, as he witnessed the prayer of fear with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The entire army was lined up behind him in two successive rows, with the enemy standing between them and the Qiblah. This indicates that everyone will face the enemy, whether those who stand for prayer or those who stand for guarding. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commenced the prayer and said the takbīr of ihrām, and the whole army said takbīr with him. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the recitation, and they all bowed. Then, he raised his head from Rukū‘, and they all raised their heads. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, and the row behind him prostrated, whereas the back row remained standing to guard those who were prostrating in front of them. They stood in the face of the enemy and opposite them, lest the enemy might attack while they were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the two prostrations, and the row behind him, that prostrated the first time, stood up, the back row came down to prostrate. Then, when they finished the prostration, they stood up. Then, the back row stepped forward and stood in the place of the first row—after becoming equal to them in terms of standing behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the second Rak'ah—and the first row stepped back. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the standing and recitation, and the entire army bowed. Then he raised his head from Rukū‘, and the entire army raised their heads. Then he came down to prostrate, and so did the row behind him, who stood in the back in the first Rak'ah, whereas the back row got up and stood in the face of the enemy to guard those who were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the row behind him finished the prostration, the back row came down to prostrate, and after they finished the prostration and tashahhud, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made taslīm, and all worshipers made taslīm after him, for they completed their prayer.
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to those around him: ''As those guards of yours have a certain protocol with their leaders," i.e., the servants of the ruler who are assigned to protect and guard him, their prayer is like the prayer the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he faced the enemy.
Numerous ways are reported for performing the prayer of fear, and this is one of the versions about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this regard. He performed it on different days and in diverse ways in which he sought what is more cautious for prayer and more effective for guarding. This prayer has different forms, but they are all consistent in intent.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the manner and form of the prayer of fear
And in it: Demonstrating the significance of congregational prayer, as its performance was prescribed in the state of fear. So, it is more appropriate for a person who is safe and secure to observe it.
And in it: Taking precautions against the enemy at the time of the battle by all means
And in it: The religion enjoins the acts of worship that preserve a person before Allah in the Hereafter and enjoins the pursuit of means that preserve a person in worldly life
And in it: It shows the ease of the Shariah for those accountable to perform prayer.

853
Abu Burdah ibn Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari related: ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said to me: "Did you hear your father narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hour on Friday?" I said: "Yes, I heard him say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'It is between the time when the Imām sits down and the end of the prayer.''".

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some creatures over others and favored some places over others, like favoring Makkah over all other places; and He favored some times over others, like favoring Friday over other days of the week.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Burdah ibn Abi Mūsa al-Ash‘ari informs that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: Did you hear your father - that is Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) - narrating from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the hour of Friday. By this, he meant the hour when supplications are answered - about which Al-Bukhāri and Muslim narrated a Hadīth - Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is a time on Friday at which no Muslim asks Allah for what is good except that He will grant it to him." So, Allah responds to he who supplicates and asks of Him by granting him his request or better than that, averting affliction or evil from him, or keeping it in store for him until the Day of Judgment. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant to ask about its specific time, as to which part of the day it is exactly. In response, Abu Burdah told him that he heard a Hadīth regarding this from his father (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "It is between the time when the Imām sits down" on the pulpit after ascending it. And it was said: When he sits down between the two sermons - until the Friday prayer is finished.
There is a difference of opinion over the specification of this hour, with numerous views involved. The strongest among these views are two: First: What is mentioned in the Hadīth: It is between the time when the Imām sits down and the end of the prayer. Second: It is from after the ‘Asr until sunset, in the latter time of Friday.
In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the time of the hour of answered supplications on Friday
And in it: We are urged to look for the time of answered supplications on Friday and utilize them..

854
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best day the sun has risen upon is Friday: on it Adam was created, on it he was admitted into Paradise, and on it he was driven out of it. The Hour will not come except on Friday.".

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some of His creations over others. This includes favoring some days over others, like the day of ‘Arafah, the Night of Decree, and Friday; each time of them has a different merit than others.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that the best day among the days of the week upon which the sun rises is Friday. One of the characteristics of this day is that Allah Almighty created Adam, the father of humanity (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty made him dwell in Paradise, and on this day, Adam and his wife were driven out of Paradise, and he descended to earth for viceregency thereon. His departure from it is the departure of someone who will return to it, for Paradise is originally his dwelling, as Allah Almighty says: {Dwell in Paradise, you, and your wife.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 35] The day Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise is the day he assumed viceregency on earth and came down to it. The Hour - i.e., the Day of Judgment - will not come except on Friday between dawn and sunrise.
It was said that the mention of these important events and these few issues, which took place on Friday, is not meant for mentioning the merit of this day, since what happened on Friday, like driving Adam out and the coming of the hour, is not regarded as meritorious; rather, this is intended to highlight the significance of the events that took place on it, like the beginning and end of creation. It was also said: Rather, these are merits because the departure of Adam from Paradise is a reason for producing these progeny and huge descendants and the existence of the messengers, the prophets, and the pious people. Also, the events of the Hour enjoy great significance, for they constitute a reason for Allah to hasten His promise to the believers and His threat to the disbelievers, the appearance of the recompense of the prophets, the people of the truth, the pious persons, and others, and the display of their honor and noble statue. On the Day of Judgment, the banners of the Muslims will go high in confirmation of their Imān (faith).
In the Hadīth: The superiority of Friday to the other days.

856
Abu Hurayrah and Hudhayfah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah diverted from Friday those who were before us. For the Jews there was Saturday, and for the Christians there was Sunday. And Allah brought us and guided us to Friday. He made Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and they, likewise, will come after us on the Day of Judgment. We are the last among the people in this world and the first ones on the Day of Judgment for whom judgment will be passed before all creation." In a version: among whom judgment will be passed. [And in a version]: We were guided to Friday, and Allah diverted from it those who were before us..

Commentary : Out of His wisdom, Allah Almighty favored some of His creation over others. This includes favoring some days over others, like the day of ‘Arafah, the Night of Decree, and Friday; each time of them has a different merit than the others.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that Allah Almighty diverted from Friday and from holding it in high regard to the nations who came before us. This was because they opposed their prophets. The Jews chose Saturday, claiming that Allah had finished the creation on Saturday. And the Christians chose Sunday, claiming that Allah Almighty began the creation on it. Then, Allah brought the Ummah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who believed in him and acknowledged his message, so Allah guided us to Friday and directed us, out of His bounty and mercy, to extolling and worshiping Him on it. "So He made Friday" an Eid for the Muslims, "Saturday" an Eid for the Jews, "and Sunday" an Eid for the Christians.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that the Jews and the Christians will come after this Ummah of Muhammad on the Day of Judgment, as they came after them in the order of days. So, they will be after them in terms of the reckoning, the judgment, and entering Paradise. Although this Ummah existed in this world later than the previous communities, they will be ahead of them in the Hereafter, in that they will be the first to be resurrected and reckoned and the first to be judged among the people, to enter Paradise. In a version: "among whom judgment will be passed" instead of "for whom judgment will be passed," i.e., judgment will be passed among them with regard to their rights.
In the Hadīth: Allah Almighty honored this Ummah and preferred it over the other nations that came before it..

857
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever takes a bath and then comes to the Friday prayer, and then prays as much as is written for him, and then keeps silent until the Imām finishes the sermon, and then prays along with him, his sins between that time and the next Friday will be forgiven, with an addition of three days.".

Commentary : Friday is a momentous day, and it is the best of the days of the week. On it, the Muslims gather for the prayer. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) urged us to purify ourselves and beautify our appearance on this day, especially at the time of the Friday prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that if a person takes a bath, pouring water all over his body - the bath on Friday is affirmed regarding every male adult Muslim who is obligated to perform the Friday prayer - and then goes to the mosque and attends it early before the Imām ascends the pulpit, and he offers supererogatory prayers as much as is predestined for him and as Allah wills him to pray, performing two Rak‘ahs at a time, as reported about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the supererogatory prayer; and then he keeps silent until the Imām finishes the sermon, and then prays the two-Rak‘ah Friday prayer with him, his reward will be that Allah will forgive his sins from this time in which he performs the Friday prayer to the similar time the next Friday, in addition to three days. Thus, a good deed is multiplied ten times, as Friday becomes equivalent to ten days.
The intended meaning here is that Allah forgives the minor sins; as for the major sins, they require full repentance. In Sahīh Muslim Collection, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The five prayers, and the Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and Ramadan to the next Ramadan are expiations of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided."
The etiquettes reported in the Sunnah in relation to Friday include applying perfume, wearing the best clothes for the Friday prayer, going to the mosque early, and not passing through the rows.
In the Hadīth: The merit of taking a bath on Friday
And in it: Urging the performance of supererogatory prayers before the Imām ascends the pulpit on Friday
And in it: We are urged to listen to the sermon.

858
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: We used to pray with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), then return and give rest to our Nawādih (camels used for carrying water). Hasan said: I said to Ja'far: What time was that? He replied: At the sun's decline, its zenith..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has set an appointed time for prayer; thus, a Muslim is not allowed to offer the prayer before or delay it after its time except with a valid excuse.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reports that people used to pray - referring to the Friday prayer as clarified by another version of Muslim - with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, after finishing the prayer, they would return from the mosque to their houses, where they would rest and give rest to their Nawādih, the plural of Nādih, which is the camel used for carrying water. It is said: "Rawāh" (from which "nurīh" (give rest) is derived) means returning with the livestock from the pasture.
Then, Hasan ibn' Ayyāsh - one of the Hadīth narrators - reported that he asked his Shaykh, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, about this hour when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Friday prayer. Ja‘far informed him that the time of prayer was the time of the sun's decline, which is the time when the sun moves from the middle of the sky, and it is a sign of the beginning of the Zhuhr prayer or the Friday prayer. It is possible that his question was about the time of their return, and in this case, their prayer would be before the sun's decline.
The Hadīth indicates exaggeration in hastening the Friday prayer and that they used to delay their lunch and siesta on that day until after the Friday prayer because they were recommended to go early to this prayer. So, if they got distracted by anything of this before the Friday prayer, they would fear missing it or missing the chance of going there early..

860
Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ reported: We used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after the sun had passed the meridian, and then we would return and try to find "al-Fay'' (the shadow)..

Commentary : The Friday sermon is one of the rites of religion and it has a profound impact on the lives of Muslims, as everyone, young and old, attends it, listens to the preacher, and learns the matters of their religion.
In this Hadīth, Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘(may Allah be pleased with him) says that they used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) "after the sun had passed the meridian," which happens when the sun moves from the middle of the sky. Then, they would return and try to find "al-Fay,’'' the place on which the sun ray falls and then goes away and leaves behind a shadow.
In a version of the Two Sahīh Collections it is reported by Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him), and the wording here is by Muslim: "When the walls had no shadow for us to take shelter in it." This is because they used to go for Friday prayer early and return before the walls had shadows in which they could take shelter, as the heat was severe in Madīnah and they would look for places having shadows to sit there and take rest.
In the Hadīth: The keenness to perform prayer at its earliest time.

862
Jābir ibn Samurah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to deliver the Khutbah (sermon) while standing. He would then sit down, stand up, and give the Khutbah while standing. Whoever informs you that he used to deliver the Khutbah while sitting has, indeed, lied. By Allah, I prayed more than two thousand prayers with him..

Commentary : The Friday Khutbah is one of the religion's rituals, and it greatly impacts Muslims' lives. It is attended by the young and the old, who all listen to the Khatīb (preacher) and learn the affairs of their religion.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that he used to offer the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He used to see him delivering the Friday Khutbah while standing on the pulpit. After the first Khutbah, he would then sit for a short while on the pulpit. Then, he would get up and deliver the Khutbah while standing, preaching to people and teaching them their religion. Jābir ibn Samurah, then, said to the Tābi‘i Simāk ibn Harb: "Whoever informs you that he used to deliver the Khutbah while sitting has, indeed, lied," i.e., made a mistake, as the Arabs used to say to the one who made a mistake: He lied. "By Allah, I prayed with him more than two thousand prayers," which confirms the great extent of his knowledge and memorization of the manner adopted by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in his prayers and sermons, including delivering his Khutbah on Friday while standing.
The Hadīth clarifies the Prophet's guidance in delivering the Friday sermon..

864
Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah reported: He entered the mosque while ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ’Umm al-Hakam was delivering a Khutbah (sermon) while sitting, so he said: Look at this deceitful person; he is delivering a sermon while sitting, whereas Allah Almighty says: {When they see some merchandise or amusement, they rush towards it and leave you standing.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 11].

Commentary : Enjoining good and forbidding evil are the characteristics of the Islamic nation and among its best merits and causes of its superiority over other nations. The most entitled among people to this, and the first ones addressed with this in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, are the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu ‘Ubaydah ‘Āmir ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd narrates that Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the mosque, referring to the mosque of Kūfah, a city in Iraq, to offer the Friday prayer. He found ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ’Umm al-Hakam - nephew of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān ibn Harb whom Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) assigned as the ruler of Kūfah in 58 AH, then after a year or more, he was dismissed - preaching to people while sitting on the pulpit, not standing as known in the Friday sermon. Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) condemned this saying: "Look at this deceitful person," because he was angry at the one who had violated the Prophet's Sunnah, "he is preaching while sitting," not doing what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did and not following his example, although the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) adopted this practice persistently. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, you have an excellent example in the Messenger of Allah.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21] Allah Almighty also says: {Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it.} [Surat al-Hashr: 7] Moreover, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray as you saw me pray." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri] Hence, his example should be followed when it comes to prayer and the delivery of the Friday sermon.
Then, he supported his words with a verse from Allah's Book, in which Allah Almighty says: {When they see some merchandise or amusement, they rush towards it and leave you standing.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 11] Here, Allah mentioned that His Prophet was standing while delivering the Friday sermon.
The Hadīth draws the preacher's attention to standing while delivering the Khutbah.
It also calls the scholars' attention to enjoining good and forbidding evil.
The Hadīth sheds light on how the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to intensely get angry with whoever violated the Sunnah, even if it was someone who must be obeyed and respected from among the rulers, for no obedience is due to a creature when it comes to disobeying the Creator..

865
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah reported that they heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will seal their hearts and then they will be among the heedless.".

Commentary : The Friday prayer is of great significance in Islam. Allah Almighty made it obligatory for non-traveling men to go out for it when the Muezzin makes the Adhān, calling for it, and He urged them to attend this prayer and warned against neglecting it. An example is this Hadīth in which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers," i.e., they abandon and fail to perform it out of negligence and laziness, without an excuse. If they do not comply and attend the Friday prayer, Allah will seal their hearts, by putting a seal and cover over them, and deny them His grace and bounty and place in them ignorance, roughness, and hardness. "and then they will be among the heedless" away from doing the deeds that benefit them and leaving what harms them. Thus, they will be among those overtaken by heedlessness, as they forgot Allah, and so He forgot them. This serves as a strong deterrent against the abandonment and neglect of the Friday prayer..

866
Jābir ibn Samurah reported: I used to perform the prayers with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and his prayer was moderate in length and his sermon was moderate in length..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to enjoin the facilitation of worship and not going into hardship in performing it, and he would set an example of this through his own practice, so that every Muslim would imitate him.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he would persistently perform the obligatory prayers - the five prayers and the Friday prayer - with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and his prayer was moderate in length, suitable for the young and old and not hard for anyone. He would do that to avoid making the prayer too long for people.
As for the Muslim-narrated Hadīth in which ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The lengthiness of a man’s prayer and the shortness of his sermon are a sign of his proper understanding; so, make the prayer long and the sermon short." The intended meaning here is that prayer should be long compared to the sermon, not so long in a way that proves hard for the worshipers.
In the Hadīth: We are urged not to prolong the sermon and the five prayers..

867
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his voice would become louder, and his anger would become more intense, as if he were warning of an army, saying: "They will attack you in the morning, or they will attack you in the evening." And he would say: "I and the Hour have been sent like these two," holding his index and middle fingers. Then, he would say: "To proceed: Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah; the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad; the evilest matters are those that are newly invented; and every innovation is misguidance." He would then say: "I am nearer to every believer than himself. So, whoever leaves behind some wealth, it is for his family, and whoever leaves behind a debt or dependent children, then they are both my responsibility." [In a version]: In the Prophet's sermon on Friday, he would praise Allah, laud Him, and then he would subsequently speak, as his voice went loud; then, he narrated the same Hadīth..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was an eloquent preacher, and he would say what moves people, admonishes them, gives them glad tidings, and warns them. He would also use the tools of rhetorical effects, such as raising and lowering the voice and using the movement of the hand and the body, as well as other things in which preachers should follow his example.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs about what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do in the Friday sermon. He says that when he delivered a sermon to the people and reminded them of the promise and warning, and the commands and prohibitions, "his eyes would turn red," i.e., their redness would become greater than usual. "his voice would become louder, and his anger would become more intense," which means that he would interact with the topic of the sermon; hence, this would happen to him. By intense anger, he meant to describe his condition as a person in anger, and this was probably because some of them were found to disobey his commands and prohibitions, and some were neglectful of their duties. This is how a preacher's condition should be - consistent with the topic he speaks about. He should not enjoin something while his outward appearance denotes the opposite. "as if he were warning of an army," alluding to the loudness of his voice (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) among them. The warner of an army is a person who watches the enemy and informs the people about their condition so that they can get prepared. So, the Prophet's admonition was given in this manner, due to his care about the people and his desire to warn them of the Hereafter and their lack of preparedness for it. Thus, it was as if he was warning them of the emergence of an attacking army that would come to them in the morning or in the evening.
One of the statements the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to make in his sermons: "I have been sent and the Hour is like these two," joining his two fingers: the forefinger and the middle finger, i.e., the period between the Prophet's time and the coming of the Day of Judgment is short like the distance between the forefinger and the middle finger. He is the last Prophet before the Hour. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is one of the signs of the imminence of the Hour. After his mission, the time remaining for the coming of the Hour is less than the time that passed.
At the start of the sermon, he used to say: "To proceed;" is a phrase to separate between parts of speech when the speaker wants to shift from one topic to another. The meaning: I say after the previous testimony of faith and praise of Allah Almighty. "Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah;" there is no speech except that the speech of Allah is better than that. The speech of Allah means the noble Qur'an. "the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad;" guidance is the way of life and manner. There is no way and path except that the path of the Prophet is better than that. So, his path, way of life, and manner - including Tawhīd, rulings, and acts of worship - should be followed. "the most evil matters," i.e., the ugliest religious matters, not the worldly ones. "are those that are newly invented," i.e., inventions and innovations that have no basis in the Shariah that attests to their validity and permissibility. These are called Bida‘ (innovations). "and every innovation is misguidance," i.e., and every invention in the religion in a way not done by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions is misguidance and deviation and departure from the Prophet's path; it is not part of the guidance and the right course he came with.
In one of the Prophet's statements in his sermons, he said: "I am nearer to every believer than himself," i.e., I am the most entitled among people to him regarding all matters of worldly life and the Hereafter. As Allah Almighty says: {The Prophet has a greater claim over the believers than their own selves.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 6] He is the most compassionate of all people towards them. Their souls call them to ruin, while he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) calls them to salvation.
He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that if any Muslim dies and leaves behind some wealth, his inheritors and relatives - i.e., his inheriting relatives - are more entitled to this wealth, which they take as an inheritance; and if anyone leaves behind a debt or dependents - children, wife, and those who cannot provide for themselves - the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has a greater claim to him, repaying his debt and supporting those children and women he left behind. This stems from the Prophet's good character, his support of the Muslims, and his keenness that they should not be neglected.
And in a version: "In the Prophet's sermon on Friday, he would praise Allah and laud Him," i.e., he would begin it with praise and laudation. Part of what was reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in Khutbat al-Hājah (the sermon of need) which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions is to say: "Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whoever Allah leads astray, none can guide. I testify that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger." This praise and laudation is valid to say at the start of every sermon.
In the Hadīth: We are urged to follow the Prophet's guidance in the sermon.
And in it: A preacher should interact with the topic while addressing the sermon to influence the people.
And in it: Beginning the sermon with praise and lauding Allah.

87
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..

88
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)..

108
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..

135
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..

162
`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..