It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: A man came whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was addressing the people on a Friday. He said: “Have you prayed, O So-and-so?” He said: No. He said: “Get up and pray two rak‘ahs.”.

Commentary : The prayer to “greet the mosque” (tahiyyat al-masjid) is one of the Sunnah prayers that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined and encouraged the Muslims to do, even during the khutbah on Friday when the imam is on the minbar.
We see that in this hadith, in which Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was delivering the khutbah one Friday, when a man entered the mosque during his khutbah, then sat down without praying. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Have you prayed, O So-and-so?” This man’s name was Sulayk, as is mentioned another report. The man answered that he had not prayed, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to get up and pray two rak‘ahs to “greet the mosque.” In al-Sahihayn it is narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you comes to the mosque, let him not sit down before he prays two rak‘ahs.”
The Sunnah is to make these two rak‘ahs brief, as it says in Sahih Muslim: “Pray two rak‘ahs, and make them brief.” He told him to make them brief, so that he could finish them quickly and listen to the khutbah. This is indicative of the importance of these two rak‘ahs.
This hadith indicates that the imam may speak to a member of the congregation and instruct him to pray during the khutbah, and to point out any mistake the worshipper may make..

934

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you say to your companion on Friday, ‘Listen!’ when the imam is delivering the khutbah, you have engaged in idle speech.”.

Commentary : There is etiquette to be followed with regard to Jumu‘ah prayer, to which the Muslim should pay attention on this day. One aspect of this etiquette is to be quiet and listen attentively to the khatib during his khutbah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) drew attention to that in this hadith, as he said: If you say to your companion on Friday, ‘Listen!’ – advising someone else and urging him to listen to the khutbah when the imam is delivering the khutbah – then you have engaged in idle speech. The word translated here as idle speech refers to invalid and improper speech. What is meant is: you have done something invalid that is not right. This is a prohibition on all kinds of speech during the khutbah, even if it appears to be advising someone else and even if few words are used.
This word – “Listen!” – is mentioned even though it is not regarded as lengthy speech, and it comes under the heading of enjoining what is right. Therefore if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) disallowed it, then it is appropriate that anything else that may be regarded as lengthy talk, and in which there is no enjoining of what is right, is also not allowed. It was said that this prohibition on telling the other person not to talk applies only if the idle talk that is happening is temporary and will stop, either by itself or if the imam says something to the one who is speaking. But if there are some people who are chatting and are distracted by their talk, and it is not possible to listen to the khutbah except by silencing them, then you may gesture to the one who is speaking or engaging in idle talk with a gesture from which he will understand that he should be quiet. If the gesture is not effective, then you may say brief words, because the reason for which it is forbidden to say, “Listen!” is so that people will be able to hear the khutbah.
This hadith contains a warning against not listening attentively to the khutbah and being distracted by other things. This highlights the importance of keeping quiet during the Friday khutbah and listening to the imam..

935

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned Friday and said: “On Friday there is an hourin which there is no Muslim who happens to be standing in prayer at that time, asking Allah (may He be exalted) for something, but He will grant it to him.” And he gestured with his hand to indicate how short this hour is..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has favoured Friday over all other days, because of the momentous events that took placeon that day, and because of what this day contains of great virtues.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) speaks of one of the virtues of Friday, which is that on that day, there is anhour during which Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has ordained that any supplication offered will be answered. This applies to the one who tries and aims to offer supplication at this time, and succeeds in that, seeking to repent and ask for forgiveness, asking his Lord (may He be glorified) for the blessings of this world and the hereafter, whilst doing acts of worship, seeking thereby to draw close to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), offering supplication or waiting for the prayer – for the one who is waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer, and this is what is meant by “standing in prayer” in the hadith. It was also said that it may be that what is meant by prayer here is supplication, and that what is meant by standing is persevering and striving, not standing in a literal sense.
Whoever does that, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will answer him and give him what he has asked for, or something better than that, or He may ward off harm from him, or He may delay it for him until the Day of Resurrection. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured with his hand to indicate how short that time is, for it is very brief.
There was a difference of scholarly opinion as to when this hour is, and there are many views, the strongest of which are two:
1.. That it lasts from when the imam sits on the minbar until the end of Jumu‘ah prayer.
2.. That it is after ‘Asr..

936

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: Whilst we were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a camel caravan carrying food arrived, so the people left and went to the caravan, until there was no one left with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) except twelve men. Then this verse was revealed: {But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing} [al-Jumu‘ah 62:11]..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) was pleased with the companions of the His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and He praised them in His Book, yet despite that, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) rebuked them for the shortcomings of some of them and their being distracted by worldly matters from matters of worship in some instances.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that whilst they were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and in a report narrated by Muslim it says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was standing and delivering the Friday khutbah – a camel caravan arrived. This refers to camels which were used to carry goods, and that caravan was bringing food, grains and other things. So the people left the khutbah and went to the caravan, until only twelve men remained with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Perhaps this incident occurred at the beginning of Islam, when people had only recently left Jahiliyyah behind, before Islam had become firmly entrenched in their hearts. Then this verse was revealed: {But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing} [al-Jumu‘ah 62:11]. In other words, they went to it and left you standing in Jumu‘ah prayer, with only a few men still around you. They included Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and some of the earliest Muslims, such as ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and Bilal. This was a rebuke from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) to the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for forsaking worship and abandoning it for the sake of some worldly matter.
Then Allah (may He be glorified) urged them to focus on the trade of the hereafter, and to be certain that there is no provider in the true sense of the word except Him (may He be glorified). Therefore He said: {Say, “What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers”} [al-Jumu‘ah 62:11]. In other words, the reward for prayer and standing fast with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is better than any diversion or transaction. They responded to the command of Allah (may He be exalted) and they (may Allah be pleased with him) bought and sold, and engaged in trade, but when it was time to carry out one of their duties to Allah, no trade or sale could divert them; in other words, no worldly matter, adornment, pleasure or profit from trade could distract them from remembering Allah or from fulfilling their duty towards Him (may He be glorified and exalted). Thus they gave precedence to obeying their Lord and doing what He wants and loves over what they wanted and loved. Therefore Allah (may He be exalted) describes them as {men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah} [al-Nur 24:37]..

937

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray two rak‘ahs before Zuhr and two afterwards; two rak‘ahs after Maghrib in his house; and two rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’. And after Jumu‘ah, he did not offer any prayer until he left, then he would pray two rak‘ahs (at home)..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were very keen to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and teach it to those who came after them.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar mentions some of the regular Sunnah prayers at the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) always did. They are:
o two rak‘ahs before Zuhr and two afterwards. In Sahih al-Bukhariit is narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never omitted four rak‘ahs before Zuhr. Thus the total number of regular Sunnah prayers connected to Zuhr is six rak‘ahs.
o two rak‘ahs after Maghrib, which he used to pray at home, not in the mosque.
o and two rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’. According to a report in al-Sahihayn, he used to offer these prayers at home too.
Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not offer any prayers in the mosque after Jumu‘ah; rather he would pray two rak‘ahs after he went home. What Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant by the words “until he left” is that there was an interval between Jumu‘ah and the supererogatory (Sunnah) prayers, so that it would not be thought that Jumu‘ah consisted of four rak‘ahs. In Muslim it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you has prayed Jumu‘ah, then let him pray four [rak‘ahs] after that.”
This hadith highlights the keenness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to offer supererogatory [Sunnah] prayers at home..

938

It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: Among us there was a woman who would plant beets in the streams in a field of hers, then on Friday she would pull up the roots of those beets and put them in a pot, then she would add a handful of ground barley and cook it, and the roots of the beets would be like meat. We would leave Jumu‘ah prayer and greet her with salaam, and she would bring this food to us, and we would eat it. We used to look forward to Friday because of this food of hers..

Commentary : This hadith highlights how content the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were, despite the hard life they lived. Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a woman – according to another report in Sahih al-Bukhari, she was an old woman – used to strive hard to prepare food for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) every Friday. This was a habit of hers. She would plant beets in the streams of her field, and on Friday she would pull up the roots of the beet plants, place them in a pot and add some ground barley, then she would mix them and cook them. The roots of the beet plants were like meat, meaning that through cooking that they produced some broth. What is meant is that these beets were eaten by them instead of meat. They used to pass by her after Jumu‘ah, and she would offer them these beets and they would eat that food. Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) said that they used to look forward to Friday because of this food of hers, because the Sahabah – especially the Muhajirin (may Allah be pleased with them) – did not become rich until after Allah granted conquests to them. After the conquests, wealth became abundant, but before that most of the Sahabah were poor.
This hadith highlights how content the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were with their lot, and they were happy with the little they had.
It also indicates that the Muslim should not look down on any favour, no matter how small..

942

‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: “I went into battle alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺin a place close to Najd. We faced the enemy and lined up in rows [in preparation] for them. Then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺstood to lead us in prayer, thus, one group stood with him to pray while the other group faced the enemy. The Messenger of Allah ﷺbowed with those who were with him and offered two prostrations. Then, they left and took the place of the group that had not prayed. They joined the prayer with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he bowed with them once and offered two prostrations. Then, he ﷺconcluded the prayer with the tasleem. Thereafter, every one of them stood [in prayer independently], bowed once, and offered two prostrations..

Commentary : The Prayer of Peril (Fear) was legislated so that the Muslims could fulfil the obligation of prayer without exposing themselves to the danger of being killed while fighting the enemies of Allah. It is intended to lighten the burdens of the Muslims who are engaged in the fight, so their enemy does not take them out during their prayer.

This hadeeth transmitted by ‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) explains one of the forms of the Prayer of Fear. He reports that he went into battle and war alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺin Najd, which refers to the expanse of Arab lands between Hijaaz and Iraq. Najd today nests in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, the middle of which is the city of Riyadh, the capital of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom. It consists of many provinces, including al-Qaseem, Sadeer, al-Aflaajj, al-Yamaamah, al-Wushum, and others.

He said: “We faced the enemy” – which means, they turned toward the enemy and paralleled them, and they established rows facing their direction. After that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺstood in prayer as the time for prayer had commenced, and the battle and fighting had not yet started. A group joined the Prophet ﷺ and prayed with him while the other group stood facing the enemy, guarding those who are [performing the] prayer. As the Messenger of Allah ﷺfinished the first unit of the prayer with the first group, they went to the place of the other group that had not yet prayed. Then, the group that was guarding came forth and joined the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the prayer, so he led them in one unit of prayer. Then, he concluded the prayer with the tasleem. Thereafter, every one of them continued the prayer individually and prayed one more unit. This means that every group prayed one unit with the Prophet ﷺ, then they stood after the Prophet ﷺ performed the tasleem to begin the other unit.

Many forms of the Prayer of Peril (Fear) have been relayed, and this is one of the reports that describes how the Prophet ﷺ prayed it. He had prayed it differently on different days, doing what was most cautious for prayer and clearest for defence. Thus, it (the prayer) was offered in many ways, but they are congruent in form.

The hadeeth shows the keenness of the Prophet ﷺ to perform the obligatory prayer within its time under any circumstance, even in times of war. It indicates the importance of congregational prayer, because if it was legislated during times of fear, then one must firstly be attentive to it in [times of] peace and contentment.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that Muslims should be cautious of the enemy during the time of battle in every way possible.

Furthermore, it shows that the religion commands the worship that protects the person before Allah in the Hereafter, and it commands betaking to that which protects the believer in this world.

It demonstrates how Islam made the fulfilment of prayer easy on those who are accountable in Islam [i.e., they are obligated to offer the five prayers]. .

943

“Whenever [the believers] are engaged in indiscriminate combat with the disbelievers, it is permissible for them to pray standing.” Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) added on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ: “If the enemy’s numbers are greater than that [of the believers], then they may pray while standing or riding [on their mounts.]” .

Commentary : The Prayer of Peril (Fear) was legislated so that the Muslims could fulfil the obligation of prayer without exposing themselves to the danger of being killed while fighting the enemies of Allah. It is intended to lighten the burdens of the Muslims who are engaged in the fight, so their enemy does not attack or take them out during their prayer.

This hadeeth transmitted by ‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) explains one of the forms of the Prayer of Peril (Fear) upon the encounter of the two armies. This is an abridged portion of another hadeeth dealing with the description of the Prayer of Peril (Fear).

The intended [conveyance in meaning] of his statement, “Whenever they are engaged in indiscriminate combat with the disbelievers,” is that whenever the Muslims engage in direct combat with the disbelievers, then it is possible for them to pray standing while satisfying the gestures for bowing and prostration; thus, they do not bow or prostrate. The [gesture for] prostration [should be] lower than bowing - so that it may be distinguished.

If the enemy’s [presence] increases to [the point of] intensified peril (fear) - [i.e.] to which it is impossible for the Muslims to pray standing in place, nor form a row – then they should pray standing on their feet, or while riding upon their mounts. This is because the injunction of dismounting from the top of their beasts becomes waived due to the peril [at hand]. They may pray facing the Qiblahor any other point of direction, according to [the best of] their ability.

This prayer is known as the Prayer of Sword Duelling, which is a name that was given because it is performed while attacking with swords and other weapons of war while continuing without any interruption.

[What is] meant [here] is that whenever the peril (fear) is immense and the two armies are in close proximity via combat, and the Muslims are not safe from the enemy’s attack if they were to turn their backs to them, or [if the Muslims] become fragmented, then it is not permissible for them to delay the prayer beyond its time. But rather, they should pray it while riding or walking - [in] any way they are able to; otherwise, they should delay the prayer to a time [when] the danger dissipates and after the battle has subsided. [This is] because in Saheeh Muslim, [it is narrated] on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Masʿood(may Allah be pleased with him) [that] he said: “The polytheists prevented the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from performing the ‘Asr prayer until the sun became reddish - or yellowish. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commented on that by saying, “They diverted us from performing the middle prayer (ʿAsr), may Allah fill their innards and graves with fire.”

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that Muslims should be cautious of the enemy during the time of battle in every way possible. Furthermore, it shows how Islam made the fulfilment of the obligatory prayer easy on those who are accountable in Islam [i.e., they are obligated to offer the five prayers]..

944

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ led [the Prayer of Peril (Fear)], and the people stood [behind] him [in prayer]. Then, he ﷺsaid the opening glorification (“Allahu Akbar”), and they said it after him. [Next], he ﷺbowed and a group of people from amongst the congregation bowed with him ﷺ.Then, he ﷺ prostrated and [that] group prostrated with him ﷺ.[After this], he rose for the second rakʿah, then those who prostrated stood and guarded their fellow soldiers from any attack. Then, the other group joined the prayer and bowed and prostrated with him ﷺ. By this, all of them were in prayer, but they guarded each other in rotation..

Commentary : The five daily prayers are obligatory upon every accountable Muslim, and it is the pillar (backbone) of the religion; thus, it is not possible [for] any Muslim to leave off performing them under any circumstances, be the person is settled as a resident or traveling, and whether during times of peace or war. The significance of the five prayers is evident in Islam that mandates its performance – even in war but with ease. Many narrations have been relayed on how the Prayer of Peril (Fear) is performed, which is the prayer that is performed in the presence of the enemy.

This hadeeth explains one way of how to perform the Prayer of Peril (Fear) and describes how the Prophet ﷺperformed it. ‘Abdullah ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Prophet ﷺ stood up and prepared for the Prayer of Peril (Fear) at one of the battles, and that all of the combatants stood up [also to perform] the prayer with him ﷺ. This is an indication that he did not divide the army at the time of the prayer.Then, the Prophet said the opening glorification (takbeer) [thereafter]. All who were present with the Prophet ﷺ said the opening glorification [as well]. When the Prophet made the first bow, a group of them bowed with him ﷺ, and they followed his lead when he ﷺ prostrated. All the while, the rest remained standing [and] did not bow nor prostrate - [but rather] guarded whoever bowed and prostrated with the Messenger ﷺ. As such, those who were gathered remained standing in the prayer without bowing or prostrating until the first group completed the performance of the first unit with the Imaam of the prayer. The Prophet ﷺthen rose for the second rakʿah (unit), and [thereafter], those who completed the first unit of prayer with the Prophet ﷺ paused [their prayer] and fell behind to the place of the second row, while the group who did not bow or prostrate with him ﷺ in the first rakʿahcame [forward]. [Afterwards], they bowed and prostrated with him ﷺin the second unit of prayer while those who prayed with the Prophet ﷺin the first rakʿah did not bow nor prostrate [in the second unit of prayer]. Therefore, each group completed one unit of the prayer with the Imaam، while the Imaamhimself completed two units of prayer. As such, all of them were in prayer all the while they guarded each other in rotation.

It was said that this form [of prayer] is performed if the enemy is in the direction of the Qiblah with respect to the Muslims. In this case, the Imaam (of the prayer) places the people into two rows behind him, and it (the prayer) is performed in the elaborated manner previously mentioned. al-Bukhaaree and al-Nasaa’ee narrated on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺperformed this prayer in this way at a place near Dhu al-Qarad, [which] is about a one day’s distance from al-Madeenah, near the lands of Ghaṭfaan. It is located between Khaybar and al-Madeenah, thirty kilometres away from al-Madeenah..

945

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “On the day (of the battle) of the Trench, ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab came and began cursing the disbelievers of Quraysh. Then he said: “O Messenger of Allah! I did not perform the ‘Asr prayer until the sun was on the verge of setting.” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “By Allah! I, too, have not prayed.” Thereafter, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah reports that he ﷺ went down to Buṭhaan, performed ablution, and prayed ‘Asr after the sun had set, and then performed the Maghrib prayer afterwards..

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar (backbone) of the religion, and it is the greatest of the physical pillars of Islam. Its observance is among the most splendid of religious rites. The significance of the [five] prayers is evident [in] that [no one may] leave off performing them even during battle.

In this hadeeth, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) reports [on] some of the events [that occurred during the] Battle of the Trench - [which occurred in] the fourth or fifth year after Hijra, after the disbelievers of Quraysh and the Arabs and Jews, who allied with them, joined forces in fighting the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions in al-Madeenah.

Jaabir reports that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭab(may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet ﷺ after sunset on the day [they dug] the trench, cursing the disbelievers of Quraysh because they [were] the cause of preoccupying the believers with digging [instead of performing] the prayer until the time of ‘Asr elapsed. Accordingly, ʿUmar did not pray until the sun was on the verge of setting. [Furthermore, Jaabir] reported that the Prophet ﷺdid not pray ‘Asr until the sun was about to set, and that it was the motive [for] ʿUmar’s anger and reviling. When the Prophet ﷺ learned of the cause of what was troubling ʿUmar [the delay in performing the prayer], he ﷺ - [who] is the truthful and supported by the truth - swore, [stating] that he also did not pray hitherto, reassuringly and pleasantly, [in order] to [ease] ʿUmar who was troubled [over] the matter.

Afterwards, he ﷺ set off to Buṭhaan - [which] is a valley by al-Madeenah to the south - where he ﷺperformed ablution and prayed ‘Asr after the sun set, [thereafter] he performed the Maghrib prayer.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that Muslims should strive to make up any missed obligatory prayers. It also shows that it is permissible to invoke Allah against the oppressor, because the Prophet ﷺ did not censure against [anything] ʿUmar [said]. Finally, it shows us the keenness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to pray on time, [and that] it was of great importance to them.
.

946

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) that when the Prophet ﷺ returned from the Battle of the Confederates, he said, “None should perform the ‘Asr prayer, except at Bani Quraydhah.” The time of ʿAsr entered while some of the Companions were on the way to Bani Quraydhah; thus, some of them said, “We are not praying until we arrive there,” while some of the others replied, “We’re [going] to pray [here], because the Prophet ﷺhad not intended what the [aforementioned group] had come to understand.” The incident was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, and he did not admonish anyone of them..

Commentary : The Messenger ﷺ was the reference of authority for the Companions in all of their affairs. Whenever they disagreed over any issue, they would refer the case to him ﷺ and to which he ﷺ would either elucidate what was ambiguous [on the matter] or approve their exercised judgement over the subject matter.

In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that when the Prophet ﷺ returned to al-Madeenah after the conclusion of the Battle of the Confederates - also known as: The Battle of the Trench, [which occurred in] the fourth or fifth year after Hijra, after the disbelievers of Quraysh and the Arabs and Jews who allied with them joined forces in fighting the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions in al-Madeenah – he ordered his Companions by saying, “None of you should perform the ‘Asr prayer, except at Bani Quraydah.”.

Banu Quraydah is a group of Jews that used to live in al-Madeenah. Not only did they violate their treaty with the Muslims, but also allied [themselves] with the polytheists who we were besieging the Muslims. They contrived [a plan] to [allow the besiegers] to enter into al-Madeenah from the area of their abodes but their plan failed.

Al-Bukhaaree narrated on the authority of ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her) that after the Messenger ﷺreturned [to al-Madeenah] on the Day of the (Battle of) Trench, he laid down his weapons and [went to] bathe. Then, Jibreel, whose head was covered in dust, came to him ﷺ and said, “[Have] you placed down your arms? By Allah, I have not lowered mine yet!” The Messenger ﷺ then said, “So where to?” [To that], Jibreel [replied], “Look here!” and pointed towards the location of Bani Quraydah. ʿAishah went on to say: “Then the Messenger ﷺ went out towards them.”

After discovering the treason of the Jews, the Prophet ﷺordered his Companions to go out and fight them, emphasizing to them not to pray ʿAsr [anywhere] except there. However, the time of the ‘Asr prayer entered before they arrived to their destination. This caused the Companions to differ; thus, some of them said, “We should not pray until we arrive [at] Bani Quraydah,” because they understood the command of the Prophet ﷺ by [its] explicit wording. As such, they refused to pray anywhere except there due to the command of the Prophet ﷺ, thus, deemed praying ‘Asrbefore they arrived there as an act of disobedience. On the other hand, another group believed that they should pray right away. This is because they did not take the words of the Prophet due to the command of the Prophet ﷺaccording to its apparent meaning. They opined that the intended [meaning conveyed] from his mode of expression was to signify the urgency in departing towards Bani Quraydah. As a result, when the time of ʿAsr entered - they agreed to attain the excellence of the prayer by praying it in its earliest time, and [again] by going to Bani Quraydah. This way they would obtain double the reward by praying on time and obeying the command of the Messenger ﷺ in arriving there. For this reason, they prayed. And after they finished, they continued their journey and joined the other Companions who were ahead of them.

When the Messenger ﷺ learned of this incident, he ﷺ did not admonish the two groups. He did not reprimand those who prayed on the way in spite of not keeping his command, because [of what] they understood of him ﷺ [i.e., the mode of expression] alluding to haste. Nor did he admonish those who delayed the prayer beyond the earliest time because they understood the prohibition based upon its apparent meaning.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that Muslims should refrain from reproaching others for following a view on an issue in which there is a valid difference of opinion.

Finally, it teaches us to be keen to perform the five obligatory prayers at the beginning of their due time.
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948

‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated: “ʿUmar bought a jubbah (i.e., a long outer garment resembling an open coat, having long sleeves) made of istabraq from the marketplace and took it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Take this and adorn yourself with it during ‘Eid and [when you] greet or receive delegations.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺreplied, “On the contrary, this garment [is worn by those] who have no portion [in the Hereafter].” So, ‘Umar abided therein, [as to] what Allah willed [i.e., a period of time passed thereafter]. Then, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent to him a jubbah made of silken brocade. [Afterwards], ‘Umar received it, and came to him ﷺ with it and said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! Verily, you said that this garment is [worn by those] who have no portion [in the Hereafter]”, yet you sent me this jubbah.” [To which], the Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “Sell it or fulfil your needs by it.” .

Commentary : It is desirable, for the Muslim, to adorn themselves on religious holidays and Fridays, and when greeting (receiving) people, and the like. But, all of this is subject to conditions, so [that] the adorning per se not to be what Allah, Exalted be He, and His Messenger ﷺforbade.

In this hadeeth, ‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that ʿUmar came to the Prophet ﷺ with a woven jubbah made of istabraq [that was] sold [to him] in the marketplace. The jubbah is similar to the cloak [i.e., that it is worn as an outer garment] whereas, istabraq is a type of coarse texture i.e., thick silk (similar to that of a brocade) that was made and purchased for the purpose of adorning oneself for religious festivals, Fridays,and greeting (or receiving) delegations of people. Oftentimes, those who came in these arriving parties belonged to leaders of tribes and the like.

However, the Prophet ﷺ said to ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), “On the contrary, this garment [is worn by those] who have no portion [in the Hereafter].” Here we see that he ﷺ elucidated for ʿUmar that no men wear silk, except those who have no share in relation [of possessing] reverential fear of Allah - The Mighty and Majestic - in this world, [nor] Allah’s reward in the Hereafter.

This statement was made to show his strong condemnation and interdiction against men wearing silk [in their lives]. It is, [however], permissible for women to wear silk as demonstrated in other authentic narrations.

As for the statement of ‘Abdullah ibn ʿUmar’s(may Allah be pleased with them): “So, ‘Umar abided therein, [as to] what Allah willed”: [this] means that a period of time passed since the [aforementioned] incident with ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) occurred.

Then, The Prophet ﷺ sent for ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) a garment made of silk. But then, ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) remembered the words of the Prophet ﷺwith reference to the first time [i.e., the aforementioned story]. So, he returned to him ﷺ with regard [to what had transpired in the past]. And so, the Prophet ﷺ informed him that he ﷺ did not send him the garment for him to wear it, but rather, for ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) to profit from its sale, and then purchase what he desired with its value, or give it to one of his womenfolk.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that Muslims should inquire about [matters that] they are uncertain of, so that which is right may become clear for them. Another lesson that can be extrapolated from this narration, is that we ought to strive to develop the habit of giving and donating as it will soften the hearts of people and ensure the love of the people in our lives and communities.

Lastly, to bear in mind the legitimacy of selling silk and gifting it to a woman, and, to a man, if he will gown a woman with it..

949

ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me [i.e., in my room], and near me were two young servants singing the song of Buʿaath [a poem about a war between the two tribes: al-Aws and al-Khazraj]. Then he ﷺ laid down upon the bed and turned his face [around]. Then, Abu Bakr entered, and scolded me, while saying: “Musical instruments of the Shayṭaan near the Prophet ﷺ ?!” [Afterwards], the Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned his face towards him and said: “Leave them be.” Then, when Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signalled to the two servants to leave.

It was the day of ‘Eid, on which the Abyssinians were playing with shields and spears. It is either that I asked the Prophet ﷺ, or he ﷺ asked [me]: “Do you wish to watch them while playing?” [To which], I responded: “Yes.” He ﷺ [then] situated me behind him ﷺ, and my cheek was touching his ﷺ. Then, he ﷺ said [to the Abyssinians]: “Carry on! O Bani Arifdah!” [This went on] until I got tired. [Then] he ﷺ asked me: “Have you had enough?” I replied, “Yes.” He ﷺ [then] politely bid me to leave..

Commentary : The days of ‘Eid are for eating, drinking, and permissible entertainment, during which the Muslims should rejoice in the bounty and mercy of Allah and revive their spirits therein.

In this hadeeth, ʿAishah - the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet ﷺ entered her room on the day of ‘Eid where she had with her two young girls (prepubescent) singing chivalrous poetry which was uttered with pride during the [early] days of the Arabs - such as, the day of Buʿaath. This was a day on which an infamous war took place between the [tribes of] al-Aws and al-Khazraj [that] continued for 120 years.

The Prophet ﷺ did not disapprove of this [singing], nor did he listen to it nor pay attention to it. Meanwhile, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) entered [the room] and came across the two young girls singing this poetry near ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her) in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. He severely censured them for entertaining [the others] in the house of the Prophet in a way such as that. Afterwards, he rebuked his daughter, and blamed her by saying, “Musical instruments of the Shayṭaan near the Prophet ﷺ ?!” -meaning: the beating of the ḍaff(a type of drum), singing, and instruments [that are] taken as the flute (or other wind instruments). [The upshot being: any instrument that produces] a whistle. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) connected [this instrument] to Shayṭaan, because it distracts [people] away from the remembrance of Allah, may He be Exalted, which is one of the works of the Shayṭaan.

Afterwards, the Prophet ﷺ did no more than order him to leave the two young girls alone and stop censuring them. Explaining this [type of reaction], we can look and see as it is [mentioned] in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslimthat every nation has a holiday, and this ‘Eid is the holiday of the Muslim nation. It is legislated for them to celebrate it, be delighted during it, and for it to be [a day] of permissible entertainment which does not agitate the individuals [around] to a point that is inappropriate.

After that, ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her) indicatedto the two young girls to depart, and they left. The Arabic word used to indicate that she signalled to them is ghamz; [here refers to] [making an] indication or a gesture with the eye, eyelid, or hand.

[As for] the statement of ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her), “It was the day of ‘Eid”, this is from another hadeeth, but it was combined with the preceding hadith by some of the narrators, while some of the others separated the both of them [i.e., as two separate narrations].

Thereupon, she (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that it was a day of ‘Eid. Either this day followed the one with the two servant girls [i.e., the previous section of this hadith]; or, it was another. [In either case, on this day] the Abyssinians were playing with shields (daraq) and spears (hiraab), which [were] some of the weapons of war [at the time], whereas the [word] daraq is the plural of [the Arabic word] daraqah, and it is a type of shield. The [word] hiraabis the plural of [the Arabic word] harbah, and it is a small lance [with a] wide spearhead.

Then, ʿAishah(may Allah be pleased with her) reported - in a state of doubt - as to whether she asked the Prophet ﷺ; or, that it was heﷺ who asked her: ““Do you wish to watch?” - in other words - “Do you want to [go] and see the Abyssinians while they are playing?” So, when she told him of her wish on the matter, he ﷺsituated her behind him ﷺ,in order to cover her with his body. She [then] affectionately placed her cheek upon his intimately. He ﷺ then said, “Carry on! O Bani Arfidah!”, which is [either] an honorific for the Abyssinians; or, the name of their ancient forefathers. It is said: [that] they were a people [known for] their dancing. It is [also] said: [that they] were the children of slaves. The meaning [of the aforementioned quote]: [is that] they continued playing. Heﷺ did not censure them; understanding, rather, [that] it was a permission and an encouragement for them [to continue]. The Prophet ﷺ remained there as such until ʿAishah [may Allah be pleased with her] became tired and bored from watching them. So then, heﷺ asked her: “Have you had enough?” [To which], she replied: “Yes.” Then, heﷺ politely bid her to return to her home.

From the other benefits that we can conclude from this hadeeth is that the display of delight on the ‘Eid holidays is from among the rites of the religion; that in Islam, [there is] a permissible range for playing and reviving the spirit in known times by that which does not infringe against the unchangeable rules of the Sacred Law; that we should strive to show benevolence towards our wives and try to gain their love [and affection]; and that we recognize that the legality [of rejoicing and relaxing] was made to ease, give comfort, and give leniency to the people and the families on the days of 'Eid; so that the souls may be relieved. One is exempted on Eid for that which he is not exempted on other days.

Lastly, it indicates that it is permissible for the father to discipline his married daughter in the presence of her husband if the husband did not do it..

951

Al-Baraa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ delivering a sermon in which he said: “The first thing to be done on this day is to pray. Then, after we return from the prayer, we slaughter [our sacrificial animals]. Whoever does [this]; then, verily, they have acted in accordance with our Sunnah.” .

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us the requisites of the ‘Eid holidays, its recommended actions, and its etiquettes. From amongst [all of] these are: the time of the prayer and how to perform it on the Day of the Sacrifice [i.e., ‘Eid Al-Aḍhaa], and the time of slaughtering the sacrificial animal. The sacrifice is a religious rite from amongst the [various] Islamic religious rites. It is an appointed act of worship at a [set] time, which is not permissible [to do] before or after its appointed time.

In this hadeeth, al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that he heard the Prophet ﷺ while he was delivering a sermon on the day of ‘Eid Al-Aḍhaa - which is the tenth day in the month of DhuHijjah. [During the sermon], the Prophet ﷺ elucidated on his traditions and habitual actions during ‘Eid Al-Aḍhaa: [and] that is, he would first begin with the ‘Eid prayer. Then after that, heﷺ would slaughter his sacrificial animal. By doing so, then, truly, the person has acted according to the Sunnah and upon his guidance ﷺ, and thus, he has obtained the prescribed reward.

The slaughtering of the sacrificial animal is required of the one who is capable and possesses the wealth and ability to purchase a sacrificial animal. It is said: the intended [meaning] by wealth [here] is that the individual should rightfully own the nisaabof zakat [i.e., minimum amount necessary for one to pay the zakat].

The ‘Eid prayer begins after the sun has risen the height of a spear (which is close to fifteen minutes after sunrise). The scholars have defined it by the disappearance of the sun’s redness. Its time ends at the cessation of the sun’s [ascension, i.e., noon] (which is before Dhuhr, and lasts close to fifteen minutes in total). This specific prayer is a two-unit prayer that has no adhaanor iqaamah. The sermon is delivered after the prayer’s performance - differing from the congregational Friday prayer..

954

Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever slaughtered (his sacrifice) before the `Eid prayer, should slaughter again." A man stood up and said, "This is the day on which one has desire for meat," and he mentioned something about his neighbours. It seemed that the Prophet ﷺ believed him. Then the same man added, "I have a young she-goat which is dearer to me than the meat of two sheep." The Prophet (ﷺ) permitted him to slaughter it as a sacrifice. However, I do not know whether that exception was valid only for him or for others as well..

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us the requisites of the ‘Eid holidays, its recommended actions, and its etiquette. From amongst [all of] these are: the time of the prayer and how to perform it on the Day of the Sacrifice [i.e., ‘Eid Al-Aḍhaa], and the time of slaughtering the sacrificial animal. The sacrifice is a religious ritual from amongst the [various] Islamic religious rites. It is an appointed act of worship by means of a [set] time, which is not permissible [to do] before or after its appointed time.

In this hadeeth, al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Prophet ﷺ clarified that whoever slaughters his sacrificial animal before praying the ‘Eid prayer needs to slaughter another one, since the first slaughtering occurred before the appointed legislated time – that is being after the end of the ‘Eid prayer.

The ‘Eid prayer begins after the sun has risen to the height of a spear (which is close to 15 minutes after sunrise). The scholars have defined it by the disappearance of the sun’s redness. Its time ends at the cessation of the sun’s [ascension, i.e., noon] (which is before Dhuhr, and lasts close to fifteen minutes in total).

Upon hearing the clarification of the Prophet ﷺ, a man with the name of Abu Burdah ibn Niyar(may Allah be pleased with him) asked a personal question, as stated in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. He explained that Eid al-Adha is a day on which people earnestly desire to eat meat; therefore, he hastened to slaughter his animal before the ‘Eid prayer to feed his family and poor neighbours. Then, he went on to explain that, as he had slaughtered the sacrificial animal, he no longer has anything except a she-goat that he considered better and more of a value than two sheep given its high price and the much meat it can produce.

In this hadeeth, the she-goat was described as a jadha’ah, which means it is less than one year old, and it is said that it means a young strong she-goat. The Prophet ﷺ believed his story and made an exception, allowing him to slaughter his she-goat [despite its age does not meet the requirements of sacrificial animals] since it was all he had. Anas ibn Maalik(may Allah be pleased with him) commented on this incident by saying that he is uncertain whether the ruling was exclusive to Abu Burdah or applicable to everyone else. This ambiguity is clarified in another version of the hadeeth that is documented in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim. It is narrated on the authority of al-Baraa ibn ‘Aazib(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ said at the end: “Make it a substitute for that (and sacrifice it), but it will not suffice for anyone (as a sacrifice) after you.” It explicitly states that this exception is not applicable to anyone else.

From the benefits that we can conclude from this is that a goat that is less than one year old does not qualify as a sacrificial animal. Only goats that have completed at least one year of age qualify as sacrificial animals.

It also indicates the merit of Abu Burdah(may Allah be pleased with him), and that the habit of the Prophet ﷺ is to alleviate the situation of others and make it easy on them..

1471

Ibn ‘Umar reported that he divorced his wife during her menstruation in the Prophet's lifetime. So, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about that and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Order him to take her back and keep her until she attains purity, then menstruates, then attains purity. Then, if he wishes he may keep her, and if he wishes he may divorce her before having intercourse with her. This is the ‘Iddah (waiting period) that Allah Almighty has ordered for the divorce of women." [Another version reads]: That he divorced his wife during her menstruation, once. So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded him to take her back and keep her until she attains purity, then menstruates again, while still being with him, then to give her time until she attains purity from her menstruation. After that, if he wanted to divorce her, he could do so when she becomes pure before having sexual intercourse with her, as this is the ‘iddah that Allah commanded for the divorce of women. [Another version reads]: On being asked about this, ‘Abdullah said to someone: "If you divorced your wife once or twice, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do this. However, if you have divorced her thrice, she became forbidden to you until she is married to another man, and you have disobeyed Allah regarding what He commanded you in divorcing your wife.".

Commentary : The legislated divorce is that one divorces his wife one time while being pure (of her menses) without having sexual intercourse with her during this period of purity. It is called Talāq Sunni (Sunnah-compliant divorce). As for the forbidden divorce, it is to divorce one's wife more than once in one utterance, or to divorce her during her menstruation, or during a period of purity in which he had sexual intercourse with her. This is called Talāq Bid‘i (Heretic divorce).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that he divorced his wife - her name was Āminah bint Ghifār, and it was said: Āminah bint ‘Ammār, and there are other opinions as well - during her menstruation before attaining purity, and that was in the Prophet's lifetime. His father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about the ruling on this divorce that occurred during menstruation, whether it is permissible or not, and whether it counts or not. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded him to order his son, ‘Abdullah, to take her back in marriage and keep her with him "until she attains purity" from the menstruation in which he divorced her, "then menstruates" again, "then attains purity" from the second menstruation. After attaining purity from the second menstruation, he could keep her as his wife if he wished or he could divorce her in the second period of purity before having intercourse with her. This state, namely the state of purity, is the time for starting "the ‘Iddah that Allah Almighty has commanded for the divorce," i.e., during which, "women", as Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] That is to say, divorce them while receiving their ‘Iddah, i.e., at the time they could start the ‘Iddah, and the period of menstruation is not counted in the ‘Iddah. So, if one divorces during this time, his divorce does not occur in the state commanded by Allah, which is starting and entering the ‘Iddah, when the divorce occurs during the period of her purity not during the period of her menstruation. This is because, during the purity period, she can keep an accurate count of her ‘Iddah, which is three Qurū’ (menstrual cycles), and "qur’" is purity, and it was said: menstruation.
In another version, Muhammad ibn Rumh - one of the Hadīth narrators - added: Whenever ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was asked about divorcing a woman during menstruation, he would say to the questioner: If you divorced your wife once or twice then take her back, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded me to do so. However, if you divorced her thrice then this is an irrevocable divorce and you cannot take her back and she becomes forbidden for you "until she is married to another man," and he has sexual intercourse with her and then divorces her. After her ‘Iddah is over, she becomes lawful for you again to marry.
And by doing this, you disobeyed Allah and went against Him "regarding what He commanded you in divorcing your wife" during the purity state in which you had intercourse with her, as Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1]
This clarifies that the divorce counts, whether it is Sunni or Bid‘i. The fact that the Bid‘i divorce is forbidden does not entail that it does not occur. It only means that whoever does this deliberately is considered sinful, yet the divorce still counts.
In a version of Muslim, Anas ibn Sīrīn said to Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): "Was that divorce that you gave her when she was menstruating counted as such?" and you considered it one of the three divorces. "‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: Why would I not count it? (It must be counted) even if I failed and acted foolishly," i.e, failed to fulfill an obligation or acted foolishly and did not fulfill it, or failed to take her back and acted foolishly. Would that be an excuse for him, or would his foolishness make it not count, or would his failure invalidate it?! It is a question of disapproval whose answer is supposed to be: Yes, it is counted, and his failure and foolishness do not prevent it from being counted.
The Hadīth indicates the keenness of Islam to restrict the circumference of divorce as much as possible, and if it happens, it does not cause harm to any of the spouses.
It also indicates that the husband alone has the right to Raj‘ah (taking the wife back) without the guardian..

1472

Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The triple divorce during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that of Abu Bakr and two years of the caliphate of ‘Umar was counted as one. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: "Indeed, people have hastened to a matter regarding which they used to act with deliberation. So, if we would make them count (as three divorces)," and he did that..

Commentary : Allah Almighty has made divorce a kind of respite between the spouses when life between them becomes impossible. In Islam, divorce has certain criteria and results in a number of rights.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that of Abu Bakr and two years of ‘Umar's caliphate, whoever triply divorced his wife in one session or in one time, would count as a single divorce. An example of this is saying: "You are divorced thrice," or saying: "You are divorced. You are divorced. You are divorced." Then the husband can take his wife back during the period of ‘Iddah (waiting period) without a new contract. If the ‘Iddah is over, he can take her back with a new contract. It is not counted as three divorces that would make his wife unlawful for him until she is married to another man. It is deemed to refer to what was most likely meant, which was the intent of confirmation, not for continuing the count. During the lifetime of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), people used this form frequently while most likely intending to continue the count not by way of confirmation. Hence, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) made it count as three divorces. He said: "Indeed, people have hastened to a matter regarding which they used to act with deliberation," i.e., they were entitled to three divorces to give themselves a chance to reconsider their affairs, as it might seem better for them to take their wives back. His saying: "So if we made them count," i.e., He consulted those who were with him from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding the one who gave three divorces all at once to make such a divorce an irrevocable triple divorce as he uttered, to deter them from rushing into divorce. Thus, he enforced it on people after consulting the senior Companions and their agreement with him.
This is interpreted from him (may Allah be pleased with him) as a form of Ijtihād and laying down rules that would bring benefit to his subjects within the boundaries of Shariah, without making things too difficult or too easy..

1476

‘Ā’ishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to seek our permission on the day he had to stay with one of his wives (by turns) after the following verse was revealed: {You [O Prophet] may postpone [the turn of] whoever you wish [of your wives], and you may share your time with whoever of them you wish.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 51] Mu‘ādhah said to her: What did you use to say to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he asked your permission? She said: I used to say: Were it up to me, I would not give anyone preference over myself..

Commentary : The Prophet's wives loved him dearly to the extent that they used to compete to please him and show their love to him.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask permission from his wife, whose turn was due, to go to another one of his wives. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had nine wives, and he used to allocate a day for each to stay with her overnight. This act of his seeking permission was after the revelation of the following verse: {You [O Prophet] may postpone [the turn of] whoever you wish [of your wives], and you may share your time with whoever of them you wish, and there is no blame on you if you call back any of those whose turn you have set aside. That is more likely that they will be content and not distressed, and that they will be satisfied with what you give them all. Allah knows what is in your hearts, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 51] This verse means: O Messenger, you have the right to delay the turn of whoever you wish of your wives and not stay overnight with her, and you have the right to share your time with whoever you wish of them and stay overnight with her; and there is no blame on you if you call back any of those whom you have delayed. Giving you the choice and making things flexible for you are more likely to make your wives content and satisfied with what you give them all for knowing that you have not neglected duty and have not withheld a right, and Allah knows what is in your hearts - O men - of inclination to some women apart from others, as Allah is All-Knowing of His slaves' actions and nothing thereof is hidden from Him, and He is Most Forbearing and does not hasten to punish them hoping that they may return to Him in repentance.
The female Tābi‘i Mu‘ādhah al-‘Adawiyyah asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "What did you use to say to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he asked for your permission?" ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied that she used to say to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Were it up to me," i.e., if this act of seeking permission is in my hands, "I would not give anyone preference over myself," i.e., I would not give my day to another wife. This was due to her love to be close to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to serve him, enjoy intimacy with him, and benefit from him.
Such a competition between his wives was not for mere pleasure, intimacy, personal desires, and enjoyment, as is the case with some people. Instead, it was a competition for matters related to the Hereafter and for being close to the master of the first and the last, for expecting the descent of mercy and revelation upon him while being with her and so on.
The Hadīth clarifies one of the Prophet's exclusive rights, namely choosing whomever he wished from his wives whenever he wished.
It also points out some of the etiquettes between spouses and teaches them how a man should seek his wives' permission when sharing his time with them and how the woman should show him love and affection..

1478

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and sought permission to see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He found people sitting at his door and none amongst them had been granted permission, but it was granted to Abu Bakr and he went in. Then came ‘Umar and he sought permission and it was granted to him. He found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sitting sad and silent with his wives around him, and said: He said: I would say something that would make the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laugh. So, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish you had seen the daughter of Khārijah when she asked me for extra money, and I got up and slapped her on the neck. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laughed and said: "They are around me as you see, asking for extra money." So, Abu Bakr got up and slapped ‘Ā’ishah on the neck, and ‘Umar got up and slapped Hafsah on the neck. Both of them did this saying: "Are you asking the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) what he does not have?!" They said: "By Allah, we would never ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for something that he does not have." Then he retreated from them for a month or for twenty-nine days. Then, the following verse was revealed to him: {O Prophet, tell your wives} until the part that reads {for those who do good among you a great reward.} [Surat al-Azāb: 28-29] He said: So, he started with ‘Ā’ishah, saying: "O ‘Ā’ishah, I want to propound something to you but I wish you not to be hasty concerning it until you consult your parents." She said: "What is that, O Messenger of Allah?" So he recited the verse to her. She said: "Is it concerning you, O Messenger of Allah, that I should consult my parents?! Nay, I choose Allah, His Messenger, and the Final Abode; but I ask you not to tell any of your wives what I have said." He said: "None of them asks me except that I will inform her. Allah did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was generous with his wives and provided for them from what Allah granted him. However, he used to spend often on the cause of Allah and on what would benefit people, leaving only a little for himself and his family. This led to some harm felt by his wives; however, Allah Almighty gave them the choice to either endure life patiently or get a divorce and be separated from him kindly.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates: Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) once came and sought permission to see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and found people sitting at his door and none among them was granted permission to see the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) granted Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) permission and he entered. Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet's house and sought permission to enter and he permitted him. On entering, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) found the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sitting with his wives around him and he was intensely sad, so much so that he stopped talking. So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to himself - and it was said: The speaker was Abu Bakr - (may Allah be pleased with him): "I should say something that would make the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laugh." So, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wish you had seen," i.e., if you knew that my wife, the daughter of Khārijah, asked and requested from me an extra amount of money, more than the usual or more than needed, so I got up and "slapped her on the neck," i.e., hit her neck with my hand. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) laughed out of the resemblance between his condition and that of ‘Umar. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They", referring to his wives, are sitting "around me as you see, asking for extra money" and requesting more money than the usual amount. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and went to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to slap her on the neck by way of discipline. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also got up to slap his daughter Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) on the neck by way of discipline, and each of them was saying to his daughter: "Are you asking the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for what he does not have?!" It was an expression of rebuke and reprimand for them because of their asking for an extra amount of money while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not have it. "They said: By Allah, we would never ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)," after this "something that he does not have." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry because of this and he retreated from his wives for thirty or twenty-nine days without entering their houses or approaching them. Then, the following verses were revealed: {O Prophet, tell your wives, “If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come, I will give you provision and release you graciously. But if you seek Allah and His Messenger and the Final Abode, then Allah has prepared for those who do good among you a great reward.”} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 28-29] The two verses mean: O Prophet, tell your wives when they ask you for an increase in sustenance and you have nothing to give them as an extra amount: If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come I will give you provision that is given to the divorced women and release you in a way that involves no harm or damage. However, if you seek Allah's pleasure and the pleasure of His Messenger, and you seek Paradise in the Final Abode, then endure your conditions patiently, as Allah has prepared for those who do good among you, through patience and good treatment, a great reward.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started with ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in giving her the choice. He called her and informed her that he had something to propound to her and that he wished she would not hasten to give him a reply without consulting her parents. Perhaps this was out of fear for her because of her young age which entailed the desire for worldly embellishments and her not choosing the Hereafter. She asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about that matter and he recited the verse to her, so she hastened to accept being with the Messenger of Allah, and she said: "Is it concerning you," i.e., being separated from you, or staying with you, or regarding your right, "O Messenger of Allah, that I should consult my parents?!" And she told him that she chose Allah, His Messenger, and the Final Abode. She also asked him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) not to tell any of his wives about her reply out of her jealousy and keenness to have the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) all for herself and enjoy a great deal of his company. In response, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of them asks me except that I will inform her," to help her make her choice. He justified this by saying that Allah did not send him to be harsh, i.e., causing someone to be in a difficult situation and "‘anat", meaning difficulty and sin as well, "or cause harm," i.e., seek others' mistakes. "But He sent me to teach" people goodness and make things easy. Facilitation here lies in the fact that if he informed them, his other wives would follow the example of ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and it would be easy for them to choose Allah Almighty, His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and the Final Abode.
This Hadīth points out that asking permission is from the Prophet's guidance.
It also indicates that one can discipline one's child, even if he grew up.
It shows the ascetic life of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his abstention from worldly life.
It also demonstrates how the Companions used to console the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in his sadness.
It denotes the merit of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them)..

1479

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb reported: When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) secluded himself from his wives, he ('Umar) said: I entered the mosque and found the people pelting the ground with pebbles and saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives, and that was before they were commanded with Hijāb. ‘Umar said: I said: I must find this out today. He said: I entered upon ‘Ā’ishah and said: O daughter of Abu Bakr, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?! She said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, stay out of my affairs and mind your receptacle. He said: So, I entered upon Hafsah bint ‘Umar and said to her: O Hafsah, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?! By Allah, you know that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) does not love you, and had it not been for me, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have divorced you. So, she wept bitterly. I said to her: Where is the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)? She said: He is in his cabinet in the attic room. I went there and found Rabāh, the servant of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), sitting on the attic's doorstep with his legs dangling on carved wood, which is a trunk used by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ascend and descend. I called out: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Rabāh looked at the room then looked at me and said nothing. Then, I said: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Rabāh looked at the room then looked at me and said nothing. Then, I raised my voice and said: O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). I think the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) thought I had come for Hafsah's sake. By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands me to strike her neck, I will undoubtedly strike her neck. I raised my voice, and he signaled to me to ascend. I entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was lying on a straw mat. I sat down and he drew up his lower garment over him and he had nothing else on him, and the mat had left marks on his side. I looked around in the cabinet of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and found only a handful of barley around one Sā‘ and an equal quantity of the leaves of mimosa flava placed in one side of the room, and a semi-tanned leather bag hanging. He said: Tears started falling from my eyes. He said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, what makes you weep? I said: O Prophet of Allah, how could I not weep when this straw mat has left marks on your side and I see nothing in your cabinet except what I have seen, while Caesar and Khosrau are enjoying fruits and rivers, whereas you are the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and His chosen one and this is your cabinet?! He said: O Ibn al-Khattāb, does it not please you that the Hereafter is for us and the worldly life is for them? I said: Yes. He said: When I entered upon him, I saw signs of anger on his face, so I said: O Messenger of Allah, what trouble have the women caused you? If you had divorced them, verily, Allah is with you, His angels, Jibrīl (Gabriel), Mikā’īl (Michael), I, Abu Bakr, and the believers are with you. I rarely spoke - thanks to Allah - any words except that I hoped Allah would confirm the words I uttered, and this verse, Āyat at-Takhyīr (the Verse of Choice), was revealed: {Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 5] {But if you insist on conspiring against him, then indeed Allah is his Protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and moreover, the angels are his supporters.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 4] ‘Ā’ishah bint Abi Bakr and Hafsah were cooperating against the rest of the Prophet's wives. I said: O Messenger of Allah, did you divorce them? He said: No. I said: O Messenger of Allah, when I entered the mosque, I found the Muslims pelting the ground with pebbles and saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives. Should I go down and tell them that you did not divorce them? He said: Yes, if you wish. I kept talking to him until there were no more signs of anger on his face and until he laughed and his teeth showed, and he had the most charming front teeth of all people. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) descended and I descended while catching hold of the trunk, but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went down as if he was walking on the ground without touching it with his hand. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you remained in your room for twenty-nine days. He said: The month consists of twenty-nine days. I, thus, stood at the door of the mosque and called out at the top of my voice: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives, and this verse was revealed: {Whenever they hear any news of security or fear, they spread it. If they referred it to the Messenger or to those in authority among them, those with sound judgment among them could know it.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 83] And it was I who drew correct conclusions and Allah Almighty revealed the Verse of Choice..

Commentary : Perhaps the Prophet's wives caused him trouble like women usually cause their husbands trouble, resulting from jealousy, vexation, and the like.
In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) secluded himself from his wives and swore not to enter upon them, for he was angry with them, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) entered the Prophet's mosque "and found the people pelting the ground with pebbles," i.e., moving them around and throwing them on the ground, which is something normally done by someone concerned and absorbed in thought. "And saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorced his wives," i.e. when they saw how the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept himself away from his wives, they thought that he had divorced them, so they said this. "And that was before they were commanded with Hijāb," i.e., women conceal themselves from men. This remark is questionable; rather, it is a clear mistake since Hijāb was enjoined at the time of the Prophet's marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) in the fourth or fifth year, and Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) was among his wives who were given the choice; and the story of his seclusion from his wives and giving them the choice took place in the ninth year of Hijrah. The best thing said with this regard to: "that it was before they were commanded with Hijāb" is from the words of the narrator who, when seeing that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said he had entered upon 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), thought that this was before Hijāb, so he affirmed it. This could be responded by saying: Entering does not entail removing Hijāb (screen), for he could enter from the door, and she could still talk to him from behind the screen.
Then, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he said to himself: "I must find this out today," i.e., I must find out the truth about this, did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divorce them or not? So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet's wife and Abu Bakr's daughter, and said to her: "O daughter of Abu Bakr, have you gone to the extent of giving trouble to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?!" blaming her for daring to infuriate the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Ibn al-Khattāb, stay out of my affairs," i.e., you are not entitled to admonish me "and mind your receptacle," i.e., rather, you should admonish the one who matters to you, referring to Hafsah bint ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with her). "‘Aybah" (receptacle): the container used for keeping clothes and precious belongings. A man's "‘aybah": his family and those close to him. Then, ‘Umar entered upon his daughter Hafsah and said to her what he had said to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them) and added reprovingly: "By Allah, you know that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) does not love you, and had it not been for me, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would have divorced you," deterring and frightening her with divorce and the fact that if it had not been for ‘Umar's special status with the Prophet, this would have occurred. Thereupon, Hafsah cried bitterly because of her sadness about being separated from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and expecting her father to be severely mad at her. Then, ‘Umar asked his daughter (may Allah be pleased with both of them) where the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was. Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He is in his cabinet in the attic room." "Mashrubah" (attic room): is an elevated room for storing food and drink. On entering, 'Umar found Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet's servant, "sitting on the attic's doorstep," i.e., on the doorsill "with his legs dangling," i.e., stretching and hanging them "on carved wood", which is a trunk that had stairs used by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ascend to the room and descend from that place using it as a stair. ‘Umar, then, called out to Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with both of them) to seek permission for him to enter upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Rabāh looked inside the room, then, looked at ‘Umar and said nothing. This indirectly indicates that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had heard ‘Umar's voice; however, he expressed no approval or disapproval of permitting him. So, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) again sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and Rabāh again looked at the room then looked at ‘Umar and said nothing. On the third time, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his voice so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would hear him and he called out: "O Rabāh, seek permission for me from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). I think that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) thought I had come for Hafsah's sake," i.e., to apologize for what she did and defend her. "By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands me to strike her neck, I will certainly strike her neck." This clarified why he sought permission, namely to console the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and bring him out of his sadness and not for anything related to his daughter Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her). Rabāh, thus, signaled with his head to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had permitted him to ascend to him in his attic.
On entering upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), ‘Umar saw him "lying on a straw mat," i.e., lying on his side on the straw mat. Another version in the two "Sahīh Collections" reads: "And he was on a straw mat with nothing between him and the mat," i.e., he was lying thereon without any bedding. "Hasīr" (straw mat): a mat made of palm leaf stalks or others things. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sat down, so the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) drew up his lower garment over his body to cover it more. "Izār" (lower garment): it is the garment used to cover the lower part of the body. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not wearing anything except this lower garment. "and the mat had left marks on his side," i.e., it left marks on his side as a result of sleeping on it. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) looked around, exploring the room where the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was staying and found nothing but a handful - i.e., a pile - of barley equal to one Sā '. Sā‘: it is four Mudds, and one Mudd is equal to an amount that could fill both hands. He found an equal amount of "the leaves of mimosa flava placed in one side of the room," i.e., in one of its sides and at a distance from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It is said that "Qarazh" (mimosa flava) means: a kind of tree used in tanning leather. "And a semi-tanned leather bag hanging," which is leather that is not yet tanned. All this indirectly indicates the threadbareness of the place where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was staying and the straitened circumstances he was living in.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Tears started falling from my eyes," i.e., tears started flowing by way of sympathy for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about the reason for his weeping, so ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "O Prophet of Allah, how could I not weep when this straw mat has left marks on your side and I see nothing in your cabinet except what I see, while Caesar and Khosrau are enjoying fruits and rivers, whereas you are the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and His chosen one and this is your cabinet?!" All this serves as an indirect reference to the bliss that the disbelievers enjoy compared to the conditions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). What ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) meant is that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslims are more entitled to this bliss than the disbelievers. Khosrau: it is the title of the Persians' king. Caesar: it is the title of the Romans' king. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn al-Khattāb, does it not please you that the Hereafter is for us and the worldly life is for them?" In this way, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explained to him the logic of the worldly pleasures and that of the Hereafter, as part of Allah's immutable rule regarding His slaves is to make the disbelievers enjoy the worldly pleasures. In contrast, His believing slaves will enjoy the enjoyments of the Hereafter, taking into consideration the contradiction between these two types of pleasures and the believers' eternal abidance in the bliss of Paradise and, on the contrary, the disbelievers' eternal abidance in Hellfire. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Yes" it pleases me, O Messenger of Allah. There were signs of anger on the Prophet's face that ‘Umar noticed the moment he entered, so, ‘Umar said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, what trouble have the women caused you?" He was trying to alleviate the Prophet's sadness and anger. In other words, no trouble will befall you, and you should not care about any of their affairs. "If you had divorced them, verily, Allah is with you, His angels, Jibrīl (Gabriel):" the angel entrusted with the revelation, "Mikā’īl (Michael):" the angel entrusted with the rain and plants, "I, Abu Bakr, and the believers are with you" also with our support and assistance in Da‘wah (call to Allah) and the divine message. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he rarely spoke - thanks be to Allah for this - words except that he hoped Allah would confirm the words he uttered, i.e., he was secretly asking Allah to confirm the soundness of his advice to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with Qur’an. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was then informed that the Verse of Choice was revealed to confirm his speech with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). It is the verse where the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave his wives the choice either to remain as his wives or to be divorced and released, as Allah Almighty says: {But if you insist on conspiring against him, then indeed Allah is his Protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and moreover, the angels are his supporters. Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 4-5] It is said: There is no choice in these verses and mentioning it here is a delusion. In Al-Bukhāri's version, it was reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Prophet's wives backed each other against him out of jealousy, so, I said to them: Perhaps, if he were to divorce you all, his Lord would replace you with better wives; and so this verse was revealed." The sound opinion here is what was proven in the two Sahīh Collections and others, namely that the Verse of Choice is the verse where Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, tell your wives, “If you seek the life of this world and its embellishments, then come, I will give you provision and release you graciously. But if you seek Allah and His Messenger and the Final Abode, then Allah has prepared for those who do good among you a great reward.”} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 28-29] It is said: There is a missing "and" probably in his saying: "The Verse of Choice", and the correct view is: "This verse and the Verse of Choice were revealed".
He reported that 'Ā’ishah and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) used to cooperate against the rest of the Prophet's wives, forming a team together. The cause behind their excessive jealousy was divulging his secret, which made him upset and angry. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then, asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) if he had divorced his wives, trying to find out the truth about what people were saying in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) negated divorcing his wives, and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him of how the people felt sad for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) because of what was circulated about him divorcing his wives. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then asked for the Prophet's permission to go down to the people, inform them of the correct news, and clarify the truth for them to rejoice. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) agreed and said to him: "If you wish," i.e. if you like and want to do so.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he kept talking to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) until there were no more signs of anger on his face and his teeth showed from laughing. "And he had the most charming front teeth of all people." "Thaghr" (front teeth): the mouth and front teeth. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) descended from the attic where he had been staying in seclusion, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) descended while catching hold of the trunk and resting on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went down "as if he was walking on the ground without touching it with his hand," i.e., he did not need to rest on the trunk when coming down due to his strength. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, you remained in your room for twenty-nine," i.e., there is one day left to complete a month, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore not to have intercourse with his wives for a month. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The month consists of twenty-nine," i.e., this month was twenty-nine days. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood at the door of the mosque and called out at the top of his voice: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives", telling and informing the Prophet's Companions that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce his wives contrary to what they had been saying, and this verse was revealed: {Whenever they hear any news of security or fear, they spread it. If they referred it to the Messenger or those in authority among them, those with sound judgment could know it.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 83] When the people said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had divorced his wives based on no information from anyone and without verifying or checking this out, Allah Almighty blamed them because if they had referred this to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he would have informed them of the truth about it, or they could have referred it to someone who could ask and find out the truth about it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "And it was I who drew correct conclusions," i.e., verified this matter and checked it out.
"And Allah Almighty revealed the Verse of Choice," as previously mentioned. In the two Sahīh Collections, it was mentioned that ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: He started with me as the first woman. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will mention something, but you should only hasten if you consult your parents. She said: Indeed, I know my parents would not order me to leave you." Al-Bukhāri's version reads: "Then, he gave all of his wives the choice, and they said the same as what ‘Ā’ishah had said."
In some narrations in the two Sahīh Collections, the following was reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept himself secluded from his wives because of the honey he used to drink in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh. 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I agreed with Hafsah that the one upon whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would enter should say: I can detect the smell of Maghāfīr in you, did you eat Maghāfīr - Maghāfīr: sweet gum that has a foul odor. When he entered upon one of them, she said that to him, and he said: No, but I drank honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will not drink it again. Thereupon, this verse was revealed: {O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful to you} to: {You both had better turn to Allah in repentance.} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 1-4] to ‘Ā’ishah and Hafsah, {And [remember] when the Prophet told one of his wives something in secret} [Surat at-Tahrīm: 3], as he said: No, but I drank honey." It is said: The reason is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had sexual intercourse with his bondmaid Māriyah in the house of Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) learned about it. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her not to inform ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). However, Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) revealed the Prophet's secret to ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It is also said: The reason is the things they did as a whole that enraged the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and not a specific incident.
The Hadīth shows the Prophet's good morals and how he would honor whoever smiled at him by smiling back at him.
It also indicates the manifest merit of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
It points out how a man should advise his daughter and fix her manners towards her husband.
It also signifies that putting a lot of pressure on women is something dispraised.
It encourages favoring the Hereafter by performing acts of obedience, avoiding sins, and refraining from being preoccupied with the pursuit of worldly pleasures..

1480

Abu Is-hāq reported: I was with Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd sitting in the grand mosque, and Ash-Sha‘bi was with us, and he narrated the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entitled her to no housing or financial maintenance. Then, Al-Aswad took a handful of pebbles and threw it at him and said: Woe to you! How could you narrate this?! ‘Umar said: We must not abandon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on account of a woman's statement. We do not know whether she memorized or forgot. She is entitled to housing and financial maintenance. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1].

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce after sparing no effort in reconciliation between the spouses. He has clarified its rulings and consequences, and He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the spouses would reconsider his stance; otherwise, they should be separated after the third incident of divorce, and the woman becomes unlawful for him after that until she is married to another man.
This Hadīth is related to a story mentioned in the two Sahīh Collections and others about the female Companion Fātimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her) who was triply divorced by her husband. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to move to the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm - who was her cousin and was blind - and spend her 'Iddah (waiting period) there. He made her not entitled to financial maintenance for her particular case, as she used to offend her husband's family verbally or because she was in a desolate area and it was feared that someone might assault her; hence, he moved her to the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm, as he was blind and would not see her. Fātimah bint Qays kept on narrating this Hadīth of hers after the Prophet's death; however, a group of the Companions disapproved of it. The Tābi‘i Abu Is-hāq as-Sabī‘i narrates that he was with Al-Aswad ibn Yazīd an-Nakha‘i - one of the Tābi‘is - in the great mosque, i.e., the grand mosque, which refers to the mosque of Kūfah, while Ash-Sha‘bi - ‘Āmir ibn Sharāhīl one of the Tābi‘is - was narrating the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays in this mosque, i.e., giving a legal fatwa based on this Hadīth. In this Hadīth, it is stated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make Fātimah entitled to housing or financial maintenance after being triply divorced. So, Al-Aswad took a handful of pebbles and threw them at him and said: "Woe to you!", i.e., may Allah afflict you with ruin and destruction. It was a common saying among the Arabs that was not intended as a supplication. "How could you narrate this?!" All this was meant to express Al-Aswad's disapproval of Ash-Sha‘bi's narration of this Hadīth. Then, he informed him that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We must not abandon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on account of a woman's statement," i.e., we do not rely on issuing a Fatwa (legal opinion) like this on the Hadīth of Fātimah, given the importance of such a Fatwa, because she might have memorized it in the wrong way or she might have forgotten. Perhaps what ‘Umar meant by the Prophet's Sunnah was what his rulings indicated of adhering to the Book of Allah not a specific Sunnah in this regard. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), then, supported his saying that the triply divorced woman is entitled to housing and financial maintenance in her ‘Iddah by the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with consideration to their waiting period and keep a precise count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] In other words: O people, fear Allah your Lord and beware of disobeying Him by transgressing His limit; do not force your divorced wives out of their houses, where you made them live before divorce, until their ‘Iddah is over. "Shameful act" here refers to recalcitrance and bad morals. It is said: It means indecency towards her husband's family. It is also said that it means: Unless they commit adultery.
The Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays was refuted by a group of the Companions, including ‘Umar, ‘Ā’ishah, and others who knew the Sunnah better than Fātimah bint Qays. Some considered the apparent meaning of the Hadīth and, thus, made the triply divorced woman entitled to spend her 'Iddah wherever she chooses without being obliged to spend the night at her ex-husband's house.
The Hadīth shows how a scholar should be corrected, even in his gatherings of knowledge, if he is mistaken.
It also highlights the Companions' keenness on adhering to the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah..

1480

‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah reported: Abu ‘Amr ibn Hafs ibn al-Mughīrah set out along with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib to Yemen. He sent to his wife, Fātimah bint Qays, one pronouncement of divorce that was still left from her divorce. He commanded Al-Hārith ibn Hishām and ‘Ayyāsh ibn Abi Rabī‘ah to give her alimony. They said to her: By Allah, there is no alimony for you unless you are pregnant. Thereupon, she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what they had said. He said: There is no alimony for you. She, then, asked his permission to move, and he permitted her. She said: O Messenger of Allah, where? He said: To the house of Ibn ’Umm Maktūm, as he was blind and she could take off her clothes in his presence and he would not see her. When her ‘Iddah (waiting period) was over, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave her in marriage to Usāmah ibn Zayd. Marwān sent Qabīsah ibn Dhu’ayb to ask her about the Hadīth, and she narrated it to him, whereupon Marwān said: We have not heard this Hadīth except from a woman. We shall adopt a safe path that we have found people upon. On hearing what Marwān said, Fātimah said: The Qur’an is between me and you. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] She said: This is regarding revocable divorce. What happens after the three? Why do you say there is no alimony for her if she is not pregnant? Then, on what grounds do you restrain her?.

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce and clarified its rulings and consequences after sparing no effort in reconciliation between the spouses. He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the spouses would reconsider their stance; otherwise, they should be separated after the third incident of divorce, and the woman becomes unlawful for him after that until she is married to another man.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah reports that the Companion Abu ‘Amr ibn Hafs ibn al-Mughīrah (may Allah be pleased with him) set out on a journey along with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent him there. Abu ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent to his wife Fātimah bint Qays a pronouncement of divorce while traveling. He had previously divorced her twice and had taken her back, and this was the third incident that made the divorce irrevocable. Abu ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded Al-Hārith ibn Hishām and ‘Ayyāsh ibn Abi Rabī‘ah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) to give her alimony. Another version narrated by Muslim reads: "He sent his deputy to her with barley, " but Fātimah declined it because she found it inadequate and did not accept it. They said to her: "By Allah, there is no alimony for you" because you are irrevocably divorced, and alimony is not for someone in your case "unless you are pregnant". In the version of An-Nasā’i: "So, she sent to Al-Hārith and 'Ayyāsh asking them for the alimony that was appointed for her by her husband, and they said: By Allah, no alimony is due on us for her unless she is pregnant, and she is not entitled to live in our house except with our permission." Thereupon, Fātimah went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what they had said, namely that she was not entitled to alimony unless she was pregnant. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approved of what they had said and said to her: "There is no alimony for you." She then sought the Prophet's permission to move from her house, where she was divorced, as she was afraid for herself. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) permitted her to move to the house of her cousin Ibn' Umm Maktūm as he was blind and would not see her when taking off her clothes. His permission for her to go out is justified by the fact that he permitted her to move for an excuse, namely her indecency towards her husband's relatives or her fear that she might be assaulted, as mentioned in the narrations. However, if there is no need, then it is impermissible for her to go out or move, and it is forbidden to move her. Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] "Shameful act" here refers to recalcitrance and bad morals. It is said: It means indecency towards her husband's family. It is also said that it means: Unless they commit adultery.
When her 'Iddah was over, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave her in marriage to Usāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) for knowing that he was religious, virtuous, had good morals and noble traits.
At that time, Marwān ibn al-Hakam was the ruler of Madīnah. He sent Qabīsah ibn Dhu’ayb to Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask about this Hadīth, and she narrated it to him. The reason why Marwān asked her was mentioned in the version of An-Nasā’i: "'Abdullah ibn' Amr ibn' Uthmān, being a young man in the emirate of Marwān, divorced the daughter of Sa‘īd ibn Zayd and her mother was Bint Qays al-Battah. So, her maternal aunt, Fātimah bint Qays, sent to her commanding her to move from the house of 'Abdullah ibn' Amr. When Marwān heard about that, he sent to the daughter of Sa‘īd, commanding her to return to her house and asking her why she moved from her house before completing her 'Iddah." She informed him of the Hadīth of Fātimah, thereupon, Marwān was sent to Fātimah to verify this Hadīth. After hearing her Hadīth, Marwān said: "We have not heard this Hadīth except from a woman," by way of disapproval, and before Marwān, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb and ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) expressed their disapproval of Fātimah's Hadīth. Marwān said: "We shall adopt a safe path that we found people upon," i.e., what is reliable, strong, and authentic and what people held fast upon and adhered to and acted upon. In other words, we shall adopt the opinion that a woman must not leave her house except after her ‘Iddah is over and that there is no alimony for her. On hearing what Marwān said and how he prevented the irrevocably divorced woman from leaving her house under all circumstances, Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Qur’an is between me and you, Allah Almighty says: {Do not force them out of their houses.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] Taking this as supporting evidence, she said: This prohibition, which is understood from the first part of the verse, addresses the husband who can take back his wife, i.e., the housing is for the divorced woman whose divorce is revocable, which accords with what Allah Almighty says: {Then when they have approached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honorably or part with them honorably.} [Surat at-Talāq: 2] She said: So, what happens after the three incidents of divorce? How do you prevent her from going out, then, you say: There is no alimony for her unless she is pregnant? Then, on what grounds do you restrain her? She said this as an objection to Marwān, who made the irrevocably divorced woman entitled to housing and prevented her from going out without giving her financial maintenance. To sum up, her objection was: If you do not make the alimony obligatory, how could you prevent her from going out if the alimony is the recompense of being restrained?!.

1481

‘Ā’ishah reported: It is no good for Fātimah to mention this. He said: She was referring to her statement: No housing or financial maintenance..

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce for spouses who choose separation after exerting their utmost in reconciliation between them. He has made it three incidents of divorce so that each of the two spouses would reconsider their stance. Otherwise, they would be separated after the third incident of divorce, and she becomes unlawful for him after this until she gets married to another man. Islam has also regulated the rights and duties between spouses after divorce.
In this Hadīth, Muhammad ibn al-Qāsim narrates that when the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was informed of what Fātimah bint Qays had said, namely that her husband had divorced her thrice and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make her entitled to housing or financial maintenance during her ‘Iddah (waiting period), she said disapprovingly: "It is no good for Fātimah" bint Qays "to mention" and narrate "this" Hadīth to people because it contradicts the explicit texts of the Book of Allah Almighty and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
A group of the Companions, including ‘Umar, ‘Ā’ishah and others, rejected the Hadīth of Fātimah bint Qays because it contradicts, in their opinion, the verse in which Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period and keep an accurate count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act. Such are the limits ordained by Allah.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1] It is said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to leave her house and spend her 'Iddah in the house of Ibn' Umm Maktūm and did not make her entitled to financial maintenance only because of her special case, as she used to verbally offend her husband's family, or because she was in a desolate place and it was feared that her husband or anyone else might assault her. 'Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) censured her narration..

1482

Fātimah bint Qays reported that she said: "O Messenger of Allah, my husband divorced me thrice, and I am afraid that my house will be broken into." So, he commanded her, and she moved (to another house)..

Commentary : Allah has prescribed divorce for spouses who choose separation after exerting their utmost in attempting reconciliation between them. He has made it three divorces; so that each of the two spouses would reconsider their stance. Otherwise, they would be separated after the third divorce, and she becomes unlawful for him after this until she gets married to another man. Islam has also regulated the rights and duties between spouses after divorce. Allah Almighty has commanded the divorced woman - whether the divorce is revocable or irrevocable - to spend the ‘Iddah (waiting period) in her house. Allah Almighty says: {O Prophet, when you [believers] divorce women, divorce them with concern to their waiting period and keep an accurate count of the waiting period, and fear Allah, your Lord. Do not force them out of their houses, nor should they leave unless they commit a clear shameful act. Such are the limits ordained by Allah.} [Surat at-Talāq: 1]
In this Hadīth, Fātimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my husband divorced me thrice," so the divorce was irrevocable and final. "And I am afraid that my house will be broken into" during her stay in his house for her ‘Iddah. "Iqtihām" (breaking into): entering quickly. This means: She was afraid that someone would enter upon her and harm her because she was in a desolate place. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded her to leave that place and she went to the house of her paternal cousin, Ibn ’Umm Maktūm, because he was blind, and she could take off her clothes without him seeing her. Since she did not spend her ‘Iddah in her husband's house, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not make her entitled to habitation or financial sustenance during her ‘Iddah..

1483

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah reported: My maternal aunt was divorced, and she wanted to harvest her date palm trees. A man rebuked her for going out, so she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who said: "Yes, go out and harvest your date palm trees, for you may give (some of it) in charity or do a good deed.".

Commentary : The Islamic Shariah has brought facilitation and goodness to people. It takes into consideration their conditions when carrying out the Shariah rulings to prevent them from falling into difficulty or distress.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrates that his maternal aunt - it was said: her name is Asmā’ - was irrevocably divorced, as mentioned in the version of Abu Dāwūd: "My maternal aunt was divorced thrice." She wanted to go out, during her ‘Iddah (waiting period), to collect the fruits from her date palm trees; however, a man rebuked her and forbade her from going out until her ‘Iddah was over. She went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to ask him. She informed him of what had happened and of her condition and her need for harvesting her date palm trees and asked him if it was permissible for her to go out of her house during her ‘Iddah due to this necessity. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) replied saying: "Yes," and the version of Abu Dāwūd reads: "Go out," and collect your fruits, for perhaps after collecting the fruit of your date palm trees you may give part of it in charity to the poor and the needy "or do a good deed." "Ma‘rūf" (good deed): a comprehensive name including every known act of obeying Allah and doing good to people. This is an explanation of permitting the act of going out, even though it came in the form of notifying and urging her to do good. Moreover, he permitted her to go out due to her need to look after her interests, her date palm trees, and her properties as understood from the apparent indication of the beginning of the Hadīth.
Perhaps the difference between charity and a good deed is that the former refers to obligatory charity, while the latter refers to voluntary charity. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said this to her only because he knew that she was a charitable person, who used to do good deeds frequently, or he answered her with what would guide her to charity and voluntary charity, and this denotes obvious kindness and wisdom.
The Hadīth implies guiding the questioner to what is good for him in his religion and worldly matters and adding to the response what the questioner needs.
It also indicates the permissibility of going out for the divorced woman during her ‘Iddah for a necessity and for fulfilling her interests that she cannot dispense with.
It denotes the permissibility of being keen on preserving wealth and acquiring it to do good and use it in consoling others.
It also indicates that charity in dates is to be given at the time of their harvest, and gifting others therefrom.
It also includes giving an indirect reference to the dates' owner to give charity and reminding him of good deeds and beneficence..

1493

Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr reported: I was asked about the two who swore the oath of condemnation during the governance of Mus‘ab; should they be separated? I did not know what to say, so I went to Ibn ‘Umar's house in Makkah. I said to the servant: Seek permission for me. He said: He is taking a nap; but he heard my voice and said: Is this Ibn Jubayr? I said: Yes. He said: Come in. By Allah, you have not come at this time except for a need. I entered and found him lying on a saddlecloth and resting his head on a fibre-filled pillow. I said: O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān, should the two involved in a case of Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) be separated? He said: Glory be to Allah! Yes. The first one who asked about this was so-and-so, the son of so-and-so. He said: O Messenger of Allah, what if any of us found his wife committing adultery? What should he do? If he were to say anything, his statement would be a horrible matter, and if he were to remain silent, his silence about the matter would also be terrible. He said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) kept silent and did not answer him. Later on, he came to him and said: I have been afflicted with what I asked you about. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed these verses of Surat an-Nūr: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery]} [Surat an-Nūr: 6] So, he recited them to him, admonished and reminded him, and informed him that the worldly punishment is less severe than the punishment of the Hereafter. He said: No, by the One Who sent you with the truth I did not lie about her. Then, he called her, admonished and reminded her and informed her that the worldly punishment is less severe than the punishment of the Hereafter. She said: No, by the One Who sent you with the truth, he is a liar. So, he started with the man who testified four times by Allah that he was truthful and the fifth time that the curse of Allah would be upon him if he were a liar. Then, the woman came next, and she testified four times by Allah that he was a liar and the fifth time that Allah's wrath would be upon her if he were truthful. Then, he separated the two of them..

Commentary : The noble Shariah has clarified the rulings of marriage between the man and the woman and has explained the rulings of the husband's accusation of his wife for committing adultery without evidence and the consequent practice of Li‘ān, besides other rulings of separation, to protect lineages, repel shame from the spouses, and ward off the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf (false accusation of adultery).
In this Hadīth, the great Tābi‘i Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr tells us that he was asked about the ruling of the two involved in Li‘ān - when a husband accuses his wife of adultery and denies the attribution of her child to himself and the woman negates this, they are required to practice Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) - should they be separated? He did not know what to say and was not aware of the ruling in this regard, and this was during the governance of Mus‘ab ibn az-Zubayr, who was the ruler of Iraq. Mus‘ab did not separate the spouses who practiced Li‘ān, as clarified in another version of Muslim.
Sa‘īd said: "So, I went to the house of Ibn ‘Umar in Makkah" showing that it was a different house than that in Madīnah. It seems that it was the house of Ibn ‘Umar where he stayed when going to Makkah for Hajj or ‘Umrah, and it seems also that Sa‘īd traveled from Kūfah to Makkah. On reaching the house of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), he asked the boy, Ibn ‘Umar's servant, to seek permission for him to enter. The servant informed him that Ibn ‘Umar was taking a nap, it was noontime and midday. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) heard the voice of Ibn Jubayr and recognized him and asked: Is this Ibn Jubayr who is asking for permission? Ibn Jubayr replied: Yes, I am Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr. So, he permitted him to enter and said: "By Allah, you have not come at this time except for a need." This signifies the understanding and modesty of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and how he did not make things difficult for whoever needed him during his rest, knowing that the one who would come to him during his rest had only come for a necessity; hence, he should not be upset with him; rather, he should receive him with a cheerful face. Ibn Jubayr entered upon Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and found him lying on a "saddlecloth," a cloth laid on an animal's back under the saddle, and he was resting his head on a pillow, which is a cushion, and it was filled with fiber, i.e., tree or palm cortex.
Then, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr said: "O Abu ‘Abdur-Rahmān," which is the nickname of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, and he asked him: Should the two involved in a case of Li‘ān be separated? Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: "Glory be to Allah! Yes." Ibn ‘Umar glorified Allah to express his surprise that Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr was unaware of this famous ruling. Ibn ‘Umar then said: "The first one who asked about this," i.e., the first one who asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about what you asked me about "was so-and-so the son of so-and-so," who was ‘Uwaymir al-‘Ajlāni as mentioned in another version in Sahīh Muslim Collection: "The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) separated between the two members of Banu al-‘Ajlān." He asked: O Messenger of Allah, tell me about the ruling of one who found his wife committing adultery; what should he do in such a situation? If he spoke about what he had seen, "his statement would be a horrible matter" that people would find disgusting. It would be Qadhf (false accusation of adultery) that entails flogging as a legally prescribed punishment in case he brought no evidence. "And if he were to remain silent" and did not speak about what he had seen, his silence about the matter would also be horrible and an unbearable feeling of anger. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent and did not answer the man's question, waiting for the revelation and considering this a serious issue. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would hate questions about things that did not occur. This man who asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came back after some time and said: O Messenger of Allah, "I have been afflicted by" the matter I had asked you about, i.e., I have been afflicted and tested in this regard, as I saw my wife committing adultery. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed verses of Surat an-Nūr: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves, then the evidence of one of them is to testify four times by Allah that he is telling the truth, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah curse him if he is telling a lie. But she will be spared the punishment if she testifies four times by Allah that he is telling a lie, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah’s wrath be upon her if he is telling the truth.} [Surat an-Nūr: 6-9] This means: That Men who accuse their wives without having witnesses besides their own selves to testify to the truthfulness of their accusation, each of them should testify four times by Allah: that he is telling the truth about accusing his wife of adultery, then, in the fifth testimony, he should add the supplication against himself of being worthy of curse if he was lying about his accusation, which makes her subject to the legal prescribed punishment of adultery. What spares her this punishment is to testify four times by Allah that he is lying about accusing her, then, in her fifth testimony, she should add the supplication against herself of being liable to Allah's wrath if he was telling the truth about what he accuses her of.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses to the man and admonished him in the hope that he might take back his accusation "and reminded him" to repent, telling him that the worldly punishment - which is the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf - is less severe and much easier than the punishment of the Hereafter. However, the man said: "No" I shall not take back what I said because it is true, and he swore, saying: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I did not lie about her by accusing her of adultery and immorality. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) called the woman and admonished her to repent in case she had sinned. He reminded and informed her that the worldly punishment - which is the prescribed punishment of adultery, i.e., being stoned - is less severe and much easier than the punishment of the Hereafter. However, the woman swore that her husband was lying in his claim against her. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commanded both of them to swear the oath of condemnation. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started with the man since Allah Almighty started with him in the verse. The man swore four times by Allah that he was telling the truth about what he accused her of, and in the fifth testimony, he invoked the curse upon himself if he was a liar. Then, it was the woman's turn. So, she swore four times by Allah that her husband was lying about his claim against her by accusing her of adultery and immorality, and in the fifth, she supplicated against herself invoking Allah's wrath upon her if her husband was truthful in what he said. So, none of them admitted the truthfulness of the other. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) separated between them. One of the rulings of Li‘ān is that if each of the spouses insists on what he said, then, they should not be united after Li‘ān and their marriage is invalidated.
The Hadīth clarifies the ruling of Li‘ān and its manner.
It points out how the sinner should be admonished and reminded of repentance..

1495

‘Abdullah reported: It was Friday night, and we were in the mosque when a man from the Ansār (supporters) came and said: If a man found another man with his wife and he speaks about it, you will flog him; or if he kills, you will kill him; and if he remains silent, he will remain silent in anger. By Allah, I will surely ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about it. On the next day, he came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him saying: If a man found another man with his wife and he speaks about it, you will flog him; or if he kills, you will kill him; or if he remains silent, he will remain silent in anger. He said: O Allah, judge; and he kept supplicating, so the verse of Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) was revealed: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves} [Surat an-Nūr: 6], these verses. This man, of all people, was afflicted with this. So, he came with his wife to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and swore the oath of condemnation. The man testified four times by Allah that he was from the truthful, then, the fifth time he invoked a curse that Allah's curse be upon him if he was from the liars. She went to invoke a curse, but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: Stop. However, she refused and invoked a curse. After they had both left, he said: Perhaps she will give birth to a curly-haired black child, and she gave birth to a curly-haired black child..

Commentary : The Shariah has clarified the rulings of marriage between the man and the woman and has explained the rulings of the husband's accusation of his wife for committing adultery without evidence and the consequent practice of Li‘ān, besides other rulings of separation, to protect lineages, repel shame from the spouses, and ward off the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf (false accusation of adultery).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that they were in the Prophet's mosque on Friday night when a man from the Ansār - the people of Madīnah - came. It was Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah, and it is said: ‘Uwaymir al-‘Ajlāni. He said: "If a man found another man with his wife," i.e., he saw her committing adultery with him. If "he speaks" about it, "you will flog him" inflicting on him the legally prescribed punishment of Qadhf for having no witnesses, and if "he kills" the adulterer, "you will kill him" by way of legal retribution. "And if he remains silent" and does nothing, "he will remain silent in anger," i.e., anger and hatred for her. It seems that the man's speech was before the revelation of the verses of Li‘ān and it also seems that it was a mere question posed by that man at that time, not a real incident that had already occurred. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to hate such questions as mentioned in the Hadīth of Sahl ibn Sa‘d in the two Sahīh Collections.
Then, this man swore to ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about this matter. On the next day - the next morning - the man went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asking about what was previously mentioned. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: "O Allah, judge," i.e., clarify to us the ruling in this regard, and he continued supplicating Allah Almighty to clarify this incident, so, the verses of Li‘ān were revealed. These are the verses in which Allah Almighty says: {As for those who accuse their wives [of adultery] but have no witnesses except themselves, then the evidence of one of them is to testify four times by Allah that he is telling the truth, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah curse him if he is telling a lie. But she will be spared the punishment if she testifies four times by Allah that he is telling a lie, and the fifth [oath] is that may Allah’s wrath be upon her if he is telling the truth.} [Surat an-Nūr: 6-9] This means: Men who accuse their wives without having witnesses besides their own selves to testify to the truthfulness of their accusation, each of them should swear four times by Allah that he is telling the truth about accusing his wife of adultery. Then, in the fifth testimony, he should add the supplication against himself of being worthy of condemnation if he is lying about his accusation, which makes her subject to the legally prescribed punishment of adultery. What spares her of this punishment is to testify four times by Allah that he is lying about accusing her. Then, in her fifth testimony, she should add the supplication against herself of being liable for Allah's wrath if he is telling the truth about what he accuses her of.
Among all people, this man was afflicted by the occurrence of what he asked about to his wife. So, he accompanied his wife to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). They both swore the oath of condemnation, i.e., the man testified four times by Allah that he was telling the truth, and then, the fifth time, he invoked the curse of Allah upon himself if he was lying. This is because testimony in an adultery case is not complete except with four witnesses, but this case was witnessed by none except the husband; hence, he was assigned four testimonies so that each oath would replace a witness, as an oath could sometimes replace a witness like when someone is entitled to some right but has one witness only. In this case, the Shariah considers his oath in place of the witness. After completing the four testimonies that replace the four witnesses, nothing is left after the testimony of the four witnesses in adultery against the married person, as in this case, except stoning, which is death. There is nothing left after taking the oath of condemnation four times except the curse of Allah Almighty or His wrath, which also indicates death (ruin). The woman, then, went to swear the oath of condemnation, but the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Stop," a word meant here to deter her, i.e., refrain and take your time. However, she refused to stop or be dissuaded from completing Li‘ān. Hence, she took her part in Li‘ān. When the two parties swore the oath of condemnation and went away after finishing their testimonies, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perhaps she will give birth to" the baby in her womb, and he will be "a curly-haired black child," i.e., not straight-haired, which was the description of the one she was accused of committing adultery with. It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) most likely believed that she was lying, and the child she gave birth to was just as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had described.
The Hadīth clarifies that the ruling of Li‘ān, in principle, is to take place between the man and his wife if he accuses her of adultery and has no witness but himself.
It also points out that things must be judged according to what is apparent, whereas Allah Almighty is the One Who judges the intentions.
It explains how Li‘an must take place in the presence of the Imam or the judge and in the presence of an assembly of people.
It shows the condition that makes Li‘ān obligatory, which is the woman's denial of committing adultery because if she admits it, Li‘ān becomes impermissible and she becomes subject to the legally prescribed punishment.
It also signifies that it is Sunnah for the ruler to admonish the two persons involved in Li‘ān when intending to swear the oath of condemnation, which becomes confirmed after the fifth time..

1496

Muhammad ibn Sīrīn reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik, knowing that he had knowledge of that, and he said: Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah accused his wife of committing adultery with Sharīk ibn Sahmā’, the brother of Al-Barā’ ibn Mālik from his mother's side. He was the first man who practiced Li‘ān (oath of condemnation) in Islam. He swore oaths of Li‘ān against his wife, so the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Watch her, if she gives birth to a white-complexioned child having straight hair and sore eyes, he is the son of Hilāl ibn ’Umayyah, but if she gives birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair, and thin shanks, then he is the son of Sharīk ibn Sahmā’." He (the narrator) said: I was informed that she gave birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair, and thin shanks..

1498

Abu Hurayrah reported: Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah al-Ansāri said: O Messenger of Allah, what if a man finds his wife with another man? Should he kill him? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: No. Sa‘d said: Yes, by the One Who honored you with the truth. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Listen to what your master is saying!.

1502

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about the slave whose ownership is shared between two men and one of them emancipates him, he said: He should guarantee..

Commentary : The Shariah has protected all rights including the partners' rights. It has forbidden any kind of offense practiced by one partner against the other. This Hadīth clarifies that when two people own a slave jointly and one of them emancipates his share of that slave, this entails emancipating the rest of the slave. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He should guarantee," it meant that the emancipator should guarantee his partner's share of the slave whom he emancipated, i.e., he is financially responsible for securing the complete freedom of that slave. In the Two Sahīh Collections: "But if he has no money, the slave will be required to work to pay for his freedom, but must not be overburdened." So, it made it clear that if the emancipator is poor and has no money to free the rest of the slave, he remains in slavery and is required to work for his freedom and to pay for the share of the partner who did not emancipate him. However, he should not be assigned tasks that are hard for him or beyond his ability..

Book of Hadith

| Hadiths

It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: A man came whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was addressing the people on a Friday. He said: “Have you prayed, O So-and-so?” He said: No. He said: “Get up and pray two rak‘ahs.”.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you say to your companion on Friday, ‘Listen!’ when the imam is delivering the khutbah, you have engaged in idle speech.”.

‘Ā’ishah reported: It is no good for Fātimah to mention this. He said: She was referring to her statement: No housing or financial maintenance..

Fātimah bint Qays reported that she said: "O Messenger of Allah, my husband divorced me thrice, and I am afraid that my house will be broken into." So, he commanded her, and she moved (to another house)..

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said about the slave whose ownership is shared between two men and one of them emancipates him, he said: He should guarantee..