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| 2 Bukhari hadiths

66
It was narrated from Abu Waqid al-Laythi that whilst the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting in the mosque, and the people were with him, three men came along. Two of them came towards the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and one went away. They stood before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). One of them saw a gap in the circle, so he sat down there, and the other one sat behind the people. As for the third, he turned and left. When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had finished speaking, he said: “Shall I not tell you about these three people? As for the first one, he turned to Allah so Allah granted him refuge. As for the second one, he felt too shy, so Allah felt shy of him. As for the last one, he turned away, so Allah turned away from him.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best educator. He used to teach his companions on the basis of situations that happened to them, using them as examples to explain to them the path of guidance, and to show them the way to that which is in their best interests in this world and the hereafter.
In this hadith, Abu Waqid al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting with his companions in the mosque, when three men came along. As for the first one, he found space in the circle, so he sat in it. As for the second one, he sat behind the circle, as if he was too shy to push his way in and make it difficult for the people. As for the third, he turned away and left, and did not join the circle. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished what he was talking about, teaching the Qur’an, Islamic knowledge and so on, he said: Shall I not tell you about these people? As for one of them, he turned to Allah, so Allah granted him refuge. He is the one who sat in the gap, because he was sincere and eager to sit with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so Allah made it easy for him and provided space for him in the gathering of His Prophet. It was also said that was meant is that Allah caused him to be close to where His Prophet was sitting, and it was said that what was meant is that He will grant him refuge in the shade of His Throne.
As for the second man, he felt too shy, so he did not push his way in, out of shyness before the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions, or he sat down because he was too shy to leave the circle of knowledge. So Allah felt shy of him, because he did not push in or put himself forward.
As for the third man, he turned away and left the gathering of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), so Allah turned away from him and did not inspire him to sit with those righteous people.
This hadith affirms the attribute of haya’ (shyness) for Allah, but it is not like the shyness of people; rather it is shyness in a perfect sense, as is befitting for Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
This hadith also indicates that whoever seeks knowledge and gatherings of knowledge, then turns away from them, Allah will turn away from him, and if Allah turns away from someone, that person has exposed himself to His wrath. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
It also indicates that part of good manners is to sit wherever one finds space, and not to make someone else get up and move.
The report also indicates that a knowledgeable person may teach the people who are sitting with him about issues of knowledge, before anyone asks about those issues.
It also indicates that shyness is a praiseworthy characteristic.
And it indicates that the one who shows no interest in knowledge is worthy of criticism, because no one is deprived of knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and still has any goodness in him..

67
It was narrated from ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah that his father spoke about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sitting atop his camel, with another man holding the camel’s reins. He said: “What day is this?” We remained quiet until we thought that he would give it a different name. Then he said: “Is it not the Day of Sacrifice?” We said: Yes indeed. Then he said: “What month is this?” We remained quiet until we thought that he would give it a different name. Then he said: “Is it not Dhul Hijjah?” We said: Yes indeed. He said: “Your blood, your wealth and your honour are sacred to one another, as sacred as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. Let those who are present convey it to those who are absent, for perhaps one who is present will convey it to someone who understands it better than him.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did Hajj only once, which was the Farewell Pilgrimage, during which he addressed his companions, advising them about some things which are fundamental principles of Islamic teaching, including what is mentioned in this hadith. Abu Bakrah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed the people on the Day of Sacrifice, which is the tenth day of Dhul Hijjah; this day is also Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). He was sitting atop his camel, and there was a man holding onto the reins of his she-camel; this refers to a rope tied to a ring in the nose of the camel, so that it may be led easily. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: “What day is this?” They remained silent until they thought that he was going to change its name, because its name was well-known to all. This is also an example of their good manners with their Prophet. It also indicates that major issues should be referred to the Lawgiver. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Is it not the Day of Sacrifice?” It is so called because of what occurs on that day of the slaughter of sacrificial animals (hadiy and udhiyah). They said: Yes indeed. Then he said: “What month is this?” They again remained silent, because they thought that he was going to change the name that they knew. Then he said: “Is it not Dhul Hijjah?” So they said: Yes indeed. He asked them these two questions, then remained silent after each question, to make them focus and pay full attention to his words, and so that they would realize that what he was going to tell them was something of great importance. Hence he told them that the prohibition on transgressing against one another’s wealth and honour, and the sanctity of those things, was equivalent to the sanctity of the Day of Sacrifice, the sacred month, and Makkah al-Mukarramah. This was to emphasize how serious these matters are (and how great a sin it is to transgress against fellow Muslims). Then he instructed those who were present to convey what he said to those who were absent, for perhaps one who was absent would understand better than the one who heard it and conveyed it.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to convey and narrate hadiths, and highlights the virtue of this knowledge and its people.
It indicates that learning about hadith is one thing and understanding hadith is something else. The narrator may narrate a hadith to someone who understands it better than him, and the narrator may not understand it fully.
It indicates that it is permissible to sit on an animal’s back whilst it is standing still, if there is a need to do that.
It also indicates that speeches should be delivered from a high place, because that is more effective in letting the people hear and see the speaker..

68
It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ud said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to choose the appropriate day and time to exhort us, for fear that we would become bored..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best in teaching and educating his companions. He used to teach them through his words and actions, and the noble Sahabah would describe his style and way of preaching.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very keen that his companions should benefit and learn from his preaching and exhortation, he did not do that with them very often. Rather he would choose some days to exhort them, and not do that on other days; he would also choose an appropriate time when he thought that they would be more receptive to his teaching. He used to limit that to appropriate times, for fear that they would get bored and tired of it, which would lead to them finding his exhortation burdensome, then they would resent it and be put off by it, in which case it would not be as effective as hoped.
This hadith highlights the kindness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his compassion towards his ummah, and how he took measures to ensure that they would receive his exhortation with energy and eagerness, without becoming bored or tired. .

69
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Make things easy and do not make things difficult; give glad tidings and do not put people off.”.

Commentary : Islam is a religion of moderation, which came to make things easy for people, not to burden them with what they cannot bear and are not able to do. Islam warns against overburdening oneself and going to extremes.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined two things and forbade their opposites. He enjoined making things easy and he forbade the opposite of that, which is making things difficult. Whoever makes things easy for a Muslim in any of his worldly affairs, such as transactions and interactions with others, or in any of his religious affairs, such as acts of worship, or in anything so long as it is within the framework of what is right and proper, and does not go beyond that, then Allah (may He be exalted) will make things easy for him. In this regard, it is sufficient to note that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who was the leader of humanity and the most able to obey and worship Allah, was never given the choice between two things but he would choose the easier option, so long as it was not haram.
The second thing he enjoined was giving glad tidings and saying good things; this is the opposite of warning, which means giving bad news and going to extremes in alerting and scaring people, which could be off-putting. What is meant by the words “give glad tidings and do not put people off” is: Give the people – or the believers – glad tidings of the grace and reward of Allah, His immense generosity and His vast mercy, and do not put them off by speaking in such a way as to scare them and warn them. So with those who are new in Islam, it is more appropriate to be gentle with them and not be too strict with them. The same applies to young people who are approaching adolescence, and adults who have repented from sin. A gentle approach should be used with them all, and acts of worship should be introduced to them step-by-step, just as the rulings of Islam were introduced and enjoined gradually. That is because if a gentle approach is used with one who wants to start practising Islam or become a Muslim, it will become easy for him, and in most cases he will show more commitment and do more good deeds. But if it is made difficult for him from the outset, he may not commit himself to it, and if he does start, he may soon give up and find that he is no longer able to do it.
This is a lesson and a guideline for those who seek to call people to Islam, and those who are in charge of religious affairs: they should use an approach that is easy, giving glad tidings and offering encouragement, whether by referring to the beauties of Islam and what could motivate and encourage people, or speaking of what is with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in the hereafter of gardens of bliss.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) referred to the blessings of both this world and the hereafter, because this world is the realm of striving and the hereafter is the realm of requital. So with regard to worldly matters he enjoined making things easy, and with regard to the hereafter, he enjoined speaking of the promise of good things and glad tidings, to confirm that he was indeed a mercy to the worlds in both realms. .

71
Humayd ibn ‘Abdur Rahman said: I heard Mu‘awiyah delivering a speech and saying: I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “When Allah wills good for someone, He grants him understanding of religion. I am simply sharing out something that Allah gives me. This ummah will continue to adhere to the command of Allah and those who oppose them will not harm them, until the decree of Allah comes to pass.”.

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) is forbearing and most merciful to His slaves, and He loves good for them. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that when Allah wills much good and great benefit for a person, He grants him understanding of religion, so He bestows upon him Islamic knowledge. There is nothing better than that in this world in terms of virtue, honour and high status, because it is the legacy of the Prophets who did not leave any other legacy. The word khayran (translated here as good) appears in the indefinite form in the original Arabic, to indicate that it includes all types of good, small and great. The use of the indefinite may also indicate how great and important a thing is, and that fits the context here.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that the true giver is Allah (may He be exalted). It is as if he is saying: I am not the giver; I am simply sharing out what I have been commanded to share out, in accordance with the way that I have been instructed to do it. All things are subject to the will and decree of Allah (may He be exalted); human beings are controlled and their affairs are directed by their Lord. All wealth belongs to Allah (may He be exalted) and all people belong to Him; the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) shares out His wealth among them, so whoever receives a large share from him, that is by the decree of Allah (may He be exalted) and is what is already decreed for him, and the same applies to the one who receives a small share. No one will have more provision than is already decreed for him, just as no one’s lifespan can be extended. The reason why the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said that was to console the people and soften their hearts, because he used to give more to some people than others.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that a group of Muslims would remain steadfast in adhering to his religion until the onset of the Hour. It was said that their steadfastness in religion would be manifested in their adhering to jihad and fighting to support the truth and make the word of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) supreme, until the decree of Allah comes to pass; what is meant by His decree here is the pleasant breeze that will come before the onset of the Hour and take the souls of the believers, as was explained in some reports. This indicates that the truth will never disappear among the ummah for there are people who will inherit it, generation after generation.
This hadith highlights the virtue of knowledge and the virtue of learning, for Islamic knowledge is the noblest of all branches of knowledge, because it is connected to Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
It indicates that understanding of religion is one of the signs that the Muslim is good.
It also indicates that Islam will not be defeated, no matter how numerous its enemies become.
This hadith is also one of the signs of prophethood..