He told that God's messenger asked forgiveness for him twenty-five times. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "There are many with dishevelled hair and dusty bodies who wear two ragged garments to whom no attention is paid but who would be declared righteous by God if they adjured Him. Among them is al-Bara' b. Malik." Tirmidhi and Baihaqi, in Dala'il an-nubuwa, transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as saying, "My confidants to whom I turn are my family, and my close friends are the Ansar, so forgive those of them who do wrong and accept the excuses of those of them who do good." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan tradition.

Ibn `Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, "Let no one who believes in God and the Last Day hate the Ansar." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Anas quoted Abu Talha as telling that God's messenger said to him, "Give your people a greeting, for they, so far as I know, are abstemious and show endurance." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jabir told that al-Hatib's slave came to the Prophet to complain to him of Hatib, and said, "Messenger of God, Hatib will certainly enter hell." He replied, "You lie ; he will not enter it, for he was present at Badr and al-Hudaibiya." Muslim transmitted it. Here we have a tradition from Muslim in section II

Abu Huraira told that God's messenger recited this verse, "If you turn back He will substitute other people for you and they will not be like you[*]," and the people asked, "Messenger of God, who are these people of whom God has mentioned that they will be substituted for us if we turn back and will not be like us?" He struck Salman al-Farisi on the thigh and said, "This man and his people. If the religion were in the Pleiades men from among the Persians would attain to it." *Quran 47:38 Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He told that when the foreigners were mentioned in the presence of God's messenger he said, "I have more trust in them (or, in some of them) than I have in you (or, in some of you.)" Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "Every prophet has seven eminent men who are guardians, but I have been given fourteen." `Ali was asked who they were and replied, "I, my two sons, Ja'far, Hamza, Abu Bakr, `Umar, Mus'ab b. `Umair, Bilal, Salman, `Ammar, `Abdallah b. Mas`ud Abu Dharr and al-Miqdad." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ammar b. Yasir and I had words, and when I spoke roughly to him, he went to God's messenger and complained to him of me. Khalid[*] came when he was complaining to the Prophet and began to speak roughly to him, with the result that he made him all the more angry. The Prophet meanwhile kept silent without speaking a word, so `Ammar wept and said, "Messenger of God, do you not see him?" The Prophet then raised his head and said, "He who is hostile to `Ammar is hostile to God and he who hates `Ammar is hated by God." Khalid said: I then went out, and there was nothing dearer to me than 'Ammar's goodwill, so I treated him in a manner pleasing to him and he was well pleased. Abu `Ubaida told that he heard God's messenger say, "Khalid is one of the swords of God who is great and glorious, and he is the fine warrior of the tribe." *Here the narrator of the tradition seems to take over the story till near the end where Khalid himself is again the speaker. Ahmad transmitted the two traditions.

Buraida reported God's messenger as saying, "God who is blessed and exalted has commanded me to love four people, and He has informed me that He loves them." He was asked to name them and said, "`Ali is one of them (saying that three times), also Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad and Salman. He has commanded me to love them, and He has informed me that He loves them." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Jabir told that `Umar used to say, "Abu Bakr is our chief, and he manumitted our chief," meaning Bilal. Bukhari transmitted it.

Qais b. Abu Hazim told that Bilal said to Abu Bakr, "If you bought me only for your own sake keep me, but if you bought me only for God's sake let me go and undertake God's work." Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that when a man came to God's messenger and told him he was suffering from distress he sent a message to one of his wives who said, "I swear by Him who sent you with the truth that I have nothing but water. He sent to another who said the same, and when they had all said the same God's messenger said, "Who will provide entertainment for him? God have mercy on him!" One of the Ansar called Abu Talha got up and said, "I shall, messenger of God." He then, took him to his house and asked his wife if she had anything, and when she replied that they had nothing but the children's food he said, "Put them off with something and put them to sleep. Then when our guest enters make him think we are eating, and when he puts forward his hand to eat get up, go to the lamp to adjust it, and put it out." She did so and they sat down, and the guest ate but they spent the night hungry. In the morning he came to God's messenger who said, "God is charmed with (or, has smiled on) such and such a man and such and such a woman." A version has the same without his naming Abu Talha, and at the end it says that God most high then sent down, "And they give preference to others over themselves even though they are suffering poverty[*]." *Quran; 59:9. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We alighted at a camping-place along with God's messenger, and when the people began to pass, he was asking, "Who is this, Abu Huraira?" and I would tell him it was so and so. He would then say, "This is a good servant of God.' He would ask about another, and when I told him he was so and so he said, "This is a bad servant of God." This went on till Khalid b. al-Walid passed by, and when he asked who he was and I replied that he was Khalid b. al-Walid, he said, "Khalid b. al-Walid is a good servant of God; he is one of God's swords." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Arqam told that when the Ansar said, "Prophet of God, every prophet has followers and we have followed you, so beseech God to appoint that our followers should be of our stock," he did so. Bukhari transmitted it.

We know no clan of the Arabs which will have more martyrs or be more exalted on the day of resurrection than the Ansar. He told that Anas said seventy of them were killed at the battle of Uhud, seventy at the battle of Bi'r Ma'una[1], and seventy at the battle of al-Yamama[2] in the time of Abu Bakr. 1. In Safar, 4 A.H. 2. 11 A.H., when Musailima was killed. Bukhari transmitted it.

`Umar b. al-Khattab reported God's messenger as saying, "A man called Uwais will come to you from the Yemen leaving there only a mother. He had been afflicted by leprosy and made supplication to God who removed it all except to the extent of a dinar (or dirham). If any of you meet him let him ask forgiveness for you." In a version he told that he heard God's messenger say, "The best of the Followers will be a man called Uwais who has a mother and has been afflicted by leprosy. Tell him he must ask forgiveness for you." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, "The people of the Yemen have come to you. -They have the tenderest minds and gentlest hearts. Faith belongs to the Yemen and wisdom belongs to the Yemen; boasting and pride are to be found among the owners of camels, and calm deportment and gravity among the owners of sheep." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The fountain-head of unbelief is towards the east; boasting and pride are to be found among owners of horses and camels and husbandmen[*] who live in camel-hair tents; but calm deportment is to be found among the owners of sheep." *The word faddadun means either husbandmen or `camel-drivers. The former seems the more appropriate here as owners of camels have already been mentioned. Cf. Mirqat, 5: 649. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported the Prophet as saying, "From here I (indicating the east) dissensions have come, and roughness and harsh hearts are to be found among the husbandmen who live in camel-hair tents who walk behind camels and oxen among Rabi'a and Mudar. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir reported God's messenger as saying, "Harsh hearts and roughness are to be found in the east, but faith among the people of the Hijaz." Muslim transmitted it.

0 God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, messenger of God," but he said, "O God, bless us in our Syria; 0 God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, messenger of God." Ibn `Umar told that he thought he said on the third occasion, "Earthquakes and dissensions are here, and the horn of the devil will arise in it." Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas quoted Zaid b. Thabit who told that the Prophet looked towards the Yemen and said, "O God, turn their hearts towards us, and bless us in our sa' and our mudd." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Thabit told that God's messenger said, "Blessed is Syria," and when his hearers asked him why that was, he replied, "Because the angels of the Compassionate One are spreading their wings over it." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "A fire will issue from the direction of Hadramaut (or, from Hadramaut) and assemble mankind." He was asked what he commanded them to do and replied, "Go to Syria." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. `Amr b. al-`As told that he heard God's messenger say, "There will be emigration after emigration, and the people who are best will be those who go to the places to which Abraham emigrated." A version has "The best people on the earth are those who cleave most closely to the places to which Abraham emigrated. The worst of its people will remain in the earth, cast out by their lands, abhorred by God, collected along with apes and swine by fire[*] which will spend the night and midday where they are in their company." *This is explained as the fire of civil strife. Cf. Mirqat, v. 652 AbuDawud transmitted it.

Ibn Hawala reported God's messenger as saying, "It will turn out tha t you will be armed troops, one in Syria, one in the Yemen, and one in al-`Iraq." Ibn Hawala said, "Choose for me, messenger of God, if I reach that time." He replied, "Go to Syria, for it is God's chosen land to which His best servants will be gathered; but if you are unwilling, go to your Yemen and draw water from your tanks, for God who is great and glorious has on my account taken special charge of Syria and its people." Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Shuraih b. `Ubaid told that when the people of Syria were mentioned in `Ali's presence and someone said, "Curse them, commander of the faithful," he refused, saying he had heard God's messenger say, "The substitutes[*], a body of forty men, will be in Syria, and as often as one dies God will put another in his place. By virtue of them rain will be provided, by virtue of them help will be sought against enemies, and by virtue of them affliction will be averted from the Syrians." One of the Companions reported God's messenger as saying, "Syria will be conquered, and when you are given your choice of places in which to settle go on a city called Damascus, for it will be the fortress of the Muslims to protect them in the wars during which it will be a place of assembly. In its neighbourhood there is some land called al-Ghuta." *al-abdal. These belong to one of the degrees of the Sufi hierarchy of saints. There are different views as to their number. This tradition would seem to support the view which holds that there are 70. forty in Syria and thirty elsewhere. They presumably get their title because every vacancy in their number is immediately filled. Ahmad transmitted the two traditions.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The Caliphate will be in Medina and the kingdom in Syria." `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "I saw a pillar of light which came forth from under my head and spread till it settled in Syria." Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Dala'il an-nubuwa.

Abud Darda' reported God's messenger as saying, "The place of assembly of the-Muslims at the time of the war will be in al-Ghuta near a city called Damascus, one of the best cities of Syria." Aba Dawud transmitted it.

`Abd ar-Rahman b. Sulaiman said that a king of the foreigners will come and prevail over all the cities except Damascus. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "Your appointed period in relation to that of peoples who have passed away is just the time between the afternoon prayer and sunset. A comparison between you and the Jews and Christians is like a man who employed labourers and said, `Who will work for me till midday for a qirat each?' The Jews worked till midday for a qirat each, and then he said, `Who will work for me from midday till the afternoon prayer for a qirat each?' The Christians worked from midday till the afternoon prayer for a qirat each, and then he said, `Who will work for me from the afternoon prayer till sunset for two qirat each?' I assure you that you are the ones who work from the afternoon prayer till sunset and that you will have the reward twice over. The Jews and Christians were angry and said, `We have done more work and received less pay,' but God most high asked, `Have I wronged you in any respect regarding what was due to you?' When they admitted that He had not, God most high said, `It is my extra favour which I grant to whomsoever I will.'" Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger saying, "Among my people some of those who love me most will be people who come after my time who would be prepared to sacrifice their families and their property if they could see me." Muslim transmitted it.

Mu'awiya told that he heard God's messenger say, "There will not cease to be found among my people those who uphold what God commands, not being injured by those who desert or oppose them till God's affair comes about and finds them in that condition." (Bukhari and Muslim.) The tradition of Anas, "Among God's servants..." has been mentioned in the book on retaliation.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "My people are like the rain, it not being known whether the first or the last of it is better." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ja'far, on his father's authority, told that his grandfather[*] reported God's messenger as saying, "Rejoice and rejoice again. My people are just like the rain, it not being known whether the last or the first of it is better; or it is like a garden from which a troop can be fed for a year, then another troop can be fed for a year, and perhaps the last troop which comes may be the broadest, deepest and finest. How can a people perish of which I am the first, the Mahdi the middle and the Messiah the last? But in the course of that there will be a crooked party which does not belong to me and to which I do not belong." *i.e., Ja'far as-Sadiq, whose father was Muhammad al-Baqir and whose grandfather was `Ali b. al-Husain Zain al-'Abidin. Razin transmitted it.

"Among the last of this people will be some who will have a reward like that of the first of them. They will recommend what is reputable, forbid what is disreputable, and fight with those who cause dissensions." Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Dalail an-nubuwa.

Abu Umama reported God's messenger as saying, "Blessed is he who has seen me, but seven times blessed is he who has not seen me but has believed on me." Ahmad transmitted it.

Yes, I shall tell you a good tradition. One day we had lunch with God's messenger, and Abu `Ubaida b. al-Jarrah who was along with us asked, "Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are who have accepted Islam and striven along with you?" He replied, "Yes, people who will come after your time and will believe on me without having seen me." His name was Abdallah. He settled in Jerusalem and died in 99 A.H. See Shadharat adh dhahab, 1:116. Istiab p. 634, says there was doubt about his name, and one or two different statements about it are quoted. He was a companion of the Prophet and was reckoned among the Syrians. Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it, and Razin transmitted it on Abu `Ubaida's authority from his asking, "Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are..." to the end.

Mu'awiya b. Qurra quoted his father's authority for the statement that God's messenger said, "When the Syrians become corrupt there will be good in you, but a section of my people will continue to be helped, not being injured by those who desert them, till the last hour comes." Ibn al-Madini said they are the traditionists. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Ibn `Abbas reported God's messenger as saying, "God's has overlooked my people's mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do against their will." Ibn Majah and Baihaqi transmitted it.

Bahz b. Hakim, on his father's authority, told that with reference to the words of God most high, `You were the best people brought forth for mankind[*],' his grandfather said he had heard God's messenger say, "You bring the number up to seventy peoples of which you are the best and most honourable in the estimation of God most high." *Quran; 3:110 Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan tradition.

Aba Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Between the two blasts there are forty (and when Abu Huraira was asked if the forty referred to days he refused to say;[2] when asked if it referred to forty months he refused to say; and when asked if it referred to forty years he refused to say. God will then send down water from the sky and they will sprout like vegetables. The only thing in a man which does not decay is one bone, the tail-bone, from which the whole frame will be reconstituted on the day of resurrection." 1. The Trumpet; as-sur. Cf. Quran, 6:73; 18:93; 20:102, etc. 2. Mirqat, 5:229, explains this as meaning that he was unwilling to reply because he did not know. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim he said, "Every son of Adam will be devoured by the earth with the exception of the tail-bone from which he was created and from which he will be reconstituted." Muslim.

Abu Sa'id told that God's messenger mentioned the one who Would blow the trumpet, saying that Gabriel would be at his right hand and Michael at his left.

Abu Razin al- `Uqaili told that he asked God's messenger how God would restore all things and what indication there was of that in His creation. He replied, "Have you not come by the wadi of your people when it was barren, then come by it when it was shaking with verdure?" One being told that he had, he said, "That is God's sign in His creation and thus will God bring the dead to life." Razin transmitted the two traditions.

In a version by him on the authority of Abu Sa'id there is something to the same effect, but he did not mention that He will say, "What will bring an end to your making requests of me ..." to the end of the tradition. In it he added that God will teach him saying, "Ask such and such," and when his wishes come to an end God most high will say, "You can have it and ten times as much." He said that he will then enter his house and his two wives from the large-eyed maidens will come in to him and say, "Praise be to God who has created you for us and us for you." He will then say, "No one has been given anything like what I have."

"Peoples will be smitten with a scorching from hell as a punishment for sins they have committed, then God by His grace and mercy will bring them into paradise, and they will be called the Jahannamis." Bukhari transmitted it.

Ibn `Abbas quoted, "The heart did not belie what it saw[1]," And he has seen Him at another descent[2]," saying that he saw Him twice in his heart. Quran; 53:11 Quran; 53:13 Muslim transmitted it. In Tirmidhi's version he said Muhammad saw his Lord. `Ikrima said he asked whether God does not say, "The eyes do not perceive Him but He perceives the eyes[*]," and he replied, "Out upon you! That is when He shines forth with His own essential light; but he has seen his Lord twice." *Quran; 6:103 Tirmidhi.

Ash-Sha'bi told that Ibn `Abbas met Ka`b at `Arafa and asked him about something, whereupon he said "God is most great" so loudly that the mountains re-echoed his voice. Ibn `Abbas said, "We are the B. Hashim," and Ka'b replied, "God has divided the vision of Him and His speech between Muhammad and Moses, for He spoke twice to Moses and Muhammad saw Him twice." Masruq said he went to visit `A'isha and asked whether Muhammad had seen his Lord, whereupon she replied, "You have said something that makes my hair stand on end." Telling her not to be excited he recited, "He has indeed seen the greatest of the signs of his Lord<sup>1</sup>." She replied, "where is it leading you? It was only Gabriel. Who told you that Muhammad saw his Lord, or concealed any command given him, or knew the five things of which God most high said, `God has knowledge of the last hour, He sends down the rain ²? He considered falsehood to be serious. But he saw Gabriel, seeing him in bodily form only twice, once at the lote-tree of the boundary, and once at Ajyad³ with six hundred wings blocking out the horizon." [1] Quran; 53:18 [2] Quran; 31:34 [3] A place in the neighbourhood of Makkah. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and the two shaikhs transmitted it with an addition and a difference. In their version he told that he asked `A'isha the meaning of His words, "Then he drew near and was suspended, and was two bows' length away or nearer[4], "and she replied, "That was Gabriel who used to come to him in human form, but on this occasion he came to him in his own form in which he was fashioned and blocked out the horizon." [4] Quran; 53:8