[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi ].

Editor's note: The Qamees is a modest, traditional outfit thought to resemble what is now referred to as a thawb.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had asked Ibn Shihab whether someone doing itikaf could go into a house to relieve himself, and he said, "Yes, there is no harm in that."

Malik said, "The situation that we are all agreed upon here is that there is no disapproval of anyone doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is held. The only reason I see for disapproving of doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held is that the man doing itikaf would have to leave the mosque where he was doing itikaf in order to go to jumua, or else not go there at all. If, however, he is doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held, and he does not have to go to jumua in any other mosque, then I see no harm in him doing itikaf there, because Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, 'While you are doing itikaf in mosques,' and refers to all mosques in general, without specifying any particular kind."

Malik continued, "Accordingly, it is permissiblefor a man to do itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held if he does not have to leave it to go to a mosque where jumua is held."

Malik said, "A person doing itikaf should spend the night only in the mosque where he is doing itikaf, except if his tent is in one of the courtyards of the mosque. I have never heard that someone doing itikaf can put up a shelter anywhere except in the mosque itself or in one of the courtyards of the mosque.

Part of what shows that he must spend the night in the mosque is the saying of A'isha, 'When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was doing itikaf, he would only go into the house to relieve himself.' Nor should he do itikaf on the roof of the mosque or in the minaret."

Malik said, "The person who is going to do itikaf should enter the place where he wishes to do itikaf before the sun sets on the night when he wishes to begin his itikaf, so that he is ready to begin the itikaf at the beginning of the night when he is going to start his itikaf. A person doing itikaf should be occupied with his itikaf, and not turn his attention to other things which might occupy him, such as trading or whatever. There is no harm, however, if some one doing itikaf tells some one to do something for him regarding his estate, or the affairs of his family, or tells someone to sell some property of his, or something else that does not occupy him directly. There is no harm in him arranging for someone else to do that for him if it is a simple matter."

Malik said, "I have never heard any of the people of knowledge mentioning any modification as far as how to do itikaf is concerned. Itikaf is an act of ibada like the prayer, fasting, the hajj, and such like acts, whether they are obligatory or voluntary. Anyone who begins doing any of these acts should do them according to what has come down in the sunna. He should not start doing anything in them that the muslims have not done, whether it is a modification that he imposes on others, or one that he begins doing himself. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, practised itikaf, and the muslims know what the sunna of itikaf is."

Malik said, "Itikaf and jiwar are the same, and Itikaf is the same for a village-dweller as it is for a nomad."

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe Witr prayer on his ride.

Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) got his head shaved on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Rafi' b. Khadij with the same chain of transmitters, but in it no mention is made of some of his uncles.

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) established fraternity between the Quraish and the Ansar in his house at Medina.

This hadith has been reported by Alqama b. Wa'il on the authority of his father with a different chain of transmitters and with a slight variation of wording.

By Allah except Whom none has the right to- be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and (sometimes) I used to bind a stone over my belly because of hunger. One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet and his companions) used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so. Then `Umar passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from Allah's Book, and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so. Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet ) passed by me and he smiled when he saw me, for he knew what was in my heart and on my face. He said, "O Aba Hirr (Abu Huraira)!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said to me, "Follow me." He left and I followed him. Then he entered the house and I asked permission to enter and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl and said, "From where is this milk?" They said, "It has been presented to you by such-and-such man (or by such and such woman)." He said, "O Aba Hirr!" I said, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Go and call the people of Suffa to me." These people of Suffa were the guests of Islam who had no families, nor money, nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an object of charity was brought to the Prophet, he would send it to them and would not take anything from it, and whenever any present was given to him, he used to send some for them and take some of it for himself. The order of the Prophet upset me, and I said to myself, "How will this little milk be enough for the people of As- Suffa? though I was more entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen myself", but behold! The Prophet came to order me to give that milk to them. I wondered what will remain of that milk for me, but anyway, I could not but obey Allah and His Apostle so I went to the people of As-Suffa and called them, and they came and asked the Prophet's permission to enter. They were admitted and took their seats in the house. The Prophet said, "O Aba-Hirr!" I said, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Take it and give it to them." So I took the bowl (of milk) and started giving it to one man who would drink his fill and return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and return it to me, and I would then offer it to another man who would drink his fill and return it to me. Finally, after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached the Prophet who took the bowl and put it on his hand, looked at me and smiled and said. "O Aba Hirr!" I replied, "Labbaik, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "There remain you and I." I said, "You have said the truth, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Sit down and drink." I sat down and drank. He said, "Drink," and I drank. He kept on telling me repeatedly to drink, till I said, "No. by Allah Who sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in my stomach)." He said, "Hand it over to me." When I gave him the bowl, he praised Allah and pronounced Allah's Name on it and drank the remaining milk.

The Prophet came from the direction of Bir Jamal. A man met him and greeted him. But he did not return back the greeting till he went to a (mud) wall and wiped his face and hands with its dust (performed Tayammum) and then returned back the greeting.

I found the Prophet in the mosque along with some people. He said to me, "Did Abu Talha send you?" I said, "Yes". He said, "For a meal?" I said, "Yes." Then he said to his companions, "Get up." They set out and I was ahead of them.

The Prophet said, "What is wrong with those people who look towards the sky during the prayer?" His talk grew stern while delivering this speech and he said, "They should stop (looking towards the sky during the prayer); otherwise their eyesight would be taken away."

I heard the Prophet saying, "There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others."

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) saw a man driving his Badana (sacrificial camel). He said, "Ride on it." The man said, "It is a Badana." The Prophet said, "Ride on it." He (the man) said, "It is a Badana." The Prophet said, "Ride on it." And on the second or the third time he (the Prophet ) added, "Woe to you."

Allah's Apostle entered Mecca in the year of its Conquest wearing an Arabian helmet on his head and when the Prophet took it off, a person came and said, "Ibn Khatal is holding the covering of the Ka`ba (taking refuge in the Ka`ba)." The Prophet said, "Kill him."

Allah's Apostle said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Lot. He wanted to have a powerful support. If I were to stay in prison (for a period equal to) the stay of Joseph (prison) and then the offer of freedom came to me, then I would have accepted it." (See Hadith No. 591)

My brother and I came from Yemen, and for some time we continued to consider `Abdullah bin Mas`ud as one of the members of the family of the Prophet because we used to see him and his mother going in the house of the Prophet very often.

The Annwar said, "O Allah's Apostle! Every prophet has his own followers and we have followed you. So will you invoke Allah to let our followers be considered from us (as Ansar too)?" So he invoked Allah accordingly.

The first child who was born in the Islamic Land (i.e. Medina) amongst the Emigrants, was `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair. They brought him to the Prophet. The Prophet took a date, and after chewing it, put its juice in his mouth. So the first thing that went into the child's stomach, was the saliva of the Prophet.

On the day of the battle of Uhud, a man came to the Prophet and said, "Can you tell me where I will be if I should get martyred?" The Prophet replied, "In Paradise." The man threw away some dates he was carrying in his hand, and fought till he was martyred .

Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, "Allah's Apostle mentioned both his father and mother for me on the day of the battle of Uhud." He meant when the Prophet said (to Sa`d) while the latter was fighting. "Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you!"

That he came riding a donkey when Allah 's Apostle was standing at Mina during Hajjat-ul-Wada`, leading the people in prayer. The donkey passed in front of a part of the row (of the people offering the prayer). Then he dismounted from it and took his position in the row with the people.

Allah's Apostle said, "Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He takes him over, He never releases him." Then he recited:-- "Such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes (population of) towns in the midst of their wrong: Painful indeed, and severe is His seizure.' (11.102)

Two men came from the east and delivered speeches, and the Prophet said, "Some eloquent speech has the influence of magic." (e.g., some people refuse to do something and then a good eloquent speaker addresses them and then they agree to do that very thing after his speech)

The Prophet pointed with his hand towards Yemen and said twice, "Faith is there," and then pointed towards the East, and said, "Verily, sternness and mercilessness are the qualities of those who are busy with their camels and pay no attention to their religion, where the two sides of the head of Satan will appear," namely, the tribes of Rabl'a and Muqar.

While we were with `Utba. `Umar wrote to us: The Prophet said, "There is none who wears silk in this world except that he will wear nothing of it in the Hereafter." ' Abu `Uthman pointed out with his middle and index fingers.

This hadith has also been narrated by Abu `Uthman.

When the Prophet intended to write to the Byzantines, it was said to him, "Those people do not read your letter unless it is stamped." So the Prophet took a silver ring and got 'Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah' engraved on it .... as if I am now looking at its glitter in his hand.

The Prophet passed by a man who was admonishing his brother regarding Haya' (pious shyness from committing religeous indiscretions) and was saying, "You are very shy, and I am afraid that might harm you." On that, Allah's Apostle said, "Leave him, for Haya' is (a part) of Faith."

`Aisha said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says: 'No vision can grasp Him.' (6.103) And if anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen the Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says: "None has the knowledge of the Unseen but Allah."

Whoever tells you that the Prophet concealed something of the Divine Inspiration, do not believe him, for Allah said: 'O Apostle Muhammad! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord, and if you do it not, then you have not conveyed His Message.' (5.67)

The Prophet was hiding himself in Mecca and used to recite the (Qur'an) in a loud voice. When the pagans heard him they would abuse the Qur'an and the one who brought it, so Allah said to His Prophet: 'Neither say your prayer aloud, nor say it in a low tone.' (17.110)

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to pray on (the back of) his camel in whatever direction it took him.

Jabir b. Samura reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed (Nafl) prayer sitting before his death.

'A'isha observed that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe prayer in the night and the last of his (night) prayer was Witr.