(This is Ma'mar's version which is more accurate.) A man and a woman of the Jews committed fornication.

Some of them said to the others: Let us go to this Prophet, for he has been sent with an easy law. If he gives a judgment lighter than stoning, we shall accept it, and argue about it with Allah, saying: It is a judgment of one of your prophets. So they came to the Prophet (saws) who was sitting in the mosque among his companions.

They said: AbulQasim, what do you think about a man and a woman who committed fornication? He did not speak to them a word till he went to their school.

He stood at the gate and said: I adjure you by Allah Who revealed the Torah to Moses, what (punishment) do you find in the Torah for a person who commits fornication, if he is married?

They said: He shall be blackened with charcoal, taken round a donkey among the people, and flogged. A young man among them kept silent.

When the Prophet (saws) emphatically adjured him, he said: By Allah, since you have adjured us (we inform you that) we find stoning in the Torah (is the punishment for fornication).

The Prophet (saws) said: So when did you lessen the severity of Allah's command? He said:

A relative of one of our kings had committed fornication, but his stoning was suspended. Then a man of a family of common people committed fornication. He was to have been stoned, but his people intervened and said: Our man shall not be stoned until you bring your man and stone him. So they made a compromise on this punishment between them.

The Prophet (saws) said: So I decide in accordance with what the Torah says. He then commanded regarding them and they were stoned to death.

Az-Zuhri said: We have been informed that this verse was revealed about them: "It was We Who revealed the Law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the Prophet who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah's will.

Jabir said “We went out along with the Messenger of Allah(saws) raising our voices in talbiyah for Hakk alone(Ifrad) while A’ishah raised her voice in talbiyah for an ‘Umrah. When she reached Sarif, she menstruated. When we came to (Makkah) we circumambulated the Ka’bah and ran between al Safa’ and al Marwah. The Messenger of Allah(saws) then commanded us that those who had not brought sacrificial animals withthem should put off their ihram (after ‘Umrah). We asked “Which acts are lawful(and which not)? He replied All acts are lawful (that are permissible usually). We had therefore intercourse with our wives, used perfumes, put on our clothes. There remained only four days to perform Hajj at ‘Arafah. We then raised our voice in talbiyah (wearing Ihram for Hajj) on the eighth of Dhu al Hijjah. The Messenger of Allah(saws) entered upon A’ishah and found her weeping. He said What is the matter with you? My problem is that I have menstruated, while the people have put on their ihram but I have not done so, nor did I go round the House(the Ka’bah). Now the people are proceeding for Hajj. He said This is a thing destined by Allah to the daughters of Adam. Take a bath, then raise your voice in talbiyah for Hajj(i.e, wear ihram for Hajj). She took a abtah and performed all the rites of the Hajj(lit. she stayed at all those places where the pilgrims stay). When she was purified, she circumambulated the House (the Ka’bah), and ran between al Safa’ and al Marwah. He (the Prophet) said “Now you have performed both your Hajj and your ‘Umrah. She said Messenger of Allah, I have some misgiving in my mind that I did not go round the Ka’bah when I performed Hajj (in the beginning). He said ‘Abd al Rahman (her brother), take her and have her perform ‘Umrah from Al Tan’im. This happened on the night of Al Hasbah(i.e., the fourteenth of Dhu Al Hijjah).

A’ishah wife of the Prophet(saws) and Umm Salamah said “Abu Hudaifah bin ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah bin ‘Abd Shams adopted Salim as his son and married him to his niece Hind, daughter of Al Walid bin ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah. He (Salim) was the freed slave of a woman from the Ansar (the Helpers) as the Apostle of Allaah(saws) adopted Zaid as his son. In pre Islamic days when anyone adopted a man as his son, the people called him by his name and he was given a share from his inheritance. Allaah, the Exalted, revealed about this matter “Call them by (the name of) their fathers, that is juster in the sight of Allaah. And if ye know not their fathers, then (they are) your brethren in the faith and your clients. They were then called by their names of their fathers. A man, whose father was not known, remained under the protection of someone and considered brother in faith. Sahlah daughter of Suhail bin Amr Al Quraishi then came and said Apostle of Allaah(saws), we used to consider Salim(our) son. He dwelled with me and Abu Hudhaifah in the same house, and he saw me in the short clothes, but Allaah the Exalted, has revealed about them what you know, then what is your opinion about him? The Prophet (saws) said give him your breast feed. She gave him five breast feeds. He then became like her foster son. Hence, A’ishah(may Allaah be pleased with her) used to ask the daughters of her sisters and the daughters of her brethren to give him breast feed five times, whom A’ishah wanted to see and who wanted to visit her. Though he might be of age; he then visited her. But Umm Salamah and all other wives of the Prophet (saws) refused to allow anyone to visit them on the basis of such breast feeding unless one was given breast feed during infancy. They told A’ishah by Allaah we do not know whether that was a special concession granted by the Prophet (saws) to Salim exclusive of the people.

Ibn ‘Abbas said “Hilal bin Umayyah accused his wife in the presence of Prophet (saws) of having committed adultery with Sharik bin Sahma’”. The Prophet (saws) said “Produce evidence or you must receive punishment on your back.” He said “Apostle of Allaah(saws) when one of us sees a man having intercourse with his wife should he go and seek evidence?” But the Prophet (saws) merely said “You must produce evidence or you must receive punishment on your back.” Hilal then said “By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I am speaking Truly. May Allaah send down something which will free my back from punishment. Then the following Qur’anic verses were revealed “And those who make charges against their spouses but have no witnesses except themselves” reciting till he reached “one of those who speak the truth”. The Prophet (saws) then returned and sent for them and they came (to him). Hilal bin Umayyah stood up and testified and the Prophet (saws) was saying “Allaah knows that one of you is lying. Will one of you repent?” Then the woman got up and testified, but when she was about to do it a fifth time saying that Allaah’s anger be upon her if he was one of those who spoke the truth, they said to her “this is the deciding one”. Ibn ‘Abbas said “She then hesitated and drew back so that we thought the she would withdraw(what she said) “Look and see whether she gives birth to a child with eyes looking as if they have antimony in them, wide buttocks and fat legs, if she did. Sharik bin Sahma’ will be its father. She then gave birth to a child of a similar description. The Prophet (saws) thereupon said “If it were not for what has already been stated in Allaah’s book I would have dealt severely with her.”

Abu Dawud said “This tradition has been transmitted by the people of Medina alone. They narrated the tradition of Hilal on the authority of Ibn Bashshar.”

A’ishah wife of the Prophet (saws) said “Marriage in pre Islamic times was of four kinds.” One of them was the marriage contracted by the people today. A man asked another man to marry his relative (sister or daughter) to him. He fixed the dower and married her to him. Another kind of marriage was that a man asked his wife when she became pure from menstruation to send fro so and so and have sexual intercourse with him. Her husband kept himself aloof and did not have intercourse with her till It became apparent that she was pregnant from the man who had intercourse with her. When it was manifest that she was pregnant, her husband approached her if he liked. This marriage was called istibda’(to utilize man for intercourse for a noble birth). A third kind of marriage was that a group of people less than ten in number entered upon a woman and had intercourse with her. When she conceived gave birth to a child and a number of days passed after her delivery, she sent for them. No one of them could refuse to attend and they gathered before her. She said to them “You have realized your affair. I have now given birth to a child. And this is your son. O so and so. She called the name of anyone of them she liked and the child was attributed to him. A fourth kind of marriage was that many people gathered together and entered upon a woman who did not prevent anyone who came to her. They were prostitutes. They hoisted flags at their doors which served as a sign for the one who intended to enter upon them. When she became pregnant and delivered the child , they got together before her and called for the experts of tracing relationship from physical features. They attributed the child to whom they considered and it was given to him. The child was called his son and he could not deny. When Allah sent Muhammad (saws) as a Prophet, he abolished all kinds of marriages prevalent among the people of the pre Islamic times except of the Muslims practiced today.

‘Ubaid Allah said “Marwan sent someone (Qabisah) to Fatimah and asked her (about the case). She said that she was the wife of Abu Hafs. The Prophet (saws) appointed ‘Ali as governor in a certain part of Yemen. Her husband also proceeded with him. From there he sent a message to her pronouncing one divorce that had yet remained. He commanded ‘Ayyash bin Abi Rabi’ah and Al Harith bin Hisham to provide maintenance to her. They said “By Allah there is no sustenance for her except in case she is pregnant.” She came to the Prophet(saws) who said “There is no sustenance for you except in case you are pregnant. She then asked permission to shift (from her house) and he gave her permission.” She asked “Where should I shift. Apostle of Allaah(saws)? The Apostle of Allaah(saws) said to Ibn Umm Maktum . He was blind. She would undress herself and he could not see her. She lived there till her waiting period passed. The Prophet (saws) married her to Usamah. Qabisah then returned to Marwan and narrated that to him. Marwan said “We did not hear this tradition except from a woman, so we shall follow the reliable practice on which we found the people”. When this reached Fatimah she said “between me and you is the Book of Allah”. Allaah the exalted said “Divorce them for their waiting period...” Thou knowest not it may be that Allaah will afterward bring some new thing to pass. She said “What a new thing will emerge after triple divorce.”

Abu Dawud said “A similar tradition has been narrated by Yunus on the authority of Al Zuhri. As for Al Zubaidi he narrated both traditions, the tradition of ‘Ubaid Allah in the version of Ma’mar and the tradition of Abu Salamah in the version of ‘Aqil.”

Abu Dawud said “Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated on the authority of Al Zuhri that Qabisah bin Dhuwaib transmitted to him the version which was narrated by ‘Ubaid Allah bin ‘Abd Allaah which has Qabisah then returned to Marwan and informed him about that.”

That 'Abd Allah b. Abbas, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Azhar and al-Miswar b. Makhramah sent him to 'Aishah, wife of the Prophet (saws). They said: Convey our regards to her from all of us and ask her about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, and tell her that we have been informed that she prays them, and we are told that the Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited them. I entered upon her and told her that for which they had sent me to her. She said: Ask Umm Salamah. I returned to them (Ibn 'Abbas and others) and informed them about her opinion. They sent me back to Umm Salamah with the same mission for which they had sent me to 'Aishah. Umm Salamah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibiting them, but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the 'Asr prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from Banu Haram from the Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two rak'ahs. I sent a slave girl to him and I told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allah (saws), I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave girl did so. When he finished prayer, he said: O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, in fact, some people of 'Abd al-Qais has come to me with the news that their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two rak'ahs after Zuhr prayer. It is those two rak'ahs (which I offered after the 'Asr prayer)

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saws) there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet (saws) rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet (saws) and placed his palms over his thighs, and said: "O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." The Messenger of Allah (saws) replied: "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger (saws), that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." He said: "You have spoken the truth." We were astonished at his thus questioning him (saws) and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about Iman (faith)." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken the truth." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Prophet) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about its signs." He said, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said, "O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion." [Muslim]

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi told him that Uwaymir al-Ajlani came to Asim ibn Adi al- Ansari and said to him, "Asim! What do you think a man who finds another man with his wife should do? Should he kill him and then be killed himself, or what should .he do? Asim! ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about that for me." Asim asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was revolted by the questions and reproved them until what he heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. was intolerable for Asim. When Asim returned to his people, Uwaymir came to him and said, " Asim! what did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say to you?" Asim said to Uwaymir, "You didn't bring me any good. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was revolted by the question which I asked him." Uwaymir said, "By Allah! I will not stop until I ask him about it!" Uwaymir stood up and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the middle of the people and said, "Messenger of Allah! What do you think a man who finds another man with his wife should do? Should he kill him and then be killed himself, or what should he do?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Something has been sent down about you and your wife, so go and bring her."

Sahl continued, "They mutually cursed one another in the presence of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I was present with the people. When they finished cursing each other, Uwaymir said, 'I shall have lied about her, Messenger of Allah, if I keep her,' and pronounced the divorce three times before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered him to do it."

Malik said that Ibn Shihab said, "That was how the sunna of a couple mutually cursing each other was established (lian)."

"I was asked about those who were involved in the case of Li'an and if they are to be separated, during the leadership of Mus'ab bin Az-Zubair. I did not know what to say. So I went to the house of Abdullah bin Umar and I sought permission to enter. I was told that he was taking a nap, but he heard me talking and he said: 'Is it Ibn Jubair? Enter. You would not have come except for a need.'"He said: "So I entered and found him lying on a saddlecloth from his mount. I said: 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! Are those involved in Li'an separated?' He said: 'Glorious is Allah! Yes. The first who asked about that was so-and-so the son of so-and-so. He came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah! If one of us saw 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 be horrible." "He said: 'So the Prophet remained silent and did not answer him. Afterwards he came to the Prophet and said: "The one who asked you about it has been tried by it." So Allah revealed these Ayat from Surat An-Nur. And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves - until the end of those Ayat. So he called for the man and recited the Ayat to him and admonished him, reminded him, and he told him: "Indeed the punishment of the world is less than the punishment of the Hereafter." So he said: "Nay! By the One Who sent you with the truth! I did not lie about her." Then he did the same with the woman, admonished her and reminding her and he told her: "Indeed the punishment of the world is less than the punishment of the Hereafter." She said: "Nay! By the One Who sent you with the truth! He is not telling the truth.'" "He said: 'So he started with the man: He testified four times, by Allah that he is one of the truthful, and the fifth time that the curse of Allah be upon him if he was one of the liars. Then the same with the woman: She testified four times by Allah, that he was one of the liars, and the fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was one of the truthful. Then he separated the two of them.'"

“I was a man who had an issue with intercourse with a women that none other than me had. When (the month of) Ramadan entered, I pronounced Zihar upon my wife (to last) until the end of Ramadan, fearing that I might have an encounter with her during the night, and I would continue doing that until daylight came upon me, and I would not be able to stop. One night while she was serving me, something of her became exposed for me, so I rushed myself upon her. When the morning came I went to my people to inform them about what happened to me. I said: ‘Accompany me to the Messenger of Allah to inform him about my case.’ They said: ‘No by Allah! We shall not do that, we feat that something will be revealed about us in the Qur’an, or the Messenger of Allah might say something about us, the disgrace of which will remain upon us. But you do and do whatever you want.’” He said: “So I left and I went to the Messenger of Allah, and informed him of my case. He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one.’ He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one.’ He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one, it is before you, so give me Allah’s judgment, for I shall be patient with that.’ He said: ‘Free a slave.’” He said: “I struck the sides of my neck with me hands, and said: ‘No by the One Who sent you with the Truth! I possess nothing besides it.’ He said: ‘Then fast for two months’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Did this occur to me other than when I was fasting?’ He said: ‘Then feed sixty poor people.’ I said: ‘By the One Who sent you with the Truth! We have spent these nights of ours hungry without an evening meal.’ He said: ‘Go to the one with the charity from Banu Ruzaiq, tell him to give it to you, then feed a Wasq of it, on your behalf, to sixty poor people. Then help yourself and your dependants with the remainder of it.’” He said: “I returned to my people and said: ‘I found dejection and bad ideas with you, and I found liberalness and blessing with the Messenger of Allah. He ordered me to take your charity, so give it to me.’ So they gave it to me.”

"I was asked about those who were involved in the case of Li'an and if they are to be separated, during the leadership of Mus'ab bin Az-Zubair. I did not know what to say. So I went to the house of 'Abdullah bin 'Umar and I sought permission to enter. I was told he was taking a nap, but he heard me taking and he said: 'Is it Ibn Jubair? Enter. You would not have come except for a need.'" He said: "So I entered and found him laying on a saddlecloth from his mount. I said: 'O Abu 'Abdur-Rahman! Are those involved in Li'an separated?' He said: 'Glorious is Allah! Yes. The first who asked about hat was so-and-so the son of so-and-so. He came to the Prophet (SAW) and said "O Messenger of Allah! If one of us saw 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 be horrible." He said: 'So the Prophet (SAW) remained silent and did not answer him. Afterwards he came to the Prophet (SAW) and said: "The one who asked you about it has been tried by it." So Allah revealed these Ayat from Surat An-Nur: 'And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves, let the testimony of one of them be four testimonies by Allah (24:6-10)' - until the end of those Ayat. He said: 'So he called for the man and recited the Ayat to him and admonished him, reminded him, and he told him: "Indeed the punishment of the world is less than the punishment of the Hereafter." So he said: "Nay! By the One Who sent you with the Truth! I did not lie about her." Then he (SAW) did the same with the woman, admonishing her and reminding her and he told her: "Indeed the punishment of the world is less than the punishment of the Hereafter." She said: "Nay! By the One Who sent you with the Truth! He is not telling the truth.'" "He said: 'So he started with the man: He testified four times, by Allah that he is one of the truthful, and the fifth time that the curse of Allah be upon him if he was one of the liars. Then the same with the woman: She testified four times by Allah, that he was one of the liars, and the fifth time that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was one of the truthful. Then he separated the two of them.'"

I did Haji and I came to Madinah the year ‘Umar was stabbed. He gave a speech and said: I dreamt that a red rooster pecked me once or twice-Shu`bah was riot certain - and what happened was that he was stabbed. The people were given permission to enter upon him. The first ones to enter upon him were the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), then the people of Madinah, then the people of Syria. Then permission was given to the people of Iraq, and I was among those who entered upon him. Every time people entered upon him, they praised him and wept. When we entered upon him, he had wrapped his stomach with a black turban cloth, and blood was flowing. We said: Give us some advice; and no one asked him for advice except us. Ile said: You have to adhere to the Book of Allah, for you will never go astray so long as you follow it. We said: Advise u5. He said: I urge you to be kind to the Muhajireen, for the people will increase in number and they will decrease. And I advise you to be kind to the Ansar, for they are the people of Islam with whom Islam sought refuge. And I advise you to be kind to the Bedouin, for they are your origin and your strength. And I advise you be kind to the non-Muslim people under your rule (ahludh-dhimmah), for they have a covenant with your Prophet (ﷺ) and they give you a source of income. You may leave now. And he did not say any more to us than these words. Muhammad bin Ja`far said: Shu’bah said: Then after that I asked him and he said concerning the Bedouin. I advise you to be kind to the Bedouin, for they are your brothers and the enemy of your enemy.

It was narrated that Juwairiyyah bin Qudamah said: I did Haji and I came to Madinah the year ‘Umar was stabbed. He gave a speech and said: I dreamt that a red rooster pecked me once or twice - Shu`bah was not certain - and only a week later, he was stabbed. And he mentioned a similar report, except that he said: And l advise you be kind to the non-Muslim people under your rule (ahludh-dhimmah), and honour the covenant of your Prophet (ﷺ). Then I asked him after that and he said concerning the Bedouin: I advise you to be kind to the Bedouin, for they are your brothers and the enemy of your enemy,

He reported God's messenger as saying, "Abraham told only, three lies two of which were for God's sake, his words, `I am indeed sick[1],' and `Nay, this largest one of them did it[2].' One day when he and Sarah came by a tyrant who was told that there was a man present accompanied by a most beautiful woman, he sent for him and asked him who she was, to which he replied that she was his sister. He then went to Sarah and told her that if this tyrant knew she was his wife he would take her away from him, so if he asked her, she must inform him she was his sister[3], she being his sister in Islam, for he and she were the only believers on the face of the earth. She was sent for arid brought to him and Abraham stood up and prayed. When she entered his presence, he was about to touch her with his hand, but he had a seizure (a variant saying that he choked) and kicked the ground with his feet. He asked her to supplicate God for him, saying he would do her no harm, and she did so; but when he was set free, he stretched out to touch her a second time and suffered a similar or a more severe seizure. He asked her to supplicate God for him, saying he would do her no harm, and she did so. He then called one of his chamberlains, and saying that it was not a human being but a devil he had brought him, he told him to give her Hagar as a servant. She came to Abraham while he was standing in prayer, and he made a sign with his hand indicating that he was asking what had happened. She told him that God had thrown back the infidel's scheme in his throat and given Hagar as a servant." Abu Huraira said, "That was your mother, B. Ma' as-Sama'.'?[4] Quran, 37: 89. Quran, 21: 63. Cf. Genesis, 12:11 ff. This is said to be a general term for the Arabs because they sought out places where rain fell. Ma' as-sama' means literally "the water of the sky." Ma' as-sama' was a laqab of Mawiya, mother of al-Mundhir III, king of al-Hira, but it is difficult to see how that has any connection here. Ma' as sama' is also said to be applied to Zamzam, which is traditionally said to be the well which the angel revealed to Hagar and her son Ishmael. That might justify the suggestion that Abu Huraira is here referring to the northern Arabs in particular. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

While we were with God's messenger when he was dividing portions, Dhul Khuwaisira, a man of the B. Tamim, came to him and said, "Act equitably, messenger of God." He replied, "Out upon you! Who will act equitably if I do not? You will be disappointed and losing if I do not act equitably." `Umar asked permission to cut off his head, but he replied, "Leave him alone, for he has companions[1] in comparison with whose prayers any of you would despise his, and in comparison, with whose fasting any of you would despise his. They recite the Quran but it does not pass their collarbones. They swerve from the religion as an arrow goes through the animal aimed at. Their look is directed to its head, on to the sinew on its socket, on to its nadi, which is its rod, on to its feathers, but there is no sign of excrement or blood on it[2]. They will be recognised by the presence of a black man one of whose upper arms quivers like a woman's breast, or like a piece of meat, and they will revolt against the best section of mankind[3]. Abu Sa'id said: I testify that I heard this tradition from God's messenger, and I testify that `Ali b. Abu Talib fought with them and that I was with him. He gave orders about that man who was sought for, and when he was brought in and I looked at him, he was exactly as the Prophet had described him. A version has: A man with deep-set eyes, a projecting brow, a thick beard, high cheekbones and a shaven head came forward and said, "Fear God, Muhammad." He replied, "Who will obey God if I disobey Him? God entrusts me with power over the inhabitants of the earth but you[4] do not." A man asked to be allowed to kill him but he prevented him. Then when the man turned away, he said, "From this one's stock there will be people who recite the Quran, yet it will not pass their throats. They will swerve from Islam as an arrow goes through the animal shot at. They will kill the followers of Islam and leave the worshippers of idols alone; but if I live to their time, I shall certainly kill them as `Ad were killed." 1. People like him, or people at a later period who will acquire a reputation for piety. The reference is to the Kharijites. 2. Just as an arrow can go through an animal without traces of excrement or blood, they will abandon Islam so quickly that no trace of it will be left in them. 3. `Ali and his party. 4. The pronoun is plural, indicating the man and his people. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from Humran, the mawla of Uthman ibn Affan, that Uthman ibn Affan was once sitting on the Maqaid (the benches surrounding the Madina Mosque, or else a stone near Uthman ibn Affan's house where he sat to discuss with people), when the muadhdhin came and told him that it was time for the asr prayer. He called for water and did wudu. Then he said, "By Allah, I shall tell you something which I would not tell you if it were not in the Book of Allah. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'If a man does wudu, and makes sure he does it correctly, and then does the prayer, he will be forgiven everything that he does between then and the time when he prays the next prayer.' "

Yahya said that Malik said, "I believe he meant this ayat - 'Establish prayer at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Good actions take away wrong actions. That is a reminder for those who remember.' " (Sura 11 ayat 114).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nuaym ibn Abdullah al- Mujmirthat Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Zayd told him that Abu Masud al Ansari said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us at the gathering of Sad ibn Ubada. Bashir ibn Sad said to him, 'Allah has ordered us to ask for blessings on you, Messenger of Allah. How should we do it?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, remained silent until we wished we had not asked him. Then he told us to say, 'O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim, and give baraka to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You gave baraka to the family of Ibrahim. In all the worlds You are worthy of Praise and Glorious,' and then give the taslim as you have learnt."

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad kama sallaita Ibrahim, wa baraka ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad kama baraktaala ali Ibrahim. Fi'l alamin, innaka Hamidu'm - Majid.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Amr ibn Hazm that he had heard Abbad ibn Tamim say that he had heard Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Mazini say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the place of prayer and asked for rain, and when he faced the qibla he turned his cloak inside out."

Malik was asked how many rakas there were in the prayer of asking for rain and he said, "Two rakas, and the imam does the prayer before he gives the khutba. He prays two rakas, and then he gives a khutba and makes dua, facing the qibla and turning his cloak inside out. He recites out loud in both rakas, and when he turns his cloak inside out he puts what is on his right on his left, and what is on his left on his right, and all the people turn their cloaks inside out when the imam does so, and face the qibla, sitting."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad from his father from Jabir ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, walked when he came down from Safa and Marwa and then, when he reached the middle of the valley, he broke into a light run until he had left it.

Malik said, about a man who, out of ignorance, did the say between Safa and Marwa before he had done tawaf of the House, "He should go back and do tawaf of the House and then do say between Safa and Marwa. If he does not learn about this until he has left Makka and is far away, he should return to Makka and do tawaf of the House and say between Safa and Marwa. If in the meantime he has had intercourse with a woman he should return, and do tawaf of the House and say between Safa and Marwa so that he completes what he owes of that umra. Then, after that, he has to do another umra and offer a sacrificial animal ."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham who was the wife of Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl became muslim on the day of the conquest of Makka, and her husband Ikrima fled from Islam as far as the Yemen. Umm Hakim set out after him until she came to him in the Yemen and she called him to Islam, and he became muslim. He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year of the conquest. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him, he rushed to him in joy and did not bother to put on his cloak until he had made the pledge with him. They were confirmed in their marriage.

Malik said, "If a man becomes muslim before his wife, a separation occurs between them when he presents Islam to her and she does not become muslim, because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'Do not hold fast to the ties of women who are kafirun.' "

Ibn Juraij said to me: O Hasan! Ubaidullah bin Abi Yazid informed me that Ibn Abbas said: "A man came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I had a dream at night while I was sleeping in which I was praying behind a tree, when I prostrated the tree prostrated along with me. Then I heard it saying: (Allahummaktuh li biha indaka ajran, wad a anni biha wizran, waj'alha li biha indaka dhukhran, wa taqabbalha minni kama taqabbaltaha min abdiki Dawud.)" (O Allah! Record for me, a reward with You for it, remove a sin for me by it, and store it away for me with You, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your worshipper Dawud). Al-Hasan said: "Ibn Juraij said to me: 'Your grandfather said to me: 'Ibn Abbas said: 'So the Prophet recited (an Ayah of) prostration then prostrated.'" (He said) "So Ibn Abbas said: 'I listened to him, and he was saying the same as the man informed that the tree had said.'"

“Ibn Juraij said to me: “Ubaidullah bin Abi Yazid informed me that Ibn Abbas said: “A man came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I had a dream at night while I was sleeping, in which I was praying behind a tree, when I prostrated, the tree prostrated along with me. Then I heard it saying: “O Allah! Record for me a reward with You for it, remove a sin from me by it, and store it away for me with You for it, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your worshipper Dawud (Allāhumma uktub lī bihā `indaka ajran, waḍa` `annī bihā wizran, waj`alhā lī `indaka dhukhran, wa taqabbalhā minnī kamā taqabbalta min `abdika Dāwūd).” Al-Hasan said: “Ibn Juraij said to me: ‘Your grandfather said to me: “Ibn Abbas said: ‘So the Prophet recited (an Ayah of) prostration, then prostrated.’” [He said] “So Ibn Abbas said: ‘I listened to him, and he was saying the same as the man informed that the tree had said.’”

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent an expedition force [comprised] of many, and he asked each what he could recite, so each one of them mentioned what he could recite - meaning what he had memorized of the Qur'an. He came to one of the youngest men among them and said: 'What have you memorized O so-and-so?' He said: 'I memorized this and that and Surat Al-Baqarah.' He said: 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said: "Yes.' He said: "Then go, for you are their commander.' A man among their chief said: 'By Allah [O Messenger of Allah]! Nothing prevented me from learning Surat Al-Baqarah except fearing that I would not be able to stand with (in voluntary night prayer).' The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Learn the Qur'an to recite it, for indeed the parable of the Qur'an for the one who recites it and stands with it (in prayer) is that of a bag full of musk whose scent fills the air all around. And the parable of the one who learns it then sleeps while it is in his memory is that of a bag containing musk that is tied shut.'"

from Zaid bin Aslam, from his father who said: "I heard 'Umar bin Al-Khattab [may Allah be pleased with him] saying: 'We were with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) during one of his journeys when I said something to him but he was silent. Then I said something again but he was silent. I quickened my pace of mount to go to the other wise. I said: "May your mother lose you O Ibn Al-Khattab! You pestered the Messenger of Allah (SAW) three times, each time he did not reply to you! You deserve that something be revealed about you in the Qur'an.'" He ('Umar) said: "It was not long before I heard a voice calling me.' So I came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and he said: "O Ibn Al-Khattab! A Surah was revealed to me last night which is dearer to me than what the sun rises upon: Verily, We have given you a manifest victory (48:1).'"

that a man came and sat in front of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I have two slaves who lie to me, deceive me, and disobey me, and I scold them and hit them. So what is my case because of them?" He said: "The extent to which they betrayed you, disobeyed you and lied to you will be measured against how much you punish them. If your punishing them is equal to their sins, then the two will be the same, nothing for you and nothing against you. If your punishing them is above their sin, some of your rewards will be taken from you and given to them." So the man left, and began weeping and crying aloud. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "You should read what Allah said in His Book: 'And We shall set up the Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything...' to the rest of the Ayah (21:47). So the man said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I see nothing better for myself, than me parting with them. Bear witness that they are all free."

"We were with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), while he was sitting with a group of his Companions, when they saw a glowing shooting star. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'When you saw the likes of this during Jahiliyyah, what would you say about it?' They said: 'We would say that a great man died, or that a great man has been born.' The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'It is not shot due to the death of anyone, nor his coming into life. Rather when our Lord [Blessed is His Name and Most High] decrees a matter, He is glorified by the bearers of the Throne. Then He is glorified by the inhabitants who are below them, then those below them, until such glorification reaches this Heaven. Then the inhabitants of the sixth Heaven ask the inhabitants of the seventh Heaven: "What did your Lord say?" He said: 'So they inform them; then the inhabitants of each Heaven seek the information, until the news is conveyed to the inhabitants of the Heavens of the earth. The Shayatin try to overhear so they are shot at, so they cast it down to their friends. Whatever they came with is true, as it is, but they distort it and add to it.'"

that the Prophet (SAW) said: "My Lord, Blessed is He and Most High, came to me in the best of appearances. So he said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'Here I am O my Lord! And I am at Your service.' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: '[Lord] I do not know.' So He placed His Hand between my shoulders, until I sensed its coolness between my breast, so I knew what was in between the east and the west. He said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'Here I am O my Lord! And I am at Your service.' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: 'In the acts that raise ranks and the acts that atone, and in recording the footsteps to the congregation, Isbagh Al-Wudu in difficulties, and awaiting the Salat after the Salat. And whoever preserves them, he shall live in goodness and die upon goodness, and his sins shall be like that on the day upon which his mother bore him.'"

A woman from the tribe Juhainah came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while she was pregnant from (Zina) adultery and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah! I have committed an offense liable to Hadd (prescribed punishment), so exact the execution of the sentence." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) called her guardian and said to him, "Treat her kindly. Bring her to me after the delivery of the child." That man complied with the orders. At last the Prophet (PBUH) commanded to carry out the sentence. Her clothes were secured around her and she was stoned to death. The Prophet (PBUH) led her funeral prayers. 'Umar submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! She committed Zina and you have performed funeral prayer for her?" He replied, "Verily, she made repentance which would suffice for seventy of the people of Al-Madinah if it is divided among them. Can there be any higher degree of repentance than that she sacrificed her life voluntarily to win the Pleasure of Allah, the Exalted?".

[Muslim].

The Prophet (PBUH) recited the Words of Allah, the Exalted, and the Glorious, about Ibrahim (PBUH) who said: "O my Rubb! They have led astray many among mankind. But whosoever follows me, he verily, is of me". (14:36) and those of 'Isa (Jesus) (PBUH) who said: "If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise". (5:118). Then he (PBUH) raised up his hands and said, "O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah," and wept; Allah, the Exalted, said: "O Jibril (Gabriel)! Go to Muhammad (PBUH) and ask him: 'What makes you weep?" So Jibril came to him and asked him (the reason of his weeping) and the Messenger of Allah informed him what he had said (though Allah knew it well). Upon this Allah said: "Jibril, go to Muhammad (PBUH) and say: 'Verily, We will please you with regard to your Ummah and will never displease you".

[Muslim].

Some of the poor Emigrants came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him, "The wealthy have obtained all high ranks and everlasting bliss." He asked, "How is that?" They replied: "They offer Salaah as we do, and observe Saum (fasting) as we do, but they give in Sadaqah (charity) and we do not, and they emancipate slaves and we cannot." He (PBUH) said, "Shall I not teach you something whereby you will catch up with those who have preceded you and will get ahead of those who follow you, and no one will surpass you unless he does the same as you do?" They said, "Surely, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Say: Subhan Allah, and Allahu Akbar, and praise Him (by saying Al-hamdu lillah) thirty-three times at the end of every Salaah." They returned to him and said: "Our brothers, the possessors of wealth, having heard what we are doing, have started doing the same." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "This is Grace of Allah which He gives to whom He wishes."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

I came to Al- Madinah, and while I was sitting beside 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased, and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said: "He will certainly enter it." Then another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "He will certainly enter it." A third funeral procession passed by and the people spoke ill of the deceased. He said: "He will certainly enter it." I (Abul-Aswad) asked: "O Amir Al-Mu'minin (i.e., Leader of the Believers)! What do you mean by 'He will certainly enter it'?" He replied: "I said the same as was said by the Prophet (PBUH). He (PBUH) said, 'If four persons testify the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Jannah.' We asked: 'If three persons testify his righteousness?' He (PBUH) replied, 'Even three'. Then we asked: 'If two?' He (PBUH) replied, 'Even two.' We did not ask him (regarding the testimony) of one."

[Al-Bukhari].

There was a trunk of a date-palm tree upon which the Prophet (PBUH) used to recline while delivering Khutbah (sermon). When a pulpit was placed in the mosque, we heard the trunk crying out like a pregnant she-camel. the Prophet (PBUH) came down from the pulpit and put his hand on the trunk and it became quiet.

Another narration is: The Prophet (PBUH) used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday (to give the Khutbah). Then an Ansari woman or man said, "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we make a pulpit for you?" He replied, "If you wish." So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, the Prophet (PBUH) sat on the pulpit [to deliver the Khutbah (sermon)] and the trunk of the date- palm on which he used to recline cried out as if it would split asunder.

Another narration is: It cried like a child and the Prophet (PBUH) descended (from the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of Dhikr near it."

[Al-Bukhari].

When we left Makkah, the daughter of Hamzah followed us, crying: O uncle, O uncle. I took her by the hand and gave her to Fatimah and said: Here is your cousin. When we came to Madinah, Ja`far, Zaid bin Harithah and I disputed concerning her, Ja`far said: She is the daughter of my paternal uncle and her maternal aunt is married to me - meaning Asma’ bint `Umais, Zaid said. She is the daughter of my brother. I said: I took her and she is the daughter of my paternal uncle. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “As for you, O Ja`far, you resemble me in appearance and attitude. As for you, O Ali, you are of me and I am of you. As for you, O Zaid, you are our brother and our freed slave. The girl should be with her maternal aunt, for the maternal aunt is [like] a mother.” I said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), why don`t you marry her? He said: `She is the daughter of my brother through breastfeeding.“

It is as if I can see the partridge in pieces in the bowls. Then a man came and said that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) was objecting to this. So he sent for ‘Ali, whose hands were dusty because he had been knocking down leaves (to feed to the camels) and he said: You disagree with us a great deal. ‘Ali said: I am reminding of Allah those who were present with the Prophet (ﷺ) when the meat of an onager was brought to him when he was in ihram, and he said: `We are in ihram; give it to people who are not in ihram.` Some men stood up and testified to that. Then he said: I am reminding of Allah any man who was present with the Prophet (ﷺ) when five ostrich eggs were brought to him and he said: “We are in ihram, give them to people who are not in ihram ” And some men stood up and testified. Then ‘Uthman stood up and went into his tent, and they left the food for the people of the oasis.

When `Umar bin al Khattab (رضي الله عنه) was placed on his bier, the people gathered around him, praying and invoking blessings upon him before [the bier] was lifted up, and I was among them. No one alarmed me except a man who seized me by the shoulder from behind. I turned and saw that it was ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه). He prayed for mercy for ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه), then he said: You have not left behind anyone more dear to me, with the like of whose deeds I would hope to meet Allah, than you. By Allah, I think that Allah will most certainly join you to your two companions, and that is because I often heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, `Abu Bakr, `Umar and I went; Abu Bakr, `Umar and I came in; Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and I went out.” So I think that Allah will most certainly join you to them.

“Who will take care of them?` Talhah said: “I will.” So they stayed with Talhah. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent out an expedition and one of them (these three men) went on that expedition and was martyred. Then he sent out an expedition, and another of them went on that expedition and was martyred. Then the third one died in his bed. Talhah said: “I dreamt that these three people who had stayed with me were in Paradise, and I saw the one who had died in his bed was ahead of them. I saw the one who was martyred last next to him, and I saw the one who was martyred first at the back. I was confused about that so I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him about that. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What did you find so strange about that? No one is better before Allah than a believer who lives longer as a Muslim, because of his fasting, takbeer and tahleel.`

I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he passed by some palm trees of Madinah, and he saw some people at the top of the palm trees who were pollinating them. He said: “What are these people doing?` [Talhah] said: “They are taking (pollen) from the male and putting it in the female, to fertilise it.” He said: `I do not think this can help in any way.” News of that reached them, so they stopped doing that and came down from the trees, which did not bear any fruit that year as a result. News of that reached the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: “It was only a thought that crossed my mind. If it helps in any way, then do it. I am only human, just like you, and thoughts may be right or wrong. But if I tell you that Allah, May He be glorified and exalted, said something, I will never tell a lie about Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.” It was narrated from Moosa bin Talhah ( and he narrated a similar report.) a similar report

I came to God's messenger and asked, “Who is associated with you in this matter, messenger of God?” He replied, “Both freeman and slave.” I asked what Islam was and he said, I “Pleasant speech and the provision of food.” I asked what faith was and he said, “Endurance and benevolence.” I asked what aspect of Islam was most excellent, and he replied that it was to be seen in him from whose tongue and hand the Muslims were safe. I asked what aspect of faith was most excellent, and he replied that it was a good disposition. I asked what feature of prayer was most excellent, and he replied that it consisted in standing for a long time in [silent] humility. I asked him what aspect of emigration (hijra) was most excellent, and he replied, “Abandoning (an tahjura) what your Lord abhors.” I asked what aspect of jihad was most excellent, and he replied that it was when a man’s steed was wounded and his blood was shed. I asked him which hour was most excellent, and he replied that it was towards the end of the darkest part of the night. Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said that when Sa'd b. ‘Ubada complained of a trouble, the Prophet came to visit him accompanied by ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf, Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas and ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud. On entering and finding him in a bad way (Or, in a faint) he suggested that his end was near, but was assured that that was not so. The Prophet wept, and when the people saw him weeping they wept also. He then said, "Listen; God does not punish for the tears the eye sheds or the grief the heart experiences, but He punishes for this (pointing to his tongue), or He shows compassion; and the dead is punished because of his family’s weeping for him."( Cf. the second tradition in section III where 'A’isha says Ibn ‘Umar has forgotten or made a mistake. This has given rise to much discussion and efforts have been made to show that the tradition of Ibn ‘Umar refers particularly to excessive weeping and wailing, or to the desire of pre-Islamic Arabs that people should lament them to an excessive extent when they died. The reference to the tongue indicates loud lamentation in contrast to silent weeping) (Bukharl and Muslim.)

I sat with a company of the poor*members of the Emigrants who were sitting close together because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. God’s messenger came along and stood beside us, and when he did so the reader stopped and gave him a salutation. He asked what we were doing, and when we told him we were listening to God’s Book he said, “Praise be to God who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to keep myself.”(Qur’ān,18:28) He then sat down among us so as to be like one of us, and when he had made a sign with his hand they sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him, and he said, “Rejoice, you group of poor Emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the day of resurrection. You will enter paradise half a day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.” *Lit. 'Weak'. This is said to refer to the people who lived in the Suffa Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

that if any of the polytheists came to him he should send them back to them; that if any of the Muslims went to them they should not send them back; and that he should be allowed to enter [Mecca] the following year and stay in it for three days. When he entered it and the period had passed he went out, and Hamza’s daughter followed him calling, “Uncle, uncle.” ‘Ali took her and held her by the hand, and ‘Ali, Zaid and Ja'far disputed about her. ‘Ali said, “I have taken her, and she is the daughter of my paternal uncle.” Ja'far said, “She is the daughter of my paternal uncle and her maternal aunt is my wife.” Zaid said, “She is my brother’s daughter.” The Prophet then gave decision about her in favour of her maternal aunt, saying, “The maternal aunt is in the position of the mother.” To ‘Ali he said, “You pertain to me and I pertain to you;” to Ja'far, “You resemble my form and nature;” and to Zaid, “You are our brother and client.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told that the Jews came to God’s Messenger and mentioned to him that a man and a woman of their number had committed fornication. He asked them what they found in the Torah about stoning and they replied that they should disgrace them and that they should be beaten. ‘Abdallah b. Salam then said, “You lie; it contains instruction that they should be stoned to death, so bring the Torah.” They spread it out, and one of them put his hand over the verse of stoning and read what preceded it and what followed it. 'Abdallah b. Salam told him to lift his hand and when he did so the verse of stoning was seen to be in it. They then said, “He has spoken the truth, Muhammad; the verse of stoning is in it.” The Prophet then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. In a version it says that he told him to lift his hand and that when he did so the verse of stoning was clearly in it. The man then said, “It contains the verse of stoning, Muhammad, but we have been concealing it from one another.” He then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id said that Mu'awiya went out to a circle in the mosque and asked them what had made them sit together. When they replied that they had sat down to remember God, he said, "I adjure you by God, has nothing else made you sit together?" On their reply that there was certainly no other cause he said, "I did not adjure you because I suspected you. No one in my position with relation to God’s messenger has fewer traditions from him than I have; but God’s messenger went out to a circle of his companions and asked them what had made them sit there, and when they replied that they had sat together to remember God and praise Him for guiding them to Islam and bestowing favour on them he said, ‘I adjure you by God, has nothing else made you sit together?’ On their replying that there was certainly no other cause he said, ‘I did not adjure you because’ I suspected you, but Gabriel came to me and told me God is speaking proudly of you to the angels’." Muslim transmitted it.

When we were with the Prophet on one of his expeditions he came upon some people and asked who they were, to which they replied that they were Muslims. A woman who had a son of hers with her was kindling a fire under her pot, and when the heat increased she moved him away. She then went to the Prophet and asked, “Are you God’s messenger?” On his replying that he was, she said, “You for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, tell me if God is not the most merciful of those who are merciful.” He replied that He certainly is, and she asked, “Is God not more merciful to His servants than a mother to her child?” and when he assured her that He certainly is, she replied that a mother does not cast her child into the fire. God’s messenger then bowed his head and wept, and afterwards raised it, looked at her and said, “God punishes only those of His servants who act audaciously towards Him and refuse to say that there is no god but God.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He then commanded him to perform ablution, doing it well, and make this supplication, “O God, I make request of Thee and I turn towards Thee by means of Thy prophet Muhammad, the prophet of mercy. By means of you 1 have turned towards my Lord to accomplish for me this need of mine. O God, make him an intercessor for me.” 1. bika. This would seem here to refer to the Prophet, although by itself it might naturally be taken to refer to God. The sentence which precedes certainly suggests that it must refer to the Prophet, in which case the translation might go, “by means of whom I have turned towards my Lord.” Changes of pronouns in Arabic often present difficulties to the translator. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.

God has cursed the women who tattoo and the women who have themselves tattooed, the women who pluck hairs from their faces and who make spaces between their teeth for beauty, changing what God has created. When a woman came and told him she had heard he had cursed such and such he asked why he should not curse those whom God’s messenger had cursed and those who were mentioned in God’s Book. She told him she had read it from cover to cover and had not found in it what he had been saying, to which he replied that if she had read it she would have found it, and asked her whether she had not read, “What the apostle has brought you accept, and what he has forbidden you refrain from.” (Qur’an, 59, 7). On her replying that she had, he said he had forbidden what he had been talking about. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A man of the Ansar who was a companion of the Prophet told me that while they were sitting one night along with God’s messenger, a star was thrown and shone brightly. He asked them what they used to say in the pre-Islamic period when something of that nature was thrown, and they replied, “God and His messenger know best. We used to say that a great man had been born that night, or that a great man had died." Then God’s messenger said, “It is not thrown because of anyone’s death or life; but when our Lord whose name is blessed decrees a matter the bearers of the Throne extol Him, then the inhabitants of heaven who are next to them extol Him till the extolling reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask them what their Lord has said and they tell them what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens ask one another till it reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn then snatch a hearing and pass it on to their friends and have [flames] thrown at them. Now what they bring as it came is true, but they mix things with it and make additions." Muslim transmitted it.

He told that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab recited, “Alms are for the poor and needy…Knowing, Wise," (Al-Qur’an; 9:60) and said that this verse applies to such. He then recited, “Know that a fifth of whatever booty you acquire goes to God and the Messenger . . . the traveller," (Al-Qur’an; 8:41) and said that this verse applies to such. He then recited, “What God has bestowed on His Messenger from the people of the towns ... to the poor" (Al-Qur’an; 59:7 f. The last word mentioned is the first word of verse 8. It may mean that he recited the whole of verse 8). He then recited, “And those who came after them," (Al-Qur’an; 59:10) saying that this includes all the Muslims, and adding that if he lived the herdsman in the sarw* of Himyar would certainly get his share which he had not earned by the sweat of his brow. * The word means a hill slope above a valley, not right upon the mountain. When associated with Himyar it is said to mean their settlement, cf. Yaqut, Mu'jam, iii, 82. The Himyarites were a famous South Arabian people. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Jabir told that when a Jewess in Medina gave birth to a boy with an eye obliterated and a long eye-tooth God's messenger was afraid, he might be the dajjal. He found him under a wrapper mumbling, and when his mother informed him saying, "`Abdallah[*], this is Abul Qasim," he came out from the wrapper. God's messenger then said, "What is the matter with her! God curse her! If she had left him alone, he would have made things clear." He then mentioned something similar in effect to Ibn `Umar's tradition. `Umar b. al-Khattab then said, "Let me kill him, messenger of God' but he replied, "If he is the one you are not the person to deal with him, for the person to deal with him is only Jesus, son of Mary; and if he is not the one, you have no right to kill a man who belongs to a people with whom a covenant has been made." But God's messenger continued to fear that he might be the, dajjal. *This may be a proper name, or it perhaps should be translated as "servant of God". It has already been said that his name was Saf. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "On the day of resurrection the earth will be one piece of bread which the Almighty will turn in His hand, as one of you turns his loaf while travelling, to be food provided for the inhabitants of paradise." A Jew then came and said, "May the Compassionate One bless you, Abul Qasim! Shall I not tell you the food provided on the day of resurrection for those who will go to paradise?" Receiving the reply, "Certainly," he said, "The earth will be one piece of bread as the Prophet has said." The Prophet then looked at the people and laughed so that his molar teeth were visible, and the Jew said, "Shall I not tell you what they will have to season it t It will be balam[*] and fish." He was asked what that wis and replied that it was an ox and a fish from whose excessive livers seventy thousand would eat. *This word which is explained as meaning an ox is mentioned in Taj al-'arus in connection with this tradition as a Hebrew word, but that is probably because a Jew used it and had to be asked what it meant. There seems to be no justification for calling it Hebrew. (Bukhari and Muslim,)