I heard my father Ka'b b. Malik, and he fas one of those three whose repentance was accepted (by Allah). He transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any expedition that he undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the tradition narrated through another chain of transmitters the words are:" That Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition with a large number of persons more than ten thousand and this could not be recorded in the census register."

'A'isha said: Whenever Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) intended to set out on a journey he cast lots amongst his wives and he took one with him in whose favour the lot was cast. It so happened that he cast lots amongst us while setting out on a battle and it was cast in my favour, so I set out along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This relates to the period when the revelation concerning the commands of veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and I was brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan was near Medina, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when the command for the march was given and moved on until I went out of the encampments of the army and after relieving myself I came to my place. I touched my chest and found that my necklace which had been made of the stones of zafar had been broken. I retraced my steps and tried to search my necklace and this detained me there. The group of people who saddled my ride and placed my haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched on. They were under the impression that I was in it. The women in those days were light of weight and they did not wear much flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I was a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and Eet out and I found my necklace after the army had marched. I came to my place and there was none to call and none to respond (the call). I waited at my place under the impression that when the people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept. Safwan b. Mu'attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind the army because of taking rest came to my place walking in the latter part of the night and he saw the body of a person who was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as he had seen rue before it was enjoined to observe purda. I got ap by his voice as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un [we are for Allah and to Him we have to return. ] and I covered my head with my headdress. By Allah, he did not speak to me a word and I did not hear a word from him except Inna lillahi. He made his camel kneel down and I amounted the camel as he pressed tLe camel's foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the nose string on which I was riding until we came to the army where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat. Woe be upon those who harboured doubts about me and the most notorious among them was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the great hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a month. The people had been deliberating over the statements of those who had brought these calumnies against me. I was absolutely unaware of anything concerning that. This, however, caused doubt in my mind that I did not see Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him.) treating me with such kindness with which he treated me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) would coome and greet me with Assalam-o-'Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept outside despite my failing health and there went along with me Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b. Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of Sakhr b. 'Amir, the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq and his son was Mistah b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. Muttalib. I and the daughter of Abu Rahm set towards the direction of my house. Something got into the head dress of Umm Mistah and she said: Woe be upon Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon what you say. Do you curse people who had participated in Badr? She said: Innocent woman, have you not heard what he said? I said: What did he say? She conveyed to me the statement of those who had brought false allegations against me. So my illness was aggravated. I went to my house and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to me and he greeted me and then said: How is that woman? I said: Do you permit me to go to the (house) of my parents? She (further) said: I had at that time made up my mind to confirm this news from them. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted me. So I came to (the house of) my parents and said to my mother: Mother, do you know what the people are talking about? She said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah, if there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and he has co-wives also they talk many a thing about her. I said: Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking about? I wept during the whole night until it was morning and I did not have a wink of sleep and I wept even in the morning. As the revelation was delayed (in regard to this matter), so Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali ibn Abi 'Talib and Usama b. Zaid in order to seek their advice in regard to the separation of his wife. Usama b. Zaid told Allah's Messenger (may peace be apen him) about the innocence of his wives and what he knew about his love for them. He said: Allah's Messenger, they are your wives and we know nothing else about them but goodness. And as for 'Ali b. Abu Talib, he said: Allah has not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in regard to your wives). There are a number of women besides her and if you ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the truth. So, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in 'A'isha which can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who sent thee with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her but only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit and sought vindication against 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul, and he further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations of that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family? By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the person whom the people have mentioned in this connection is, according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person, and he did never get into my house but along with me. Sa'd b. Mu'adh stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, I defend your honour against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus we would strike his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of our brother Khazraj and you order us we would comply with your order. Then Sa'd b. 'Ubada stood up. He was chief of the Khazraj tribe. He was otherwise a pioas man but he had some what tribal partisanship in him and he said to Sa'd b. Mu'adh: By the everlasting existence of Allah. you are not stating the fact, you will not be able to kill him and you will not have the power to do so. Thereupon, Usaid b. Hudair stood up, and he was the first cousin of Sa'd b. Mu'adh and said to Sa'd b. 'Ubada: By the everlasting existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact. We would kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in defence of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon one another and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kept standing upon the pulpit and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) tried to subside their anger until they became silent and thus there was silence. 'A'isha further reported: I spent the whole day in weeping and even the night and could not have a wink of sleep even next night. My parents thought that this constant weeping of mine would break my heart. I wept and they sat beside me. In the meanwhile a woman of the Ansar came to see me. I permitted her to see me and she also began to weep. And we were in this very state that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came and he greeted me and then sat down. He had never sat with me since a month when this rumour was afloat, and there was no revelation (to clarity) my case. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, 'A'isha, this is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent, Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if accidentally there has been a lapse on your part seek forgiveness of Allah; He will pardon thee for when a servant makes a confession of his fault and turns (to Him) penitently, Allah also turns to him (mercifully) accepting his repentance. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked, my tears dried up and not even a single drop of tear was perceived by me (rolling out of my eyes). I said to my father: You give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I then said to my mother: Give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf, but she said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I was a small girl at that time and I had not read much of the Qur'an (but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard about this and it has settled down in your mind and you have taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am quite innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would never believe me to be true, and if I confess to (the alleged) lapse before you, whereas Allah knows that I am completely innocent (and I have not committed this sin at all), in that case You will take me to be true and, by Allah, I, therefore, find no other alternative for me and for you except that what the father of Yousuf said:, (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought for in that (predicament) which ye describe" (xii 18). After this I turned my face to the other side and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I was fully aware of this fact that I was innocent but I did not expect that Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur'anic Wahy) in my case as I did not think myself so much important that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in vision give an indication of my innocence to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) during his sleep. And, by Allah, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had not moved an inch from where he had been sitting and none from the members of my family had gone that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, descended revelation upon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) there and then and he felt the burden which he used to feel at the time of receiving revelation. He began to perspire because of the burden of words of Allah as they descended upon him even during the winter season and there fell the drops of his sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) smiled and the first words which he spoke to me were that he said: 'A'isha, there is glad tidings for you. Verily, Allah has vindicated your honour, and my mother who had been standing by me said: Get up (and thank him, i. e. the Holy Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not thank him and laud him but Allah Who has descended revelation vindicating my honour. She ('A'isha) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:" 'Verily, those who spread the slander are a gang among you" (and) ten (subsequent) verses in regard to my innocence. She further said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah (some stipend) as a token of kinship with him and for his poverty and he (Abu Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not spend anything for him. 'A'isha said: It was upon this that Allah the Exalted and Glorious revealed this verse:" And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear to give to the near of the kin" up to" Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you?" Hibban b. Musa' said that 'Abdullah b. Mubarak used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book which most (eminently) brightens the hope. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I wish that Allah should pardon me. I shall never stop this stipend. So he continued to give him the stipend which he had withdrawn. 'A'isha said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), about me what she knew or what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah's Messenger, I shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears) and seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her but goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact) that she was the only lady who amongst the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to vie with me but Allah saved her in bringing false allegation against me because of her God-consciousness. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh, however, opposed her and she was undone along with others.

" 'A'isha did not like that Hassan should be rebuked in her presence and she used to say: It was he who wrote this verse also:" 'Verily, my father and my mother and my honour, those are all meant for defending the honour of Muhammad against you." And 'Urwa further reported that 'A'isha said: By Allah, the person, about whom the allegation was trade used to say: Hallowed be Allah, by One, in Whose hand is my life, I have never unveiled any woman, and then he die, & as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and in the narration transmitted on the authority of Ya'qub b. Ibrahim., the word is Mu'irin and in the narration transmitted on the'authority of 'Abd al-Razzaq it is Mughirin. 'Abd b. Humaid said: I said to 'Abd al-Razzaq: What does this word Mughirin mean? And he said: Al- waghra means intense heat.

When I came under discussion what the people had to say about me, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood up for delivering an address and he recited tashahhud (I bear witness to the fact that iheie is no god but Allah) and praised Allah, lauded Him what He rightly deserves and then said: Coming to the point. Give me an advice about them who have brought false charge about my family. By Allah, I know no evil in the members of my family and the person in connection with whom the false charge is being levelled, I know no evil in him too. And he never entered my house but in my presence and when I was away on a journey, he remained with me even in that. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this change that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to my house and asked my maidservant and she said: By Allah, I know no fault in her but this that she sleeps, and goat comes and eats the kneaded flour. Some of the Companions (of the Holy Prophet) scolded her and said: State the fact before Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and they even made a pointed reference (to this incident). She said: gallowed be Allah. By Allah, I know about her as does the jeweller know about the pure piece of gold. And when this news reached the person in connection with whom the allegation was made he said: Hallowed be Allah. By Allah, I have never unveiled any woman. 'A'isha said: He fell as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and there is this addition in this hadith that the people who had brought false allegation amongst them were Mistah and Hamna and Hassan. And so far as the hypocrite 'Abdullah b. Ubayy is concerned, he was one who tried his best to gather the false news and then gave them the wind. And he was in fact a fabricator and there was Hamna, daughter of Jahsh with him.

Go and strike his neck. 'Ali came to him and he found him in a well making his body cool. 'Ali said to him: Come out, and as he took hold of his hand and brought him out, he found that his sexual organ had been cut. Hadrat 'Ali refrained from striking his neck. He came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, he has not even the sexual organ with him.

We set out on a journey along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in which we faced many hardships. 'Abdullah b. Ubayy said to his friends: Do not give what you have in your possession to those who are with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) until they desert him. Zubair said: That is the reciting of that person who recited as min haulahu (from around him) and the other reciting is man haulahia (who are around him). And in this case when we would return to Medina the honourable would drive out the meaner therefrom (lxiv. 8). I came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and informed him about that and he sent someone to 'Abdullah b. Ubayy and he asked him whether he had said that or not. He took an oath to the fact that he had not done that and told that it was Zaid who had stated a lie to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Zaid said: I was much perturbed because of this until this verse was revealed attesting my truth:" When the hypocrites come" (lxiii. 1). Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) then called them in order to seek forgiveness for them, but they turned away their heads as if they were hooks of wood fixed in the wall (lxiii. 4), and they were in fact apparently good-looking persons.

Allah's Messenger, are you going to conduct prayer for this man, whereas Allah has forbidden you to offer prayer for him? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah has given me an option as He has said:" You may beg pardon for them or you may not beg pardon for them, and even if you beg pardon for them, seventy times" (ix. 80), and I am going to make an addition to the seventy. He was a hypocrite and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) offered prayer for him and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse:" Do not offer prayer for any one of them at all and do not stand upon their graves for (offering prayer over them)" (ix. 84).

" He then abandoned offering (funeral) prayer for them."

Do you think that Allah hears as we speak? The other one said: He does hear when we speak loudly and He does not hear when we speak in undertones, and still the other one said: If He listens when we speak loudly, He also listens when we speak in undertones. It was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" You did not conceal yourselves lest your ears, your eyes and your skins would stand witness against you" (xli. 22).

We would kill them, and the other one said: No, this should not be done, and it was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" Why should you, then, be two parties in relation to hypocrites?" (iv. 88).

" Think not that those who exult in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done-think not them to be safe from the chastisement; and for them is a painful chastisement" (iii. 18).

If every one of us be punished for his being happy upon his deed and for his being praised for what he has not done, nobody would be saved from the torment. Ibn 'Abbas said: What you have to do with this verse? It has been in fact revealed in connection with the people of the Book." Then Ibn Abbas recited this verse:" When Allah took a covenant from those who had been given the Book: You shall explain it to people and shall not conceal this" (iii. 186), and then Ibn 'Abbas recited this verse:" Think not that those who exult in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done" (iii. 186). Ibn 'Abbas (further) said: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) asked them about something and then they concealed that and they told him something else and they went out and they thought that they had informed him as lie had asked them and they felt happy of what they had concealed.

I said to 'Ammar: What is your opinion about that which you have done in case (of your siding with Hadrat 'Ali)? Is it your personal opinion or something you got from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? 'Ammar said: We have got nothing from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which people at large did not get, but Hudhaifa told me that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) had especially told him amongst his Companion, that there would be twelve hypocrites out of whom eight would not get into Paradise, until a camel would be able to pass through the needle hole. The ulcer would be itself sufficient (to kill) eight. So far as four are concerned, I do not remember what Shu'ba said about them.

We said to 'Ammar: Was your fighting (on the side of 'Ali in the Battle of Siffin) a matter of your own choice or you got its hints from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) for it, is likely for one to err in one's own discretion or was it because of any covenant that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) got from you? He said: It was not because of any covenant that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) got from us which he did get from other people, and he further said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:" In my Ummah." And I think that Hudhaifa reported to me and according to Ghundar (the words are) that he said: In my Ummah, there would be twelve hypocrites and they would not be admitted to Paradise and they would not smell its odour, until the camel would pass through a needle's hole. Dubaila (ulcer) would be enough to (torment them) -a kind of flame of Fire which would appear in their shoulders and it would protrude from their chest.

I adjure you by Allah to tell me as to how many people from Aqaba were. The people said to him (Hudhaifa) to inform him as he had asked. We have been informed that they were fourteen and If you are to be counted amongst them, then they would be fifteen and I state by Allah that twelve amongst them were the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger (may peace be upon him) in this world. The rest of the three put forward this excuse: We did not hear the announcement of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and we were not aware of the intention of the people as he (the Holy Prophet) had been in the hot atmosphere. He (the Holy Prophet) then said: The water is small in quantity (at the next station). So nobody should go ahead of me, but he found people who had gone ahead of him and he cursed them on that day.

He who climbed this hill, the hill of Murar, his sins would be obliterated as were obliterated the sins of Bani Isra'il. So the first to take their horses were the people of Banu Khazraj. Then there was a ceaseless flow of persons and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to them: All of you are those who have been pardoned except the owner of a red camel. We came to him and said to him: You also come on, so that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) may seek forgiveness for you. But he said: By Allah, so far as I am concerned, the finding of something lost is dearer to me than seeking of forgiveness for me by your companion (the Holy Prophet), and he remained busy in finding out his lost thing.

He who would climb this hill of Murar. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this variation that it was a desert Arab who was finding out his lost thing.

There was a person amongst us who belonged to the tribe of Bani Najjar and he recited Sura al-Baqarah and Surat Al-i-'Imran and he used to transcribe for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He ran away as a rebel and joined the People of the Book. They gave it much importance and said: He is the person who used to transcribe for Muhammad and they were much pleased with him. Time rolled on that Allah caused his death. They dug the grave and buried him therein, but they found to their surprise that the earth had thrown him out over the surface. They again dug the grave for him and buried him but the earth again threw him out upon the surface. They again dug the grave for him and buried him but the earth again threw him out upon the surface. At last they left him unburied.

This wind has perhaps been made to blow for the death of a hypocrite, and as he reached Medina a notorious hypocrite from amongst the hypocrites had died.

We went along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to visit a person suffering from fever. When I placed my hand upon him, I said: By Allah, I have never seen, till this day, a person running higher temperature than he. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), turning his face to his companions, said: May I not inform you of a severer temperature than this which these two persons would run on the Day of Resurrection? And they were two hypocrites riding upon the camel turning their back towards (the Muslims).

The similitude of a hypocrite is that of a sheep which roams aimlessly between two flocks. She goes to one at one time and to the other at another time.

" She sometimes finds a way in one flock and then in another flock."

A bulky person would be brought on the Day of judgment and he would not carry the weight to the eye of Allah equal even to that of a gnat. Nor shall We set up a balance for them on the Day of Resurrection" (xviii. 105).

Muhammad, or Abu al-Qasim, verily, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious would carry the Heavens on the Day of Judgment upon one finger and earths upon one finger and the mountains and trees upon one finger and the ocean and moist earth upon one finger, and in fact the whole of the creation upon one finger, and then He would stir them and say: I am your Lord, I am your Lord. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) smiled testifying what that scholar had said. He then recited this verse:" And they honour not Allah with the honour due to Him; and the whole earth will be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection and the heaven rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him I and highly Exalted is He above what they associate (with Him)" (Az-Zumar:67).

A Jew scholar came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is no mention of" then He would stir them." But there is this addition:" I saw Allah's Messengcr (may peace be upon him) smiling so much that his front teeth appeared and testifying him (th Jew scholar) ; then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited the verse:" And they honour not Allah with the honour due to Him" (xxxix. 67).

Abu al-Qasim, verily, Allah holds the Heavens upon one finger and the earths upon one finger and the trees and moist earth upon one finger and in fact the whole of the creation upon one finger and then say: I am the King. I am the King. And he (the narrator) further said: I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) smiling until his front teeth became visible and then he recited the verse: "And they measure not the power of Allah with His true measure" (39:67).

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, will take in His grip the Earth on the Day of Judgment and He would roll up the sky in His right hand and would say: I am the Lord; where are the sovereigns of the world?

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would fold the Heavens on the Day of Judgment and then He would place them on His right hand and say: I am the Lord; where are the haughty and where are the proud (today)? He would fold the' earth (placing it) on the left hand and say: I am the Lord; where are the haughty and where are the proud (today)?

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would take in His hand His Heavens and His Earth, and would say: I am Allah. And He would clench His fingers and then would open them (and say): I am your Lord. I saw the pulpit in commotion from underneath because of something (vib-ating) there. And (I felt this commotion so much) that I said (to myself): It may not fall with Allah's Massenger (may peace be upon him) upon it.

I saw Allah'h Messenger (may peace be upon him) upon the pulpit and he was saying that the Mighty Lord, the Exalted and Glorious would take hold of the Heavens and earth in His hand. The rest of the hadith is the same,

The people will be assembled on the Day of Resurrection on a white plain with a reddish tinge like the loaf of white bread with no marks set up for anyone.

I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about the words of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious:" The day when the earth would be changed for another earth and Heaven would be changed for another Heaven (XiV. 48), (and inquired: ) (Allah's Messenger), where would the people be on that day? He said: They would be on the Sirat.

Abu al-Qasim, may the Compassionate Lord be pleased with you! May I inform you about the feast arranged in honour of the people of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection? He said: Do it, of course. He said: The earth would become one single bread. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) looked towards us and laughed until his molar teeth became visible. He then again said: May I inform you about that with which they would season it? He said: Do it, of course. He said: Their seasoning would be balim and fish. The Companions of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: What is this balam? He said: Ox and fish from whose excessive livers seventy thousand people would be able to eat.

If ten scholars of the Jews would follow me, no Jew would be left upon the surface of the earth who would not embrace Islam.

As I was going along with Allah's Apostle (saws) in a cultivable land and he (the Holy Prophet) was walking with the support of a wood, a group of Jews happened to meet him. Some of them said to the others: Ask him about the Soul. They said: What is your doubt about it? There is a possibility that you may ask him about anything (the answer of) which you may not like. They said: Ask him. So one amongst them asked him about the Soul. Allah's Messenger (saws) kept quiet and he gave no reply and I came to know that revelation was being sent to him, so I stood at my place and thus this revelation descended upon him:" They ask thee about the Soul. Say: The Soul is by the Commandment of my Lord, and of Knowledge you are given but a little" (xvii. 58).

I was walking along with Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) in a field of Medina. The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is a slight variation of wording.

I will never repay you unless you belie Muhammad. I said: I would never belie Muhammad until you die and you are again raised up. He said: When I would be raised up after death, I would repay your debt when I would get my property and children back. Waki` said: This is how Al-A`mash has narrated and it was on this occasion that this verse was revealed: "Hast thou seen him who disbelieves in Our message and says: I shall certainly be given wealth and children" (xix, 77) up to "he would come to Us alone" (xix, 80).

O Allah, if he is true, then shower upon us the volley of stones from the sky or inflict upon us a grievous torment, and it was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" 'Allah would never torment them so long as you are amongst them. And Allah is not going to torment them as long as they seek forgiveness. And why is it that Allah should not torment them and they prevent people from coming to the sacred mosque...." (viii. 34) to the end.

Yes. He said: By Lat and `Uzza. If I were to see him do that, I would trample his neck, or I would smear his face with dust. He came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he was engaged in prayer and thought of trampling his neck (and the people say) that he came near him but turned upon his heels and tried to repulse something with his hands. It was said to him: What is the matter with you? He said: There is between me and him a ditch of fire and terror and wings. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) said: If he were to come near me the angels would have torn him to pieces. Then Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse- (the narrator) said: We do not know whether it is the hadith transmitted by Abu Huraira or something conveyed to him from another source: "Nay, man is surely inordinate, because he looks upon himself as self-sufficient. Surely to thy Lord is the return. Hast thou seen him who forbids a servant when he prays? Seest thou if he is on the right way, or enjoins observance of piety? Seest thou if he [Abu Jahl] denies and turns away? Knowest he not that Allah sees? Nay, if he desists not, We will seize him by the forelock-a lying, sinful forelock. Then let him summon his council. We will summon the guards of the Hell. Nay! Obey not thou him" (lcvi, 6-19). (Rather prostrate thyself.) Ubaidullah made this addition: It was after this that (prostration) was enjoined upon and Ibn Abd al-Ala made this addition that by "Nadiyah" he meant his people.

We were sitting in the company of Abdullah and he was lying on the bed that a person came and said: Abd Abd al-Rabmin, a story-teller at the gates of Kinda says that the verse (of the Qur'an) which deals with the" smoke" implies that which is about to come and it would hold the breath of the infidels and would inflict the believers with cold. Thereupon Abdullah got up and said in anger. O people, fear Allah and say only that which one knows amongst you and do not say which he does not know and he should simply say: Allah has the best knowledge for He has the best knowledge amongst all of you. It does not behove him to say that which he does not know. Allah has the best knowledge of it. Verily Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to His Prophet (may peace be upon him) to state:" I do not ask from you any remuneration and I am not the one to put you in trouble," and when Allah's Mesqenger (may peace be upon him) saw people turning back (from religion) he said: O Allah, afflict thern with seven famines as was done in the case of Yusuf, so they were afflicted with famine by which they were forced to eat everything until they were obliged to eat the hides and the dead bodies because of hunger, and every one of them looked towards the sky and he found a smoke. And Abu Sufyan came and he said: Muhammad, you have come to command us to obey Allah and cement the ties of blood- relation whereas your people are undone; supplicate Allah for tlicm. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:" Wait for the day when there would be clear smoke from the sky which would envelop people and that would be grievous torivent" up to the words:" you are going to return to (evil)." (if this verse implied the torment of the next life) could the chastisement of the next (life) be averted (as the Qur'an states): On the day when We seize (them) with the most violent seizing; surely We shall exact retribution" (xliv. 16)? The seizing (in the hadith) implies that of the Day of Badr. And so far as the sign of smoke, seizing, inevitability and signs of Rome are concern- ed, they have become things of the past now.

I have left behind in the mosque a man who explains the Qur'an according to his personal discretion and he explained this verse:" So wait for the day when the Heaven brings a clear smoke." He says that a smoke would come to the people on the Day of Resurrection anl it will withhold breath and they would be inflicted with cold. 'Abdullah said: He who has knowledge should say something and he who has no knowledge should simply say: Allah is best aware. This reflects the understanding of a person that he should say about that which he does not know that it is Allah who knows best. The fact is that when the Quraish disobeyed Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) he supplicated Allah that they should be afflicted with famine and starvation as was done in case of Yusuf. And they were so much hard pressed that a person would ace the sky and he would see between him and the sky something like smoke and they were so much hard pressed that they began to cat the bones, and a person came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger. seek forgiveness for the tribe of Mudar for (its people) have been undone. The Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: For Mudar? You are overbold, but he supplicated Allah for them. It was upon this that this verse was revealed:" We shall remove the chastisement a little, but they will surely return to evil" (xliv. 15). lie (the narrator) said: There was a downpoor of rain upon them. When there was some relief for them they returned to the same position as they had been before, and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse:" So wait for the day when the heaven brings a clear smoke enveloping people. This is a grievous torment on the day when We seize them with the most violent seizing; surely, We shall exact retribution." And this (seizing) implied (Battle) of Badr.

(Enveloping) by the smoke, inevitable (punishment to the Meccans at Badr), (the victory of) Rome, (violent) seizing (of the Meccans at Badr) and (the splitting up of) the Moon.