The Prophet (saws) used to say after the tashahhud: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment in Hell, and I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment in the grave, and I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of antichrist, and I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of life and death."

The Prophet then took up Usamah behind him (on the camel), and drove the camel at a quick pace. The people were beating their camels right and left, but he did not pay attention to them; he was saying: O people, preserve a quiet demeanour. He proceeded (from Arafat) when the sun had set.

The Prophet (saws) said: O community of people, who believed by their tongue, and belief did not enter their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his house.

[He said:] There are narrations on this topic from Ibn 'Abbas, Anas, and Asma' bint Yazid.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of 'Aishah is Hasan Sahih Gharib Hadith. Shu'bah has also reported it from 'Umarah bin Abi Hafsah.

He said: I heard Muhammad bin Firas Al-Basri saying: "I heard Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi saying: 'One day Shu'bah was asked about this Hadith, and he said: "I will not narrate it to you (people) until you stand up before Harami bin 'Umarah [bin Hafsah] to kiss his head." He said: 'And Harami was there among the people.'"

[Abu 'Eisa said:] Meaning: "approving of this Hadith."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr from his father that Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman told him that she had heard A'isha, the umm al-muminin, say (when it was mentioned to her that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "The dead are tormented by the weeping of the living"), "May Allah forgive Abu Abd ar-Rahman. Of course he has not lied, but he has forgotten, or made a mistake. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a jewish woman whose family were crying over her and he said, 'You are crying over her, and she is being tormented in her grave. ' "

"My father had me married so he invited people, and Safwan bin Umayyah was among them. So he said: 'Indeed the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'Bite the meat (with your teeth) for indeed it is more enjoyable and more wholesome.

He said: There are narration on this topic from 'Aishah and Abu Hurairah.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] We do not know of this Hadith except through the narration of 'Abdul-Karim. Some of the people of knowledge have criticized 'Abdul-Karim Al-Mu'allim because of his memory, Ayyub As-Sakhtiyani was among them.

The Prophet said, "An Israeli man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could pay his money but could not find, so I hand over this money to You.' Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.

One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The debtor replied, 'I have told you I could not get a boat other than the one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.' "

The group of people whom `Umar had selected as candidates for the Caliphate gathered and consulted each other. `Abdur-Rahman said to them, "I am not going to compete with you in this matter, but if you wish, I would select for you a caliph from among you." So all of them agreed to let `Abdur-Rahman decide the case. So when the candidates placed the case in the hands of `Abdur-Rahman, the people went towards him and nobody followed the rest of the group nor obeyed any after him. So the people followed `Abdur-Rahman and consulted him all those nights till there came the night we gave the oath of allegiance to `Uthman. Al-Miswar (bin Makhrama) added: `Abdur-Rahman called on me after a portion of the night had passed and knocked on my door till I got up, and he said to me, "I see you have been sleeping! By Allah, during the last three nights I have not slept enough. Go and call Az-Zubair and Sa`d.' So I called them for him and he consulted them and then called me saying, 'Call `Ali for me." I called `Ali and he held a private talk with him till very late at night, and then 'Al, got up to leave having had much hope (to be chosen as a Caliph) but `Abdur-Rahman was afraid of something concerning `Ali. `Abdur-Rahman then said to me, "Call `Uthman for me." I called him and he kept on speaking to him privately till the Mu'adh-dhin put an end to their talk by announcing the Adhan for the Fajr prayer. When the people finished their morning prayer and that (six men) group gathered near the pulpit, `Abdur-Rahman sent for all the Muhajirin (emigrants) and the Ansar present there and sent for the army chief who had performed the Hajj with `Umar that year. When all of them had gathered, `Abdur- Rahman said, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah," and added, "Now then, O `Ali, I have looked at the people's tendencies and noticed that they do not consider anybody equal to `Uthman, so you should not incur blame (by disagreeing)." Then `Abdur-Rahman said (to `Uthman), "I gave the oath of allegiance to you on condition that you will follow Allah's Laws and the traditions of Allah's Apostle and the traditions of the two Caliphs after him." So `Abdur-Rahman gave the oath of allegiance to him, and so did the people including the Muhajirin (emigrants) and the Ansar and the chiefs of the army staff and all the Muslims.

We had no alcoholic drink except that which was produced from dates and which you call Fadikh. While I was standing offering drinks to Abu Talh and so-and-so and so-and-so, a man cam and said, "Has the news reached you? They said, "What is that?" He said. "Alcoholic drinks have been prohibited. They said, "Spill (the contents of these pots, O Anas! "Then they neither asked about it (alcoholic drinks) nor returned it after the news from that man.

Abu Jahl said, "O Allah! If this (Qur'an) is indeed the Truth from You), then rain down on us a shower of stones from the sky or bring on us a painful punishment." So there was revealed:-- 'But Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad) were amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness. And why Allah should not punish them while they stop (men) from Al-Masjid-al-Haram ..' (8.33-34)

Regarding the Qur'anic Verse: 'O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will.' (4.19) The custom (in the Pre-lslamic Period) was that if a man died, his relatives used to have the right to inherit his wife, and if one of them wished, he could marry her, or they could marry her to somebody else, or prevent her from marrying if they wished, for they had more right to dispose of her than her own relatives. Therefore this Verse was revealed concerning this matter.