Ibn `Abbas recited the Qur'anic Verse:--'Except to be kind to me for my kin-ship to you--" (42.23) Sa`id bin Jubair said, "(The Verse implies) the kinship of Muhammad." Ibn `Abbas said, "There was not a single house (i.e. sub-tribe) of Quraish but had a kinship to the Prophet and so the above Verse was revealed in this connection, and its interpretation is: 'O Quraish! You should keep good relation between me (i.e. Muhammad) and you."

I enjoyed the company of Allah's Apostle for three years, and during the other years of my life, never was I so anxious to understand the (Prophet's) traditions as I was during those three years. I heard him saying, beckoning with his hand in this way, "Before the Hour you will fight with people who will have hairy shoes and live in Al-Bazir." (Sufyan, the sub-narrator once said, "And they are the people of Al-Bazir.")

On the day of the battle of Al-Yarmuk, the companions of the Prophet said to Az-Zubair, "Will you attack the enemy vigorously so that we may attack them along with you?" So Az-Zubair attacked them, and they inflicted two wounds over his shoulder, and in between these two wounds there was an old scar he had received on the day of the battle of Badr When I was a child, I used to insert my fingers into those scars in play.

The Prophet had informed the people about the death of Zaid, Ja`far and Ibn Rawaha before the news of their death reached them. He said with his eyes flowing with tears, "Zaid took the flag and was martyred; then Ja`far took the flag and was martyred, and then Ibn Rawaha took the flag and was martyred. Finally the flag was taken by one of Allah's Swords (i.e. Khalid bin Al-Walid) and Allah gave them (i.e. the Muslims) victory."

On the day of Badr, the Prophet said, "Who will go and see what has happened to Abu Jahl?" Ibn Mas`ud went and found that the two sons of 'Afra had struck him fatally. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud got hold of his beard and said, "'Are you Abu Jahl?" He replied, "Can there be a man more superior to one whom his own folk have killed (or you have killed)?"

On the day (of the battle) of Uhad when (some) people retreated and left the Prophet, I saw `Aisha bint Abu Bakr and Um Sulaim, with their robes tucked up so that the bangles around their ankles were visible hurrying with their water skins (in another narration it is said, "carrying the water skins on their backs"). Then they would pour the water in the mouths of the people, and return to fill the water skins again and came back again to pour water in the mouths of the people.

I heard Abu Burda who accompanied Yazid bin Abi Kabsha on a journey. Yazid used to observe fasting on journeys. Abu Burda said to him, "I heard Abu Musa several times saying that Allah's Apostle said, 'When a slave falls ill or travels, then he will get reward similar to that he gets for good deeds practiced at home when in good health."

The Prophet said, "Cover your utensils and tie your water skins, and close your doors and keep your children close to you at night, as the Jinns spread out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out your lights, for the mischief-doer (i.e. the rat) may drag away the wick of the candle and burn the dwellers of the house." Ata said, "The devils." (instead of the Jinns).

The Prophet said, "Allah will say to that person of the (Hell) Fire who will receive the least punishment, 'If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself (i.e. save yourself from this Fire)?' He will say, 'Yes.' Then Allah will say, 'While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, i.e. not to worship others besides Me, but you insisted on worshipping others besides me.' "

Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain."(1) And so it would rain.

I went to visit `Abdullah bin `Umar at his house which contained many tents made of cotton cloth and these were encircled with Suradik (part of the tent). I asked him from where, should one assume Ihram for Umra. He said, "Allah's Apostle had fixed as Miqat (singular of Mawaqit) Qarn for the people of Najd, Dhul-Hulaifa for the people of Medina, and Al-Juhfa for the people of Sham."

That Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and `Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Aswad bin 'Abu Yaghuth had said to him, "What prevents you from speaking to your uncle `Uthman regarding his brother Al-Walid bin `Uqba?" The people were speaking against the latter for what he had done. 'Ubaidullah said, "So I kept waiting for `Uthman, and when he went out for the prayer, I said to him, 'I have got something to say to you as a piece of advice.' `Uthman said, 'O man! I seek Refuge with Allah from you. So I went away. When I finished my prayer, I sat with Al-Miswar and Ibn 'Abu Yaghutb and talked to both of them of what I had said to `Uthman and what he had said to me. They said, 'You have done your duty.' So while I was sitting with them. `Uthman's Messenger came to me. They said, 'Allah has put you to trial." I set out and when I reached `Uthman, he said, 'What is your advice which you mentioned a while ago?' I recited Tashahhud and added, 'Allah has sent Muhammad and has revealed the Holy Book (i.e. Qur'an) to him. You (O `Uthman!) were amongst those who responded to the call of Allah and His Apostle and had faith in him. And you took part in the first two migrations (to Ethiopia and to Medina), and you enjoyed the company of Allah's Apostle and learned his traditions and advice. Now the people are talking much about Al-Walid bin `Uqba and so it is your duty to impose on him the legal punishment.' `Uthman then said to me, 'O my nephew! Did you ever meet Allah's Apostle ?' I said, 'No, but his knowledge has reached me as it has reached the virgin in her seclusion.' `Uthman then recited Tashahhud and said, 'No doubt, Allah has sent Muhammad with the Truth and has revealed to him His Holy Book (i.e. Qur'an) and I was amongst those who responded to the call of Allah and His Apostle and I had faith in Muhammad's Mission, and I had performed the first two migrations as you have said, and I enjoyed the company of Allah's Apostle and gave the pledge of allegiance to him. By Allah, I never disobeyed him and never cheated him till Allah caused him to die. Then Allah made Abu Bakr Caliph, and by Allah, I was never disobedient to him, nor did I cheat him. Then `Umar became Caliph, and by Allah, I was never disobedient to him, nor did I cheat him. Then I became Caliph. Have I not then the same rights over you as they had over me?' I replied in the affirmative. `Uthman further said, 'The what are these talks which are reaching me from you? As for what you ha mentioned about Al-Walid bin 'Uqb; Allah willing, I shall give him the leg; punishment justly. Then `Uthman ordered that Al-Walid be flogged fort lashes. He ordered `Ali to flog him an he himself flogged him as well."

We came upon `Abdullah bin Mas`ud and he said "O people! If somebody knows something, he can say it, but if he does not know it, he should say, "Allah knows better,' for it is a sign of having knowledge to say about something which one does not know, 'Allah knows better.' Allah said to His Prophet: 'Say (O Muhammad ! ) No wage do I ask of You for this (Qur'an) nor am I one of the pretenders (a person who pretends things which do not exist).' (38.86) Now I will tell you about Ad- Dukhan (the smoke), Allah's Apostle invited the Quraish to embrace Islam, but they delayed their response. So he said, "O Allah! Help me against them by sending on them seven years of famine similar to the seven years of famine of Joseph." So the famine year overtook them and everything was destroyed till they ate dead animals and skins. People started imagining to see smoke between them and the sky because of severe hunger. Allah said: 'Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible, covering the people. . . This is painful torment.' (44.10-11) (So they invoked Allah) "Our Lord! Remove the punishment from us really we are believers." How can there be an (effectual) reminder for them when an Apostle, explaining things clearly, has already come to them? Then they had turned away from him and said: 'One taught (by a human being), a madman?' 'We shall indeed remove punishment for a while, but truly, you will revert (to disbelief).' (44.12-15) Will the punishment be removed on the Day of Resurrection?" `Abdullah added, "The punishment was removed from them for a while but they reverted to disbelief, so Allah destroyed them on the Day of Badr. Allah said: 'The day We shall seize you with a mighty grasp. We will indeed (then) exact retribution." (44.16)

One of the daughters of `Uthman died at Mecca. We went to attend her funeral procession. Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbas were also present. I sat in between them (or said, I sat beside one of them. Then a man came and sat beside me.) `Abdullah bin `Umar said to `Amr bin `Uthman, "Will you not prohibit crying as Allah's Apostle has said, 'The dead person is tortured by the crying of his relatives.?" Ibn `Abbas said, "`Umar used to say so." Then he added narrating, "I accompanied `Umar on a journey from Mecca till we reached Al-Baida. There he saw some travelers in the shade of a Samura (A kind of forest tree). He said (to me), "Go and see who those travelers are." So I went and saw that one of them was Suhaib. I told this to `Umar who then asked me to call him. So I went back to Suhaib and said to him, "Depart and follow the chief of the faithful believers." Later, when `Umar was stabbed, Suhaib came in weeping and saying, "O my brother, O my friend!" (on this `Umar said to him, "O Suhaib! Are you weeping for me while the Prophet said, "The dead person is punished by some of the weeping of his relatives?" Ibn `Abbas added, "When `Umar died I told all this to Aisha and she said, 'May Allah be merciful to `Umar. By Allah, Allah's Apostle did not say that a believer is punished by the weeping of his relatives. But he said, Allah increases the punishment of a non-believer because of the weeping of his relatives." Aisha further added, "The Qur'an is sufficient for you (to clear up this point) as Allah has stated: 'No burdened soul will bear another's burden.' " (35.18). Ibn `Abbas then said, "Only Allah makes one laugh or cry." Ibn `Umar did not say anything after that.

I asked Aba Salama bin `Abdur-Rahman about the first Sura revealed of the Qur'an. He replied "O you, wrapped-up (i.e. Al Muddaththir)." I said, "They say it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord Who created,' (i.e. Surat Al-`Alaq (the Clot)." On that, Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir bin `Abdullah about that, saying the same as you have said, whereupon he said, 'I will not tell you except what Allah's Apostle had told us. Allah's Apostle said, "I was in seclusion in the cave of Hiram', and after I completed the limited period of my seclusion. I came down (from the cave) and heard a voice calling me. I looked to my right, but saw nothing. Then I looked up and saw something. So I went to Khadija (the Prophet's wife) and told her to wrap me up and pour cold water on me. So they wrapped me up and poured cold water on me." Then, 'O you, (Muhammad) wrapped up! Arise and warn,' (Surat Al Muddaththir) was revealed." (74.1)

The Prophet said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You. You have created me, and I am Your servant, and I am faithful to Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I admit my sins. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
(Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, A`udhu bika min Sharri ma sana`tu, abu'u Laka bini`matika `alaiya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta) "
The Prophet added. "If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise."

I said to `Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, and I was at that time a young boy, "How do you interpret the Statement of Allah: "Verily, Safa and Marwa (i.e. two mountains at Mecca) are among the Symbols of Allah." So it is not harmful of those who perform the Hajj to the House of Allah) or perform the Umra, to ambulate (Tawaf) between them. In my opinion it is not sinful for one not to ambulate (Tawaf) between them." `Aisha said, "Your interpretation is wrong for as you say, the Verse should have been: "So it is not harmful of those who perform the Hajj or Umra to the House, not to ambulate (Tawaf) between them.' This Verse was revealed in connection with the Ansar who (during the Pre-Islamic Period) used to visit Manat (i.e. an idol) after assuming their Ihram, and it was situated near Qudaid (i.e. a place at Mecca), and they used to regard it sinful to ambulate between Safa and Marwa after embracing Islam. When Islam came, they asked Allah's Apostle about it, whereupon Allah revealed:-- "Verily, Safa and Marwa (i.e. two mountains at Mecca) are among the Symbols of Allah. So it is not harmful of those who perform the Hajj of the House (of Allah) or perform the Umra, to ambulate (Tawaf) between them." (2.158)

Barirah came (to `Aisha) and said, "I have made a contract of emancipation with my masters for nine Uqiyas (of gold) to be paid in yearly installments. Therefore, I seek your help." `Aisha said, "If your masters agree, I will pay them the sum at once and free you on condition that your Wala' will be for me." Barirah went to her masters but they refused that offer. She (came back) and said, "I presented to them the offer but they refused, unless the Wala' was for them." Allah's Apostle heard of that and asked me about it, and I told him about it. On that he said, "Buy and manumit her and stipulate that the Wala' should be for you, as Wala' is for the liberator." `Aisha added, "Allah's Apostle then got up amongst the people, Glorified and Praised Allah, and said, 'Then after: What about some people who impose conditions which are not present in Allah's Laws? So, any condition which is not present in Allah's Laws is invalid even if they were one-hundred conditions. Allah's ordinance is the truth, and Allah's condition is stronger and more solid. Why do some men from you say, O so-and-so! manumit the slave but the Wala will be for me? Verily, the Wala is for the liberator."

Allah's Apostle said, "Your period (i.e. the Muslims' period) in comparison to the periods of the previous nations, is like the period between the `Asr prayer and sunset. And your example in comparison to the Jews and the Christians is like the example of a person who employed some laborers and asked them, 'Who will work for me till midday for one Qirat each?' The Jews worked for half a day for one Qirat each. The person asked, 'Who will do the work for me from midday to the time of the `Asr (prayer) for one Qirat each?' The Christians worked from midday till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat. Then the person asked, 'Who will do the work for me from the `Asr till sunset for two Qirats each?' " The Prophet added, "It is you (i.e. Muslims) who are doing the work from the `Asr till sunset, so you will have a double reward. The Jews and the Christians got angry and said, 'We have done more work but got less wages.' Allah said, 'Have I been unjust to you as regards your rights?' They said, 'No.' So Allah said, 'Then it is My Blessing which I bestow on whomever I like. "

When Allah's Apostle came to Medina, Abu Bakr and Bilal got fever, and I went to both of them and said, "O my father, how do you feel? O Bilal, how do you feel?" Whenever Abu Bakr's fever got worse, he would say, "Every man will meet his death once in one morning while he will be among his family, for death is really nearer to him than his leather shoe laces (to his feet)." And whenever fever deserted Bilal, he would say aloud, "Would that I know whether I shall spend a night in the valley (of Mecca) with Idhkhir and Jalil (i.e. kinds of grass) around me, and whether I shall drink one day the water of Mijannah, and whether I shall see once again the hills of Shamah and Tafil?" Then I went to Allah's Apostle and told him of that. He said, "O Allah, make us love Medina as much as or more than we used to love Mecca, O Allah, make it healthy and bless its Sa' and Mud (i.e. measures), and take away its fever to Al-Juhfa."

In the lifetime of Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) the sun eclipsed, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second rak`a as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, "The sun and the moon are two signs against the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa." The Prophet then said, "O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! There is none who has more ghaira (selfrespect) than Allah as He has forbidden that His slaves, male or female commit adultery (illegal sexual intercourse). O followers of Muhammad! By Allah! If you knew that which I know you would laugh little and weep much.

Allah's Apostle said, "When (Allah's) slave is put in his grave and his companions return and he even hears their footsteps, two angels come to him and make him sit and ask, 'What did you use to say about this man (i.e. Muhammad)?' The faithful Believer will say, 'I testify that he is Allah's slave and His Apostle.' Then they will say to him, 'Look at your place in the Hell Fire; Allah has given you a place in Paradise instead of it.' So he will see both his places." (Qatada said, "We were informed that his grave would be made spacious." Then Qatada went back to the narration of Anas who said;) Whereas a hypocrite or a non-believer will be asked, "What did you use to say about this man." He will reply, "I do not know; but I used to say what the people used to say." So they will say to him, "Neither did you know nor did you take the guidance (by reciting the Qur'an)." Then he will be hit with iron hammers once, that he will send such a cry as everything near to him will hear, except Jinns and human beings. (See Hadith No. 422).

The Prophet said, "(The people will be thrown into Hell ( Fire) and it will keep on saying, 'Is there any more?' till the Lord of the worlds puts His Foot over it, whereupon its different sides will come close to each other, and it will say, 'Qad! Qad! (enough! enough!) By Your 'Izzat (Honor and Power) and YOUR KARAM (Generosity)!' Paradise will remain spacious enough to accommodate more people until Allah will create some more people and let them dwell in the superfluous space of Paradise. "

The Prophet said, "The Right (Hand) of Allah Is full, and (Its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending night and day. Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His Right Hand. His Throne is over the water and in His other Hand is the Bounty or the Power to bring about death, and He raises some people and brings others down." (See Hadith No. 508)

Allah's Apostle said, "If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel, saying, 'Allah loves so and so, O Gabriel love him' So Gabriel would love him and then would make an announcement in the Heavens: 'Allah has loved so and-so therefore you should love him also.' So all the dwellers of the Heavens would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth." (See Hadith No. 66, Vol. 8)

Allah's Apostle said, "There are angels coming to you in succession at night, and others during the day, and they all gather at the time of `Asr and Fajr prayers. Then the angels who have stayed with you overnight ascend (to the heaven) and He (Allah) asks them though He perfectly knows their affairs. 'In what state have you left my slaves?' They say, 'When we left them, they were praying and when we came to them they were praying.' "

Allah's Apostle said, "The person who will be the last one to enter Paradise and the last to come out of Hell (Fire) will be a man who will come out crawling, and his Lord will say to him, 'Enter Paradise.' He will reply, 'O Lord, Paradise is full.' Allah will give him the same order thrice, and each time the man will give Him the same reply, i.e., 'Paradise is full.' Thereupon Allah will say (to him), 'Ten times of the world is for you.' "

I asked Allah's Apostle "What is the biggest sin in the sight of Allah?" He said, "To set up rivals unto Allah though He alone created you." I said, "In fact, that is a tremendous sin," and added, "What next?" He said, "To kill your son being afraid that he may share your food with you." I further asked, "What next?" He said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor."

that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said to him, "I see that you like sheep and the desert, so when you are looking after your sheep or when you are in the desert and want to pronounce the Adhan, raise your voice, for no Jinn, human being or any other things hear the Mu`adh-dhin's voice but will be a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection." Abu Sa`id added, "I heard this from Allah's Apostle."

The Prophet said, 'The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron (a citrus fruit) which is good in taste and good in smell. And the believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which has a good taste but no smell. And the example of an impious person who recites the Qur'an is that of Ar-Rihana (an aromatic plant) which smells good but is bitter in taste. And the example of an impious person who does not recite the Qur'an is that of a colocynth which is bitter in taste and has no smell."

The Prophet said, "There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not exceed their throats and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes back to the middle of the bow (by itself) (i.e., impossible). The people asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their sign will be the habit of shaving (of their beards and their heads). (Fath-ul-Bari, Page 322, Vol. 17th)

The Prophet said: Abraham did not tell lies except three. (One of them was) when Abraham passed by a tyrant and (his wife) Sara was accompanying him (Abu Huraira then mentioned the whole narration and said:) (The tyrant) gave her Hajar. Sara said, "Allah saved me from the hands of the Kafir (i.e. infidel) and gave me Hajar to serve me." (Abu Huraira added:) That (Hajar) is your mother, O Banu Ma'-As-Sama' (i.e., the Arabs).

Allah's Apostle entered upon Dubaa bint Az-Zubair and said to her, "Do you have a desire to perform the Hajj?" She replied, "By Allah, I feel sick." He said to her, "Intend to perform Hajj and stipulate something by saying, 'O Allah, I will finish my Ihram at any place where You stop me (i.e. I am unable to go further)." She was the wife of Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad.

Ibn `Umar never used to take his meal unless a poor man was called to eat with him. One day I brought a poor man to eat with him, the man ate too much, whereupon Ibn `Umar said, "O Nafi`! Don't let this man enter my house, for I heard the Prophet saying, "A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and a kafir (unbeliever) eats in seven intestines (eats much food).

Allah's Apostle said, "The example of a Believer who recites the Qur'an, is that of a citron which smells good and tastes good; And the example of a Believer who does not recite the Qur'an, is that of a date which has no smell but tastes sweet; and the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an, is that of an aromatic plant which smells good but tastes bitter; and the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an, is that of a colocynth plant which has no smell and is bitter in taste."

I was a guest of Abu Huraira for seven days. Abu Huraira, his wife and his slave used to get up and remain awake for one-third of the night by turns. Each would offer the night prayer and then awaken the other. I heard Abu Huraira saying, "Allah's Apostle distributed dates among his companions and my share was seven dates, one of which was a Hashafa (a date which dried on the tree before it was fully ripe).

I said, "O Allah's Apostle! We let loose our trained hounds after a game?" He said, "Eat what they hunt for you." I said, "Even if they killed (the game)?" He replied, 'Even if they killed (the game)." I said, 'We also hit (the game) with the Mi'rad?" He said, "Eat of the animal which the Mi'rad kills by piercing its body, but do not eat of the animal which is killed by the broad side of the Mi'rad.''

I asked Allah's Apostle. "We hunt with the help of these hounds." He said, "If you let loose your trained hounds after a game, and mention the name of Allah, then you can eat what the hounds catch for you, even if they killed the game. But you should not eat of it if the hound has eaten of it, for then it is likely that the hound has caught the game for itself. And if other hounds join your hound in hunting the game, then do not eat of it."

`Ali offered the Zuhr prayer and then sat down in the wide courtyard (of the Mosque) of Kufa in order to deal with the affairs of the people till the `Asr prayer became due. Then water was brought to him and he drank of it, washed his face, hands, head and feet. Then he stood up and drank the remaining water while he was standing. and said, "Some people dislike to drink water while standing thought the Prophet did as I have just done."

Allah's Apostle said, "The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes." (See Hadith No. 558, Vol. 9.)