"We were forbidden in the Quran to ask the Prophet about anything not imperative, so we liked it when a wise man from among the people of the desert came and asked him. A man from among the desert people came and said: 'O Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you say that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has sent you.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'Who created the heavens?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created the Earth?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who set up the mountains in it?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created beneficial things in them?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'By the One Who created the heavens and the Earth, and set up the mountains therein, and created beneficial things in them, has Allah sent you?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to offer five prayers each day and night.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to pay Zakah on our wealth.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to fast the month of Ramadan each year.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent You, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to perform Hajj, those who can afford it.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, I will not do more than this or less.' When he left, the Prophet said: 'If he is sincere, he will certainly enter paradise.'"

"Umar bin Al-Khattab told me: 'While we were with the Messenger of Allah [SAW] one day, a man appeared before us whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black. We could see no signs of travel on him, but none of us knew him. He came and sat before the Messenger of Allah [SAW], putting his knees against his, and placing his hands on his thighs, then he said: "O Muhammad, tell me about Islam." He said: "It is to bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah [SWT] and that Muhammad [SAW] is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the Salah, to give Zakah, to fast Ramadan, and to perform Hajj to the House if you are able to bear the journey." He said: "You have spoken the truth." And we were amazed by his asking him, and then saying, "You have spoken the truth". Then he said: "Tell me about Faith." He said: "It is to believe in Allah [SWT] , His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and in the Divine Decree, its good and its bad." He said: "You have spoken the truth." He said: "Tell me about Al-Ihsan." He said: "It is to worship Allah [SWT] as if you can see Him, for although you cannot see Him, He can see you." He said: "Tell me about the Hour." He said: "The one who is asked about it does not know more about it than the one who is asking." He said: "Then tell me about its signs." He said: "When a slave woman gives birth to her mistress, when you see the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in making tall buildings.'" 'Umar said: 'Three (days) passed, then the Messenger of Allah [SAW] said to me: "O 'Umar, do you know who the questioner was?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "That was Jibril, peace be upon him, who came to you to teach you your religion."

"I did not see the Prophet fast (Allah bless him and give him peace) for two consecutive months, other than Sha'ban and Ramadan.”

Should it so happen that we come into contact with one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) we shall ask him about what is talked about taqdir (Divine Decree). Accidentally we came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, while he was entering the mosque. My companion and I surrounded him. One of us (stood) on his right and the other stood on his left. I expected that my companion would authorize me to speak. I therefore said: Abu Abdur Rahman! There have appeared some people in our land who recite the Qur'an and pursue knowledge. And then after talking about their affairs, added: They (such people) claim that there is no such thing as Divine Decree and events are not predestined. He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: When you happen to meet such people tell them that I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. And verily they are in no way responsible for my (belief). Abdullah ibn Umar swore by Him (the Lord) (and said): If any one of them (who does not believe in the Divine Decree) had with him gold equal to the bulk of (the mountain) Uhud and spent it (in the way of Allah), Allah would not accept it unless he affirmed his faith in Divine Decree. He further said: My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs and said: Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth. He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith). He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-Ihsan (performance of good deeds). He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the Doom). He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings. He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Holy Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Apostle knows best. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.

“O women, give in charity and pray a great deal for forgiveness, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.” A woman who was very wise said: “Why is it, O Messenger of Allah, that we form the majority of the people of Hell?” He said: “You curse a great deal and you are ungrateful to your husbands, and I have never seen anyone lacking in discernment and religion more overwhelming to a man of wisdom than you.” She said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is this lacking in discernment and religion?” He said: “The lack of discernment is the fact that the testimony of two women is equal to the testimony of one man; this is the lack of reason. And (a woman) spends several nights when she does not pray, and she does not fast in Ramadhan, and this is the lack in religion.”

Al-Hakim transmitted on the authority of Abu Hurairah, “Whoever breaks his fast during Ramadan due to forgetfulness is not to make up for the day later or perform an expiation.” It is a sound hadith.

Sahl bin Sa'd (RAA) narrated That the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "People will always be fine (on the right path, or following the Sunnah) as long as they hasten to break their fast (in Ramadan)." Agreed upon.

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "When it is the middle of Sha'ban do not fast (until it is Ramadan).” Related by the five Imams, but Imam Ahmad declared it to be a weak narration.

Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the most generous of people in giving charity. He was even more generous in Ramadan when Jibril, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to meet him. Every night of Ramadan, Jibril used to come to him and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would read the Qur'an to him. When Jibril came to him, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was more generous in giving charity than the blowing wind."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al- Hadi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that Abu Said al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do itikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan. One year he was doing itikaf and then, when it came to the night of the twenty-first, which was the night before the morning when he would normally have finished his itikaf, he said, 'Whoever has done i'tikaf with me should continue doing itikaf for the last ten days. I saw a certain night and then I was made to forget it. I saw myself prostrating the following morning in water and clay. Look for it in the last ten days, and look for it on the odd days.' "

Abu Said continued, "The sky poured with rain that night and the mosque had a roof (made of palm fronds) and the mosque was soaked. With my own eyes I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leave with traces of water and clay on his forehead and nose, in the morning after the night of the twenty- first."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (RAA) narrated. ‘The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) has prohibited fasting on two days; the day of Fitr (breaking the fast of Ramadan) and on the day of sacrifice ('Idul Adha).’ Agreed upon.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) did not offer more than eleven (voluntary) Rak'at during Ramadan nor during other than Ramadan. He offered four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! (It is beyond description or imitation]. Again he would pray four Rak'at - Do not ask about their beauty and length! [It is beyond description or imitation]. Then he would pray three (Rak'at of Witr). 'Aishah (RA) said, "I said, O Allah's Messenger will you sleep before you pray Witr?" He said, "O 'Aishah my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep." [Agreed upon].

Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufian (RAA) narrated, ’The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said regarding the night of al-Qadr, "It is the 27th night (of Ramadan).’’ Related by Abu Dawud. But it is most probably the saying of Mu’awiyah and not the Prophet (P.B.U.H.).

Abu Aiyub Al-Ansari (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal will be (rewarded) as if he had fasted the entire year." Related by Muslim.

'A’isha (RAA) narrated, ’The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) used to perform I'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan until he died. Then his wives used to perform I'tikaf after his death.’ Agreed upon.

Abu Hurairah narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “Whoever prays during the night in Ramadan out of sincere faith and seeking its reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven." Agreed upon.

'A’isha (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "Whoever dies while he still has some fasts to make up (of the days of Ramadan), then his heir (any of them) should fast on his behalf.” Agreed upon.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ata ibn Abdullah al-Khurasani that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "A bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, beating his breast and tearing out his hair and saying, 'I am destroyed.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Why is that?', and he said, 'I had intercourse with my wife while fasting in Ramadan.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked him, 'Are you able to free a slave?', and the man said, 'No.' Then he asked him, 'Are you able to give away a camel?', and the man replied, 'No.' He said, 'Sit own,' and someone brought a large basket of dates to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to the man, 'Take this and give it away as sadaqa.' The man said, 'There is no one more needy than me,' and (the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace), said, 'Eat them, and fast one day for the day when you had intercourse.' "

Malik said that Ata said that he had asked Said ibn al-Musayyab how many dates there were in that basket, and he said, "Between fifteen and twenty sas.''

A person with dishevelled hair, one of the people of Najd, came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). We heard the humming of his voice but could not fully understand what he was saying, till he approached close to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Then I came to know that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "There are five (obligatory) Salat during the day and the night." He said: "Am I obliged to perform any other (Salat) besides these?" The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No, but whatever you observe voluntarily." He (PBUH) added, "There is the Saum of Ramadan." The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to do anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No, but whatever you do out of your own free will. You may observe voluntary fasting." And the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) told him about the Zakat (obligatory charity). The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to pay anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "No, but whatever you pay voluntarily out of your own free will." That man turned back saying: "By Allah! I will neither make any addition to this nor will I decrease anything from it." (Upon hearing this) the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) remarked, "He is successful if he proves truthful (to what he is saying)."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "None of you should fast a day or two before the (beginning of the) mouth of Ramadan, unless it is a day on which one is in the habit of fasting (i.e. voluntary fasting that coincides with that day).” Agreed upon.

'A’isha (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) would kiss and embrace (his wives) while fasting, for he had the most control of all of you over his desires.’ Agreed upon and the wording is from Muslim, who added in a narration, ‘In Ramadan.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) prayed during the month of Ramadan. Then they (the Sahabah) waited for him on the following night, but he did not come out and he said, "I feared that the Witr (prayer) might be prescribed for you." [Reported by Ibn Hibban].

Many deputations came to Mu'awiya. This was in the month of Ramadan. We would prepare food for one another. Abu Huraira was one of those who frequently invited us to his house. I said: Should I not prepare food and invite them to my place? So I ordered meals to be prepared Then I met Abu Huraira in the evening and said: (You will have) your meals with me tonight. He said: You have forestalled me. I said: Yes, and invited them. (When they had finished with the meals) Abu Huraira said: Should I not tell yon a tradition from your traditions, O ye assembly of the Ansar? He then gave an account of the Conquest of Mecca and said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) advanced until he reached Mecca. He deputed Zubair on his right flank and Khalid on the left, and he despatched Abu Ubaida with the force that had no armour. They advanced to the interior of the valley. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was in the midst of a large contingent of fighters. He saw me and said: Abu Huraira. I said: I am here at your call, Messenger of Allah I He said: Let no one come to me except the Ansar, so call to me the Ansar (only). Abu Huraira continued: So they gathered round him. The Quraish also gathered their ruffians and their (lowly) followers, and said: We send these forward. If they get anything, we shall be with them (to share it), and if misfortune befalls them, we shall pay (as compensation) whatever we are asked for. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said (to the Ansar): You see the ruffians and the (lowly) followers of the Quraish. And he indicated by (striking) one of his hands over the other that they should be killed and said: Meet me at as-Safa. Then we went on (and) if any one of us wanted that a certain person should be killed, he was killed, and none could offer any resistance. Abu Huraira continued: Then came Abu Sufyan and said: Messenger of Allah, the blood of the Quraish has become very cheap. There will be no Quraish from this day on. Then he (the Holy Prophet) said: Who enters the house of Abu Sufyan, he will be safe. Some of the Ansar whispered among themselves: (After all), love for his city and tenderness towards his relations have overpowered him. Abu Huraira said: (At this moment) revelation came to the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and when he was going to receive the Revelation, we understood it, and when he was (actually) receiving it, none of us would dare raise his eyes to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) until the revelation came to an end. When the revelation came to an end, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: O ye Assembly of the Ansar! They said: Here we are at your disposal, Messenger of Allah. He said: You were saying that love for his city and tenderness towards his people have overpowered this man. They said: So it was. He said: No, never. I am a bondman of God and His Messenger. I migrated towards God and towards you. I will live with you and will die with you. So, they (the Ansar) turned towards him in tears and they were saying: By Allah, we said what we said because of our tenacious attachment to Allah and His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Surely, Allah and His Messenger testify to your assertions and accept your apology. The narrator continued: People turned to the house of Abu Sufyan and people locked their doors. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) proceeded until he approached the (Black) Stone. He kissed it and circumambulated the Ka'ba. He reached near an idol by the side of the Ka'ba which was worshipped by the people. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had a bow in his hand, and he was holding it from a corner. When he came near the idol, he began to pierce its eyes with the bow and (while doing so) was saying: Truth has been established and falsehood has perished. When he had finished the circumambulation, he came to Safa', ascended it to a height from where he could see the Ka'ba, raised his hands (in prayer) and began to praise Allah and prayed what he wanted to pray.

Ibn ’Umar (RAA) narrated, ‘The people were trying to sight the new moon (of Ramadan.) and when I reported to the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) that I had seen it, he fasted and commanded people to fast.’ Related by Abu Dawud, and Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban graded it as Sahih.

“A man came to the Prophet (saw) and said: ‘I am doomed.’ He said: ‘Why are you doomed?’ He said: ‘I had intercourse with my wife in Ramadan.’ The Prophet (saw) said: ‘Free a slave.’ He said: ‘I cannot.’ He said: ‘Fast for two consecutive months.’ He said: ‘I cannot.’ He said: ‘Feed sixty poor persons.’ He said: ‘I cannot.’ He said: ‘Sit down.’ So he sat down, and while doing so a basketful of dates was brought. The Prophet (saw) said: ‘Go and give this in charity.’ He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, there is no household between its two lava fields (i.e., in Al-Madinah) that is more in need of it than us.’ He said: ‘Then go and feed your family.’”

Another chain from Abu Hurairah with additional words: "Then he (the Prophet SAW) said: "And fast a day in its place."

“Take it easy, she is Safiyyah bint Huyai.” They said: “Glorious is Allah, O Messenger of Allah!” And they were very upset by that (i.e., that he thought they may have some doubts). The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “The Satan flows through the son of Adam like blood, and I was afraid that he might cast some doubt into your hearts.”

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah said, "A woman is not to fast (even) for one day while her husband is present except with his permission" Agreed upon and the wording is from Al-Bukhari. Abu Dawud’s version states, “unless it is during Ramadan (then she does not need his permission as it is obligatory fasting).’’

“How was the ritual prayer of Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) during Ramadan?” so she said: “Neither in Ramadan nor in any other month would Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) add to the total of eleven cycles of [nighttime] ritual prayer. He would perform four — do not ask about their excellence or their length — then he would perform four — do not ask about their excellence or their length — and then he would perform three.” ‘A'isha said (may Allah the Exalted be well pleased with her): “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you perform the odd-numbered ritual prayer [witr]?' He said: ‘O 'A'isha, my eyes may sleep, but my heart does not sleep!’”

'A’isha (RAA) narrated, ‘With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. keep away from his wives) and used to stay up praying all night, and he would also wake his wives (to pray and recite Qur’an etc..).” Agreed upon.

Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his father heard Talha ibn Ubaydullah say, "Once one of the people of Najd came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He had dishevelled hair and although his voice could be heard we could not make out what he was saying until he drew nearer and then we found he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'There are five prayers during the day and the night.' He said, 'Do I have to do anything else besides that?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, added, 'And fasting the month of Ramadan.' He said, 'Is there anything else I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned zakat. The man said, 'Is there anything else that I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.'

He continued, "The man went away saying, 'By Allah, I won't do any more than this, nor will I do any less.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'That man will be successful, if he is telling the truth.'

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to pay the zakat al-fitr for those slaves of his that were at Wadi'l-Qura and Khaybar.

Yahya related to me that Malik said, "The best that I have heard about the zakat al-fitr is that a man has to pay for every person that he is responsible for supporting and whom he must support. He has to pay forall his mukatabs, his mudabbars, and his ordinary slaves, whether they are present or absent, as long as they are muslim, and whether or not they are fortrade. However, he does not have to pay zakat on any of them that are not muslim."

Malik said, concerning a runaway slave, "I think that his master should pay the zakat fo rhim whether or not he knows where he is, if it has not been long since the slave ran away and his master hopes that he is still alive and will return. If it has been a long time since he ran away and his master has despaired of him returning then I do not think that he should pay zakat for him.'

Malik said, "The zakat al-fitr has to be paid by people living in the desert (i.e. nomadic people) just as it has to be paid by people living in villages (i.e. settled people), because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made the zakat al-fitr at the end of Ramadan obligatory on every muslim, whether freeman or slave, male or female."

"I am Al- Bahili who visited you last year." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "You were quite handsome, what has changed your appearance so much?" He replied, "Since my departure from here, I have not eaten anything except at night." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) remarked, "You have put yourself to torture. Observe Saum (fasting) during the Month of Patience (i.e., Ramadan) and fast one day from each month." He submitted, "Permit me to observe more voluntary fasts because I have capacity to do so." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Then observe fasts for two days in every month." He said, "Permit me to observe more." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Observe fasts on three days in every month." He requested that he should be allowed to observe more fasts. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Fast three days during the sacred months and omit fasting for three days alternately." He (PBUH) joined his three fingers together and left them apart while repeating this sentence thrice.

[Abu Dawud].

“I saw in a dream that I was at the gate of Paradise, and I saw them both. Someone had come out from Paradise and he gave permission to the one who died last (to enter); then he came out and gave permission to the one who had been martyred. Then they both came back to me and said to me: Go back, for your time has not yet come.” The next morning, Talhah told the people about that and they were amazed by it. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: “Why are you amazed?` They said: “O Messenger of Allah, this one strove harder in worship and then was martyred for the sake of Allah, but the other one entered Paradise before him?” He said: `Did he not remain for a year after (the other one) died?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “Did he not live until Ramadan came and fast it?” They said: “Yes.” He said: `Did he not pray this many rak`ahs during that year?` They said: “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Verily, the distance between them is the distance between heaven and earth.”

I said, “Inform me, messenger of God, of an act which will cause me to enter paradise and remove me far from hell.” He replied, “You have asked a serious question, but it is easy for the one whom God helps to answer it. Worship God, associate nothing with Him, observe the prayer, pay the zakat, fast during Ramadan, and make the Pilgrimage to the House.” He said, “Shall I not guide you to the gateways of what is good? Fasting is a protection, and almsgiving extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire, and a man's prayer in the middle of the night [has the same effect].” Then he recited, “Withdrawing themselves from their couches ... they have been doing.” ¹ Then he said, “Shall I not guide you to the head and support of the matter and the top of its hump?” I replied, “Yes, messenger of God.” He said, “The head of the matter is Islam, its support is prayer, and the top of its hump is jihad.” Then he said, “Shall I not inform you of the controlling of all that?” I replied, “Yes, Prophet of God.” So he took hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” I asked, “Prophet of God, shall we really be punished for what we talk about?” He replied, “I am surprised at you, ² Mu'adh! Will anything but the harvests of their tongues overthrow men in hell on their faces (or, on their nostrils)?” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it. ¹ Quran, xxxii, 16f. ² Literally, may your mother be bereft of you.

Abu Qatada said that when a man came to the Prophet and asked him how he fasted, he was angry at what he said, and when 'Umar observed his anger he said, “We are satisfied with God as Lord, with Islam as religion and with Muhammad as Prophet. We seek refuge in God from the anger of God and His messenger.” ‘Umar kept on repeating these words till his anger calmed down, then asked, “Messenger of God, what is the position of one who observes a perpetual fast?” He replied, “May he not fast or break his fast!” or he said, “He has neither fasted nor broken his fast.” He asked, “What is the position of one who fasts two days out of every three?” and received the reply, “Is anyone able to do that?” He asked what was the position of one who fasted every second day and was told that was the fast David observed. He asked what was the position of one who fasted one day out of every three, and God’s messenger replied, “I wish I were given power to observe that.” Thereafter he said, “The observance of three days’ fast every month and of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. I seek from God that fasting on the day of ‘Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming year, and I seek from God that fasting on the day of ‘Ashura’ may atone for the sins of the preceding year.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “No Zakah is to be paid on one’s horse (that he rides) or one’s slave.” Related by Al-Bukhari. Muslim also has the narration, “There is no Zakah to be paid on one’s slave, except for Zakat-ul-Fitr (which is paid at the end of Ramadan, and a Muslim must pay it on behalf of all of those he is responsible for).”

'A’isha and Umm Salamah (RAA) narrated, The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) would rise in the morning (when it is already Fajr time) while he was Junub (in a state of major ritual impurity due to intercourse) on a day in Ramadan. He would then perform Ghusl and fast. Agreed upon. In the narration of Muslim on the authority of Umm Salamah, ‘And he would not make up for it (that day).’

Shaddad bin Aus (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) came across a man in Al-Baqi' (in Madinah) who was having himself cupped in Ramadan., and said to him, “The one who cups and the one who is being cupped have both broken their fast." Related by the five Imams except for At-Tirmidhi. Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn Hibban regarded it as authentic.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say, "Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the salah (prayer), paying the zakat (obligatory charity), making the hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, and fasting in Ramadhan." [Bukhari & Muslim]

"The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to fast until we would say: “He does not intend to break fast [during the month],” and he used to break fast until we would say: “He does not intend to fast during it.” He did not fast for a whole month after arriving in Medina, with the exception of Ramadan.”

“We fasted Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he did not lead us in praying Qiyam (prayers at night) during any part of it, until there were seven nights left. He led us in praying Qiyam on the seventh night until approximately one third of the night had passed. Then on the sixth night which followed it he did not lead us in prayer. Then he led us in praying Qiyam on the fifth night which followed it until almost half the night had passed. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, would that we had offered voluntary prayers throughout the whole night.’ He said: ‘Whoever stands with the Imam until he finishes, it is equivalent to spending the whole night in prayer.’ Then on the fourth night which followed it, he did not lead us in prayer, until the third night that followed it, when he gathered his wives and family, and the people gathered, and he led us in prayer until we feared that we would miss the Falah.” It was asked: “What is the Falah?” He said: “Suhur.” He said: “Then he did not lead us in prayer at night for the rest of the month.”

Jabir (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) left for Makkah during the year of the conquest (of Makkah) in Ramadan and he and the people with him fasted until he reached the valley of Kura Al-Ghamim. He then called for a cup of water, which he elevated so that the people could see it, and then he drank. After-wards, he was told that some people had continued to fast, and he then said, "Those are the disobedient ones! Those are the disobedient ones!”

‘Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was the most generous of humankind in charity, and he was at his most charitable in the month of Ramadan, until it was concluded. Gabriel would then come to him and present the Qur’an to him, and when Gabriel met him, Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) was more generous in charity than the winds sent with showering rain.”

Ibn ’Abbas (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) enjoined Zakat-ul-fitr on the one who fasts (i.e. fasted during the month of Ramadan) to purify him from any indecent act or speech and for the purpose of providing food for the needy. It is accepted as Zakah for the person who pays it before the Eid prayer and it is Sadaqah (i.e. voluntary charity) for the person who pays it after the Eid prayer.’ Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim graded it as Sahih.

A man questioned the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadhan, treat as lawful that which is halal, and treat as forbidden that which is haram, and do not increase upon that [in voluntary good deeds], then I shall enter Paradise?” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, “Yes.” [Muslim]

Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet (may peace be upon him) having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her.

Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came forward swiftly while we were sitting, He approached in such a manner that we wee alarmed by the speed with which he came towards us. When he reached us, he greeted us and said, 'I came swiftly to you to tell you about the Night of Power. I forgot it in the time it took me to get to you, so look for it in the last ten nights (of Ramadan).'"

'A’isha (RAA) narrated, ‘One day the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) entered my house and said, “ls there anything here (to eat)?" I said, ‘NO,’ He said, “I shall then be fasting (today)." Then he came to us another day and we said to him, 'Someone has offered us some hais as a gift.’ He then said, "Show it to me. I had been fasting since this morning, “and he ate from it ( as it was a voluntary fast and not during the obligatory fasting of Ramadan). Related by Muslim.

"I accompanied the Prophet (SAW) on a journey. One day I was near him while we were moving so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Inform me about an action by which I will be admitted into Paradise, and which will keep me far from the Fire.' He said: 'You have asked me about something great, but it is easy for whomever Allah makes it easy: Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him, establish the Salat, give the Zakat, fast Ramadan and perform Hajj to the HOuse.' Then he said: 'Shall I not guide you to the doors of good? Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire - and a man's praying in depths of the night.'" He said: "Then he recited: 'Their sides forsake their beds to call upon their Lord.' Until he reached: 'What they used to do.' [32:16-17] Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about the head of the entire matter, and its pillar, and its hump?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah! He said: 'The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat, and its hump is Jihad.' Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about what governs all of that?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah!'" He (SAW) said: "So he grabbed his tongue. He said 'Restrain this.' I said: 'O Prophet of Allah! Will we be taken to account for what we say?' He said: 'May your mother grieve your loss O Mu'adh! Are the people tossed into the Fire upon their faces, or upon their noses, except because of what their tongues have wrought'"

I went to ‘A’isha and said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about the nature of God’s Messenger.” She asked, “Do you not recite the Qur’an?” On my replying that I certainly did, she said, “The Prophet’s nature was the Qur’an.”* I said, “Mother of the faithful, tell me about the witr of God’s Messenger.” She replied, “I used to prepare his toothstick and his water for ablution, and God would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the toothstick, perform ablution, and pray nine rak'as, sitting only during the eighth of them, then he would make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth. After that he would sit, make mention of God, praise and supplicate Him, then utter a salutation loud enough for me to hear. He would then pray two rak'as sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'as, sonny. But when God’s Messenger grew old and became fleshy he observed a witr of seven, doing in the two rak'as, as he had done formerly, and that made nine, sonny. When God’s prophet prayed a prayer he liked to keep on observing it, but when sleep or pain made it impossible for him to get up during the night; he prayed twelve rak'as during the day. I am not aware of God’s prophet having recited the whole Qur’an in a night, or praying through a whole night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan.” *i.e. the good characteristics included in the Qur’an were shown by the Prophet in his own life. Muslim transmitted it.