"I used to serve the Prophet, and when he wanted to take a bath he would say: 'Turn your back to me.' So I would turn my back and hung up a cloth, and concealed him with it."

"I was harsh in the way I spoke to my family, but not to others. I mentioned that to the Prophet (saas) and he said: 'Why don't you ask for forgiveness? Ask Allah to forgive you, seventy times each day.'"

that the Messenger of was offered the daughter of Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib in marriage, and he said: “She is the daughter of my brother through breastfeeding, and breastfeeding makes unlawful (for marriage) the same things that blood ties make unlawful.”

"I said to Fatimah bint Qais: 'Tell me about your divorce.' She said: 'My husband divorced me three times when he was leaving for Yemen, and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) allowed that."'

“When my innocence was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) stood on the pulpit and mentioned that, and he recited Quran. When he came down, he ordered that the legal punishment (of slandering) be carried out on two men and a woman.”

“A woman came to the Prophet (saw) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother has died and she owed a fast. Should I fast on her behalf?’ He said: ‘Yes.’”

Thawban said, "When two men cut each other off for more than three days and one of them dies, then they both die while relations between them are severed and both of them are destroyed. There is no man who wrongs his neighbour to the extent that he forces him until he makes him leave his home who is not destroyed."

) "She should sit in a tub, and if she sees yellowness appearing (on top of the water) she should wash (three times), once for the Dhuhr and Asr prayers, and once for the Maghrib and Isha prayers, and once for the Fajr prayer, and she should then perform ablution in between those times."

That we should not connect a prayer to another prayer till we talk or go out (in between them)." [Reported by Muslim]

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "Whoever takes a bath, then comes to al-Jumu'ah prayer, then prays what was fixed for him, then keeps silent till the Imam finishes the Khutbah (religious talk - sermon), and then prays along with him - his sins (committed) between that time and the next Friday will be forgiven, with an addition of three days more." [Reported by Muslim].

On the day of Hunayn we travelled with the Messenger of Allah (saws) and we journeyed for a long time until the evening came. I attended the prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (saws).

A horseman came and said: Messenger of Allah, I went before you and climbed a certain mountain where saw Hawazin all together with their women, cattle, and sheep, having gathered at Hunayn.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) smiled and said: That will be the booty of the Muslims tomorrow if Allah wills. He then asked: Who will be on guard tonight?

Anas ibn AbuMarthad al-Ghanawi said: I shall , Messenger of Allah. He said: Then mount your horse. He then mounted his horse, and came to the Messenger of Allah (saws).

The Messenger of Allah said to him: Go forward to this ravine till you get to the top of it. We should not be exposed to danger from your side. In the morning the Apostle of of Allah (saws) came out to his place of prayer, and offered two rak'ahs. He then said: Have you seen any sign of your horseman?

They said: We have not, Messenger of Allah. The announcement of the time for prayer was then made, and while the Messenger of Allah (saws) was saying the prayer, he began to glance towards the ravine. When he finished his prayer and uttered salutation, he said: Cheer up, for your horseman has come. We therefore began to look between the trees in the ravine, and sure enough he had come.

He stood beside the Messenger of Allah (saws), saluted him and said: I continued till I reached the top of this ravine where the Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded me, and in the morning I looked down into both ravines but saw no one.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) asked him: Did you dismount during the night?

He replied: No, except to pray or to relieve myself. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: You have ensured your entry to (Paradise). No blame will be attached to you supposing you do not work after it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that his father used to go into Makka by night when he was doing umra and do tawaf of the House and say between Safa and Marwa and delay the shaving until the morning, but he would not go back to the House and do tawaf again until he had shaved his head.

Abd ar-Rahman added, "Sometimes he would enter the mosque and do the witr prayer there without actually going near the House."

Malik said, "At-tafath is shaving the head, putting on normal clothes and things of that nature."

Yahya said that Malik was asked whether a man who forgot to shave (his head) at Mina during the hajj could shave in Makka, and he said, "That is permissible, but I prefer the shaving to be done at Mina."

Malik said, "What we are all agreed upon here (in Madina) is that no-one should shave his head or cut his hair until he has killed his sacrificial animal, if he has one, and things that are haram for him do not become halal for him until he leaves ihram at Mina on the day of sacrifice. This is because Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, 'Do not shave yourheads until the sacrificial animal has reached its destination. ' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Uthman ibn Ishaq ibn Kharasha that Qabisa ibn Dhu'ayb said, "A grandmother came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and asked him for her inheritance. Abu Bakr said to her, 'You have nothing in the Book of Allah, and I do not know that you have anything in the sunna of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Go away therefore, until I have questioned the people.' (i.e.the Companions). He questioned the people, and al-Mughira ibn Shuba said, 'I was present with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he gave the grandmother a sixth.' Abu Bakr said, 'Was there anybody else with you?' Muhammad ibn Maslama al-Ansari stood up and said the like of what al-Mughira said. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq gave it to her. Then the other grandmother came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and asked him for her inheritance. He said to her, "You have nothing in the Book of Allah, and what has been decided is only for other than you, and I am not one to add to the fixed shares, other than that sixth. If there are two of you together, it is between you. If eitherof you is left alone with it, it is hers."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade 'selling and lending.'

Malik said, "The explanation of what that meant is that one man says to another, 'I will take your goods for such-and-such if you lend me such-and-such.' If they agree to a transaction in this manner, it is not permitted. If the one who stipulates the loan abandons his stipulation, then the sale is permitted."

Malik said, "There is no harm in exchanging linen from Shata, for garments from Itribi, or Qass, or Ziqa. Or the cloth of Herat or Merv for Yemeni cloaks and shawls and such like as one for two or three, from hand to hand or with delayed terms. If the goods are of the same kind, and deferment enters into the transaction, there is no good in it."

Malik said, "It is not good unless they are different, and the difference between them is clear. When they resemble each other, even if the names are different, do not take two for one with delayed terms, for instance two garments of Herat for one from Merv or Quhy with delayed terms, ortwo garments of Furqub for one from Shata. All these sorts are of the same description, so do not buy two for one, on delayed terms."

Malik said, "There is no harm in selling what you buy of things of this nature, before you complete the deal, to some one other than the person from whom you purchased them if the price was paid in cash."

"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) made a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Ad-Darda. Salman went to visit Abu Ad-Darda, and saw Umm Ad-Darda wearing shabby clothes, So he said: 'Why are you wearing such shabby clothes?' She said: 'Your brother Abu Ad-Darda has no interest in the world.' So when Abu Ad-Darda arrived, he prepared some food for him (Salman) and said: 'Eat, for I am fasting.' He said: 'I shall not eat until you eat.'" He said: "So he ate. When night came Abu Ad-Darda started to leave and stand (in prayer), but Salman said to him: 'Sleep.' So he slept. Then he went to stand (in prayer) but he said to him: 'Sleep'. So he slept. When the morning (Fajr) came,Salman said: 'Get up now.'So he got up to perform Salat. Then he (Salman) said: 'Indeed your self has a right upon you, your Lord has a right upon you, your guest has a right upon you, and your family has a right upon you. So give each the right they are due. The Prophet (s.a.w), and that was mentioned to him, so he said: 'Salman has told the truth.'"

"We asked 'Ali what he had been dispatched with during the Hajj. He said: 'I was sent with four: That there shall be no Tawaf around the House while naked, that if there is a treaty between someone and the Prophet (SAW), then the treaty remains until its expiration, and whoever does not have a treaty, then he has the span of four months, none shall enter Paradise except a believer, and the idolaters and Muslims shall not congregate (for Hajj) after this year.'"

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. It is the narration of [Sufyan] bin 'Uyainah from Abu Ishaq. Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported it from Abu Ishaq, from some of his companions, from 'Ali, and there is something about it from Abü Hurairah.
(Another chain) from Zaid bin Yuthai' from 'Ali with similar wordings.

(Another chain) Zaid bin Uthal' from 'Ali with similar wordings.
[Abu 'Eisa said:] Both narrations have been reported from Ibn 'Uyainah; from Ibn Uthai' and from Ibn Yuthai'. What is correct is that he is Zaid bin Yuthai'. Shu'bah reported a different narration from Abu Ishaq [from Zaid], and he was mistaken in it, he said: "From Zaid bin Uthail" and no one corroborated him in that. [There is something on this topic from Abu Hurairah].

The Prophet (PBUH) made a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abud-Darda'. Salman paid a visit to Abud-Darda' and found Umm Darda' (his wife) dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied: "Your brother Abud-Darda' is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world. In the meantime Abud-Darda' came in and prepared a meal for Salman. Salman requested Abud-Darda' to eat (with him) but Abud-Darda' said: "I am fasting." Salman said: "I am not going to eat unless you eat." So, Abud-Darda' ate (with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abud-Darda' got up (to offer the night prayer) but Salman asked him to sleep and Abud-Darda' slept. After some time Abud-Darda' again got up but Salman asked him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman asked him to get up and both of them offered (Tahajjud) prayer. Then Salman told Abud-Darda': "You owe a duty to your Rubb, you owe a duty to your body; you owe a duty to your family; so you should give to every one his due. Abud-Darda' came to the Prophet (PBUH) and reported the whole story. Prophet (PBUH) said, "Salman is right".

[Al- Bukhari].

When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) passed away, Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) was appointed as his successor (caliph). Amongst the Arabs some men apostatised. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) resolved to fight them. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Bakr: "How can you fight them when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has declared: 'I have been commanded to fight people till they testify La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah); and if they do it, their blood (life) and property are secured except when justified by law, and it is for Allah to call them to account." Upon this Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I would definitely fight him who makes distinction between Salat and the Zakat, because it is an obligation upon the rich to pay Zakat. By Allah I will fight them even to secure the piece of rope which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I realized that Allah opened the heart of Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) for fighting those who refused to pay Zakat, and I fully recognized that Abu Bakr

It was said to ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه): “Did your Messenger say anything to you only that was not for the people in general?” He said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not say anything to us only that he did not say to the people, except something in the sheath of this sword of mine. He took out a document on which there was something about the ages of camels [for zakah] and in it was said: `Madinah is sacred, the area between Thawr and ‘A’ir. Whoever commits an offence or gives refuge to an offender, upon him will be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not accept any nafl or obligatory act of worship from him. Protection given by any Muslim is binding upon all of them. Whoever transgresses protection given by a Muslim, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not accept any nafl or obligatory act of worship from him. Whoever takes people as mawla without the permission of the ones who set him free, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not accept any nafl or obligatory act of worship from him.` The word mawla refers to the one who manumits a slave, who has a right to inherit ex-slave. Changing one’s mawla means giving the right of inheritance to the new mawla.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Gabriel twice led me in prayer at the House (i.e. the Ka’ba). He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when every thing’s shadow was as long as itself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me at the time when one who has been fasting breaks his fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had ended; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me at the time when food and drink become forbidden to one who is fasting. On the following day he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was as long as himself; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me at the time when one who has been fasting breaks his fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when about a third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when there was clear daylight. Then turning to me he said, ‘Muhammad, this is the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between these two times.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. From Muhammad, God’s servant and Messenger, to Hiraql1 chief of the Byzantines. Peace be to those who follow the guidance. To proceed: I send you the summons to accept Islam (bi da'iyat al-islam). If you accept Islam you will be safe, and if you accept Islam God will bring you your reward twofold; but if you turn away you will be guilty of the sin of your followers (al-arisiyin).2 “0 people of the Book, come to a word which is common between us and you, that we should worship only God, not attribute any partner to Him, or take one another as lords apart from God. But if they turn away say, Testify that we are Muslims."3 1. Heraclius. 2. Arisi means a tiller of the soil, but is here used as a general reference to the common people who will follow his example. 3. Al-Qur’an; 3:64. (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has “From Muhammad God’s Messenger," “the sin of al-yarisiyin” and bi-di'ayat al-islam.

On the day of the battle of Al-Khandaq (the Trench), we were digging the trench when a very hard boulder came in our way. The Companions went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and told him about it. He said, "I will go down the trench to see it." He stood up and it was noticed that he had tied a stone over his stomach due to intense hunger. We had not tasted anything for three days. He took up a spade and struck the hard rock with it and it turned into sand. I sought his permission to go home, (after reaching home I) said to my wife, "I have seen the Prophet (PBUH) in a state that I am unable to endure. Have you got anything in the house?" She said, "I have a small quantity of barley and a lamb." I slaughtered the lamb, ground the barley and put the meat in the cooking pot. Then I went to the Prophet (PBUH). In the meantime the flour had been kneaded and the meat in the pot was nearly cooked. I said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, I have some food, will you come along with one or two Companions?" He asked, "How many men should go there?" I told him the number. He said, "It will be better if they are more in number. Tell your wife not to remove the pot from the hearth nor the bread from the oven till I arrive." Then he said to the Muhajirun and the Ansar: "Let us go (to eat)." They all rose (and went with him). I went to my wife and said, "Bless you, the Prophet (PBUH), the Muhajirun, the Ansar and the whole company are coming." She said, "Did he (PBUH) ask you?" I replied in the affirmative. (When they arrived) Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to his Companions, "Enter, but do not crowd in." Then he started breaking up the bread and putting meat on it. He would take from the pot and the oven then would cover them up, approach his Companions and hand it over to them. He would then go back and uncover the pot and the oven. He continued to break up the bread and put meat on it till all had eaten to their fill and still some of the food remained. Then he said to my wife, "Eat from it, and send it as a present, for the people have been afflicted with severe hunger."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: Jabir said: When the trench was being dug, I noticed the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet (PBUH). I returned to my wife and said to her, "Have you got anything in the house? I have seen the signs of severe hunger on the face of Messenger of Allah (PBUH)." She brought out a bag which contained a Sa' (a measure that equals approximately 3kg.) of barley. We had a lamb which was reared in the home. I slaughtered the lamb and she ground the flour for baking bread. I then cut the meat and put it in the cooking pot. When I was returning to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), my wife said to me, "Do not embarass me before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his Companions." (She said this because she thought that the food would not be enough for everyone, for how can very little food cater for a thousand people?) When I came to him, I said to him in a low tone, "O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), we have slaughtered a small lamb and have ground a Sa' of barley. Please accompany me with a few of your Companions." Thereupon he (PBUH) announced in a loud voice, "O people of the Trench, Jabir has arranged a feast for you, so all of you are welcome." And addressing me he said, "Do not take the pot off the fire, nor bake the kneaded flour till I arrive." So I came home and he came ahead of the people. My wife said, "It will be a matter of disgrace for you (because there is not enough food)." I said, "I did only what you told me." She brought out the kneaded flour and Messenger of Allah (PBUH) spat into it, and invoked the blessing of Allah on it, and then he spat into the cooking pot and invoked the blessing of Allah on it. Then he said, "Call another woman to help bake bread and let her take out from the cooking pot, but do not take it off the fire." There were about a thousand guests. All of them ate till they left the food and went off. Our pot still bubbled as before and the dough was being baked as before.

"The wives of the Prophet got together and sent Fatimah to the Prophet. They told her to say: 'Your wives'" -and he (the narrator) said something to the effect that they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah. She said: "So she entered upon the Prophet when he was with 'Aishah under her cover. She said to him: 'Your wives have sent me and they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.' The Prophet said to her: 'Do you love me?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then love her.' So she went back to them and told them what he said. They said to her: 'You did not do anything; go back to him.' She said: 'By Allah, I will never go back (and speak to him) about her again.' She was truly the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. So they sent Zainab bint Jahsh." 'Aishah said: "She was somewhat my equal among the wives of the Prophet. She said: 'Your wives have sent me to urge you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafa.' Then she swooped on me and abused me, and I started watching the Prophet to see if he would give me permission to respond to her. She insulted me and I started to think that he would not disapprove if I responded to her. So I insulted her and I soon silenced her. Then the Prophet said to her: 'She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.'" 'Aishah said: "And I never saw any woman who was better, more generous in giving charity, more keen to uphold the ties of kinship, and more generous in giving of herself in everything by means of which she could draw closer to Allah than Zainab. But she had a quick temper; however, she was also quick to calm down."

"I came to Al-Madinah, and I was performing Hajj, and while we were in our camping place unloading our mounts, someone came to us and said: 'The people have gathered in the Masjid.' I looked and found the people gathered, and in the midst of them was a group; there I saw 'Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair, Talhah and Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, may Allah have mercy on them. When I got there, it was said that 'Uthman bin 'Affan had come. He came, wearing a yellowish cloak. I said to my companion: Stay where you are until I find out what is happening. 'Uthman said: Is 'Ali here? Is Az-Zubair here? Is Talhah here? Is Sa'd here? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever buys the Mirbad of Banu so and so, Allah will forgive him, and I bought it, then I came to the Messenger of Allah and told him, and he said: Add it to our Masjid and the reward for it will be yours? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever buys the well of Rumah, Allah will forgive him, so I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: I have bought the well of Rumah. He said: Give it to provide water for the Muslims, and the reward for it will be yours? They said: Yes. He said: 'I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever equips the army of Al-'Usrah (i.e. Tabuk), Allah will forgive him, so I equipped them until they were not lacking even a rope or a bridle?' They said: Yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness."

“There was a man among the people of the desert — his name was Zahir — and he used to bring the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) a present from the desert, so the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would equip him when he wished to go out to battle. “The Prophet said (Allah bless him and give him peace):‘Zahir is our desert, and we are his towns'. He (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to love him, though he was a homely man, so the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came to him one day while he was selling his wares, and embraced him from behind so that he couldn't see who it was. So he said: ‘Who is this? Let go of me!’ Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Once he recognized the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), he kept his back pressed to the Prophet's chest, so the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) proceeded to say: ‘Who will buy this slave?’ The man said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in that case, by Allah, you will find me an unsellable commodity!’ The Prophet said (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘But you are not an unsaleable commodity in the view of Allah),’ or he said: ‘You are precious to Allah!'”

Ibrahim (PBUH) brought his wife and her son Isma'il (PBUH), while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'bah under a tree on the spot of Zamzam, at the highest place in the mosque. In those days, there was no human being in Makkah, nor was there any water. So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Isma'il's mother followed him saying: "O Ibrahim! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her. Then she asked him: "Has Allah commanded you to do so?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Then He will not neglect us." She returned while Ibrahim proceeded onwards. Having reached the Thaniya, where they could not see him, he faced Ka'bah, raised his both hands and supplicated: "O our Rubb! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) in order, O our Rubb, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks." (14:37).

Isma'il's mother went on suckling Isma'il and drinking from the water which she had. When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at Isma'il, tossing in agony. She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of As-Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from As-Safa, and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble till she crossed the valley and reached Al-Marwah mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between As-Safa and Al-Marwah) seven times." Ibn 'Abbas further related: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "This is the source of the tradition of the Sa'y - i.e., the going of people between the two mountains. When she reached Al-Marwah (for the last time), she heard a voice and she exclaimed: 'Shshs!' (Silencing herself) and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said: 'O (whoever you may be) You have made me hear your voice; have you any succour for me?' And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zamzam, digging the earth with his heel (or with his wing), till water flowed out from that place. She started to make something like of a basin around it, using her hands in this way and began to fill her water- skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out until she had scooped some of it." The Prophet (PBUH) further said, "May Allah bestow mercy on Isma'il's mother! Had she let the Zamzam flow without trying to control it (or had she not scooped in that water) while filling her water-skin, Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." The Prophet (PBUH) further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her: 'Do not be afraid of being neglected, for this is the site on which the House of Allah will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah will never let neglected His people.' The House of Allah (the Ka'bah) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. She continued living in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum passed by her and her child. As they were coming from through the way of Kada', in the lower part of Makkah where they saw a bird that had a habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said: 'This bird must be flying over water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came towards the water." The Prophet (PBUH) added, "Isma'il's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her: 'Do you allow us to stay with you?' She replied: 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." The Prophet (PBUH) further said, "Isma'il's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them. The child (i.e., Isma'il) grew up and learnt Arabic from them (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty, they gave him one of their daughters in marriage. After Isma'il's mother had died, Ibrahim came after Isma'il's marriage in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not find Isma'il there. When he asked Isma'il's wife about him, she replied: 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied complaining to him: 'We are living in hardship, misery and destitution.' He said: 'When your husband returns, convey my salutations to him and tell him to change the threshold of the door of his house.' When Isma'il came, he seemed to have perceived something unusual. He asked his wife: 'Did anyone visit you?' She replied: 'Yes, an old man of such and such description came and asked me about you and I informed him, and he asked about our state of living, and, I told him that we were living in hardship and poverty.' Thereupon Isma'il said: 'Did he advise you anything?' She replied: 'Yes, he told me to convey his salutations to you and to change the threshold of your door.' Isma'il said: 'That was my father, and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' So Isma'il divorced her and married another woman from amongst them (Jurhum). Then Ibrahim stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished, and called on them again but did not find Isma'il. So he came to Isma'il's wife and asked her about him. She said: 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Ibrahim asked her about their sustenance and living: 'How are you getting on?' She replied: 'We are prosperous and well off.' Then she praised Allah, the Exalted. Ibrahim asked: 'What kind of food do you eat?' She said: 'Meat.' He said: 'What do you drink?' She said: 'Water.' He said, 'O Allah! Bless their meat and water!"' The Prophet (PBUH) added, "At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it." The Prophet (PBUH) further said, "If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected because these things do not suit him unless he lives in Makkah." The Prophet (PBUH) added, "Then Ibrahim said to Isma'il's wife, 'When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his door.' When Isma'il came back, he asked his wife: 'Did anyone call on you?' She replied: 'Yes, a good looking old man came to me.' She praised him and added: 'He asked about you, and I informed him, and he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in good condition.' Isma'il asked her: 'Did he give you a piece of advice?' She said: 'Yes, he told me to convey his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your door.' On that Isma'il said: 'He was my father and you are the threshold of the door. He has ordered me to keep you with me.' Then Ibrahim stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them afterwards. He saw Isma'il under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Ibrahim, he rose up to welcome him, and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father. Ibrahim said: 'O Isma'il! Allah has given me an order.' Isma'il said: 'Do what your Rubb has commanded you to do.' Ibrahim asked: 'Will you help me?' Isma'il said: 'I will help you.' Ibrahim said: 'Allah has ordered me to build a house here, pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it."' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) added, "Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e., Ka'bah). Isma'il brought the stones and Ibrahim was building (the house). When the walls became high, Isma'il brought stone and placed it for Ibrahim who stood over it and carried on building the House, while Isma'il was handing over the stones to him, both of them prayed: 'O our Rubb! Accept this service from us! Verily, You are the All- Hearer and the All-Knower."'

[Al-Bukhari].

There are some more narrations about this incident, some adding details and some with minor variations in the wordings.

Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said that there was only one hadd against a man who slandered a group of people.

Malik said, "If they are on separate occasions there is still only one hadd against him."

Malik related to me from Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Haritha ibn an-Numan al- Ansari, then from the Banu'n-Najar from his mother Amra bint Abd ar- Rahman that two men cursed each other in the time of Umar ibn al- Khattab. One of them said to the other, " By Allah, my father is not an adulterer and my mother is not an adulteress." Umar ibn al-Khattab asked advice about that. One person said, "He has praised his father and mother." Another said, "His father and mother have praise other than this. We think that he is to be flogged with the hadd." So Umar flogged him with the hadd of eighty lashes.

Malik said, "There is no hadd in our view except for slander, denial or insinuation, in which one sees that the speaker intends by that denial or slander. Then the hadd is completely imposed on the one who said it."

Malik said, "What is done in our community when a man denies that another man is from his father, is that he deserves the hadd. If the mother who is denied is a slave, then he deserves the hadd as well. '

Malik related to me from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Abd ar- Rahman ibn Abi Sasaca that Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered the house of Maimuna bint al-Harith and there was a lizard in which there were eggs to eat. Abdullah ibn Abbas and Khalid ibn al-Walid were with him. He said, 'From where did you get this?' She replied, 'My sister, Huzayla bint al-Harith, gave it to me.' He then told Abdullah ibn Abbas and Khalid to eat. They said, 'Won't you eat, Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'There are those who visit me from Allah.' Maimuna said, 'Messenger of Allah, shall we give you some milk to drink which we have?' He said, 'Yes.' When he drank, he said, 'From where did you get this?' She said, 'My sister, Huzayla gave it to me.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Do you see your slave-girl whom you asked me for permission to free? Give her to your sister and bring her to your maternal relatives to take care of her. That is better for you.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Abu Idris al-Khawlani said, "I entered the Damascus mosque and there was a young man with a beautiful mouth and white teeth sitting with some people. When they disagreed about something, they referred it to him and proceeded from his statement. I inquired about him, and it was said, 'This is Muadh ibn Jabal.' The next day I went to the noon-prayer, and I found that he had preceded me to the noon prayer and I found him praying."

Abu Idris continued, "I waited for him until he had finished the prayer. Then I came to him from in front of him and greeted him and said, 'By Allah! I love you for Allah!' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' "

He continued, "He took me by the upper part of my cloak and pulled me to him and said, 'Rejoice! I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, 'My love is obliged for those who love each other in Me, and those who sit with each other in Me, and those who visit each other in Me, and those who give to each other generously in Me.' " ' "

"Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman and I visited Fatimah bint Qais. She narrated to us that her husband had divorced her three times, and he did not leave her with anywhere to live nor any wealth. She said: 'He left ten Aqfizah for me with the son of his uncle: five were of barley, five of wheat.' She said: 'I went to the Messenger of Allah and mentioned that to him.' She said: 'He said: 'He is correct.'" (She said: ) 'So he ordered me to complete my Iddah in the home of Umm Sharik. But then the Messenger of Allah said to me: "Umm Sharik's home is visited by Muhajirun, so spend your Iddah in the home of Ibn Umm Maktum, for there you can remove your garments and he will not see you. Then when your Iddah is completed and someone proposed to you come to me." 'So when my Iddah completed. Abu Jahm and Mu'awiyah proposed to me.' She said: 'I went to the Messenger of Allah and mentioned that to him, and he said: "As for Mu'awiyah, he is a man with no wealth, and as for Abu Jahm he is a man who is harsh with women." She said: 'Then Usamah bin Zaid proposed to me, and he married me. So Allah blessed me with Usamah.'"

"Someone narrated to me that he heard 'ali bin abi Talib saying: 'I went out on a cold day from the house of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w). I had taken a tanned skin, si I tore it in the middle, and out it over my neck, and wrapped my mid-section, fastening it with a palm leave. I was severely hungry, and if there was food in the house of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) I would have eaten some of it. I went in search of something. I passed by a Jew on his property drawing water (from a well) with a pulley. I watched him from a gap in the fence. He said: "what is wrong with you O Arab1 Would you like to get a date for every bucket?" I said: "Yes. Open the door so I can come in." He opened the door, I entered and he gave me his bucket. Then for every bucket I pulled out, he would give me a date, until when it was enough for me. I put his bucket down and said: "I think I had enough to eat" then I scooped some water to drink it. Then I came to the Masjid and found the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) in it.'"

That he heard is father, narating a Hadith, which he heard from the Messenger of Allah (saws) in which he stood among them, mentioning to them that Jihad in the cause of Allah and faith in Allah were the most virtuous of deeds. Then a man stood and said: "O Messenger of Allah! If I were killed in the cause of Allah, would my sins forgiven ?" So the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Yes, If you are killed in Allah's cause, and you are patient, seeking the reward, advancing, not fleeing." Then the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "What was it that you said?" So he replied: "If I were killed in the cause of Allah, would my sins be removed (forgiven)?" So the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Yes, If you are patient, seeking the reward, advancing, not fleeing - except debt. For Jibril said that to me."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from Anas, Muhammad bin Jahsh, And Abu Hurairah. This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

Some of them reported this Hadith from Sa'eed Al-Maqburi, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet (saws) similar to this. Yahya bin Sa'eed Al-Ansari and more than one narrator reported this from Sa'eed Al-Maqburi from 'Abdullah bin Abi Qatadah, from his fahter, from the Prophet (saws). This is more correct than the narration of Sa'eed Al-Maqburi from Abu Hurairah.

"The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to me: 'If you want to stick with me, then suffice yourself in the world with the provisions of the rider. And beware of gatherings of the rich, and do not consider a garment to be worn out until it has been patched.'"

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Gharib, we do not know of it except as a narration of Salih bin Hassan. He said: I heard Muhammad bin Isma'il saying: "Salih bin Hassan is Munkar is Hadith." And Salih bin Hassan - the one who Ibn Abi Dhi'b reports from - is trustworthy.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The meaning of this saying: "And beware of gathering of the rich" is similar to what was related from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws), that he said: "Whoever sees one that has been more favored than him in appearance and provision, then let him look at the one who is less than him, rather than one who is favored more than him. For indeed it is more appropriate so that he not scorn Allah's favors [upon him]."

And it has been related from 'Awn bin 'Abdullah who said: "I accompanied the rich, and did not see anyone with more troubles than me. I saw a beast that was better than my beast, and a garment that was better than my garment. And I accompanied the poor, and felt at ease."

The Prophet (saws) said to him: “Should I not direct you to the chief of supplications for forgiveness? ‘O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You, You created me and I am Your slave. I am adhering to Your covenant and Your promise as much as I am able to, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I admit to You your blessings upon me, and I admit to my sins. So forgive me, for there is none who can forgive sins except You (Allāhumma anta rabbī lā ilāha illā anta, khalaqtanī wa ana `abduka, wa ana `alā `ahdika wa wa`dika ma-staṭa`tu. A`ūdhu bika min sharri ma ṣana`tu, wa abū'u ilayka bini`matika `alayya wa a`tarifu bidhunūbī faghfirlī dhunūbī innahu lā yaghfirudh-dhunūba illā ant).’ None of you says it when he reaches the evening, and a decree comes upon him before he reaches morning, except that Paradise becomes obligatory upon him. And none says it when he reaches the morning, and a decree comes upon him before he reaches evening, except that Paradise becomes obligatory for him.”

When one- third of the night would pass, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would get up and call out, "O people, remember Allah. The Rajifah (i.e., the first Blowing of the Trumpet which will shake the whole universe and thus cause all life to cease) has come, followed by Ar-Radifah (i.e., the second Blowing of the Trumpet which will restore life and thus mark the Resurrection Day). Death has approached with all that it comprises. Death has approached with all that it comprises." I said: "O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I frequently invoke Allah to elevate your rank. How much of my supplications should I devote to you?" He said, "You may devote as much as you wish." When I suggested a quarter, he said, "Do whatever you wish, but it will be better for you if you increase it." I suggested half, and he said, "Do whatever you wish, but it will be better for you if you increase." I suggested two- thirds, and he said, "Do whatever you wish but it will be better for you if you increase it." I said, "Shall I devote all my supplications invoking Allah to elevate your rank?" He said, "Then you will be freed from your worries and your sins will be forgiven."

[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

While I was in Salat with Messenger of Allah (PBUH), a man in the congregation sneezed and I responded with: 'Yarhamuk-Allah (Allah have mercy on you).' The people stared at me with disapproving looks. So I said: "May my mother lose me. Why are you staring at me?" Thereupon, they began to strike their thighs with their hands. When I saw them urging to me to remain silent, I became angry but restrained myself. When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) concluded his Salat. I have never before seen an instructor who gave better instruction than he, may my father and mother be sacrificed for him. He neither remonstrated me, nor beat me, nor abused me. He simply said,"It is not permissible to talk during Salat because it consists of glorifying Allah, declaring His Greatness as well as recitation of the Qur'an," or he said words to that effect." I said: "O Allah's Messenger, I have but recently accepted Islam, and Allah has favoured us with Islam. There are still some people among us who go to consult soothsayers." He said, "Do not consult them." Then I said: "There are some of us who are guided by omens." He said, "These things which come to their minds. They should not be influenced by them."

(Muslim).

I agreed with my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, in three matters - or my Lord agreed with me in three matters, I said: O Messenger of Allah, why don't you take the Maqarn of Ibraheem as a place of prayer? Then Allah revealed the verse: `And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibraheem (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibraheem (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka'bah) as a place of prayer` (al Baqarah 2:125). And I said: Why don't you tell the Mothers of the Believers to observe hijab, for both righteous people and evildoers enter upon you? Then the verse of hijab was revealed. And I heard something about the Mothers of the Believers, so I talked to them and told them: You should stop bothering the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , or Allah will replace you with wives who are better than you and are Muslims. Then I came to one of the Mothers of the Believers and she said: O 'Umar, is it the case that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ cannot admonish his wives so that you come and admonish them? So I stopped, then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, revealed the verse: “It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you Muslims (who submit to Allah), believers, obedient (to Allah)...` [at­-Tahreerm 66:5)

I am going to ask you something and I would like you to be honest with me. I adjure you by Allah, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to give Quraish precedence over all people and he gave precedence to Banu Hashim over all of Quraish? The people fell silent, then `Uthman said: If I had the keys of Paradise in my hand, I would have given them to Banu Umayyah [his own clan] so that they could all, down to the last man, enter it. Then he sent for Talhah and az-Zubair. And ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: Should I tell you about him - i.e. Ammar? I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , who was holding my hand, and we were walking in al-Batha`, until he came to where his [`Ammar`s] father and mother were being tortured. ‘Ammar`s father said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), are we going to be like this forever? The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: `Be patient.” Then he said: “O Allah, forgive the family of Yasir, and You have already done so.”

I got an old she camel as booty on the day of Badr, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave me another she-camel. One day, I made them kneel at the door of a man from among the Ansar, intending to carry idhkhir (a kind of grass) on them to sell it - and there was a goldsmith of Banu Qainuqa` with me - so that I could use the money to give a wedding feast for my marriage to Fatimah. Hamzah bin Abdul-Muttalib was drinking in that house. Hamzah attacked them with his sword, cutting off their humps and cutting open their flanks, then he took out their livers. I said to Ibn Shihab. Did he take out anything from their humps? He said: He cut off their humps and took them away. `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: I looked at a sight that shocked me. I went to the Prophet (ﷺ), and Zaid bin Harithah was with him, and I told him what had happened. He went out, accompanied by Zaid, and I went with him. He entered upon Hamzah and expressed his anger to him. Hamzah looked up and said: Are you anything more than the slaves of my father? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) backed off until he departed from them. That was before the prohibition on alcohol.

“As for her statement that I make her break her fast when she is observing it, she keeps on fasting, and I am a young man who cannot contain himself.” God’s Messenger said, “A woman may fast only with her husband’s permission.”* He continued: “As for her statement that I do not pray till the sun rises; I belong to a family which has such a reputation, hardly awakening till the sun rises.” He said, “Then when you awake, Safwan, you must pray.” * This refers to fasting which is not obligatory. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

When I was sitting in the mosque of Medina a man entered with the mark of humility on his face and the people said this would be one pf the inhabitants of paradise. He prayed two rak'as, which he performed briefly, and when he went out, I followed him and said, "When you entered the mosque the people said this would be one of the inhabitants of paradise." He replied, "I swear by God that it is unfitting for anyone to say something he does not know; but I shall explain the matter to you. In the time of God's messenger, I had a vision which I told to him. I seemed to see myself in a garden (whose extent and verdure he mentioned) in the midst of which there was an iron pillar the bottom of which was in the earth and the top in the sky with a handle at the top. I was told to ascend it, and when I replied that I was unable a servant came to me, raised my clothing behind me, and I ascended till I reached the top of it. I then seized the handle and was told to hold tight, and when it was in my hand I awoke. I told it to the Prophet and he said, `That garden is Islam, that pillar is the pillar of Islam, and that handle is the surest handle[*], so you will keep to Islam till you die'." [Qais said] that man was `Abdallah b. Salam. *Cf. Quran, 2:256; 31:22. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

As-Sa'b ibn Hakim reported that his grandfather said, "I came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. He began to say, 'Nephew.' Then he questioned me and I told him my lineage and so he knew that my father had not become Muslim. He began to say, 'My son, my son.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Scorching heat is a part of the blast of Jahannam. So, when the heat is fierce, delay the prayer until it gets cooler."

He added in explanation, "The Fire complained to its Lord and said, 'My Lord, part of me has eaten another part,' so He allowed it two breaths in every year, a breath in winter and a breath in summer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibrahim ibn Abi Abla from Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan that he gave a slave-girl to a friend of his, and later asked him about her. He said, "I intended to give her to my son to do such-and-such with her." Abd al-Malik said, "Marwan was more scrupulous than you. He gave a slave-girl to his son, and then he said, 'Do not go near her, for I have seen her leg uncovered .' "

Malik related to me that he had heard that Urwa ibn az-Zubayr and Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "The mukatab is a slave as long as any of his kitaba remains to be paid."

Malik said, "This is my opinion as well."

Malik said, "If a mukatab dies and leaves more property than what remains to be paid of his kitaba and he has children who were born during the time of his kitaba or whose kitaba has been written as well, they inherit any property that remains after the kitaba has been paid."

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to a man from the Aslam tribe called Hazzal, 'Hazzal, had you veiled him with your cloak, it would have been better for you.' "

Yahya ibn Said said, "I related this hadith in an assembly among whom was Yazid ibn Nuaym ibn Hazzal al-Aslami. Yazid said, 'Hazzal was my grandfather. This hadith is true.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Abu Qatada al-Ansari said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "I have a lot of hair which comes down to my shoulders, shall I comb it?'' The Messenger of Allah. may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Yes, and honour it." Sometimes Abu Qatada oiled it twice in one day because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him. "Honour it."

'I heard Allah's Messenger saying: 'If it were not that it would be difficult on my nation then, I would have ordered them to use the Siwak for each prayer and to delay the Isha prayer until the third of the night.'"He [Abu Salamah, one of the narrators] said: Zaid bin Khalid wouId attend the prayer in the Masjid and his Siwak would be on his ear in the location of the pen on the ear of a writer. He would not get up to pray without cleaning his teeth, then returning it to its location."