I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'I have several names: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am Al- Mahi with whom Allah obliterates Kufr (disbelief), and I am Al-Hashir (gatherer) at whose feet (i.e. behind whom) the people will be gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), and I am Al-Aqib (i.e. who succeeds the other prophets in bringing about good).

I never heard `Umar saying about something that he thought it would be so-and-so, but he was quite right. Once, while `Umar was sitting, a handsome man passed by him, `Umar said, "If I am not wrong, this person is still on his religion of the pre-lslamic period of ignorance or he was their foreteller. Call the man to me." When the man was called to him, he told him of his thought. The man said, "I have never seen such a day on which a Muslim is faced with such an accusation." `Umar said, "I am determined that you should tell me the truth." He said, "I was a foreteller in the pre-lslamic period of ignorance." Then `Umar said, "Tell me the most astonishing thing your female Jinn has told you of." He said, "One-day while I was in the market, she came to me scared and said, 'Haven't you seen the Jinns and their despair and they were overthrown after their defeat (and prevented from listening to the news of the heaven) so that they (stopped going to the sky and) kept following camel-riders (i.e. 'Arabs)?" `Umar said, "He is right." and added, "One day while I was near their idols, there came a man with a calf and slaughtered it as a sacrifice (for the idols). An (unseen) creature shouted at him, and I have never heard harsher than his voice. He was crying, 'O you bold evil-doer! A matter of success! An eloquent man is saying: None has the right to be worshipped except you (O Allah).' On that the people fled, but I said, 'I shall not go away till I know what is behind this.' Then the cry came again: 'O you bold evil-doer! A matter of success! An eloquent man is saying: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah.' I then went away and a few days later it was said, "A prophet has appeared."

We offered a four rak`at prayer at Mina behind Ibn `Affan . `Abdullah bin Mas`ud was informed about it. He said sadly, "Truly to Allah we belong and truly to Him we shall return." And added, "I prayed two rak`at with Allah's Apostle at Mina and similarly with Abu Bakr and with `Umar (during their caliphates)." He further said, "May I be lucky enough to have two of the four rak`at accepted (by Allah)."

That she said, "O Allah's Apostle! Your companions are returning with the reward of both Hajj and `Umra, while I am returning with (the reward of) Hajj only." He said to her, "Go, and let `Abdur- Rahman (i.e. your brother) make you sit behind him (on the animal)." So, he ordered `AbdurRahman to let her perform `Umra from Al-Tan`im. Then the Prophet waited for her at the higher region of Mecca till she returned.

When Mu`adh arrived at Yemen, he led them (i.e. the people of Yemen) in the Fajr prayer wherein he recited: 'Allah took Abraham as a Khalil.' A man amongst the people said, "(How) glad the mother of Abraham is!" (In another narration) `Amr said, "The Prophet sent Mu`adh to Yemen and he (led the people) in the Fajr prayer and recited: 'Allah took Abraham as a Khalil. A man behind him said, "(How) glad the mother of Abraham is!"

A woman from the tribe of Khath'am asked for the verdict of Allah's Apostle (regarding something) during Hajjat-ul-Wada` while Al-Fadl bin `Abbas was the companion-rider behind Allah's Apostle. She asked, "Allah's ordained obligation (i.e. compulsory Hajj) enjoined on His slaves has become due on my old father who cannot sit firmly on the riding animal. Will it be sufficient if I perform the Hajj on his behalf?" He said, "Yes."

`Aisha said that Hassan bin Thabit came and asked permission to visit her. I said, "How do you permit such a person?" She said, "Hasn't he received a severely penalty?" (Sufyan, the subnarrator, said: She meant the loss of his sight.) Thereupon Hassan said the following poetic verse: "A chaste pious woman who arouses no suspicion. She never talks about chaste heedless women behind their backs.' On that she said, "But you are not so."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered the Kaba with Usama ibn Zayd, Bilal ibn Rabah and Uthman ibn Talha al-Hajabi and locked it behind him and stayed there for some time.

Abdullah said that he asked Bilal when he came out what the Messenger of Allah had done there and he said, "He positioned himself with one support to his left, two supports to his right, and three behind him (the house had six supports at that time) and then he prayed."

Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)

Some people (i.e. the Jews of Bani bin Quraiza) agreed to accept the verdict of Sa`d bin Mu`adh so the Prophet sent for him (i.e. Sa`d bin Mu`adh). He came riding a donkey, and when he approached the Mosque, the Prophet said, "Get up for the best amongst you." or said, "Get up for your chief." Then the Prophet said, "O Sa`d! These people have agreed to accept your verdict." Sa`d said, "I judge that their warriors should be killed and their children and women should be taken as captives." The Prophet said, "You have given a judgment similar to Allah's Judgment (or the King's judgment).

While I was walking in company with the Prophet in one of the fields of Medina, the Prophet was reclining on a palm leave stalk which he carried with him. We passed by a group of Jews. Some of them said to the others, "Ask him about the spirit." The others said, "Do not ask him, lest he would say something that you hate." Some of them said, "We will ask him." So a man from among them stood up and said, 'O Abal-Qasim! What is the spirit?" The Prophet kept quiet and I knew that he was being divinely inspired. Then he said: "They ask you concerning the Spirit, Say: The Spirit; its knowledge is with my Lord. And of knowledge you (mankind) have been given only a little." (17.85)

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) made al-Fadl sit behind him (on the camel back) from the place (where the two prayers) are combined (Muzdalifa). Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) also informed that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) did not stop pronouncing Talbiya till he threw pebbles at Jamrat al-'Aqaba.

When we came to Medina accompanying the caravan, I used to preach after the dawn prayer, and prostrate on account of the recitation of the Qur'an. Ibn Umar prohibited me three times, but I did not cease doing that. He then repeated (his prohibition) saying: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (saws), AbuBakr, Umar and Uthman, they would not prostrate (on account of the recitation of the Qur'an) till the sun had risen.

A man came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I keep away from the morning prayer because so-and-so (Imam) prolongs it too much." Allah's Apostle became furious and I had never seen him more furious than he was on that day. The Prophet said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike the prayer, so whoever becomes an Imam he should shorten the prayer, as behind him are the weak, the old and the needy.''

Once the Prophet (p.b.u.h) led the fear prayer and the people stood behind him. He said Takbir (Allahu-Akbar) and the people said the same. He bowed and some of them bowed. Then he prostrated and they also prostrated. Then he stood for the second rak`a and those who had prayed the first rak`a left and guarded their brothers. The second party joined him and performed bowing and prostration with him. All the people were in prayer but they were guarding one another during the prayer.

The pagans were defeated on the day (of the battle) of Uhud. Satan shouted among the people on the day of Uhud, "O Allah's worshippers! Beware of what is behind you!" So the front file of the army attacked the back files (mistaking them for the enemy) till they killed Al-Yaman. Hudhaifa (bin Al- Yaman) shouted, "My father!" My father! But they killed him. Hudhaifa said, "May Allah forgive you." (The narrator added: Some of the defeated pagans fled till they reached Taif.)

We used to pray behind the Prophet and used to say: "As-Salamu 'Al-Allah. The Prophet said, "Allah himself is As-Salam (Name of Allah), so you should say: 'at-Tahiyatu lil-lahi was-sala-watu wattaiyibatu, as-salamu `alaika aiyyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-l-lahi wa barakatuhu, as-salamu `alaina wa `ala `ibadi-l-lahi as-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha il-lallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu."'

Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) wits the best among people in character. On occasions, the time of prayer would come while he was in our house. He would then order to spread the mat lying under him. That was dusted and then water was sprinkled over it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) then led the prayer and we stood behind him, and that mat was made of the leaves of date-palm.