Ibn Shihab said: “Salim read to me a letter that the Messenger of Allah had written concerning Sadaqat, before Allah caused him to pass away, in which it was said: 'For five camels one sheep; for ten, two sheep; for twenty, four sheep. For twenty five, a Bint Makhad(a one year old she-camel), up to thirty-five; if there is no Bint Makhad, then a Bin Labun ( a two-year-old male camel). If there are more than thirty-five even one, then a Bint Labun ( a two-year-old she-camel) must be given up to forty-five. If there are more than forty-five, even one, then a Hiqqah (a three-year-old she-camel), up to sixty camels. If there are more than sixty, even one more, then a Jadha'ah ( a four-year-old she-camel) must be given, up to seventy-five. If there are more than seventy-five, even one more, then two Bint Labun must be given, upto ninety. If there are more than ninety, even one more, then two Hiqqah must be given, up to one hundred and twenty. If there are many camels, then for each fifty, one Hiqqah must be given and for each forty a Bint Labun' ”

Qatada quoted the authority of Anas b. Malik who quoted the authority of Malik b. Sa'sa'a to the effect that God's prophet told them about the night when he was taken up to heaven, saying, "While I was lying down at al-Hatim[2] (but perhaps he said al-Hijr), someone came to me and made a split from here to here (meaning from the pit of his chest to the hair below his navel), then took out my heart. I was next brought a gold dish full of faith, and my heart was washed, then filled up and put back. (A version says the inside was washed with Zamzam water, after which it was filled with faith and wisdom.) I was then brought a beast smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey, which was white, was called al-Buraq, and stepped a distance equal to the range of its vision. I was mounted on it, and Gabriel went with me till he came to the lowest heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good,' and the gate was opened. When I entered Adam was there, and Gabriel said, `This is your father Adam, so give him a salutation. I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good son and the good prophet.' Gabriel then took me up till he came to the second heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good' and the gate was opened. When I entered John[3] and Jesus, who were cousins on the mother's side, were there, and Gabriel said, `These are John and Jesus, so give them a salutation I did so, and when they had returned my salutation they said, `Welcome to the good brother and the good prophet.' Gabriel then took me up to the third heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him, and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome, his coming is good and the gate was opened. When I entered Joseph was there, and. Gabriel said, this is Joseph, so give him a salutation.' I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good brother and the good prophet.' Gabriel then took me up till he came to the fourth heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied th at th at was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good,' and the gate was opened. When I entered Idris was there, and Gabriel said, `This is Idris, so give him a salutation.' I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good brother and the good prophet.' Gabriel then took me up till he came to the fifth heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good,' and the gate was opened. When I entered Aaron was there, and Gabriel said, `This is Aaron, so give him a salutation' I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good brother and the good prophet.' Gabriel then took me up till he came to the sixth heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for, and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good,' and the gate was opened. When I entered Moses was there, and Gabriel said, `This is Moses, so give him a salutation.' I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good brother and the good prophet.' Then when I passed on he wept, and when he was asked what was making him weep he replied, `I am weeping because more followers of a young man who was commissioned after my time will enter paradise than of mine.' Gabriel then took me up to the seventh heaven. He asked that the gate be opened, and when he was asked who he was he replied that he was Gabriel. He was asked who was with him and replied that it was Muhammad. He was asked whether he had been sent for and when he replied that that was so, the words were uttered, `Welcome; his coming is good.' When I entered Abraham was there, and Gabriel said, `This is your father Abraham, so give him a salutation.' I did so, and when he had returned my salutation he said, `Welcome to the good son and the good prophet.' I was then taken up to the lote tree of the boundary[4] and saw that its fruits were like the earthenware vessels of Hajar and its leaves like elephants' ears. He told me that this was the lote-tree of the boundary. I saw four rivers, two concealed and two apparent, and. when I asked Gabriel what these two pairs were, he replied, `The two concealed ones are rivers in paradise, and the two apparent ones are the Nile and the Euphrates.' After that I was shown the frequented house.[5] I was then brought a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk, and a vessel of honey, and when I took the milk he said, `It is the true religion[6] which you and your people follow.' Then fifty daily prayers were prescribed for me, but when I returned and passed Moses and on being asked by him what worship I had been commanded replied that I had been commanded to observe fifty daily prayers, he said, `Your people are not capable of observing fifty daily prayers. I swear by God that I have tested men before your time and have laboured most earnestly to prevail over the B. Isra'il, so go back to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter for your people.' I did so, and when He had reduced them by ten, I returned to Moses. He said the same as before, so I went back, and when He had reduced them by ten, I returned to Moses. He said the same as before, so I went back, and when He had reduced them by ten, I returned to Moses. He said the same as before, so I went back, and when He had reduced them by ten and I had been ordered to observe ten daily prayers I returned to Moses. He said the same as before, so I went back, and when I had been ordered to observe five daily prayers I returned to Moses. He asked what I had been ordered, and when I replied that I had been ordered to observe 'five daily prayers he said, `Your people are not capable of observing five daily prayers. I have tested men before your time and have laboured most earnestly to prevail over the B. Isra'il, so go back to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter for your people.' I replied, `I have asked my Lord till I am ashamed, but now I am satisfied and I submit.' Then when I passed on a crier called, `I have executed what I have made obligatory and have made things light for my servants'." 1. Literally 'the ascent'. The Prophet's night journey to heaven. 2. A semi-circular wall on the north-west side of the Ka'ba, the area between it and the Ka'ba being al-Hijr. 3. i.e., John the Baptist. 4. Cf. Quran; 53:14. 5. Cf. p. 929, n. 1. 6. Cf. Quran; 52:4. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Marwan ibn al-Hakam wrote to Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan to mention to him that a drunkard was brought to him who had killed a man. Muawiya wrote to him to kill him in retaliation for the dead man.

Yahya said that Malik said, "The best of what I have heard on the interpretation of this ayat, the word of Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, 'The free man for the free man and the slave for the slave - these are men and the woman for the woman,' (Sura 2 ayat 178) is that retaliation is between women as it is between men. The free woman is killed for the free woman as the free man is killed for the free man. The slave-girl is slain for the slave-girl as the slave is slain for the slave. Retaliation is between women as it is between men. That is because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'We have written for them in it that it is a life for a life and an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, and an ear for an ear, and a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds there is retaliation.' (Sura 5 ayat 48) Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, mentioned that it is a life for a life. It is the life of a free woman for the life of a free man, and her injury for his injury."

Malik said about a man who held a man fast for another man to hit, and he died on the spot, "If he held him and he thought that he meant to kill him, the two of them are both killed for him. If he held him and he thought that he meant to beat him as people sometimes do, and he did not think that he meant to kill him, the murderer is slain and the one who held him is punished with a very severe punishment and jailed for a year. There is no killing against him."

Malik said about a man who murdered a man intentionally or gouged out his eye intentionally, and then was slain or had his eye gouged out himself before retaliation was inflicted on him, "There is no blood-money nor retaliation against him. The right of the one who was killed or had his eye gouged out goes when the thing which he is claiming as retaliation goes. It is the same with a man who murders another man intentionally and then the murderer dies. When the murderer dies, the one seeking blood-revenge has nothing of blood- money or anything else. That is by the word of Allah, the Blessed the Exalted, 'Retaliation is written for you in killing. The free man for the free man and the slave for the slave.' "

Malik said, "He only has retaliation against the one who killed him. If the man who murdered him dies, he has no retaliation or blood-money."

Malik said, "There is no retaliation held against a free man by a slave for any injury. The slave is killed for the free man when he intentionally murders him. The free man is not slain for the slave, even if he murders him intentionally. It is the best of what I have heard."

After the revelation of (the Surah) "When the Help of Allah comes (to you, O Muhammad (PBUH) against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah)" (110:1), Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to recite in every prayer: "Subhanaka Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahum-maghfir li (Far removed You are from every imperfection, our Rubb, and all praise is for You, forgive me, O Allah)".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited frequently in bowing and prostration: "Subhanaka Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahum-maghfir li. (Far removed You are from every imperfection, our Rubb, and all praise is for You, forgive me, O Allah)". He elucidated that it has been commanded in the Noble Qur'an to recite: "So glorify the Praises of your Rubb, and ask for His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives". (V.110:1) And he (the Messenger of Allah) acted upon it.

According to the narration in Muslim, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) frequently recited these words just before he passed away: "Subhanaka Rabbana wa bihamdika. Astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika." I ('Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) asked him: "O Messenger of Allah! What are these new words which I hear from you repeatedly." He replied, "A sign has been appointed for me relating to my people that I should repeat these words at the sight of that sign". Then he recited Surat An-Nasr.

Another narration in Muslim related from 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) often recited, "Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him; I seek forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance." I said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, I hear you recite frequently: 'O Allah, You are free from every imperfection our Rubb and all praise is for You; I seek forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance."' He replied, "My Rubb has informed me that I would soon see a sign regarding my people, whenever I see it, I repeat this statement more often (of His Glorification and Praise and beg pardon of Him and turn to Him). Now I have witnessed the sign. The revelation of Surat An-Nasr and the victory is the conquest of Makkah."

"When there comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad (PBUH) against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah). And you see that the people enter Allah's religion (Islam) in crowds. So glorify the Praises of your Rubb, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives." (110:1-3)

By Allah other than Whom there is none worthy of worship, I used to press my stomach against the earth owing to my hunger; I would tie a stone over it. One day, I was sitting on the way they usually take when the Prophet (PBUH) passed by me. When he saw me he smiled at me and knew my condition and my feelings. He called me and I replied, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Follow me." So I followed him. Having arrived at home, he sought permission and entered. He allowed me in and I, too, entered. He found milk in a bowl and asked, "Where is this from?" He was told that it was a gift for him from so- and-so. He called me and I responded: "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Go to the people of As-Suffah and usher them in." He Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) explained: The people of As-Suffah were guests of Islam; they had no family, no property and no relations. When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to receive something in charity, he would send it to them without taking anything from it. When he received a present, he would send for them and share it with them. On this occasion, I disliked to give them anything. I said to myself: "This meagre quantity of milk will not be enough for all the people of As-Suffah! I am more deserving of it than anyone else. By drinking it I may attain some strength. When they come, he will order me to give it to them. I do not expect that anything will be left for me from this milk." As there was no alternative but to obey Allah and His Messenger (PBUH). I went and called them. They came and sought permission which was granted. They took their seats. The Prophet (PBUH) called me and I responded, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He then said, "Take the milk and give it to them." I took the bowl and gave it to one man who drank his fill and returned it to me, and I gave it to the next and he did the same. I went on doing this till the bowl reached Messenger of Allah (PBUH). By that time all had taken their fill. He (PBUH) took the bowl, put it on his hand, looked at me, smiled and said, "Abu Hirr." I said, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Now you and I are left." I said, "That is true, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Sit down and drink." I drank, but he went on saying, "Drink some more." I said, "By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I have no room for it." He said, "Then give it to me." So I gave him the bowl. He praised Allah, uttered the Name of Allah and drank the remainder.

[Al- Bukhari].

Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told that he met Abu Huraira who said, "I ask God to bring us together in the market of paradise." Sa'id asked if it contained a market and he replied that it did, for God's messenger had informed him that when the inhabitants of paradise enter it they will alight in it by virtue of their deeds. They will then be granted permission for the period of a Friday in this world and will visit their Lord whose throne will be shown to them, and He will appear to them in one of the gardens of paradise. Pulpits of light, pulpits of pearls, pulpits of rubies, pulpits of chrysoprase, pulpits of gold and pulpits of silver will be placed for them, and the humblest of them, for there is no one worthless among them, will sit on mounds of musk and camphor, not considering that those who are on the chairs are in a more excellent position than they. Abu Huraira told that he asked, "Messenger of God, shall we see our Lord?" to which he replied, "Yes, are you in doubt about seeing the sun and the moon on the night when it is full?" On receiving the reply that they were not, he said, "Similarly you will have no doubts about the vision of your Lord, and no man will remain in that assembly without God conversing with him, till he says to one of them, `So and so son of so and so, do you remember the day you said such and such?' and He will remind him of one of the dishonest things he did in the world. He will say, `0 my Lord, hast Thou not forgiven me?' and He will reply, `Yes; by the wideness of my forgiveness, you have reached this station of yours.' While that is taking place a cloud will overshadow them from above and rain on them perfume whose fragrance will be such as they have never experienced my thing to compare with, and our Lord will say, `Get up and go to the honour I have prepared for you, and take what you desire.' We shall then come to a market surrounded by angels containing such things as eyes have never seen, ears have never heard, and hearts have never thought of. What we desire will be conveyed to us, there being no buying or selling in it, and in that market the inhabitants of paradise will meet one another. A man of exalted station will come forward and meet one who is humbler than he, though there is no one worthless among them, who will be charmed by the clothing he sees him wearing, but before their talk comes to an end, he will imagine that he has something more beautiful than the other. That is because it is not fitting for anyone to grieve in it. We shall then go to our dwellings and our wives will meet us and say, `Welcome; you have come with more excellent beauty than you had when you left us.' We shall reply, To-day we have had a meeting with our Lord, the Overpowering One, and it is fitting that we should come away as we have done'." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah trans - mitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to perform four cycles of ritual prayer after the sun had passed its zenith before the noon prayer, and he said: 'It is a time in which the gates of heaven are opened, so I love to have a righteous deed ascend for me then!'”

“Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) performed the Pilgrimage on a shabby camel saddle, on which there was a velvet sheet worth less than four silver coins, so he said: ‘O Allah, make it a Pilgrimage devoid of hypocritical ostentation and no notoriety!'”

Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rarely told a man something to his face which he disliked. One day a man came to him with a trace of yellowish scent on him. When he stood up, he said to his Companions, 'If only he would change - or remove - this yellow!'"

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The supplication of any of you is answered as long as he does not make supplication for something which is a wrong action or cutting off ties of kinship or become impatient and say, 'I made supplication and was not answered,' and so he stops making supplication.'"

A man from the Ansar narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) consented to the Qasamah (taking an oath that they did not kill the victim), which was practiced during the time of Jahiliyah (pre-Islam) and the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) made a judgment between some men from the Ansar concerning a man who was killed and they claimed that the Jews had killed him.’ Related by Muslim.

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).”

'Ali (RAA) narrated, 'Allah's Messenger (PBUH) enjoined us to pay great attention to the eye and the ear and not sacrifice a one-eyed animal with a slit which leaves something hanging at the front or back of the ear, or with a perforation in the ear, or an animal with broken front teeth.' Related by Ahmad and the four Imams. At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim graded it as Sahih.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "Verily! Allah has ninety-nine Names concerning which he who retains them in his memory will enter Paradise." [Agreed upon]. at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban listed the Names. However, investigations show that their listing is Idraj (an insertion) from one of the narrators [not from the words of the Prophet].

He wrote (letters) to the commanders of the armies regarding some men (soldiers) who have been absent from their wives, that they should impose upon them to spend on their wives or divorce them; and if they divorce them they should then send the maintenance which they have withheld. [ash-Shafi'i reported it, then al-Baihaqi with a Hasan (good) chain of narrators].

Al-Baqarah, Āl-Imran, and Tāha (meaning Al-Hayy al-Qayyoom).” Reference: Sunan ibn Majah 3856. Al-Tabarāni 7925, Al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah 746.

Al-Baqarah, Āl-Imran, and Tāha (meaning Al-Hayy al-Qayyoom).” Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 3856; Al-Tabarāni 7925; Al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah 746.

"I saw you wearing the tanned ox-hide sandals with no hair on them [an-ni'al as-sibtiyya]." He replied: "I saw Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) wearing the sandals on which there is no hair, and he performed the minor ritual ablution in them, so I love to wear them!”

"Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) died on Monday, after which he remained that day and Tuesday night, and he was buried during the night.” According to Sufyan [ibn 'Uyaina], someone else said: “The sound of the iron shovels could be heard during the latter part of the night.”

'Abdullah, the client of Asma', said, "Asma' brought out to me a cloak of Tayalisah (a type of mantle) which had a collar border a span (wide) of brocade and verily it's two openings were hemmed with it (i.e. brocade). She said, 'This is the of the cloak of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He used to wear it for delegations and on Jumu'a.' "

'Amro bin Shu’aib narrated on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather (RAA) that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “For a wound which exposes a bone five camels are paid (in compensation).’’ Related by Ahmad and the four Imams. Ahmad added the following statement, “And the fingers and toes are all equal- in Diyah· ten camels.” Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn al-Garud graded it as Sahih.

"There are three times at which Allah's Messenger (SAW) used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead: (a) when the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, (b) when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes the meridian, and (c) when the sun draws near to setting till it sets." [Reported by Muslim].

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Amir ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas that his father said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to me to treat me for a pain which became hard to bear in the year of the farewell hajj. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, you can see how far the pain has reached me. I have property and only my daughter inherits from me. Shall I give two thirds of my property as sadaqa?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'No.' I said, 'Half?' He said, 'No.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A third, and a third is a lot. Leaving your heirs rich is better than leaving them poor to beg from people. You never spend anything on maintenance desiring the Face of Allah by it, but that you are rewarded for it, even what you appoint for your wife.' Sad said, 'Messenger of Allah, will I be left here in Makka after my companions have departed for Madina?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If you are left behind, and do sound deeds you will increase your degree and elevation by them. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people may benefit by you and others may be harmed by you. O Allah! complete their hijra for my companions, and do not turn them back on their heels. The unfortunate one is Said ibn Khawla.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was distressed on his account for he had died at Makka."

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about a man who willed a third of his property to a man and said as well, "My slave will serve so-and-so (another man) for as long as he lives, then he is free," then that was looked into, and the slave was found to be a third of the property of the deceased. Malik said, "The service of the slave is evaluated. Then the two of them divide it between them. The one who was willed a third takes his third, as a share, and the one who was willed the service of the slave takes what was evaluated for him of the slave's service. Each of them takes, from the service of the slave or from his wage if he has a wage, according to his share. If the one who was given the service of the slave for as long as he lived dies, then the slave is freed."

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about someone who willed his third and said "So-and-so has such- and-such, and so-and-so has such-and-such," naming some of his property, and his heirs protested that it was more than a third." Malik said, "The heirs then have an option between giving the beneficiaries their full bequests and taking the rest of the property of the deceased, or between dividing among the beneficiaries the third of the property of the deceased and surrendering to them their third. If they wish, their rights in it reach as far as they reach."

Yahya said that Malik said, "The way of doing things in our community about which there is no dispute is that women do not swear in the swearing for the intentional act. If the murdered man only has female relatives, the women have no right to swear for blood and no pardon in murder."

Yahya said that Malik said about a man who is murdered, "If the paternal relatives of the murdered man or his mawali say, 'We swear and we demand our companion's blood,' that is their right."

Malik said, "If the women want to pardon him, they cannot do that. The paternal relatives and mawali are entitled to do that more than them because they are the ones who demand blood and swear for it."

Malik said, "If the paternal relatives or mawali pardon after they demand blood and the women refuse and say, 'We will not abandon our right against the murderer of our companion,' the women are more entitled to that because whoever takes retaliation is more entitled than the one who leaves it among the women and paternal relatives when the murder is established and killing obliged."

Malik said, "At least two claimants must swear in murder. The oaths are repeated by them until they swear fifty oaths, then they have the right to blood. That is how things are done in our community."

Malik said, "When people beat a man and he dies in their hands, they are all slain for him. If he dies after their beating, there is swearing. If there is swearing, it is only against one man and only he is slain. We have never known the swearing to be against more than one man."

Malik spoke about a slave who had his hand or foot broken and then the break mended . He said, "The one who injured him is not obliged to pay anything. If that break causes him loss or scar, the one who injured him must pay according to what he diminished of the value of the slave."

Malik said, "What is done in our community about retaliation between slaves is that it is like retaliation between freemen. The life of the slave-girl for the life of the slave, and her injury for his injury. When a slave intentionally kills a slave, the master of the murdered slave has a choice. If he wishes, he kills him, and if he wishes, he takes the blood-money. If he takes the blood-money, he takes the value of his slave. If the owner of the slave who killed wishes to give the value of the murdered slave, he does it. If he wishes, he surrenders his slave. If he surrenders him, he is not obliged to do anything other than that. When the owner of the murdered slave takes the slave who murdered and is satisifed with him, he must not kill him. All retaliations between slaves for cutting off of the hand and foot and such things are dealt with in the same way as in the murder."

Malik said about a muslim slave who injures a jew or christian, "If the master of the slave wishes to pay blood-money for him according to the injury, he does it. Or else he surrenders him and he is sold, and the jew or christian is given the blood-money of the injury or all the price of the slave if the blood-money is greater than his price. The jew or christian is not given a muslim slave."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha heard Anas ibn Malik say that Abu Talha had said to Umm Sulaym, "I have just been listening to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his voice was very weak. I recognised hunger in it, so, do you have anything?" She replied, "Yes," and brought out some barley loaves. She took her long head scarf and wrapped up the bread with part of it and put it into my (Anas's) hand and gave me part of it to wear. Then she sent me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Anas continued, "I took it, and I found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sitting in the mosque with some people. I watched them. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Did Abu Talha send you?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'For food?' I said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to those with him, 'Let us go.' He set off and I went among them until I came to Abu Talha and told him. Abu Talha said, 'Umm Sulaym! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has brought people and we have no food. What shall we give them to eat?' She said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' "

Anas continued, "Abu Talha went out and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, approached with Abu Talha until they entered. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Come now, Umm Sulaym, what have you got?' She brought out bread. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered it to be broken into pieces, and Umm Sulaym squeezed out onto it a container of clarified butter which she had seasoned. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said whatever Allah wished him to say, and said, 'Will you give permission for ten of them to come in?' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and then left. He said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave permission and they ate until they were full and left. There were seventy or eighty men."

"I supplicate Allah to bring you and I together in the market of Paradise." So Sa'eed said: "Is there a market in it?" He said: "Yes, the messenger of Allah (s.a.w) informed me that: 'When the people of Paradise enter it, they shall take their places according to the virtue of their deeds. Then permission shall be granted to them to visit their Lord, for the length of a Friday from the days of the world. He shall present for them His Throne and He shall manifest the gardens of Paradise. Then lofty seats of light shall be erected for them, and lofty saets of pearl, and lofty seats or corundum, and lofty seats of peridots, and lofty seats of gold, and lofty seats of silver. And the lowest of them- and there is none of them that is low- shall sit upon a dune of musk and camphor, and they shall not regard those upon the chairs as having a better sitting place than them.' Abu Hurairah said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, and will we see our Lord?' He (S.a.w) said: 'Yes.[He said: ] Do you doubt [concerning] seeing the sun, or the moon on a night when it is full?' We said: 'No.' He said: 'Likewise, you will not doubt concerning seeing your Lord. And they shall not remain in that meeting any man except Allah shall give him a lecture until he says to a man from among them: "O so-and – so son of so - and – so, do you remember the day when you said such-and-such.” And He will remind him of some of his betrayals in the world, so he will say: “O my Lord, did you not forgive me?” So He will say: “Indeed! It is by the vastness of My Forgiveness that you reached this station of yours.” So while they are engaged in this they shall be covered by a cloud that shall rain upon them a perfume, the like of whose smell they have not smelled, ever. And our Lord [Blessed and Exalted is He] shall say: “Arise to what I have prepared for you of generosity, and take whatever you desire.” Then, we will come to a market which the angels will have already surrounded. [In it] shall be what no eyes have seen the like of, nor ears have heard of, nor ever has it occurred in the hearts (of men). And there shall be carried to us whatever we desire. There shall be not be anything sold or bought in this market, and, in that market, the people of Paradise shall meet one another.' He said: 'So the person of high rank shall come and meet the one below him in rank- and there is none among them that is low- so he shall be impressed by the clothes he sees on him, their discussion shall not come to an end until he shall imagine upon himself what is more beautiful than it, and that is because it is not fitting for anyone to feel regret therein. Then we will return to our places and our wives shall meet us saying: “Welcome and greetings, you have come, and you have beauty greater than what you parted us with.” So we will say: “Indeed we sat today with our Lord, the Powerful, and it is fitting that we should return with what we have returned with.'” (Da'if)

He heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as saying: "Three men, amongst those who came before you, set out until night came and they reached a cave, so they entered it. A rock fell down from the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave. They said: 'Nothing will save you from this unless you supplicate to Allah by virtue of a righteous deed you have done.' Thereupon, one of them said: 'O Allah! I had parents who were old, and I used to offer them milk before any of my children or slaves. One day, I went far away in search of grazing and could not come back until they had slept. When I milked as usual and brought the drink I found them both asleep. I hated to disturb them and also disliked to give milk to my children before them. My children were crying out of hunger at my feet but I awaited with the bowl in my hand for them to wake up. When they awoke at dawn, they drank milk. O Allah! If I did so to seek Your Pleasure, then deliver us from the distress caused by the rock'. The rock moved slightly but they were unable to escape. The next said: 'O Allah! I had a cousin whom I loved more than any one else (in another version he said: as a man can love a woman). I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused. Hard pressed in a year of famine, she approached me. I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on condition that she would yield herself to me. She agreed and when we got together (for sexual intercourse), she said: Fear Allah and do not break the seal unlawfully. I moved away from her in spite of the fact that I loved her most passionately; and I let her keep the money I had given her. O Allah! If I did that to seek Your Pleasure, then, remove the distress in which we are.' The rock moved aside a bit further but they were still unable to get out. The third one said: 'O Allah! I hired some labourers and paid them their wages except one of them departed without taking his due. I invested his money in business and the business prospered greatly. After a long time, he came to me and said: O slave of Allah! Pay me my dues. I said: All that you see is yours - camels, cattle, goats and slaves. He said: O slave of Allah! Do not mock at me. I assured him that I was not joking. So he took all the things and went away. He spared nothing. O Allah! If I did so seeking Your Pleasure, then relieve us of our distress.' The rock slipped aside and they got out walking freely".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Huraira told that God's Messenger sent some horsemen to Najd and they brought a man of the B. Hanifa called Thumama b. Uthal who was the chief of the people of al-Yamama and bound him to one of the pillars of the mosque. God’s Messenger came out to him and said, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I expect good, Muhammad. If you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, if you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God’s Messenger left him till the next day, and asked him, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I am expecting what I said to you. If you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, if you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God's Messenger left him till the following day, and asked him, “What are you expecting, Thumama?” He replied, “I am expecting what I said to you. If you show favour you will show it to one who is grateful, if you kill me you will kill one whose blood will be avenged, and if you want property and ask you will be given as much of it as you wish.” God’s Messenger then said, “Set Thumama free.” He went off to some palm-trees near the mosque, and after bathing he entered the mosque and said, “I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I swear by God, Muhammad, that there was no face on the face of the earth more hateful to me than yours, but your face has become the dearest of all to me. I swear by God that there was no religion more hateful to me than yours, but your religion has become the dearest of all to me. I swear by God that there was no town more hateful to me than yours, but your town has become the dearest of all to me. Your cavalry seized me when I was on my way to perform the umra, so what do you think I should do? God’s Messenger congratulated him and told him to perform the umra. When he came to Mecca someone asked him whether he had turned to folly* and he replied, “No, but I have accepted Islam along with God’s Messenger. I swear by God that not one grain of wheat will come to you from al-Yamama till God’s Messenger gives permission for it.” *Sabaut. The verb saba has as one of its meanings to turn to folly. It has been suggested that here it is used in the sense of the verb saba’a which means to change one’s religion. Final Hamza verbs very often do drop the Hamza, but they more normally follow the pattern of final ya’ verbs rather than final waw when they do so. Muslim transmitted it, and Bukhari gave it more concisely.

Ubadah bin Samit Al-Ansari, head of the army unit, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), went on a military campaign with Mu'awiyah in the land of the Byzantines. He saw people trading pieces of gold for Dinar and pieces of silver for Dirham. He said: "O people, you are consuming Riba (usury)! For I heard the Messenger of Allah (SAW) say: 'Do not sell gold for gold unless it is like for like; there should be no increase and no delay (between the two transactions).'" Mu'awiyah said to him: "O Abu Walid, I do not think there is any Riba involved in this , except in cases where there is a delay." 'Ubadah said to him: "I tell you a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and you tell me your opinion! If Allah brings me back safely I will never live in a land in which you have authority over me." When he returned, he stayed in Al-Madinah, and 'Umar bin Khattab said to him: "What brought you here, O Abu Walid?" So he told him the story, and what he had said about not living in the same land as Mu'awiyah. 'Umar said: "Go back to your land, O Abu Walid, for what a bad land is the land from where you and people like you are absent." Then he wrote to Mu'awiyah and said: "You have no authority over him; make the people follow what he says , for he is right."

that his sister Furai'ah bint Malik said: "My husband went out to pursue some slaves of his. He caught up with them at the edge of Qadumttl and they killed him. News of his death reached me when I was in one of the houses of the Ansar, far away from the house of my family and my brothers. I went to the Prophet (SAW) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (SAW), there has come to me news of my husband's death and I am in a house far away from the house of my people and the house of my brothers. He did not leave any money that could be spent on me, or any inheritance, or any house I may take possession of. If you think that you could give me permission to join my family and my brothers, then that is what I prefer and is better for me in some ways.' He said: 'Do that if you wish.' Then I went out, feeling happy with the ruling of Allah given upon the lips of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), until, when I was in the mosque, or, in one of the apartments, he called me and said: 'What did you say?' I told him the story, and he said: 'Stay in the house in which the news of your husband's death came to you, until your waiting period is ever."' She said: "So I observed the waiting period there for four months and ten (days)."

“We asked ‘Ali about the voluntary (prayer) of Allah’s Messenger (saw) during the day. He said: ‘You will not be able.’ We said: ‘Inform us of it, we will do what we can of it?’ So he said: ‘When he prayed the Fajr he would delay praying any more. When the sun appeared over there (west) – like it appears here, meaning in the direction of the east, about the amount for the ‘Asr prayer from there, meaning in the direction of the west, meaning before the Maghrib – he would stand and perform two Rak’ah* then he would delay praying until the sun appeared over there (west), meaning in the direction of the east, about the amount of the Zuhr prayer from there, then he would stand and perform four. And, four before the Zuhr when the sun passed the zenith, and two Rak’ah after it, and, four before the ‘Asr, separating between every two Rak’ah with Taslim** upon the angels that are close (to Allah), the Prophets, and those who follow them among the Muslims and the believers.’”
'Ali said: "That is sixteen Rak'ah of voluntary prayer which Allah's Messenger (SAW) performed during the day. And there are very few who offer them regularly."
Waki` said: “My father added: Habib bin Abu Thabit said: ‘O Abu Ishaq, this mosque filled with gold would not be dearer to me than this Hadith of yours.’”
* Meaning, when the sun was low above the eastern horizon. That is the time of the Duha.
** Meaning the Tashah-hud.

“A man came to the Prophet (saw), upon his return from Uhud, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in my dream I saw a cloud giving shade, from which drops of ghee and honey were falling, and I saw people collecting them in the palms of their hands, some gathering a lot and some a little. And I saw a rope reaching up into heaven, and I saw you take hold of it and rise with it. Then another man took hold of it after you rose with it, then another man took hold of it after him and rose with it. Then a man took hold of it after him and it broke, then it was reconnected and he rose with it.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘Let me interpret it, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Interpret it.’ He said: ‘As for the cloud giving shade, it is Islam, and the drops of honey and ghee that fall from it (represent) the Qur’an with its sweetness and softness. As for the people collecting that in their palms, some learn a lot of the Qur’an and some learn a little. As for the rope reaching up into heaven, it is the truth that you are following; you took hold of it and rose with it, then another man till take hold of it after you and rise with you, then another, who will rise with it, then another, but it will break and then he reconnected, then he will rise with it.’ He said: ‘You have got some of it right and some of it wrong.’ Abu Bakr said: ‘I adjure you O Messenger of Allah, tell me what I got right and what I got wrong.’ The Prophet (saw) said: ‘Do not swear, O Abu Bakr.”*

"On the night on which the Messenger of Allah (saw) was taken on the Night Journey (Isra'), he met Ibrahim, Musa and 'Eisa, and they discussed the Hour. They started with Ibrahim, and asked him about it, but he did not have any knowledge of it. Then they asked Musa, and he did not have any knowledge of it. Then they asked 'Eisa bin Maryam, and he said: 'I have been assigned to some tasks before it happens.' As for as when it will take place, no one knows that except Allah. Then he mentioned Dajjal and said: 'I will descend and kill him, then the people will return to their own lands and will be confronted with Gog and Magog people, who will: "swoop down from every mound."[21:96] They will not pass by any water but they will drink it, (and they will not pass) by anything but they will spoil it. They (the people) will beseech Allah, and I will pray to Allah to kill them. The earth will be filled with their stench and (the people) will beseech Allah and I will pray to Allah, then the sky will send down rain that will carry them and throw them in the sea. Then the mountains will turn to dust and the earth will be stretched out like a hide. I have been promised that when that happens, the Hour will come upon the people, like a pregnant woman whose family does not know when she will suddenly give birth.'" (One of the narrators) 'Awwam said: "Confirmation of that is found in the Book of Allah, where Allah says: "Until, when Gog and Magog people are let loose (from their barrier), and they swoop down from every mound (21:96)."

"Color the edges of the eyelids with antimony [ithmid], for it clears the vision and makes the eyelashes grow!” He also maintained that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had a kohl jar from which he used to apply kohl to his eyelashes every night, three times in this [eye],and three times in that.

Khalid ibn Kaysan said, "I was with Ibn 'Umar when Iyyas ibn Khaythama got up and said to him, 'Shall I recite some poetry, Ibn al-Faruq?' 'Yes,' he replied, 'but only recite good poetry to me.'" He recited until he came to something which Ibn 'Umar disliked whereupon he told him to stop.

Mu'awiya ibn Qurra said, "My father told me, 'If you sit in a gathering expecting good to come from, but then something occurs which makes you leave, say, 'Peace be upon you,' and you will share in any good that they obtain in that gathering. There are no people who sit in a gathering and then split up without Allah having been mentioned, but that it is as if they were leaving the corpse of a donkey.'"

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said "Do not go out often after the night is still. Allah has animals which he sends out. Anyone who hears the barking of a dog or the braying of a donkey should seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan. They see what you do not see."

Aslam, the client of 'Umar, said, "When we came to Syria with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, the chief came to him, 'Amir al-Mu'minin, I have prepared some food for you and I would like you to bring some nobles with you. That will be a stronger and nobler action for me.' 'Umar said, 'We cannot enter these churches of yours with the images which are inside them.'"

Anas bin Maalik has reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "When Allah involves a Muslim in bodily [pain then he is credited with a reward for those deeds which he was used to do when he was healthy as long as he is ill. Thus, if Allah gives him healing, He washes him (clean of sins). But, if he causes him to die then he forgives him.

A desert Arab came to the Prophet (SAW) and said, "O Allah's Messenger, what are the major sins?" The narrator reported the Hadith and it contains: "The false oath." It contains also: I asked, "What is the false oath?" The Prophet (SAW) replied, "It is that (oath) by which one takes possession of the property of a Muslim person, while he is lying." [al-Bukhari reported it].

The Prophet (SAW) returned his daughter Zainab (RA) to [her husband] Abul-'Aas (RA) by a new marriage. [at-Tirmidhi said, "The Hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (RA) is better than 'Amr's Hadith in consideration of the chains of narrators. However, that which is being observed in practice is 'Amr bin Shu'aib's Hadith"].

The Prophet (SAW) said, "Observe her, and if she gives birth to a child which is white complexioned with dark hair, her husband would be its father. But if she gives birth to a child with eyes looking as if they have antimony (Kuhl) in them and curled hair, the man whom her husband charged her with committing adultery is its father." [Agreed upon].

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "A man's prayer offered with another man is purer than his prayer which he offers alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one and if they are more (in number), it is more beloved to Allah, the Mighty the Majestic." [Reported by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].

If you see something from your brother, yourself or wealth which you find impressing, then invoke blessings for it, for the evil eye is indeed true. Reference: Ahmad 4/447, Ibn Majah, Malik. Al-Albani graded it authentic in Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 1/212. Also see Al-Arna'ut's checking of Ibn Al-Qayyim's Zadul-Ma'ad 4/170.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “None of you [truly] believes until his desires are subservient to that which I have brought.” [Imam an-Nawawi says:] We have related it in Kitab al-Hujjah with a saheeh chain of narrators.

Anas said that he was ten years old when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina. He said, "My mothers decided that I would serve him and I served him for ten years. He died when I was twenty. I am the person who knows best about the business of the veil. The first instance that was revealed occurred when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, built a room for Zaynab bint Jahsh. He celebrated the wedding there, invited the people who came, ate and then left. A group remained with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They stayed for a long time and then the Prophet went out and I went out hoping that they would leave. He walked and I walked with him until he came to the threshold of 'A'isha's room. Then, thinking that they would have left, he returned and I returned with him. He went to Zaynab but they were still sitting there. He left again and I left with him until he once more reached the threshold of 'A'isha's room. When he thought that they would have gone, he went back again and I went back with him. This time they had indeed left. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then put up a curtain between me and him, and the veil was revealed."

Allāhumma Rabbas-samāwātis-sab`i wa Rabba ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-`Aẓīm, Rabbanā wa Rabba kulli shay', fāliqa ‘l-ḥabbi wan-nawā, wa munzilat-Tawrāti wal-'Injīli, wal-Furqān, a`ūdhu bika min sharri kulli shay'in anta ākhidhun bināṣiyatih. Allāhumma anta ‘l-awwalu falaysa qablaka shay', wa antal-ākhiru falaysa ba`daka shay', wa antaẓ-ẓāhiru falaysa fawqaka shay', wa antal-bāṭinu falaysa dūnaka shay', iqḍi `annad-dayn, wa aghninā mina ‘l-faqr. O Allah! Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne. Our Lord and the Lord of everything. Splitter of the grain and the date-stone, Revealer of the Torah and the Injeel1 and the Furqan (the Qur'an), I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything that You shall seize by the forelock.2 O Allah You are the First and nothing has come before you, and You are the Last, and nothing may come after You. You are the Most High, nothing is above You and You are the Most Near, and nothing is nearer than You. Remove our debts from us and enrich us against poverty. 3 Reference: 1 The Scripture that was revealed to 'Isa (Jesus). 2 See Qur'an Al-'Alaq 96:15, where seizure by the forelock preceeds being cast into Hell. (Translator) 3 Muslim 4/2084.

Three of the Banu Sa'd related from their father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited Sa'd (ibn Abi Waqqas) in Makka and Sa'd wept. He asked, "Why are your weeping?" Sa'd replied, "I fear that I will die in the land from which I have emigrated as Sa'd (ibn Khawla) died." The Prophet said, "O Allah, heal Sa'd!" three times. Sa'd said, "I have a lot of property which my daughter will inherit. Shall I will all of it away?" "No," he replied. Sa'd asked, "Two-thirds?" "No," he replied. "A half then?" Sa'd asked. "No," he answered. Sa'd asked, "A third?" "A third," he said, "but a third is a lot. What you give as sadaqa from your property is sadaqa. What you spend on your family is sadaqa. What your wife eats of your food is sadaqa for you. It is better for you to leave your family in a state of plenty (or he said "livelihood") than to leave them where they have to importune people."

Umm Salamah (RAA) narrated, ‘The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) came to see Abu Salamah when his sight had become fixed (with his eyes open, as he had already passed away). So the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), closed his eyes and said, “When the soul is seized and leaves the body, the sight follows it.’ Some of Abu Salamah's family wept and wailed, whereupon the Messenger of Allah said to them, ‘Do not supplicate to Allah anything except that which is good for you (i.e. do not say anything which goes against you at that moment), because the angels (who are present at the time of death), say “Amin" (asking Allah to accept your invocation) to whatever you say.” Then he said, "O Allah! Forgive Abu Salamah, raise his status among (Your) rightly guided servants, make his grave spacious, and fill it with light for him, and be his successor in taking good care of his descendants whom he has left behind, (and make them pious).” Related by Muslim.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had asked Ibn Shihab whether someone doing itikaf could go into a house to relieve himself, and he said, "Yes, there is no harm in that."

Malik said, "The situation that we are all agreed upon here is that there is no disapproval of anyone doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is held. The only reason I see for disapproving of doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held is that the man doing itikaf would have to leave the mosque where he was doing itikaf in order to go to jumua, or else not go there at all. If, however, he is doing itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held, and he does not have to go to jumua in any other mosque, then I see no harm in him doing itikaf there, because Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, 'While you are doing itikaf in mosques,' and refers to all mosques in general, without specifying any particular kind."

Malik continued, "Accordingly, it is permissiblefor a man to do itikaf in a mosque where jumua is not held if he does not have to leave it to go to a mosque where jumua is held."

Malik said, "A person doing itikaf should spend the night only in the mosque where he is doing itikaf, except if his tent is in one of the courtyards of the mosque. I have never heard that someone doing itikaf can put up a shelter anywhere except in the mosque itself or in one of the courtyards of the mosque.

Part of what shows that he must spend the night in the mosque is the saying of A'isha, 'When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was doing itikaf, he would only go into the house to relieve himself.' Nor should he do itikaf on the roof of the mosque or in the minaret."

Malik said, "The person who is going to do itikaf should enter the place where he wishes to do itikaf before the sun sets on the night when he wishes to begin his itikaf, so that he is ready to begin the itikaf at the beginning of the night when he is going to start his itikaf. A person doing itikaf should be occupied with his itikaf, and not turn his attention to other things which might occupy him, such as trading or whatever. There is no harm, however, if some one doing itikaf tells some one to do something for him regarding his estate, or the affairs of his family, or tells someone to sell some property of his, or something else that does not occupy him directly. There is no harm in him arranging for someone else to do that for him if it is a simple matter."

Malik said, "I have never heard any of the people of knowledge mentioning any modification as far as how to do itikaf is concerned. Itikaf is an act of ibada like the prayer, fasting, the hajj, and such like acts, whether they are obligatory or voluntary. Anyone who begins doing any of these acts should do them according to what has come down in the sunna. He should not start doing anything in them that the muslims have not done, whether it is a modification that he imposes on others, or one that he begins doing himself. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, practised itikaf, and the muslims know what the sunna of itikaf is."

Malik said, "Itikaf and jiwar are the same, and Itikaf is the same for a village-dweller as it is for a nomad."