The Prophet (saws) said: Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off.

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Shjrah is Kathir b. Murrah.

Whenever Allah's Apostle ordered us to give in charity we would go to the market and work as porters to earn a Mudd (two handfuls) (of foodstuff) but now some of us have one-hundred thousand Dirhams or Diners. (The sub-narrator) Shaqiq said, "I think Abu Mas`ud meant himself by saying (some of us) .

That he was in the company of Allah's Apostle on some of his journeys. (The sub-narrator `Abdullah adds, "I think that Abu Bashir also said, 'And the people were at their sleeping places.") Allah's Apostle sent a messenger ordering: "There shall not remain any necklace of string or any other kind of necklace round the necks of camels except it is cut off."

(the wife of the Prophet) The Prophet ordered all his wives to finish their Ihram during the year of Hajjat-ul-Wada`. On that, I asked the Prophet "What stops you from finishing your lhram?" He said, "I have matted my hair and garlanded my Hadi. So I will not finish my Ihram unless I have slaughtered my Hadi."

In the Pre-lslamic Period when the people assumed Ihram, they would enter their houses from the back. So Allah revealed:-- "And it is not righteousness that you enter houses from the back, but the righteous man is he who fears Allah, obeys His Orders and keeps away from what He has forbidden. So enter houses through their doors." (2.189)

The Quraish people and those who embraced their religion, used to stay at Muzdalifa and used to call themselves Al-Hums, while the rest of the Arabs used to stay at `Arafat. When Islam came, Allah ordered His Prophet to go to `Arafat and stay at it, and then pass on from there, and that is what is meant by the Statement of Allah:--"Then depart from the place whence all the people depart......" (2.199)

We used to speak while in prayer. One of us used to speak to his brother (while in prayer) about his need, till the Verse was revealed:-- "Guard strictly the (five obligatory) prayers, especially the middle (the Best) (`Asr) Prayer and stand before Allah with obedience (and not to speak to others during the prayers)." Then we were ordered not to speak in the prayers.

A Jew killed a girl of the Ansar for her ornaments. He then threw her in a well, and crushed her head with stones. He was then arrested and brought to the Prophet (saws). He ordered regarding him that he should be stoned to death. He was then stoned till he died.

Abu Dawud said: It has been transmitted by Ibn Juraij from Ayyub in a similar way.

Malik related to me from Amr ibn Yahya al-Mazini from his father that ad-Dahhak ibn Khalifa watered his irrigation ditch from a large source of water. He wanted to have it pass through the land of Muhammad ibn Maslama, and Muhammad refused. Ad-Dahhak said to him, "Why do you prevent me? It will benefit you. You can drink from it first and last and it will not harm you." Muhammed refused so ad- Dahhak spoke about it to Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Umar ibn al-Khattab summoned Muhammad ibn Maslama and ordered him to clear the way. Muhammad said, "No." Umar said, "Why do you prevent your brother from what will benefit him and is also useful for you? You will take water from it first and last and it will not harm you."

Muhammad said, "No, by Allah!" Umar said, "By Allah, he will pass it through, even if it is over your belly!" Umar ordered him to allow its passage and ad-Dahhak did so.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Wahb ibn Kaysan that Jabir ibn Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent a delegation to the coast. Abu Ubayda ibn al- Jarrah was in command of them. There were 300 people and I was among them. We went out until we had gone part of the way and our provisions were finished. Abu Ubayda ordered that the provisions of the army be gathered up and they amounted to two containers of dates. He used to give us a little provision from it each day until it was finished, and we used to have only a single date each. I said, 'What use is one date?' He said, 'We will certainly feel its loss when they are finished.' "

Jabir continued, "Then we reached the sea and there was a fish like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen nights. Then Abu Ubayda ordered two ribs from it to be set up. Then he commanded that a camel be ridden underneath them and it did not touch them."

When the Prophet died and Abu Bakr became his successor and some of the Arabs reverted to disbelief, `Umar said, "O Abu Bakr! How can you fight these people although Allah's Apostle said, 'I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, 'and whoever said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', Allah will save his property and his life from me, unless (he does something for which he receives legal punishment) justly, and his account will be with Allah?' "Abu Bakr said, "By Allah! I will fight whoever differentiates between prayers and Zakat as Zakat is the right to be taken from property (according to Allah's Orders). By Allah! If they refused to pay me even a kid they used to pay to Allah's Apostle, I would fight with them for withholding it." `Umar said, "By Allah: It was nothing, but I noticed that Allah opened Abu Bakr's chest towards the decision to fight, therefore I realized that his decision was right."

`Aisha said, "We set out with the Prophet in his last Hajj. Some of us intended to perform `Umra while others Hajj. When we reached Mecca, Allah's Apostle said, 'Those who had assumed the lhram for `Umra and had not brought the Hadi should finish his lhram and whoever had assumed the Ihram for `Umra and brought the Hadi should not finish the Ihram till he has slaughtered his Hadi and whoever had assumed the lhram for Hajj should complete his Hajj." `Aisha further said, "I got my periods (menses) and kept on menstruating till the day of `Arafat, and I had assumed the Ihram for `Umra only (Tamattu`). The Prophet ordered me to undo and comb my head hair and assume the lhram for Hajj only and leave the `Umra. I did the same till I completed the Hajj. Then the Prophet sent `Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr with me and ordered me to perform `Umra from at-Tan`im in lieu of the missed `Umra."

Abu Musa asked `Umar to admit him but he was not admitted as `Umar was busy, so Abu Musa went back. When `Umar finished his job he said, "Didn't I hear the voice of `Abdullah bin Qais? Let him come in." `Umar was told that he had left. So, he sent for him and on his arrival, he (Abu Musa) said, "We were ordered to do so (i.e. to leave if not admitted after asking permission thrice). `Umar told him, "Bring witness in proof of your statement." Abu Musa went to the Ansar's meeting places and asked them. They said, "None amongst us will give this witness except the youngest of us, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri. Abu Musa then took Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (to `Umar) and `Umar said, surprisingly, "Has this order of Allah's Apostle been hidden from me?" (Then he added), "I used to be busy trading in markets."

Today a man came to me and asked me a question which I did not know how to answer. He said, "Tell me, if a wealthy active man, well-equipped with arms, goes out on military expeditions with our chiefs, and orders us to do such things as we cannot do (should we obey him?)" I replied, "By Allah, I do not know what to reply you, except that we, were in the company of the Prophet and he used to order us to do a thing once only till we finished it. And no doubt, everyone among you will remain in a good state as long as he obeys Allah. If one is in doubt as to the legality of something, he should ask somebody who would satisfy him, but soon will come a time when you will not find such a man. By Him, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped. I see that the example of what has passed of this life (to what remains thereof) is like a pond whose fresh water has been used up and nothing remains but muddy water."

Allah's Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise."

I heard `Aisha saying, "When the news of the martyrdom of Ibn Haritha, Ja`far bin Abi Talib and `Abdullah bin Rawaka reached, Allah's Apostle sat with sorrow explicit on his face." `Aisha added, "I was then peeping through a chink in the door. A man came to him and said, "O Allah's Apostle! The women of Ja`far are crying.' Thereupon the Prophet told him to forbid them to do so. So the man went away and returned saying, "I forbade them but they did not listen to me." The Prophet ordered him again to go (and forbid them). He went again and came saying, 'By Allah, they overpowered me (i.e. did not listen to me)." `Aisha said that Allah's Apostle said (to him), "Go and throw dust into their mouths." Aisha added, "I said, May Allah put your nose in the dust! By Allah, neither have you done what you have been ordered, nor have you relieved Allah's Apostle from trouble."

Thursday! And how great that Thursday was! The ailment of Allah's Apostle became worse (on Thursday) and he said, fetch me something so that I may write to you something after which you will never go astray." The people (present there) differed in this matter, and it was not right to differ before a prophet. Some said, "What is wrong with him ? (Do you think ) he is delirious (seriously ill)? Ask him ( to understand his state )." So they went to the Prophet and asked him again. The Prophet said, "Leave me, for my present state is better than what you call me for." Then he ordered them to do three things. He said, "Turn the pagans out of the 'Arabian Peninsula; respect and give gifts to the foreign delegations as you have seen me dealing with them." (Sa`id bin Jubair, the sub-narrator said that Ibn `Abbas kept quiet as rewards the third order, or he said, "I forgot it.") (See Hadith No. 116 Vol. 1)

A man of Banu Harith was pasturing a pregnant she-camel in one of the ravines of Uhud, (he saw that) it was about to die; he could find nothing to slaughter it; he took a stake and stabbed it in the upper part of its breast until he made its blood flow.

He then came to the Prophet (saws) and informed him about that, and he ordered him to eat it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from Fatima bint al-Mundhir that whenever a woman who had a fever, was brought to Asma bint Abi Bakr, she made dua for her and took water and poured it inside her collar. She said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered us to cool it with water."

`Abdur-Rahman bin Abza ordered me to ask Ibn `Abbas regarding the two Verses (the first of which was ): "And whosoever murders a believer intentionally." (4.93) So I asked him, and he said, "Nothing has abrogated this Verse." About (the other Verse): 'And those who invoke not with Allah any other god.' he said, "It was revealed concerning the pagans."

that Aflah the brother of Abu Al-Qu'ais, her foster uncle, came, asking permission to enter upon her after the Verse of Al-Hijab (the use of veils by women) was revealed. `Aisha added: I did not allow him to enter, but when Allah's Apostle came, I told him what I had done, and he ordered me to give him permission.

that his aunt, Um Hufaid bint Al-Harith bin Hazn, presented to the Prophet butter, dried yoghurt and mastigures. The Prophet invited the people to those mastigures and they were eaten on his dining sheet, but the Prophet did not eat of it, as if he disliked it. Nevertheless. if it was unlawful to eat that, the people would not have eaten it on the dining sheet of the Prophet nor would he have ordered that they be eaten.

While the people were at Quba offering the morning prayer, suddenly a person came to them saying, "Tonight Divine Inspiration has been revealed to Allah's Apostle and he has been ordered to face the Ka`ba (in prayers): therefore you people should face it." There faces were towards Sham, so they turned their faces towards the Ka`ba (at Mecca).

Once Allah's Apostle came out while Bilal was accompanying him. He went towards the women thinking that they had not heard him (i.e. his sermon). So he preached them and ordered them to pay alms. (Hearing that) the women started giving alms; some donated their ear-rings, some gave their rings and Bilal was collecting them in the corner of his garment.

Once the call (Iqama) for the prayer was announced and the rows were straightened. Allah's Apostle came out; and when he stood up at his Musalla, he remembered that he was Junub. Then he ordered us to stay at our places and went to take a bath and then returned with water dropping from his head. He said, "Allahu-Akbar", and we all offered the prayer with him.

The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single pot while we were Junub. During the menses, he used to order me to put on an Izar (dress worn below the waist) and used to fondle me. While in I`tikaf, he used to bring his head near me and I would wash it while I used to be in my periods (menses).

The Prophet came to Medina and saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. He asked them about that. They replied, "This is a good day, the day on which Allah rescued Bani Israel from their enemy. So, Moses fasted this day." The Prophet said, "We have more claim over Moses than you." So, the Prophet fasted on that day and ordered (the Muslims) to fast (on that day).

Allah's Apostle sent his letter to Khusrau and ordered his messenger to hand it over to the Governor of Bahrain who was to hand it over to Khusrau. So, when Khusrau read the letter he tore it. Sa`id bin Al- Musaiyab said, "The Prophet then invoked Allah to disperse them with full dispersion, (destroy them (i.e. Khusrau and his followers) severely)".

When the Prophet came to Medina, he found (the Jews) fasting on the day of 'Ashura' (i.e. 10th of Muharram). They used to say: "This is a great day on which Allah saved Moses and drowned the folk of Pharaoh. Moses observed the fast on this day, as a sign of gratitude to Allah." The Prophet said, "I am closer to Moses than they." So, he observed the fast (on that day) and ordered the Muslims to fast on it.

We were in the company of Allah's Apostle and we assumed the state of Ihram of Hajj and arrived at Mecca on the fourth of Dhul-Hijja. The Prophet ordered us to perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba and (Sa`i) between As-Safa and Al-Marwa and use our lhram just for `Umra, and finish the state of Ihram unless we had our Hadi with us. None of us had the Hadi with him except the Prophet and Talha. `Ali came from Yemen and brought the Hadi with him. `Ali said, 'I had assumed the state of Ihram with the same intention as that with which Allah's Apostle had assumed it. The people said, "How can we proceed to Mina and our male organs are dribbling?" Allah's Apostle said, "If I had formerly known what I came to know latterly, I would not have brought the Hadi, and had there been no Hadi with me, I would have finished my Ihram." Suraqa (bin Malik) met the Prophet while he was throwing pebbles at the Jamrat-Al-`Aqaba, and asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Is this (permitted) for us only?" The Prophet replied. "No, it is forever" `Aisha had arrived at Mecca while she was menstruating, therefore the Prophet ordered her to perform all the ceremonies of Hajj except the Tawaf around the Ka`ba, and not to perform her prayers unless and until she became clean . When they encamped at Al-Batha, `Aisha said, "O Allah's Apostle! You are proceeding after performing both Hajj and `Umra while I am proceeding with Hajj only?" So the Prophet ordered `Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to go with her to at-Tan`im, and so she performed the `Umra in Dhul-Hijja after the days of the Hajj.

While we were sitting with the Prophet in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg and then said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time the Prophet was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his arm. We replied, "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him, "O Son of `Abdul Muttalib." The Prophet said, "I am here to answer your questions." The man said to the Prophet, "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet said, "Ask whatever you want." The man said, "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the mankind?" The Prophet replied, "By Allah, yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night (24 hours).? He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah! Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year (i.e. Ramadan)?" He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take Zakat (obligatory charity) from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet replied, "By Allah, yes." Thereupon that man said, "I have believed in all that with which you have been sent, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger, and I am Dimam bin Tha`laba from the brothers of Bani Sa`d bin Bakr."

I was an interpreter between the people and Ibn `Abbas. Once Ibn `Abbas said that a delegation of the tribe of `Abdul Qais came to the Prophet who asked them, "Who are the people (i.e. you)? (Or) who are the delegates?" They replied, "We are from the tribe of Rabi`a." Then the Prophet said to them, "Welcome, O people (or said, "O delegation (of `Abdul Qais).") Neither will you have disgrace nor will you regret." They said, "We have come to you from a distant place and there is the tribe of the infidels of Mudar intervening between you and us and we cannot come to you except in the sacred month. So please order us to do something good (religious deeds) and that we may also inform our people whom we have left behind (at home) and that we may enter Paradise (by acting on them.)" The Prophet ordered them to do four things, and forbade them from four things. He ordered them to believe in Allah Alone, the Honorable the Majestic and said to them, "Do you know what is meant by believing in Allah Alone?" They replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." Thereupon the Prophet said, "(That means to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay Zakat, to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan, (and) to pay Al-Khumus (one fifth of the booty to be given in Allah's cause)." Then he forbade them four things, namely Ad-Dubba.' Hantam, Muzaffat (and) An-Naqir or Muqaiyar (These were the names of pots in which alcoholic drinks used to be prepared). The Prophet further said, "Memorize them (these instructions) and tell them to the people whom you have left behind."

She was picking lice from the head of the Messenger of Allah (saws) while the wife of Uthman ibn Affan and the immigrant women were with him. They complained about their houses that they had been narrowed down to them and they were evicted from them. The Messenger of Allah (saws) ordered that the houses of the Immigrants should be given to their wives. Thereafter Abdullah ibn Mas'ud died, and his wife inherited his house in Medina.

The Prophet (saws) gave the children of Ja'far three day' time to visit them. He then came to visit them, and said: Do not weep over my brother after this day. He said: Call to me the children of my brother. We were brought to him as if we were chicken. He said: Call a barber to me. He then ordered and our heads were shaved.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Hakim ibn Hizam traded in food for people as Umar ibn al-Khattab had ordered him to do. Hakim re-sold the food before he had taken delivery of it. That reached Umar ibn al-Khattab and he revoked the sale and said, "Do not sell food which you have purchased until you take delivery of it."

The Prophet said to Ubai, "Allah has ordered me recite Qur'an to you." Ubai asked, "Did Allah mention me by name to you?" The Prophet said, "Allah has mentioned your name to me." On that Ubai started weeping. (The sub-narrator) Qatada added: I have been informed that the Prophet recited: 'Those who disbelieve among the people of the Scripture," ...to Ubai.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt from Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Thawban from his mother that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered that the skins of carrion be used after they had been tanned.

While the people were offering the Fajr prayer at Quba' (near Medina), someone came to them and said: "It has been revealed to Allah's Apostle tonight, and he has been ordered to pray facing the Ka`ba." So turn your faces to the Ka`ba. Those people were facing Sham (Jerusalem) so they turned their faces towards Ka`ba (at Mecca).

The Prophet collected every two martyrs of Uhud (in one grave) and then he would ask, "Which of them knew the Qur'an more?" And if one of them was pointed out for him as having more knowledge, he would put him first in the Lahd. The Prophet said, "I will be a witness on these on the Day of Resurrection." Then he ordered them to be buried with their blood on their bodies and he did not have them washed.

`Aisha intended to buy Barira (a slave-girl) in order to manumit her and her masters intended to put the condition that her Al-wala would be for them. `Aisha mentioned that to the Prophet who said to her, "Buy her, as the "Wala" is for the manumitted." Once some meat was presented to the Prophet and `Aisha said to him, "This (meat) was given in charity to Barira." He said, "It is an object of charity for Barira but a gift for us."

Ibn `Umar. said, "I have never missed the touching of these two stones of Ka`ba (the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner) both in the presence and the absence of crowds, since I saw the Prophet touching them." I asked Nafi`: "Did Ibn `Umar use to walk between the two Corners?" Nafi` replied, "He used to walk in order that it might be easy for him to touch it (the Corner Stone)."

Asma bint Abi Bakr said, "We broke our fast during the lifetime of the Prophet on a cloudy day and then the sun appeared." Hisham was asked, "Were they ordered to fast in lieu of that day?" He replied, "It had to be made up for." Ma`mar said, "I heard Hisham saying, "I don't know whether they fasted in lieu of that day or not."