When the above verses were revealed: 'Until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread,' I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah's Apostle and told him the whole story. He explained to me, "That verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn."

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever eats from these - the first time, he said garlic, then he said - garlic, onion, and leek, then let him not approach our Masjid."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

He said: There are narrations on this topic from 'Umar, Abu Ayyub, Abu Hurairah, Abu Sa'eed, Jabir bin Samurah, Qurrah [bin Iyas Al-Muzani] and Ibn 'Umar.

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr said that Fatimah daughter of AbuHubaysh narrated to him that she asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) and complained to him about the flowing of (her) blood. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to her: That is only (due to) a vein: look, when your menstruation comes, do not pray; and when your menstruation ends, wash yourself and then offer prayer during the period from one menstruation to another.

Allah , the Exalted said: I made five times' prayers obligatory on your people, and I took a guarantee that if anyone observes them regularly at their times, I shall admit him to Paradise; if anyone does not offer them regularly, there is no such guarantee of Mine for him.

The Prophet (saws) said: When an imam stands up at the end of two rak'ahs , if he remembers before standing straight up, he should sit down, but if he stands straight up, he must not sit down, but perform the two prostrations of forgetfulness.

Abu Dawud said: I have not narrated in this book of mine any hadith from Jabir Al-Ju'fi (one of the narrators) except this one.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

When I came to Medina. I met `Abdullah bin Salam. He said, "Will you come to me so that I may serve you with Sawiq (i.e. powdered barley) and dates, and let you enter a (blessed) house that in which the Prophet entered?" Then he added, "You are In a country where the practice of Riba (i.e. usury) is prevalent; so if somebody owe you something and he sends you a present of a load of chopped straw or a load of barley or a load of provender then do not take it, as it is Riba."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Thawri (i.e. Sufyan) from Suhail, from his father on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has: until it (the bier) is placed on the ground. It has also been narrated by Abu Mu'wiyah from Suhail. This has: Until it is placed in the grave.

Abu Dawud said: Sufyan's version is more guarded than that of Abu Mu'awiyah.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt saw Said ibn al-Musayyab sell gold counterpoising for gold. He poured his gold into one pan of the scales, and the man with whom he was counterpoising put his gold in the other pan of the scale and when the tongue of the scales was balanced, they took and gave.

Malik said, "According to the way things are done among us there is no harm in selling gold for gold, and silver for silver by counterpoising weight, even if 11 dinars are taken for 10 dinars hand to hand, when the weight of gold is equal, coin for coin, even if the number is different. Dirhams in such a situation are treated the same way as dinars."

Malik said, "If, when counterpoising gold for gold or silver for silver, there is a difference of weight, one party should not give the other the value of the difference in silver or something else. Such a transaction is ugly and a means to usury because if one of the parties were permitted to take the difference for a separate price, it could be as if he had bought it separately, so he would be permitted. Then it would be possible for him to ask for many times the value of the difference in order to permit the completion of the transaction between the two parties.

Malik said, "If he had really been sold the difference without anything else with it, he would not have taken it for a tenth of the price for which he took it in order to put a 'legal front' on the transaction. This leads to allowing what is forbidden . The matter is forbidden."

Malik said that it was not good when counterpoising to give good old gold coins and put along with them unminted gold in exchange for worn kufic gold, which was unpopular and to then treat the exchange as like for like.

Malik said, "The commentary on why that is disapproved is that the owner of the good gold uses the excellence of his old gold coins as an excuse to throw in the unminted gold with it. Had it not been for the superiority of his (good) gold over the gold of the other party, the other party would not have counterpoised the unminted gold for his kufic gold, and the deal would have been refused.

"It is like a man wanting to buy three sa of ajwa dried dates for two sa and a mudd of kabis dates, and on being told that it was not good, then offering two sa of kabis and a sa of poor dates desiring to make the sale possible. That is not good because the owner of the ajwa should not give him ...

Mu'awiyah said to the Companions of the Prophet (saws): Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited from doing so and so (and he prohibited from) riding on the skins of leopards? They said: Yes.

He again said: You know that he prohibited combining hajj and umrah. They replied: This we do not (know). He said: This was prohibited along with other things, but you forgot.

The Prophet (saws) said: When you hear....(Musa's version has): When a man says people have perished, he is the one who has suffered that fate most.

Abu Dawud said: Malik said: If he says that out of sadness for the decadence of religion which he sees among the people, I do not think there is any harm in that. If he says that out of self-conceit and servility of the people, it is an abominable act which has been prohibited.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad that Said ibn al- Musayyab said, "Bartering live animals for dead meat is forbidden." Abu'z-Zinad said, "I said to Said ibn Musayyab, 'What do you think of a man buying an old camel for 10 sheep?' " Said said, "If he buys it to slaughter it, there is no good in it." Abu'z-Zinad added, "All the people (i.e. companions) that I have seen forbade bartering live animals for meat."

Abu'z-Zinad said, "This used to be written in the appointment letters of governors in the time of Aban ibn Uthman and Hisham ibn Ismail."

Allah's Apostle said, "O `Abdullah! Have I not been formed that you fast all the day and stand in prayer all night?" I said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave them (the fast) at other times; stand up for the prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you."

The sister of Ma'qil bin Yasar was married to a man and then that man divorced her and remained away from her till her period of the 'Iddah expired. Then he demanded for her hand in marriage, but Ma'qil got angry out of pride and haughtiness and said, "He kept away from her when he could still retain her, and now he demands her hand again?" So Ma'qil disagreed to remarry her to him. Then Allah revealed: 'When you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands.' (2.232) So the Prophet sent for Ma'qil and recited to him (Allah's order) and consequently Ma'qil gave up his pride and haughtiness and yielded to Allah's order.

The Prophet said, "A virgin should not be married till she is asked for her consent; and the matron should not be married till she is asked whether she agrees to marry or not." It was asked, "O Allah's Apostle! How will she (the virgin) express her consent?" He said, "By keeping silent." Some people said that if a virgin is not asked for her consent and she is not married, and then a man, by playing a trick presents two false witnesses that he has married her with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage as a true one, and the husband knows that the witnesses were false ones, then there is no harm for him to consummate his marriage with her and the marriage is regarded as valid.

I used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard Abu Qatada saying, "I too, used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard the Prophet saying, "A good dream is from Allah, so if anyone of you saw a dream which he liked, he should not tell it to anybody except to the one whom he loves, and if he saw a dream which he disliked, then he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil and from the evil of Satan, and spit three times (on his left) and should not tell it to anybody, for it will not harm him. "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban from his paternal uncle, Wasi ibn Habban, that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "People say, 'When you sit to relieve yourself, do not face the qibla or the Bayt al-Maqdis.' "

Abdullah continued, "I went upon top of a house of ours and saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, (squatting) on two unfired bricks facing the Bayt al-Maqdis, relieving himself."

Ibn Umar added, "Perhaps you are one of those who pray folded on their haunches."

Wasi replied, "I don't know, by Allah!"

Fatima bint Abi Hubaish came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle I get persistent bleeding from the uterus and do not become clean. Shall I give up my prayers?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, because it is from a blood vessel and not the menses. So when your real menses begins give up your prayers and when it has finished wash off the blood (take a bath) and offer your prayers." Hisham (the sub narrator) narrated that his father had also said, (the Prophet told her): "Perform ablution for every prayer till the time of the next period comes."

The Prophet saw some sputum in the direction of the Qibla (on the wall of the mosque) and he disliked that and the sign of disgust was apparent from his face. So he got up and scraped it off with his hand and said, "Whenever anyone of you stands for the prayer, he is speaking in private to his Lord or his Lord is between him and his Qibla. So, none of you should spit in the direction of the Qibla but one can spit to the left or under his foot." The Prophet then took the corner of his sheet and spat in it and folded it and said, "Or you can do this. "

Musa bin `Uqba said, "I saw Salim bin `Abdullah looking for some places on the way and prayed there. He narrated that his father used to pray there, and had seen the Prophet praying at those very places." Narrated Nafi` on the authority of Ibn `Umar who said, "I used to pray at those places." Musa the narrator added, "I asked Salim on which he said, 'I agree with Nafi` concerning those places, except the mosque situated at the place called Sharaf Ar-Rawha."

"`Umar bin Al-Khattab addressed the Corner (Black Stone) saying, 'By Allah! I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you.' Then he kissed it and said, 'There is no reason for us to do Ramal (in Tawaf) except that we wanted to show off before the pagans, and now Allah has destroyed them.' `Umar added, '(Nevertheless), the Prophet did that and we do not want to leave it (i.e. Ramal).'

I asked Allah's Apostle about Al Mirad (i.e. a sharp-edged piece of wood or a piece of wood provided with a piece of iron used for hunting). He replied, "If the game is hit by its sharp edge, eat it, and if it is hit by its broad side, do not eat it, for it has been beaten to death." I asked, "O Allah's Apostle! I release my dog by the name of Allah and find with it at the game, another dog on which I have not mentioned the name of Allah, and I do not know which one of them caught the game." Allah's Apostle said (to him), 'Don't eat it as you have mentioned the name of Allah on your dog and not on the other dog."

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Indeed Ash-Shaitan has a sense of taste, for which he licks, so beware of him. So whoever spends the night with [a smell] on his hand and something happens to him, then let him not blame anyone but himself."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Gharib from this route. It has also been reported in a narration of Suhail bin Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet (saws).

Shurayh ibn Ubayd said: Jubayr ibn Nufayr gave me a verdict about the bath because of sexual defilement that Thawban reported to them that they asked the Prophet (saws) about it. He (the Prophet) replied: As regards man, he should undo the hair of his head and wash it until the water should reach the roots of the hair. But there is no harm if the woman does not undo it (her hair) and pour three handfuls of water over her head.

AbuThumamah al-Hannat said that Ka'b ibn Ujrah met him while he was going to the mosque; one of the two (companions) met his companion (on his way to the mosque) And he met crossing the fingers of my both hands. He prohibited me to do so, and said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) has said: If any of you performs ablution, and performs his ablution perfectly, and then goes out intending for the mosque, he should not cross the fingers of his hand because he is already in prayer.

'Uwaimir came to `Asim bin `Adi who was the chief of Bani Ajlan and said, "What do you say about a man who has found another man with his wife? Should he kill him whereupon you would kill him (i.e. the husband), or what should he do? Please ask Allah's Apostle about this matter on my behalf." `Asim then went to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! (And asked him that question) but Allah's Apostle disliked the question," When 'Uwaimir asked `Asim (about the Prophet's answer) `Asim replied that Allah's Apostle disliked such questions and considered it shameful. "Uwaimir then said, "By Allah, I will not give up asking unless I ask Allah's Apostle about it." Uwaimir came (to the Prophet ) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! A man has found another man with his wife! Should he kill him whereupon you would kill him (the husband, in Qisas) or what should he do?" Allah's Apostle said, "Allah has revealed regarding you and your wife's case in the Qur'an "So Allah's Apostle ordered them to perform the measures of Mula'ana according to what Allah had mentioned in His Book. So 'Uwaimir did Mula'ana with her and said, "O Allah's Apostle! If I kept her I would oppress her." So 'Uwaimir divorced her and so divorce became a tradition after them for those who happened to be involved in a case of Mula'ana. Allah's Apostle then said, "Look! If she (Uwaimir's wife) delivers a black child with deep black large eyes, big hips and fat legs, then I will be of the opinion that 'Uwaimir has spoken the truth; but if she delivers a red child looking like a Wahra then we will consider that 'Uwaimir has told a lie against her." Later on she delivered a child carrying the qualities which Allah's Apostle had mentioned as a proof for 'Uwaimir's claim; therefore the child was ascribed to its mother henceforth.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman from more than one of the people of knowledge of that time, that those who were killed on the Day of the Camel, the Day of Siffin, the Day of al-Harra, and the Day of Qudayd did not inherit from each other. None of them inherited anything from his companion unless it was known that he had been killed before his companion.

Malik said, "That is the way of doing things about which there is no dispute, and which none of the people of knowledge in our city doubt. The procedure with two mutual heirs who are drowned, or killed in another way, when it is not known which of them died first is the same - neither of them inherits anything from his companion. Their inheritance goes to whoever remains of their heirs. They are inherited from by the living."

Malik said, "No one should inherit from anyone else when there is doubt, and one should only inherit from the other when there is certainty of knowledge and witnesses. That is because a man and his mawla whom his father has freed might die at the same time. The sons of the free man could say, 'Our father inherited from the mawla.' They should not inherit from the mawla without knowledge or testimony that he died first. The living people most entitled to his wala' inherit from him."

Malik said, "Another example is two full brothers who die. One of them has children and the other does not. They have a half-brother by their father. It is not known which of them died first, so the inheritance of the childless one goes to his half-brother by the father. The children of the full-brother get nothing."

Malik said, "Another example is when a paternal aunt and the son of her brother die, or else the daughter of the brother and her paternal uncle. It is not known which of them died first. The paternal uncle does not inherit anything from the daughter of his brother, and the son of the brother does not inherit anything from his paternal aunt."

' Aisha said, "We set out with Allah's Apostles in the months of Hajj, and (in) the nights of Hajj, and at the time and places of Hajj and in a state of Hajj. We dismounted at Sarif (a village six miles from Mecca). The Prophet then addressed his companions and said, "Anyone who has not got the Hadi and likes to do Umra instead of Hajj may do so (i.e. Hajj-al-Tamattu`) and anyone who has got the Hadi should not finish the Ihram after performing ' `Umra). (i.e. Hajj-al-Qiran). Aisha added, "The companions of the Prophet obeyed the above (order) and some of them (i.e. who did not have Hadi) finished their Ihram after Umra." Allah's Apostle and some of his companions were resourceful and had the Hadi with them, they could not perform Umra (alone) (but had to perform both Hajj and Umra with one Ihram). Aisha added, "Allah's Apostle came to me and saw me weeping and said, "What makes you weep, O Hantah?" I replied, "I have heard your conversation with your companions and I cannot perform the Umra." He asked, "What is wrong with you?' I replied, ' I do not offer the prayers (i.e. I have my menses).' He said, ' It will not harm you for you are one of the daughters of Adam, and Allah has written for you (this state) as He has written it for them. Keep on with your intentions for Hajj and Allah may reward you that." Aisha further added, "Then we proceeded for Hajj till we reached Mina and I became clean from my menses. Then I went out from Mina and performed Tawaf round the Ka`ba." Aisha added, "I went along with the Prophet in his final departure (from Hajj) till he dismounted at Al-Muhassab (a valley outside Mecca), and we too, dismounted with him." He called ' `Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr and said to him, ' Take your sister outside the sanctuary of Mecca and let her assume Ihram for ' `Umra, and when you had finished ' `Umra, return to this place and I will wait for you both till you both return to me.' " ' Aisha added, " So we went out of the sanctuary of Mecca and after finishing from the ' `Umra and the Tawaf we returned to the Prophet at dawn. He said, 'Have you performed the ' `Umra?' We replied in the affirmative. So he announced the departure amongst his companions and the people set out for the journey, and the Prophet: too left for Medina.''

The Messenger of Allah (saws) sent me to the Yemen as judge, and I asked: Messenger of Allah, are you sending me when I am young and have no knowledge of the duties of a judge? He replied: Allah will guide your heart and keep your tongue true. When two litigants sit in front of you, do not decide till you hear what the other has to say as you heard what the first had to say; for it is best that you should have a clear idea of the best decision. He said: I had been a judge (for long); or he said (the narrator is doubtful): I have no doubts about a decision afterwards.

The Prophet (saws) said: When a mouse falls into clarified butter, if it is sold, throw the mouse and what is around it away, but if it is in a liquid state, do not go near it.

Al-Hasan said: AbdurRazzaq said: This tradition has been transmitted by Ma'mar, from az-Zuhri, from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Abbas, from Maymunah, from the Prophet (saws).

The Prophet (saws) said: If anyone cuts the lote-tree, Allah brings him headlong into Hell.

Abu Dawud was asked about the meaning of this tradition. He said: This is a brief tradition. It means that if anyone cuts uselessly, unjustly and without any right a lote-tree under the shade of which travellers and beasts take shelter, Allah will bring him into Hell headlong.