God's messenger sat on the pulpit and said, "A man was given his choice by God as to whether He should give him as much worldly comfort as he wished, or whether he should have what was with Him, and he chose what was with Him." Abu Bakr then wept and said, "We would ransom you with our fathers and our mothers." We were surprised at him, and some people said, "Look at this old man who says when God's messenger is telling about a man who was given his choice by God as to whether He should give him worldly comfort or whether he should have what is with Him, `We would ransom you with our fathers and our mothers'." Now God's messenger was the one who was given his choice and Abu Bakr was the one among us who had most knowledge. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Three people came to the Prophet’s wives and asked how the Prophet conducted his worship. When they were told about it they seemed to consider it little and said, “What a difference there is between us and the Prophet whose former and latter sins have been forgiven him by God!” One of them said, “As for me, I will always pray during the night.” Another said, “I will fast during the daytime and not break my fast.” The other said, “I will have nothing to do with women and will never marry.” Then the Prophet came to them and said, “Are you the people who said such and such? By God, I am the one of you who fears and reverences God most, yet I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my sunna has nothing to do with me.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man of those who were before your time bought some real estate from another, and the buyer found in what he had bought a jar containing gold. The buyer told the other to take his gold from him as he had bought from him only the property and had not bought the gold from him, but the man who had sold the land said he had sold him the land and its contents. They brought the matter before another for decision and he asked whether they had any children. When one said he had a boy and the other said he had a girl, he told them to marry the boy to the girl and spend* some of the gold on them and give sadaqa.” *While the dual has been used with reference to the two men, the plural is used for “marry" and “spend’’. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Prophet used to spend time with Zainab daughter of Jahsh and that he once drank honey at her house, so Hafsa and she agreed that the one whom the Prophet visited first should say, “I notice that you have an odour of the gum of the mimosa.* Have you eaten some?” When he visited one of them and she said that to him he replied, “Don’t worry; I drank some honey at the house of Zainab daughter of Jahsh, but I swear that I shall not do it again. Do not tell anyone of that.” [He said this] desiring to please his wives, and then there came down, “O prophet, why do you hold to be forbidden what God has made lawful for you, desiring to please your wives? (Al-Qur’an 66:1). *Maghafir; plural of Mughfur, is here used. It is the gum of a kind of mimosa called ‘urfut, the odour of which is unpleasant. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Once when we accompanied God’s messenger on a journey and the people began to say aloud, “God is most great”, he said, “Restrain yourselves, people; you are not supplicating one who is deaf or absent, but are supplicating One who hears, sees and is with you. He whom you are supplicating is nearer to each of you than the neck of his riding-beast.” Abu Musa said: I was behind him saying within myself, “There is no might and no power except in God,” and he said, “‘Abdallah b. Qais,* would you like me to guide you to one of the treasures of paradise?” On my replying that I certainly would, he said that it was, “There is no might and no power except in God.” *This is Abu Musa’s name and his father's name. He is most commonly known by his kunya. and nisba as given at the beginning of the tradition. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that a man declared he had never done any good to his family. (A version says that a man had committed an excessive amount of sin), and when he was about to die gave instruction to his sons to burn him when he died and scatter half his ashes on the land and half in the sea, swearing by God that if God had him in His power He would give him such a punishment as He would give to no other in the universe. When he died they did what he had commanded them, but God gave command to the sea and it gathered what was in it, and He gave command to the land and it gathered what was in it. He then asked him, "Why did you do this?" and he replied, “From fear of Thee, my Lord, but Thou knowest best.” Then He pardoned him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He visited us when we had gone to bed, and when we were about to get up he told us to stay where we were. He then came and sat down between her and me, and I felt the coldness of his foot on my belly. He then said, “Let me guide you to something better than what you have asked. When you go to bed, say ‘Glory be to God’ thirty-three times, ‘Praise be to God’ thirty-three times, and ‘God is most great’ thirty-four times. That will be better for you than a servant.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "It is one of the gravest sins to abuse one's parents." It was asked (by the people): "O Messenger of Allah, can a man abuse his own parents?" Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He abuses the father of somebody who, in return, abuses the former's father; he then abuses the mother of somebody who, in return, abuses his mother".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "One of the major sins is to curse one's parents". It was submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! How can a man curse his own parents?" He (PBUH) said, "When someone curses the parents of another man who in return abuses the former's father; and when someone abuses the mother of another man who in return abuses his mother."

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent Abu 'Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah (May Allah be pleased with him) to Bahrain to collect (Jizyah). So he returned from Bahrain with wealth. The Ansar got news of it and joined with the Prophet (PBUH) in the Fajr prayer. When the Prophet (PBUH) concluded the prayer, they stood in his way. When he saw them, he smiled and said, "I think you have heard about the arrival of Abu 'Ubaidah with something from Bahrain". They said, "Yes! O Messenger of Allah!". He (PBUH) said, "Rejoice and hope for that which will please you. By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you, but I fear that this world will be opened up with its wealth for you as it was opened to those before you; and you vie with one another over it as they did and eventually it will ruin you as it ruined them".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on a journey and he was observing Saum (fasting). When the sun set, he (PBUH) said to a person, "Dismount and prepare the ground roasted barley drink for us." Upon this he replied, "O Messenger of Allah, there is daylight still." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Get down and prepare barley drink for us." He said, "But it is still daytime." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) again said to him, "Get down and prepare barely drink for us." So he got down and prepared a barley liquid meal for him. The Prophet (PBUH) drank that and then said, "When you perceive the night approaching from that side, a person observing Saum (fasting) should break the fast." And he (PBUH) pointed towards the east with his hand.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who spends a pair in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Jannah: 'O slave of Allah! This gate is better for you' and one who is constant in Salat (prayer), will be called from the Gate of Salat; and whoever is eager in fighting in the Cause of Allah, will be called from the Gate of Jihad; and who is regular in observing Saum will be called from Ar-Raiyan Gate. The one who is generous in charity will be called from the Gate of Charity." Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (PBUH)! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Those who are called from these gates will stand in need of nothing. Will anybody be called from all of those gates?" He replied, "Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sitting in the mosque with his Companions when three people came to him. Two of them stepped forward to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the third went away. Those two men stood by the side of Messenger of Allah (PBUH). One of them found a space in the circle and he filled it, while the other one sat behind him. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) finished, he said, "Shall I not inform you about these three people? One of them sought refuge with Allah and Allah gave him refuge; the second one felt shy and Allah showed kindness to his shyness (and so he was accommodated in that meeting), and the last one averted, and so Allah turned away His Attention from him."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There were two women, each had her child with her. A wolf came and took away the child of one of them. One woman said to her companion: 'The wolf has taken your son.' The other said: 'It has taken your son.' So both of them took the dispute to Prophet Dawud (David) (PBUH) who judged that the boy should be given to the older lady. Then they went to Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) (PBUH) son of Dawud and put the case before him. Prophet Sulaiman said: 'Give me a knife so that I may cut the child into two and give one half to each of you.' The younger woman said: 'Do not do so; may Allah bless you! He is her child.' On that Prophet Sulaiman decided the case in favour of the younger woman."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

One day the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went out and asked Allah's forgiveness for the martyrs of the battle of Uhud after eight years. It seemed that by so doing, he bid farewell to the living and the dead. He then came back, rose to the pulpit and said, "I shall be your precursor; I am a witness for you (before Allah), and I will be present before you at the River (Haud Al-Kauthar). By Allah I can see with my own eyes the Haud from this place. I am not afraid that you will associate anything with Allah in worship after (my demise), but I apprehend that you will vie with one another for the life of the world." The narrator said: It was the last time that I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

There are some more narrations with very minor changes in its wording.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade that a man in the city should be the commission agent of a man from the desert and prohibited the practice of Najsh (i.e., offering a high price for something in order to allure another customer who is interested in the thing); and that a man should make an offer while the offer of his brother is pending; or that he should make a proposal of marriage while that of his brother is pending; or that a woman should try that a sister of hers might be divorced so that she might take her place.

Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade the people from meeting the caravan on the way for entering into business transaction with them; and the selling of the goods by a dweller of the city on behalf of a man of the desert; and the seeking by a woman the divorce of her sister (from her husband); and the practice of Najsh and leaving the animals unmilked (for sometime for the purpose of accumulation of milk to deceive the buyer).

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The reward for Salat performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that of the Salat performed in one's house or shop. When one performs Wudu' perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque, and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: 'O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance'. This will carry on as long as he does not pass wind".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

After the battle of Hunain, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) favoured some people in the distribution of spoils (for consolation). He gave Al-Aqra' bin Habis and 'Uyainah bin Hisn a hundred camels each and showed favour also to some more honourable persons among the Arabs. Someone said: "This division is not based on justice and it was not intended to win the Pleasure of Allah." I said to myself: "By Allah! I will inform Messenger of Allah (PBUH) of this." I went to him and informed him. His face became red and he said, "Who will do justice if Allah and His Messenger do not?" Then he said, "May Allah have mercy on (Prophet) Musa (Moses); he was caused more distress than this but he remained patient." Having heard this I said to myself: "I shall never convey anything of this kind to him in future".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother’s womb in the form of a drop, then they become a piece of congealed blood for a similar period, then they become a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then God sends to him an angel with four words who records his deeds, the period of his life, his provision, and whether he will be miserable or blessed: thereafter He breathes the spirit into him. By Him other than whom there is no god, one of you will do the deeds of those who go to paradise so that there will be only a cubit between him and it, then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of those who go to hell and will enter it; and one of you will do the deeds of those who go to hell so that there will be only a cubit between him and it, then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of those who go to paradise and will enter it. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Umar b. al-Khattab reported, God's messenger as saying, “If anyone performs the ablution completely*, then says, ‘I testify that there in no god but God and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger’ (a version giving, ‘I testify that there is no god but God alone who has no partner, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger’), the eight gates of paradise will be opened for him and he may enter by whichever of them he wishes." *The text has alternative words here, fa-yublighu au fa-yusbighu. Thus Muslim transmitted it in his Sahih, and al-Humaidi among the traditions given by Muslim but not by Bukhari, as also did Ibn al-Athir in Jami' al-usul. The Shaikh Muhyi ad-Din an-Nawawi mentioned it at the end of Muslim’s traditions as we have transmitted it. Tirmidhi added, “O God, put me among the penitent, and put me among those who are purified." The tradition, “He who performs ablution and does it well" which Muhyi as-Sunna transmitted among the sound ones is transmitted identically by Tirmidhi in his Jami' except for “I testify" before the words "that Muhammad."

‘A'isha said Quraish were anxious about the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft and asked, “Who will speak to God’s Messenger about her?” Then they said, “Who will be bold enough for it but Usama b. Zaid, God’s Messenger’s friend?” So Usama spoke to him and God’s Messenger said, “Are you interceding regarding one of the punishments prescribed by God?” He then got up and gave an address, saying, “What destroyed your predecessors was just that when a person of rank among them committed a theft they left him alone, but when a weak one of their number committed a theft they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear by God that if Fatima daughter of Muhammad should steal I would have her hand cut off.” (Bukhari and Muslim). In a version by Muslim she said that a Makhzumi woman used to borrow goods and deny having received them, so the Prophet gave orders that her hand should be cut off. Her family went and spoke to Usama and he spoke about her to God's Messenger. Then he mentioned the tradition in similar form to what has preceded.

I came to Al- Madinah, and while I was sitting beside 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased, and 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said: "He will certainly enter it." Then another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "He will certainly enter it." A third funeral procession passed by and the people spoke ill of the deceased. He said: "He will certainly enter it." I (Abul-Aswad) asked: "O Amir Al-Mu'minin (i.e., Leader of the Believers)! What do you mean by 'He will certainly enter it'?" He replied: "I said the same as was said by the Prophet (PBUH). He (PBUH) said, 'If four persons testify the righteousness of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Jannah.' We asked: 'If three persons testify his righteousness?' He (PBUH) replied, 'Even three'. Then we asked: 'If two?' He (PBUH) replied, 'Even two.' We did not ask him (regarding the testimony) of one."

[Al-Bukhari].

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A man's prayer in company is twenty-five times as valuable as his prayer in his house and his market, for when he performs ablution, doing it well, then goes out to the mosque, having no other reason than prayer for going out, he does not take a step without being raised a degree for it and having a sin remitted for it, and when he prays the angels continue to invoke blessings on him as long as he is in his place of prayer, saying, ‘God bless him; God show mercy to him.’ And each of you continues to be engaged in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer.” In a version he said, “When he enters the mosque prayer holds him fast.” And he added in the invocation of the angels, “O God, forgive him, O God, turn towards him, as long as he does not do any harm in it and as long as he does not do anything unseemly in it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“When you get up to pray perform the ablution perfectly, then face the qibla and say, “God is most great.” Then recite a convenient portion of the Qur’an; then bow and remain quietly in that attitude; then raise yourself and stand erect; then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that attitude; then raise yourself and sit quietly; then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that attitude; then raise yourself and sit quietly.” A version has, “Then raise yourself and stand erect; then do that throughout all your prayer.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told how when God’s messenger sent ‘Umar to collect sadaqa people said that Ibn Jamil, Khalid b. al-Walid and al-‘Abbas refused. So God’s messenger said, “Ibn Jamil is not [so much] objecting, but he was poor and God and His messenger enriched him. * As for Khalid, you are wronging him, for he has kept back his coats of mail and weapons to use them in God’s path. As for al-‘Abbas, I shall be responsible for it and an equal amount along with it.” Then he said, “Did you not know, ‘Umar, that a man’s paternal uncle is of the same stock as his father?” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * This sentence has given commentators trouble, and several explanations of the meaning are given. It appears best to understand it as a seeming defence of Ibn Jamil which is really a rebuke. The idea is therefore that the seriousness of his action is not so much in his actual objection to paying zakat as in his being induced to do this by ingratitude to God who has enriched him.

‘A’isha said that three sunnas concerned Barira.* One was that she became free and was given her choice regarding her husband. God’s messenger said, "The right of inheritance from an emancipated slave belongs to the one who set him free.”* God’s messenger once came in when the pot was boiling with meat in it, and he was presented with some of the bread and condiments which were in the house. He asked, “Did I not see a pot containing meat?” and was told, “Yes, but that is meat which was given as sadaqa to Barira and you do not eat the sadaqa.” He replied, “It is sadaqa for her and a gift to us.” *** (Bukhari and Muslim.) * A slave-woman whom 'A’isha bought and set free. ** The context shows that these words are said to have been spoken in connection with Barira. *** This is the part of the tradition which makes it relevant in this chapter, as it declares that one who may not lawfully receive sadaqa may accept as a gift sadaqa which has been received by one who may lawfully receive it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "Moses was a modest man who kept himself covered, none of his skin being seen because pf modesty. Some of the B. Isra'il annoyed him by saying that he concealed himself to this extent only because of some skin trouble such as leprosy or a scrotal hernia, but God wished to clear him. So, one day when he was alone having a bath, he placed his garment on a stone and the stone flew away with his garment. Moses raced after it saying, `My garment, stone; my garment, stone,' till he came to a company of the B. Isra'il who, seeing him naked in the most beautiful form God had created, said, `We swear by God that there is nothing wrong with Moses.' He took his garment and began to beat the stone, and I swear by God that there were three, four, or five scars on the stone from the effect of his beating." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When we were on a journey with the Prophet the people complained to him of thirst, so he dismounted and called for so and so (whose name was mentioned by Abu Raja' but forgotten by `Auf) and for `Ali and told them to go and look for water. They went off and met a woman riding with a leather water-bag, or a water-skin on either side of her, so they brought her to the Prophet and asked her to dismount from her camel. The Prophet called for a vessel and poured water into it from the mouths of the skins, after which proclamation was made among the people to draw water, and they did so. Then we forty thirsty men drank till we had had enough, and we filled every skin and small vessel which we had. I swear by God that water was taken from the skin, but it seemed to us to be fuller than it was when he began. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We went out with God's messenger on the expedition to Tabuk, and in the wadi al-Qura we came to a garden belonging to a woman. God's messenger told us to estimate its amount and we did so, and God's messenger estimated it at ten camel loads. He told the woman to calculate the amount and have it ready for our return should God will, and then we set off. When we came to Tabuk God's messenger said, "You will have a violent wind to-night, so no one must get up while it is blowing and those who have camels must hobble them firmly." A violent wind blew, and a man got up and was carried by the wind and thrown on the two mountains of Tayy[*]. We then went on till we came to the wadi al-Qura., and when God's messenger asked the woman how much the fruit in her garden had amounted to, she replied that it was ten camel loads. *Aia' and Salma. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Lā ilāha illallāh waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu ‘l-mulku, walahu ‘l-ḥamd, wa Huwa `alā kulli shay'in Qadīr, ā'ibūna, tā'ibūna,`ābidūn, li Rabbinā ḥāmidūn, sadaqallāhu wa`dah, wa nasara `abdah, wa hazama ‘l-'aḥzāba waḥdah. From every elevated point say Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Most Great) three times and then recite: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things. We return repentant to our Lord, worshipping our Lord, and praising our Lord. He fulfilled His Promise, He aided His slave, and He alone defeated the Confederates. Reference: Bukhari 7/163, Muslim 2/980. The Prophet (SAW) used to say this when returning from a campaign or from Hajj.

If Allah has loved a servant [of His] He calls Gabriel (on whom be peace) and says: I love So-and-so, therefore love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So Gabriel loves him. Then he (Gabriel) calls out in heaven, saying: Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him. And the inhabitants of heaven love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah has abhorred a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel and says: I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him. So Gabriel abhors him. Then Gabriel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So they abhor him, and abhorrence is established for him on earth. It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi).

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that when God’s messenger went out to the place of prayer on the day of sacrifice, or on the day when the fast was broken, he came upon some women and said, "Give alms, you women folk, for I have been shown that you will be the majority of the inhabitants of hell.” They asked, “For what reason, messenger of God?” He replied, “You are greatly given to abuse, and you are ungrateful to your husbands. Among women who are deficient in intelligence and religion I have not seen anyone more able to remove the understanding of a prudent man than one of you.” They asked, “What is the deficiency of our religion and our intelligence, messenger of God?” He replied, “Is not the testimony of a woman equivalent to half the testimony of a man?” They said, “Yes.” Remarking that that pertained to the deficiency of her intelligence, he asked, “Is it not the case that when she menstruates she neither prays nor fasts?” When they replied, “Yes,” he said, “That pertains to the deficiency of her religion.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s messenger as saying, "Every [good] deed a son of Adam does will be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. God has said, ‘With the exception of fasting, for it is done for my sake and I give a reward for it. One abandons his passion and his food for my sake.* The one who fasts has two occasions of joy, one when he breaks his fast and one when he meets his Lord. The bad breath of one who fasts is sweeter to God than the fragrance of musk. Fasting is a protection, [i.e. from acts of disobedience in this world and from hell in the next. Pt. vi.] and when the day of the fast of any of you comes he must not use vile language or raise his voice, and if anyone reviles him or tries to fight with him he should tell him he is fasting.” *This is not from the Qur’an, but is a hadith qudsi, a tradition which gives words spoken by God. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

What is the matter with people who make conditions which are not in God’s Book? Any condition which is not in God’s Book is worthless. Even if there are a hundred conditions, God’s decision is more valid and God's condition is more binding. The right of inheritance belongs only to the one who has set a person free.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

During an illness which brought me near to death in the year of the Conquest God’s Messenger came to visit me and I said, “Messenger of God, I have a large amount of property and my daughter is my only heir. Shall I will away all my property ?” He replied, ‘No” I suggested two-thirds, but he objected, then a half, but he still objected. When I suggested a third he replied, “You may will away a third, but that is a lot*. To leave your heirs rich is better than to leave them poor and begging from people. You will not spend anything, seeking thereby to please God, without being rewarded for it, even the mouthful you give your wife.” *While this tradition tells that the Prophet gave permission for a man to will away a third of his estate to some person or purpose other than the heirs, it indicates that be thought it would be better not to will away so much. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sahl b. Sa'd told of a woman who came to God’s Messenger and offered herself to him. When she had stood for a long time (i.e. without receiving an answer) a man got up and said, “Messenger of God, marry her to me if you have no need of her.” He asked him if he had anything to give her as dower, and when he replied that he had nothing but the lower garment he was wearing, he said, “Look for something, even though it should be an iron ring.” Then when the man had sought and found nothing God’s Messenger asked whether he knew any of the Qur'an, and when he replied that he knew surah so and so and surah so and so, he said, “I have given you her in marriage for the part of the Qur’an which you know.” In a version he said, “Go away, for I have given you her in marriage; and teach her some of the Qur'an." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad told that he said, “Tell me, Messenger of God, supposing I meet an infidel and we fight together and he strikes one of my hands with his sword and cuts it off, then flies for refuge from me to a tree and says he has submitted himself to God (or, in another version, says when I intend to kill him that there is no god but God), shall I kill him after he has said it?” He replied, “Do not kill him.” He protested, “But, Messenger of God, he cut off one of my hands.” God’s Messenger then replied, “Do not kill him, for if you do so, he will be in the position in which you were before you killed him, and you will be in the position in which he was before he made his testimony.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *i.e. he will now be one for whose killing retaliation may be demanded, and you will be one whose blood may lawfully be shed.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as stating that God has said, “If anyone is hostile to a friend of mine, I have declared war against him. No one draws near to me with anything dearer to me than what I have made obligatory for him. If my servant keeps drawing near to me with supererogatory acts I shall love him, and when I love him I shall be his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps and his foot with which he walks. If he asks from me I shall certainly give him and if he seeks refuge in me I shall certainly give him refuge. I have not hesitated about anything I do as I hesitate about taking the soul of a believer who dislikes death, for I dislike grieving him, but he cannot escape it.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The similitude of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like a rain which has fallen on some ground. A fertile part of earth has absorbed water and brought forth much grass and herbs. Another part, which is solid, held the water and Allah benefits men thereby, who drank and gave others to drink, and used it for irrigation. But some of it has fallen on a portion of sandy land which neither retains the water nor produces herbage. Such is the likeness of the man who understands the religion of Allah and who gets benefit of what Allah has sent me with; he learns and teaches others. It is also the likeness of the man who neither raises his head on that account (meaning he does not benefit from what the Prophet (PBUH) was sent with) nor accepts Allah's Guidance with which I am sent".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went to Mina, he came to Jamrat-ul-'Aqabah and threw pebbles at it. After that, he went to his lodge in Mina and sacrificed. Then he called for a barber and pointed his right side to him, said, "Shave from here." Then he pointed his left side and said, "Take (hair) from here." Then he distributed his hair among the people.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: After the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had thrown pebbles at Jamrah and sacrificed an animal, he turned the right side of his head towards the barber who shaved it for him. Then he called Abu Talhah Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) and gave his hair to him. Then he turned his head to the left side and asked the barber to shave it. He gave the hair to Abu Talhah and told him, "Distribute it among the people."

I saw Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) wearing a nice gown, and his slave was also wearing one similar to it. I asked him about it, and he said that he had exchanged harsh words with a person during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and put him to shame by making a reference to his mother. That person came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and made mention of that to him. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, "You are a person who has remnants of the 'Days of Ignorance' in you. Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority. He who has his brother under him, should feed him from whatever he eats, and dress him with whatever he wears, and do not burden them (assign burdensome task to them) beyond their capacity; and if you burden them then help them."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Whenever the Prophet (PBUH) returned from Hajj or 'Umrah and ascended a height or hill, he would recite thrice: "Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest)." Then he would say, "La ilaha ill-allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul- mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadeer. Ayibuna ta'ibuna 'abiduna li-Rabbina hamidun. Sadaq-Allahu wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazamal-ahzaba wahdahu [None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, Who has no partner, to Whom the sovereignty belongs, to Whom all praise is due, and Who is Able to do all things. We are those who return (in safety), feel penitence, worship Allah, prostrate before our Rubb and praise Him. Allah has fulfilled His Promise, helped His slave (i.e., Muhammad (PBUH)) and He Alone vanquished the Clans]."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The first group (of people) to enter Jannah will be shining like the moon on a full-moon night. Then will come those who follow them who will be like the most shining planet in the sky. They will not stand in need of urinating or relieving of nature or of spitting or blowing their noses. Their combs will be of gold and their sweat will smell like musk; in their censers the aloes-wood will be used. Their wives will be large eyed maidens. All men will be alike in the form of their father 'Adam, sixty cubits tall."

Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Their utensils will be of gold, their perspiration will smell like musk; everyone of them will have two wives; the marrow of the bones of the wives' legs will be seen through the flesh out of excessive beauty. They (i.e., the people of Jannah) will neither have difference, nor enmity (hatred) amongst themselves; their hearts will be as if one heart, and they will be glorifying Allah in the morning and in the afternoon."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I know of the last of the inhabitants of the Hell to be taken out from there and the last one to enter Jannah. He is a man who will come out of the Fire, crawling on all fours. Allah, the Rubb of glory and honour will say to him: 'Go and enter Jannah.' He will go to it and think that it is full up. He will then come back and say: 'O my Rubb, it is full up.' Allah will say to him: 'Go and enter Jannah.' He will again go to it and think that it is full up. So he will turn back. Allah will again say: 'Go and enter Jannah. For you have what is equal to ten times the world.' He will say: 'Are You making fun of me while You are the King?" At this I (i.e., the narrator) saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) laugh till his premolars were visible and he said, "Such man will be the last dweller of Jannah in its lowest rank."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

He told that a man among the Muslims and a man among the Jews reviled one another. The Muslim said, "By Him who chose Muhammad above the universe," and the Jew said, "By Him who chose Moses above the universe." Thereupon the Muslim raised his hand and struck the Jew on his face, and the Jew went to the Prophet and told him what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet summoned the Muslim and asked him about that, and when he informed him, the Prophet said, "Do not make me superior to Moses, for mankind will swoon on the day of resurrection[1] and I shall swoon along with them. I shall be the first to recover and shall see Moses seizing the side of the Throne; and I shall not know whether he was among those who swooned and had recovered before me, or whether he was among those of whom God had made an exception." A version has "I shall not know whether he had his reckoning when he swooned on the day at at-Tur,[2] or was resurrected before me. And I do not say that anyone is more excellent than Jonah, son of Matta." In Abu Sa'id's version he said, "Do not make distinctions between the prophets." Abu Huraira's version has "Do not treat some of the prophets of God most high as superior to others." Quran, 39:68. Quran, 7:143. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no evil omen, no hama*, and no serpent in a hungry belly*; but flee from one who has tubercular leprosy as you would from a lion." Bukhari transmitted it. * The word means an owl, or a night-bird which frequents graves. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that when vengeance had not been taken for one who had been killed a bird called hama came forth from the dead and screeched demanding vengeance. ** The word is safar. The pre-Islaraic Arabs used the word as meaning a serpent which bites a man from within when he is hungry and causes the sense of stinging a man feels when hungry. It was also used of a serpent within the belly which was believed to cause a disease more contagious than mange or scab.

When "And warn your nearest relations"[1] was sent down the Prophet went out, ascended as-Safa', and began to call, "B. Fihr, B. `Adi," calling clans of Quraish until they gathered; and when a man was unable to go out, he sent a messenger to see what was the matter. When Abu Lahab arid all Quraish had come he said, "Tell me; If I were to inform you that horsemen were coming forth from the side of this mountain (a version having: were coming forth in the wadi) with the intention of making a raid on you, would you believe me?" They replied, "Yes; we have experienced nothing but truth from you." He said, "Well, I am a warner to you before a severe chastisement." Abu Lahab said, "May you perish! Is it for this you have brought us together?" Then came down, "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab and may he perish!"[2] Quran; 26:214 Quran; 111 (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allāhumma aslamtu nafsī ilayk, wa fawwaḍtu amrī ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhī ilayk, wa alja'tu ẓahrī ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, lā malja'a wa la manjā minka illā ilayk, āmantu bikitābika ‘l-ladhī anzalt, wa bi-nabiyyika ‘l-ladhī arsalt. O Allah,1 I submit myself to You, entrust my affairs to You, turn my face to You, and lay myself down depending upon You, hoping in You and fearing You. There is no refuge, and no escape, except to You. I believe in Your Book (the Qur'an) that You revealed, and the Prophet whom You sent. Reference: 1 "Before you go to bed perform ablutions as you would for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say. . . " The Prophet (SAW) said: "Whoever says this and dies in his sleep, has died in a state of the natural monotheism (Fitrah)." Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/113, Muslim 4/2081.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so- and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him".

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration of Muslim is: Messenger of Allah, (PBUH) said: "When Allah loves a slave, He calls Jibril (Gabriel) and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him.' And then Jibril loves him. Then he (Jibril) announces in the heavens saying: Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; then the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him; and then people on earth love him. And when Allah hates a slave, He calls Jibril and says: 'I hate so- and-so, so hate him.' Then Jibril also hates him. He (Jibril) then announces amongst the inhabitants of heavens: 'Verily, Allah hates so- and-so, so you also hate him.' Thus they also start to hate him. Then he becomes the object of hatred on the earth also".

[Muslim].

God’s messenger spent the first ten nights of Ramadan in devotion, and spent the middle ten nights in devotion in a round Turkish tent, after which he raised his head and said, “I have spent the first ten nights in devotion seeking this night, then I spent the middle ten nights in devotion, and after that I had a heavenly visitant and was told that it is in the last ten, so he who has engaged in devotion along with me should do so during the last ten nights, for I was shown this nights, then was caused to forget it, but I have seen myself prostrating in water and clay on the morning following, so seek it among the last ten and seek it in every night with an odd number.” He said: Rain fell that night, the mosque which was a thatched building dripped, and my eyes saw God’s messenger with traces of water and clay on his forehead on the morning after the twenty-first night. Bukhari and Muslim agree on the subject-matter, the wording being Muslim's up to “and was told it is it the last ten”, the remainder being Bukhari's. In the version of ‘Abdallah b. Unais he said it was the twenty-third night. Muslim transmitted it.

he may keep them if he is pleased with them, and may return them along with a sa‘ of dates if he is displeased with them.” A version by Muslim has, “If anyone buys a sheep whose udder has been tied up he has three days in which to decide whether to keep it or not; but if he returns it he must return with it a sa’ of any grain but wheat.”² (Bukhari and Muslim.) 1. When agreement has obviously been reached, although the contract has not been confirmed, no one must step in and offer a higher price. 2. Samra’. The full pharse is hinta samra’, meaning "tawny wheat" ; then the adjective is used by itself as a word for wheat.

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Every day the sun rises charity (Sadaqah) is due on every joint of a person: you administer justice between two men is a charity; and assisting a man to mount his beast, or helping him load his luggage on it is a charity; and a good word is a charity; and every step that you take (towards the mosque) for Salat (prayer) is a charity and removing harmful things from the road is a charity".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In Muslim, it is reported on the authority of 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Everyone of the children of Adam has been created with three hundred and sixty joints; so he who declares the Glory of Allah (i.e., saying Allahu Akbar), praises Allah (i.e., Al-hamdu lillah), declares Allah to be One (i.e., La ilaha illallah), glorifies Allah, and seeks forgiveness from Allah (i.e., Astaghfirullah), and removes stone, or thorn, or bone from people's path, and enjoins good and forbids evil, to the number of those three hundred and sixty, will walk that day having rescued himself from Hell".

'Urwa b. az-Zubair told that Arwa daughter of Aus brought a dispute with Sa'id b. Zaid b. `Amr b. Nufail before Marwan b. al-Hakam claiming he had taken some of her land. Sa'id said, "Would I take any of her land after what I heard from God's messenger?" He was asked what he had heard from God's messenger and replied that he had heard him say, "If anyone takes a span of land wrongfully it will be tied round him like a necklace to a depth of seven earths." Marwan said he would ask him for no proof after that, and Sa'id said, "0 God, if she is lying make her blind and kill her in her land." Urwa said she did not die till after she had lost her eyesight. And while she was walking on her land she fell into a hole and died. (Bukhari and Muslim.) Something to the same effect is given in a version by Muslim on the authority of Muhammad b. Zaid b. `Abdallah b. `Umar who said he had seen her blind, feeling for walls, and saying she had been smitten by Sa'id's curse; and that she had come past a well in the region about which she had disputed with him and fallen into it, and it was her grave. Muslim

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying on the day of the conquest of Mecca, “There is no hijra, but only jihad and intention ; and when you are called to battle, go forth.’’ He also said on the day of the conquest of Mecca, “God made this town sacred on the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by God till the day of resurrection. Fighting in it has not been lawful to anyone before me and it has been made lawful for me only during one hour on one day, so it is sacred by the sacredness conferred on it by God till the day of resurrection. Its thorns are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested, things dropped are to be picked up only by one who publicly announces it, and its fresh herbage is not to be cut.” Ibn ‘Abbas made the suggestion, “Except the rush, messenger of God, for it is useful for their blacksmiths and for their houses.” He then said, “Except the rush.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Abu Huraira has, “Its trees are not to be lopped, and only one who announces it may pick up anything which falls in it.”

My father and I visited Abu Barza al-Aslami and my father asked him how God’s Messenger used to observe the prescribed prayer. He replied, “He used to pray the noon prayer (al-hajir), which you call the first, when the sun was past the meridian; he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which one of us would return to his dwelling in the outskirts of Medina while the sun was still bright; (I forget what he said about the sunset prayer); he liked to postpone the night prayer, which you call al-atama, objecting to sleeping before it or talking after it and he would turn away from the morning prayer when a man could recognise his neighbour, and he would recite from sixty to a hundred verses during it.” A version has, “He did not mind postponing the night prayer till a third of the night had passed; and he did not like sleeping before it, or talking after it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that when Abu Bakr was made the Prophet's successor after his death and infidelity arose among certain Arabs, ‘Umar b. al-Khattab asked Abu Bakr how he could fight with the people when God’s messenger had said, “I have been commanded to fight with the people till they say there is no god but God, so whoever says so has protected his property and his person from me except for what is due from him, and his reckoning is left to God.” Abu Bakr replied, “I swear by God that I will certainly fight with those who make a distinction between prayer and zakat, for the zakat is what is due from property. I swear by God that if they were to refuse me a female kid which they used to pay to God’s messenger I would fight with them over the refusal of it." ‘Umar then said, “I swear by God that I clearly saw God had made Abu Bakr feel justified in fighting, and I recognised that it was right." (Bukhari and Muslim).

I went to God’s Messenger in the year of the Conquest and found him bathing while his daughter Fatima was screening him with a garment. I gave a salutation and he asked who was there, then when I told him I was Umm Hani’ daughter of Abu Talib he said, “Welcome, Umm Hani’.” After he finished his bathing he got up and prayed eight rak'as wrapped in a garment, and when he was done I said, “Messenger of God, my mother’s son ‘Ali has asserted that he is going to kill a man to whom I have given protection, so and so the son of Hubaira.” He replied, “We have given protection to those to whom you have granted it, Umm Hani'.” She said that that was in the forenoon. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Tirmidhi she said, “I have given protection to two of my husband’s male relatives,” and God’s Messenger replied, “We have given security to those to whom you have given it.”

When the Prophet took us out on an expedition against a people he did not set out with us till the morning. He would look at them, and if he heard a call to prayer he refrained from them, but if he did not hear any he attacked them. We went out to Khaibar and reached them by night, but when the morning came and he heard no call to prayer he mounted. I mounted behind Abu Talha and my foot was touching God’s Prophet’s They came out to us with their large baskets and their spades, and when they saw the Prophet they said, “Muhammad, by God, Muhammad and the army," and went for refuge to the fortress. When God's Messenger saw them he said, “God is most great, God is most great. Khaibar has fallen.¹ When we alight in the courtyard of a people it is an evil morning for those who have been warned."² 1. Or, 'May Khaibar fall. 2. Cf. Al-Qur'an; 37:177. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Abdallah b. `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "Last night I found myself in a vision at the Ka`ba and saw a ruddy man like the most good-looking of that type that you can see with the most beautiful lock of hair you can see. He had combed it out, and it was dripping with water. He was leaning on the shoulders of two men and going round the House. When I asked who he was I was told that he was the Messiah, son of Mary. Then I saw a man with short, woolly hair who was blind in the right eye, his eye looking like a floating grape. I have never seen anyone more closely resembling Ibn Qatan. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men and going round the House. I asked who this man was and was told that he was the antichrist." In a version he said about the dajjal that he was a red, fleshy man with woolly hair, blind in the right eye, Ibn Qatan being the one who resembled him most closely. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you. It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari).

A man of the people of Najd with dishevelled hair came to God’s messenger. We could hear the sound of his voice, but could not understand what he was saying till he came near God’s messenger and we realised that he was asking about Islam. God’s messenger said, “Five times of prayer each day and night.” He asked, “Must I observe any more than them?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” God's messenger said, “And fasting during the month of Ramadan.” He asked, “Must I observe anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Talha said that God's messenger mentioned the zakat to him, and he asked, “Must I pay anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” He said that the man turned away saying, “I swear by God that I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it.” So God’s messenger said, “The man will prosper if he is speaking the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Usama b. Zaid said the Prophet’s daughter sent him a message telling him that a son of hers was dying and asking him to come to them. He sent her a greeting, saying at the same time, “What God has taken belongs to Him, what He has given belongs to Him, and He has an appointed time for everyone, so let her show endurance and seek her reward from God.” She then sent adjuring him to come to her, and he got up to go accompanied by Sa'd b. ‘Ubada, Mu'adh b. Jabal, Ubayy b. Ka'b, Zaid b. Thabit and some other men. The boy who was on the point of death (This is an attempt to express the meaning of the Arabic which says literally ‘his soul was disquieted [or, restless]) was lifted up to God’s messenger whose eyes overflowed with tears. Sa'd said, “What is this, messenger of God?” He replied, “This is compassion which God has placed in the hearts of His servants. God shows compassion only to those of His servants who are compassionate.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar told that when ‘Umar got some land in Khaibar he went it to the Prophet and said, “Messenger of God, I have acquired land in Khaibar which I consider to be more valuable than any I have ever | acquired, so what do you command me to do with it?” He replied, “If you wish you may make the property an inalienable possession and give { its produce as sadaqa ” So ‘Umar gave it as sadaqa declaring that the property must not be sold, given away, or inherited, and he gave its produce as sadaqa to be devoted to the poor, relatives, the emancipation j of slaves, God’s path, travellers and guests, no sin being committed by the one who administers it if he eats something from it in a reasonable b manner or gives something to someone else to eat*, provided he is not storing up goods [for himself]. Ibn Sirin said, “Provided he is not acquiring capital for himself.” * This is a literal translation. It is used of him getting a reasonable return for his services, i | both for himself and for his family. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When we were near Medina on our return from an expedition in which we had accompanied the Prophet I told him that I had recently married. He asked, “Have you married?" and when I told him that I had, he asked whether I had married a virgin or a woman who had previously been married. On my telling him that it was one who had previously been married he said, “Why did you not marry a virgin with whom you could sport and who could sport with you?" Then when we arrived and were about to enter he said, “Wait so that we may enter by night, i.e. in the evening, in order that the woman with dishevelled hair may comb it and the woman whose husband has been away may get herself ready [for her husband’s enjoyment].’’* (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Tastahidd literally means to shave the hair on the private parts, and is explained as being used here in the sense or preparing herself for her husband’s enjoyment.

Abu Dharr said he asked the Prophet what action was most excellent, and he replied, "Faith in God and jihad in His path." He then asked which slaves were most excellent ¹ and he replied. “Those whose price is highest and who are held in most esteem by their people." He asked what he should do if unable to act accordingly ² and he replied, "You should assist a workman, or work for one who is unskilled." He asked what he should do if unable to act accordingly and he replied, "Do no harm to others ³ for that is sadaqa you bestow on yourself." Bukhari and Muslim. 1. i.e. for the purpose of emancipating them. 2. The Arabic is fa-in lam af'al which is somewhat vague. It most probably means he is asking what he should do if unable to emancipate a slave of such quality. 3. This is an accepted meaning of the Arabic tada'u ‘un-nas min ash-sharr. Another possible meaning is to leave people alone because of their evil.

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger told of a man who committed a sin and said, "My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.” His Lord replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant." After remaining [obedient] such time as God willed he committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have sinned, so forgive me.” His Lord replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant.” Then after remaining [obedient] such time as God willed he committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have committed another sin, so forgive me.” He replied, “Does my servant know that he has a Lord who pardons sin and punishes for it? I have pardoned my servant, so let him do what he likes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) to inquire about the worship of the Prophet (PBUH). When they were informed, they considered their worship insignificant and said: "Where are we in comparison with the Prophet (PBUH) while Allah has forgiven his past sins and future sins". One of them said: "As for me, I shall offer Salat all night long." Another said: "I shall observe Saum (fasting) continuously and shall not break it". Another said: "I shall abstain from women and shall never marry". The Prophet (PBUH) came to them and said, "Are you the people who said such and such things? By Allah, I fear Allah more than you do, and I am most obedient and dutiful among you to Him, but still I observe fast and break it; perform Salat and sleep at night and take wives. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Abdullah bin Sahl and Muhaiyisah bin Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with them) went to Khaibar during the period of the truce (after its conquest) and they separated to perform their duties. When Muhaiyisah returned to `Abdullah bin Sahl, he found him murdered, drenched in his blood. So he buried him and returned to Al-Madinah. Then `Abdur-Rahman bin Sahl, Huwaiyisah and Muhaiyisah, the two sons of Mas`ud went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and spoke about the case of their (murdered) friend. `Abdur-Rahman, who was the youngest of them all, started talking. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Let those older than you speak first." So he stopped talking and the (other two) spoke about the case of their (murdered) friend. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Will you take an oath whereby you will have the right to receive the blood money of your murdered man?" And mentioned the rest of the Hadith. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH), the truthful and the receiver of the truth informed us, saying, "The creation of you (humans) is gathered in the form of semen in the womb of your mother for forty days, then it becomes a clinging thing in similar (period), then it becomes a lump of flesh like that, then Allah sends an angel who breathes the life into it; and (the angel) is commanded to record four things about it: Its provision, its term of life (in this world), its conduct; and whether it will be happy or miserable. By the One besides Whom there is no true god! Verily, one of you would perform the actions of the dwellers of Jannah until there is only one cubit between him and it (Jannah), when what is foreordained would come to pass and he would perform the actions of the inmates of Hell until he enter it. And one of you would perform the actions of the inmates of Hell, until there is only one cubit between him and Hell. Then he would perform the acts of the dwellers of Jannah until he would enter it."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

The Quraish were much worried about the case of a Makhzumiyah woman who had committed theft and wondered who should intercede for her with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) (so that she would not get punished for her crime). Some said Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) was his beloved and so he may dare do so. So Usamah(May Allah be pleased with him) spoke to him about that matter and the Prophet (PBUH) said to him, "Do you intercede when one of the legal punishments ordained by Allah has been voilated?" Then he got up and addressed the people saying, "The people before you were ruined because when a noble person amongst them committed theft, they would leave him, but if a weak person amongst them committed theft, they would execute the legal punishment on him. By Allah, were Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit the theft, I would have cut off her hand."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who utters a hundred times in a day these words: 'La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli sha'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),' he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred good deeds will be recorded to his credit, hundred of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll, and he will be safeguarded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing more excellent good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him. And he who utters: 'Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)' one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn ‘Abbas told how the Prophet said when he got up during the night to pray, “O God, to Thee be the praise; Thou art supreme over the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Light of the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the King of the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Truth, Thy promise is truth, the meeting with Thee is true, Thy word is true, paradise is true, hell is true, the prophets are true, Muhammad is true, the last hour is true. O God, to Thee I submit, in Thee I believe upon Thee I trust, to Thee I repent, by Thy help I have disputed, and to Thee I have come for decision, so forgive me my former and my latter sins, my secret and my open sins, and what Thou knowest better than I. Thou art He who brings forward, and Thou art He who defers. There is no god but Thee, and there is no other god than Thee.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws), and he is the truthful, the believed, narrated to us, “Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days in the form of a nutfah (a drop), then he becomes an alaqah (clot of blood) for a like period, then a mudghah (morsel of flesh) for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows his soul into him and who is commanded with four matters: to write down his rizq (sustenance), his life span, his actions, and whether he will be happy or unhappy (i.e., whether or not he will enter Paradise). By the One, other than Whom there is no deity, verily one of you performs the actions of the people of Paradise until there is but an arms length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him, and so he acts with the actions of the people of the Hellfire and thus enters it; and verily one of you performs the actions of the people of the Hellfire, until there is but an arms length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he acts with the actions of the people of Paradise and thus he enters it.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said that when God’s messenger went to bed he lay on his right side and then said, “O God, I have handed over my soul to Thee, turned my face to Thee, entrusted my affairs to Thee, and committed my back to Thee out of desire for and fear of Thee. There is no refuge and no place of safety from Thee except by having recourse to Thee. I believe in Thy Book which Thou hast sent down and in Thy Prophet whom Thou hast sent.” God’s messenger said that if anyone repeated these words and died that night, he would die in the true religion. In a version he reported God’s messenger as telling a man to perform the ablution for prayer when he went to bed, lie down on his right side, and say, “O God, I have handed over my soul to Thee . . . Thou hast sent.” He added, “If you die during the night you will die in the true religion, and if you live till the morning you will obtain good.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sulaiman b. Surad reported the Prophet as saying when the Confederates[*] were removed from him, "Now we shall raid them and they will not raid us; we shall go to them." *Those who fought against the Muslims at the battle of the Trench (cf. Quran. 82:9 ff). Bukhari transmitted it.

'Uyainah bin Hisn came to Al-Madinah and stayed with his nephew Hurr bin Qais who was among those whom Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) showed favour to. The knowledgeable people (Qurra'), whether they were old or young, had the privilege of joining Umar's council and he used to consult them. 'Uyainah said to Hurr: "My nephew, the Leader of the Believers shows favour to you. Will you obtain permission for me to sit with him?" Hurr asked 'Umar and he accorded permission. When 'Uyainah came into the presence of 'Umar, he addressed him thus: "O son of Khattab, you neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) got angry and was about to beat him up when Hurr said: ''O Leader of the Believers, Allah said to His Prophet (PBUH): ' Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don't punish them).' (7:199) This one is from the ignorants. When Hurr recited this, 'Umar became quite motionless in his seat. He always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah.

[Al-Bukhari].

that if any of the polytheists came to him he should send them back to them; that if any of the Muslims went to them they should not send them back; and that he should be allowed to enter [Mecca] the following year and stay in it for three days. When he entered it and the period had passed he went out, and Hamza’s daughter followed him calling, “Uncle, uncle.” ‘Ali took her and held her by the hand, and ‘Ali, Zaid and Ja'far disputed about her. ‘Ali said, “I have taken her, and she is the daughter of my paternal uncle.” Ja'far said, “She is the daughter of my paternal uncle and her maternal aunt is my wife.” Zaid said, “She is my brother’s daughter.” The Prophet then gave decision about her in favour of her maternal aunt, saying, “The maternal aunt is in the position of the mother.” To ‘Ali he said, “You pertain to me and I pertain to you;” to Ja'far, “You resemble my form and nature;” and to Zaid, “You are our brother and client.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When we were with God's messenger at Hunain, he said of one of those who were with him who claimed to be a Muslim, "This will be one of the inhabitants of hell." When the fighting took place, the man fought most valiantly and received many wounds, so a man came and said, "Messenger of God, tell me about the man of whom you were telling that he would be one of the inhabitants of hell. He has fought valiantly in God's path and received many wounds." He replied, "He will indeed be one of the inhabitants of hell." Some people almost doubted, but while things were so the man felt the pain of his wounds, and putting his band into his quiver drew out an arrow and stabbed himself with it. Some Muslims then hastened to God's messenger and said, "Messenger of God, God has verified what you told. So and so has stabbed and killed himself." God's messenger then said, "God is most great. I testify that I am God's servant and messenger. Get up, Bilal, and make an announcement that only a believer will enter paradise, but that God will support this religion with a wicked man[*]." *While hypocrites and others whose character is worthless may fight on the side of the Muslims, only those who have faith will enter paradise. The idea is that taking part in Jihad does not of itself guarantee entrance into paradise. Bukhari transmitted it.

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

The Companions of As-Suffah were poor people. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Whoever has food enough for two people, should take a third one (from among them), and whoever has food enough for four persons, should take a fifth or sixth (or said something similar)." Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) took three people with him while Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took ten. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) took his supper with the Prophet (PBUH) and stayed there till he offered the 'Isha' prayers. After a part of the night had passed, he returned to his house. His wife said to him: "What has detained you from your guests?" He said: "Have you not served supper to them?" She said: "They refused to take supper until you come." [Abdur-Rahman (Abu Bakr's son) or the servants] presented the meal to them but they refused to eat. I (the narrator) hid myself out of fear. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) (my father) rebuked me. Then he said to them: "Please eat. By Allah! I will never eat the meal." 'Abdur-Rahman added: Whenever we took a morsel of the meal, the meal grew from underneath more than that morsel we had till everybody ate to his satisfaction; yet the remaining food was more than what was in the beginning. On seeing this, Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) called his wife and said: "O sister of Banu Firas! What is this?" She said: "O pleasure of my eyes! The food has increased thrice in quantity." Then Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) started eating. He said: "My oath not to take the meal was because of Satan." He took a morsel handful from it and carried the rest to the Prophet (PBUH). That food remained with him. In those days there was a treaty between us and the pagans and when the period of that treaty elapsed, he (PBUH) divided us into twelve groups and every group was headed by a man. Allah knows how many men were under the command of each leader. Anyhow, all of them ate of that meal.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

There are some more narrations in both Al-Bukhari and Muslim with very minor differences in wordings and in details.

'Uyainah bin Hisn came to Al-Madinah and stayed with his nephew Al-Hurr bin Qais who was among those who were close to 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) and had access to his council. The scholarly persons, whether they were old or young, had the privilege of joining his council and he used to consult them. 'Uyainah said to Al-Hurr: "My dear nephew, you have an access to the Leader of the Believers. Will you obtain permission for me to sit with him?" Al-Hurr asked 'Umar and he accorded permission. When 'Uyainah came into the presence of 'Umar, he addressed him thus: "O son of Al-Khattab, you neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) got angry and was about to beat him when Al-Hurr said: "O Leader of the Believers, Allah has said to his Prophet (PBUH): 'Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don't punish them), [i.e., 'Uyainah] (7:199). This is one of the ignorant ones." By Allah! When al-Hurr recited this, 'Umar became quite motionless in his seat. He always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah.

[Al-Bukhari]

God has cursed the women who tattoo and the women who have themselves tattooed, the women who pluck hairs from their faces and who make spaces between their teeth for beauty, changing what God has created. When a woman came and told him she had heard he had cursed such and such he asked why he should not curse those whom God’s messenger had cursed and those who were mentioned in God’s Book. She told him she had read it from cover to cover and had not found in it what he had been saying, to which he replied that if she had read it she would have found it, and asked her whether she had not read, “What the apostle has brought you accept, and what he has forbidden you refrain from.” (Qur’an, 59, 7). On her replying that she had, he said he had forbidden what he had been talking about. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "On the day of resurrection the earth will be one piece of bread which the Almighty will turn in His hand, as one of you turns his loaf while travelling, to be food provided for the inhabitants of paradise." A Jew then came and said, "May the Compassionate One bless you, Abul Qasim! Shall I not tell you the food provided on the day of resurrection for those who will go to paradise?" Receiving the reply, "Certainly," he said, "The earth will be one piece of bread as the Prophet has said." The Prophet then looked at the people and laughed so that his molar teeth were visible, and the Jew said, "Shall I not tell you what they will have to season it t It will be balam[*] and fish." He was asked what that wis and replied that it was an ox and a fish from whose excessive livers seventy thousand would eat. *This word which is explained as meaning an ox is mentioned in Taj al-'arus in connection with this tradition as a Hebrew word, but that is probably because a Jew used it and had to be asked what it meant. There seems to be no justification for calling it Hebrew. (Bukhari and Muslim,)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The angel of death came to Moses, son of Imran and told him to answer his Lord's summons, whereupon Moses gave the angel of death a blow in the eye and knocked it out. The angel then returned to God most high and said, `Thou didst send me to a servant of Thine who does not wish to die, and he has put out my eye.' God restored his eye to him and said, `Go back to my servant and ask him if it is life he wants, then tell him that if he wants life he must place his hand on an ox's back, and he will live a year for every hair which covers his hand.' [Moses] asked what would happen after that, and when he was told that he would die he said, `Let it be now without delay. My Lord, bring me within a stone's throw of the holy land'." God's messenger said, "I swear by God that if I were there, I would show you his grave beside the road at the red mound.'[*] (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As told of God’s messenger saying to him, “Have I not been informed, ‘Abdallah, that you fast during the day and get up at night for prayer?” [Mirqat explains this as meaning all night.] When he replied that that was so, he said, “Do not do it. Fast and break your fast, get up for prayer and sleep, for you have a duty to your body, your eye, your wife, and your visitors. May he who observe a perpetual fast never fast!* Fasting three days every month is equivalent to a perpetual fast. Fast three days every month and recite the Qur'an every month.” When he replied that he was able to do more than that, he said, “Observe the most excellent fast, that of David, fasting every second day, and recite the Qur’an once every seven nights, but do no more than that.” * Cf. the similar phrase in the tradition of Abu Qatada (p.434). Some hold that the meaning here is, ‘He who observes a perpetual fast has not fasted.’ (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar told that the Jews came to God’s Messenger and mentioned to him that a man and a woman of their number had committed fornication. He asked them what they found in the Torah about stoning and they replied that they should disgrace them and that they should be beaten. ‘Abdallah b. Salam then said, “You lie; it contains instruction that they should be stoned to death, so bring the Torah.” They spread it out, and one of them put his hand over the verse of stoning and read what preceded it and what followed it. 'Abdallah b. Salam told him to lift his hand and when he did so the verse of stoning was seen to be in it. They then said, “He has spoken the truth, Muhammad; the verse of stoning is in it.” The Prophet then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. In a version it says that he told him to lift his hand and that when he did so the verse of stoning was clearly in it. The man then said, “It contains the verse of stoning, Muhammad, but we have been concealing it from one another.” He then gave command regarding them and they were stoned to death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "On the Day of Resurrection you will be assembled barefooted, naked and uncircumcised". He then recited: "As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it," and continued: "The first to be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be (Prophet) Ibrahim. Then some of my Companions will be taken to the left, (i.e., towards Hell-fire) and when I will say, 'They belong to my Ummah, O my Rubb!' It would be said: 'You do not know what they invented after you had left them.' I shall then say as the righteous slave [i.e., 'Isa (Jesus (PBUH)] said: 'And I was a witness over them while I was amongst them, when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all things. If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.' I shall be told: 'They continued to turn on their heels since you parted from them".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (PBUH) employed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd named Ibn Lutbiyyah as collector of Zakat. When the employee returned (with the collections) he said: "(O Prophet (PBUH)!) This is for you and this is mine because it was presented to me as gift." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) rose to the pulpit and praised Allah and extolled Him. Then he said, "I employ a man to do a job and he comes and says: 'This is for you and this has been presented to me as gift'? Why did he not remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother and see whether gifts will be given to him or not? By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, if any one of you took anything wrongfully, he will bring it on the Day of Resurrection, carrying it on (his back), I will not recognize anyone of you, on the Day of Resurrection with a grunting camel, or a bellowing cow, or a bleating ewe." Then he raised his hands till we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said thrice, ''O Allah ! have I conveyed (Your Commandments)".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Some of the poor Emigrants came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him, "The wealthy have obtained all high ranks and everlasting bliss." He asked, "How is that?" They replied: "They offer Salaah as we do, and observe Saum (fasting) as we do, but they give in Sadaqah (charity) and we do not, and they emancipate slaves and we cannot." He (PBUH) said, "Shall I not teach you something whereby you will catch up with those who have preceded you and will get ahead of those who follow you, and no one will surpass you unless he does the same as you do?" They said, "Surely, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Say: Subhan Allah, and Allahu Akbar, and praise Him (by saying Al-hamdu lillah) thirty-three times at the end of every Salaah." They returned to him and said: "Our brothers, the possessors of wealth, having heard what we are doing, have started doing the same." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "This is Grace of Allah which He gives to whom He wishes."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whenever you intend to go to bed, perform Wudu' as is done for Salat (prayer); and then lie down on the right side and recite: 'Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilaika, wa fawwadtu amri ilaika, wal-ja'tu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, la malja'a wa la manja minka illa ilaika, amantu bikitabik-alladhi anzalta, wa binabiyyik-alladhi arsalta [O Allah! I have submitted myself to You. I have turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You and relied completely on You out of desire for and fear of You (expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no resort and no deliverer from (hardships) except You. I affirm my faith in Your Book which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent].' If you die during the night, you will die in the true religion. Let these words be your last words at night."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Talha told Umm Sulaim[*] he had noticed God's messenger's voice was weak and realised that he was suffering from hunger, so he suggested she might have something. Replying that she had, she brought out some barley loaves, then took out a head-covering of hers in part of which she wrapped the bread, and when she had put it under my arm, she wound part of it round my head and sent me to God's messenger. When I went with it, I found God's messenger in the mosque accompanied by some people. I gave them a salutation and God's messenger asked me if Abu Talha had sent me. I replied that he had, and he asked if he had sent me with food. When I replied that that was so he told the people who were with him to get up. He set off and I went in front of them, and when I came to Abu Talha, I informed him. He said, "God's messenger has come with some people, Umm Sulaim, and we have nothing to give them to eat." When she replied that God and His messenger knew best, he went off till he met God's messenger, who then came accompanied by Abu Talha and said, "Bring what you have, Umm Sulaim." She brought that bread, and he then ordered that the bread be broken into small pieces, and when Umm Sulaim had squeezed a skin and put seasoning on its God's messenger said regarding it what God willed him to say. He then asked permission for ten to enter, and when that was granted, they ate till they had had enough'. When they had gone out, he asked permission for one group of ten after another to enter, and all the people ate and had enough. They numbered seventy or eighty men. *She had married Malik b. an-Nadr to whom she bore Anas. Miltk had gone to Syria, where he died, and she married Abu Talha. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim he said, "Permit ten to enter," and when they entered, he said, "Eat, mentioning God's name." They ate until he had done that with eighty men, after which the Prophet and the members of the household ate, and he left something over. In a version by Bukhari he said, "Enter by tens," until he had counted forty. Then the Prophet ate, and I began to look whether it had diminished at all. A version by Muslim says he then took what remained and collected it, then invoked a blessing on it, and when it returned to its original state he said, "Take this."

Al-Harith b. Suwaid said that ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told him two traditions, one of them from God’s messenger and the other from him­ self. He said, “The believer sees in his sins as though he were sitting under a mountain which he fears may fall on him, but the profligate sees his sins like a fly which has passed over his nose and which he has brushed away with his hand.” Then he said that he heard God’s mes­ senger say, “God rejoices more over the repentance of a believer than a man who goes down to a desert and dangerous district with his riding- beast which carries his food and drink, who lays down his head and sleeps for a time, then awakening and finding that his riding-beast has gone, looks for it, and when distressed by heat and thirst or what God wills, says he will return to the place where he was and sleep till he dies, lays his head on his arm to die, then awakens and sees his riding-beast beside him with his food and drink on it. God rejoices more intensely over the repentance of a believing servant than this man does over his riding-beast and his provisions.” Muslim transmitted only the tradition which is traced back to God’s messenger from him, but Bukhari transmitted also the one which goes no farther back than Ibn Mas'ud.

One of the sons of Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) was ailing. Abu Talhah went out and the boy died in his absence. When he came back, he inquired, "How is the boy?". Umm Sulaim, the mother of the boy, replied, "Better than before". Then she placed his evening meal before him and he ate it; and thereafter slept with her. At last, she said to him: "Arrange for the burial of the boy". In the morning, Abu Talhah went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and informed him of the event. He enquired, "Did you sleep together last night?" Abu Talhah replied in the affirmative, on which the Prophet (PBUH) supplicated, "O Allah bless them." Thereafter, she gave birth to a boy. Abu Talhah said to me: "Take up the boy and carry him to the Prophet (PBUH)"; and he sent some dates with him. The Prophet (PBUH) enquired, "Is there anything with him?" He said; "Yes, some dates". The Prophet (PBUH) took a date, chewed it and put it in the mouth of the baby and rubbed the chewed date around the baby's gum and named him 'Abdullah.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The narration in Bukhari adds: Ibn 'Uyainah relates that a man from the Ansar told him that he had seen nine sons of this 'Abdullah, every one of whom had committed the Noble Qur'an to memory.

The narration of Muslim says: The son of Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) who was born of Umm Sulaim died. She (Umm Sulaim) said to the members of the family: "Do not tell Abu Talhah about his son until I mention it to him myself." Abu Talhah came (home) and she gave him supper. He ate and drank. She then beautified herself the best way she ever did and he slept with her. When she saw that he was satisfied after sexual intercourse with her, she said, "O Abu Talhah! If some people borrow something from another family and then (the members of the family) ask for its return, would they refuse to give it back to them." He said, "No". She said, "Then hope reward for your son". Abu Talhah got angry, and said; "You left me uninformed until I stained myself (with sexual intercourse) and then you told me about my son. "He went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and informed him about the matter. Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "May Allah bless the night you spent together!" He (the narrator) said: She conceived. (One day) Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was in the course of a journey and she was along with him. When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to come back to Al-Madinah from a journey, he would not enter it (during the night). When the people came near Al- Madinah, she felt labour pains. He (Abu Talhah) remained with her and Messenger of Allah (PBUH) proceeded on. Abu Talhah said: "O Rubb, You know that I love to go along with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he goes out and enter along with him when he enters, and I have been detained as You see." Umm Sulaim then said: "O Abu Talhah, I do not feel (so much pain) as I was feeling earlier, so we better proceed on. So we proceeded on and she felt the labour of delivery as they reached (Al-Madinah). She gave birth to a male child. My mother said to me: "O Anas, none should suckle him until you go to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) tomorrow morning." The next morning I carried the baby with me to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and narrated the rest of the story.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

I saw 'Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) giving a Khutbah (sermon) from the pulpit and I heard him saying: "By Allah, we have no book to read except Allah's Book and what is written in this scroll. He unrolled the scroll which showed a list of what sort of camels to be given as blood-money, and other legal matters relating to killing game in the sanctuary of Makkah and the expiation thereof. In it was also written: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: 'Al-Madinah is a sanctuary from 'Air to Thaur (mountains). He who innovates in this territory new ideas in Islam, commits a sin therein, or shelters the innovators, will incur the Curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and Allah will accept from him neither repentance nor a ransom on the Day of Resurrection. The asylum (pledge of protection) granted by any Muslim (even of the) lowest status is to be honoured and respected by all other Muslims, and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect (by violating the pledge) will incur the Curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people; and Allah will accept from him neither repentance nor a ransom on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever attributes his fatherhood to someone other than his (real) father, and takes someone else as his master other than his (real) master without his permission, will incur the Curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and Allah will accept from him neither repentance nor a ransom on the Day of Resurrection."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Anas told that God’s Messenger had a she-camel called al-‘Adba' which had not been outstripped by any other, but a nomadic Arab came on a young riding camel of his and it outstripped it. That distressed the Muslims, but God’s Messenger said, "It is God’s right that nothing should become exalted in the world without His lowering it.” Bukhari transmitted it.

The Prophet stayed three nights between Khaibar and Medina when he took up cohabitation with Safiya, and I called the Muslims to his wedding-feast which included no bread or meat. He just ordered some cloths to be spread, and dates, dried curd and clarified butter were thrown on them. Bukhari transmitted it.

glazed jars, gourds, hollowed stumps of palm trees, and receptacles smeared with pitch, saying, “Observe them and tell your people at home about them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but the wording is Bukhari’s).

Abu Huraira and Zaid b. Khalid told that two men brought a dispute before God’s Messenger, one of them saying, "Pronounce judgment between us in accordance with God’s Book," and the other saying, "Yes Messenger of God, pronounce judgment between us in accordance with God’s Book, and allow me to speak." He told him to speak and he said, "My son who was a hired servant with this man committed fornication with his wife, and when I was told that my son must be stoned to death I ransomed him with a hundred sheep and a slave girl of mine; but when I asked the learned they told me that my son should receive a hundred lashes and be banished for a year, and that stoning to death applied only to the man’s wife." God’s Messenger replied, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, I shall certainly pronounce judgment between you in accordance with God's Book. Your sheep and your slave girl must be returned to you, and your son shall receive a hundred lashes and be banished for a year. As for you, Unais, go to this man's wife, and if she confesses stone her to death." She confessed and he stoned her. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Mu'adh bin Jabal was riding on the beast with the Prophet (PBUH), when he (PBUH) said to him, "O Mu'adh!" Mu'adh replied, "Here I am responding to you, and at your pleasure, O Messenger of Allah." He (PBUH) again called out, "O Mu'adh." He (again) replied, "Here I am responding your call, and at your pleasure." He (Messenger of Allah) addressed him (again), "O Mu'adh!" He replied, "Here I am responding to you, and at your pleasure, O Messenger of Allah." Upon this he (the Prophet (PBUH)) said, "If anyone testifies sincerely that there is no true god except Allah, and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, truly from his heart, Allah will safeguard him from Hell." He (Mu'adh) said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I not then inform people of it, so that they may have glad tidings." He (PBUH) replied, "Then they will rely on it alone (and thus give up good works altogether)." Mu'adh (May Allah be pleased with him) disclosed this Hadith at the time of his death, to avoid sinning for concealing.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious said: 'A slave committed a sin and he said: O Allah, forgive my sin,' and Allah said: 'My slave committed a sin and then he realized that he has a Rubb Who forgives the sins and punishes for the sin.' He then again committed a sin and said: 'My Rubb, forgive my sin,' and Allah (SWT) said: 'My slave committed a sin and then realized that he has a Rubb Who forgives his sin and punishes for the sin.' He again committed a sin and said: 'My Rubb, forgive my sin,' and Allah (SWT) said: 'My slave has committed a sin and then realized that he has a Rubb Who forgives the sin or takes (him) to account for sin. I have granted forgiveness to my slave. Let him do whatever he likes".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The last sentence "let him do..". means, as long he keeps asking for forgiveness after the commission of sins, and repents, Allah will forgive him because repentance eliminates previous sins". (Editor's Note)

I was with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in a journey one night, and he asked me, "Do you have any water with you?" I said, "Yes." So he dismounted from his riding camel and walked away (to answer the call of nature) until he disappeared in the darkness. When he returned, I poured out some water from a vessel and he washed his face. He was wearing a long woolen cloak and could not take out his forearms from his sleeves, so he brought them out from below the cloak and then washed them, and then passed his (wet) hands over his head. I stretched out my hand to take off his Khuff (leather socks), but he said, "Leave them. I put them on after performing Wudu'," and he passed his (wet) hands over them.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was wearing a Syrian cloak with tight sleeves.

Another narration is: This incident took place during the battle of Tabuk.