We went out with God's messenger to a funeral, and I saw him at the grave giving this instruction to the grave-digger, "Make it wide where the feet go and wide where the head goes." When he came back, he was met by one who conveyed an invitation from the widow, and he accepted it and we went along with him. Food was brought, and when he put in his hand the people did the same, and they ate. We noticed that God's messenger was moving a morsel round in his mouth. He then said, "I find the flesh of a sheep which has been taken without its owners' permission." The woman sent a message to say, "Messenger of God, I sent to an-Naqi (a place where sheep were sold) to have a sheep bought for me, but there were none, so I sent to a neighbour of mine who had bought a sheep asking him to send it to me for the price he had paid, but he could not be found. I therefore sent to his wife and she sent it to me." God's messenger then said, "Give this food to the prisoners." Abu Dawud and Baihaqi, in Dala'il an-nubuwa, transmitted it.

’Urwah bin az-Zubair told me that az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه) used to narrate that he referred to the Prophet (ﷺ), a dispute with an Ansari man who had been present at Badr about the streams of the Harrah, with which they both used to irrigate their palm trees. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه): `Water (your trees), then let the water flow to your neighbour.` The Ansari got angry and said: “O Messenger of Allah, it is because he is your cousin!” The face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) changed colour, then he said to az-Zubair: “Water (your trees), then block the water until it backs up to the bottom of the wall.” So the Prophet (ﷺ) told az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه) to take all of his rights in full. Before that, the Prophet (ﷺ) had suggested to az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه) something that would be good for both him and the Ansari, but when the Ansari annoyed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he told az-Zubair to take his rights in full in a clear ruling. `Urwah said: “az-Zubair (رضي الله عنه) said: By Allah, I think that this verse was revealed concerning that: But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (ﷺ)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission` (an-Nisa` [4:65]).”

I heard my father asking Abu Barza (al- Aslami) about the prayer of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) I (Shu'ba, one of the narrators) said: Did you hear it (from Abu Barza)? He said: 1 feel as if I am bearing you at this very time. He said: I heard my father asking about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he (Abu Barza) making this reply: He (the Holy Prophet) did not mind delaying-some (prayer) i. e. 'Isya' prayer, even up to the midnight and did not like sleeping before observing it, and talking after it. Shu'ba said: I met him subsequently and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet) and he said: He observed the noon prayer when the sun was past the meridian, he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which a person would o to the outskirts of Medina and the sun was still bright; (I forgot what he said about the evening prayer) ; I then met him on a subsequent occasion and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet; and he said: He would observe the morning prayer (at such a time) so that a man would go back and would recognise his neighbour by casting a glance at his face, and he would recite from sixty to one hundred verses in it.

I grazed his horse. provided fodder to it and looked after it, and ground dates for his camel. Besides this, I grazed the camel, made arrangements for providing it with water and patched up the leather bucket and kneaded the flour. But I was not proficient in baking the bread, so my female neighbours used to bake bread for me and they were sincere women. She further said: I was carrying on my head the stones of the dates from the land of Zubair which Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had endowed him and it was at a distance of two miles (from Medina). She add: As I was one day carrying the atones of dates upon my head I happened to meet Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) along with a group of his Companions. He called me and said (to the camel) to sit down so that he should make cite ride behind hirn. (I told my husband: ) I felt shy and remembered your jealousy, whereupon he said: By Allah. the carrying of the stone dates upon your bead is more severe a burden than riding with him. She said: (I led the life of hardship) until Abu Bakr sent afterwards a female servant who took upon herself the responsibility of looking after the horse and I felt as it she had emancipated me.

We were one day in the company of 'Umar that he said: Who amongst you has preserved in his mind most perfectly the hadith of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in regard to the turmoil as he told about it? I said: It is I. Thereupon he said: You are bold (enough to make this claim). And he further said: How? I said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There would (first) be turmoil for a person in regard to his family, his property, his own self, his children, his neighbours (and the sins committed in their connection) would be expiated by fasting, prayer, charity, enjoining good and prohibiting evil. Thereupon 'Umar said: I do not mean (that turmoil on a small scale) but that one which would emerge like the mounting waves of the ocean. I said: Commander of the Faithful, you have nothing to do with it, for the door is closed between you and that. He said: Would that door be broken or opened? I said: No, it would be broken. Thereupon he said: Then it would not be closed despite best efforts. We said to Hudhaifa: Did Umar know the door? Thereupon he said: Yes, he knew it (for certain) just as one knows that night precedes the next day. And I narrated to him something in which there was nothing fabricated. Shaqiq (one of the narrators) said: We dared not ask Hudhaifa about that door. So we requested Masruq to ask him. So he asked him and he said: (By that door, he meant) 'Umar.

When we were with `Umar he asked which of us remembered the tradition of God's messenger about the fitna, and I replied that I remembered it just as he had uttered it. Telling me to relate it, and remarking that I was daring, he asked how he had spoken and I replied that I had heard God's messenger say, "A man's fitna concerns his family, his property, his person, his children and his neighbour for any shortcoming in which atonement made by fasting, prayer, sadaqah recommending what is reputable and reproving what is disreputable.[1] `Umar said that this was not what he meant, for he was thinking of the fitna which swells like the waves of the sea.[2] I asked the commander of the faithful what he had to do with it, for between him and it there was a closed door. He asked whether the door would be broken down or opened, and when I replied that it would be broken down, he said it would never likely be closed. Hudhaifa was asked if `Umar knew who the door was and he replied that he knew it as well as he knew that a night comes before tomorrow, adding that he had told him a tradition which included no misleading language. They were afraid to ask Hudhaifa who the door was, so they asked Masruq to ask him, and when he did so he replied that it was `Umar.3 A man who has these responsibilities may fall short of what is due from him, but can make atonement for his shortcoming. Contention which leads to strife and warfare. The point of the tradition is that the fitna would not occur in `Umar's lifetime, but that as he was to be assassinated there was no hope of peaceful conditions ever returning. The opening of the door indicates a natural death and the breaking down of the door a violent death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Umar (رضي الله عنه) heard that when Sa`d built the palace, he said. Now there will be no more noise. ‘Umar sent Muhammad bin Maslamah to him, and when he arrived he took out some kindling and lit a fire, and he bought some wood for a dirham. It was said to Sa`d: A man has done such and such. He said: That is Muhammad bin Maslamah. He went out to him and swore by Allah that he never said that. He said: We will convey from you what you have said and we will do as we were instructed. So he burned the door. Then he [Sa`d] offered some supplies (to the envoy) but he refused. He left at midday and went to ‘Umar(رضي الله عنه), and he went and came back within nineteen days. He said: Were it not that I think well of you, I would have thought that you did not convey my message. He said: Yes I did convey it, he conveys his salam and apologises, and he swore by Allah that he did not say that. He said: Did he give you any provisions? He said: No. He said: What prevented you from supplying (sufficient, provisions to me yourself? He said: I did not want to instruct that you be given the cold whilst I had the hot [i.e., I could not have given you what you wanted of food and enjoyed plentiful food myself, when around me are the people of Madinah who are starving, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `No man should eat his fill when his neighbour is going without.”

'Umara ibn Ghurab reported that an aunt of his told him that she asked 'A'isha, Umm al-Mu'minin, "If a woman's husband desires her and she refuses to give herself to him either because she is angry or not eager, is there anything wrong in that?" "Yes," she replied. "Part of his right over you is that if he desires you when you are on a saddle, you must not refuse him." She said, "I also asked her, 'If one of us is menstruating and she and her husband only have a single cover, what should she do?' She replied, 'She should wrap her wrapper around her and sleep with him. He can have what is above it. I will tell you what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did on one of his nights with me. I had cooked some barley and made loaf for him. He came in, stopped at the door, and then went into the mosque. When he wanted to sleep, he closed the door, tied up the waterskin, turned the cup over and put out the light. I waited for him and he ate the loaf. He did not go until I fell asleep. Later he felt the cold and came and got me up. "Warm me! Warm me!" he said. I said, "I am menstruating." He said, "Then uncover your thighs," so I uncovered my thighs and he put his cheek and head on my thighs until he was warm. Then a pet sheep belonging to our neighbour came in. I went and took the load away. I disturbed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he woke up, so I chased the sheep to the door. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Take what you got of your loaf and do not injure your neighbour's sheep."'"

I was eager to ask 'Umar about the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning whom Allah said, “If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)” [at-Tahreem 66:4], until 'Umar went for Hajj and I went with him. When we were partway there, 'Umar turned aside and I turned aside with him, bringing the jug. He relieved himself, then he came to me and I poured water onto his hands, and he did wudoo’. I said: “O Ameer al -Mu'mineen, who are the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) of whom Allah said: ‘If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ)) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)’?” [at-Tahreem 66:4] 'Umar said, “How strange of you, O Ibn 'Abbas”, (az-Zuhri said: By Allah, he did not like the question, but he did not conceal anything.) He said, “They were Hafsah and 'A'ishah.” Then he started to narrate the hadeeth and said: We people of Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. My house was among Banu Umayyah bin Zaid in al-'Awali. One day I got angry with my wife, and she argued with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes, I went and entered upon Hafsah, and I said: Do you argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? She said: Yes. I said: Does one of you forsake him all day until night comes? She said: Yes. I said: Any one of you who does that is doomed and lost. Does any one of you feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger (ﷺ), for then she will be doomed? Do not argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and do not ask him for anything. Ask me for whatever you want. And do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you – referring to 'A'ishah. And ‘Umar said: I had a neighbour among the Ansar. We used to take turns to go down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He would go down one day and I would go down the next. He would bring me the news of the Revelation and other things, and I would do likewise. We were saying that Ghassan were shoeing their horses to attack us. My friend went down, then he came to me at night and knocked on my door, then he called out to me. I went out to him and he said: Something terrible has happened! I said: What? Have Ghassan come? He said: No, it is more terrible than that and worse. The Prophet (ﷺ) has divorced his wives! I said: Hafsah is doomed and lost! I thought that this would happen. Then when I had prayed Fajr, I got dressed, then I went down and entered upon Hafsah, who was weeping. I said: Has the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)divorced you? She said: I do not know. He has secluded himself in this loft. I went to a black slave of his and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything, I went away and came to the minbar, where I sat down. By it was a group of people, some of whom were weeping. I sat for a little while, then I could not bear it any longer, so I went to the slave and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything. I turned to leave, then the slave called me and said: Go in, he has given you permission. So I went in and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with salam. He was resting on a reed mat that had left marks on his side. I said: O Messenger of Allah, have you divorced your wives? He looked up at me and said, “No.” I said: Allah Akbar! if you had seen us, O Messenger of Allah, we Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. I got angry with my wife one day, and she started to argue with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes. I said: Any one of them who does that is doomed and lost. Does one of them feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger (ﷺ),then she will be doomed? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled. I said: O Messenger of Allah, I entered upon Hafsah and I said: Do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour (i.e. ‘Aa'ishah) is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled again. I said: O Messenger of Allah, may I speak to you freely? He said: “Yes.” So I sat down and looked around the room, and by Allah, I did not see anything in it to please the eye except three hides. I said: Pray to Allah, O Messenger of Allah, to make life prosperous for your ummah, for He has made life prosperous for the Persians and Romans, but they do not worship Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. He sat up straight and said: “Are you doubting. O son of al-Khattab? They are people whose good things have been hastened for them in this world.” I said: Pray for forgiveness for me, O Messenger of Allah. He had sworn that he would not enter upon them for a month, because he was so annoyed with them until Allah rebuked him.

We were sitting in the company of Umar and he said: Who amongst you has heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) talking about the turmoil? Some people said: It is we who heard it. Upon this be remarked: Perhaps by turmoil you presume the unrest of man in regard to his household or neighbour, they replied: Yes. He ('Umar) observed: Such (an unrest) would be done away with by prayer, fasting and charity. But who amongst you has heard from the Apostle (may peace be upon him) describing that turmoil which would come like the wave of the ocean. Hudhaifa said: The people hushed into silence, I replied: It is I. He ('Umar) said: Ye, well, your father was also very pious. Hudhaifa said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be, upon him ) observing: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion. Hudhaifa said: I narrated to him ('Umar): There is between you and that (turmoil) a closed door, but there is every likelihood of its being broken. 'Umar said: Would it be broken? You have, been rendered fatherless. Had it been opened, it would have been perhaps closed also. I said: No, it would be broken, and I narrated to him: Verily that door implies a person who would be killed or die. There is no mistake in this hadith. Abu Khalid narrated: I said to Sa'd, O Abu Malik, what do you mean by the term" Aswad Murbadda"? He replied: High degree of whiteness in blackness. I said: What is meant by" Alkoozu Mujakhiyyan"? He replied: A vessel turned upside down.

I used to lead my people at Bani Salim in Salat (prayer) and there was a valley between me and those people. Whenever it rained, it became difficult for me to cross it for going to their mosque. So I went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, "I have weak eyesight and the valley between me and my people flows during the rainy season and it becomes difficult for me to cross it. I wish you to come to my house and offer Salat at a place so that I could reserve that as a Musalla (place for prayer)." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I will do so". So Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) came to my house the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked my permission to enter and I admitted him. He did not sit before saying, "Where do you want us to offer Salat in your house?" I pointed to the place where I wanted him to offer prayers. So Messenger of Allah (PBUH) stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned in rows behind him; and he offered two Rak'ah prayer and finished them with Taslim, and we also performed Taslim with him. I detained him for a meal called Khazirah which I had prepared for him. (Khazirah is a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup). When the neighbours got the news that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was in my house, they started coming till a large number of men gathered in my house. One of them said, "What is wrong with Malik, for I do not see him?" One of them replied, "He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Messenger". On that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Don't say this. Haven't you seen that he testified that there is no true god except Allah,' for Allah's sake only." The man replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better, but by Allah, we never saw him but helping and talking with the hypocrites." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) replied, "No doubt, whosoever testifies that there is no true god except Allah, seeking by so professing the pleasure of Allah only, Allah will safeguard him against (Hell) Fire."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah, I have lost my eyesight and I lead my people in prayer. When there is a downpour there is then a current (of water) in the valley that stands between me and them and I find it impossible to go to their mosque and lead them in prayer. Messenger of Allah, I earnestly beg of you that you should come and observe prayer at a place of worship (in my house) so that I should then use it as a place of worship. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Well, it God so wills. I would soon do so. 'Itban said: On the following day when the day dawned, the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) came along with Abu Bakr at-Siddiq, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked permission (to get into the house). I gave him the permission, and be did not sit after entering the house, when he said: At what place in your house you desire me to say prayer? I ('Itban b. Malik) said: I pointed to a corner in the house, The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood (at that place for prayer) and pronounced Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) (as an expression for the commencement of prayer). We too stood behind him, and he said two rak'ahs and then pronounced salutation (marking the end of the prayer). We detained him (the Holy Prophet) for the meat curry we had prepared for, him. The people of the neighbouring houses came and thus there was a good gathering in (our house). One of them said: Where is Malik b. Dukhshun? Upon this one of them remarked: He is a hypocrite; he does not love Allah and His Messenger. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do not say so about him. Don't you see that he utters La ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah) and seeks the pleasure of Allah through it? They said: Allah and His Messenger know beet. One (among the audience) said: We see his inclination and wellwishing for hypocrites only. Upon this the Messenger of Allah' (may peace be upon him) again said: Verily Allah has forbidden the Fire for one who says: There is no god but Allah, thereby seeking Allah's pleasure. Ibn Shihab said: I asked Husain b. Muhammad al-Ansar (he was one of the leaders of Banu Salim) about the hadith transmitted by Mahmud b. Rabi' and he testified it.