I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child's mother to trial.

The Prophet said, "The superiority of `Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of `Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh."

A man who was stung by a scorpion was brought to the Prophet (saws). He said: Had he said the word: "I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He created, "he would not have been stung, or he said, "It would not have harmed him."

Allah's Apostle said, "Many amongst men reached (the level of) perfection but none amongst the women reached this level except Asia, Pharaoh's wife, and Mary, the daughter of `Imran. And no doubt, the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. a meat and bread dish) to other meals."

The Prophet (saws) said: It is enough falsehood for a man to relate everything he hears.

Abu Dawud said: Hafs did not mention Abu Hurairah (in his version).

Abu Dawud said: No other transmitter except this old man, that is, 'Ali b. Hafs al-Mada'ini related the perfect chain of this tradition.

A woman committed theft in the Ghazwa of the Conquest (of Mecca) and she was taken to the Prophet who ordered her hand to be cut off. `Aisha said, "Her repentance was perfect and she was married (later) and used to come to me (after that) and I would present her needs to Allah's Apostle."

Al-Arif ibn ad-Daylami said: We went to Wathilah ibn al-Asqa and said to him: Tell us a tradition which has not addition or omission. He became angry and replied: One of you recites when his copy of a Qur'an is hung up in his house, and he makes additions and omissions. We said: All we mean is a tradition you have heard from the Messenger of Allah (saws). He said: We went to the Prophet (saws) about a friend of ours who deserved. Hell for murder. He said: Emancipate a slave on his behalf; Allah will set free from Hell a member of the body for every member of his.

The freed slave of Usama bin Zaid said,

"Al-Hajjaj bin Aiman bin Um Aiman and Aiman Ibn Um Aiman was Usama's brother from the maternal side, and he was one of the Ansar. He was seen by Ibn 'Umar not performing his bowing and prostrations in a perfect manner. So Ibn 'Umar told him to repeat his prayer.

Only Um Hani told us that she had seen the Prophet (p.b.u.h) offering the Duha (forenoon prayer). She said, "On the day of the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet took a bath in my house and offered eight rak`at. I never saw him praying such a light prayer but he performed perfect prostration and bowing.

The Prophet said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights." (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 102, Vol 1).

A bedouin came to the Prophet and gave a pledge of allegiance for embracing Islam. The next day he came with fever and said (to the Prophet ), "Please cancel my pledge (of embracing Islam and of emigrating to Medina)." The Prophet refused (that request) three times and said, "Medina is like a furnace, it expels out the impurities (bad persons) and selects the good ones and makes them perfect."

The Prophet used to seek Refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and say: "Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: 'O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.' "

Salih ibn Muhammad ibn Za'idah (AbuDawud said: This Salih is AbuWaqid) said: We entered the Byzantine territory with Maslamah. A man who had been dishonest about booty was brought.

He (Maslamah) asked Salim about him. He said: I heard my father narrating from Umar ibn al-Khattab from the Prophet (saws). He said: When you find a man who has been dishonest about booty, burn his property, and beat him. He beat him. He said: We found in his property a copy of the Qur'an. He again asked Salim about it. He said: Sell it and give its price in charity.

There is none born but is created to his true nature (Islam). It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian quite as beasts produce their young with their limbs perfect. Do you see anything deficient in them? Then he quoted the Qur'an., The nature made by Allah in which He has created men there is no altering of Allah's creation; that is the right religion" (ar-Rum:30)

When the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam ) went to the privy, I took to him water in a small vessel or a skin, and he cleansed himself. He then wiped his hand on the ground. I then took to him another vessel and he performed ablution.

Abu Dawud said : The tradition is transmitted by al-Aswad b. 'Amir is more perfect.

Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met AbuHurayrah. He attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his lineage.

AbuHurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy on you?

(Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the tradition) from the Prophet (saws):) The first thing about which the people will be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels - though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfect.

If it is defective, He will say: See there are some optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly.

None informed us that he saw the Prophet offering the Duha (i.e. forenoon) prayer, except Um Hani who mentioned that the Prophet took a bath in her house on the day of the Conquest (of Mecca) and then offered an eight rak`at prayer. She added, "I never saw the Prophet offering a lighter prayer than that prayer, but he was performing perfect bowing and prostrations."

A client of the Prophet (saws) died and left some property, but he left no child or relative. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Give what he has left to a man belonging to his village.

Abu Dawud said: The tradition of Sufyan is more perfect. Musaddad said: Thereupon the Prophet (saws) said: Is there anyone belonging to his land ? They replied: Yes. He said: Then give him what he has left.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to say when he lay down: O Allah, I seek refuge in Thy noble Person and in Thy perfect Words from the evil of what Thou seizest by its forelock; O Allah! Thou removest debt and sin; O Allah! thy troop's not routed, Thy promise is not broken and the riches of the rich do not avail against Thee. Glory and praise be unto Thee!.

I heard Khabbab, who had branded his `Abdomen with seven brands, saying, "Had Allah's Apostle not forbidden us to invoke Allah for death, I would have invoked Allah for death. The companions of Muhammad have left this world without taking anything of their reward in it (i.e., they will have perfect reward in the Hereafter), but we have collected of the worldly wealth what we cannot spend but on earth (i.e. on building houses).

Abu Dawud said; this is a proof of the fact that the Quran is not created.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) sued to teach them the following words in the case of alarm: I seek refuge in Allah's perfect words from His anger, the evil of His servants, the evil suggestions of the devils and their presence. Abdullah ibn Amr used to teach them to those of his children who had reached puberty, and he wrote them down (on some material) and hung on the child who had not reached puberty.

Abu Dawud said:This is the tradition of Ibn Abi Khalaf is more perfect.

A Jew said to `Umar, "O Chief of the Believers, if this verse: 'This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favors upon you, and have chosen for you, Islam as your religion.' (5.3) had been revealed upon us, we would have taken that day as an `Id (festival) day." `Umar said, "I know definitely on what day this Verse was revealed; it was revealed on the day of `Arafat, on a Friday."

The Prophet said, "The Imam is (appointed) to be followed. So do not differ from him, bow when he bows, and say, "Rabbana-lakal hamd" if he says "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah"; and if he prostrates, prostrate (after him), and if he prays sitting, pray sitting all together, and straighten the rows for the prayer, as the straightening of the rows is amongst those things which make your prayer a correct and perfect one. (See Hadith No. 657).

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer is to be offered in two rak'ahs; and you should recite the tashahhud at the end of two rak'ahs, and express your distress and humility and raise your hands and say praying: O Allah, O Allah. He who does not do so does not offer a perfect prayer.

Abu Dawud was asked about offering prayer at night in two rak'ahs. He said: They may be two if you like and four if you like.

Some Jews said, "Had this Verse been revealed to us, we would have taken that day as `Id (festival)." `Umar said, "What Verse?" They said:-- "This day I have Perfected your religion for you, Completed My Favor upon you And have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (5.3) `Umar said, "I know the place where it was revealed; It was revealed while Allah's Apostle was staying at `Arafat."

The Prophet (saws) said: Riders who are objects of dislike to you will come to you, but you must welcome them when they come to you, and give them a free hand regarding what they desire. If they are just, they will receive credit for it, but if they are unjust, they will be held responsible. Please them, for the perfection of your zakat consists in their good pleasure, and let them ask a blessing for you .

Abu Dawud said: The name of the narrator Abu al-Ghusn is Thabit bin Qais bin Ghusn.

The Prophet said, "I saw in a dream that I moved a sword and its blade got broken, and that symbolized the casualties which the believers suffered on the day of Uhud. Then I moved it again, and it became as perfect as it had been, and that symbolized the Conquest (of Mecca) which Allah helped us to achieve, and the union of all the believers. I (also) saw cows in the dream, and what Allah does is always beneficial. Those cows appeared to symbolize the faithful believers (who were martyred) on the day of Uhud."

For the pasturing goats, he narrated the tradition similar to that transmitted by Sufyan bin Husain. This version adds “An old goat, one with defect in the eye or a male goat is not to be accepted in sadaqah(zakat) unless the collector wishes.”

A man from Aslam tribe said: I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saws). A man from among his Companions came and said: Messenger of Allah! I have been stung last night, and I could not sleep till morning. He asked: What was that? He replied: A scorpion.

He said: Oh, had you said in the evening: "I take refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He created," nothing would have harmed you, Allah willing.

The Jews said to `Umar, "You (i.e. Muslims) recite a Verse, and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken the day of its revelation as a day of celebration." `Umar said, "I know very well when and where it was revealed, and where Allah's Apostle was when it was revealed. (It was revealed on) the day of `Arafat (Hajj Day), and by Allah, I was at `Arafat" Sufyan, a sub-narrator said: I am in doubt whether the Verse:-- "This day I have perfected your religion for you." was revealed on a Friday or not.

AbuGhutayf al-Hudhali reported: I was in the company of Ibn Umar. When the call was made for the noon (zuhr) prayer, he performed ablution and said the prayer. When the call for the afternoon ('asr) prayer was made, he again performed ablution. Thus I asked him (about the reason of performing ablution). He replied: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: For a man who performs ablution in a state of purity, ten virtuous deeds will be recorded (in his favour).

AbuDawud said: This is the tradition narrated by Musaddad, and it is more perfect.

Allah's Apostle said, "No child is born except on Al-Fitra (Islam) and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, as an animal produces a perfect young animal: do you see any part of its body amputated?" Then he rec 'The religion of pure Islamic Faith (Hanifa),(i.e. to worship none but Allah), The pure Allah's Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. Let There be no change in Allah's religion (i.e. to join none in Allah's worship). That is the straight religion; but most of men know not..." (30.30)

Abu Qilaba said, "Malik bin Huwairith used to demonstrate to us the prayer of the Prophet at times other than that of the compulsory prayers. So (once) he stood up for prayer and performed a perfect Qiyam (standing and reciting from the Holy Qur'an) and then bowed and performed bowing perfectly; then he raised his head and stood straight for a while." Abu Qilaba added, "Malik bin Huwairith in that demonstration prayed like this Sheikh of ours, Abu Yazid." Abu, Yazid used to sit (for a while) on raising his head from the second prostration before getting up.

Allah's Apostle said, "Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity or Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verses: "The pure Allah's Islamic nature (true faith of Islam) (i.e. worshipping none but Allah) with which He has created human beings. No change let there be in the religion of Allah (i.e. joining none in worship with Allah). That is the straight religion (Islam) but most of men know, not." (30.30)

Allah's Apostle proceeded from `Arafat and dismounted at the mountainous pass and then urinated and performed a light ablution. I said to him, "(Shall we offer) the prayer?" He replied, "The prayer is ahead of you (i.e. at Al-Muzdalifa)." When he came to Al-Muzdalifa, he performed a perfect ablution. Then Iqama for the prayer was pronounced and he offered the Maghrib prayer and then every person made his camel kneel at his place; and then Iqama for the prayer was pronounced and he offered the (`Isha') prayer and he did not offer any prayer in between them (i.e. Maghrib and `Isha' prayers).

The Prophet (saws) as saying to him: Complete the recitation of the Qu'ran in one month. He said: I have more strength. He (the Prophet) said: Complete the recitation in twenty days. He again said: I have more energy. He said : Recite in fifteen days. He again said: I have more energy. He said: Recite in ten days. He again said: I have more energy. He said: Recite in seven days, do not add to it.

Abu Dawud said: The tradition narrated by Muslim is more perfect.

Abu Dawud said : The tradition of Ibn yahya is more perfect.