that Allah's Apostle was asked about an unmarried slave-girl who committed illegal sexual intercourse. They heard him saying, "Flog her, and if she commits illegal sexual intercourse after that, flog her again, and on the third (or the fourth) offense, sell her."

Once Allah's Apostle said, "You people present your cases to me and some of you may be more eloquent and persuasive in presenting their argument. So, if I give some one's right to another (wrongly) because of the latter's (tricky) presentation of the case, I am really giving him a piece of fire; so he should not take it."

A man said to Allah's Apostle , "My mother died, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?" The Prophet replied in the affirmative. The man said, "I have a garden and I make you a witness that I give it in charity on her behalf."

The people of Najran came to the Prophet and said, "Send an honest man to us." The Prophet said, "I will send to you an honest man who is really trustworthy." Everyone of the (Muslim) people hoped to be that one. The Prophet then sent Abu Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah.

I heard the Prophet reciting Surat-al-Mursalat `Urfan (77) in the Maghrib prayer, and after that prayer he did not lead us in any prayer till he died.

When the last ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet (saws) kept vigil and prayed during the whole night, and tied the wrapper tightly, and awakened his family (to pray during the night).

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Ya'fur is 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Ubaid b. Nistas.

The Prophet (saws) said: The divorce of a slave-woman consists in saying it twice and her waiting period is two menstrual courses (qur') AbuAsim said: A similar tradition has been narrated to me by Muzahir and al-Qasim on the authority of Aisha from the Prophet (saws), except that he said: And her waiting period ('iddah) is two courses.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition is obscure.

The Prophet (saws) said: A woman whose husband has died must not wear clothes dyed with safflower (usfur) or with red ochre (mishq) and ornaments. She must not apply henna and collyrium.

I was eating with the Prophet (saws) and snatching the meat from the bone with my hand. He said: bring the bone near your mouth, for it is more beneficial and wholesome.

Abu Dawud said: 'Uthman did not hear (traditions) from Safwan. This is a mursal tradition.

My mother intended to make me gain weight to send me to the (house of) the Messenger of Allah (saws). But nothing which she desired benefited me till she gave me cucumber with fresh dates to eat. Then I gained as much weight (as she desired).

Shahr ibn Hawshab said: I asked Umm Salamah: How did the Messenger of Allah (saws) read this verse: "For his conduct is unrighteous (innahu 'amalun ghayru salih". She replied: He read it: "He acted unrighteously" (innahu 'amila ghayra salih).

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Harun al-Nahwi and Musa b. Khalaf from Thabit as reported by the narrator 'Abd al-Aziz.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to recite: "In the name of Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; most Gracious, most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment," breaking its recitation into verses, one after another.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: The early reading is: Maliki yawmi'l-din.

The Prophet (saws) came to visit her when she was veiled, and said: use one fold and not two.

Abu Dawud said: "Use one fold and not two" means: "Do not fold it like the turban of a man. Do not double it up manifolds."

The Prophet (saws) said: Allah will not gather two swords upon this community: Its own sword and the sword of its enemy.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) gave judgment that a male or a female slave, or a horse or a mule should be paid for a miscarriage.

Abu Dawud said: Hammad b. Salamah and Khalid b. 'Abd Allah transmitted this tradition from Muhammad b. 'Amr, but they did not mention "or a horse or a mule"

The Prophet (saws) said: Invoke a blessing on one who sneezes three times; (and if he sneezes more often), then if you wish to invoke a blessing on him, you may invoke, and if you wish (to stop), then stop.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al- Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a judgement that the compensation for a foetus killed in its mother's womb was a slave or slave-girl of fair complexion and excellence. The one against whom the judgement was given said, "Why should I pay damages for that which did not drink or eat or speak or make any cry. The like of that is nothing." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "This is only one of the brothers of the diviners." He disapproved of the rhyming speech of the man's declaration.

I complained to Allah's Apostle that I was sick, so he said, "Perform the Tawaf (of Ka`ba at Mecca) while riding behind the people (who are performing the Tawaf on foot)." So I performed the Tawaf while Allah's Apostle was offering the prayer by the side of the Ka`ba and was reciting: 'By the Mount (Saini) and by a Decree Inscribed.'

We took the oath of allegiance to Allah's Apostle and he recited to us: 'They will not associate anything in worship with Allah,' and forbade us to bewail the dead. Thereupon a lady withdrew her hand (refrained from taking the oath of allegiance), and said, "But such-and-such lady lamented over one of my relatives, so I must reward (do the same over the dead relatives of) hers." The Prophet did not object to that, so she went (there) and returned to the Prophet so he accepted her pledge of allegiance.

(the daughter of Abu' Bakr) A woman came to Allah's Apostle and said, "I married my daughter to someone, but she became sick and all her hair fell out, and (because of that) her husband does not like her. May I let her use false hair?" On that the Prophet cursed such a lady as artificially lengthening (her or someone else's) hair or got her hair lengthened artificially.

Allah's Apostle said. "It is one of the greatest sins that a man should curse his parents." It was asked (by the people), "O Allah's Apostle! How does a man curse his parents?" The Prophet said, "'The man abuses the father of another man and the latter abuses the father of the former and abuses his mother."

My mother came to me, hoping (for my favor) during the lifetime of the Prophet. I asked the Prophet, "May I treat her kindly?" He replied, "Yes." Ibn 'Uyaina said, "Then Allah revealed: 'Allah forbids you not with regards to those who fought not against you because of religion, and drove you not out from your homes, that you should show them kindness and deal justly with them.'.......(60.8)

The Prophet came to some of his wives among whom there was Um Sulaim, and said, "May Allah be merciful to you, O Anjasha! Drive the camels slowly, as they are carrying glass vessels!" Abu Qalaba said, "The Prophet said a sentence (i.e. the above metaphor) which, had anyone of you said it, you would have admonished him for it".

A woman came to the Prophet and said, "My mother vowed to perform the Hajj but she died before performing it. Should I perform the Hajj on her behalf?" He said, "Yes! Perform the Hajj on her behalf. See, if your mother had been in debt, would you have paid her debt?" She said, "Yes." He said, "So you should pay what is for Him as Allah has more right that one should fulfill one's obligations to Him. "

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.

Abu Huraira came to the Prophet and asked him (for a share from the Khaibar booty). On that, one of the sons of Sa`id bin Al-`As said to him, "O Allah's Apostle! Do not give him." Abu Huraira then said (to the Prophet ) "This is the murderer of Ibn Qauqal." Sa`id's son said, "How strange! A guinea pig coming from Qadum Ad-Dan!"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ziyad that Abdullah ibn Rafi, the mawla of Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Abu Hurayra about the time of the prayer. Abu Hurayra said, "Let me tell you. Pray dhuhr when the length of your shadow matches your height, asr when your shadow is twice your height, maghrib when the sun has set, isha in the first third of the night, and subh in the very first light of dawn," i.e. when the dawn has definitely come.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from A'isha, umm al-muminin, that whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did ghusl for major ritual impurity, he would begin by washing his hands, and then do wudu as for prayer. He would then put his fingers in the water and rub the roots of his hair with them. Then he would pour as much water as two hands can hold on to his head three times, and over the entire surface of his skin.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al- Musayyab and Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman told him from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the imam says 'Amin', say 'Amin', for the one whose 'Amin' coincides with the 'Amin' of the angels - his previous wrong actions are forgiven him."

Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say 'Aameen' (extending it)."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith at-Taymi that A'isha, umm al-muminin said, "I was sleeping by the side of the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, and I missed him in the night, so I felt for him with my hand and I put my hand on his feet and he was in sajda saying, 'I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praises as You praise Yourself.' "

Audhu bi ridaka min sakhatika, wa bi muafatika min uqubatika wa bika minka, la uhsiy thana'an alayka, anta kama athnayta ala nafsika.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from his father from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha umm al- muminin said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Messenger of Allah, Safiyya bint Huyy has begun her period," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Perhaps she will delay us. Has she done tawaf of the House with you?" They said, "Of course." He said, "So you are free to leave."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, 'Messenger of Allah! Some people from the desert bring us meat, and we do not know whether the name of Allah has been mentioned over it or not.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Mention the name of Allah over it and eat.' "

Malik said, "That was in the beginning of Islam."

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion. I am just a distributor, but the grant is from Allah. (And remember) that this nation (true Muslims) will keep on following Allah's teachings strictly and they will not be harmed by any one going on a different path till Allah's order (Day of Judgment) is established."

I brought my young son, who had not started eating (ordinary food) to Allah's Apostle who took him and made him sit in his lap. The child urinated on the garment of the Prophet, so he asked for water and poured it over the soiled (area) and did not wash it.