He reported God’s messenger as saying, “When a believer’s death is near the angels of mercy bring a piece of white silk and say, ‘Come out pleased and accepted to God’s rest and provision and to a Lord who is not angry.’ Then the soul comes out with a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk, they pass him from one to another till they bring him to the gates of heaven, and say, ‘How sweet is this fragrance which has come to you from the earth.’ Then they bring him to the souls of the believers, and they are happier over seeing him than any of you are when one who has been away from home comes back. They ask him, ‘How is so and so? How is so and so?’ Then they say, ‘Leave him alone just now, for he has just come from the grief of the world. He replies, ‘He has died. Has he not come to you?' and they say, ‘He has been taken to his destination, the pit.'(Cf. Qur’an, ci, 9) When an infidel's death is near the angels of punishment bring him hair-cloth and say, ‘Come out, displeased and subject to displeasure, to the punishment from God who is great and glorious.' The soul comes out with a stench like the most unpleasant stench of a corpse, they take him to the gate of the earth (The meaning is probably the gate to the lowest heaven) and say, ‘How offensive is this odour !’ They finally bring him to the souls of the infidels." Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

"When revelation came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), one could hear what sounded like the drone of bees before his face. One day revelation was coming to him, he faced the Qiblah, raised his hands and said: 'O Allah! Increase us, do not diminish us. Favor us, do not withhold from us, make us pleased and be pleased with us.' He (SAW) said: 'Ten Ayah were revealed to me, whoever abides by them shall enter Paradise (and they are): 'Successful indeed are the believers...' until the completion of ten Ayat (23:1-10)."
(Another route) from AzZuhri with this chain.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This is more correct than the first narration. I heard Ishaq bin Mansur saying: "Ahmad bin Hanbal, 'Ali bin AlMadini, and Ishaq bin Ibrãhim reported this Hadith from 'AbdurRazzaq, from Yunus bin Sulaim, from Yunus bin Yazid from AzZuhri."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] Only those who heard from 'Abdur-Razzaq early mentioned in it: "From Yunus bin Yazid", while some of them did not mention in it: "From Yunus bin Yazid." And whoever mentioned "From Yunus bin Yazid" then he was more correct. Sometimes 'Abdur-Razzaq would mention Yunus bin Yazid in this Hadith and sometimes he would not mention him. [When he did not mention Yunus, then it is Mursal].

While I was sitting ‘Umar passed me and gave me a salutation, but I did not notice it. ‘Umar complained to Abu Bakr, and the two of them came forward and gave me a salutation; then Abu Bakr asked, “What induced you to refrain from returning the salutation of your brother ‘Umar?” I replied, “I did no such thing.” ‘Umar retorted, “Yes, I swear by God, you did.” I said, “I swear by God that I did not notice you passing me or giving me a salutation.” Abu Bakr then said, “‘Uthman is speaking the truth. Something must have distracted you.” On my replying that it had, he asked me what it was, and I said, “God has taken His Prophet before we asked him wherein this affair provides salvation.” Abu Bakr said that he had asked him about that, so I rose and went to him and said to him, “You for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom are most worthy of it.” Abu Bakr then told me that he had asked, “Messenger of God, wherein does this affair provide salvation?” to which God’s messenger replied, “If anyone accepts from me the confession which I proposed to my paternal uncle¹ and he rejected, it will be salvation for him.” Ahmad transmitted it. ¹ Abu Talib, the uncle who gave protection in Makkah, but did not accept his religion.

Hamna daughter of Jahsh said that her menstruation was great in quantity and severe, so she went to the Prophet for a decision and told him. She found him in the house of her sister Zainab daughter of Jahsh and said, “Messenger of God, I menstruate to a great extent, and it is severe, so what command do you give me about it? It has prevented me from praying and fasting.” He said, “I suggest that you use cotton, for it removes the blood.” She replied, “It is too copious for that.” He said, “Then stop it with a tight rag.” She replied, “It is too copious for that.” He said, “Then take a cloth.” She replied, “It is too copious for that, for my blood keeps flowing.” So the Prophet said, “I shall give you two commands; whichever of them you follow, it will make the other unnecessary, but you will know best whether you are strong enough to follow both of them This is a stroke of the devil, so observe your menses for six or seven days, God alone knowing which it should be, then wash, and when you see that you are purified and quite clean pray during twenty-three or twenty-four days and nights and fast, for that will be enough for you, and do so every month, just as women menstruate and are purified at the time of their menstruation and their purification. But if you are strong enough to delay the noon prayer and advance the afternoon prayer, then wash and combine the noon and the afternoon prayer; to delay the sunset prayer and advance the night prayer, then wash and combine the two prayers, do so; and to wash at drawn, do so; and fast if you are able.” God’s messenger said, “This is the one which is more attractive to me.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

"Ibn 'Umar and I went to Abu Sa'eed and he narrated to us: 'the Messenger of Allah (saws) said - and I heard him with these [two] ears: "Do not sell gold for gold except kind for kind, nor sliver for silver except kind for kind, do not exchange more of one than the other, and do not sell what is not present from them for what is present."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, Abu Hurairah, Hisham bin 'Amir, Al-Bara', Zaid bin Arqam, Fadalah bin 'Ubaid, Abu Bakrah, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Ad-Darda', and Bilal.

[He said:] The Hadith of Abu Sa'eed, from the Prophet (saws) [about Riba] is a Hasan Sahih Hadith.

This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others, except for what has been related from Ibn 'Abbas; he did not see any harm in exchanging gold for gold or silver for silver, more for less, when it is done hand in hand, and he said: "Riba' is only in credit." Similar it has been related from some of his companions. It has been related that Ibn 'Abbas changed his opinion when Abu Sa'eed narrated it to him from the Prophet (saws). The first view is more correct.

And this is acted upon according to the people of knowledge [among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others]. It is the view of Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. It has been reported that Ibn Al-Mubarak said: "There is no difference over exchange."

He gathered them and put them in pairs. Thereafter He fashioned them and endowed them with speech, and they spoke. He then made an agreement and covenant with them, calling them to witness regarding themselves, [saying] “Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “I call the seven heavens and the seven earths to witness regarding you, and I call your father Adam to witness regarding you, lest you should say on the day of resurrection, ‘We did not know of this.’ Know that there is no god other than me and no lord other than me, and do not associate anything with me. I shall send to you my messengers to call to your remembrance my agreement and my covenant, and I shall send down my books to you. They replied, “We testify that Thou art our Lord and our God; we have no other lord and no other god but Thee.” So they confirmed that. Adam was raised above them and looked at them, and seeing the rich and the poor, the beautiful and those not so beautiful, he asked, “My Lord, why didst Thou not make Thy servants equal?” He replied, “I wanted to be thanked.” He also saw among them the prophets like lamps with light in them. They had another -special covenant concerning their mission and prophetic office, viz. His words, “And when we took from the prophets their covenant... Jesus son-of Mary.” ² He was among those spirits and He sent him to Mary. Ubayy is quoted as saying that he entered by her mouth. Ahmad transmitted it. ¹ ibid. ² Quran, xxxiii, 7.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to prostrate and sleep (in prostration) and produce puffing sounds (during sleep). Then he would stand and pray and would not perform ablution. I said to him: you prayed but did not perform ablution though you slept (in prostration). He replied: Ablution is necessary for one who sleeps while he is lying down. Uthman and Hannad added: For when he lies down, his joints are relaxed.

Abu Dawud said: The statement "ablution is necessary for one who sleeps while one is lying down" is a munkar (rejected) tradition. It has been narrated only by Yazid Abu Khalid al-Dalani, on the authority of Qatadah. And its earlier part has been narrated by a group (of narrators) from Ibn 'Abbas; they did not mention anything about it. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: The Prophet (saws) was protected (during his sleep). 'Aishah reported: The Prophet (saws) said: My eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep. Shu'bah said: Qatadah heard from Abu'l-'Aliyah only four traditions: the tradition about Jonah son of Matthew, the tradition reported by Ibn 'Umar about prayer, the tradition stating that the judges are three, and the tradition narrated by Ibn 'Abbas saying: (This tradition) has been narrated to me by reliable persons ; 'Umar is one of them, and the most reliable of them in my opinion is 'Umar. Abu Dawud said: I asked Ahmad b. Hanbal about the tradition narrated by Yazid al-Dalani. He rebuked me out of respect for him. Then he said: Yazid al-Dalani does not add anything to what has been narrated by the teachers of Qatadah. He did not care of this tradition (due to its weakness).

I went out to at-Tur and met Ka'b al-Ahbar with whom I sat, he telling me about the Torah and I telling him about God's Messenger. One of the things I told him was that God's Messenger had said, “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he was cast down [from paradise], on it his repentance was accepted, on it he died, on it the last hour will come, on Friday every beast is on the outlook from dawn to sunrise from fear of the last hour, but not jinn and men, and it contains a time at which no Muslim will pray and ask anything from God without His giving him it." Ka'b said that was one day every year, but when I insisted that it was on every Friday Ka'b read the Torah and said that God's Messenger had spoken the truth. Abu Huraira said: I met ‘Abdallah b. Salam and told him of my meeting with Ka'b al-Ahbar and of what I had told him about Friday, telling him that Ka'b had said that was one day every year. ‘Abdallah b. Salam said that Ka'b had lied, but when I told him that Ka'b afterwards read the Torah and said that it was every Friday he said that Ka'b had spoken the truth. ‘Abdallah b. Salam then said that he knew what time it was, and when I asked him to tell me about it and not keep it to himself he replied that it was at the very end of Friday. I asked how that could be when God's Messenger had said, “No Muslim will pray in it . . . and he asked me if God’s Messenger had not said, “If anyone is seated waiting for the prayer he is engaged in the prayer until he observes it." When I replied that that was so he said that that was how it came about. Malik, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it up to the statement that Ka'b had spoken the truth.

Abu Dharr reported God’s messenger as stating that God most high says, “My servants, all of you are astray except him whom I have guided, but if you ask me for guidance I will guide you; all of you are poor except him whom I have enriched, but if you ask of me I will give you provision; all of you are sinners except him whom I have preserved [from sin], but if any of you knows that I have power to pardon and ask my pardon I will pardon him, and I do not care; if the first and the last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, 3 had all hearts as pious as the heart of the most pious of my servants, that would not add as much as a gnat’s wing to my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, had all hearts as wretched as the heart of the most wretched of my servants, that would not diminish as much as a gnat’s wing from my dominion; if the first and last of you, the living and the dead among you, those of you who are fresh and those of you who are withered, were gathered in one plain, each one of you asking all he could hope for, and I were to grant the request of each of you who asked, that would cause no more diminution in my dominion than if one of you passed by the sea and, after dipping a needle in it, took it out, that being because I am generous and glorious, doing what I wish. My giving is speech and my punishment is speech. My command to a thing when I want it is just to say to it ‘Be’ and it comes into being.” [cf. Qur’an, xvi, 40; xxxvi, 82.] 3. i.e., young and old. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

That the Prophet (saws) said: "Gold for gold, kind for kind; silver for silver, kind for kind; dried-dates for dried-dates, kind for kind; wheat for wheat, kind for kind; salt for salt, kind for kind; and barley for barley, kind for kind. Whoever increases or seeks an increase, then he dealt with Riba. Sell gold for silver as you wish, hand to hand; and sell wheat for dried-dates as you wish, hand to hand; and sell barley for dried-dates as you wish, hand to hand."

[He said:] There are narrations on this topic from Abu Sa'eed, Abu Hurairah, Bilal, And Anas.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of 'Ubadah bin As-Samit is Hasan Sahih. Some of them reported this Hadith from Khalid, with this chain, and he said: "Sell wheat for barley as you wish, hand to hand."

Some of them reported this Hadith from Khalid, from Abu Qilabah, from Ash'ath, from 'Ubadah from the Prophet (saws). In that Hadith, they added that Khalid said: "Abu Qilabah said: "Sell wheat for barley as you wish, hand to hand."

This Hadith is acted upon according to the people of knowledge, they do not think that one may sell wheat for wheat except when it is the same kind for the same kind, and (the same for) barely in exchange for barley, kind for kind. When the items are themselves different, then there is no harm in one being more than the other if it is hand to hand. This is saying of most of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others. It is the view of Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Ash-Shafi'i said: "And the proof for that is the saying of the Prophet (saws): 'Sell barley for wheat as you wish, hand to hand.'"

[Abu 'Eisa said:] Some of the people of knowledge considered it disliked that wheat be sold for barely unless it was kind for kind. This is the view of Malik bin Anas, but the first view is more correct.

From his father that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'Whoever purchases a date-palm after it has been pollinated then its fruits are for the one who sold it, unless the buyer made it a condition. And whoever purchases slave who has property, then his property is for the one who sold him, unless the buyer made it a condition."

[He said:] There is something on this topic from Jabir. The Hadith of Ibn 'Umar is a Hasan Sahih Hadith. Similarly, it has been reported by more than one route from Az-Zuhri, from Salim, from Ibn 'Umar, that the Prophet (saws) "Whoever purchases a date-palm after it has been pollinated, then its fruits are for seller, unless the buyer made it a condition. And whoever purchases a slave who has property, then his property is for the seller, unless the buyer made it a condition." And it has been reported from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, that the Prophet (saws) said: "Whoever purchases a date-palm that has been pollinated, then its fruits are for the seller, unless the buyer made it a condition."

It has been reported from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, from 'Umar, that he (saws) said: "Whoever sold a slave who has property, his property is for the seller, unless the buyer made it a condition." This is how the two Ahadith were reported by 'Ubaidullah bin 'Umar and others from Nafi'.

Some of them have also reported this Hadith from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, from the Prophet (saws).

'Ikrimah bin Khalid reported similar to the Hadith of Salim, from Ibn 'Umar, from the Prophet (saws).

This Hadith is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge. It is the view of Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and Ishaq.

Muhammad bin Isma'il said: "The Hadith of Az-Zuhri from Salim, from his father, from the Prophet (saws) is the most correct [of what has been reported on this topic]."

Allāhumma bi `ilmika ‘l-ghayb, wa qudratika `ala ‘l-khalq, aḥyinī mā `alimta ‘l-ḥayāta khayran lī, wa tawaffanī idhā `alimta ‘l-wafāta khayran lī, Allāhumma innī as'aluka khash’yataka fil-ghaybi wash-shahādah, wa as'aluka kalimata ‘l-ḥaqqi fir-riḍā wa ‘l-ghaḍab, wa as'aluka ‘l-qaṣda fil-ghinā wa ‘l-faqr, wa as'aluka na`īman lā yanfad, wa as'aluka qurrata `aynin lā tanqati`, wa as'alukar-riḍā ba`dal-qaḍā', wa as'aluka barda ‘l-`ayshi ba`da ‘l-mawt, wa as'aluka ladh-dhatan-naẓari ilā wajhik, wash-shawqa ilā liqā'ik, fī ghayri ḍarrā'a muḍirrah, wa lā fitnatin muḍillah, Allāhumma zayyinnā bi zīnati ‘l-'īmān, waj`alnā hudātan muhtadīn. O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public. I ask you for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger. I ask You for moderation in wealth and in poverty. I ask you for blessings never ceasing and the coolness of my eye (i.e. pleasure) that never ends. I ask You for pleasure after Your Judgment and I ask You for a life of coolness after death. I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Face, and the joy of meeting You, without any harm and misleading trials befalling me. O Allah, dress us with the beauty of Faith and make us guides who are upon (correct) guidance. Reference: An-Nasa'i 3/54, 55, Ahmad 4/364. See also Al-Albani, Sahih An-Nasa'i 1/281.

God’s Messenger taught us the tashahhud in the prayer and in case of some need, saying that the tashahhud in the prayer is, “The adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things belong to God. Peace, and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” The tashahhud in case of some need is, “Praise be to God from whom we ask help and pardon. We seek refuge in God from the evils within ourselves. He whom God guides if has no one who can lead him astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to guide him. I testify that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger." And one should recite three verses: “You who believe, fear God as He should be feared, and die only as Muslims;” (Al-Qur’an 3:102). “You who believe . . . fear God by whom you ask your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs. God has been watching over you;” (Al-Qur’an 4:1 which has ‘O Mankind.’). “You who believe, if you fear God and say what is true He will make your deeds sound and forgive you your sins. He who obeys God and His Messenger has attained a mighty success” (Al-Qur’an 33:70). Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. In Tirmidhi’s Jami' Sufyan ath-Thauri gave a commentary on the three verses. Ibn Majah added “whom we praise” after “praise be to God”, and “from our evil actions” after “from the evils within ourselves.” After “mighty success” Darimi added that one should then express what he needs. In Sharh as-sunna it is transmitted on the authority of Ibn Mas’ud concerning the form of words for some need, whether marriage or something else.

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib reported God’s messenger as saying, “Two angels will come to him, make him sit up, and ask him who his Lord is, to which he will reply that his Lord is God. They will ask him what his religion is, and he will reply that his religion is Islam. They will ask him about this man who was sent on a mission among his people, and he will reply that he is God’s messenger. They will ask him what made him aware of this, and he will reply that he read God’s Book, believed in it, and considered it true, which is verified by God’s words, ‘God establishes those who believe with the word that stands firm¹...’ Then a crier will call from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread a bed for him from paradise, clothe him from paradise, and open a door for him into paradise.’ A door will then be opened for him towards paradise, some of its air and perfume will come to him, and a space will be made for him in it as far as the eye can see.” He also mentioned the death of the infidel, saying, “His spirit will be restored to his body, two angels will come, make him sit up and ask him who his Lord is, to which he will reply, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They will ask him what his religion is, and he will reply, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They will ask him about this man who was sent on a mission among his people, and he will reply, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.' Then a crier will call from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread a bed for him from hell, clothe him from hell, and open a door for him into hell.' Then some of its heat and pestilential wind will come to him, and his grave will become restricted so that his ribs will be pressed together. One who is blind and dumb will then be placed in charge of him, having a sledgehammer such that if a mountain were struck with it it would become dust. He will give him a blow with it and he will utter a shout which will be heard by everything between the east and the west except by men and jinn, and he will become dust. Then his spirit will be restored to him." Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it. ¹ Quran, xiv, 27.

Hamnah said my menstruation was great in quantity and severe. So I came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) for a decision and told him. I found him in the house of my sister, Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh.

I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a woman who menstruates in great quantity and it is severe, so what do you think about it? It has prevented me from praying and fasting.

He said: I suggest that you should use cotton, for it absorbs the blood. She replied: It is too copious for that. He said: Then take a cloth. She replied: It is too copious for that, for my blood keeps flowing. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: I shall give you two commands; whichever of them you follow, that will be sufficient for you without the other, but you know best whether you are strong enough to follow both of them.

He added: This is a stroke of the Devil, so observe your menses for six or seven days, Allah alone knows which it should be; then wash. And when you see that you are purified and quite clean, pray during twenty-three or twenty-four days and nights and fast, for that will be enough for you, and do so every month, just as women menstruate and are purified at the time of their menstruation and their purification.

But if you are strong enough to delay the noon (Zuhr) prayer and advance the afternoon ('Asr) prayer, to wash, and then combine the noon and the afternoon prayer; to delay the sunset prayer and advance the night prayer, to wash, and then combine the two prayers, do so: and to wash at dawn, do so: and fast if you are able to do so if possible.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Of the two commands this is more to my liking.¹

Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit narrated from Ibn 'Aqil: Hamnah said: Of the two commands this is the one which is more to my liking.² In this version these words were not quoted as the statement of the Prophet (saws); it gives it as a statement of Hamnah.

Abu Dawud said: 'Amr b. Thabit was a Rafidi. This has been said by Yahya b. Ma'in.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad (b. Hanbal) say: I am doubtful about the tradition transmitted by Ibn 'Aqil.

God’s Messenger was detained one morning from observing the prayer with us till the sun had almost appeared over the horizon. He then came cut quickly, and when the iqama had been uttered he conducted the prayer in a shortened form; then when he had given the salutation he called out to us saying, “Keep to your rows as you were.” Then turning to us he said, “I shall tell you what detained me from you this morning. I got up during the night, performed ablution, and prayed what I could; but during my prayer I dozed and was overcome, and there and then I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. He addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Thy service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ and I replied that I did not know. He asked it three times. Then I saw Him put the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades, so that I experienced the coolness of His fingers between my nipples so everything became clear to me and I attained knowledge. He then addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Thy service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ I replied, ‘Expiation.’ He asked what they were, and I replied, ‘Walking on foot to the congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after the prayers are over, and performing complete ablution in difficult circumstances. He asked what next they disputed about, and when I said it was about degrees, He asked what they were and I replied, ‘Providing food, speaking gently, and praying at night when people are asleep.’ He then told me to make a request, and I said, ‘O God, I ask Thee for power to do good things and abandon objectionable things, for love towards the poor, that Thou shouldest forgive me and show mercy to me, and that when Thou intendest to test any people Thou wilt take me to Thyself without being led astray. And I ask for Thy love, the love of those who love Thee, and a love of doing things which will bring me near to Thy love.’” Then God’s Messenger said, “It is true, so study it and learn it.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said, “This is a hasan sahih tradition. I asked Muhammad b. Isma'il (Al-Bukhari) about this tradition, and he said it is a sahih tradition.”

Hittan ibn Abdullah ar-Ruqashi said: AbuMusa al-Ash'ari led us in prayer.

When he sat at the end of his prayer, one of the people said: Prayer has been established by virtue and purity.

When AbuMusa returned (from his prayer or finished his prayer), he gave his attention to the people, and said: Which of you is the speaker of such and such words? The people remained silent. Which of you is the speaker of such and such words? The people remained silent. He said: You might have said them, Hittan. He replied: I did not say them. I was afraid you might punish me. One of the people said: I said them and I did not intend by them (anything) except good.

AbuMusa said: Do you not know how you utter (them) in your prayer? The Messenger of Allah (saws) addressed us, and taught us and explained to us our way of doing and taught us our prayer.

He said: When you pray a (congregational) prayer, straighten your rows, then one of you should lead you in prayer. When he says the takbir (Allah is Most Great), say the takbir, and when he recites verses "Not of those upon whom is Thy anger, nor of those who err" (i.e. the end of Surah i.), say Amin; Allah will favour you. When he says "Allah is most great," and bows, say "Allah is most great" and bow, for the imam will bow before you, and will raise (his head) before you.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: This is for that. When he says "Allah listens to the one who praises Him," say: "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be praise, Allah be praised," Allah will listen to you, for Allah, the Exalted, said by the tongue of His Prophet (saws): "Allah listens to the one who praises Him." When he says "Allah is most great" and prostrates, say: "Allah is most great" and prostrate, for the imam prostrates before you and raises his head before you.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: This is for that. When he sits, each one of you should say "The adorations of the tongue, all good things, and acts of worship are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah's upright servants. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle."

This version of Ahmad does not mention the words "and His blessings" nor the phrase "and I testify"; instead, it has the words "that Muhammad."

He told that while God's prophet and his companions were sitting clouds came over them and God's prophet asked, "Do you know what these are?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "These are the clouds (`anan), these are the water-carriers of the earth which God drives to people who do not thank Him or call upon Him." He then asked, "Do you know what is above you?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "It is the firmament, a ceiling which is guarded and waves which are kept back." He then asked, "Do you know what is between you and it?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "Between you and it are five hundred years." He then asked, "Do you knew what is above that?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "Two heavens with a distance of five hundred years between them." He went on speaking like that till he counted seven heavens, the distance between each pair being like that between the heaven and the earth. He then asked, "Do you know what is above that?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "Above that is the Throne, and the distance between it and the [seventh] heaven is the same as that between each pair of heavens." He then asked, "Do you know what is below you?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "It is the earth." He then asked, "Do you know what is under that?" On their replying that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "Under it there is another earth with a journey of five hundred years between them," and so on till he had counted seven earths with a journey of five hundred years between each pair. He then said, "By Him in whose hand Muhammad's soul is, if you were to drop a rope[1] to the lowest earth it would not pass out of God's knowledge[2]." He then recited, "He is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward, and He is omniscient[3]." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying[4] that God's messenger's recitation of the verse indicates that it would go down within God's knowledge, power and authority, for God's knowledge, power and authority are everywhere, while He is on the Throne, as He described Himself in His Book[5]. This is the reading in the text on the margin of Mirqat. In Tirmidhi, in his book on Tafsir al Quran, the tradition occurs in his section on sura 57 (al-hadid), the reading being "if you were to drop a man with a rope..." Literally, "it would fall upon God." Quran, 57:3. Tirmidhi says in the passage cited above, "some of the learned have expounded this tradition..." Cf. Quran; 7:54; 10:3, etc.

We went out with the Prophet to the funeral of a man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so God’s messenger sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the grave saying it twice or thrice. He then said, “When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, 'Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from God.' It then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, “Who is this good soul?' to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the best of his names by which people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven till he is brought to the seventh heaven, and God who is great and glorious says, ‘Record the book of my servant in ‘Illiyun (Cf. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 18) and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.' His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘My Lord is God.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is God’s messenger.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, ‘I have read God’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets from paradise for him, clothe him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of its joy and fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.' He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my people and my property.’ But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from God.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body, and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it there comes forth a stench like the most offensive stench of a corpse found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the worst names he was called in the world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (God’s messenger then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.)(Qur'an, vii, 40) God who is great and glorious then says, ‘Record his book in Sijjin (Cf. Qur’an, Ixxxiii, 7 ff) in the lowest earth,’ and his soul is thrown down. (He then recited, ‘He who assigns partners to God is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.')(Qur’an, xxii, 31). His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’. He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it, and a man with an ugly, face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?' He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’ ” In a version there is something similar containing an addition: “When his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven are opened for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the infidel’s, is pulled out along with the veins and every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of heaven are locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may not be taken up beyond them. Ahmad transmitted it.