I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Marry my sister, the daughter of Abu Sufyan." He said, "Do you like that?" I said, "Yes, for even now I am not your only wife; and the most beloved person to share the good with me is my sister." The Prophet said, "But that is not lawful for me (i.e., to be married to two sisters at a time.)" I said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, we have heard that you want to marry Durra, the daughter of Abu Salama." He said, "You mean the daughter of Um Salama?" I said, "Yes." He said, "By Allah ! Even if she were not my stepdaughter, she would not be lawful for me to marry, for she is my foster niece, for Thuwaiba has suckled me and Abu Salama; so you should neither present your daughters, nor your sisters to me."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Amir ibn Sad ibn Abi Waqqas that his father said, "There were two brothers, one of whom died forty nights before the other. The merit of the first was being mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, 'Wasn't the other one a muslim?' They said, 'Of course, Messenger of Allah, and there was no harm in him.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What will make you realise what his prayer has brought him. The prayer is like a deep river of sweet water running by your door into which you plunge five times a day. How much of your dirtiness do you think that will leave? You do not realise what his prayer has brought him.' "

The people (of the Pre-Islamic Period) used to think that to perform `Umra during the months of Hajj was one of the major sins on earth. And also used to consider the month of Safar as a forbidden (i.e. sacred) month and they used to say, "When the wounds of the camel's back heal up (after they return from Hajj) and the signs of those wounds vanish and the month of Safar passes away then (at that time) `Umra is permissible for the one who wishes to perform it." In the morning of the 4th of Dhul- Hijja, the Prophet and his companions reached Mecca, assuming Ihram for Hajj and he ordered his companions to make their intentions of the Ihram for `Umra only (instead of Hajj) so they considered his order as something great and were puzzled, and said, "O Allah's Apostle! What kind (of finishing) of Ihram is allowed?" The Prophet replied, "Finish the Ihram completely like a non-Muhrim (you are allowed everything)."

Ibn `Umar used to do Rami of the Jamrat-ud-Dunya (the Jamra near to the Khaif mosque) with seven small stones and used to recite Takbir on throwing every pebble. He then would go ahead till he reached the level ground where he would stand facing the Qibla for a long time to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands (while invoking). Then he would do Rami of the Jamrat-ul-Wusta (middle Jamra) and then he would go to the left towards the middle ground, where he would stand facing the Qibla. He would remain standing there for a long period to invoke (Allah) while raising his hands, and would stand there for a long period. Then he would do Rami of the Jamrat-ul-Aqaba from the middle of the valley, but he would not stay by it, and then he would leave and say, "I saw the Prophet doing like this."

Jarir said to me, The Prophet said to me, "Won't you relieve me from Dhu-l-Khalasa?" And that was a house (in Yemem belonging to the tribe of) Khatham called Al-Ka`ba Al Yamaniya. I proceeded with one-hundred and-fifty cavalry from Ahmas (tribe) who were horse riders. I used not to sit firm on horses, so the Prophet stroke me over my chest till I saw the mark of his fingers over my chest, and then he said, 'O Allah! Make him (i.e. Jarir) firm and one who guides others and is guided on the right path." So Jarir proceeded to it dismantled and burnt it, and then sent a messenger to Allah's Apostle. The messenger of Jarir said (to the Prophet), "By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I did not leave that place till it was like a scabby camel." The Prophet blessed the horses of Ahmas and their men five times.

Women who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart, three monthly courses; and then said: And for such of your women as despair of menstruation, if ye doubt, their period (of waiting) shall be three months. This was abrogated from the former verse. Again he said: (O ye who believe, if ye wed believing women) and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon."

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying, The people will be assembled in three categories. Those desirous (of Paradise), fearing (Hell), coming two upon the came], three upon the camel, four upon the camel, ten upon the camel and the rest will be assembled, Hell-Fire being with them when they are at midday where they would spend the night and where they would spend the morning and where they would spend the evening.

Abu Dawud said: This explanation is from the words of Qatadah.

Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet) said, "On Friday there is a particular time. If a Muslim happens to be praying and invoking Allah for something good during that time, Allah will surely fulfill his request." The Prophet pointed out with his hand. We thought that he wanted to illustrate how short that time was.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) never found fault with food (served to him). If he liked anything, he ate it and if he did not like it he left it.

The Prophet (saws) said: Hospitality extend for three days, and what goes beyond that is sadaqah (charity).

The family of Muhammad did not eat their fill for three successive days till he died.

Allah's Apostle cut off the hand of a thief for stealing a shield that was worth three Dirhams.

The Prophet cut off the hand of a thief for stealing a shield that was worth three Dirhams.

Allah's Apostle was shrouded in three pieces of cloth and neither a shirt nor a turban were used.

Whenever the Prophet conquered some people, he would stay in their town for three days.

Sulaiman bin Buraidah reported on the authority of his father. When the Apostle of Allaah(saws) appointed a Commander over an Army or a detachment, he instructed him to fear Allaah himself and consider the welfare of the Muslims who were with him. He then said “When you meet the polytheists who are your enemy, summon them tone of three things and accept whichever of them they are willing to agree to, and refrain from them. Summon them to Islam and if they agree, accept it from them and refrain from them. Then summon them to leave their territory and transfer to the abode of the Emigrants and tell them that if they do so, they will have the same rights and responsibilities as the Emigrants, but if they refuse and choose their own abode, tell them that they will be like the desert Arabs who are Muslims subject to Allaah’s jurisdiction which applies to the believers, but will have no spoil or booty unless they strive with the Muslims. If they refuse demand jizyah (poll tax) from them, if they agree accept it from them and refrain from them. But if they refuse, seek Alaah’s help and fight with them. When you invade the fortress and they (its people) offer to capitulate and have the matter referred to Allaah’s jurisdiction, do not grant this, for you do not know whether or not you will hit on Allaah’s jurisdiction regarding them. But let them capitulate and have the matter refereed to your jurisdiction and make a decision about them later on as you wish.

Sufyan (bin ‘Uyainah) said thah ‘Alqamah said “I mentioned this tradition to Muqatil bin Habban, He said “Muslim narrated it to me.” Abu Dawud said “He is Ibn Haidam narrated from Al Nu’man in Muqqarin from the Prophet (saws) like the tradition of Sulaiman bin Buraidah.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that one time Abdullah ibn Umar fainted and lost his senses and he did not make up the prayer.

Malik commented, "We consider that that was because, and Allah knows best, the time had passed. Someone who recovers within the time has to pray."

Yahya related to me from Malik thatYahya ibn Said used to say, "Even if someone manages to pray before the time of the prayer has passed, the time that has passed him by is more important, or better, than his family and wealth."

Yahya said that Malik said, "If the time for a prayer comes and a traveller delays a prayer through neglect or forgetfulness until he reaches his family, he should do that prayer in full if he arrives within the time. But if he arrives when the time has past, he should do the travelling prayer. That way he only repays what he owes."

Malik said, "This is what I have found the people and men of knowledge doing in our community." Malik explained that shafaq was the redness in the sky after the sun had set, and said, "When the redness has gone then the isha prayer is due and you have left the time of maghrib."

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) sat on his camel to go out on a journey, he said: "Allah is Most Great" three times. Then he said: "Glory be to Him Who has made subservient to us, for we had not the strength for it, and to our Lord do we return. O Allah, we ask Thee in this journey of ours, uprightness, piety and such deeds as are pleasing to Thee. O Allah, make easy for us this journey of ours and make its length short for us. O Allah, Thou art the Companion in the journey, and the One Who looks after the family and property in our absence." When he returned, he said these words adding: "Returning, repentant, serving and praising our Lord." The Prophet (saws) and his armies said: "Allah is Most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when armies said: "Allah is most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when they descended, they said: "Glory be to Allah." So the prayer was patterned on that.

The Prophet appointed a man from the tribe of Bani Asad, called Ibn Al-Utabiyya to collect the Zakat. When he returned (with the money) he said (to the Prophet), "This is for you and this has been given to me as a gift." The Prophet stood up on the pulpit (Sufyan said he ascended the pulpit), and after glorifying and praising Allah, he said, "What is wrong with the employee whom we send (to collect Zakat from the public) that he returns to say, 'This is for you and that is for me?' Why didn't he stay at his father's and mother's house to see whether he will be given gifts or not? By Him in Whose Hand my life is, whoever takes anything illegally will bring it on the Day of Resurrection by carrying it over his neck: if it is a camel, it will be grunting: if it is a cow, it will be mooing: and if it is a sheep it will be bleating!" The Prophet then raised both his hands till we saw the whiteness of his armpits (and he said), "No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's Message?" And he repeated it three times.

Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty."

He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me."

He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted.

`Ali bin Abu Talib came out of the house of Allah's Apostle during his fatal illness. The people asked, "O Abu Hasan (i.e. `Ali)! How is the health of Allah's Apostle this morning?" `Ali replied, "He has recovered with the Grace of Allah." `Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib held him by the hand and said to him, "In three days you, by Allah, will be ruled (by somebody else ), And by Allah, I feel that Allah's Apostle will die from this ailment of his, for I know how the faces of the offspring of `Abdul Muttalib look at the time of their death. So let us go to Allah's Apostle and ask him who will take over the Caliphate. If it is given to us we will know as to it, and if it is given to somebody else, we will inform him so that he may tell the new ruler to take care of us." `Ali said, "By Allah, if we asked Allah's Apostle for it (i.e. the Caliphate) and he denied it us, the people will never give it to us after that. And by Allah, I will not ask Allah's Apostle for it."

I enjoyed the company of Allah's Apostle for three years, and during the other years of my life, never was I so anxious to understand the (Prophet's) traditions as I was during those three years. I heard him saying, beckoning with his hand in this way, "Before the Hour you will fight with people who will have hairy shoes and live in Al-Bazir." (Sufyan, the sub-narrator once said, "And they are the people of Al-Bazir.")

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Said ibn al- Musayyab said, "The idda of the woman who bleeds constantly is a year."

Malik said, "What is done among us about a divorced woman whose periods stop when her husband divorces her is that she waits nine months. If she has not had a period in them, she has an idda of three months. If she has a period before the end of the three months, she accepts the period. If another nine months pass without her having a period, she does an idda of three months. If she has a second period before the end of those three months, she accepts the period. If nine months then pass without a period, she does an idda of three months. If she has a third period, the idda of the period is complete. If she does not have a period, she waits three months, and then she is free to marry. Her husband can return to her before she becomes free to marry unless he made her divorce irrevocable."

Malik said, "The sunna with us is that when a man divorces his wife and has the option to return to her, and she does part of her idda and then he returns to her and then parts from her before he has had intercourse with her, she does not add to what has passed of her idda. Her husband has wronged himself and erred if he returned to her and had no need of her."

Malik said, "What is done among us is that if a woman becomes a muslim while her husband is a kafir and then he becomes muslim, he is entitled to her as long as she is in her idda. If her idda is finished, he has no access to her. If he remarries her after the end of her idda, however, that is not counted as divorce. Islam removed her from him without divorce."

The Prophet (saws) said: When three are on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their commander.

The Prophet said, "A woman should not travel for more than three days except with a Dhi-Mahram."

I heard the Prophet saying. "Evil omen is in three things: The horse, the woman and the house."

The Prophet said, "Time has come back to its original state which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth, the year is twelve months, of which four are sacred; (and out of these four) three are in succession, namely, Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, and (the fourth one) Rajab Mudar which is between Jumad (Ath-Tham) and Sha'ban." The Prophet then asked us, "Which month is this?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know (it) better." He kept quiet so long that we thought he might call it by another name. Then he said, "Isn't it Dhul-Hijja?" We said, "Yes." He asked "What town is this?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know (it) better.' Then he kept quiet so long that we thought he might call it by another name. He then said, "Isn't it the (forbidden) town (Mecca)?" We said, "Yes." He asked, "What is the day today?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know (it) better. Then he kept quiet so long that we thought that he might call it by another name. Then he said, "Isn't it the Day of An-Nahr (slaughtering of sacrifices)?" We said, "Yes." Then he said, "Your blood (lives), your properties," (the sub narrator Muhammad, said: I think he also said): "..and your honor) are as sacred to one another like the sanctity of this Day of yours, in this town of yours, in this month of yours. You shall meet your Lord and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Don't go astray after me by striking the necks of one another. Lo! It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform it to those who are absent for perhaps the informed one might comprehend it (understand it) better than some of the present audience." Whenever the sub-narrator Muhammad mentioned that statement, he would say, "The Prophet said the truth.") And then the Prophet added, "No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's Message to you! No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's Message to you?"

The Prophet said, "Time has taken its original shape which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. The year is of twelve months, four of which are sacred, and out of these (four) three are in succession, i.e. Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijja and Al-Muharram, and the fourth is Rajab which is named after the Mudar tribe, between (the month of) Jumaida (ath-thania) and Sha'ban." Then the Prophet asked, "Which is this month?" We said, "Allah and His Apostle know better." On that the Prophet kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then the Prophet said, "Isn't it the month of Dhul-Hijja?" We replied, "Yes." Then he said, "Which town is this?" "We replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." On that he kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then he said, "Isn't it the town of Mecca?" We replied, "Yes, " Then he said, "Which day is today?" We replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He kept quiet so long that we thought that he might name it with another name. Then he said, "Isn't it the day of An- Nahr (i.e. sacrifice)?" We replied, "Yes." He said, "So your blood, your properties, (The sub-narrator Muhammad said, 'I think the Prophet also said: And your honor..) are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this city of yours, in this month of yours; and surely, you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not become infidels after me, cutting the throats of one another. It is incumbent on those who are present to convey this message (of mine) to those who are absent. May be that some of those to whom it will be conveyed will understand it better than those who have actually heard it." (The sub-narrator, Muhammad, on remembering that narration, used to say, "Muhammad spoke the truth!") He (i.e. Prophet) then added twice, "No doubt! Haven't I conveyed (Allah's Message) to you?"

Umar ibn al-Khattab named a bukhti camel for sacrifice (at hajj). He was offered three hundred dinars for it (as its price). He came to the Prophet (saws) and said: Messenger of Allah, I named a bukhti camel for sacrifice and I was offered for it three hundred dinars. May I sell it and purchase another one for its price? No, sacrifice it.

Abu Dawud said: This was due to the fact that 'Umar had made an incision in hump.