Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "I swear by Allah for three (qualities) which I am going to tell you about. Remember them well:

(1) The wealth of a man will not diminish by Sadaqah (charity).

(2) Allah augments the honour of a man who endures an oppression patiently.

(3) He who opens a gate of begging, Allah opens a gate of poverty (or he said a word similar to it)."

He (PBUH) also said, "Remember well what I am going to tell you: The world is for four kinds of people. (1) One upon whom Allah has bestowed wealth and knowledge and so he fears his Rubb in respect to them, joins the ties of blood relationship and acknowledges the Rights of Allah on him (and fulfills them); this type will have the best position (in Jannah). (2) One upon whom Allah has conferred knowledge but no wealth, and he is sincere in his intention and says: 'Had I possessed wealth, I would have acted like so-and-so.' If that is his intention, his reward is the same as that of the other. (3) One whom Allah has given wealth but no knowledge and he squanders his wealth ignorantly, does not fear Allah in respect to it, does not discharge the obligations of kinship and does not acknowledge the Rights of Allah. Such a person will be in the worst position (in the Hereafter). (4) One upon whom Allah has bestowed neither wealth nor knowledge and he says: 'Had I possessed wealth, I would have acted like so-and-so (i.e., he would squander his wealth).' If this is his intention, both will have equal sin."

[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan Sahih].

When Abu Bakr was mentioned in `Umar's presence he wept and said, "I wish all my good deeds could compare with what he did on a certain day and a certain night. The night was the one on which he went with God's messenger to the cave and said when they reached it, `I swear by God that you will not enter it before I have first done so, for if there is anything in it I shall be smitten by it and not you.' He then entered and swept it and found some holes in the side of it, so he tore up his lower-garment and stopped them with it; but as two were still left he thrust his feet into them[*] and told God's messenger to enter. When he had done so the Prophet laid his head on his lap and went to sleep. Abu Bakr's foot in one of the holes received a sting, but he did not move for fear God's messenger might awake. His tears, however, fell on God's messenger's face, and he asked him what was the matter with him. He replied, `O you for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, I have been stung.' God's messenger then spat and the pain left him, but the effect of the poison later returned and was the cause of his death. The day was when God's messenger died and the Arabs apostatised and refused to pay zakat. He said, `If they were to refuse me a tether, I would strive with them over it.' I said, `Successor of God's messenger, be affable and gentle to the people,' but he replied, `Have you who were a powerful man in the pre-Islamic period become weak in the Islamic period? The revelation has ceased and the religion has been perfected. Is it to diminish while I am alive?'" *Literally gave his feet as mouthfuls. Razin transmitted it.

"It is the believers who are successful: those who are humble in their prayer; those who turn away from worthless talk; those who actively pay zakat; those who guard their private parts." (23:1-5)' She said, 'That was the character of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'"

“You are going to a people who are People of the Scripture. Invite them to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that l am His Messenger. If they obey you in this, then teach them that Allah, the Glorious One, has enjoined five prayers upon them in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you in this, then tell them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay Zakah upon their assets and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor among them.” Related by Al-Bukhari

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Purity is half of iman (faith). ‘Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)’ fills the scales, and ‘subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) and ‘Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the salah (prayer) is a light, and charity is a proof, and patience is illumination, and the Qur’an is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.” [Muslim]

Yahya said that Malik said, "The person who puts up the principal must not stipulate that he has something of the profit alone without the agent sharing in it, nor must the agent stipulate that he has something of the profit alone without the investor sharing. In qirad, there is no sale, no rent, no work, no advance, and no convenience which one party specifies to himself without the other party sharing unless one party allows it to the other unconditionally as a favour and that is alright to both. Neither of the parties should make a condition over the other which increases him in gold or silver or food over the other party."

He said, "If any of that enters the qirad, it becomes hire, and hire is only good with known and fixed terms. The agent should not stipulate when he takes the principal that he repay or commission anyone with the goods, nor that he take any of them for himself. When there is a profit, and it is time to separate the capital, then they divide the profit according to the terms of the contract. If the principal does not increase or there is a loss, the agent does not have to make up for what he spent on himself or for the loss. That falls to the investor from the principal. Qirad is permitted upon whatever terms the investor and the agent make a mutual agreement, of half the profit, or a third or a fourth or whatever."

Malik said, "It is not permitted for the agent to stipulate that he use the qirad money for a certain number of years and that it not be taken from him during that time."

He said, "It is not good for the investor to stipulate that the qirad money should not be returned for a certain number of years which are specified, because the qirad is not for a term. The investor loans it to an agent to use for him. If it seems proper to either of them to abandon the project and the money is coin, and nothing has been bought with it, it can be abandoned, and the investor takes his money back. If it seems proper to the investor to take the qirad loan back after goods have been purchased with it, he cannot do so until the buyer has sold the goods and they have become money. If it seems proper to the agent to return the loan, and it has been turned to goods he cannot do so until he has sold them. He returns the loan in cash as he took it."

Malik said, "It is not good for the investor to stipulate that the agent pay any zakat due from his portion of the profit in particular, because the investor by stipulating that, stipulates fixed increase for himself from the profit because the portion of zakat he would be liable for by his portion of the profit, is removed from him.

"It is not permitted for the investor to stipulate to the agent to only buy from so-and-so, referring to a specific man. That is not permitted because by doing so he would become his hireling for a wage."

Malik spoke about an investor in qirad who stipulated a guarantee for an amount of money from the agent, "The investor is not permitted to stipulate conditions about his principal other than the conditions on which qirad is based or according to the precedent of the sunna of the Muslims. If the principal is increased by the condition of guarantee, the investor has increased his share of the profit because of the position of the guarantee. But the profit is only to be divided according to what it would have been had the loan been given without the guarantee. If the principal is destroyed, I do not think that the agent has a guarantee held against him because the stipulation of guarantees in qirad is null and void."

Malik spoke about an investor who gave qirad money to a man and the man stipulated that he would only buy palms or animals with it because he sought to eat the dates or the offspring of the animals and he kept them for some time to use for himself. He said, "That is not permitted. It is not the sunna of the Muslims in qirad unless he buys it and then sells it as other goods are sold."

Malik said, "There is no harm in the agent stipulating on the investor a slave to help him provided that the slave stands to gain along with him out of the investment, and when the slave only helps him with the investment, not with anything else."

“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (saw) on the Farewell Pilgrimage, close to the time of the crescent of Dhul-Hijjah. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘Whoever among you wants to begin the Talbiyah for ‘Umrah, let him do so. If it were not for the fact that I have brought a sacrificial animal with me, I would have began the Talbiyah for ‘Umrah.’” She said: “Some of the people began the Talbiyah for ‘Umrah, and some began the Talbiyah for Hajj. I was one of those who began the Talbiyah for ‘Umrah.” She said: “We set out until we reached Makkah, then the Day of ‘Arafah came while I was in menses, but I did not exit Ihram for ‘Umrah I complained about that to the Prophet (saw) and he said: ‘Leave your ‘Umrah, undo your hair and comb it, and begin the Talbiyah for Hajj.’” She said: “So I did that, then on the night of Hasbah (i.e., the twelfth night of Dhul-Hijjah), when Allah had enables us to complete our Hajj, he sent ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr with me. He seated me behind him and went out to Tan’im, then I began the Talbiyah for ‘Umrah and Allah enabled us to complete our Hajj and ‘Umrah, and there was no sacrificial animal, charity nor fasting.”

"We used to hope that an intelligent Bedouin would show up to question the Prophet while we were with him. So one while we were with him, a Bedouin came, kneeling in front of the Prophet, and he said: 'O Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you say that Allah sent you.' So the Prophet say: 'Yes.' He said, 'So, (swear) by the One who raised the heaves, and spread out the earth, and erected the mountains; has Allah sent you?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger told us that you say that there are five prayers required from us in a day and a night.' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered that you you?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that you say that we are required to fast for a month out of the year.' He said, 'He told the truth.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered that you?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that Zakat is required from our wealth.' The Prophet said, 'He told the truth.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah ordered you that?' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Your messenger told us that you say that we are required to perform Hajj to Allah's House if able to undertake the journey.' The Prophet said, 'Yes.' He said, 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah Commanded you that?' (The Prophet said:) 'Yes.' So he said: 'By the One Who sent you with the Truth, I will not leave any of them, nor surpass them.' Then he got up quickly (leaving). The Prophet said: 'If the Bedouin told the truth, then he will enter Paradise.'"

'Ali ibn Talib reported that when the illness of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, deepened, he said, "'Ali! Bring me a page on which I can write something for my community after which they will not go astray." 'Ali said, "I feared that he would die before I could do that, so I said, 'I will remember better than the paper.' His head was between my forearm and my leg. He recommended the prayer, zakat and kind treatment of slaves. he spoke like that until he died." He commanded him to testify, "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. Anyone who testifies to that is saved from the Fire."

One day when we were with God's messenger, a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognised him. Sitting down beside the Prophet, leaning his knees against his, and placing his hands on his thighs, he said, “Tell me, Muhammad, about Islam." He replied, “Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger, that you should observe the prayer, pay the zakat, fast during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you have the means to go." He said, “You have spoken the truth." We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he spoke the truth. He said, “Now tell me about faith.” He replied, “It means that you should believe in God, His angels, His books, His apostles, and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and evil." Remarking that he had spoken the truth, he then said, “Now tell me about doing good." He replied, “It means that you should worship God as though you saw Him, for He sees you though you do not see Him." He said, “Now tell me about the Hour." He replied, “The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking." He said, “Then tell me about its signs." He replied, “That a maid-servant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings." [‘Umar] said: He then went away, and after I had waited for a long time [the Prophet] said to me, “Do you know who the questioner was, ‘Umar?" I replied, “God and His messenger know best." He said, “He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion." Muslim transmitted it.

"One day the Prophet (SAW) appeared among the people. A man came to him and said: 'O messenger of Allah, what is Iman (faith)?' He said: 'To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers and the meeting with, and to believe in the Final Resurrection.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam?' He said: 'To worship Allah (alone) and not to associate anything with Him; to establish the prescribed prayers, to pay the obligatory Zakat, and to fast Ramadan.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is Ihsan? He said: 'To worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you do not see Him, He sees you.' He said: "O Messenger of Allah, when will the Hour be?' He said: 'The one who is being asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. But I will tell you about its signs. When the slave woman gives birth to her mistress that is one of its signs. When the shepherds compete in constructing tall buildings that is one of its signs. And there are five things which no one knows except Allah.' Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) recited the Verse: "Verily, Allah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things)."

Bahz bin Hakam narrated on the authority of his father, who reported on the authority of his grandfather (RAA) that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “For every forty camels, one ‘bint labun’ (a young female camel which is two years old and already starting the third year), is due as Zakah. No camel is to be separated from the rest of the camels (i.e. the jointly owned live stock as mentioned above). Whoever gives it willingly, seeking his reward from Allah, will be rewarded. (However) if someone refrains from paying it, it will be taken from him (by force) along with part of his property (as punishment), for it is a right of Allah. None of it is lawful for the family of Muhammad (saws)." Related by Ahmad, An-Nasa’i, Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim rendered it Sahih. And Ash-Shafi'ee conditioned ruling by it depending on its authenticity.

Once we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when there appeared a man dressed in very white clothes and having extraordinary black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet (PBUH) leaning his knees against the knees of the Prophet (PBUH) and placing both of his palms over his two thighs and said, "O Muhammad (PBUH)! Tell me about Islam". He (PBUH) replied, "Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe Salat (prayers), pay Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) of Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) of the House, provided you have resources of making journey to it." He replied: "You have spoken the truth." We were surprised to see that he had asked him and confirmed the correctness of the answers. He then enquired: "Tell me about Iman." He (PBUH) said: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in preordainment (destiny), its bad and good consequences." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He then enquired: "Tell me about Ihsan." He (PBUH) said, "It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and although you do not see Him, He sees you." He enquired: "Inform me about the Hour (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)." He (PBUH) replied, "I have no more knowledge thereof than you". He said, "Inform me about some of its signs." He (PBUH) said, "They are - that a bondswoman gives birth to her own master, and that you will find the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing one another in the construction of higher buildings." Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while then he said to me, "O 'Umar! Do you know who the questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He was Jibril (Gabriel); he came to you to teach you your religion."

[Muslim]

The first to speak on Divine decree in al-Basrah was Ma`bad al Juhani. I and Humaid b. `Abd al-Rahman al-Himyari proceeded to perform Hajj or `Umrah. We said : would that we meet any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) so that we could ask him about what they say with regard to divine decree. So Allah helped us to meet `Abd Allah b. `Umar who was entering the mosque. So I and my companion surrounded him, and I thought that my companion would entrust me the task of speaking to him. Then I said : Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, there appeared on our side some people who recite the Qur'an and are engaged in the hair-splitting of knowledge. They conceive that there is no Divine decree and everything happens freely without predestination. He said : When you meet those people, tell them that I am free from them, and they are free from me. By Him by Whom swears ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar, if one of them has gold equivalent to Uhud and he spends it, Allah will not accept it from him until he believes in Divine decree. He then said : ‘Umar b. Khattab transmitted to me a tradition, saying : One day when we were with the Messenger of Allah (saws) a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and we did not recognize him. Sitting down beside the Messenger of Allah (saws), leaning his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs, he said : tell me, Muhammad, about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said : Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle, that you should observe prayer, pay Zakat, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the house (i.e., Ka`bah), If you have the means to go. He said : You have spoken the truth. We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he spoke the truth. He said : Now tell me about faith. He replied : It means that you should believe in Allah, his angels, his Books, his Apostles and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of good and evil. He said : You have spoken the truth. He said : now tell me about doing good (ihsan). He replied: It means that you should worship Allah as though you are seeing him; if you are not seeing him, he is seeing you. He said: Now tell me about the hour. He replied : The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the one who is asking. He said : Then tell me about its signs. He replied : That a maidservant should beget her mistress, and that you should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in buildings. ‘Umar said : He then went away, and I waited for three days, then he said : Do you know who the questioner was, `Umar? I replied : Allah and his Apostle know best. He said : He was Gabriel who came to you to teach you your religion.

`Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) sent for me, and whilst I was like that, his freed slave Yarfa` came and said: ‘Uthman, `Abdur-Rahman, Sa’d and az-Zubair bin al-`Awwam are here - (the narrator) said: I do not know whether he mentioned Talhah or not - and they are asking for permission to enter upon you. He said: Let them in. Then after a while, (Yarfa`) came and said: al-`Abbas and ‘Ali are asking permission to enter upon you. He said: Let them in. When al`Abbas came in, he said: O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, judge between me and this one. They had a dispute at that time concerning the fai’ (booty) that Allah had granted to His Messenger of the wealth of Banun-Nadeer, The people said: Judge between them, O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, and relieve each one of his opponent, for their dispute has gone on too long. ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: I adjure you by Allah, by Whose Leave heaven and earth exist, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “We are not to be inherited from; what we leave behind is charity`? They said: He did say that. He said: I shall tell you about that fai`; Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, gave something exclusively to His Prophet (ﷺ) that He did not give to anyone else. And he quoted the verse: `And what Allah gave as booty (Fai’) to His Messenger (Muhammad (ﷺ)) from them - for this you made no expedition with either cavalry or camelry` [al Hashr 59:6]. He said: `This was exclusively for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and by Allah, he did not keep it to himself in exclusion of you and he did not prefer himself over you with regard to it. Rather he gave it to you and divided it among you until there was nothing left of it except this property. He spent on his family`s needs from this property for one year, then he took what was left and regarded it as the property of Allah. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away, Abu Bakr said: `I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I shall deal with it as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dealt with it.

When it was revealed to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your own selves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it," the Companions of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) felt it hard and severe and they came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and sat down on their knees and said: "O Messenger of Allah, we were assigned some duties which were within our power to perform, such as Salat (prayer), Saum (fasting), Jihad (striving in the Cause of Allah), Sadaqah (charity). Then this (the above mentioned) Verse was revealed to you and it is beyond our power to live up to it." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Do you want to say what the people of two Books (Jews and Christians) said before you: 'We hear and disobey?' You should rather say: 'We hear and we obey, we seek forgiveness, our Rubb and unto You is the return."' And they said: "We hear and we obey, (we seek) Your forgiveness, our Rubb! And unto You is the return." When the people recited it and it smoothly flowed on their tongues, then Allah revealed immediately afterwards: "The Messenger (Muhammad (PBUH)) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Rubb, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), 'We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers' - and they say, 'We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Rubb, and to You is the return (of all)". When they did that, Allah abrogated this (Ayah) and Allah the Great revealed: "Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned." (The Prophet (PBUH) said): "Yes. 'Our Rubb! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians)". (The Prophet (PBUH) said): "Yes. 'Our Rubb! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear". (The Prophet (PBUH) said): "Yes. 'Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula (Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people".

He (the Prophet (PBUH)) said: "Yes".

[Muslim].

“While we were sitting in the mosque, a man entered riding a camel; he made it kneel in the mosque, then he hobbled it and said to them: ‘Which of you is Muhammad?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) was reclining among them, so they said: ‘This fair- skinned man who is reclining.’ The man said to him: ‘O son of ‘Abdul- Muttalib!’ The Prophet (saw) said: ‘I am listening to you.’ The man said: O Muhammad! I am asking you and will be stern in asking, so do not bear any ill-feelings towards me.’ He said: ‘Ask whatever you think.’ The man said: ‘I adjure you by your Lord and the Lord of those who came before you, has Allah sent you to all of mankind?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘By Allah, yes.; He said: ‘I adjure you by Allah, has Allah commanded you to pray the five prayers each day and night?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ He said: ‘I adjure you by Allah, has Allah commanded you to fast this month of each year?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ He said: ‘I adjure you by Allah, has Allah commanded you to take this charity from our rich and distribute it among our poor?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘By Allah, yes.’ The man said: ‘I believe in what you have brought, and I am the envoy of my people who are behind me. I am Dimam bin Tha’labah, the brother of Banu Sa’d bin Bakr.’”

Allah’s Messenger ﷺ ordered me to guard the Zakat revenue of Ramaḍān. Then somebody came to me and started stealing from the provisions. I caught him and said, "I will take you to Allah’s Messenger!" Then Abu Hurayrah described the whole incident and said: That person said (to me), "Please don’t take me to Allah’s Messenger and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit you. When you go to your bed, recite Āyat al-Kursī, for then there will be (with you) a guardian from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn." When the Prophet ﷺ heard about the incident he said (to me), "He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; it was a devil." Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 5010

that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Indeed Allah commanded Yahya bin Zakariyya with five commandments to abide by, and to command the Children of Isra'il to abide by them. But he was slow in doing so. So 'Eisa said: 'Indeed Allah commanded you with five commandments to abide by and to command the Children of Isra'il to abide by. Either you command them, or I shall command them.' So Yahya said: 'I fear that if you precede me in this, then the earth may swallow me, or I shall be punished.' So he gathered the people in Jerusalem, and they filled [the Masjid] and sat upon its balconies. So he said: 'Indeed Allah has commanded me with five commandments to abide by, and to command you to abide by. The first of them is that you worship Allah and not associate anything with him. The parable of the one who associates others with Allah is that of a man who buys a servant with his own gold or silver, then he says to him: "This is my home and this is my business so take care of it and give me the profits." So he takes care of it and gives the profits to someone other than his master. Which of you would live to have a servant like that? And Allah commands you to perform Salat, and when you perform Salat then do not turn away, for Allah is facing the face of His worshipers as long as he does not turn away. And He commands you with fasting. For indeed the parable of fasting, is that of a man in a group with a sachet containing musk. All of them enjoy its fragrance. Indeed the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the scent of musk. And He commands you to give charity. The parable of that, is a man captured by his enemies, tying his hands to his neck, and they come to him to beat his neck. Then he said: "I can ransom myself from you with a little or a lot" so he ransoms himself from them. And He commands you to remember Allah. For indeed the parable of that, is a man whose enemy quickly tracks him until he reaches an impermeable fortress in which he protects himself from them. This is how the worshiper is; he does not protect himself from Ash-Shaitan except by the remembrance of Allah.'" The Prophet (SAW) said: "And I command you with five that Allah commanded me: Listening and obeying, Jihad, Hijrah, and the Jama'ah. For indeed whoever parts from the Jama'ah the measure of a hand-span, then he has cast off the yoke of Islam from his neck, unless he returns. And whoever calls with the call of Jahiliyyah then he is from the coals of Hell." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Even if he performs Salat and fasts?" So he (SAW) said: "Even if he performs Salat and fasts. So call with the call that Allah named you with: Muslims, believers, worshipers of Allah."

from his father who said: "I did not remain behind from any of the battles the Prophet (SAW) fought in, until the battle of Tabuk, except for Badr. And the Prophet (SAW) did not scold anyone who remained behind from Badr, because he only went out to look for the caravan. The Quraish came out to help their caravan, so they met without an appointment as Allah the Mighty and Sublime, said. By my life, people consider the most honorable of battles of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) to be that of Badr, but I would not have liked to attend it instead of my oath of allegiance on the night of Al-'Aqabah when we took a covenant for Islam. Afterwards, I did not stay behind from the Prophet (SAW) until the battle of Tabuk, and it was the last of the battles he fought. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) informed the people of the departure" - and he mentioned the Hadith in its entirety, and said - "So I went to the Prophet (SAW) and he was sitting in the Masjid, surrounded by the Muslims. He was beaming like the moon beams. When he was happy about a matter he would beam. So I came and said in front of him. He said: 'Receive glad tidings - O Ka'b bin Malik - of the best day you have seen since your mother bore you!' So I said: 'O Prophet of Allah! Is it from Allah or from you?' He said: 'From Allah.' Then he recited these Ayat: Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin, and the Ansar who followed him in the time of distress, after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated, but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of Kindness, Most Merciful (9:117). [until he reached: Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful (9:118).] He said: "And it was about us that (the following) was revealed as well: Have Taqwa of Allah, and be with those who are true (9:119)." He said: "O Prophet of Allah! Part of my repentance is to not say but the truth, and give up all of my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger.' So the Prophet (SAW) said: 'Keep some of your wealth for yourself, for indeed that is better for you.' I said: 'So I will keep my share from Al-Khaibar.'" He said: "So after my acceptance of Islam, Allah did not grant me a greater favor than when I and my two companions told the truth to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and we were not among the liars to be ruined like the others were ruined. Indeed I hope that Allah will not test anyone over telling the truth as he tested me. I did not resort to a lie ever since then, and I hope that Allah will protect me regarding what remains to come."

By Allah other than Whom there is none worthy of worship, I used to press my stomach against the earth owing to my hunger; I would tie a stone over it. One day, I was sitting on the way they usually take when the Prophet (PBUH) passed by me. When he saw me he smiled at me and knew my condition and my feelings. He called me and I replied, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Follow me." So I followed him. Having arrived at home, he sought permission and entered. He allowed me in and I, too, entered. He found milk in a bowl and asked, "Where is this from?" He was told that it was a gift for him from so- and-so. He called me and I responded: "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Go to the people of As-Suffah and usher them in." He Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) explained: The people of As-Suffah were guests of Islam; they had no family, no property and no relations. When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to receive something in charity, he would send it to them without taking anything from it. When he received a present, he would send for them and share it with them. On this occasion, I disliked to give them anything. I said to myself: "This meagre quantity of milk will not be enough for all the people of As-Suffah! I am more deserving of it than anyone else. By drinking it I may attain some strength. When they come, he will order me to give it to them. I do not expect that anything will be left for me from this milk." As there was no alternative but to obey Allah and His Messenger (PBUH). I went and called them. They came and sought permission which was granted. They took their seats. The Prophet (PBUH) called me and I responded, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He then said, "Take the milk and give it to them." I took the bowl and gave it to one man who drank his fill and returned it to me, and I gave it to the next and he did the same. I went on doing this till the bowl reached Messenger of Allah (PBUH). By that time all had taken their fill. He (PBUH) took the bowl, put it on his hand, looked at me, smiled and said, "Abu Hirr." I said, "At your service, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Now you and I are left." I said, "That is true, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Sit down and drink." I drank, but he went on saying, "Drink some more." I said, "By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I have no room for it." He said, "Then give it to me." So I gave him the bowl. He praised Allah, uttered the Name of Allah and drank the remainder.

[Al- Bukhari].

We met 'Abdullah bin 'Umar and discussed the divine decree (al qadar) and what others said concerning it. He said: When you go back to them, say; Ibn ‘Umar has nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with him - three times. Then he said: ‘Umar bin al Khattab رضي الله عنه ­­ told me that whilst they were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ ­, a man came to him walking, with a handsome face and hair, wearing white clothes. The people looked at one another (as if to say): We do not know this man and he does not look like a traveller. Then he said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , shall I come to you? He said: `Yes.` So he came and put his knees against his knees and his hands on his thighs and said: What is Islam? He said: `To testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , to establish regular prayer, to give zakah, to fast Ramadan and to go on pilgrimage to the House.` He said: What is faith (eeman)? He said: “To believe in Allah, His angels, Paradise and Hell, resurrection after death and the divine decree, all of it.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: `To strive for the sake of Allah as if you see Him, and even though you do not see Him, He sees you.` He said: When will the Hour come? He said: `The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking.” He said: What are its portents? He said: `When the destitute, barefoot, naked shepherds compete in constructing lofty buildings, and the slave women give birth to their masters.” Then he said: `Call the man to me.” They looked for him but they saw no trace of him. Two or three days passed, then he said: “O Ibn al­ Khattab, do you know who that was who asked about such and such?” He said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: `That was Jibreel who came to teach you your religion.` A man from Juhainah or Muzainah asked him: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , what are we striving for? Is it something that is already decided or is it something that is evolving right now? He said:`For some-­thing that is already decided.` The man or one of the people said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , then why should we strive? He said: “The people of Paradise will be enabled to do the deeds of the people of Paradise and the people of Hell will be enabled to do the deeds of the people of Hell.` Yahya said: And that is how it is.

'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdullah said, "Mu'awiya went on his first hajj when he was the khalifa and 'Uthman ibn Hanif al-Ansari came to him and said, 'Peace be upon you, Amir, and the mercy of Allah.' The people of Syria objected to that and said, 'Who is this hypocrite who shortens the greeting of the Amir al-Mu'minin!' 'Uthman made his camel kneel and said, 'Amir al-Mu'minin! These men object to something which you know better than them. By Allah, I used to this greeting for Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman, and none of them objected to it.' Mu'awiya said to those of the people of Syria who had spoken, 'Take it easy! It was partly as he stated. But when the civil war engaged the people of Syria, they said, "Do not shorten the greeting of our khalifa in our presence (i.e. from Amir al-Mu'minin to Amir)." People of Madina, I will treat you as friends even though you use 'Amir" for a zakat collector.'"

I was seriously ill at Makkah and the Prophet visited me. I said to him "Messenger of Allah, I shall leave behind me a good fortune and I have only a daughter (as my heir). Shall I bequeath two-thirds of my property to be spent in charity and leave one-third (for the heir)?" He said, "No!" Then I asked, "Shall I bequeath half and leave her half?" He again said, "No". Then I asked, "Shall I Bequeath one-third and leave two- third (for her)?" the Prophet said,"(You may bequeath) one-third, but even one-third is much".

He then placed his hand on my forehead and passed it over my face and stomach and made this supplication. "O Allah, cure sad and completed his emigration." Ever since I have not ceased to sense the pleasant cool of his hand on my liver."

"The people of As-Suffah were the guests of the people of Islam,they had nothing of people nor wealth to rely upon. And By Allah, the One Whom there is none worthy of worship besides Him – I would lay on the ground on my liver (side) due to hunger, And I would fasten a stone to my stomach out of hunger. One day I sat by the way that they (the Companions) use to come out through. Abu Bakr passed and so I asked him about an Ayah from Allah's Book, not asking him except that he might tell me to follow him (for something to eat). But he passed on without doing so. Then `Umar passed, so I asked him about an Ayah from Allah's Book, not asking him except that he might tell me to follow him. But he passed on without doing so. Then Abul-Qasim (s.a.w) passed, and he smiled when he saw me, and said: 'Abu Hurairah?' I said: 'I am here O Messenger of Allah!' He said: 'Come along.' He continued and I followed him, he entered his house, so I sought permission to enter, and he permitted me. He found a bowl of milk and said: 'Where did this milk come from?' It was said: 'It was a gift to us from so – and – so.' So the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'O Abu Hurairah' I said: 'I am here O Messenger of Allah!' He said: 'Go to the people of As-Suffah to invite them.' - Now, they were the guests of the people of Islam, they had nothing of people nor wealth to rely upon. Whenever some charity was brought to him, he would send it to them without using any of it. And when a gift was given to him (s.a.w), he would send for them to participate and share with him in it. I became upset about that, and I said (to myself): 'What good will this bowl be among the people of As-Suffah and I am the one bringing it to them?' Then he ordered me to circulate it among them (So I wondered) what of it would reach me from it, and I hoped that I would get from it what would satisfy me. But I would certainly not neglect to obey Allah and obey His Messenger, so I went to them and invited them. When they entered upon him they sat down. He said: 'Abu Hurairah, take the bowl and give it to them.' So I gave it to a man who drank his fill, then he gave it to another one, until it ended up with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w), and all of the people had drank their fill. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) took the bowl, put it on his hand,then raised his head. He smiled and said: 'Abu Hurairah, drink.' So I drank, then he said: 'Drink.' I kept drinking and he kept on saying, 'Drink.' Then I said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth! I have no more space for it.' So he took the bowl and praised Allah, mentioned His Name and drank.'” (Sahih)

"I went to the Prophet (SAW) while he was sitting in the Masjid, the people said: 'This is 'Adi bin Hatim.' And I came without having a treaty nor a writ. When I was brought to him, he took my hand. Prior to that he had said: 'I hope that Allah will place his hand in my hand.'" He said: "He stood with me, and a woman and a boy met him and said: 'We have a need from you.' He stood with them, until he was finished dealing with what they wanted. Then he took me by the hand until he brought me to his house. A slave girl brought him a cushion to sit on, and I sat in front of him. He expressed thanks and praise for Allah then said: 'What has caused you to flee from saying La Ilaha Illallah? Do you know of another god other than Him?'" He said: "I said: 'No.'" He said: "Then he talked for some time, and then said: 'You refuse to say Allahu Akbar because you know that there is something greater than Allah?'" He said: "I said: 'No.' He said: 'Indeed the Jews are those who Allah is wrath with, and the Christians have strayed.'" He said: "I said: 'Indeed I am a Muslim, Hanif.'" He said: "I saw his face smiling with happiness." He said: "Then he ordered that I stop with him at the home of a man from the Ansar, whom he would frequently visit in the mornings and the evenings. When I was with him at night, a people in woolen garments of these Nimar (a cloth with certain patters, and the word appeared before) came. Then he performed Salat and stood to encourage them (the people) to give (charity) to them. Then he said: 'Even with a Sa' or half a Sa', or a handful or part of a handful, to save the face of one of you from the heat of Hell, or the Fire. And even if it be by a date or a part of a date - for indeed one of you shall meet Allah and it shall be said to him what I say to you: "Have I not given hearing and seeing to you?" He shall say: "Of course." It will be said: "Have I not given you wealth and children?" He shall say: "Of course." It will be said: "So where is what you have sent forth for yourself?" He will look before him and behind him, on his right and on his left, but he shall not find anything to protect his face from the heat of Hell. Let one of you protect his face from the Fire, even if with part of a date, and if he does not find that, then with a good statement. For indeed I do not fear poverty for you - Allah will aid you and grant you, such that a woman can travel on her camel howda from Yathrib to Al-Hirah, or further, without fear of being robbed.' I began thinking to myself: "Where would the thieves of Taiy' be then?"'

"We were sitting with the Prophet (SAW) when a man came to him whose clothes were intensely white and whose hair was intensely black; no signs of travel could be seen upon him, and none of us recognized him. He sat down facing the Prophet (SAW), with his knees touching his, and he put his hands on his thighs, and said: 'O Muhammad, what is Islam?' He said: 'To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah, to establish regular prayer, to pay Zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to perform Hajj to the House (the Ka'bah).' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' We were amazed by him: He asked a question, then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, what is Iman faith? He said: 'To believe in Allah, His angels, His Messengers, His books, the Last day, and the Divine Decree (Qadar), both the good of it and the bad of it.' He said' You have spoken the truth.' We were amazed by him. He asked a question, then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, what is Ihsan (right action, goodness, sincerity)? He said: 'To worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you do not see Him, He sees you.' He asked: "When will the Hour be?' He said: 'The one who is being asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking.' He asked: 'Then what are its signs?' he said: 'When the slave woman gives birth to her mistress' (Waki' said: This means when non-Arabs will give birth to Arabs") 'and when you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in constructing tall buildings.' The Prophet (SAW) met me three days later and asked me: 'Do you know who that man was? I said" 'Allah and his Messenger know best.' He said: 'That was Jibril, who came to you to teach you your religion.'"

Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that A man came to the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) and said, “l am ruined O Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.)!" The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) asked him, “What has ruined you?" The man replied, ‘I had intercourse with my wife during the day in Ramadan while fasting)’ The Prophet said to him, "Are you able to free a slave?" The man said, ‘No.’ The Prophet said, "Can you fast for two consecutive months?" He said, ‘NO.' The Prophet then asked him, "Can you provide food for sixty poor people?" He said, ‘No.’ Then the man sat down. A basket of dates was brought to the Prophet and he said to the man, “Give this as Sadaqah (voluntary charity)” The man said, ‘To someone who is poorer than us!’ There is no one in this city (Al-Madinah) who is in need of these dates more than us!’ The Prophet laughed until his molar teeth could be seen and said to the man, “Go and feed your family with these dates.” Related by the seven Imams and the wording is from Muslim.

There was a man in Damascus who was a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). He was called Ibn Al-Hanzaliyyah. He was a lonesome person and would rarely spend some time in the company of people. He would spend most of his time performing Salah and when he finished, he would engage himself in Tasbih (Subhan-Allah) and Takbir (Allahu Akbar), until he would go home. He passed by us one day when we were sitting with Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him). The latter said to him: "Tell us something which will benefit for us and will not harm you." He said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent a detachment. When they returned, one of them came to the assemblage in which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was present and said to his neighbor during the conversation: 'I wish you had seen us when we encountered the enemy. So-and-so (a believer) took up his spear, struck and said: Take this from me and I am the Ghifari boy. Now what do you think of this?' The neighbor said: 'I think that he lost his reward because of boasting.' He said: 'I see no harm in it.' They began to exchange arguments till the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) heard them and said, 'Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from every imperfection). He would be rewarded (in the Hereafter) and praised (in this world)'. I noticed that Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him) felt a great pleasure at this remark and, raising his head began to repeat: "Have you heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say this!" Ibn Al-Hanzaliyyah (May Allah be pleased with him) continued responding until I asked Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him) not to annoy him.

Ibn Al-Hanzaliyyah (May Allah be pleased with him) happened to pass by us another day and Abud-Darda' said to him: "Tell us something which will benefit us and will not harm you." He said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) told us, 'He who spends to purchase a horse (for Jihad) is like one who extends his hand for spending out of charity without withholding it."'

He passed by us another day and Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Tell us something which might benefit us, and will not harm you." He said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) once said, 'Khuraim Al-Usaidi is an excellent man were it not for his long hair and his lower garment which is hanging down.' When Khuraim heard about what the Prophet had said about him, he trimmed his long hair up to his ears with a knife and raised his lower garment half way to his shanks."

On another occasion he passed by us and Abud-Darda' (May Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Tell us something that will benefit us and will not harm you." He said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say, while coming back from an expedition: "You are returning to your brothers, so set your saddles and clothes in order so that you look tidy and graceful. Allah hates untidiness."

[Abu Dawud].

l said to Ibn `Umar. We travel to different countries and we meet people who say there is no qadar (divine decree), Ibn `Umar said: If you meet them, tell them that `Abdullah bin `Umar has nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with him-three times. Then he started narrating Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , there came a man... and he described his appearance, The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Come closer, so he came closer. He said: Come closer, so he came closer. He said: Come closer, so he came closer, until his knees were nearly touching [the Prophet (ﷺ)`s] knees. Then he said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), tell me what is faith [or about faith]. He said: “To believe in Allah. His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in al-qadar.` - Sufyan said: I think he said: `... both good and bad.` He said: What is Islam? He said: “To establish prayer, pay zakah, perform pilgrimage to the House, to fast Ramadan and to do ghusl in the case of janabah.` For all of that, he [the stranger] said: You are right, you are right. The people said: We never saw any man show more respect to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this man did. It was as if he was teaching the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . Then he said: O Messenger of Allah, tell me about ihsan.He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for even if you do not see Him. He sees you.` For all of that we said: We never saw any man show more respect to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this man did, he said: You are right, you are right. He said: Tell me about the Hour. He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more about it than one who is asking.` He said: You are right. He said it several times, and we never saw any man show more respect to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this man did. Then he left. Sufyan said: I heard that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Look for him,” but they did not find him. IIe said: `That was Jihree who came to you to teach you your religion. He never came to me in any form but I recognised him, except for this form.”

It was narrated that Ibn Ya’mar said: I asked Ibn `Umar-or a man asked him: We travel in this land and we meet people who say, There is no qadar (divine decree), Ibn `Umar said: If you meet those people, tell them that ‘Abdullah bin `Umar has nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with him - he said it three times. Then he told us. Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a man came and said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), may I draw closer? He said: `Come closer.` So he came a little closer, then he said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), may I come closer? He said: `Come closer.” So he came a little closer, then he said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), may I come closer? He said: `Come closer.” So he came a little closer until his knees were almost touching the knees of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . Then he said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), what is faith? - and he mentioned a similar report.

My maternal aunt was divorced and wanted to cut down fruit from her paml-trees. A man forbade her to go out, so she went to the Prophet (SAW) and he said, "Certainly, cut down fruit from your palm-trees, for perhaps you have give Sadaqah (charity) or do an act of kindness." [Reported by Muslim]. 1121. Narrated Furai'ah, daughter of Malik: Her husband had gone out in search of some slaves of his and they killed him. She said, "I asked Allah's Messenger (SAW) to be allowed to return to my family, for my husband had not left for me a house which belonged to him, nor had he left me maintenance." He then said, "Yes, (I agree)," but when I was in the courtyard, he called me and said, "Stay in your house till the prescribed period expires." She said, "I observed the period in it for four months and ten days." She said, "Afterwards 'Uthman gave judgements in accordance with that." [Ahmad an al-Arba'a reported it. at-Tirmidhi, adh-Dhuhli, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim and others graded it Sahih (authentic)].

I was with the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there came to him two men: one of them was complaining of penury (being very poor), while the other was complaining of brigandry (robbery). The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: As for brigandry, it will be but a short time before a caravan will [be able to] go out of Mecca without a guard. As for penury, the Hour (Day of Judgement) will not arrive before one of you takes his charity around without finding anyone to accept it from him. Then (1) one of you will surely stand before Allah, there being no screen between Him and him, nor an interpreter to translate for him. Then He will say to him: Did I not bring you wealth? And he will say: Yes. Then He will say: Did I not send to you a messenger? And he will say: Yes. And he will look to his right and will see nothing but Hell-fire, then he will look to his left and will see nothing but Hell-fire, so let each of you protect himself against Hell-fire, be it with even half a date - and if he finds it not, then with a kind word. (1) i.e. at the time of the Hour. It was related by al-Bukhari.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) put me in charge of charity of Ramadan (Sadaqat-ul- Fitr). Somebody came to me and began to take away some food-stuff. I caught him and said, "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)." He said, "I am a needy man with a large family, and so I have a pressing need." I let him go. When I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) next morning, he asked me, "O Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing need and a big family. I felt pity for him so I let him go." He (PBUH) said, "He told you a lie and he will return." I was sure, according to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he would return. I waited for him. He sneaked up again and began to steal food-stuff from the Sadaqah. I caught him and said; "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)." He said, "Let go of me, I am a needy man. I have to bear the expenses of a big family. I will not come back." So I took pity on him and let him go. I went at dawn to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) who asked me, "O Abu Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?" I replied, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing want and the burden of a big family. I took pity on him and so I let him go." He (PBUH) said, "He told you a lie and he will return." (That man) came again to steal the food-stuff. I arrested him and said, "I must take you to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and this is the last of three times. You promised that you would not come again but you did." He said, "Let go of me, I shall teach you some words with which Allah may benefit you." I asked, "What are those words?" He replied, "When you go to bed, recite Ayat-ul- Kursi (2:255) for there will be a guardian appointed over you from Allah, and Satan will not be able to approach you till morning." So I let him go. Next morning the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked me, "What did your prisoner do last night." I answered, "He promised to teach me some words which he claimed will benefit me before Allah. So I let him go." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked, "What are those words that he taught you?" I said, "He told me: 'When you go to bed, recite Ayat- ul-Kursi from the beginning to the end i.e.,[ Allah! none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi encompasses the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not fatigue Him. And He is the Most High, the Most Great].' (2:255). He added: 'By reciting it, there will be a guardian appointed over you from Allah who will protect you during the night, and Satan will not be able to come near you until morning'." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Verily, he has told you the truth though he is a liar. O Abu Hurairah! Do you know with whom you were speaking for the last three nights?" I said, "No." He (PBUH) said, "He was Shaitan (Satan)."

[Al-Bukhari].

" Who is this?" They said: "Abu Hurairah." (He said):So I got close to him until I was sitting in front of him as he was narrating to the people. When he was silent and alone, I said to him: " I ask youabsolute truth if you would narrate to me a Hadith which you heard from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w), That you understand and know." So Abu Hurairah said: "You want me to narrate a Hadith to you which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) narrated to me that I understand and know." Then Abu Hurairah began sobbing profusely. We sat for a while, then he recovered and said: "I shall narrate to you a Hadith which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) narrated in this House, while there was no one with us other than he and I." Then, again, Abu Hurairah began sobbing severely. Then he recovered, and wiped his face, and said: "you want me to narrate to you a Hadith which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) narrated while he and I were sitting in this House, and no one was with us but he and I." Then Abu Hurairah began sobbing severely. Then he bent, falling on his face, so I supported him for a long time. Then he recovered and said: "The Messenger of Allah narrated to me that on the Day of Judgement, Allah, Most High, will descend to His slaves t judge between them. Every nation shall be kneeling. The first of those who will be called before him will be a man who memorized the Qur'an, and a man who was killed in Allah's cause, and a wealthy man. Allah will say to the reciter: 'Did I not teach you what I revealed to My Messenger?" He says: 'Of course O Lord!' He says: 'Then what did you do with what you learned?' He said: 'I would stand (in prayer reciting) with it during all hours of the night and all hours of the day.' Then Allah would say to him: 'You have lied.' And the angels will say: 'You have lied.'Allah will say to him: 'Rather, you wanted it to be said that so-and-so is a reciter. And that was said.' The person with the wealth will be brought, and Allah will say to him: 'Was I not so generous with you, such that I did not leave you having any need from anyone?' He will say: 'Of course O Lord!' He says: 'Then what did you do with what I gave to you?' He says: 'I would nurture the ties of kinship and give charity.' Then Allah will say to him: 'You have lied.' And the angels will say to him: 'You have lied.' Allah, Most High, will say: 'Rather, you wanted it to be said that so-and-so is so generous, and that was said.' Then the one who was killed in Allah's cause shall be brought, and Allah will say to him : 'For what were you killed?' So he says: 'I was commanded to fight in Your cause ,so I fought until I was killed.' Allah [Most High] will say to him: 'You have lied.' And the angels will say to him: 'You have lied.' Allah [Most High] will say: 'Rather, you wanted it be said that so-and-so is brave, and that was said.' "Then the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w)hit me on my knees and said: 'O Abu Hurairah! These first three are the creatures of Allah with whom the fire will be enflamed on the Day of Judgement.'" Al-Walid Abu 'Uthman Al-Mada'ini said: "So 'Uqbah bin Muslim informed me that Shaufaiy, is the one who entered upon Mu'awiyah to inform him about this." Abu Uthman said: 'This has been done with these people, then how about with those who remain among the people?" Then Mu'awiyah begin weeping so intensely, that we thought that he will kill himself with excessive weeping. We said: "This man came to us to cause evil." Then Mu'awiyah recovered, wiped off his face and said: "Allah and His Messenger told the truth: Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, then we shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they shall have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter Fire, and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do."

During the period of peace between God's messenger and me I went off, and while I was in Syria a letter was brought from the Prophet to Hiraql. Dihya al-Kalbi brought it and handed it to the governor of Busra who handed it to Hiraql. Hiraql asked whether there was anyone there belonging to the people of that man who asserted `that he was a prophet, and when he was told that there was, I was summoned along with some members of Quraish. We entered the presence of Hiraql who made us sit in front of him and then asked, "Which of you is most closely related to this man who asserts that he is a prophet?" When I said that I was, they made me sit in front of him and made my companions sit behind me. He then called for his interpreter and said, "Tell them I am asking this man about this one who asserts he is a prophet, and that if he lies to me, they must accuse him of falsehood." (Abd Sufyan swore by God that if he had not been afraid of his falsehood being reported, he would have lied to him.) He said to his interpreter, "Ask him about the-nature of his lineage among them," and I replied, "He is a man of high lineage among us." He asked, "Has there been any king among his ancestors?" and I replied that there had not been any. He asked whether we had suspected him of falsehood before he said what he had said, and I replied that we had not. He asked whether he was followed by the nobles among the people or by the weak ones, and I replied that he was followed by the weak ones. He asked whether their numbers were increasing or diminishing, and I replied that they were increasing. He asked whether any apostatised from his religion after accepting it through displeasure with him, and I replied that they did not. He asked if we had fought with him, and I replied that we had. He asked the nature of our fighting with him, and I replied that it had its ups and downs, he neither getting the better of us nor we getting the better of him. He asked if he employed treachery, and I replied that he did not, but added that during that period we did not know what he was doing. I swear by God that he did not give me an opportunity of inserting a word except on this occasion. He asked if anyone had said what he was saying before him, and I replied that no one had. He then told his interpreter to say to me, "I asked you about his lineage among you and you asserted that he had a high lineage among you; and messengers are commissioned thus from the high families of their people. I asked you whether any of his ancestors had been a king and you asserted that none had, for if any of his ancestors had been a king, I would have considered him to be a man who was seeking the kingdom of his ancestors. I asked you about his followers whether they were weak people or nobles, to which you replied that they were their weak ones, and such are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether you suspected him of falsehood before he said what he has said, and you replied that you did not, so I recognised that he was not one to avoid falsehood about men and then go and lie about God. I asked you whether any of them apostatised from his religion after accepting it through displeasure with him, to which you replied that none had, and thus is faith when its cheerfulness mingles with hearts. I asked you whether they were increasing or diminishing, to which you replied that they were increasing, and thus is faith till it is complete. I asked you whether you fought with him, and you asserted that the war between you and him had its ups; and downs, he sometimes getting the better of you and you sometimes getting the better of him; now thus messengers are tested, after which the issue turns out in their favour. I asked you if he employed treachery and you asserted that he did not; now that is how the messengers are, not employing treachery. I asked you whether anyone had said what he was saying before him, and you asserted ta t no one had done so, for if someone had said this before him, I would have said he was a man who copied something said before his time." He then asked what he commanded us and we replied, "He commands us to observe prayer, zakat, ties of relationship, and chastity." He then said, "If what you say is true, he is a prophet. I knew he would come forth but did not think it would be from among you. If I knew I could get to him I would like to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet. His kingdom will certainly reach to what is under my feet." He then called for God's messenger's letter and read it. (Bukhari and Muslim.) The completion of the tradition has already been given in the chapter on writing to infidels.

"The Messenger of Allah (saw) addressed us, and most of his speech had to do with telling us about Dajjal. He warned about him, and among the things he said was: 'There will not be any tribulation on earth, since the time Allah created the offspring of Adam, that will be greater than the tribulation of Dajjal. Allah has not sent any Prophet but he warned his nation about Dajjal. I am the last of the Prophets, and you are the last of the nations. He will undoubtedly appear among you. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on behalf of every Muslim, and if he appears while I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. He will emerge from Al-Khallah, between Sham and Iraq, and will wreak havoc right and left. O slaves of Allah, remain steadfast. I will describe him to you in a manner in which none of the Prophets has described him before me. He will start by saying "I am a Prophet," and there is no Prophet after me. Then a second time he will say: "I am your Lord." But you will not see your Lord until you die. He is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed, and written between his eyes is Kafir. Every believer will read it, whether he is literate or illiterate. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will have with him Paradise and Hell, but his Hell will be a Paradise and his Paradise a Hell. Whoever is tested with his fire (hell), let him seek the help of Allah and recite the first Verses of Al-Kahf, then it will be cool and safe for him, as the fire was for Ibrahim. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will say to a Bedouin: "What do you think, if I resurrect your father and mother for you, will you bear witness that I am your Lord?" He will say: "Yes." Then two devils will appear to him in the form of his father and mother and will say: "O my son, follow him, for he is your Lord." And part of his Fitnah will be that he will overpower a single soul and kill him, then he will cut him with a saw until he falls in two pieces. Then he will say: "Look at this slave of mine; I will resurrect him now, then he will claim that he has a Lord other than me." Then Allah will resurrect him and the evil one will say to him: "Who is your Lord?" and he will say: "Allah is my Lord, and you are the enemy of Allah, you are Dajjal. By Allah, I have never had more insight about you than I have today." (An addition) Abul-Hasan Tanafisi said: "Muharibi told us: 'Ubaidullah bin al-Walid Al-Wassafi told us, from 'Atiyyah, that Abu Sa'eed said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'That man will be the highest in status in my nation in Paradise'" -  He said: "Abu Sa'eed said: 'By Allah, we did not think that man would be anyone other than 'Umar bin Khattab, until he passed away. -   Muharibi said: "Then we went back to the narration of Abu Rafi'." He said: - 'Part of his Fitnah will be that he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan and they will disbelieve in him, so all their flocks will perish and none will be left. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan who will believe in him, so he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so, until their flocks will come back in the evening of that day, bigger and fatter than they have ever been, with their flanks stretched and their udders full of milk. There will be no part of the earth left that he does not enter and prevail over, except for Makkah and Al-Madinah, for he will not approach them on any of their mountain paths but he will be met by angels with unsheathed swords, until he will stop at the red hill at the end of the marsh. Then Al-Madinah will be shaken with its people three times, and no hypocrite, male or female, will be left, all will come out to him. Thus it will be cleansed of impurity just as the bellows cleanses the iron of dross. And that day will be called the Day of Deliverance.' "Umm Sharik bint Abi 'akar said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where will the Arabs be that day?' He said: 'On that day they will be few, and most of them will be in Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their leader will be a righteous man. When their leader has stepped forward to lead them in subh prayer, 'Eisa bin Maryam will come down to them. Their leader will step backwards so that 'Eisa can come forward and lead the people in prayer, but 'Eisa will place his hand between his shoulders and say to him: "Go forward and pray, for the Iqamah was given for you." Then their leader will lead them in prayer. When he has finished, 'Eisa (as), will say: "Open the gate." So they will open it and behind it will be Dajjal with seventy thousand Jews, each of them carrying an adorned sword and wearing a greenish cloak. When Dajjal looks at him, he will start to melt as salt melts in water. He will run away, and 'Eisa (as), will say: "I have only one blow for you, which you will not be able to escape!" He will catch up with him at the eastern gate of Ludd, and will kill him. Then Allah will defeat the Jews, and there will be nothing left that Allah has created which the Jews will be able to hide behind, except that Allah will cause it to speak - no stone, no tree, no wall, no animal - except for Al-Gharqad (the box-thorn), for it is one of their trees, and will not speak - except that it will say: "O Muslim slave of Allah, here is a Jews, come and kill him!" "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'His (Dajjal's) days will number forty years: a year like half a year, a year like a month, a month like a week, and the rest of his days will be like sparks from a fire (i.e., they will pass quickly). One of you will enter the gate of Al-Madinah in the morning and not reach its other gate until evening comes.' It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how should we pray on those short days?' He said: 'Estimate (the times of) the prayer, as you do on these long days, then pray.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Eisa bin Maryam (as), will be a just judge and a just ruler among my nation. He will break the cross, slaughter the pigs, abolish the Jizyah and charity will be left. No one will be appointed to (collect the Zakah of) sheep and camels. Grudges and mutual hatred will disappear and the venom of every venomous creature will be removed, so that a baby boy will but his hand in a snake and it will not harm him, and a baby girl will make a lion run away, and it will not harm her; and the wolf will be among the sheep like their sheepdog. The earth will be filled with peace just as a vessel is filled with water. The people will be united and none will be worshipped except Allah. War will cease and Quraish will no longer be in power. The earth will be like a silver platter, with its vegetation growing as it did at the time of Adam, until a group of people will gather around one bunch of grapes and it will suffice them, and a group will gather around a single pomegranate and it will suffice them. An ox will be sold for such and such amount of money, and a horse will be sold for a few Dirham.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, why will horses be so cheap?' He said: 'They will never be ridden in war again.' It was said to him: 'Why will oxen be so expensive?' He said: 'Because all the land will be tilled. Before Dajjal appears there will be three difficult years in which the people will suffer severe famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold one third of its rain and the earth to withhold one third of its produce. In the second year, He will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain and the earth to withhold two-thirds of its produce. In the third year, he will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and not a single drop will fall, and the earth to withhold all of its produce, and nothing will grow. All cloven-hoofed animals will die, except those that Allah wills.' It was said: 'What will the people live on at that time?' He said: 'Tahlil, Takbir, Tasbih and Tahmid. That will take the place of food for them.'" Abu 'Abdullah (Ibn Majah) said: "I heard Abul-Hasan Tanafisi say: 'I heard 'Abdur-Rahman Al-Muharibi say: "This Hadith should be sent to every teacher so that they can teach it to the children in the schools."

While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the early hours of the morning, some people came there (who) were barefooted, naked, wearing striped woolen clothes, or cloaks, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, nay, all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The color of the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) underwent a change when he saw them in poverty. He then entered (his house) and came out and commanded Bilal (to pronounce Adhan). He pronounced Adhān and Iqāma, and he (the Prophet) observed prayer (along with his Companion) and then addressed (them reciting verses of the Qur'an): “O people, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single being” to the end of the verse, “Allah is ever a Watcher over you” (4:1). (He then recited) a verse of Sura Hashr: “Fear Allah, and let every soul consider that which it sends forth for the afterlife, and fear Allah …” (18). (Then the audience began to vie with one another in giving charity.) Some donated a dinar, others a dirham, still others clothes, some donated a sā' of wheat, some a sā' of dates; till he (the Prophet) said: (Bring) even if it is half a date. Then a person from among the Ansar came there with a money bag which his hands could scarcely lift; in fact, they could not (lift). Then the people followed continuously, till I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes, and I saw the face of the Messenger (ﷺ) glistening, like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards; and he who sets in Islam an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden. Reference: Sahih Muslim 1017

While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saws) there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet (saws) rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet (saws) and placed his palms over his thighs, and said: "O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam." The Messenger of Allah (saws) replied: "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger (saws), that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it)." He said: "You have spoken the truth." We were astonished at his thus questioning him (saws) and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about Iman (faith)." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects." He said, "You have spoken the truth." Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan." He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you." He said, "Inform me about the Hour." He (the Prophet) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner." So he said, "Well, inform me about its signs." He said, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings." Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said, "O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion." [Muslim]

I heard Ka'b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) narrating the story of his remaining behind instead of joining Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when he left for the battle of Tabuk. Ka'b said: "I accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in every expedition which he undertook excepting the battle of Tabuk and the battle of Badr. As for the battle of Badr, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims, when they set out, had in mind only to intercept the caravan of the Quraish. Allah made them confront their enemies unexpectedly. I had the honour of being with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the night of 'Aqabah when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was dearer to me than participating in the battle of Badr, although Badr was more well-known among the people than that. And this is the account of my staying behind from the battle of Tabuk. I never had better means and more favourable circumstances than at the time of this expedition. And by Allah, I had never before possessed two riding-camels as I did during the time of this expedition. Whenever Messenger of Allah (PBUH) decided to go on a campaign, he would not disclose his real destination till the last moment (of departure). But on this expedition, he set out in extremely hot weather; the journey was long and the terrain was waterless desert; and he had to face a strong army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual position so that they should make full preparation for the campaign. And the Muslims who accompanied Messenger of Allah (PBUH) at that time were in large number but no proper record of them was maintained." Ka'b (further) said: "Few were the persons who chose to remain absent believing that they could easily hide themselves (and thus remain undetected) unless Revelation from Allah, the Exalted, and Glorious (revealed relating to them). And Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out on this expedition when the fruit were ripe and their shade was sought. I had a weakness for them and it was during this season that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Muslims made preparations. I also would set out in the morning to make preparations along with them but would come back having done nothing and said to myself: 'I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like'. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) till the time of departure came and it was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out along with the Muslims, but I had made no preparations. I would go early in the morning and come back, but with no decision. I went on doing so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. Then I wished to march on and join them. Would that I had done that! But perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) whenever I went out, I was grieved to find no good example to follow but confirmed hypocrites or weak people whom Allah had exempted (from marching forth for Jihad). Messenger of Allah (PBUH) made no mention of me until he reached Tabuk. While he was sitting with the people in Tabuk, he said, 'What happened to Ka'b bin Malik?' A person from Banu Salimah said: "O Messenger of Allah, the (beauty) of his cloak and an appreciation of his finery have detained him.' Upon this Mu'adh bin Jabal (MatAllah be pleased with him) admonished him and said to Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "By Allah, we know nothing about him but good.' Messenger of Allah (PBUH), however, kept quiet. At that time he (the Prophet (PBUH)) saw a person dressed in white and said, 'Be Abu Khaithamah.' And was Abu Khaithamah Al- Ansari was the person who had contributed a Sa' of dates and was ridiculed by the hypocrites." Ka'b bin Malik further said: "When the news reached me that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was on his way back from Tabuk, I was greatly distressed. I thought of fabricating an excuse and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger the next day. In this connection, I sought the counsels of every prudent member of my family. When I was told that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was about to arrive, all the wicked ideas vanished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing but the truth could save me. So I decided to tell him the truth. It was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) arrived in Al-Madinah. It was his habit that whenever he came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two Rak'ah (of optional prayer) and would then sit with the people. When he sat, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him. They were more than eighty in number. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their insights to Allah, until I appeared before him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He then said to me, 'Come forward'. I went forward and I sat in front of him. He said to me, 'What kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride?' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, if I were to sit before anybody else, a man of the world, I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext or the other and I have a gifted skill in argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware that if I were to put forward before you a lame excuse to please you, Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me. In case, I speak the truth, you may be angry with me, but I hope that Allah would be pleased with me (and accept my repentance). By Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed so good means, and I never had such favourable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind.' Thereupon, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'This man spoke the truth, so get up (and wait) until Allah gives a decision about you.' I left and some people of Banu Salimah followed me. They said to me, 'By Allah, we do not know that you committed a sin before. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) like those who stayed behind him. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would have sought forgiveness for you.' By Allah, they kept on reproaching me until I thought of going back to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and retract my confession. Then I said to them, 'Has anyone else met the same fate?' They said, 'Yes, two persons have met the same fate. They made the same statement as you did and the same verdict was delivered in their case.' I asked, 'Who are they?' They said, 'Murarah bin Ar-Rabi' Al-'Amri and Hilal bin Umaiyyah Al- Waqifi.' They mentioned these two pious men who had taken part in the battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I was confirmed in my original resolve. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited the Muslims to talk to the three of us from amongst those who had stayed behind. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us changed and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned against us, and it was in fact the same atmosphere of which I was fully aware and in which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in this very state and my two friends confined themselves within their houses and spent (most of their) time weeping. As I was the youngest and the strongest, I would leave my house, attend the congregational Salat, move about in the bazaars, but none would speak to me. I would come to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as he sat amongst (people) after the Salat, greet him and would ask myself whether or not his lips moved in response to my greetings. Then I would perform Salat near him and look at him stealthily. When I finish my Salat, he would look at me and when I would cast a glance at him he would turn away his eyes from me. When the harsh treatment of the Muslims to me continued for a (considerable) length of time, I walked and I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatadah, who was my cousin, and I had a great love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not answer to my greeting. I said to him, 'O Abu Qatadah, I adjure you in the Name of Allah, are you not aware that I love Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)?' I asked him the same question again but he remained silent. I again adjured him, whereupon he said, 'Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) know better.' My eyes were filled with tears, and I came back climbing down the wall.

As I was walking in the bazaars of Al-Madinah, a man from the Syrian peasants, who had come to sell food grains in Al-Madinah, asked people to direct him to Ka'b bin Malik. People pointed towards me. He came to me and delivered a letter from the King of Ghassan, and as I was a scribe, I read that letter whose purport was: 'It has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Prophet (PBUH)) was treating you harshly. Allah has not created you for a place where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place; so come to us and we shall receive you graciously.' As I read that letter I said: 'This is too a trial,' so I put it to fire in an oven. When forty days had elapsed and Messenger of Allah (PBUH) received no Revelation, there came to me a messenger of the Messenger of Allah and said, 'Verily, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has commanded you to keep away from your wife.' I said, 'Should I divorce her or what else should I do?' He said, 'No, but only keep away from her and don't have sexual contact with her.' The same message was sent to my companions. So, I said to my wife: 'You better go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case.' The wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, Hilal bin Umaiyyah is a senile person and has no servant. Do you disapprove if I serve him?' He said, 'No, but don't let him have any sexual contact with you.' She said, 'By Allah, he has no such desire left in him. By Allah, he has been in tears since (this calamity) struck him.' Members of my family said to me, 'You should have sought permission from Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in regard to your wife. He has allowed the wife of Hilal bin Umaiyyah to serve him.' I said, 'I would not seek permission from Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for I do not know what Messenger of Allah might say in response to that, as I am a young man'. It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty days had passed since people boycotted us and gave up talking to us. After I had offered my Fajr prayer on the early morning of the fiftieth day of this boycott on the roof of one of our houses, and had sat in the very state which Allah described as: 'The earth seemed constrained for me despite its vastness', I heard the voice of a proclaimer from the peak of the hill Sal' shouting at the top of his voice: 'O Ka'b bin Malik, rejoice.' I fell down in prostration and came to know that there was (a message of) relief for me. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had informed the people about the acceptance of our repentance by Allah after he had offered the Fajr prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my companions in order to give them the glad tidings. A man spurred his horse towards me (to give the good news), and another one from the tribe of Aslam came running for the same purpose and, as he approached the mount, I received the good news which reached me before the rider did. When the one whose voice I had heard came to me to congratulate me, I took off my garments and gave them to him for the good news he brought to me. By Allah, I possessed nothing else (in the form of clothes) except these garments, at that time. Then I borrowed two garments, dressed myself and came to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) On my way, I met groups of people who greeted me for (the acceptance of) repentance and they said: 'Congratulations for acceptance of your repentance.' I reached the mosque where Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sitting amidst people. Talhah bin 'Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me, shook hands with me and greeted me. By Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the Muhajirun besides him." Ka'b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talhah. Ka'b further said: "I greeted Messenger of Allah (PBUH) with 'As-salamu 'alaikum' and his face was beaming with pleasure. He (PBUH) said, 'Rejoice with the best day you have ever seen since your mother gave you birth. 'I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Is this (good news) from you or from Allah?' He said, 'No, it is from Allah.' And it was common with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that when ever he was happy, his face would glow as if it were a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognized it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said, I have placed a condition upon myself that if Allah accepts my Taubah, I would give up all of my property in charity for the sake of Allah and His Messenger (PBUH)!' Thereupon Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'Keep some property with you, as it is better for you.' I said, 'I shall keep with me that portion which is in Khaibar'. I added: 'O Messenger of Allah! Verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of my truthfulness, and therefore, repentance obliges me to speak nothing but the truth as long as I am alive." Ka'b added: "By Allah, I do not know anyone among the Muslims who has been granted truthfulness better than me since I said this to the Prophet (PBUH). By Allah! Since the time I made a pledge of this to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), I have never intended to tell a lie, and I hope that Allah would protect me (against telling lies) for the rest of my life. Allah, the Exalted, the Glorious, revealed these Verses:

'Allah has forgiven the Prophet (PBUH), the Muhajirun (Muslim Emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (Muslims of Al- Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad (PBUH)) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is unto them full of kindness, Most Merciful. And (He did forgive also) the three who did not join [the Tabuk expedition and whose case was deferred (by the Prophet (PBUH)) for Allah's Decision] till for them the earth, vast as it is, was straitened and their ownselves were straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah, and no refuge but with Him. Then, He forgave them (accepted their repentance), that they might beg for His Pardon [repent (unto Him)]. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds)." (9:117,118).

Ka'b said: "By Allah, since Allah guided me to Islam, there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who had told lies, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else, as He sent down the Revelation:

They will swear by Allah to you (Muslims) when you return to them, that you may turn away from them. So turn away from them. Surely, they are Rijsun [i.e., Najasun (impure) because of their evil deeds], and Hell is their dwelling place - a recompense for that which they used to earn. They (the hypocrites) swear to you (Muslims) that you may be pleased with them, but if you are pleased with them, certainly Allah is not pleased with the people who are Al- Fa'siqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)". (9:95,96)

Ka'b further added: "The matter of the three of us remained pending for decision apart from the case of those who had made excuses on oath before Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he accepted those, took fresh oaths of allegiance from them and supplicated for their forgiveness. The Prophet (PBUH) kept our matter pending till Allah decided it. The three whose matter was deferred have been shown mercy. The reference here is not to our staying back from the expedition but to his delaying our matter and keeping it pending beyond the matter of those who made their excuses on oath which he accepted".

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim]

Another version adds: "Messenger of Allah (PBUH) set out for Tabuk on Thursday. He used to prefer to set out on journey on Thursday." Another version says: "Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to come back from a journey in the early forenoon and went straight to the mosque where he would perform two Rak'ah prayer. Afterwards he would seat himself there".