I cannot afford it. He then commanded him to observe fasts for three days or feed six needy persons, one sa' for every two needy persons. And Allah the Exalted and Majestic revealed this (verse) particular with regard to him:" So whosoever among you is sick and has an ailment of the head.." ; then (its application) became general for the Muslims.

The young man whom Khadir killed was a non-believer by his very nature and had he survived he would have involved his parents in defiance and unbelief.

"Kabshah bint Ka'b bin Malik - she was (married) with Ibn Abi Qatadah - narrated "That Abu Qatadah visited her, [so she said:] 'So I poured water for him to use for Wudu.' She said: 'A cat came to drink, so he lowered he container until it drank.' Kabshah said: 'So he saw me looking at it and said, "O my niece! Are you surprised at that?" So I said yes. He said: "Indeed Allah's Messenger said 'It is not impure, it is only one of those roam around among you.'"

Ka'b b. Malik said that the Prophet used to arrive from a journey only in the daytime during the forenoon, and that when he arrived he went first to the mosque where he prayed two rak'as, after which he sat in it and gave audience to the people. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: Abu Mundhir (the Kunya of Ubayy b. Ka'b), did you hear this from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? Thereupon he said: Yes. and he further said: Ibn Khattab, do not be a torment for the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him). No mention has, however, been made of the words of 'Umar:" Hallowed be Allah" and what follows subsequently.

Ka'b b. 'Ujra met me and said: Should I not offer you a present (and added): The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to us and we said: We have learnt how to invoke peace upon you; (kindly tell us) how we should bless you. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Say:" O Allah: bless Muhammad and his family as Thou didst bless the family of Ibrahim. Verily Thou art Praiseworthy and Glorious, O Allah."

That Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "When one of you eats, then let him lick his fingers, for indeed he does not know in which of them is the blessing."

He said: There are narrations on this topic from Jabir, Ka'b bin Malik, and Anas.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib, we do not know of it except from this route, as a narration of Suhail. I asked Muhammad about this Hadith, so he said: "This is among the diverse narrations of 'Abdul-'Aziz, we do not know of it except from his narration."

"I poured some water from him for Wudu', and a cat came and drank from it, so he tilted the vessel for it to drink." Kabshah said: "He saw me looking at him and said: 'Are you surprised, O daughter of my brother?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: They are not impure, rather they are among the males and females (animals) who go around among you."

The Prophet (saws) said: Do not cover the walls. He who sees the letter of his brother without his permission, sees Hell-fire.

Supplicate Allah with the palms of your hands; do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards. When you finish supplication, wipe your faces with them.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted through a different chains by Muhammad b. Ka'b; all of them are weak. The chain I have narrated is best of them; but it is also weak.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone is predeceased by three of his children who did not grow old enough to sin, they will be a strong protection for him from hell.” When Abu Dharr said he had been predeceased by two, he told him that the same applied. Ubayy b. Ka'b Abu Mundhir, the chief of the Qur'an readers, said he had been predeceased by one, and he told him the same applied. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a gharib tradition.

Once, Allah's Messenger (saws) accompanied by Ubai bin Ka'b set out to Ibn Saiyyad. He was informed that Ibn Saiyyad was in a garden of date palms. When Allah's Messenger (saws) entered the garden of date-palms, he started hiding himself behind the trunks of the palms while Ibn Saiyyad was covered with a velvet sheet with murmurs emanating from under it. Ibn Saiyyah's mother saw Allah's Messenger (saws) and said, "O Saf! This is Muhammad." So Ibn Saiyyad got up. Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If she had left him (in his state), the truth would have been clear."

I heard my father Ka'b b. Malik, and he fas one of those three whose repentance was accepted (by Allah). He transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any expedition that he undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the tradition narrated through another chain of transmitters the words are:" That Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition with a large number of persons more than ten thousand and this could not be recorded in the census register."

Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: O Abu' al-Mundhir, do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest? I said: Allah and His Apostle (may peace be upon him) know best. He again said: Abu'l-Mundhir, do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest? I said: Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal. Thereupon he struck me on my breast and said: May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abu'l-Mundhir!

We used to go to Abdullah b. 'Amr and talk to him, Ibn Numair said: One day we made a mention of Abdullah b. Mas'ud, whereupon he said: You have made mention of a person whom I love more than anything else. I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Learn Qur'an from four persons: Ibn Umm 'Abd (i. e. 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud) he started from him-then Mu'adh b. Jabal and Ubayya b. Ka'b, then Salim the ally of Abu Hudhaifa.

" We will, surely, make them taste the lesser punishment before the severer punishment (that haply they may return)" (xxxii. 21) imply the torments of the world. (victory of) Rome, seizing (of the Meccans), or smoke. And Shalba was in doubt about seizing or smoke.

On the authority of his mother than Umm Mubashshir said (Abu Sa'id b. al-A'rabi said: So he said it on the authority of his mother ; what is correct is: on the authority of his father, instead of his mother): I entered upon the Prophet (saws). He then mentioned the tradition of Makhlad b. Khalid in a way similar to the tradition of Jabir. The narrator said: Then Bishr b. al-Bara' b. Ma'rur died. So he (the Prophet) sent for the Jewess and said: What did motivate you for your work you have done ? He (the narrator) then mentioned the rest of the tradition like the tradition of Jabir. The Messenger of Allah (saws) ordered regarding her and she was killed. He (the narrator in this version) did not mention cupping.

I questioned Ubayy b. Ka'b about a statement by his brother [not actual brother] Ibn Mas'ud to the effect that anyone who gets up for prayer every night in the year will hit upon lailat al-qadr, and he replied, “God have mercy on him! He meant that people should not content themselves [with that might alone]. He knew that it was in Ramadan among the last ten nights and that it was the twenty-seventh.” He then swore without any reservation that it was the twenty-seventh, and when I asked, “On what ground do you state that, Abul Mundhir? [Ubayy's kunya]” he replied, “By the indication (or sign)* of which God’s messenger informed us, viz. that the sun rises on that day without rays.” *An alternative, the transmitter not being sure which word was used. *An alternative, the transmitter not being sure which word was used. Muslim transmitted it.

'I was sitting in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) when Mus'ab bin 'Umair appeared before us, wearing nothing but a Burdah patched with some animal furs. When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) saw him he began crying because of the good life he previously had compared to the state that he was in that day. Then the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'How will you people be, when the late morning comes upon one of you while wearing a Hullah, and at the end of the day he is in, (another) Hullah, when a platter is placed in front of him while another is removed, and you cover your houses just as the Ka'bah is covered?' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! On that day we will be better than we are today, devoting ourselves to worship, satisfied with our good fortune.' So the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'No, today you are better than you will be on that day.'"

Harithah ibn Mudarrib said that he came to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and said (to him): There is no enmity between me and any of the Arabs. I passed a mosque of Banu Hanifah. They (the people) believed in Musaylimah. Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud) sent for them. They were brought, and he asked them to repent, except Ibn an-Nawwahah. He said to him: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: Were it not that you were not a messenger, I would behead you. But today you are not a messenger. He then ordered Qarazah ibn Ka'b (to kill him). He beheaded him in the market. Anyone who wants to see Ibn an-Nawwahah slain in the market (he may see him).

We were in the company of Abdullah b 'Amr that we made a mention of a hadith from Abdullah b. Mas'ud; thereupon he said: That is a person whose love ever remains (fresh in my heart) after I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Learn Qur'an from four persons: Ibn Umm 'Abd, i e. Abdullah b. Mas'ud and he started from his name-then Ubayy b. Ka'b and Mu'adh b Jabal. Zuhri did not make a mention of the words yaquluhu in his narration

There was a man of the Ansar whose house was the farthest from the mosque. As far as I know, he never missed Salat (in congregation). It was said to him: "If you buy a donkey, you may ride upon it in the dark nights and in the hot days." He said: "I do not like that my house should be situated close to the mosque. I desire that my walking towards the mosque and returning home be recorded to my credit." Upon this the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you."

[Muslim].

"The envoy of the Messenger of Allah came to me and said: 'The Messenger of Allah commands you to stay away from your wife.' I said: 'Shall I divorce her or what?' He said: 'No, just keep away from her and do not approach her.' I said to my wife: 'Go to your family and stay with them until Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, decides concerning this matter.'"

The Messenger of Allah called for water and performed ablution once. He said: "This is the minimum requirement of ablution' or he said: 'The ablution of one who, if he does not perform this ablution, Allah will not accept his prayer." Then he performed ablution washing each part twice, and he said: 'This is the ablution of one who, if he performs it, Allah will give him two shares of reward." Then he performed ablution washing each part three times, and said: 'This is my ablution and the ablution of the Messengers who were sent before me."

There are certain ejaculations, the repeaters of which or the performers of which at the end of every prayer will never be caused disappointment:" Glory be to Allah" thirty-three times," Praise be to Allah" thirty-three times, and" Allah is most Great" thirty-four times.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying: He who is lamented upon would be punished because of the lamentation for him on the Day of judgment.

Al-Furay'ah bint Malik bin Sinan - the sister of the Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri - informed her that she went to the Messenger of Allah to ask him if she could return to her family in Banu Khudrah. Her husband had gone out searching for his runaway slaves, and when he was in Turaf Al-Qadum he caught up with them and they killed him. She said: "So I asked the Messenger of Allah if I could return to my family since my husband had not left me a home that he owned nor any maintenance." She said: "So the Messenger of Allah said: 'Yes.' Then I left. When I was in the courtyard," or, "in the Masjid, the Messenger of Allah called me" or, "summoned for me to come back t him and he said: 'What did you say?'" She said: "So I repeated the store that I had mentioned to him about the case of my husband. He said: 'Stay in your house until what is written reaches its term.'" She said: "So I observed my Iddah there for four months and ten (days)." She said: "During the time of Uthman, he sent a message to me asking me about that, so I informed him. He followed it and judged accordingly."

There are certain ejaculations, the repeaters of which or the performers of which after every prescribed prayer will never be caused disappointment:" Glory be to Allah" thirty-three times." Praise be to Allah" thirty-three times, and" Allah is most Great" thirty-four times.

Abu Hurayra said, "When the following ayat was revealed ('Warn your near relatives' (26:214)), the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and called out, saying, 'Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu Manaf! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu Hashim! Save yourselves from the Fire! Banu 'Abdu'l-Muttalib! Save yourselves from the Fire! Fatima, daughter of Muhammad! Save yourselves from the Fire! I do not have anything for you in respect to Allah except for the fact that you have ties of kinship.'"

"Some cavalry man of the Messenger of Allah came galloping upon us, so I came to the Messenger of Allah and found him having lunch. He said: "Come and eat." I said: 'I am fasting.' So he said: 'Come and I will narrate to you about the fast - or fasting. Indeed Allah Most High lifted (the fast and) half of the Salat from the traveler, and (He lifted) the fast - or fasting - from the pregnant person, or the breast-feeding person.' And by Allah! The Prophet said both of them or one of them. So woe to me! For I did not eat from the meal of the Prophet."

Four persons collected the Qur'an during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and all of them were Ansar: Mu'adh b. Jabal, Ubayy b. Ka'b, Zaid b. Thabit, Abu Zaid. Qatada said: Anas, who was Abu Zaid? He said: He was one of my uncles.

I said to Anas b. Malik: Who collected the Qur'an during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? He said: Four (persons), all of them belonging to Ansir: Ubayy b. Ka'b, Mu'adh b. Jabal, Zaid b. Thabit and a person from the Ansar whose Kunya was Abu Zaid.

"Should I return to my people, for he did not leave any dwelling house of his own and maintenance for me?

She said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) replied: Yes. She said: I came out, and when I was in the apartment or in the mosque, he called for me, or he commanded (someone to call me) and, therefore, I was called.

He said: what did you say? So I repeated my story which I had already mentioned about my husband. Thereupon he said: Stay in your house till the term lapses. She said:

So I passed my waiting period in it (her house) for four months and ten days. When Uthman ibn Affan became caliph, he sent for me and asked me about that; so I informed him, and he followed it and decided cases accordingly.

The daughter of the Prophet (PBUH) sent for him as her child was dying, but the Prophet (PBUH) returned the messenger and sent her good wishes saying, "Whatever Allah takes away or gives, belongs to Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should be patient and anticipate Allah's reward." She again sent for him adjuring him for the sake of Allah to come. The Messenger of Allah, accompanied with Sa'd bin 'Ubadah, Mu'adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Zaid bin Thabit and some other men went to see her. The child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah while his breath was disturbed in his chest. On seeing that, the eyes of the Prophet (PBUH) streamed with tears. Sa'd said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is this?" He replied, "It is compassion which Allah has placed in the hearts of His slaves, Allah is Compassionate only to those among His slaves who are compassionate (to others)".

Another version says: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Did you hear it from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? Thereupon he said: Has Torah been revealed to me?

'Umar ordered Ubayy b. Ka'b and Tamim ad-Dari to lead the people in eleven rak'as during the night in Ramadan. The reader was reciting [a sura with over] a hundred verses in each rak'a so that we leaned on our sticks because of standing so long, and we did not depart till the dawn was beginning to break. Malik transmitted it.

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Dying in the cause of Allah expiates every sin." Jibril said: "Except for debt." So the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Except the debt."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from Ka'b bin 'Ujrah, Jabir, Abu Hurairah, and Abu Qatadah. This Hadith is Gharib, we do not know of it as a Hadith of Abu Bakr (a narrator) except from this Shaikh (Yahya bin Talhah)

He said: I asked Muhammad bin Isma'il about this Hadith and he did not know it. He said: "I think that he intended the Hadith of Humaid, from Anas, from the Prophet (saws) that he said: 'There is none from the people of Paradise who would like to return to the world except for the martyr.'"

that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to him: "Indeed Allah has ordered me to recite the Qur'an to you." So he recited to him: "Those who disbelieved were not going to... (98:1) and he recited in it: "Indeed the religion with Allah is that which is Hanafiyyah, Muslim, not Judaism, nor Christianity, nor Zoroastrian, whoever does good then it shall not be rejected from him." And he recited to him: "If the son of Adam had a valley of wealth he would seek a second, and if he had a second he would seek a third, and nothing fills the belly of the son of Adam except dirt. And Allah pardons those who repent."

Modesty brings forth nothing but goodness. Bushair b. Ka'b said: It is recorded in the books of wisdom, there lies sobriety in it and calmness of mind in it, Imran said: I am narrating to you the tradition of the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) and you talk of your books.

‘Glory be to God’ thirty-three times, ‘Praise be to God’ thirty-three times, and ‘God is most great’ thirty-four times.” * The transmitter gives this alternative, thus showing that he is not sure which word was used. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Nadra said, "One of our men called Jabir or Jubayr said, 'I went to 'Umar while he was Khalif to ask for something which I needed. I reached Madina during the night and went straight to him. I am someone with intelligence and a ready tongue - or he said speech (meaning eloquence). I had looked at this world and thought little of it. I had abandoned it as not being worth anything. At 'Umar's side there was a man with white hair and white clothes. When I had finished speaking, he said, "All that you have said is correct except for your attack on this world. Do you know what this world is? This world is that in which we reach (or he said, 'where our provision is') the Next World. It contains our actions for which we will be rewarded in the Next World." He said, "A man who knows this world better than I do worked in it." I asked, "Amir al-Mu'minin, who is this man at our side?" He replied, 'The master of the Muslims, Ubayy ibn Ka'b.'"

There was a person among the Ansar whose house was situated at the farthest end of Medina, but he never in missed any prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). We felt pity for him and said to him: O, so and so, had you bought a donkey it would have saved you from the burning sand and would have saved you from the reptiles of the earth. He said: Listen I by Allah, I do not like my house to be situated by the side of Muhammad (may peace be upon him). I took (these words of his) ill and came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and informed him about (these words). He (the Holy Prophet) called him and he said exactly like that (which he had mentioned to Ubbay b. Ka'b), but made a mention of this (also) that he wanted a reward for his steps. Upon this the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: In fact for you is the reward which you expect.

"Do not curse the wind. When you see what you dislike, then say: 'Allahumma inna nas-aluka min khairi hadhihir-rih, wa khairi ma fiha wa khairi ma umirat bihi wa na'udhu bika min sharri hadhihir-rih wa sharri ma fiha wa sharri ma umirat bihi' ('O Allah! Indeed we ask you of the good of this wind, and the good of what is in it, and the good of what it has been commanded. And we seek refuge in You from the evil of this wind, and the evil of what is in it, and the evil of what it has been commanded.)"

"The Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) came out to us, we were made up of nine; five and four. The first of the numbers for the Arabs, and the latter for the non-Arabs. He said: 'Listen, have you heard that after me there will leaders, whoever enters upon them and condones to their lies, and supports them in their oppression, then he is not from me and I am not from him, and he shall not drink with me from the Hawd. And whoever does not enter upon them, nor help them in their oppression, nor condones to their lies, then he is from me, and I am from him, and he shall drink with me at the Hawd.'"

"On the Day of Uhud, sixty-four of the Ansar were killed, and six from the Muhajirin, one of whom was Hamzah, and they mutilated them, so the Ansar said: 'If, (in the future) we are able to kill them on a day like this, we would mutilate from among them as twice as they (mutilate from among us).'" He said: "So on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, Allah revealed: And if you punish them, then punish them with the like of that with which you were afflicted. But if you have patience, then it is better for those who are patient (16:126). So a man said: 'There shall be no Quraish after today.' But the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Leave the people, except for four.'"

Do not curse the wind, but when you see what you dislike say, "O God, we ask Thee for some of the good in this wind, in what it contains and in what it has been commanded to do; and we seek refuge in Thee from the evil in this wind, in what it contains and in what it has been commanded to do." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

A man from Banu Abdullah ibn Ka'b brethren of Banu Qushayr (not Anas ibn Malik, the well-known Companion), said: A contingent from the cavalry of the Messenger of Allah (saws) raided us. I reached (for he said went) to the Messenger of Allah (saws) who was taking his meals. He said: Sit down, and take some from this meal of ours. I said: I am fasting, he said: Sit down, I shall tell you about prayer and fasting. Allah has remitted half the prayer to a traveller, and fasting to the traveller, the woman who is suckling an infant and the woman who is pregnant, I swear by Allah, he mentioned both (i.e. suckling and pregnant women) or one of them. I was grieved for not taking the food of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

We were in the company of Ubayy b. Ka'b that Abu Musa Ash'ari came there in a state of anger. He stood (before us) and said: I ask you to bear witness in the name of Allah whether anyone amongst you heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Permission (for entering the house) should be sought three times and if permission is granted to you (then get in). otherwise go back. Ubayy b. Ka'b said: What is the iiiatter? He said: I sought permission yesterday from 'Umar b. Khattab three times but he did not permit me, so I came back; then I went to him today and visited him and informed him that I had come to him yesterday and greeted him thrice, then came back, whereupon he said: Yes, we did hear you but be were at that time busy, but why did you not seek permission (further and you must have never gone back until you were permitted to do so). He said: I sought permission (in the manner) that I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said (in connection 'With the seeking of permission for entering the house of a stranger). Thereupon he (Hadrat Umar) said: By Allah, I shall torture your back and your stomach unless you bring one who may bear witness to what you state. 'Ubayy b. Ka'b said: By Allah, none should stand with you (to bear testimony) but the youngest amongst us. And he therefore, said to Abu Sa'id: Stand up. So I stood up until I came to Umar and said: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) say this.

She poured water for Abu Qatadah to perform ablution. A cat came and drank the water, and he tilted the vessel for it. She started looking at it (in surprise) and he said: "O daughter of my brother, do you find it strange? The Messenger of Allah said: 'They (cats) are not impure, they are of those who go around among you.'"

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Do not revile the wind. When you experience something abominable (about it), supplicate: 'Allahumma inna nas'aluka min khairi hadhihir-rihi, wa khairi ma fiha, wa khairi ma umirat bihi. Wa na'udhu bika min sharri hadhihir-rihi, wa sharri ma fiha, wa sharri ma umirat bihi. (O Allah, we beg of You the good of this wind and the good of that which it contains and the good of that which it has been commanded; and we seek refuge in you from the evil of this wind and the evil of that which it contains and the evil of that which it has been commanded)."

[At-Tirmidhi].

"One day the Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed Fajr, then he said: 'Did so-and-so attend the prayer? They said: 'No.' He said: '(What about) so-and-so? They said:'No' He said: 'These two prayers. are the most burdensome for the hypocrites. If they knew what (virtue) there is in them, they would come, even if they had to crawl. And the virtue of the first row is like that of the row of the angels. If you knew its virtue, you would compete for it. A man's prayer with another man is greater in reward than his prayer alone. And a man's prayer with two other men is greater in reward than his prayer with one other man; the more people there are, the more beloved that is to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime."'

By Allah, I know about Lailat-ul Qadr and I know it fully well that it is the twenty-seventh night (during Ramadan) on which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded us to observe prayer. (Shu'ba was in doubt about these words:" the night on which the Messenger of Allah [may peace be upon him] commanded us to observe the prayer." This has been transmitted to me by a friend of mine.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) once prayed wearing a garment having marks. He looked at its marks. When he saluted, he said: Take this garment of mine to AbuJahm, for it turned my attention just now in my prayer, and bring a simple garment without marks.

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Jahm b. Hudhaifah from Banu 'Adi b. Ka'b b. Ghanam

"Ka'b bin Ujrah said to me: 'Shall I not give you a gift?' We said: "O Messenger of Allah (SAW), we know about sending salams upon you, but how should we send salah upon you?" He said: 'Say: Alahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammad kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim fil-'alamin, innaka hamidun majid (O Allah, send salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent salah upon the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim among the nations. You are indeed Worthy of praise, Full of glory.)'"

It was I for whom this verse was revealed (to the Holy Prophet):" Whoever among you is sick or has an ail- ment of the head, he (may effect) a compensation by lasting or alms or a sacrifice" He said: I came to him (the Holy Prophet) and he said: Come Dear. So I went near. He (again) said: Come near. So I went near. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do the vermins trouble you? Ibn Aun (one of the narrators) said: I think he (Ka'b b. Ujra) replied in the affirmative. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded to do compensation by fasting or by giving sadaqa (feeding six needy persons) or by sacrifice (of a animal) that is available.

There was a man, and I do not know of any other man whose house was farther than his from the mosque, and he never missed Salat (in congregation). It was said to him (or I said to him): "If you buy a donkey you could ride it in the dark nights and in the burning sand." He said: "I do not like my house to be by the side of the mosque, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the mosque and back from it should be recorded when I return to my family." Upon this Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has granted you all the rewards for you".

[Muslim].

Another narration says: "You will get the reward for what you have anticipated".

The Messenger of Allah (saws) led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it.

A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic.

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that when an eclipse of the sun took place in the time of God’s Messenger he led them in prayer, reciting one of the long suras, bowing five times and prostrating himself twice. He then stood up for the second rak'a, recited one of the long suras, bowed five times, prostrated himself twice, then sat where he was facing the qibla and made supplication till the eclipse passed. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

I used to visit 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) in the morning and accompany him to the market. 'Abdullah offered greetings of peace to every one he met on the way, be they sellers of petty goods, traders or poor people. One day when I came to him, he asked me to accompany him to the market. I said to him: "What is the point of your going to the market when you do not sell, nor ask about articles, nor offer a price for them, nor sit down with any company of people. Let us sit down here and talk." He replied: "O Abu Batn (father of a belly) - Tufail had a large belly - we go to the market to greet everyone we meet."

[Malik, with a sound chain].

While I was in the mosque in the front row a man pulled me from behind, moved me aside and took my place, with the result, I swear by God, that I did not know what prayers I said. When he had finished I saw that he was Ubayy b. Ka'b. He said, “Young man, God does not wrong you, for this is a charge from the Prophet to us that we should be near him.” He then faced the qibla and said three times, “May ahl al-'aqd perish, by the Lord of the Ka'ba!” Then he said, “I swear by God that I do not grieve for them, but for those they have led astray.” I asked, “Abu Ya'qub, what do you mean by ahl al-'aqd?”* He replied, “The commanders.” * One of the meanings of 'aqd is “responsibility.’’ The phrase literally means “the people bf responsibility”, i.e. those who are in responsible positions. A chief ruler may be called sahib al-'aqd wal hall, i.e. he who binds and looses. Nasa’i transmitted it.

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".

I was serving drink to Abu 'Ubaida b. jarrah, Abu Talha and Ubayy b. Ka'b prepared from unripe dates and fresh dates when a visitor came and he said: Verily liquor has been prohibited. Thereupon, Abu Talha said: Anas, stand up and break this pitcher. I stool up and (took hold) of a pointed stone and struck the pitcher with its lower part until it broke into pieces.

I was with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) one night. and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Or anything else besides it. I said: That is all (what I require). He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.

An eclipse of the sun took place in the time of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). The Prophet (may peace be upon him) led them in prayer. He recited one of the long surahs, bowing five times and prostrating himself twice. He then stood up for the second rak'ah, recited one of the long surahs, bowed five times, prostrated himself twice, then sat where he was facing the qiblah and made the supplication till the eclipse was over.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out and saw that the people were praying during (the night of) Ramadan in the corner of the mosque. He asked: Who are these people ? It was said to him that those were people who had not learnt Quran. But Ubayy b. Ka'b is praying and they would pray behind him. The Prophet (saws) said: They did right and it is good what they did.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not strong, the narrator Muslim b. Khalid is weak.

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."

"Someone narrated to me that he heard 'ali bin abi Talib saying: 'I went out on a cold day from the house of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w). I had taken a tanned skin, si I tore it in the middle, and out it over my neck, and wrapped my mid-section, fastening it with a palm leave. I was severely hungry, and if there was food in the house of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) I would have eaten some of it. I went in search of something. I passed by a Jew on his property drawing water (from a well) with a pulley. I watched him from a gap in the fence. He said: "what is wrong with you O Arab1 Would you like to get a date for every bucket?" I said: "Yes. Open the door so I can come in." He opened the door, I entered and he gave me his bucket. Then for every bucket I pulled out, he would give me a date, until when it was enough for me. I put his bucket down and said: "I think I had enough to eat" then I scooped some water to drink it. Then I came to the Masjid and found the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) in it.'"

Ka'b b. Malik told that he said, “Messenger of God, to make my repentance complete* I should divest myself of my property as sadaqa for God and His Messenger.” God's Messenger replied, “Retain some of your property, for that will be better for you.” So he said he would retain the portion he had at Khaibar. (Bukhari and Muslim.) This is part of a long tradition. * Mirqat, iii, 566 refers this to his withdrawal from the expedition to Tabuk without a valid reason. Pt. 10

Ubayy b. Ka'b said that when God’s Messenger gave the salutation in the witr he said, “Glory be to the King most holy.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Nasa’i adding that he said it three times, prolonging the words. In a version by Nasa’i from ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abza from his father, he said that he used to say three times when he uttered that salutation, “Glory be to the King most holy”, raising his voice when saying it the third time.

"We said: 'O Messenger of Allah (SAW), we know about sending salams upon you, but how should we send salah upon you?' He said: "Say: 'Alahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammad kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim fil-'alamin, innaka hamidun majid (O Allah, send salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent salah upon the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim among the nations. You are indeed Worthy of praise, Full of glory.)'" (One of the narrators) Ibn Abi Laila said: "We used to say: 'And also upon us.'" Abu Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasa'I) said: It was narrated from his book, and this is a mistake.

" You will not attain righteousness till you give freely of what you love," Abu Talha said: I see that our Lord has demanded from us out of our property; so I make you a witness, Messenger of Allah. that I give my land known as Bairaha' for the sake of Allah. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Give that to your relatives. So he gave it to Hassan b. Thabit and Ubayy b. Ka'b.

By Allah, I know well about it. Shu'ba said: To the best of my knowledge it was the twenty-seventh night for which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded us to stand for prayer. Shu'ba doubted these words: That it was the night for which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded us to stand for prayer. And (he further) said: This was narrated to me by a friend of mine from him (the Holy Prophet).

"I heard Ka'b bin Malik telling the story of when he stayed behind from going out on the campaign of Tabuk with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came back in the morning, and when he came back from a journey he would go to the Masjid first and pray two Rak'ahs there, then he would sit to (meet with) the people. When he did that, those who had stayed behind came to him and started giving their excuses, swearing by Allah. There were eighty-odd men, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) accepted what they declared and accepted their oaths of allegiance; he prayed for forgiveness for them and left whatever was in their hearts to Allah. Then when I came and greeted him, he smiled as one who is angry, then he said: 'Come here.' So I came and sat in front of him, [1] and he said: 'What kept you behind? Did you not buy a mount?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I were to sit before anyone other than you of those who hold high positions in this world, I would find a way to avoid his anger. I am an eloquent man but, by Allah, I know that if I were to tell you a lie today to make you pleased with me, Allah would soon make you angry with me, but if I tell you the truth, it will make you angry with me, but I will still have the hope that Allah may forgive me. I have never been in a better position, physically or financially, than the time when I stayed behind and did not join you.' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: 'This man has spoken the truth. Go away until Allah decides concerning you.' So I got up and went away." This is an abridged version of narration. [1] It is this which the author cited the narration for. While the absence of the mention of a thing - in this case prayer - is not a proof that it does not exist.

I thu asked Ubayy b. Ka'b (Allah be pleased with him): Your brother (in faith) Ibn Mas'ud says: He who stands (for the night prayer) throughout the year would find Lailat-ul-Qadr, whereupon he said: May Allah have mercy upon him; (he said these words) with the intention that people might not rely only (on one night), whereas he knew that it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in the month of Ramadan and it is the twenty-seventh night. He then took oath (without making any exception, i. e. without saying In sha Allah) that it was the twenty-seventh night. I said to him: Abu Mundhir, on what ground do you say that? Thereupon he said: By the indication or by the sign which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave us, and that is that on that day (the sun) would rise without having any ray in it.

I heard from Ubayy b. Ka'b a statement made by 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud in which he said: He who gets up for prayer (every night) during the year will hit upon Lailat-ul-Qadr. Ubayy said: By Allah I there is no god but He, that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in Ramadhan (He swore without reservation: ) By Allah, I know the night; it is the night on which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded us to pray. It is that which precedes the morning of twenty-seventy and its indication is that the sun rises bright on that day without rays.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to me on the occasion of Hudaibiya and I was kindling fire under my cooking pot and lice were creeping on my face. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Do the vermins harm your head? I said: Yes. He said: Get your head shaved and (in lieu of it) observe fasts for three days or feed six needy persons, or offer sacrifice (of an animal). Ayyub said: I do not know with what (type of expiation) did he commence (the statement).