The Prophet (saws) said: There are forty characteristics; the highest of them is to give a goat on loan (for benefiting from its milk). If any man carries out any of those characteristics with the hope of getting a reward and testifying to the promise for it, Allah will admit him to Paradise for it.

Abu Dawud said: In the version of Musaddad, Hassan said: So we counted other characteristics than lending the goat: to return the greeting, to respond to sneezing, and remove things which cause annoyance to the people from their path, and similar other things. We could not reach fifteen characteristics.

The people of pre-Islamic times used to eat some things and leave others alone, considering them unclean. Then Allah sent His Prophet (saws) and sent down His Book, marking some things lawful and others unlawful; so what He made lawful is lawful, what he made unlawful is unlawful, and what he said nothing about is allowable. And he recited: "Say: I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it...." up to the end of the verse.

We were with Hudhaifa and he said, "None remains of the people described by this Verse (9.12), "Except three, and of the hypocrites except four." A bedouin said, "You the companions of Muhammad! Tell us (things) and we do not know that about those who break open our houses and steal our precious things? ' He (Hudhaifa) replied, "Those are Al Fussaq (rebellious wrongdoers) (not disbelievers or hypocrites). Really, none remains of them (hypocrite) but four, one of whom is a very old man who, if he drinks water, does not feel its coldness."

While the Prophet was delivering a sermon on the Day of Nahr (i.e., 10th Dhul-Hijja-Day of slaughtering the sacrifice), a man got up saying, "I thought, O Allah's Apostle, such-and-such a thing was to be done before such-and-such a thing." Another man got up, saying, "O Allah's Apostle! As regards these three (acts of Hajj), thought so-and-so." The Prophet said, "Do, and there is no harm," concerning all those matters on that day. And so, on that day, whatever question he was asked, he said, "Do it, do it, and there is no harm therein."

I heard Al-Bara' bin `Azib saying, "The Prophet orders us to do seven things and prohibited us from doing seven other things." Then Al-Bara' mentioned the following:-- (1) To pay a visit to the sick (inquiring about his health), (2) to follow funeral processions, (3) to say to a sneezer, "May Allah be merciful to you" (if he says, "Praise be to Allah!"), (4) to return greetings, (5) to help the oppressed, (6) to accept invitations, (7) to help others to fulfill their oaths. (See Hadith No. 753, Vol. 7)

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Things that pass in front of a man praying do not break his prayer."

(The Prophet said), "Healing is in three things: A gulp of honey, cupping, and branding with fire (cauterizing)." But I forbid my followers to use (cauterization) branding with fire."

The Prophet said, "Healing is in three things: cupping, a gulp of honey or cauterization, (branding with fire) but I forbid my followers to use cauterization (branding with fire).

The Prophet said, "Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them ).

The Prophet said, "Hurry up with the dead body for if it was righteous, you are forwarding it to welfare; and if it was otherwise, then you are putting off an evil thing down your necks."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Be on your guard against three things which provoke cursing: easing in the watering places and on the thoroughfares, and in the shade (of the tree).

the same as above but said, "... in every joint undivided thing..." Narrated Hisham from Ma`mar the same as above but said, " ... in every property... "

Allah's Apostle said, "If a man finds his very things with a bankrupt, he has more right to take them back than anyone else."

The Prophet (saws) used to seek refuge in Allah from five things; cowardliness, niggardliness, the evils of old age, evil thoughts, and punishment in the grave.

The Prophet (saws) said: There are three things which, whether undertaken seriously or in jest, are treated as serious: Marriage, divorce and taking back a wife (after a divorce which is not final)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Tie the horses, rub down their forelocks and their buttocks (or he said: Their rumps), and put things on their necks, but do not put bowstrings.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: A vow is binding in those things by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, and an oath to break ties of relationship is not binding.

The Prophet said, "Let the slave of Dinar and Dirham of Quantify and Khamisa (i.e. money and luxurious clothes) perish for he is pleased if these things are given to him, and if not, he is displeased!"

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to seek refuge in Allah from such things as mentioned in the above-mentioned hadith and from 'miserliness" too.

Allah's Apostle gave a verdict regarding Shuf'a in every undivided joint thing (property). But if the limits are defined (or demarcated) or the ways and streets are fixed, then there is no pre-emption.

That she heard Allah's Apostle saying, "He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar."

Malik related to me from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whomever Allah protects from the evil of two things will enter the Garden." A man said, "Messenger of Allah, do not tell us!" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was silent. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, repeated what he had said the first time. The man said to him, "Do not tell us, Messenger of Allah!" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was silent. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the same thing again. The man said, "Do not tell us, Messenger of Allah!" Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the same thing again. Then the man began to say what he had said previously and a man at his side silenced him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whomever Allah protects from the evil of two things will enter the Garden. They are what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, what is between his jaws and what is between his legs."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Talha ibn Abi al-Malik al- Ayli from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn as-Siddiq from A'isha that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him. Whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him."

Yahya said that he had heard Malik say, "The meaning of the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him' is that for instance a man who vows that, if he speaks to such-and-such a person, he will walk to Syria, Egypt, or any other such things which are not considered as ibada, is not under any obligation by any of that, even if he did speak to the man or did break whatever it was he swore, because Allah does not demand obedience in such things. He should only fulfill those things in which there is obedience to Allah."

22.5 Rashness in Oaths

Malik related to me from Suhayl ibn Abi Salih from his father from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah is pleased with three things from you, and He is angry with three things from you. He is pleased that you worship Him and do not associate anything with Him, and that you take hold of the rope of Allah altogether, and that you give good counsel to the one to whom Allah gives command over you. He is angry with you for gossip, squandering property, and asking too many questions."

Some meat was presented to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and it had been given to Barira (the freed slave-girl of Aisha) in charity. He said, "This meat is a thing of charity for Barira but it is a gift for us."

I twisted with my own hands the garlands for the Budn of the Prophet who garlanded and marked them, and then made them proceed to Mecca; Yet no permissible thing was regarded as illegal for him then.

The people were ordered to perform the Tawaf of the Ka`ba (Tawaf-al-Wada`) as the lastly thing, before leaving (Mecca), except the menstruating women who were excused.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Woe to him who tells things, speaking falsely, to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him! Woe to him!.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad from his father that Ali ibn Abi Talib used to say, "The least difficult thing acceptable as a sacrificial animal is a sheep."

The delegates of `Abdul Qais came to Allah's Apostle and said, "The pagans of the tribe of Mudar intervene between you and us therefore we cannot come to you except in the Holy months. So please order us to do something good (Religious deeds) by which we may enter Paradise (by acting on them) and we may inform our people whom we have left behind to observe it." The Prophet said, "I order you to do four things and forbid you from four things: I order you to believe in Allah. Do you know what is meant by belief in Allah? It is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, to offer prayers perfectly, to give Zakat, and to give Al-Khumus (one-fifth of the war booty) (in Allah's Cause). And I forbid you four things, (i.e., Do not drink alcoholic drinks) Ad-Dubba, An- Naqir, (pitched water skins), Az-Zuruf, Al-Muzaffat and Al--Hantam (names of utensils used for the preparation of alcoholic drinks)." (See Hadith No. 50, Vol. 1)