glazed jars, gourds, hollowed stumps of palm trees, and receptacles smeared with pitch, saying, “Observe them and tell your people at home about them.” (Bukhari and Muslim, but the wording is Bukhari’s).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Thawr ibn Zayd ad-Dili from Abdullah ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once mentioned Ramadan and said, "Do not start the fast or break it until you see the new moon. If the new moon is obscured from you, then complete a full thirty days."

Anas said that when Rajab came God’s Messenger said, “O God, bless us in Rajab and Sha'ban and bring us to Ramadan.” He also quoted him as saying, “Thursday night is a very bright night and Friday is a shining day.” Baihaqi transmitted it in [Kitab] ad-Da'awat al-kabir.

Muslim al-Qurashi said that he or someone else asked God's messenger about perpetual fasting, and he replied, “You have a duty to your family. Fast during Ramadan and the following month, and every Wednesday and Thursday. You will then have observed a perpetual fast." Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

I asked or someone asked the Prophet (saws) about perpetual fasting. He replied: You have a duty to your family. Fast during Ramadan and the following month, and every Wednesday and Thursday. You will then have observed a perpetual fast.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn that he heard al-Araj say, "I never saw the people in Ramadan, but that they were cursing the disbelievers." He added, "The reciter of Qur'an used to recite surat al-Baqara in eight rakas and if he did it in twelve rakas the people would think that he had made it easy."

Abu Huraira said that when the Prophet stated that his people would be granted forgiveness on the last night in Ramadan and was asked whether it was Lailat al-qadr, he replied, “No, but a workman is paid his full wages only when he has finished his work.” Ahmad transmitted it.

"We were forbidden in the Quran to ask the Prophet about anything not imperative, so we liked it when a wise man from among the people of the desert came and asked him. A man from among the desert people came and said: 'O Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you say that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has sent you.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'Who created the heavens?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created the Earth?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who set up the mountains in it?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created beneficial things in them?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'By the One Who created the heavens and the Earth, and set up the mountains therein, and created beneficial things in them, has Allah sent you?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to offer five prayers each day and night.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to pay Zakah on our wealth.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to fast the month of Ramadan each year.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent You, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to perform Hajj, those who can afford it.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, I will not do more than this or less.' When he left, the Prophet said: 'If he is sincere, he will certainly enter paradise.'"

A man of the people of Najd with dishevelled hair came to God’s messenger. We could hear the sound of his voice, but could not understand what he was saying till he came near God’s messenger and we realised that he was asking about Islam. God’s messenger said, “Five times of prayer each day and night.” He asked, “Must I observe any more than them?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” God's messenger said, “And fasting during the month of Ramadan.” He asked, “Must I observe anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Talha said that God's messenger mentioned the zakat to him, and he asked, “Must I pay anything else?” He replied, “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” He said that the man turned away saying, “I swear by God that I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it.” So God’s messenger said, “The man will prosper if he is speaking the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A man wrote to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Aziz asking him about Divine decree. He wrote to him: To begin with, I enjoin upon you to fear Allah, to be moderate in (obeying) His Command, to follow the sunnah (practice) of His Prophet (saws) and to abandon the novelties which the innovators introduced after his Sunnah has been established and they were saved from its trouble (i.e. novelty or innovation) ; so stick to Sunnah, for it is for you, if Allah chooses, a protection ; then you should know that any innovation which the people introduced was refuted long before it on the basis of some authority or there was some lesson in it, for the Sunnah was introduced by the people who were conscious of the error, slip, foolishness, and extremism in case of (the sunnah) was opposed. So accept for yourself what the people (in the past) had accepted for themselves, for they had complete knowledge of whatever they were informed, and by penetrating insight they forbade (to do prohibited acts); they had more strength (than us) to disclose the matters (of religion), and they were far better (than us) by virtue of their merits. If right guidance is what you are following, then you outstriped them to it. And if you say whatever the novelty occurred after them was introduced by those who followed the way other then theirs and disliked them. It is they who actually outstripped, and talked about it sufficiently, and gave a satisfactory explanation for it. Below them there is no place for exhaustiveness, and above them there is no place for elaborating things. Some people shortened the matter more than they had done, and thus they turned away (from them), and some people raised the matter more than they had done, and thus they exaggerated. They were on right guidance between that. You have written (to me) asking about confession of Divine decree, you have indeed approached a person who is well informed of it, with the will of Allah. I know what whatever novelty people have brought in, and whatever innovation people have introduced are not more manifest and more established than confession of Divine decree. The ignorant people (i.e. the Arabs before Islam) in pre-Islamic times have mentioned it ; they talked about it in their speeches and in their poetry. They would console themselves for what they lost, and Islam then strengthened it (i.e. belief in Divine decree). The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not ...