The Prophet (saws) said: Stand close together in your rows, bring them near one another, and stand neck to neck, for by Him in Whose hand my soul is, I see the devil coming in through openings in the row just like a small black sheep.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) prescribed the sadaqah (alms) relating to the breaking of the fast as a purification of the fasting from empty and obscene talk and as food for the poor. If anyone pays it before the prayer (of 'Id), it will be accepted as zakat. If anyone pays it after the prayer, that will be a sadaqah like other sadaqahs (alms).

Regarding the Verse:--"If a woman fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part." (4.128) It is about a man who has a woman (wife) and he does not like her and wants to divorce her but she says to him, "I make you free as regards myself." So this Verse was revealed in this connection.

Ibn Mas'ud reported that a person came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and told him that he had kissed a woman or touched her with his hand or did something like this. He inquired of him about its expiation. It was (on this occasion) that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse (as mentioned above).

Allah's Apostle said, "Many amongst men reached (the level of) perfection but none amongst the women reached this level except Asia, Pharaoh's wife, and Mary, the daughter of `Imran. And no doubt, the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. a meat and bread dish) to other meals."

Allah's Apostle said, "Many amongst men attained perfection but amongst women none attained the perfection except Mary, the daughter of `Imran and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh. And the superiority of `Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. an Arabic dish) to other meals."

Khawlah was the wife of Aws ibn as-Samit; he was a man immensely given to sexual intercourse. When his desire for intercourse was intensified, he made his wife like his mother's back. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down Qur'anic verses relating to expiation for zihar.

While Allah's Apostle was prostrating (as stated below).

Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud:

Once the Prophet was offering prayers at the Ka`ba. Abu Jahl was sitting with some of his companions. One of them said to the others, "Who amongst you will bring the Abdominal contents (intestines, etc.) of a camel of Bani so and so and put it on the back of Muhammad, when he prostrates?" The most unfortunate of them got up and brought it. He waited till the Prophet prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. I was watching but could not do any thing. I wish I had some people with me to hold out against them. They started laughing and falling on one another. Allah's Apostle was in prostration and he did not lift his head up till Fatima (Prophet's daughter) came and threw that (camel's Abdominal contents) away from his back. He raised his head and said thrice, "O Allah! Punish Quraish." So it was hard for Abu Jahl and his companions when the Prophet invoked Allah against them as they had a conviction that the prayers and invocations were accepted in this city (Mecca). The Prophet said, "O Allah! Punish Abu Jahl, `Utba bin Rabi`a, Shaiba bin Rabi`a, Al-Walid bin `Utba, Umaiya bin Khalaf, and `Uqba bin Al Mu'it [??] (and he mentioned the seventh whose name I cannot recall). By Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I saw the dead bodies of those persons who were counted by Allah's Apostle in the Qalib (one of the wells) of Badr.

That he heard Sahl bin Sa`d being asked about the wounds of Allah's Apostle saying, "By Allah, I know who washed the wounds of Allah's Apostle and who poured water (for washing them), and with what he was treated." Sahl added, "Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle used to wash the wounds, and `Ali bin Abi Talib used to pour water from a shield. When Fatima saw that the water aggravated the bleeding, she took a piece of a mat, burnt it, and inserted its ashes into the wound so that the blood was congealed (and bleeding stopped). His canine tooth got broken on that day, and face was wounded, and his helmet was broken on his head."

Allah's Apostle set out with the intention of performing `Umra, but the infidels of Quraish intervened between him and the Ka`ba, so the Prophet slaughtered his Hadi (i.e. sacrificing animals and shaved his head at Al-Hudaibiya and concluded a peace treaty with them (i.e. the infidels) on condition that he would perform the `Umra the next year and that he would not carry arms against them except swords, and would not stay (in Mecca) more than what they would allow. So the Prophet performed the `Umra in the following year and according to the peace treaty, he entered Mecca, and when he had stayed there for three days, the infidels ordered him to leave, and he left.

I came to the Prophet at a place called Al-Batha'. The Prophet said, "Did you assume the Ihram for Hajj?" I said, "Yes," He said, "How did you express your intention (for performing Hajj)? " I said, "Labbaik (i.e. I am ready) to assume the Ihram with the same intention as that of Allah's Apostle." The Prophet said, "Perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba and between Safa and Marwa, and then finish your Ihram." So I performed the Tawaf around the Ka`ba and between Safa and Marwa and then I came to a woman from the tribe of Qais who removed the lice from my head.

During the ailment of the Prophet some people came to visits him. He led them in prayer while sitting. but they prayed standing, so he waved to them to sit down. When he had finished the prayer, he said, "An Imam is to be followed, so when he bows, you should bow. and when he raises his head, you should raise yours, and if he prays sitting. you should pray sitting." Abu `Abdullah said Al-Humaidi said, (The order of ) "This narration has been abrogated by the last action of the Prophet as he led the prayer sitting, while the people prayed standing behind him.'

I was with Ibn `Umar when a spear head pierced the sole of his foot and his foot stuck to the paddle of the saddle and I got down and pulled his foot out, and that happened in Mina. Al-Hajjaj got the news and came to inquire about his health and said, "Alas! If we could only know the man who wounded you!" Ibn `Umar said, "You are the one who wounded me." Al-Hajjaj said, "How is that?" Ibn `Umar said, "You have allowed the arms to be carried on a day on which nobody used to carry them and you allowed arms to be carried in the Haram even though it was not allowed before."

(Reporting the speech of Ka`b bin Umra) Allah's Apostle saw him (i.e. Ka`b) while the lice were falling on his face. He asked (him), "Have your lice troubled you?" He replied in the affirmative. So, he ordered him to get his head shaved while he was at Al-Hudaibiya. At that time they were not permitted to finish their Ihram, and were still hoping to enter Mecca. So, Allah revealed the verses of Al-Fidya. Allah's Apostle ordered him to feed six poor persons with one Faraq of food or to slaughter one sheep (as a sacrifice) or to fast for three days.

By chance I went to the Prophet at noon while he was at Al-Abtah (resting) in a tent. Bilal came out (of the tent) and pronounced the Adhan for the prayer, and entering again, he brought out the water which was left after Allah's Apostle had performed the ablution. The people rushed to take some of the water. Bilal again went in and brought out a spear-headed stick, and then Allah's Apostle came out. As if I were now looking at the whiteness of his leg. Bilal fixed the stick and the Prophet offered a two-rak`at Zuhr prayer and a two-rak`at `Asr prayer, while women and donkeys were passing in front of the Prophet (beyond the stick) .

Nadr ibn Kathir as-Sa'di said: Abdullah ibn Tawus prayed at my side in the mosque of al-Khayf. When he made the first prostration, he raised his head after it and raised his hands opposite to his face. This came as something strange for me. I, therefore, said it to Wuhayb ibn Khalid.

Then Wuhayb ibn Khalid said to him: You are doing a thing that I did not see anyone do. Ibn Tawus then replied: I saw my father doing it, and my father said: I saw Ibn Abbas doing it. I do not know but he said: The Prophet (saws) used to do it.

Al-Hayyaj ibn Imran ibn Husayn reported that a slave of Imran ran away. He took a vow to Allah that if he overpowers him, he will cut off his head. He then sent me (to Samurah ibn Jundub) to ask him about this question for him. I came to Samurah ibn Jundub and asked him. He said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to exhort us to give alms (sadaqah) and forbid us to mutilate (a slain). I then came to Imran ibn Husayn and asked him. He said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to exhort us to give alms (sadaqah) and forbid us to mutilate (a slain).

Abu Dawud said: Aqra' means a snake whose hair of the head were removed on account of poison.

Regarding the Verse: 'Those whom they call upon (worship) (like Jesus the Son of Mary or angels etc.) desire (for themselves) means of access, to their Lord....' (17.57) (It was revealed regarding) some Jinns who used to be worshipped (by human beings). They later embraced Islam (while those people kept on worshipping them).

Yahya related to me that Malik had seen that the people of knowledge used to like to pay the zakat al-fitr after dawn had broken on the day of the Fitr before they went to the place of prayer.

Malik said, "There is leeway in this, if Allah wills, in that it can be paid either before setting out (for the prayer) on the day of Fitr or afterwards."

The Prophet said, "Seventy-thousand or seven-hundred thousand of my followers (the narrator is in doubt as to the correct number) will enter Paradise holding each other till the first and the last of them enter Paradise at the same time, and their faces will have a glitter like that of the moon at night when it is full."

`Ukaz, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz were markets in the Pre-Islamic period. When the people embraced Islam they considered it a sin to trade there. So, the following Holy Verse came:-- 'There is no harm for you if you seek of the bounty of your Lord (Allah) in the Hajj season." (2.198) Ibn `Abbas recited it like this.

Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Apostle forbade the selling of foodstuff before its measuring and transferring into one's possession." I asked Ibn `Abbas, "How is that?" Ibn `Abbas replied, "It will be just like selling money for money, as the foodstuff has not been handed over to the first purchaser who is the present seller."

The following Verse: If a woman fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part (i.e. the husband notices something unpleasant about his wife, such as old age or the like, and wants to divorce her, but she asks him to keep her and provide for her as he wishes). (4.128) "There is no blame on them if they reconcile on such basis."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Marwan ibn al-Hakam decided that if someone made three pronouncements of divorce, he had divorced his wife irrevocably.

Malik said, "That is what I like best of what I have heard on the subject."

29.2 Divorce by Euphemistic Statements

Yahya related to me from Malik that Safwan ibn Sulaym heard that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I and the one who guards the orphan, whether for himself or for someone else, will be like these two in the Garden, when he has taqwa," indicating his middle and index fingers.

"We used to say that the participants of Badr on the Day of Badr were like the number of companions of Talut, three hundred and thirteen men."

[He said:] There is something on this topic from Ibn 'Abbas.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. Ath-Thawri and others reported it from Abu Ishaq.

"I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) taking from the sides around the dish - meaning the gourd. Since then I still like it."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. This Hadith has been reported through more than one route from Anas bin Malik.

* The majority of scholars interpret this to mean that these things in and of themselves do not transmit or cause harm through supernatural or hidden means but that Allah is ultimately in control and any fearful superstition around these is false.