In the time of God’s messenger we used to eat while walking and drink while standing. Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that he saw God’s messenger drink both standing and sitting. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said God’s messenger forbade breathing or blowing into a vessel. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not drink without stopping as a camel does,* but divide your drink into two or three sections; mention God’s name when you drink and praise Him when you finish.” *This is to avoid blowing into the vessel. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that the Prophet forbade blowing into a drink. When a man said he saw specks in the vessel he told him to pour them out, and when he said his thirst was not quenched in one breath he told him to remove the cup from his mouth and take a breath. Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.

He told that God’s messenger forbade drinking from a broken place in a cup and blowing into a drink. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

God’s messenger came in to visit me and drank standing from the mouth of a water-skin which was hung up, whereupon I went and cut off its mouth. [It is suggested that she did this either to keep the mouth of the skin as a relic of the Prophet, or to make it impossible for anyone else to drink from the same place.] Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan gharib sahih tradition.

Zuhri, on ‘Urwa’s authority, told that ‘A’isha said the drink God’s messenger liked best was cold sweet water. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying the sound version is what was transmitted by Zuhri from the Prophet in mursal form.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “When one of you eats food he should say, ‘O God, bless us in it and give us good nourishment from it', and when he is given a drink of milk he should say, ‘O God, bless us in it and prosper us from it’, for no food or drink satisfies like milk.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha said the water from as-Suqya was considered sweetest by the Prophet. It is said it was a well two days’ journey from Medina. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone drinks from a vessel of gold or silver, or one containing something of that nature, the fire of jahannam will bubble in his belly.” Daraqutni transmitted it.

I have given God’s messenger in this cup of mine all kinds of drink: honey, nabidh, water and milk. Muslim transmitted it.

We used to steep dates for God’s messenger in a skin which was tied at the top and had a mouth. What we steeped in the morning he would drink in the evening, and what we steeped in the evening he would drink in the morning. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that dates were steeped for God’s messenger at the beginning of the night and he would drink it in the morning and the night after, the following day and the night after, and the next day up to the afternoon. If anything remained, he gave it to the servant to drink, or gave orders and it was poured out. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir said dates were steeped for God’s messenger in a skin, but when they could not find a skin they were steeped for him in a small stone vessel. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said God’s messenger forbade the use of pumpkins, [i.e. he forbade their use as containers.] green jars, vessels smeared with pitch and hollow stumps, giving command that dates should be steeped in skins. Muslim transmitted it.

Buraida reported God’s messenger as saying, “I have forbidden you receptacles, for while a receptacle does not make anything lawful or unlawful, every intoxicant is unlawful.” In a version he said, “I have forbidden you drinks except from skin vessels, but now you may drink from any kind of vessel, but do not drink an intoxicant.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Malik al-Ash'ari told of hearing God’s messenger say, “Some of my people will assuredly drink wine calling it by another name.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

God’s messenger forbade nabidh in green jars, and when I asked whether we might drink it from white ones he replied that we might not. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the darkness of night comes, or in the evening, collect your children, for the devil is abroad at that time, and when an hour of the night has passed let them free and shut the doors, making mention of God’s name, for the devil does not open a shut door. Tie up you buckets, mentioning God's name; cover up your vessels, mentioning God’s name, even though you should just put something on them, and extinguish your lamps.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Bukhari he said, “Cover up the vessels, tie the water-skins, shut the doors, and gather your children in the evening, for the jinn are abroad and seize them; and extinguish the lamps when you go to sleep, for a mouse often drags a wick and burns a household.” In a verison by Muslim he said, “Cover the vessel, tie up the water-skin, shut the doors and extinguish the lamp, for the devil does not loosen a water-skin, or open a door, or uncover a vessel. If all one can do is to put a piece of wood over his vessel and mention God's name let him do so, for a mouse sets a house on fire over its inhabitants.” In a version by him he said, “Do not let your animals and children go at large when the sun sets till the first and darkest part of the night has passed, for the devil is sent out; from the time the sun sets till the first and darkest part of the night is past.” In a version by him he said, “Cover the vessel and tie up the water-skin, for there is a night in the year when pestilence descends, and it does not pass an uncovered vessel or an untied water-skin without some of that pesti- lence descending into it.”

He told that when Abu Humaid, one of the Ansar, brought a vessel of milk to the Prophet from an-Naqi'* the Prophet said, “Why did you not cover it up, even by putting a piece of wood on it?” *A place in the wadi al-'Aqiq where camels which had been given in sadaqa were kept. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “Do not leave a fire burning in your houses while you are asleep.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Musa said that when a house in Medina was burned down during the night over its inhabitants and the Prophet was told, he said, “This fire is just an enemy to you, so when you go to sleep extinguish it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir told of hearing God’s messenger say, “When you hear the barking of dogs and the braying of asses at night seek refuge in God from the accursed devil, for they see what you do not see. Do not go out much when there are few people about, for God who is great and glorious scatters abroad such of His creatures as He wishes at night* Shut the doors, making mention of God's name, for the devil does not open a door which has been shut accompanied by mention of God’s name. Cover up jars, invert vessels and tie up buckets.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that when a mouse came dragging a wick and dropped it in front of God’s messenger on the mat on which he was sitting with the result th at it burned a hole in it about the size of dirham, he said, “When you go to sleep extinguish your lamps, for the devil guides a creature like this to do thus and sets you on fire.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

“God has not sent down a disease without sending down remedy for it.” Bukhari transmitted it.

“There is a medicine for every disease, and when the medicine is applied to the disease it is cured by God’s permission.” Muslim transmitted it.

“There is a remedy in three things: the incision of a cupping-glass, a drink of honey, or cauterization by fire, but I forbid my people to cauterize.” Bukhari transmitted.it.

Jabir told that at the battle of the Confederates* Ubayy was struck by an arrow in the median vein of the arm and God’s messenger cauterized it. Muslim transmitted it. * i.e. the battle of the Trench, 5 A. H.

He told that when Sa'id b. Mu'adh was shot in the median vein of his arm the Prophet with his own hand cauterized it with a broad arrow head. Afterwards it swelled up and he cauterized it a second time. Muslim transmitted it.

He told that God’s messenger sent to Ubayy b. Ka'b a physician who cut a vein of his and cauterized it. Muslim transmitted it.

“Nigella seed is a remedy for every disease but sam.” Ibn Shihab said sant is death and the nigella seed is shuniz.* (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Taj al-’arus says this is a Persian word which came to be used by Arabs. It indicates a seed of a species of nigella.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that a man came to the Prophet and told him his brother's bowels were loose, so God’s messenger told him to give him honey to drink . He did so and then came and said, “I gave it him to drink but it has only made his bowels more loose.” This he said three times, and when he came a fourth time and was told to give him honey to drink he said, “I have done so, but it has only increased the looseness.” God's messenger replied, “God has spoken the truth and your brother’s bowels have lied.” He then gave him it to drink and he recovered. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The best medical treatments you apply are cupping and sea costus.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“Do not afflict your children by squeezing for a swelling in the uvula, but apply costus.” (Bukhari and Muslim .)

“Why do you compress the uvula in this way? Use this Indian aloes wood, for it contains seven types of remedy, among them being a remedy for pleurisy. It is applied through the nose for a swelling of the uvula and poured into the side of the mouth for pleurisy.” (Bukhari and Muslim )

“Fever is due to the vehemence of the heat of hell, so cool it with water.” (Bukhari and Muslim.).

Anas said God’s messenger gave permission to use an invocation for the evil eye, scorpion sting and small pustules. Muslim transmitted it.

The Prophet gave command that we should use an invocation against the evil eye. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

“Use an invocation for her, for she has been affected by the evil eye.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Saf’a is explained as a stroke from the devil, or the influence of the evil eye. It may be read suf’a which means blackness, or blackness tinged with red. Sufra normally means yellowness, but it can also mean blackness, and that may be the interpretation it should have here, in which case one should read suf'a.

Jabir told that God’s messenger prohibited invocations, and the family of ‘Amr b. Hazm came and said, “Messenger of God, we had an invocation proved efficacious which we applied for scorpion bite, but you have prohibited invocations.” They submitted it to him and he said, “I see no harm in it. If any of you is able to benefit his brother, let him do so.” Muslim transmitted it.

In the pre-Islamic period we used to apply spells, and we asked God’s messenger how he looked upon that. He replied, “Submit your invocations to me. There is no harm in invocations so long as there is no polytheism in them.” Muslim transmitted it.

“The evil eye is genuine If anything could get ahead of the decree the evil eye would do so. And when you are asked to bathe do so.”* Muslim transmitted it. * An indication of the practice here intended will be found in the tradition of Abu Umama near the end of Section II of this chapter.

Usama b. Sharik told that when God’s messenger was asked whether they should make use of medical treatment he replied, “Yes servants of God, make use of medical treatment, for God has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease; viz., old age.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

“Do not force your invalids to eat, for God most high gives them food and drink.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Anas told that the Prophet cauterized As'ad b. Zurara because of a redness from which he suffered. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Zaid b. Arqam told that God’s messenger ordered them to treat pleurisy with sea costus and olive oil. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He told that the Prophet used to recommend olive oil and wars for pleurisy. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

“If anything contained a remedy for death it would be senna.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan gharlb tradition.

Abud Darda’ reported God's messenger as saying, “God has sent down both the disease and the cure, and He has appointed a cure for every disease, so treat yourselves medically, but use nothing unlawful.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.