I applied the best perfume, which I could get, to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) before entering upon the state of Ihram (and after this) he put on the Ihram.

Should I not tell you of the best witnesses? He is the one who produces his evidence before he is asked for it.

I recognise the stone in Mecca which used to pay me salutations before my advent as a Prophet and I recognise that even now.

That he said there would be before you a Cistern extending from jarba' and Adhruh and the same has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna and the wording is:" My Cistern."

“The Hour will not begin until the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold and people fight over it, and out of every ten, nine will be killed.’”

The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) one night delayed (observing the 'Isya' prayer) till a great part of the night was over and the people in the mosque had gone to sleep. He (the Holy Prophet) then came out and observed prayer and said: This is the proper time for it; were it not that I would impose a burden on my people (I would normally pray at this time). In the hadith transmitters by 'Abd al-Razzaq (the words are):" Were it not that it would impose burden on my people."

I asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during the night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) She replied: He used to pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting in the night, and when he recited the Qur'an while standing, he would bow himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow from the sitting position.

I do not mind if I give option to my wife (to get divorce) once, hundred times, or thousand times after (knowing it) that she has chosen me (and would never seek divorce). I asked 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) (about it) and she said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) gave us the option, but did it imply divorce? (It was in fact not a divorce; it is effective when women actually avail themselves of it.)

He who buys foodgrain should not sell it, until he has weighed it (and then taken possession of it). I (Tawus) said to Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them): Why is it so? Thereupon he said: Don't you see that they (the people) sell foodgrains against gold for the stipulated time. Abu Kuraib did not make any mention of the stipulated time.

I recognise the voice of the Ash'arites while they recite the Qur'an as they arrive during the night and I also recognise their station from the recital of the Qur'an during the night time, although I have not seen their encampments as they encamp during the day time. And there is a person amongst them, Hakim; when he encounters the horsemen or the enemies he says to them: My friends command you to wait for them.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade fasting on two days, al-Fitr (breaking the fast of Ramadan) and al-Adha (the day of sacrifice), and wearing a tight single garment the raising of which discloses private parts, and sitting with one's legs drawn up and wrapped in one's garment, and forbade praying at two hours, after the Fajr prayer and after the Asr prayer.

“My father sent word to ‘Aishah, asking which prayer the Prophet (saw) most liked to perform regularly. She said: ‘He used to perform four Rak’ah before the Zuhr, in which he would stand for a long time and bow and prostrate perfectly.’”

I never remained behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any expedition which he undertook except the Battle of Tabuk and that of the Battle of Badr. So far as the Battle of Badr is concerned, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and the Muslims (did not set out for attack but for waylaying) the caravan of the Quraish, but it was Allah Who made them confront their enemies without their intention (to do so). I had the honour to be with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the night of 'Aqaba when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was more dear to me than my participation in the Battle of Badr, although Badr was more popular amongst people as compared with that (Tabuk). And this is my story of remaining back from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk. Never did I possess means enough and (my circumstances) more favourable than at the occasion of this expedition. And, by Allah, I had never before this expedition simultaneously in my possession two rides. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out for this expedition in extremely hot season; the journey was long and the land (which he and his army had to cover) was waterless and he had to confront a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual situation (they had to face), so that they should adequately equip themselves for this expedition, and he also told them the destination where he intended to go. And the Muslims who accompanied Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) at that time were large in numbers but there was no proper record of them. Ka'b (further) said: Few were the persons who wanted to absent themselves, and were under the impression that they could easily conceal themselves (and thus remain undetected) until revelations from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious (descended in connection with them). And Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition when the fruits were ripe and their shadows had been lengthened. I had weakness for them and it was during this season that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) made preparations and the Muslims too along with them. I also set out in the morning so that I should make preparations along with them but I came back and did 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) until people were about to depart and it was in the morning that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out and the Muslims too along with him, but I made no preparations. I went early in the morning and came back, but I made no decision. I continued to do so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. I also made up my mind to march on and to meet them. Would that I had done that but perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as I went out amongst people, I was shocked to find that I did not find anyone like me but people who were labelled as hypocrites or the people whom Allah granted exemption because of their incapacity and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) took no notice of me until he had reached Tabuk. (One day as he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk) he said: What has happened to Ka'b b. Malik? A person from Banu' Salama said: Allah's Messenger, the (beauty) of his cloak and his appreciation of his sides have allured him and he was thus detained. Mua'dh b. Jabal said: Woe be upon that what you contend. Allah's Messenger, by Allah, we know nothing about him but good. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), however, kept quiet. It was during that time that he (the Holy Prophet) saw a person (dressed in all white (garment) shattering the illusion of eye (mirage). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: May he be Abu Khaithama and, lo, it was Abu Khaithama al-Ansari and he was that person who contributed a sa' of dates and was scoffed at by the hypocrites. Ka'b b. Malik farther said: When this news reached me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was on his way back from Tabuk I was greatly perturbed. I thought of fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger on the following day. In this connection, I sought the help of every prudent man from amongst the members of my family and when it was said to me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was about to arrive, all the false ideas banished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing could save me but the telling of truth, so I decided to speak the truth and it was in the morning that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) arrived (in Medina). And it was his habit that as he came back from a journey he first went to the mosque and observed two Rak'ahs of nafl prayer (as a mark of gratitude) and then sat amongst people. And as he did that, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him and they were more than eighty persons. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their secret (intentions) to Allah, until I presented myself to him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He (the Holy Prophet) then said to me: Come forward. I went forward until 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: Allah's Messenger, by Allah, if I were to sit in the presence of anybody else from amongst the worldly people I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext (or the other) and I have also the knack to fall into argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of the fact that if I were to put forward before you a false excuse to please you Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me, and if I speak the truth you may be annoyed with me, but I hope that Allah would make its end well and, 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 you (failed to join the expedition). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: This man told the truth, so get up until Allah gives a decision in your case. I stood up and some people of Banu' Salama followed me in hot haste, and they said to me: By Allah, we do not know about you that you committed a sin prior to this. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as those who stayed behind him have put forward excuses. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) would have sought forgiveness for you. By Allah, they continued to incite me until I thought of going back to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and contradict myself. Then I said to them: Has anyone else also met the same fate? They said: Yes, two persons have met the same fate as has fallen to you and they have made the sane statement as you have made, and the same verdict has been delivered in their case as it has been delivered in your case. I said: Who are they? They said: Murara b. ar-Rabi'a 'Amiri and Hilal b. Umayya al-Waqafi. They made a mention of these two pious persons to me who had participated in the Battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I went away when they named these two persons. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the Nluslims to talk with three of us from amongst those (persons) who had stayed behind him. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us underwent a change and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned (hostile) against us and it was in fact the same atmosphere ot 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 withen their houses and spent (most of the) time in weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them I got (out of my house), participated in congregational prayers, moved about in the bazar; but none spoke to me. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he sat amongst (people) after the prayer, greeted him and asked myself whether his lips stirred in response to my greetings (or not). Then I observed prayer beside him and looked at him with stealing glances and when I attended to my prayer, he looked at me and when I cast a glance at him he turned away his eyes from me. And when the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me extended to a (considerable) length of time, I walked until I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada, and he was my cousin, and I had the greatest love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not respond to my greetings. I said to him: Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah, arn't you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) the most. He kept quiet. I again repeated saying: I adjure you by Allah. arn't you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) the most. He kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said: Allah and the Messenger (may peace be upon him) are best aware of it. My eyes began to shed tears and I came back climbing down from the wall and as I was walking in the bazar of Medina a Nabatean from amongst the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to sell foodgrains in Medina, asked people to direct him to Ka'b b. Malik. People gave him the indication by pointing towards me. He came to me and delivered to me a letter of the King of Ghassan and as I was a scribe I read that letter and it was written like this:" Coming to my point, it has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Holy Prophet) is subjecting you to cruelty and Allah has not created you for a place where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place, so you come to us that we should accord you honour. As I read that letter I said: This is also a calamity, so I burnt it in the oven. When out of the fifty days, forty days had passed and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) received no revelation, there came the messenger of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to me and said: Verily, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has commanded you to remain separate from your wife. I said: Should I divorce her or what (else) should I do? He said: No, but only remain separate 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 b. Umayya came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, Hilal b. Umayya is a senile person, he has no servant. Do you disapprove of my serving him? He said: No, but don't go near him. She said: By Allah, he has no such instinct in him. By Allah, he spends his time in weeping from that day to this day. Some of the members of my family said to me: Were you to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in regard to your wife as he has granted permission to the wife of Hilal b. Umayya to serve him. I said: I would not seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), for I cannot say what Allah's Apostle may say in response to seeking my permission. Moreover, I am a young man. It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty nights had passed that (people) had observed boycott with us. It was on the morning of the fiftieth night that I observed my dawn prayer and was sitting on one of the roofs of our houses. And I was in fact sitting in that very state which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has described about us in these words:" Life had become hard for myself and the earth had compressed despite its vastness," that I heard the noise of an announcer from the peak of the hill of Sal' saying at the top of his voice: Ka'b b. Malik, there is glad tidings for you. I fell down in prostration and came to realise that there was (a message of) relief for me. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had informed the people of the acceptance of our repentance by Allah as he offered the dawn prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my friends in order to give them the glad tidings and a person galloped his horse and came from the tribe of Aslam and his horse reached me more quickly than his voice. And when he came to me whose sound I heard, he gave me the glad tidings. I took off my clothes and clothed him with them because of his bringing good news to me and, by Allah, I possessed nothing else (in the form of clothes) than these two on that occasion, and I asked one to lend me two clothes and dressed myself in them. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and on my way I met groups of people who greeted me because of (the acceptance of) repentance and they said: Here is a greeting for you for your repentance being accepted by Allah. (I moved on) until I came to the mosque and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had been sitting there amongst persons. So Talha b. 'Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me and he shook hands with me and greeted me and, by Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the emigrants except he. Ka'b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talha. Ka'b further said: I greeted Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) with Assalam-o-'Alaikam and his face was glistening because of delight, and he said: Let there be glad tidings and blessings for you, the like of which (you have neither found nor you will find, as you find today) since your mother gave your birth. I said: Allah's Messenger. is this acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah? He said: No, (it is not from ma), it is from Allah, and it was common with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that as he was happy his face brightened up and it looked like a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognised it (his delight). As I sat before him, I said: Allah's Messenger, am I allowed to give in charity my wealth for Allah's sake and for the sake of His Messenger (may peace be upon him)? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Keep some property with you as it is better for you. I said: I shall keep with me that part (of my property) which fell to my lot (on the occasion of the expedition of) Khaibar. I said: Allah's Messenger, verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of truth and, therefore, (I think) that repentance implies that I should not speak anything but truth as long as I live. He said: By Allah, I do not know whether anyone amongst the Muslims was put to more severe trial than I by Allah because of telling the truth. And since I made a mention of this to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) up to this day I have not told any lie and, by Allah, I have decided not to tell a lie and I hope that Allah would save me (from trials) for the rest of my life and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed these verses:" Certainly, Allah has turned in Mercy to the Prophet and the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship after the hearts of a part of them were about to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy. Surely, to them He is Compassionate, Merciful and (He turned in Mercy) to the three who were left behind until the earth despite its vastness became strait for them and their souls were also straitened to them." And this revelation reached up to the (words):" O you who believe, develop God consciousness, and be with the truthful" (ix. 117-118). Ka'b said: By Allah, since Allah directed me to Islam there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who told lies, for in regard to those who told lies Allah used harshest words used for anyone as He descended revelation (and the words of Allah are):" They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. Surely, they are unclean and their resort is Hell, recompense for what they earned. They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them but if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people" (ix. 95-96). K'ab said that the matter of us three persons was deferred as compared with those who took an oath in the presence of Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and Allah did not give any decision in regard to us. It was Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Who gave decisions in our case, three who remained behind. (The words of the Qur'an)" the three who were left behind" do not mean that we remained back from Jihad but these imply that He kept our matter behind them who took oath and presented excuse before Him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

The best of' the deeds or deed is the (observance of) prayer at its proper time and kindness to the parents.

I pour water over my head thrice.

We used to say the afternoon prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and then the camel was slaughtered and ten parts of it were distributed; then it was cooked and then we ate this cooked meat before the sinking of the sun.

You will be soon presented before your Lord, and you will see Him as you are seeing this moon, and then recited (the above-mentioned verse). But (in this hadith) no mention is made of Jarir.

I applied the best available perfume I could find to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) before he entered upon the state of Ihram and after he was free from it.

Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you and when you meet any one of them on the roads force him to go to the narrowest part of it.

When the Khawarij rebelled and fought in An-Nahrawan, ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) stood before his companions and said: These people have shed blood that it is forbidden to shed and have raided the flocks of the people. They are the closest of the enemy to you, but if you go to your enemy, I am afraid that these people may attack what you leave behind. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `Some rebels will emerge from my ummah, your prayer will be as nothing compared to their prayer, and your fasting will be as nothing compared to their fasting, and your recitation will be as nothing compared to their recitation. They will recite the Qur`an, thinking that it is in their favour, but it will be against them; it will go no further than their throats. They will pass out of Islam as the arrow passes out of the prey. The sign of that is that among them will be a man who has an upper arm but no forearm, and on it will be something like the nipple of a breast, on which will be some white hairs.` If the army that fights them knew what reward they will have, as spoken on the lips of their Prophet (ﷺ), they would cease striving and rely on that. March forth in the Name of Allah. And he narrated the hadeeth at length.

I have been helped by terror [being put in the hearts of enemies] as far as a month's journey away, the earth has been made for me a place of worship and ceremonially pure, so that when the time of prayer comes any man of my people may pray; spoils have been made lawful to me, but were not made lawful to anyone before me; I have been granted the right of intercession; and prophets were formerly sent to their people alone, whereas I have been sent to all mankind." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Uthman (rad) called for water to perform ablution. He washed palms of his hands three times, then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water in his nose and then blew it out. He then washed his face three times. Thereafter he washed his right hand up to his elbow three times, then the left one likewise, then he passed wet hands on his head. Then he washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then the left one likewise. He then said, “I saw Allah’s Messenger (saw) performing ablution like this ablution of mine”. [Agreed upon]

He asked Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, about how the Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to pray in Ramadan. She said: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) did not pray more than eleven rak'ahs during Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray three." Aishah said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you pray witr?' He said: 'O Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.'"

"I divorced my wife during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah while she was menstruating. 'Umar mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, and the Messenger of Allah got angry about that and said: 'Let him take her back, then keep her until she has menstruated again and become pure again. Then if he wants to divorce her when she is pure and before he touches her (has intercourse with her), then that is divorce at the prescribed time as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has revealed.'" 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "So I took her back, but I still counted the divorce that I had issued to her."

An-Nawwas b. Sam`a.n told that God's messenger mentioned the dajjal saying, "If he comes forth while I am among you I shall be the one who will dispute with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth when I am not among you a man must dispute on his own behalf, and God will take my place in looking after every Muslim. He will be a youth with curly hair and a floating eye whom I might compare to `Abd al- `Uzza b. Qatan. Those of you who live till his time should recite over him the opening verses of sura al-Kahf[1] (a version having `should recite over him the opening verses of sura al-Kahf, for they are your protection from his trial'). He will come forth on a road between Syria and al- `Iraq and do mischief right and left. Stand firm, servants of God." God's messenger was asked how long he would remain in the earth and replied, "Forty days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and the rest of his days like yours." God's messenger was then asked if one day's prayer would suffice them in that day which would be like a year and replied, "No, you must make an estimate of its extent." He was asked how quickly he would go in the earth and replied, "Like rain driven along by the wind. He will come to people and summon them and they will believe in him. He will then give command to the sky and it will give rain and to the earth and it will produce crops. Then in the evening their pasturing animals will come to them with their humps as high as possible; their udders full of milk, and their flanks distended. He will then come to people and summon them, but they will reject what he says, so he will leave them. In the morning they will be destitute, possessing none of their property. He will pass the waste land and tell it to bring forth its treasures, and its treasures will follow him like swarms of bees. He will then summon a man in the prime of youth, strike him with a sword and cut him in two like a shot at a target, after which he will call him and he will come forward laughing with his face shining. But at that very moment God will send the Messiah son of Mary who will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus wearing two garments dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, it will drip and when he raises it beads like pearls will scatter from it. Every infidel who feels the odour of his breath will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will then seek him till he catches up with him at the gate of Ludd and kills him. People whom God has protected from him will then come to Jesus who will wipe their faces and tell them of the ranks they will have in paradise. While this is happening God will reveal to Jesus that He has brought forth servants of His with whom no one will be able to fight and tell him to collect His servants at at-Tur. God will then release Gog and Magog and they will swarm down from every slope.' [2] The first of them will pass the lake of Tiberias and drink its contents and when the last[3] of them passes he will say there was once water there. They will then journey till they come to the mountain of thickets which is the mountain of Jerusalem and will say, `We have killed those who are in the earth come and let us kill those who are in heaven.' They will then shoot their arrows into the sky and God will send their arrows back to them dyed with blood; and God's prophet and his companions will be restrained till an ox-head seems better to one of them than a hundred dinars do to you to-day. God's prophet Jesus and his companions will then beseech God who will send to them insects in their necks and in the morning, they will have perished as if they were one person. God's prophet Jesus and his companions will then come down to the earth and will not find in the earth as much space as a span which is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. God's prophet Jesus and his companions will then beseech God who will send birds with necks like those of Bactrian camels and they will carry them and throw them where God wills. (A version says they will throw them in an-Nahbal[4] and the Muslims will burn their bows, arrows, and quivers for seven years.) God will then send a rain which no house of clay or camel's wool will keep out and it will wash the earth till it leaves it like a mirror. The earth will then be told to bring forth its fruit and restore its blessing, and on that day a company of people will eat a pomegranate and seek shelter in its skin, and the milk will be blessed so that a milch-camel will be sufficient for a number of people, a cow in milk will be sufficient for a tribe of men and a ewe will be sufficient for a clan of men. At that time God will send a pleasant wind which will take them under their arm pits and the spirit of every believer and every Muslim will be taken, but the wicked people will remain in the earth and will be disorderly like asses. Then the last hour will come to them." 1-Quran, 18. 2-Quran, 21:96. 3-In the Arabic of this sentence the plural is used for 'first' and the singular for `last.' 4-This appears as a proper name in the tradition, but Taj al-arus in the article hbl says this is an error for al-mahbal which means a great pit. Cf also Ibn al-Athir, Nihaya, 4:252. Muslim transmitted it, except for the second version which is "They will throw them into an-Nahbal... seven years." That is transmitted by Tirmidhi.

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'The first matter concerning which judgment will be passed among the people will be bloodshed.'"

"None of you should urinate into still water and then perform Wudu' with it."

Sauda (the wife of the Holy Prophet) who was bulky sought the permission of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the night of Muzdalifa to move from (that place) ahead of him and before the multitude (set forth). He (Allah's Apostle) gave her the permission. So she set forth before his (Holy Prophet's) departure. But we stayed there until it was dawn and we moved on, when he departed. And if I were to seek the permission of Allah's Messenger. (may peace be upon him) as Sauda had sought permission, I could have also gone with his permission and it would have been better for me than that for which I was happy.