Allah's Apostle forbade two ways of wearing clothes and two kinds of dealings. (A) He forbade the dealings of the Mulamasa and the Munabadha. In the Mulamasa transaction the buyer just touches the garment he wants to buy at night or by daytime, and that touch would oblige him to buy it. In the Munabadha, one man throws his garment at another and the latter throws his at the former and the barter is complete and valid without examining the two objects or being satisfied with them (B) The two ways of wearing clothes were Ishtimal-as-Samma, i e., to cover one's shoulder with one's garment and leave the other bare: and the other way was to wrap oneself with a garment while one was sitting in such a way that nothing of that garment would cover one's private part.

We paid a visit to Khabbab who was sick, and he said, "We migrated with the Prophet for Allah's Sake and our wages became due on Allah. Some of us died without having received anything of the wages, and one of them was Mus`ab bin `Umar, who was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud, leaving only one sheet (to shroud him in). If we covered his head with it, his feet became uncovered, and if we covered his feet with it, his head became uncovered. So the Prophet ordered us to cover his head with it and put some Idhkhir (a kind of grass) over his feet. On the other hand, some of us have had the fruits (of our good deed) and are plucking them (in this world).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Bushayr ibn Yasar, the mawla of the Bani Haritha, that Suwayd ibn anNuman told him that he went with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the expedition to Khaybar. When they reached as Suhba, which was near Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped and prayed asr. He asked for provisions but only parched barley was brought, so he asked for it to be moistened. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ate and the people ate with him. Then he got up to do maghrib and rinsed his mouth out and they rinsed out theirs. Then he prayed without doing wudu.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Ubayd, the mawla of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, from Ata ibn Yazid al-Laythi that Abu Hurayra said, "Whoever says 'Glory be to Allah' (Subhana'llah) thirty- three times and 'Allah is Greater' (Allahu akbar) thirty-three times and 'Praise be to Allah' (al-hamdu lillah) thirty-three times, and seals the hundred with 'There is no god but Allah, alone without any partner. The Kingdom and praise belong to Him and He has power over everything' (La ilaha illa'llah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu'l mulku wa lahu'l hamd, wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir) after every prayer will have his wrong actions forgiven him even if they are abundant as the foam on the sea."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Uqba, the mawla of az Zubayr, asked al-Qasim ibn Muhammad whether he had to pay any zakat on a large sum given to him by his slave to buy his freedom. Al- Qasim said, "Abu Bakr as-Siddiq did not take zakat from anyone's property until it had been in his possession for a year."

Al- Qasim ibn Muhammad continued, "When Abu Bakr gave men their allowances he would ask them, 'Do you have any property on which zakat is due?' If they said, 'Yes,' he would take the zakat on that property out of their allowances. If they said, 'No,' he would hand over their allowances to them without deducting anything from them."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn Ubaydullah, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to fast for so long that we thought he would never stop fasting, and he would go without fasting for so long that we thought he would never fast again. I never saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fast for a complete month except for Ramadan, and I never saw him do more fasting in any one month than he did in Shaban.'

Yahya related to me from Malik from Musa ibn Uqba that Kurayb, the mawla of Ibn 'Abbas, heard Usama ibn Zayd say, "The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left Arafa and then, when he reached ash-Shib, he dismounted and urinated and then did wudu, though not thoroughly. I said to him, 'It is time for the prayer, Messenger of Allah,' and he said 'The prayer is ahead of you,' and then mounted. When we arrived at Muzdalifa he dismounted and did wudu thoroughly. Then the iqama was said for the prayer and he prayed maghrib. After that everyone settled his camel in its resting-place, and then the iqama for isha was said and he prayed it, without having prayed anything between the two."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made his camel kneel down at al-Batha, which is at Dhu'l-Hulayfa, and prayed there. Nafi said, "Abdullah ibn Umar used to do that."

Malik said, "No-one should go past al-Muarras when he is returning from hajj without praying there. If he passes it at a time when prayer is not permissible he should stay there until prayer is permissible and then pray whatever he feels is appropriate. (This is) because I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped there to rest, and that Abdullah ibn Umar stopped his camel there also."

Abu Jamra Nasr bin `Imran Ad-Duba'i said, "I intended to perform Hajj-at-Tamattu` and the people advised me not to do so. I asked Ibn `Abbas regarding it and he ordered me to perform Hajj-at- Tammatu'. Later I saw in a dream someone saying to me, 'Hajj-Mabrur (Hajj performed in accordance with the Prophet's tradition without committing sins and accepted by Allah) and an accepted `Umra.' So I told that dream to Ibn `Abbas. He said, 'This is the tradition of Abul-Qasim.' Then he said to me, 'Stay with me and I shall give you a portion of my property.' " I (Shu`ba) asked, "Why (did he invite you)?" He (Abu Jamra) said, "Because of the dream which I had seen."

A man asked Al-Bara', "O Abu '`Umara! Did you all flee on the day (of the battle) of Hunain?" He replied, "No, by Allah! Allah's Apostle did not flee, but his young unarmed companions passed by the archers of the tribe of Hawazin and Bani Nasr whose arrows hardly missed a target, and they threw arrows at them hardly missing a shot. So the Muslims retreated towards the Prophet while he was riding his white mule which was being led by his cousin Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith bin `Abdul Muttalib. The Prophet dismounted and invoked Allah for victory; then he said, 'I am the Prophet, without a lie; I am the son of `Abdul Muttalib, and then he arranged his companions in rows."

We visited Khabbaba who said, "We migrated with the Prophet for Allah's Sake, so our reward became due and sure with Allah. Some of us passed away without taking anything of their rewards (in this world) and one of them was Mus`ab bin `Umar who was martyred on the day (of the battle) of Uhud leaving a striped woolen cloak. When we covered his head with it, his feet became naked, and when covered his feet, his head became naked. So Allah's Apostle ordered us to cover his head and put some Idhkhir (i.e. a special kind of grass) on his feet. (On the other hand) some of us have had their fruits ripened (in this world) and they are collecting them."

We migrated with Allah's Apostle seeking Allah's Countenance, so our rewards became due and sure with Allah. Some of us passed away without eating anything of their rewards in this world. One of these was Mus`ab bin `Umar who was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud. We did not find anything to shroud his body with except a striped cloak. When we covered his head with it, his feet remained uncovered, and when we covered his feet with it, his head remained uncovered. So Allah's Apostle ordered us to cover his head with it and put some Idhkhir (i.e. a kind of grass) over his feet. And there are some amongst us whose fruits have ripened and they are collecting them (i.e. they have received their rewards in this world).

We migrated with the Prophet for Allah's Cause, so our reward became due with Allah. Some of us passed away (i.e. died) without enjoying anything from their reward, and one of them was Mus`ab bin `Umar who was killed (i.e. martyred) on the day of Uhud. He did not leave behind except a sheet of striped woolen cloth. If we covered his head with it, his feet became naked, and if we covered his feet with it, his head became naked. The Prophet said to us, "Cover his head with it and put Idhkhir (i.e. a kind of grass) over his feet," or said, "Put some Idhkhir over his feet." But some of us have got their fruits ripened, and they are collecting them.

Yahya said that Malik said, "The person who puts up the principal must not stipulate that he has something of the profit alone without the agent sharing in it, nor must the agent stipulate that he has something of the profit alone without the investor sharing. In qirad, there is no sale, no rent, no work, no advance, and no convenience which one party specifies to himself without the other party sharing unless one party allows it to the other unconditionally as a favour and that is alright to both. Neither of the parties should make a condition over the other which increases him in gold or silver or food over the other party."

He said, "If any of that enters the qirad, it becomes hire, and hire is only good with known and fixed terms. The agent should not stipulate when he takes the principal that he repay or commission anyone with the goods, nor that he take any of them for himself. When there is a profit, and it is time to separate the capital, then they divide the profit according to the terms of the contract. If the principal does not increase or there is a loss, the agent does not have to make up for what he spent on himself or for the loss. That falls to the investor from the principal. Qirad is permitted upon whatever terms the investor and the agent make a mutual agreement, of half the profit, or a third or a fourth or whatever."

Malik said, "It is not permitted for the agent to stipulate that he use the qirad money for a certain number of years and that it not be taken from him during that time."

He said, "It is not good for the investor to stipulate that the qirad money should not be returned for a certain number of years which are specified, because the qirad is not for a term. The investor loans it to an agent to use for him. If it seems proper to either of them to abandon the project and the money is coin, and nothing has been bought with it, it can be abandoned, and the investor takes his money back. If it seems proper to the investor to take the qirad loan back after goods have been purchased with it, he cannot do so until the buyer has sold the goods and they have become money. If it seems proper to the agent to return the loan, and it has been turned to goods he cannot do so until he has sold them. He returns the loan in cash as he took it."

Malik said, "It is not good for the investor to stipulate that the agent pay any zakat due from his portion of the profit in particular, because the investor by stipulating that, stipulates fixed increase for himself from the profit because the portion of zakat he would be liable for by his portion of the profit, is removed from him.

"It is not permitted for the investor to stipulate to the agent to only buy from so-and-so, referring to a specific man. That is not permitted because by doing so he would become his hireling for a wage."

Malik spoke about an investor in qirad who stipulated a guarantee for an amount of money from the agent, "The investor is not permitted to stipulate conditions about his principal other than the conditions on which qirad is based or according to the precedent of the sunna of the Muslims. If the principal is increased by the condition of guarantee, the investor has increased his share of the profit because of the position of the guarantee. But the profit is only to be divided according to what it would have been had the loan been given without the guarantee. If the principal is destroyed, I do not think that the agent has a guarantee held against him because the stipulation of guarantees in qirad is null and void."

Malik spoke about an investor who gave qirad money to a man and the man stipulated that he would only buy palms or animals with it because he sought to eat the dates or the offspring of the animals and he kept them for some time to use for himself. He said, "That is not permitted. It is not the sunna of the Muslims in qirad unless he buys it and then sells it as other goods are sold."

Malik said, "There is no harm in the agent stipulating on the investor a slave to help him provided that the slave stands to gain along with him out of the investment, and when the slave only helps him with the investment, not with anything else."

We went out with Allah's Apostle to Khaibar and we travelled during the night. A man amongst the people said to 'Amir bin Al-Aqwa', "Won't you let us hear your poetry?" 'Amir was a poet, and so he got down and started (chanting Huda) reciting for the people, poetry that keep pace with the camel's foot steps, saying, "O Allah! Without You we would not have been guided on the right path, neither would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So please forgive us what we have committed. Let all of us be sacrificed for Your cause and when we meet our enemy, make our feet firm and bestow peace and calmness on us and if they (our enemy) will call us towards an unjust thing we will refuse. The infidels have made a hue and cry to ask others help against us. Allah's Apostle said, "Who is that driver (of the camels)?" They said, "He is 'Amir bin Al-Aqwa."' He said, "May Allah bestow His mercy on him." A man among the people said, Has Martyrdom been granted to him, O Allah's Prophet! Would that you let us enjoy his company longer." We reached (the people of) Khaibar and besieged them till we were stricken with severe hunger but Allah helped the Muslims conquer Khaibar. In the evening of its conquest the people made many fires. Allah's Apostle asked, "What are those fires? For what are you making fires?" They said, "For cooking meat." He asked, "What kind of meat?" They said, "Donkeys' meat." Allah's Apostle said, "Throw away the meat and break the cooking pots." A man said, O Allah's Apostle! Shall we throw away the meat and wash the cooking pots?" He said, "You can do that too." When the army files aligned in rows (for the battle), 'Amir's sword was a short one, and while attacking a Jew with it in order to hit him, the sharp edge of the sword turned back and hit 'Amir's knee and caused him to die. When the Muslims returned (from the battle), Salama said, Allah's Apostle saw me pale and said, 'What is wrong with you?"' I said, "Let my parents be sacrificed for you! The people claim that all the deeds of Amir have been annulled." The Prophet asked, "Who said so?" I replied, "So-and-so and soand- so and Usaid bin Al-Hudair Al-Ansari said, 'Whoever says so is telling a lie. Verily, 'Amir will have double reward."' (While speaking) the Prophet put two of his fingers together to indicate that, and added, "He was really a hard-working man and a Mujahid (devout fighter in Allah's Cause) and rarely have there lived in it (i.e., Medina or the battle-field) an "Arab like him."

That he had asked `Aisha about the meaning of the Statement of Allah: "If you fear that you shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphan girls, then Marry (Other) women of your choice Two or three or four." (4.3) She said, "O my nephew! This is about the orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (bridal-money) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr; otherwise they were ordered to marry any other woman." `Aisha further said, "After that verse the people again asked the Prophet (about the marriage with orphan 'girls), so Allah revealed the following verses:-- 'They ask your instruction Concerning the women. Say: Allah Instructs you about them And about what is Recited unto you In the Book, concerning The orphan girls to whom You give not the prescribed portions and yet whom you Desire to marry..." (4.127) What is meant by Allah's Saying:-- 'And about what is Recited unto you is the former verse which goes:-- 'If you fear that you shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphan girls, then Marry (other) women of your choice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "Allah's saying in the other verse:--'Yet whom you desire to marry' (4.127) means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his supervision when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy).

When the Hawazin delegation came to Allah's Apostle after they had embraced Islam and requested him to return their properties and war prisoners to them, Allah's Apostle said, "To me the best talk is the truest, so you may choose either of two things; the war prisoners or the wealth, for I have delayed their distribution." Allah's Apostle had waited for them for over ten days when he returned from Ta'if. So, when those people came to know that Allah's Apostle was not going to return to them except one of the two things the said, "We choose our war Prisoners 'Allah's Apostle stood up amongst the Muslims, and after glorifying Allah as He deserved, he said, "Now then, these brothers of yours have come to us with repentance, and I see it logical that I should return their captives to them, so whoever of you likes to do that as a favor then he can do it, and whoever amongst you likes to stick to his share, let him give up his prisoners and we will compensate him from the very first Fai' (i.e. war booty received without fight) which Allah will give us." On that, all the people said. 'O Allah's Apostles We have agreed willingly to do so (return the captives)" Then Allah's Apostle said to them "I do not know who amongst you has agreed to this and who has not. You should return and let your leaders inform me of your agreement." The people returned and their leaders spoke to them, and then came to Allah's Apostle and said, "All the people have agreed willingly to do so and have given the permission to return the war prisoners (without Compensation)" (Az-Zuhri, the sub-narrator states) This is what has been related to us about the captives of Hawazin.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent a gift to Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Umar returned it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Why did you return it?" He said, "Messenger of Allah, didn't you tell us that it is better for us not to take anything from anyone?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "That is by asking. Provision which Allah gives you is different from asking." Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "By the One in whose hand my self is, I will not ask anything from anyone, and anything that comes to me without my asking for it, I will accept."

Allah's Apostle forbade Al-Wisal (fasting continuously for more than one day without taking any meals). A man from the Muslims said, "But you do Al-Wisal, O Allah's Apostle!" Allah's Apostle I said, "Who among you is similar to me? I sleep and my Lord makes me eat and drink." When the people refused to give up Al-Wisal, the Prophet fasted along with them for one day, and did not break his fast but continued his fast for another day, and when they saw the crescent, the Prophet said, "If the crescent had not appeared, I would have made you continue your fast (for a third day)," as if he wanted to punish them for they had refused to give up Al-Wisal.

We migrated in the company of Allah's Apostle, seeking Allah's Pleasure. So our reward became due and sure with Allah. Some of us have been dead without enjoying anything of their rewards (here), and one of them was Mus'ab bin 'Umar who was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud, and did not leave anything except a Namira (i.e. a sheet in which he was shrouded). If we covered his head with it, his feet became naked, and if we covered his feet with it, his head became naked. So the Prophet said to us, "Cover his head with it and put some Idhkhir (i.e. a kind of grass) over his feet or throw Idhkhir over his feet." But some amongst us have got the fruits of their labor ripened, and they are collecting them.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave Hafsa bint Abd arRahman in marriage to al-Mundhir ibn az-Zubayr while Abd ar-Rahman was away in Syria. When Abd ar-Rahman arrived, he said, "Shall someone like me have this done to him? Am I the kind of man to have something done to him without his consent?" A'isha spoke to al-Mundhir ibn az-Zubayr, and al-Mundhir said, "It is in the hands of Abd ar-Rahman." Abd ar-Rahman said, "I won't oppose something that you have already completed." Hafsa was confirmed with al-Mundhir, and there was no divorce.

Ibn `Umar never offered the Duha prayer except on two occasions: (1) Whenever he reached Mecca; and he always used to reach Mecca in the forenoon. He would perform Tawaf round the Ka`ba and then offer two rak`at at the rear of Maqam Ibrahim. (2) Whenever he visited Quba, for he used to visit it every Saturday. When he entered the Mosque, he disliked to leave it without offering a prayer. Ibn `Umar narrated that Allah's Apostle used to visit the Mosque of Quba (sometime) walking and (sometime) riding. And he (i.e. Ibn `Umar) used to say, "I do only what my companions used to do and I don't forbid anybody to pray at any time during the day or night except that one should not intend to pray at sunrise or sunset."

We have nothing except the Book of Allah and this written paper from the Prophet (wherein is written:) Medina is a sanctuary from the 'Air Mountain to such and such a place, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits a sin, or gives shelter to such an innovator in it will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And the asylum (of protection) granted by any Muslim is to be secured (respected) by all the other Muslims; and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted, and whoever (freed slave) befriends (take as masters) other than his manumitters without their permission incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted.

That the Prophet (saws) said: "When one of you comes upon livestock, if its owner is with it then seek his permission. If he permits him then let him milk it and drink. If there is no one with it then call out three times, if someone answers then seek his permission. If no one answers then let him milk it and drink without carrying (any of it away)."

[He said:] There are narrations on this topic from Ibn 'Umar and Abu Sa'eed.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of Samurah is a Hasan Gharib Sahih Hadith. This is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge, and it is the view of Ahmad and Ishaq.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] 'Ali bin Al-Madini said: "It is correct that Al-Hasan heard this from Samurah." Some of the people of Hadith criticized the narrations of Al-Hasan from Samurah, they said that he only narrated from a writing of Samurah.

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever meets Allah without any traces from Jihad he meets Allah with a defect.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Gharib as a narration of Al-Walid bin Muslim from Isma'il bin Rafi'. Isma'il bin Rafi' was graded weak by some of the people of Hadith. I heard Muhammad saying: "He is trustworthy, average (Muqarib) in Hadith."

This Hadith has been reported from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws) through other than this route. Regarding the Hadith of Salman, its chain is not connected, Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir did not see Salman Al-Farisi.

This Hadith has been reported from Ayyub bin Musa, from Makhul, from Shurahbil bin As-Simt from Salman, from the Prophet (saws).

Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Anbari said: My grandmothers, Safiyyah and Duhaybah, narrated to me, that hey were the daughters of Ulaybah and were nourished by Qaylah, daughter of Makhramah. She was the grandmother of their father.

She reported to them, saying: We came upon the Messenger of Allah (saws). My companion, Hurayth ibn Hassan, came to him as a delegate from Bakr ibn Wa'il. He took the oath of allegiance of Islam for himself and for his people.

He then said: Messenger of Allah (saws), write a document for us, giving us the land lying between us and Banu Tamim at ad-Dahna' to the effect that not one of them will cross it in our direction except a traveller or a passer-by.

He said: Write down ad-Dahna' for them, boy. When I saw that he passed orders to give it to him, I became anxious, for it was my native land and my home.

I said: Messenger of Allah, he did not ask you for a true border when he asked you. This land of Dahna' is a place where the camels have their home, and it is a pasture for the sheep. The women of Banu Tamim and their children are beyond it.

He said: Stop, boy! A poor woman spoke the truth: a Muslim is a brother of a Muslim. Each one of them may benefit from water and trees, and they should cooperate with each other against Satan.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on one of his journeys, and one night Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was travelling with him, asked him about something, but he did not answer him. He asked him again, but he did not answer him. Then he asked him again, and again he did not answer him. Umar said, "May your mother be bereaved of you, Umar. Three times you have importuned the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a question and he has not answered you at all."

Umar continued, "I got my camel moving until, when I was in front of the people, I feared that a piece of Qur'an was being sent down about me. It was not long before I heard a crier calling for me, and I said that I feared that a piece of Qur'an had been sent down about me." He continued, "I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Peace be upon you' to him, and he said, 'A sura has been sent down to me this night that is more beloved to me than anything on which the sun rises.' Then he recited al-Fath (Sura 48).

Once the Prophet sat on a pulpit and we sat around him. Then he said, "The things I am afraid of most for your sake (concerning what will befall you after me) is the pleasures and splendors of the world and its beauties which will be disclosed to you." Somebody said, "O Allah's Apostle! Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet remained silent for a while. It was said to that person, "What is wrong with you? You are talking to the Prophet (p.b.u.h) while he is not talking to you." Then we noticed that he was being inspired divinely. Then the Prophet wiped off his sweat and said, "Where is the questioner?" It seemed as if the Prophet liked his question. Then he said, "Good never brings forth evil. Indeed it is like what grows on the banks of a water-stream which either kill or make the animals sick, except if an animal eats its fill the Khadira (a kind of vegetable) and then faces the sun, and then defecates and urinates and grazes again. No doubt this wealth is sweet and green. Blessed is the wealth of a Muslim from which he gives to the poor, the orphans and to needy travelers. (Or the Prophet said something similar to it) No doubt, whoever takes it illegally will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied, and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection."

Allah's Apostle ascended the pulpit and said, "Nothing worries me as to what will happen to you after me, except the temptation of worldly blessings which will be conferred on you." Then he mentioned the worldly pleasures. He started with the one (i.e. the blessings) and took up the other (i.e. the pleasures). A man got up saying, "O Allah's Apostle! Can the good bring about evil?" The Prophet remained silent and we thought that he was being inspired divinely, so all the people kept silent with awe. Then the Prophet wiped the sweat off his face and asked, "Where is the present questioner?" "Do you think wealth is good?" he repeated thrice, adding, "No doubt, good produces nothing but good. Indeed it is like what grows on the banks of a stream which either kills or nearly kills the grazing animals because of gluttony except the vegetation-eating animal which eats till both its flanks are full (i.e. till it gets satisfied) and then stands in the sun and defecates and urinates and again starts grazing. This worldly property is sweet vegetation. How excellent the wealth of the Muslim is, if it is collected through legal means and is spent in Allah's Cause and on orphans, poor people and travelers. But he who does not take it legally is like an eater who is never satisfied and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) sent us on foot to get spoil, but we returned without getting any. When he saw the signs of distress on our faces, he stood up on our faces and said: O Allah, do not put them under my care, for I would be too weak to care for them; do not put them in care of themselves, for they would be incapable of that, and do not put them in the care of men, for they would choose the best things for themselves. He then placed his hand on my head and said: Ibn Hawalah, when you see the caliphate has settled in the holy land, earthquakes, sorrows and serious matters will have drawn near and on that day the Last Hour will be nearer to mankind than this hand of mine is to your head.

Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Allah b. Hawalah belongs to Hims.