I used to devote myself (observe i'tikaf) during these ten (nights). Then I started devoting myself in the last ten (nights). And he who desires to observe i'tikaf along with me should spend the night) at his place of i'tikaf. And I saw this night (Lailat-ul-Qadr) but I forgot it (the exact night) ; so seek it;In the last ten nights on odd numbers. I saw (the glimpses of that dream) that I was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: It rained on the twenty-first night and the water dripped (from the roof) of the mosque at the place where the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed prayer. I looked at him and as he completed the dawn prayer, (I found) his face was wet with mud and water.

We were with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in a journey, and I was riding a camel meant for carrying water and it lagged behind all persons. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) hit it or goaded it (I think) with something he had with him. And after it (it moved so quickly) that it went ahead of all persons and it struggled with me (to move faster than I permitted It) and I had to restrain it. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Do you sell it at such and such (price)? May Allah grant you pardon. I said: Allah's Apostle, it is yours. He (again) said: Do you sell it at such and such (price)? May Allah grant you pardon. ' I said: Allah's Apostle, it is yours. He said to me: Have you married after the death of your father? I said: Yes. He (again) said: With one previously married or a virgin? I said: With one previously married. He said: Why didn't you marry a virgin who might amuse you and you might amuse her, and she might sport with you and you might sport with her? Abu Nadra said: That was the common phrase which the Muslims spoke:" You do such and such (thing) and Allah may grant you pardon."

I was with Masriuq in the house which had the portrayals of Mary (hadrat Maryan). Thereupon Masriuq said: These are portraits of Kisra. I said: No, these are of Mary. Masruq said: I heard Abdullah b, Mas'ud as saying Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said: The most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. (Muslim said): I read this before Nasr b. 'Ali at-Jahdami and he read it before other narrators, the last one being Ibn Sa'id b Abl at Hasan that a person came to Ibn 'Abbas and said: I am the person who paints pictures; give me a religious verdict about them. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said to him: Come near me (still further). He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said: I am going to narrate to yor what I heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I heard him say: All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell, and he (Ibn 'Abbas) said: If you have to do it at all, then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things; and Nasr b. 'Ali confirmed it.

I met lbn Sayyad twice and said to some of them (his friends): You state that it was he (the Dajjal). He said: By Allah, it is not so. I said: You have not told me the truth; by Allah some of you informed me that he would not die until he would have the largest number of offspring and huge wealth and it is he about whom it is thought so. Then Ibn Sayyad talked to us. I then departed and met him again for the second time and his eye had been swollen. I said: What has happened to your eye? He said: I do not know. I said: This is in your head and you do not know about it? He said: If Allah so wills He can create it (eye) in your staff. He then produced a sound like the braying of a donkey. Some of my companions thought that I had struck him with the staff as he was with me that the staff broke into pieces, but, by Allah, I was not conscious of it. He then came to the Mother of the Faithful (Hafsa) and narrated it to her and she said: What concern you have with him? Don't you know that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said that the first thing (by the incitement of which) he would come out before the public would be his anger?

I am narrating to you a hadith which I would have never narrated to you had I not been in death-bed. I heard Allah's apostle (may peace be upon him) say: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims but he makes no endeavors ( for the material and moral uplift) and does not sincerely mean (their welfare) would not enter Paradise along with them.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: If anyone says on hearing the Mu'adhdhin: I testify that there is no god but Allah alone. Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger. and with Islam as din (code of life), his sins would be forgiven. In the narration transmitted by Ibn Rumh the words are:" He who said on hearing the Mu'adhdhin and verity I testify." ' Qutaiba has not mentioned his words:" And I."

I heard Allah's Apostle (way peace be upon him) pronouncing Talbiya for both Hajj and Umra. Bakr (one of the narrators) said: I narrated it to Ibn 'Umar, whereupon he said: He (the Holy Prophet) pronounced the Talbiya for Hajj alone. I met Anas and narrated to him the words of Ibn 'Umar, whereupon he said: You treat us not but only as children. I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) pronouncing Talbiya both for 'Umra and Hajj.

I asked al-Bara' b. Azib about the exchange of (gold for silver or vice versa), whereupon he said: you better ask Zaid b. Arqam for he knows more than I. So I asked Zaid but he said: You better ask al-Bara' for he knows more than I. Then both of them said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the sale of silver for gold when payment is to be made in future.

I heard her say: I performed Hajjat-ul-Wada' in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He said a lot of things (on this occasion). Then I heard him say: If a maimed slave is appointed a commander over you the narrator says: I think she said:" a black stave" who leads you according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey him.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I will come to the gate of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. and would seek its opening. and the keeper would say: Who art thou? I would say: Muhammad. He would then say: It is for thee that I have been ordered, and not to open it for anyone before thee.

Salama sought to say prayer near the pillar which was by that place where copies of the Qur'an were kept. I said to him: Abu Muslim. I see you striving to offer your prayer by this pillar. He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) seeking to pray by its side.

I was sleeping in front of the Mcsseinger ef Allah (may peace be upon him) with my legs between him and the Qibla. When he prostrated himself he pinched me and I drew up my legs, and when be stood up, I stretched them out. She said: At that time there were no lamps in the houses.

I wrote (a letter) to Jabir b. Samura (and it was sent) through my servant Nafi' asking him to inform me about something (pertaining to the Haud Kauthar). He wrote to me: I heard him (the Holy Prophet) say: I shall be there ahead of you at the Haud Kauthar.

I and the Last Hour have been sent like this. Shu'ba said: I heard Qatada as saying in his narration: The excellence of one over the other. And I do not know whether he narrated it from Anas or Qatada himself said so.

'A'isha said: Whenever Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) intended to set out on a journey he cast lots amongst his wives and he took one with him in whose favour the lot was cast. It so happened that he cast lots amongst us while setting out on a battle and it was cast in my favour, so I set out along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This relates to the period when the revelation concerning the commands of veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and I was brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan was near Medina, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when the command for the march was given and moved on until I went out of the encampments of the army and after relieving myself I came to my place. I touched my chest and found that my necklace which had been made of the stones of zafar had been broken. I retraced my steps and tried to search my necklace and this detained me there. The group of people who saddled my ride and placed my haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched on. They were under the impression that I was in it. The women in those days were light of weight and they did not wear much flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I was a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and Eet out and I found my necklace after the army had marched. I came to my place and there was none to call and none to respond (the call). I waited at my place under the impression that when the people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept. Safwan b. Mu'attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind the army because of taking rest came to my place walking in the latter part of the night and he saw the body of a person who was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as he had seen rue before it was enjoined to observe purda. I got ap by his voice as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un [we are for Allah and to Him we have to return. ] and I covered my head with my headdress. By Allah, he did not speak to me a word and I did not hear a word from him except Inna lillahi. He made his camel kneel down and I amounted the camel as he pressed tLe camel's foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the nose string on which I was riding until we came to the army where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat. Woe be upon those who harboured doubts about me and the most notorious among them was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the great hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a month. The people had been deliberating over the statements of those who had brought these calumnies against me. I was absolutely unaware of anything concerning that. This, however, caused doubt in my mind that I did not see Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him.) treating me with such kindness with which he treated me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) would coome and greet me with Assalam-o-'Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept outside despite my failing health and there went along with me Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b. Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of Sakhr b. 'Amir, the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq and his son was Mistah b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. Muttalib. I and the daughter of Abu Rahm set towards the direction of my house. Something got into the head dress of Umm Mistah and she said: Woe be upon Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon what you say. Do you curse people who had participated in Badr? She said: Innocent woman, have you not heard what he said? I said: What did he say? She conveyed to me the statement of those who had brought false allegations against me. So my illness was aggravated. I went to my house and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to me and he greeted me and then said: How is that woman? I said: Do you permit me to go to the (house) of my parents? She (further) said: I had at that time made up my mind to confirm this news from them. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted me. So I came to (the house of) my parents and said to my mother: Mother, do you know what the people are talking about? She said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah, if there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and he has co-wives also they talk many a thing about her. I said: Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking about? I wept during the whole night until it was morning and I did not have a wink of sleep and I wept even in the morning. As the revelation was delayed (in regard to this matter), so Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali ibn Abi 'Talib and Usama b. Zaid in order to seek their advice in regard to the separation of his wife. Usama b. Zaid told Allah's Messenger (may peace be apen him) about the innocence of his wives and what he knew about his love for them. He said: Allah's Messenger, they are your wives and we know nothing else about them but goodness. And as for 'Ali b. Abu Talib, he said: Allah has not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in regard to your wives). There are a number of women besides her and if you ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the truth. So, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in 'A'isha which can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who sent thee with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her but only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit and sought vindication against 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul, and he further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations of that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family? By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the person whom the people have mentioned in this connection is, according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person, and he did never get into my house but along with me. Sa'd b. Mu'adh stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, I defend your honour against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus we would strike his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of our brother Khazraj and you order us we would comply with your order. Then Sa'd b. 'Ubada stood up. He was chief of the Khazraj tribe. He was otherwise a pioas man but he had some what tribal partisanship in him and he said to Sa'd b. Mu'adh: By the everlasting existence of Allah. you are not stating the fact, you will not be able to kill him and you will not have the power to do so. Thereupon, Usaid b. Hudair stood up, and he was the first cousin of Sa'd b. Mu'adh and said to Sa'd b. 'Ubada: By the everlasting existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact. We would kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in defence of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon one another and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kept standing upon the pulpit and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) tried to subside their anger until they became silent and thus there was silence. 'A'isha further reported: I spent the whole day in weeping and even the night and could not have a wink of sleep even next night. My parents thought that this constant weeping of mine would break my heart. I wept and they sat beside me. In the meanwhile a woman of the Ansar came to see me. I permitted her to see me and she also began to weep. And we were in this very state that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came and he greeted me and then sat down. He had never sat with me since a month when this rumour was afloat, and there was no revelation (to clarity) my case. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, 'A'isha, this is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent, Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if accidentally there has been a lapse on your part seek forgiveness of Allah; He will pardon thee for when a servant makes a confession of his fault and turns (to Him) penitently, Allah also turns to him (mercifully) accepting his repentance. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked, my tears dried up and not even a single drop of tear was perceived by me (rolling out of my eyes). I said to my father: You give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I then said to my mother: Give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf, but she said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I was a small girl at that time and I had not read much of the Qur'an (but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard about this and it has settled down in your mind and you have taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am quite innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would never believe me to be true, and if I confess to (the alleged) lapse before you, whereas Allah knows that I am completely innocent (and I have not committed this sin at all), in that case You will take me to be true and, by Allah, I, therefore, find no other alternative for me and for you except that what the father of Yousuf said:, (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought for in that (predicament) which ye describe" (xii 18). After this I turned my face to the other side and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I was fully aware of this fact that I was innocent but I did not expect that Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur'anic Wahy) in my case as I did not think myself so much important that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in vision give an indication of my innocence to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) during his sleep. And, by Allah, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had not moved an inch from where he had been sitting and none from the members of my family had gone that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, descended revelation upon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) there and then and he felt the burden which he used to feel at the time of receiving revelation. He began to perspire because of the burden of words of Allah as they descended upon him even during the winter season and there fell the drops of his sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) smiled and the first words which he spoke to me were that he said: 'A'isha, there is glad tidings for you. Verily, Allah has vindicated your honour, and my mother who had been standing by me said: Get up (and thank him, i. e. the Holy Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not thank him and laud him but Allah Who has descended revelation vindicating my honour. She ('A'isha) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:" 'Verily, those who spread the slander are a gang among you" (and) ten (subsequent) verses in regard to my innocence. She further said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah (some stipend) as a token of kinship with him and for his poverty and he (Abu Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not spend anything for him. 'A'isha said: It was upon this that Allah the Exalted and Glorious revealed this verse:" And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear to give to the near of the kin" up to" Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you?" Hibban b. Musa' said that 'Abdullah b. Mubarak used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book which most (eminently) brightens the hope. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I wish that Allah should pardon me. I shall never stop this stipend. So he continued to give him the stipend which he had withdrawn. 'A'isha said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), about me what she knew or what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah's Messenger, I shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears) and seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her but goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact) that she was the only lady who amongst the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to vie with me but Allah saved her in bringing false allegation against me because of her God-consciousness. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh, however, opposed her and she was undone along with others.

I perceive as if I am looking towards that dromedary, and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Thaqafi (the words are):" Unload it and make its back bare for it is accursed."

Abu Musa inflicted extreme rigour upon himself in the matter of urination and urinated in a bottle and said: When the skin of anyone amongst the people of Israel was besmeared with urine, he cut that portion with a cutter. Hudhaifa said: I wish that'your friend should not inflict such an extreme rigour. I and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) were going together till we reached the dumping ground of filth behind an enclosure. He stood up as one among you would stand up. and he urinated, I tried to turn away from him, but he beckoned to me, so I went to him and I stood behind him, till he had relieved himself.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (in Mecca at al-Abtah) in a red leather tent. and I saw Bilal take the ablution water (left by Allah's Messenger), and I saw the people racing, with one another to get that ablution water. If anyone got some of it, he rubbed himself with it, and anyone who did not get any got some of the moisture from his companion's hand. I then saw Bilal take a staff and fix it in the ground, after which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came out quickly in a red mantle and led the people in two rak'ahs facing the staff, and I saw people and animals passing in front of the staff.

I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) got up for observing voluntary prayer (Tahajjud) at night. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood by the water-skin and performed ablution and then stood up and prayed. I also got up when I saw him doing that. I also performed ablution from the water-skin and then stood at his left side. He took hold of my hand from behind his back and then turned me from his back to his right side. I (`Ata', one of the narrators) said: Did it concern the voluntary prayer (at night)? He (Ibn `Abbas) said: Yes.

I was a young boy during the time of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) and I retained in my mind (what I learnt from him), and nothing restrained me from speaking except the fact that there were persons far more advanced in age than I. Verily, I said prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) over a woman who had died in the state of delivery, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood up to say prayer in front of the middle part of her body. And in the tradition narrated on the authority of Ibn Muthanna the words are:" (The Holy Prophet) stood in the middle part of her body for offering prayer for her."

We, on behalf of every young or old, free man or slave (amongst us), used to take out during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as the Zakat of Fitr one sa' of grain, or one sa' of cheese or one sa' of raisins. And we continued taking out these till Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan came to us for pilgrimage or 'Umra, and addressed the people on the pulpit and said to them: I see that two mudds of zakat out of the wheat (red) of Syria is equal to one sa' of dates. So the people accepted it. But Abu Sa'id said: I would continue to take out as I used to take out (before, i e. one sa') as long as I live.

" There stood up 'Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him), and said: Should I not strike his neck? Upon this he said: No. Then he turned away, and Khalid the Sword of Allah stood up against him, and said: Prophet of Allah. shall I not strike off his neck? He said, No, and then said: A people would rise from his progeny who would recite the Book of Allah glibly and fluently. 'Umar said: I think he (the Holy Prophet) also said this: If I find them I would certainly kill them like Thamud."

It was I for whom this verse was revealed (to the Holy Prophet):" Whoever among you is sick or has an ail- ment of the head, he (may effect) a compensation by lasting or alms or a sacrifice" He said: I came to him (the Holy Prophet) and he said: Come Dear. So I went near. He (again) said: Come near. So I went near. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do the vermins trouble you? Ibn Aun (one of the narrators) said: I think he (Ka'b b. Ujra) replied in the affirmative. He (the Holy Prophet) then commanded to do compensation by fasting or by giving sadaqa (feeding six needy persons) or by sacrifice (of a animal) that is available.

We set out (to Mecca) in a state of Ihram. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who has the sacrificial animal with him should remain in the state of Ihram, but he who has not the sacrificial animal with him should put off Ihram. As I had not the sacrificial animal with me, I put off Ihram. And since Zubair (her husband) - had the sacrificial animal with him, he did not put off Ihram. She (Asma) said: I put on my clothes and then went out and sat by Zabair, whereupon he said: Go away from me, whereupon I said: Do you fear that I would jump upon you?

We came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) requesting him to provide us with riding camels. He (the Holy Prophet) said: There is nothing with me with which I should equip you. By Allah, I would not provide you with (riding camels). Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent to us three camels with spotted bumps. We said: We came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) asking him to equip us with riding animals. He took an oath that he could not equip us. We came to him and informed him. He said: By Allah, I do not take an oath, but when I find the other thing better than that, I do that which is better.

I and Khalid b. Walid went to the apartment of Maimuna along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and there was presented to him a roasted lizard. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) stretched his hand towards It, whereupon some of the women who had been in the house of Maimuna said: Inform Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) what he intends to eat. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) lifted his hand. I said: Messenger of Allah, Is it forbidden? He said: No. It is not found in the land of my people, and I feel that I have no liking for it. Khalid said: I then chewed and ate it, while, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was looking (at me).

While I was asleep I saw myself in Paradise and a woman performing ablution by the side of a palace. I said: For whom is it meant? They said: It is meant for 'Umar b. Khattab. (The Holy Prophet) said: There came across my mind the feeling of Umar and so I turned back and went away. Abu Huraira said: 'Umar wept as we were present in that meeting with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) amongst us and Umar said: Allah's Messenger, may my father and mother be taken as ransom for you. Could I at all feel any jealousy about you? This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters.

"O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My dominion in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My dominion in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I record for you and then recompense you for. So let him who finds good, praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself."

Sa'id said that when Abu Idris Khaulini narrated this hadith he knelt upon his knees.

I came to the Apostle (may peace be upon him ) and he was asleep with a white mantle over him. I again came, he was still asleep, I came again and he had awakened. I sat by his side and (the Holy Prophet) observed: There is none among the bondsmen who affirmed his faith in La illaha ill-Allah there is no God but Allah) and died in this state and did not enter Paradise. I (Abu Dharr) said: Even if he committed adultery and theft? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: (Yes) even though he committed adultery and theft. I (again said): Even if he committed adultery and theft? He replied: (Yes) even though he committed adultery and theft. (Th Holy Prophet repeated it three times) and said for the fourth time: In defiance of Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr then went out and he repeated (these words): In defiance of Abu Dharr.

I was one night with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey. He said to me: Have you any water with you? I said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) came down from his ride and went on till he disappeared in the darkness of night. He then came back and I poured water for him from the jar. He washed his face, He had a woollen gown on him and he could not bring out his forearms from it (i. e. from its sleeves) and consequently he brought them out from under his gown. He washed his forearms, wiped over his head. I then bent down to take off his socks. But he said: Leave them, for my feet were clean when I put them in, and he only wiped over them.

I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanding the killing of dogs and the killing of the striped and the short-tailed snakes, for both of them affect the eyesight adversely and cause miscarriage. Zuhri said: We thought of their poison (the pernicious effects of these two). Allah, however, knows best. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar said: I did not spare any snake. I rather killed everyone that I saw. One day as I was pursuing a snake from amongst the snakes of the house, Zaid b. Khattab or Abu Lubaba happened to pass by me and found me pursuing it. He said: 'Abdullah, wait. I said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded (us) to kill them, whereupon he said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the killing of the snakes of the houses. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.