My father was part of the police force of Ali (رضي الله عنه). He stood beneath the minbar and told me that he, meaning ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه), ascended the minbar and praised and glorified Allah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), and he said: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and the second is ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), And he said: Allah puts goodness wherever He wants.

I heard `Uthman in Mina saying: O people, I shall tell you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . He said: `Standing guard on the border for one day for the sake of Allah is better than one thousand ordinary days, so let a man stand on guard at the border as much as he wants.” [`Uthman] said; Have I conveyed [the message]? They said: Yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness.

I heard `Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer nafl prayers at night when `A`ishah (رضي الله عنها) was lying between him and the qiblah.

`Ali (رضي الله عنه) came out to us... and he mentioned a Hadeeth similar to that of Suwaid bin Sa’eed: I was with ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) when he was covered with his garment.

I heard `Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: The best of this ummah after its Prophet (ﷺ) are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), and if I wanted, I could tell you of the third one.

Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet? [It is] Abu Bakr, and the best of it after Abu Bakr is `Umar (رضي الله عنهما) . Then Allah puts goodness wherever He wills.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited Qur’an after minor impurity before touching water, And perhaps Isra`eel said: [It was narrated] from a man, from `Ali (رضي الله عنه), from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Shall I not tell you of the best of this ummah after its Prophet (ﷺ)? [It is] Abu Bakr, then the best of it after Abu Bakr is ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), then Allah puts goodness wherever He wills.

Yes, I shall tell you a good tradition. One day we had lunch with God's messenger, and Abu `Ubaida b. al-Jarrah who was along with us asked, "Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are who have accepted Islam and striven along with you?" He replied, "Yes, people who will come after your time and will believe on me without having seen me." His name was Abdallah. He settled in Jerusalem and died in 99 A.H. See Shadharat adh dhahab, 1:116. Istiab p. 634, says there was doubt about his name, and one or two different statements about it are quoted. He was a companion of the Prophet and was reckoned among the Syrians. Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it, and Razin transmitted it on Abu `Ubaida's authority from his asking, "Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are..." to the end.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the witr, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Narrate to me a hadith which you had heard directly from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and there is no extra link in between them. She said: Very well, if you like, I am prepared to do that, and he said to her: Well, do It and narrate that to me. She said: I married the son of Mughira and he was a chosen young man of Quraish at that time, but he fell as a martyr in the first Jihad (fighting) on the side of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). When I became a widow, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf, one amongst the group of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), sent me the proposal of marriage. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) also sent me such a message for his freed slave Usama b. Zaid. And it had been conveyed to me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said (about Usama): He who loves me should also love Usama. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked to me (about this matter), I said: My affairs are in your hand. You may marry me to anyone whom you like. He said: You better shift now to the house of Umm Sharik, and Umm Sharik was a rich lady from amongst the Ansar. She spent generously for the cause of Allah and entertained guests very hospitably. I said: Well, I will do as you like. He said: Do not do that for Umm Sharik is a woman who is very frequently visited by guests and I do not like that your head may be uncovered or the cloth may be removed from your shank and the strangers may catch sight of them which you abhor. You better shift to the house of your cousin 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. Umm Maktum and he is a person of the Bani Fihr branch of the Quraish, and he belonged to that tribe (to which Fatima) belonged. So I shifted to that house, and when my period of waiting was over, I heard the voice of an announcer making an announcement that the prayer would be observed in the mosque (where) congregational prayer (is observed). So I set out towards that mosque and observed prayer along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I was in the row of the women which was near the row of men. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling and said: Every worshipper should keep sitting at his place. He then said: Do you know why I had asked you to assemble? They said: ...

he (Muhammad) said: "I heard him saying - while he was among ten of the Companions of the Prophet, one of whom was Abu Qatadah bin Ribi - 'I am the most knowledgeable among you of the Salat of the Allah's Messenger.' They said: 'You did not precede us in his companionship, nor were you in his company more than us.' He said: 'Even still." They said: 'Go ahead.' So he said: 'When Allah's Messenger stood for Salat he would stand with his back straight and raise his hands until they were at the level of his shoulder. Then he would say: (Allahu Akbar) "Allah is Most Great" and bow. Then he would straighten (his back) so that he would not lower his head, nor raise it, and he placed his hands on his knees. Then he said: (Sami Allahu liman hamidah) "Allah listens to those who praise Him." And he raised his hands and stood up straight until all of his bones completely returned to their places. Then he went down to the ground prostrating, then he said: (Allahu Akbar) "Allah is Most Great." Then he held his upper arms away from his midsection, and opened his toes on his feet (facing the Qiblah), then he bend his left foot and sat on it then straightened up until all of his bones completely returned to their placed, then he went down to prostrate. Then he said: (Allahu Akbar) "Allah is Most Great," then he bent his foot and sat and straightened up until all of his bones completely returned to their places. Then he got up. Then in the second Rak'ah he did the same as that, such that when he stood from the two prostrations, he sad the Takbir and raised his hands until they were at the level of his shoulders as he did when he opened the Salat. Then he did like that until it was the Rak'ah in which his Salat was to end, when he moved his left foot over and sat on his side (in the Mutawarrik postion). Then he said the Taslim.'"

`Umar (رضي الله عنه) said to me: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “The deceased is tormented because of the weeping of his family over him.`

`Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr it is ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), and if I wanted to tell you of the third one, I could do so.

It was narrated from Aban bin `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) that he narrated from `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) granted a concession, or said concerning the pilgrim in ihram, if he has a problem in his eyes, that he may apply aloes to them.

I saw Uthman (رضي الله عنه) do that and he told me that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) do that.

When the ten verses of Bara`ah (Surah at-Tawbah) were revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ), he called Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) and sent him to recite them to the people of Makkah. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) called me and said to me: `Catch up with Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) and wherever you meet him, take the document from him and take it to the people of Makkah and read it to them.` I caught up with him at al-Juhfah and took the letter from him. Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) went back to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), has something been revealed concerning me? He said: `No, but Jibreel came to me and said: No one should do this for you except you or a man of your [family].`

"I shall narrate a Hadith to you that I heard from the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w), which none after me shall narrate that he heard it from the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w)." [He said:] "The Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said: 'Indeed, among the signs of the Hour are that knowledge shall be raised up, ignorance shall be rampant, Zina shall abound, Khamr shall be drunk, women shall increase and men shall decrease such that fifty women will be supported by one man."

I offered the Friday prayer along with him in enclosure. When I uttered the salutation I stood up in my place and prayed. When he went in, he sent me a message saying: Never again do what you have done. When you pray the Friday prayer, you must not join another prayer to it till you have engaged in conversation or gone out, for the Prophet of Allah (saws) gave the precise command not to join on prayer till you have engaged in conversation or gone out.

‘While he was among ten of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) including Abu Qatadah: “I heard Abu Humaid As-Sa’idi say: ‘I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saw).’ They said: ‘Why? By Allah, you did not follow him more than we did, and you did not accompany him for longer.’ He said: ‘Yes I am.’ They said: ‘Show us.’ He said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (saw) stood up for prayer, he would say the Takbir, then he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders, and every part of his body would settle in place. Then he would recite, then he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders and bow, placing his palms on his knees and supporting his weight on them. He neither lowered his head, nor raised it up, it was evenly balanced (between either extreme). Then he would say: “Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him); and he would raise his hands parallel with his shoulders, until every bone returned to its place. Then he would prostrate himself on the ground, keeping his arms away from his sides. Then he would raise his head and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it, and he would spread his toes when he prostrated.* Then he would prostrate, then say the Takbir and sit on his left foot, until every bone returned to its place. Then he would stand up and do the same in the next Rak’ah. Then when he stood up after two Rak’ah, he would raise his hands level with his shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would offer the rest of his prayer in like manner until, when he did the prostration after which the Taslim comes, he would push one of his feet back and sit with his weight on his left side, Mutawarrikan.’** They said: ‘You have spoken the truth; this is how the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to perform the prayer.’”
* Meaning that he would plant them in such a way that they were facing the Qiblah.
** Mutawarrikan: i.e., sitting with the left foot brought forward so that one's buttocks are in direct contact with the ground.

‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said, when he finished with the people of Basrah: The best of this ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, and after Abu Bakr it is ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما), then we got involved in matters which Allah will judge as He wills.

I heard `Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: Each Prophet (ﷺ) was given seven advisers from his nation and the Prophet (ﷺ) was given fourteen advisers from his ummah, among them Abu Bakr and `Umar (رضي الله عنهما).

Aban bin `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) saw a funeral and stood up for it. He said: `Uthman bin `Affan (رضي الله عنه) saw a funeral and stood up for it, then he narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a funeral and stood up for it.

l felt too shy to ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about madhi because of Fatimah (رضي الله عنها), so I told Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad and he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about that. He said: `Wudoo’. should be done for that.`

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me not to give the butcher any part of it for his work.

I heard ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: I was the first man to pray with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). It was narrated that Habbah al-Urani said: I heard Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: I was the first who prayed with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer late in the night, he would see. If I was awake, he would talk to me. If I was sleeping, he would awaken me, and pray two rak'ahs, then he would lie down as long as the mu'adhdhin came to him and call him for the dawn prayer. Then he would pray two rak'ahs lightly and come out for prayer.

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: `Whoever leaves a space the size of a hair when doing ghusl for janabah and does not make water reach it, Allah will punish him with such and such in the Fire.” ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: From that time I disliked my hair.

What is this? They said: She committed zina, and `Umar ordered that she be stoned, ‘Ali took her from them and sent them back. They went back to `Umar (رضي الله عنه) who said: Why have you come back? They said: `Ali (رضي الله عنه) sent us back. He said: `Ali has only done this because of something he knows. So he sent for `Ali who was somewhat angry. He said: Why did you send these people back? He said: Didn`t you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “The Pen has been lifted from three: from the sleeper until he wakes up, from the minor until he grows up and from the insane until he comes to his senses.” ‘Umar said: Yes I did. `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said:This is the insane woman of the tribe of Banu so and so, Perhaps he came to her when she was in that state. ʻUmar (رضي الله عنه) said: I do not know. He [‘Ali] said: And I do not know. And he did not stone her.

"Allah's Messenger came out to us and he said: 'Indeed Allah has assisted you with a Salat that is better for you than red camels: Al-Witr which Allah made for you between the Isha prayer till Al-Fajr has begun."

The people of Jahiliyyah used not to move on from Jam’ until they said: Shine, Thabeer, so that we may move on quickly. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came, he differed from them and he used to move on from Jam’ before sunrise, like the time when people who delay Fajr usually pray.

I saw `Ali and `Uthman (رضي الله عنهما) between Makkah and Madinah. `Uthman was telling people not to do tamattu` or join them together (Hajj and ‘Umrah, i.e., qiran). When `Ali (رضي الله عنه) saw that, he entered ihram for both of them together and said: Here I am for `Umrah and Hajj together ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: You see me telling the people not to do that and you do it? He said: I will not give up a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for the opinion of anyone among the people.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever does wudoo` and does it properly, then goes and offers an obligatory prayer, his sins will be forgiven.`

I heard the Messenger of Allah( ﷺ) say: `Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him a house like it in Paradise.`

I asked `A`ishah (رضي الله عنها) about wiping over the khuff (leather slippers) and she said: Ask `Ali (رضي الله عنه). I asked him and he said: Three days and nights - i.e., for the traveller - and one day and night for one who is not travelling

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whoever leaves a space the size of a hair [when doing ghusl for janabah] and does not pour water on it, such and such will be done to him in the Fire. ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: From that time I hated my hair, as you can see.

If I tell you a hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then think of him in the best manner, the most guided manner and the most pious manner. A similar report was narrated from Abu ’Abdur-Rahman as-Sulami from `Ali (رضي الله عنه)