One day while Allah's Apostle was sitting with the people, a man came to him walking and said, "O Allah's Apostle. What is Belief?" The Prophet said, "Belief is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection." The man asked, "O Allah's Apostle What is Islam?" The Prophet replied, "Islam is to worship Allah and not worship anything besides Him, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay the (compulsory) charity i.e. Zakat and to fast the month of Ramadan." The man again asked, "O Allah's Apostle What is Ihsan (i.e. perfection or Benevolence)?" The Prophet said, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you." The man further asked, "O Allah's Apostle When will the Hour be established?" The Prophet replied, "The one who is asked about it does not know more than the questioner does, but I will describe to you its portents. When the lady slave gives birth to her mistress, that will be of its portents; when the bare-footed naked people become the chiefs of the people, that will be of its portents. The Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs." (31.34) Then the man left. The Prophet said, "Call him back to me." They went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet said, "That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion." (See Hadith No. 47 Vol 1)

I asked Sahl bin Hunaif, "Did you hear the Prophet saying anything about Al-Khawarij?" He said, "I heard him saying while pointing his hand towards Iraq. "There will appear in it (i.e, Iraq) some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out from (leave) Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that he heard Abdullah ibn Umar making dua on Safa saying, "O Allah, You have said, 'call on Me - I will answer you' and You do not break Your promise. So I am askingYou, in the same way that You have guided me to Islam, not to take it away from me, and that You make me die while I am muslim."

A person asked Allah's Apostle . "What (sort of) deeds in or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" He replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you don't know."

The Prophet (saws) said: There is no prostitution in Islam. If anyone practised prostitution in pre-Islamic times, the child will be attributed to the master (of the slave-woman). He who claims his child without a valid marriage or ownership will neither inherit nor be inherited.

The person about whom Allah's Apostle said, "If I were to take a Khalil from this nation (my followers), then I would have taken him (i.e., Abu Bakr), but the Islamic Brotherhood is better (or said: good)," regarded a grandfather as the father himself (in inheritance).

Yahya related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that al- Miswar ibn Makhrama told him that he had visited Umar ibn al Khattab on the night he was stabbed and had woken him up for the subh prayer and Umar had said, ''Yes. Whoever stops doing the prayer will get nothing from Islam," and he did the prayer with blood pouring from his wound.

A man asked the Prophet , "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, 'To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not Know (See Hadith No. 27).

`Ukaz, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz were markets in the Pre-Islamic period. When the people embraced Islam they considered it a sin to trade there. So, the following Holy Verse came:-- 'There is no harm for you if you seek of the bounty of your Lord (Allah) in the Hajj season." (2.198) Ibn `Abbas recited it like this.

Abu Dawud said: 'Alqamah was a Murji'i.

I heard the Prophet saying, "In the last days (of the world) there will appear young people with foolish thoughts and ideas. They will give good talks, but they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out of its game, their faith will not exceed their throats. So, wherever you find them, kill them, for there will be a reward for their killers on the Day of Resurrection."

Dhul-Majaz and `Ukaz were the markets of the people during the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When the people embraced Islam, they disliked to do bargaining there till the following Holy Verses were revealed:-- There is no harm for you If you seek of the bounty Of your Lord (during Hajj by trading, etc.) (2.198)

A bedouin came to the Prophet and gave a pledge of allegiance for embracing Islam. The next day he came with fever and said (to the Prophet ), "Please cancel my pledge (of embracing Islam and of emigrating to Medina)." The Prophet refused (that request) three times and said, "Medina is like a furnace, it expels out the impurities (bad persons) and selects the good ones and makes them perfect."

`Ukaz, Majanna and Dhul-Majaz were marketplaces in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance. When Islam came, Muslims felt that marketing there might be a sin. So, the Divine Inspiration came: "There is no harm for you to seek the bounty of your Lord (in the seasons of Hajj)." (2.198) Ibn `Abbas recited the Verse in this way.

I asked Anas bin Malik about Safa and Marwa. Anas replied, "We used to consider (i.e. going around) them a custom of the Pre-islamic period of Ignorance, so when Islam came, we gave up going around them. Then Allah revealed" "Verily, Safa and Marwa (i.e. two mountains at Mecca) are among the Symbols of Allah. So it is not harmful of those who perform the Hajj of the House (of Allah) or perform the Umra to ambulate (Tawaf) between them." (2.158)

I divorced my wife. I then came to Medina to sell my land that was there so that I could buy arms and fight in battle. I met a group of the Companions of the Prophet (saws). They said: Six persons of us intended to do so (i.e. divorce their wives and purchase weapons), but the Prophet (saws) prohibited them. He said: For you in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent model. I then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the witr observed by the Prophet (saws). He said: I point to you a person who is most familiar with the witr observed by the Messenger of Allah (saws). Go to 'Aishah. While going to her I asked Hakim b. Aflah to accompany me. He refused, but I adjured him. He, therefore, went along with me. We sought permission to enter upon 'Aishah. She said: Who is this ? He said: Hakim b. Aflah. She asked: Who is with you ? He replied: Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Hisham son of 'Amir who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. I said: Yes. She said: What a good man 'Amir was! I said: Mother of faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (saws). She asked: Do you not recite the Quran ? The character of Messenger of Allah (saws) was the Qur'an. I asked: Tell me about his vigil and prayer at night. She replied: Do you not recite: "O thou folded in garments" (73:1). I said: Why not ?

When the opening of this Surah was revealed, the Companions stood praying (most of the night) until their fett swelled, and the concluding verses were not revealed for twelve months from heaven. At last the concluding verses were revealed and the prayer at night became voluntary after it was obligatory. I said: Tell me about the witr of the Prophet (saws). She replied: He used to pray eight rak'ahs, sitting only during the eighth of them. Then he would stand up and pray another rak'ahs. He would sit only after the eighth and the ninth rak'ahs. He would utter salutation only after the ninth rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son. But when he grew old and became fleshy he observed a witr of seven, sitting only in sixth and seventh rak'ahs, and would utter salutation only after the seventh rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting, and that made nine rak'ahs, O my son. The Messenger of Allah (saws) would not pray through a whole night, or recite the whole Qur'an in a night or fast a complete month except in Ramadan. When he offered prayer, he would do that regularly. When he was ...

The Prophet said, "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam (i.e. if he swears by saying that he is a non-Muslim in case he is telling a lie), then he is as he says if his oath is false and whoever commits suicide with something, will be punished with the same thing in the (Hell) fire, and cursing a believer is like murdering him, and whoever accuses a believer of disbelief, then it is as if he had killed him."

Abu Dawud said : By Abu Ghassan is meant Muhammad b. mutarrif.

When `Ali was in Yemen, he sent some gold in its ore to the Prophet. The Prophet distributed it among Al-Aqra' bin H`Abis Al-Hanzali who belonged to Bani Mujashi, 'Uyaina bin Badr Al-Fazari, 'Alqama bin 'Ulatha Al-`Amiri, who belonged to the Bani Kilab tribe and Zaid AI-Khail at-Ta'i who belonged to Bani Nabhan. So the Quraish and the Ansar became angry and said, "He gives to the chiefs of Najd and leaves us!" The Prophet said, "I just wanted to attract and unite their hearts (make them firm in Islam)." Then there came a man with sunken eyes, bulging forehead, thick beard, fat raised cheeks, and clean-shaven head, and said, "O Muhammad! Be afraid of Allah! " The Prophet said, "Who would obey Allah if I disobeyed Him? (Allah). He trusts me over the people of the earth, but you do not trust me?" A man from the people (present then), who, I think, was Khalid bin Al- Walid, asked for permission to kill him, but the Prophet prevented him. When the man went away, the Prophet said, "Out of the offspring of this man, there will be people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out through the game, and they will kill the Muslims and leave the idolators. Should I live till they appear, I would kill them as the Killing of the nation of 'Ad."

The Quraish people and those who embraced their religion, used to stay at Muzdalifa and used to call themselves Al-Hums, while the rest of the Arabs used to stay at `Arafat. When Islam came, Allah ordered His Prophet to go to `Arafat and stay at it, and then pass on from there, and that is what is meant by the Statement of Allah:--"Then depart from the place whence all the people depart......" (2.199)

The Prophet said, "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam, is, as he says; and whoever commits suicide with something, will be punished with the same thing in the (Hell) Fire; and cursing a believer is like murdering him; and whoever accuses a believer of disbelief, then it is as if he had killed him."

Allah's Apostle once delayed the `Isha' prayer and that was during the days when Islam still had not spread. The Prophet did not come out till `Umar informed him that the women and children had slept. Then he came out and said to the people of the mosque: "None amongst the dwellers of the earth has been waiting for it (`Isha prayer) except you."

On the authority of his father (Sa'd) and his grandfather (Dumayrah) (according to Musa's version) who were present in the battle of Hunayn with the Messenger of Allah (saws): After the advent of Islam, Muhallam ibn Jaththamah al-Laythi killed a man of Ashja'.

That was the first blood-money decided by the Messenger of Allah (saws) (for payment). Uyaynah spoke about the killing of al-Ashja'i, for he belonged to Ghatafan, and al-Aqra' ibn Habis spoke on behalf of Muhallam, for he belonged to Khunduf. The voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

So the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Do you not accept blood-money, Uyaynah?

Uyaynah then said: No, I swear by Allah, until I cause his women to suffer the same fighting and grief as he caused my women to suffer. Again the voices rose high, and the dispute and noise grew.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Do you not accept the blood-money Uyaynah? Uyaynah gave the same reply as before, and a man of Banu Layth called Mukaytil stood up. He had a weapon and a skin shield in his hand.

He said: I do not find in the beginning of Islam any illustration for what he has done except the one that "some sheep came on, and those in the front were shot; hence those in the rear ran away". (The other example is that) "make a law today and change it."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Fifty (camels) here immediately and fifty when we return to Medina. This happened during some of his journeys. Muhallam was a tall man of dark complexion. He was with the people. They continued (to make effort for him) until he was released. He sat before the Messenger of Allah (saws), with his eyes flowing.

He said: Messenger of Allah! I have done (the act) of which you have been informed. I repent to Allah, the Exalted, so ask Allah's forgiveness for me. Messenger of Allah!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) then said: Did you kill him with your weapon at the beginning of Islam. O Allah! do not forgive Muhallam. He said these words loudly.

AbuSalamah added: He (Muhallam) then got up while he was wiping his tears with the end of his garment.

Ibn Ishaq said: His people alleged that the Messenger of Allah (saws) asked forgiveness for him after that.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadr b. Shumail said: al-ghiyar means blood-wit.

The Prophet (saws) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist). The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just (ruler) will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree.

Malik related to me that Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman said, "An Iraqi man came before Umar ibn al-Khattab and said, 'I have come to you because of a matter which has no beginning and no end.' Umar said, 'What is it?' The man said, 'False testimony has appeared in our land.' Umar said, 'Is that so?' He said, 'Yes.' Umar said, 'By Allah! A man is not detained in Islam without just witnesses.' "

The Prophet (saws) said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus (saws). He will descent (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish jizyah. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, 'Messenger of Allah! Some people from the desert bring us meat, and we do not know whether the name of Allah has been mentioned over it or not.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Mention the name of Allah over it and eat.' "

Malik said, "That was in the beginning of Islam."

Allah's Apostle made a small room (with a palm leaf mat). Allah's Apostle came out (of his house) and prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his prayer. Then again the next night they came for the prayer, but Allah's Apostle delayed and did not come out to them. So they raised their voices and knocked the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He came out to them in a state of anger, saying, "You are still insisting (on your deed, i.e. Tarawih prayer in the mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Tarawih) might become obligatory on you. So you people, offer this prayer at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the one which he offers at home, except the compulsory (congregational) prayer."

Harb ibn Ubaydullah ibn Umayr ath-Thaqafi told on the authority of his grandfather, a man of Banu Taghlib: I came to the Prophet (saws), embraced Islam, and he taught me Islam. He also taught me how I should take sadaqah from my people who had become Muslim. I then returned to him and said: Messenger of Allah, I remembered whatever you taught me except the sadaqah. Should I levy tithe on them? He replied: No, tithes are to be levied on Christians and Jews.

A Jew said to `Umar, "O Chief of the Believers, if this verse: 'This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favors upon you, and have chosen for you, Islam as your religion.' (5.3) had been revealed upon us, we would have taken that day as an `Id (festival) day." `Umar said, "I know definitely on what day this Verse was revealed; it was revealed on the day of `Arafat, on a Friday."

The Prophet said (to us), " List the names of those people who have announced that they are Muslims." So, we listed one thousand and five hundred men. Then we wondered, "Should we be afraid (of infidels) although we are one thousand and five hundred in number?" No doubt, we witnessed ourselves being afflicted with such bad trials that one would have to offer the prayer alone in fear.

Narrated Al-A`mash:

"We (listed the Muslims and) found them five hundred." And Abu Muawiya said, "Between six hundred to seven hundred."