Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Nawfal said, ''Urwa ibn az-Zubayr informed me from A'isha umm al- muminin that Judama bint Wahb al-Asadiyya informed her that she heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'I intended to prohibit ghila but I remembered that the Greeks and Persians do that without it causing any injury to their children.' "

Malik explained, "Ghila is that a man has intercourse with his wife while she is suckling."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from A'isha, umm al-muminin, that whenever the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did ghusl for major ritual impurity, he would begin by washing his hands, and then do wudu as for prayer. He would then put his fingers in the water and rub the roots of his hair with them. Then he would pour as much water as two hands can hold on to his head three times, and over the entire surface of his skin.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fatima bint Abu Hubaysh said, 'Messenger of Allah, I never become pure - am I permitted to pray?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'That is a vein, not menstruation. So when your period approaches, leave off from the prayer, and when its grip leaves, wash the blood from yourself and pray.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'nNadr, 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, "I was sleeping in front of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and my feet were in his qibla. When he prostrated, he nudged me and I pulled up my feet,and when he stood up I spread them out." She added, "There were no lamps in the house at that time."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I never once saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, doing the voluntary prayer of duha, but I myself do it. Sometimes the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would refrain from a practice that he loved to do, fearing that people would do the same and it would become fard for them ."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had seen what women do now, he would have forbidden them to go into the mosques, just as the women of the Bani Israil were forbidden."

Yahya ibn Said said that he asked Amra, "Were the women of the Bani Israil forbidden to go into the mosques?" and she said, "Yes."

(wife of the Prophet) Since I reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but Allah's Apostle visited us both in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he reached a place called Bark-al-Ghimad, he met Ibn Ad-Daghna, the chief of the Qara tribe, who asked Abu Bakr, "Where are you going?" Abu Bakr said, "My people have turned me out of the country and I would like to tour the world and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad- Daghna said, "A man like you will not go out, nor will he be turned out as you help the poor earn their living, keep good relation with your Kith and kin, help the disabled (or the dependents), provide guests with food and shelter, and help people during their troubles. I am your protector. So, go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Ad-Daghna went along with Abu Bakr and took him to the chiefs of Quraish saying to them, "A man like Abu Bakr will not go out, nor will he be turned out. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn their living, keeps good relations with Kith and kin, helps the disabled, provides guests with food and shelter, and helps the people during their troubles?" So, Quraish allowed Ibn Ad-Daghna's guarantee of protection and told Abu- Bakr that he was secure, and said to Ibn Ad-Daghna, "Advise Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read what he liked and not to hurt us and not to do these things publicly, for we fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Ad-Daghna told Abu Bakr of all that, so Abu- Bakr continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did not pray or recite Qur'an aloud except in his house. Later on Abu Bakr had an idea of building a mosque in the court yard of his house. He fulfilled that idea and started praying and reciting Qur'an there publicly. The women and the offspring of the pagans started gathering around him and looking at him astonishingly. Abu Bakr was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting Qur'an. This horrified the pagan chiefs of Quraish. They sent for Ibn Ad-Daghna and when he came, they said, "We have given Abu Bakr protection on condition that he will worship his Lord in his house, but he has transgressed that condition and has built a mosque in the court yard of his house and offered his prayer and recited Qur'an in public. We are afraid lest he mislead our women and offspring. So, go to him and tell him that if he wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him to return your pledge of protection as we do not like to betray you by revoking your pledge, nor can we tolerate Abu Bakr's public declaration of Islam (his worshipping). `Aisha added: Ibn Ad-Daghna came to Abu Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you should either abide by those conditions or revoke my protection, as I do not like to hear the 'Arabs saying that Ibn Ad-Daghna gave the pledge of protection to a person and his people did not respect it." Abu Bakr said, "I revoke your pledge of protection and am satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's Apostle was still in Mecca and he said to his companions, "Your place of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two ,Harras." So, when the Prophet told it, some of the companions migrated to Medina, and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Medina. When Abu Bakr prepared for emigration, Allah's Apostle said to him, "Wait, for I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Abu Bakr asked, "May my father be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Apostle replied in the affirmative. So, Abu Bakr postponed his departure in order to accompany Allah's Apostle and fed two camels which he had, with the leaves of Samor trees for four months.

The Prophet (saws) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.

The Prophet said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijja)." Then some companions of the Prophet said, "Not even Jihad?" He replied, "Not even Jihad, except that of a man who does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's sake) and does not return with any of those things."

`Aisha said that the Prophet said to her, "O Aisha! Were your nation not close to the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance, I would have had the Ka`ba demolished and would have included in it the portion which had been left, and would have made it at a level with the ground and would have made two doors for it, one towards the east and the other towards the west, and then by doing this it would have been built on the foundations laid by Abraham." That was what urged Ibn-Az-Zubair to demolish the Ka`ba. Jazz said, "I saw Ibn-Az-Zubair when he demolished and rebuilt the Ka`ba and included in it a portion of Al-Hijr (the unroofed portion of Ka`ba which is at present in the form of a compound towards the northwest of the Ka`ba). I saw the original foundations of Abraham which were of stones resembling the humps of camels." So Jarir asked Yazid, "Where was the place of those stones?" Jazz said, "I will just now show it to you." So Jarir accompanied Yazid and entered Al-Hijr, and Jazz pointed to a place and said, "Here it is." Jarir said, "It appeared to me about six cubits from Al-Hijr or so."

We went out with Allah's Apostle on one of his journeys till we reached Al-Baida or Dhatul-Jaish where my necklace got broken (and lost). Allah's Apostle stopped to search for it and the people too stopped with him. There was no water at that place and they had no water with them. So they went to Abu Bakr and said, "Don't you see what `Aisha has done? She has made Allah's Apostle and the people stop where there is no water and they have no water with them. Abu Bakr came while Allah's Apostle was sleeping with his head on my thigh and said, "You detained Allah Apostle and the people where there is no water and they have no water." He then admonished me and said what Allah wished and pinched me at my flanks with his hands, but I did not move because the head of Allah's Apostle was on my thigh . Allah's Apostle kept on sleeping till be got up in the morning and found no water. Then Allah revealed the Divine Verse of Tayammum, and the people performed Tayammum. Usaid bin AlHudair said. "O family of Abu Bakr! This is not the first blessings of yours." We urged the camel on which I was sitting to get up from its place and the necklace was found under it.

By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not make Aisha perform umrah during Dhul-Hijjah but to discontinue the practice of the idolaters (in Arabia before Islam), for this clan of Quraysh and those who followed them used to say: When the fur of the camel abounds, and the wounds on the back of the camels are recovered and the month of Safar begins, umrah becomes lawful for one who performs umrah. They considered performing umrah unlawful till the months of Dhul-Hijjah and al-Muharram passed away.

I said to Aisha! Mother, show me the grave of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and his two Companions (Allah be pleased with them). She showed me three graves which were neither high nor low, but were spread with soft red pebbles in an open space.

Abu 'Ali said: It is said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) is forward, Abu Bakr is near his head and 'Umar is near is feet. His head is at the feet of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Are you not surprised at AbuHurayrah? He came and sat beside my apartment, and began to narrate traditions from the Messenger of Allah (saws) making me hear them. I was saying supererogatory prayer. He got up (and went away) before I finished my prayer. Had I found him, I would have replied to him. The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not narrate traditions quickly one after another as you narrate quickly.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) Said: The blood of a Muslim man who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle should not lawfully be shed except only for one of three reasons: a man who committed fornication after marriage, in which case he should be stoned; one who goes forth to fight with Allah and His Apostle, in which case he should be killed or crucified or exiled from the land; or one who commits murder for which he is killed.

There was an orphan (girl) under the care of a man. He married her and she owned a date palm (garden). He married her just because of that and not because he loved her. So the Divine Verse came regarding his case: "If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls..." (4.3) The sub-narrator added: I think he (i.e. another sub-narrator) said, "That orphan girl was his partner in that datepalm (garden) and in his property."

The Prophet used to offer prayer at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow?" He said, "Shouldn't I love to be a thankful slave (of Allah)?' When he became old, he prayed while sitting, but if he wanted to perform a bowing, he would get up, recite (some other verses) and then perform the bowing.

Allah's Apostle said," (On the Day of Resurrection) any one whose account will be taken will be ruined (i.e. go to Hell)." I said, "O Allah's Apostle! May Allah make me be sacrificed for you. Doesn't Allah say: "Then as for him who will be given his record in his right hand, he surely will receive an easy reckoning.?" (84.7-8) He replied, "That is only the presentation of the accounts; but he whose record is questioned, will be ruined."

(This hadith is also narrated through two other chains)

(regarding His Statement): 'They ask your instruction concerning the women. Say: Allah instructs you about them ...' (4.127) It is about the female orphan who is under the guardianship of a man with whom she shares her property and he does not want to marry her and dislikes that someone else should marry her, lest he should share the property with him, so he prevents her from marrying. So Allah forbade such a guardian to do so (i.e. to prevent her from marrying).

Allah's Apostle entered upon me at Sarif while I was weeping (because I was afraid that I would not be able to perform the ,Hajj). He said, "What is wrong with you? Have you got your period?" I replied, "Yes." He said, "This is a matter Allah has decreed for all the daughters of Adam, so perform the ceremonies of the Hajj as the pilgrims do, but do not perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba." Allah's Apostle slaughtered some cows as sacrifices on behalf of his wives.

(the wife of the Prophet) A lady along with her two daughters came to me asking me (for some alms), but she found nothing with me except one date which I gave to her and she divided it between her two daughters, and then she got up and went away. Then the Prophet came in and I informed him about this story. He said, "Whoever is in charge of (put to test by) these daughters and treats them generously, then they will act as a shield for him from the (Hell) Fire."

The pagans were defeated on the day (of the battle) of Uhud. Satan shouted among the people on the day of Uhud, "O Allah's worshippers! Beware of what is behind you!" So the front file of the army attacked the back files (mistaking them for the enemy) till they killed Al-Yaman. Hudhaifa (bin Al- Yaman) shouted, "My father!" My father! But they killed him. Hudhaifa said, "May Allah forgive you." (The narrator added: Some of the defeated pagans fled till they reached Taif.)

Allah's Apostle said to me, "You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, 'Uncover (her),' and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' Then you were shown to me, the angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), 'Uncover (her), and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), 'If this is from Allah, then it must happen.' "

Hind bint `Utba bin Rabi`a came and said. "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, there was no family on the surface of the earth, I like to see in degradation more than I did your family, but today there is no family on the surface of the earth whom I like to see honored more than yours." Hind added, "Abu Sufyan is a miser. Is it sinful of me to feed our children from his property?" The Prophet said, "There is no blame on you if you feed them (thereof) in a just and reasonable manner.

(when the slanderers said what they said about her): I went to my bed knowing at that time that I was innocent and that Allah would reveal my innocence, but by Allah, I never thought that Allah would reveal in my favor a revelation which would be recited, for I considered myself too unimportant to be talked about by Allah in the Divine Revelation that was to be recited. So Allah revealed the ten Verses (of Surat-an-Nur). 'Those who brought a false charge........' (24.11-20)

`Aisha said, "Once Allah's Apostle delayed the `Isha' prayer till `Umar reminded him by saying, "The prayer!" The women and children have slept. Then the Prophet came out and said, 'None amongst the dwellers of the earth has been waiting for it (the prayer) except you." `Urwa said, "Nowhere except in Medina the prayer used to be offered (in those days)." He further said, "The Prophet used to offer the `Isha' prayer in the period between the disappearance of the twilight and the end of the first third of the night."

My father said, "When Allah's Apostle became seriously ill, he was told about the prayer. He said, 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer.' `Aisha said, 'Abu Bakr is a softhearted man and he would be overpowered by his weeping if he recited the Qur'an.' He said to them, 'Tell him (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer. The same reply was given to him. He said again, 'Tell him to lead the prayer. You (women) are the companions of Joseph."

Allah's Apostle used to pray in his room at night. As the wall of the room was LOW, the people saw him and some of them stood up to follow him in the prayer. In the morning they spread the news. The following night the Prophet stood for the prayer and the people followed him. This went on for two or three nights. Thereupon Allah's Apostle did not stand for the prayer the following night, and did not come out. In the morning, the people asked him about it. He replied, that he way afraid that the night prayer might become compulsory.

(the mother of the faithful believers) Allah's Apostle (in his last days) used to pray sitting. He would recite while sitting, and when thirty or forty verses remained from the recitation he would get up and recite them while standing and then he would bow and prostrate. He used to do the same in the second rak`a. After finishing the Prayer he used to look at me and if I was awake he would talk to me and if I was asleep, he would lie down.

One night Allah's Apostle offered the prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third and the fourth nights more people gathered, but Allah's Apostle did not come out to them. In the morning he said, "I saw what you were doing and nothing but the fear that it (i.e. the prayer) might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming to you." And that happened in the month of Ramadan.

When the Prophet became ill, some of his wives talked about a church which they had seen in Ethiopia and it was called Mariya. Um Salma and Um Habiba had been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated its (the Church's) beauty and the pictures it contained. The Prophet raised his head and said, "Those are the people who, whenever a pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they make those pictures in it. Those are the worst creatures in the Sight of Allah."

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Every intoxicant is unlawful. Whatever a Faraq of it intoxicates, then a handful of it is unlawful."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] One of them said in his Hadith: "A sip of it is unlawful."

He said: This Hadith is Hasan. Al-Laith bin Abi Sulaim and Ar-Rabi' bin Sabih reported similar to the narration of Mahdi bin Maimun from Abu 'Uthman Al-Ansari. Abu 'Uthman Al-Ansari's (a narrator in this chain) name is 'Amr bin Salim, and they say: "Umar bin Salim" (as well).

Abu Eisa said: This Hadith is [Hasan] Sahih.

"The Messenger of Allah (saws) was of average height, neither tall nor very short, he had a good build, brown in complexion, his hair was neither curly nor straight, and when he walked he swayed slightly."

He said: There are narration on this topic from 'Aishah, Al-Bara', Abu Hurairah, Ibn 'Abbas, Abu Sa'eed, Jabir, Wa'il bin Hujr, and Umm Hani'.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of Anas is a Hasan Sahih Gharib Hadith from this route, as a narration of Humaid.

"The Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited two types of dress: As-Sama', and that a man sits with his legs drawn up in a garment, while there is nothing covering his private area.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from 'Ali, Ibn 'Umar, 'Aishah, Abu Sa'eed, Jabir, and Abu Umamah. The Hadith if Abu Hurairah is a Hasan Sahih Gharib Hadith from this route.

This has been reported through other routes from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws).

who heard Aisha saying, "The Holy Verse; 'Whoever amongst the guardians is rich, he should take no wages (from the property of the orphans) but If he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labors)' (4.6) was revealed concerning the guardian of the orphans who looks after them and manages favorably their financial affairs; If the guardian Is poor, he could have from It what Is just and reasonable, (according to his labors).

The Prophet concluded a contract with the people of Khaibar to utilize the land on the condition that half the products of fruits or vegetation would be their share. The Prophet used to give his wives one hundred Wasqs each, eighty Wasqs of dates and twenty Wasqs of barley. (When `Umar became the Caliph) he gave the wives of the Prophet the option of either having the land and water as their shares, or carrying on the previous practice. Some of them chose the land and some chose the Wasqs, and `Aisha chose the land.

When Allah's Apostle returned on the day (of the battle) of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench), he put down his arms and took a bath. Then Gabriel whose head was covered with dust, came to him saying, "You have put down your arms! By Allah, I have not put down my arms yet." Allah's Apostle said, "Where (to go now)?" Gabriel said, "This way," pointing towards the tribe of Bani Quraiza. So Allah's Apostle went out towards them .

The Prophet in his fatal illness, called his daughter Fatima and told her a secret because of which she started weeping. Then he called her and told her another secret, and she started laughing. When I asked her about that, she replied, The Prophet told me that he would die in his fatal illness, and so I wept, but then he secretly told me that from amongst his family, I would be the first to join him, and so I laughed."

I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her, but the Prophet used to mention her very often, and when ever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to the women friends of Khadija. When I sometimes said to him, "(You treat Khadija in such a way) as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija," he would say, "Khadija was such-and-such, and from her I had children."

`Ubaid bin `Umar and I visited `Aisha, and he asked her about the migration. She said, "There is no migration today. A believer used to flee with his religion to Allah and His Prophet for fear that he might be put to trial as regards his religion. Today Allah has rendered Islam victorious; therefore a believing one can worship one's Lord wherever one wishes. But there is Jihad (for Allah's Cause) and intentions." (See Hadith 42, in the 4th Vol. for its Explanation)

The Prophet called Fatima during his fatal illness and told her something secretly and she wept. Then he called her again and told her something secretly, and she started laughing. When we asked her about that, she said, "The Prophet first told me secretly that he would expire in that disease in which he died, so I wept; then he told me secretly that I would be the first of his family to follow him, so I laughed ( at that time).

I had been eager to ask `Umar about the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet regarding whom Allah said (in the Qur'an saying): If you two (wives of the Prophet namely Aisha and Hafsa) turn in repentance to Allah your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet likes) (66.4), till performed the Hajj along with `Umar (and on our way back from Hajj) he went aside (to answer the call of nature) and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler of water. When he had answered the call of nature and returned. I poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he performed ablution. I said, "O Chief of the believers! ' Who were the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet to whom Allah said: 'If you two return in repentance (66.4)? He said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn `Abbas. They were Aisha and Hafsa." Then `Umar went on relating the narration and said. "I and an Ansari neighbor of mine from Bani Umaiya bin Zaid who used to live in `Awali Al-Medina, used to visit the Prophet in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraish, used to have authority over women, but when we came to live with the Ansar, we noticed that the Ansari women had the upper hand over their men, so our women started acquiring the habits of the Ansari women. Once I shouted at my wife and she paid me back in my coin and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet retort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the whole day till night.' What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will be a great loser.' Then I dressed myself and went to Hafsa and asked her, 'Does any of you keep Allah's Apostle angry all the day long till night?' She replied in the affirmative. I said, 'She is a ruined losing person (and will never have success)! Doesn't she fear that Allah may get angry for the anger of Allah's Apostle and thus she will be ruined? Don't ask Allah's Apostle too many things, and don't retort upon him in any case, and don't desert him. Demand from me whatever you like, and don't be tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e. `Aisha) in her behavior towards the Prophet), for she (i.e. Aisha) is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allah's Apostle. In those days it was rumored that Ghassan, (a tribe living in Sham) was getting prepared their horses to invade us. My companion went (to the Prophet on the day of his turn, went and returned to us at night and knocked at my door violently, asking whether I was sleeping. I was scared (by the hard knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. I asked him: What is it? Have Ghassan come? He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allah's Apostle had divorced all his wives. I said, Hafsa is a ruined loser! I expected that would happen some day.' So I dressed myself and offered the Fajr prayer with the Prophet. Then the Prophet entered an upper room and stayed there alone. I went to Hafsa and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you weeping? Didn't I warn you? Have Allah's Apostle divorced you all?' She replied, 'I don't know. He is there in the upper room.' I then went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it and some of them were weeping. Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation. So I went to the upper room where the Prophet was and requested to a black slave of his: "Will you get the permission of (Allah's Apostle) for `Umar (to enter)? The slave went in, talked to the Prophet about it and came out saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: "Will you get he permission for `Umar? He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, behold, the slave called me saying, "Allah's Apostle has granted you permission." So, I entered upon the Prophet and saw him lying on a mat without wedding on it, and the mat had left its mark on the body of the Prophet, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fires. I greeted him and while still standing, I said: "Have you divorced your wives?' He raised his eyes to me and replied in the negative. And then while still standing, I said chatting: "Will you heed what I say, 'O Allah's Apostle! We, the people of Quraish used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the people whose women had the upper hand over them..." `Umar told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet smiled." `Umar further said, "I then said, 'I went to Hafsa and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (`Aisha) for she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet.' The Prophet smiled again. When I saw him smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allah, I couldn't see anything of importance but three hides. I said (to Allah's Apostle) "Invoke Allah to make your followers prosperous for the Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do not worship Allah?' The Prophet was leaning then (and on hearing my speech he sat straight) and said, 'O Ibn Al-Khattab! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this world)? These people have been given rewards of their good deeds in this world only.' I asked the Prophet . 'Please ask Allah's forgiveness for me. The Prophet did not go to his wives because of the secret which Hafsa had disclosed to `Aisha, and he said that he would not go to his wives for one month as he was angry with them when Allah admonished him (for his oath that he would not approach Maria). When twenty-nine days had passed, the Prophet went to Aisha first of all. She said to him, 'You took an oath that you would not come to us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by day.' The Prophet said, 'The month is also of twenty-nine days.' That month consisted of twenty-nine days. `Aisha said, 'When the Divine revelation of Choice was revealed, the Prophet started with me, saying to me, 'I am telling you something, but you need not hurry to give the reply till you can consult your parents." `Aisha knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet . The Prophet said that Allah had said: 'O Prophet! Say To your wives; If you desire The life of this world And its glitter, ... then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free In a handsome manner. But if you seek Allah And His Apostle, and The Home of the Hereafter, then Verily, Allah has prepared For the good-doers amongst you A great reward.' (33.28) `Aisha said, 'Am I to consult my parents about this? I indeed prefer Allah, His Apostle, and the Home of the Hereafter.' After that the Prophet gave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as `Aisha did."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr that A'isha umm al-muminin told him that Aflah, the brother of Abu'l-Quays came and asked permission to visit her after the veil had been lowered, and he was her paternal uncle by suckling. She said, "I refusedto give him permission to enter. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, I told him about what I had done, and he ordered me to give him permission to enter."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr 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, did not have to choose between two matters, but that he chose the easier of them as long as it was not a wrong action. If it was a wrong action, he was the furthest of people from it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not take revenge for himself unless the limits of Allah were violated. Then he took revenge for it for Allah."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father 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, prayed while he was ill. He prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, and he indicated to them to sit down. When he left, he said, 'The imam is only appointed to be followed. When he goes into ruku, go into ruku and when he rises, rise and if he prays sitting, pray sitting .' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The day of Ashura was a day the Quraysh used to fast in the jahiliyya, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used also to fast it during the jahiliyya. Then when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina he fasted it and ordered that it be fasted. Then Ramadan was made obligatory, and that became the fard instead of Ashura, but whoever wanted to, fasted it, and whoever did not want to, did not fast it."