I went to Sham and offered a two-rak`at prayer and then said, "O Allah! Bless me with a good pious companion." So I went to some people and sat with them. An old man came and sat by my side. I asked, "Who is he?" They replied, "(He is) Abu-Ad-Darda.' I said (to him), "I prayed to Allah to bless me with a pious companion and He sent you to me." He asked me, "From where are you?" I replied, "From the people of Al-Kufa." He said, "Isn't there amongst you Ibn Um `Abd, the one who used to carry the shoes, the cushion(or pillow) and the water for ablution? Is there amongst you the one whom Allah gave Refuge from Satan through the request of His Prophet. Is there amongst you the one who keeps the secrets of the Prophet which nobody knows except him?" Abu Darda further asked, "How does `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) recite the Sura starting with, 'By the Night as it conceals (the light)." (92.1) Then I recited before him: 'By the Night as it envelops: And by the Day as it appears in brightness; And by male and female.' (91.1-3) On this Abu Ad-Darda' said, "By Allah, the Prophet made me recite the Sura in this way while I was listening to him (reciting it).

The Prophet came out after the sun had declined and offered the Zuhr prayer (in congregation). After finishing it with Taslim, he stood on the pulpit and mentioned the Hour and mentioned there would happen great events before it. Then he said, "Whoever wants to ask me any question, may do so, for by Allah, you will not ask me about anything but I will inform you of its answer as long as I am at this place of mine." On this, the Ansar wept violently, and Allah's Apostle kept on saying, "Ask Me! " Then a man got up and asked, ''Where will my entrance be, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "(You will go to) the Fire." Then `Abdullah bin Hudhaifa got up and asked, "Who is my father, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet replied, "Your father is Hudhaifa." The Prophet then kept on saying (angrily), "Ask me! Ask me!" `Umar then knelt on his knees and said, "We have accepted Allah as our Lord and Islam as our religion and Muhammad as an Apostle." Allah's Apostle became quiet when `Umar said that. Then Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, Paradise and Hell were displayed before me across this wall while I was praying, and I never saw such good and evil as I have seen today."

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon, him) came back from 'Arafa and Usama (Allah be pleased with him) was seated behind him. Usama said that he (the Holy Prophet) continued the journey in this very state until he came to Muzdalifa.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that Nabidh was prepared for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in the beginning of the night and he would drink it in the morning and the following night and the following day and the night after that up to the afternoon. If anything was left out of that he gave it to his servant, or gave orders for it to be poured out.

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."

The Prophet and his companions reached Mecca in the morning of the 4th Dhul-Hijja reciting Talbiya (O Allah! We are obedient to your orders, we respond 4 to your call) . . . intending to perform Hajj. The Prophet ordered his companions to assume the lhram for Umra instead of Hajj, excepting those who had Hadi (sacrifice) with them.

I heard the Prophet delivering a sermon at `Arafat saying, "If a Muhrim does not find slippers, he could wear Khuffs (socks made from thick fabric or leather, but he has to cut short the Khuffs below the ankles), and if he does not find an Izar (a waist sheet for wrapping the lower half of the body) he could wear trousers."

A woman from the tribe of Khath'am came in the year (of ,Hajjat-al-Wada` of the Prophet ) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! My father has come under Allah's obligation of performing Hajj but he is a very old man and cannot sit properly on his Mount. Will the obligation be fulfilled if I perform Hajj on his behalf?" The Prophet replied in the affirmative.

Allah's Apostle came to Medina and the people used to pay in advance the price of fruits to be delivered within one or two years. (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether it was one to two years or two to three years.) The Prophet said, "Whoever pays money in advance for dates (to be delivered later) should pay it for known specified weight and measure (of the dates).

`Ali burnt some people and this news reached Ibn `Abbas, who said, "Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet said, 'Don't punish (anybody) with Allah's Punishment.' No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, 'If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.' "

Allah's Apostle asked Gabriel, "Why don't you visit us more often than you do?" Then the following Holy Verse was revealed (in this respect):-- "And we (angels) descend not but by the order of your Lord. To Him belong what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two and your Lord was never forgetful." (19.64)

Allah's Apostle was the most generous of all the people, and he used to be more generous in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Holy Qur'an carefully together. Allah's Apostle used to become more generous than the fast wind when he met Gabriel.

The Prophet used to seek Refuge with Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and say: "Your forefather (i.e. Abraham) used to seek Refuge with Allah for Ishmael and Isaac by reciting the following: 'O Allah! I seek Refuge with Your Perfect Words from every devil and from poisonous pests and from every evil, harmful, envious eye.' "

I asked Ibn `Abbas, "Should we perform a prostration on reciting Surat-Sa`d?" He recited (the Sura) including: 'And among his progeny, David, Solomon..(up to)...so follow their guidance (6.84-91) And then he said, "Your Prophet is amongst those people who have been ordered to follow them (i.e. the preceding apostles).

If you wish to know about the ignorance of the Arabs, refer to Surat-al-Anam after Verse No. 130:-- Indeed lost are those who have killed their children From folly without knowledge and have forbidden that which Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and were not guided.' (6.14)

That he said to the Prophet "You have not been of any avail to your uncle (Abu Talib) (though) by Allah, he used to protect you and used to become angry on your behalf." The Prophet said, "He is in a shallow fire, and had It not been for me, he would have been in the bottom of the (Hell) Fire."

The word 'Al-Kauthar' means the abundant good which Allah gave to him (the Prophet Muhammad). Abu Bishr said: I said to Sa`id, "Some people claim that it (Al-Kauthar) is a river in Paradise." Sa`id replied, "The river which is in Paradise is one item of that good which Allah has bestowed upon him (Muhammad).

I bought Barira (a female slave). The Prophet said (to me), "Buy her as the Wala' is for the manumitted." Once she was given a sheep (in charity). The Prophet said, "It (the sheep) is a charitable gift for her (Barira) and a gift for us." Al-Hakam said, "Barira's husband was a free man." Ibn `Abbas said, 'When I saw him, he was a slave."

The Prophet said, "Whoever notices something which he dislikes done by his ruler, then he should be patient, for whoever becomes separate from the company of the Muslims even for a span and then dies, he will die as those who died in the Pre-lslamic period of Ignorance (as rebellious sinners). (Fath-ul-Bari page 112, Vol. 16)

We faced the pagans on that day (of the battle of Uhud) and the Prophet placed a batch of archers (at a special place) and appointed `Abdullah (bin Jubair) as their commander and said, "Do not leave this place; if you should see us conquering the enemy, do not leave this place, and if you should see them conquering us, do not (come to) help us," So, when we faced the enemy, they took to their heels till I saw their women running towards the mountain, lifting up their clothes from their legs, revealing their leg-bangles. The Muslims started saying, "The booty, the booty!" `Abdullah bin Jubair said, "The Prophet had taken a firm promise from me not to leave this place." But his companions refused (to stay). So when they refused (to stay there), (Allah) confused them so that they could not know where to go, and they suffered seventy casualties. Abu Sufyan ascended a high place and said, "Is Muhammad present amongst the people?" The Prophet said, "Do not answer him." Abu Sufyan said, "Is the son of Abu Quhafa present among the people?" The Prophet said, "Do not answer him." `Abu Sufyan said, "Is the son of Al-Khattab amongst the people?" He then added, "All these people have been killed, for, were they alive, they would have replied." On that, `Umar could not help saying, "You are a liar, O enemy of Allah! Allah has kept what will make you unhappy." Abu Sufyan said, "Superior may be Hubal!" On that the Prophet said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They asked, "What may we say?" He said, "Say: Allah is More Elevated and More Majestic!" Abu Sufyan said, "We have (the idol) Al-`Uzza, whereas you have no `Uzza!" The Prophet said (to his companions), "Reply to him." They said, "What may we say?" The Prophet said, "Say: Allah is our Helper and you have no helper." Abu Sufyan said, "(This) day compensates for our loss at Badr and (in) the battle (the victory) is always undecided and shared in turns by the belligerents. You will see some of your dead men mutilated, but neither did I urge this action, nor am I sorry for it." Narrated Jabir: Some people took wine in the morning of the day of Uhud and were then killed as martyrs.

Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain."(1) And so it would rain.

That the mother of Sa`d bin Ubada the brother of Bani Saida died in Sa`d's absence, so he came to the Prophet saying, "O Allah's Apostle! My mother died in my absence, will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?" The Prophet said, "Yes." Sa`d said, "I take you as my witness that I give my garden Al-Makhraf in charity on her behalf."

The Prophet said, "One should not say that I am better than Jonah (i.e. Yunus) bin Matta." So, he mentioned his father Matta. The Prophet mentioned the night of his Ascension and said, "The prophet Moses was brown, a tall person as if from the people of the tribe of Shanu'a. Jesus was a curly-haired man of moderate height." He also mentioned Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire, and Ad-Dajjal.

`Abdullah said, "Whenever we prayed behind the Prophet we used to recite (in sitting) 'Peace be on Gabriel, Michael, peace be on so and so. Once Allah's Apostle looked back at us and said, 'Allah Himself is As-Salam (Peace), and if anyone of you prays then he should say, at-Tahiyatu li l-lahi wa ssalawatu wa t-taiyibat. As-salamu `alalika aiyuha n-Nabiyu wa rahmatu l-lahi wa barakatuh. Assalamu `alaina wa `ala `ibadi l-lahi s-salihin. (All the compliments, prayers and good things are due to Allah; peace be on you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings [be on you]. Peace be on us an on the pious subjects of Allah). (If you say that, it will reach all the subjects in the heaven and the earth). Ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa l-lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `Abduhu wa Rasuluh. (I testify that there is no Deity [worthy of worship] but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His Apostle).

The news of my daily fasting and praying every night throughout the night reached the Prophet. So he sent for me or I met him, and he said, "I have been informed that you fast everyday and pray every night (all the night). Fast (for some days) and give up fasting (for some days); pray and sleep, for your eyes have a right on you, and your body and your family (i.e. wife) have a right on you." I replied, "I have more power than that (fasting)." The Prophet said, "Then fast like the fasts of (the Prophet) David". I said, "How?" He replied, "He used to fast on alternate days, and he used not to flee on meeting the enemy." I said, "From where can I get that chance?" (`Ata' said, "I do not know how the expression of fasting daily throughout the life occurred.") So, the Prophet said, twice, "Whoever fasts daily throughout his life is just as the one who does not fast at all."

Allah's Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Then the soul is breathed into him. So, a man amongst you may do (good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise."

The Prophet mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba. I asked, 'Who is this?' They replied, 'This is Jesus, son of Mary.' Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, 'Who is this? 'They replied, 'The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.' "

When Abu Talib was in his death bed, the Prophet went to him while Abu Jahl was sitting beside him. The Prophet said, "O my uncle! Say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, an expression I will defend your case with, before Allah." Abu Jahl and `Abdullah bin Umaiya said, "O Abu Talib! Will you leave the religion of `Abdul Muttalib?" So they kept on saying this to him so that the last statement he said to them (before he died) was: "I am on the religion of `Abdul Muttalib." Then the Prophet said, " I will keep on asking for Allah's Forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so." Then the following Verse was revealed:-- "It is not fitting for the Prophet and the believers to ask Allah's Forgiveness for the pagans, even if they were their near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire." (9.113) The other Verse was also revealed:-- "(O Prophet!) Verily, you guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He will ......." (28.56)

I heard Allah's Apostle while he was standing on the pulpit, saying, "The remaining period of your stay (on the earth) in comparison to the nations before you, is like the period between the `Asr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah and they acted upon it till midday, and then they were worn out and were given for their labor, one Qirat each. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and they acted upon it till the time of the `Asr prayer, and then they were worn out and were given (for their labor), one Qirat each. Then you people were given the Qur'an and you acted upon it till sunset and so you were given two Qirats each (double the reward of the previous nations)." Then the people of the Torah said, 'O our Lord! These people have done a little labor (much less than we) but have taken a greater reward.' Allah said, 'Have I withheld anything from your reward?' They said, 'No.' Then Allah said, 'That is My Favor which I bestow on whom I wish.' "

Abu Bakr and Al-`Abbas passed by one of the gatherings of the Ansar who were weeping then. He (i.e. Abu Bakr or Al-`Abbas) asked, "Why are you weeping?" They replied, "We are weeping because we remember the gathering of the Prophet with us." So Abu Bakr went to the Prophet and told him of that. The Prophet came out, tying his head with a piece of the hem of a sheet. He ascended the pulpit which he never ascended after that day. He glorified and praised Allah and then said, "I request you to take care of the Ansar as they are my near companions to whom I confided my private secrets. They have fulfilled their obligations and rights which were enjoined on them but there remains what is for them. So, accept the good of the good-doers amongst them and excuse the wrongdoers amongst them."

The Prophet and his companions assumed Ihram for Hajj and none except the Prophet and Talha had the Hadi with them. `Ali had come from Yemen and he had the Hadi with him. He (`Ali) said, "I have assumed Ihram with an intention like that of Allah's Apostle has assumed it." The Prophet ordered his companions to intend the Ihram with which they had come for `Umra, to perform the Tawaf of the Ka`ba (and between Safa and Marwa), to get their hair cut short and then to finish their Ihram with the exception of those who had the Hadi with them. They asked, "Shall we go to Mina and the private organs of some of us are dribbling (if we finish Ihram and have sexual relations with our wives)?" The Prophet heard that and said, "Had I known what I know now, I would not have brought the Hadi. If I did not have the Hadi with me I would have finished my Ihram." `Aisha got her menses and performed all the ceremonies (of Hajj) except the Tawaf . So when she became clean from her menses, and she had performed the Tawaf of the Ka`ba, she said, "O Allah's Apostle! You (people) are returning with both Hajj and `Umra and I am returning only with Hajj!" So, he ordered `Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakr to go with her to at-Tan`im. Thus she performed `Umra after the Hajj in the month of Dhi-l-Hijja. Suraqa bin Malik bin Ju'sham met the Prophet at Al-`Aqaba (Jamrat-ul 'Aqaba) while the latter was stoning it and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Is this permissible only for you?" The Prophet replied, "No, it is for ever (i.e. it is permissible for all Muslims to perform `Umra before Hajj."

I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through the gate facing the pulpit while Allah's Apostle was delivering the Khutba. The man stood in front of Allah's Apostle and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it (i.e. Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained." Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person entered through the same gate and at that time Allah's Apostle was delivering the Friday's Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to withhold rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Apostle I raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and on the places where trees grow.' So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.

That he was sitting behind `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz and the people mentioned and mentioned (about at-Qasama) and they said (various things), and said that the Caliphs had permitted it. `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz turned towards Abu Qilaba who was behind him and said. "What do you say, O `Abdullah bin Zaid?" or said, "What do you say, O Abu Qilaba?" Abu Qilaba said, "I do not know that killing a person is lawful in Islam except in three cases: a married person committing illegal sexual intercourse, one who has murdered somebody unlawfully, or one who wages war against Allah and His Apostle." 'Anbasa said, "Anas narrated to us such-and-such." Abu Qilaba said, "Anas narrated to me in this concern, saying, some people came to the Prophet and they spoke to him saying, 'The climate of this land does not suit us.' The Prophet said, 'These are camels belonging to us, and they are to be taken out to the pasture. So take them out and drink of their milk and urine.' So they took them and set out and drank of their urine and milk, and having recovered, they attacked the shepherd, killed him and drove away the camels.' Why should there be any delay in punishing them as they murdered (a person) and waged war against Allah and His Apostle and frightened Allah's Apostle ?" Anbasa said, "I testify the uniqueness of Allah!" Abu Qilaba said, "Do you suspect me?" 'Anbasa said, "No, Anas narrated that (Hadith) to us." Then 'Anbasa added, "O the people of such-and-such (country), you will remain in good state as long as Allah keeps this (man) and the like of this (man) amongst you."