Sahl bin Sa`d was asked about the (Prophet's) pulpit as to what thing it was made of? Sahl replied: "None remains alive amongst the people, who knows about it better than I. It was made of tamarisk (wood) of the forest. So and so, the slave of so and so prepared it for Allah's Apostle . When it was constructed and place (in the Mosque), Allah's Apostle stood on it facing the Qibla and said 'Allahu Akbar', and the people stood behind him (and led the people in prayer). He recited and bowed and the people bowed behind him. Then he raised his head and stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground and then he again ascended the pulpit, recited, bowed, raised his head and stepped back, got down and prostrate on the ground. So, this is what I know about the pulpit." Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "As the Prophet was at a higher level than the people, there is no harm according to the above-mentioned Hadith if the Imam is at a higher level than his followers during the prayers."

The Prophet (saws) said: If any of you prays two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie at his right side.

Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to him: Is it not enough that one of us walks to the mosque until he lies at his right side? According to the version of Ubaydullah, he (AbuHurayrah) replied: No.

This statement (of AbuHurayrah) reached Ibn Umar. He said: AbuHurayrah exceed limits on himself. He was asked: Do you look askance at what he says? He replied: No, but he dared and we showed cowardice. This (criticism of Ibn Umar) reached AbuHurayrah. He said: What is my sin if I remembered and they forgot?

Allah's Apostle shrouded every two martyrs of Uhud in one piece of cloth and then he would ask, "Which of them knew more Qur'an?" When one of them was pointed out he would put him first in the grave. He said, "I am a witness on these." Then he ordered them to be buried with blood on their bodies. Neither did he offer their funeral prayer nor did he get them washed. (Jabir bin `Abdullah added): Allah's Apostle used to ask about the martyrs of Uhud as to which of them knew more of the Qur'an." And when one of them was pointed out as having more of it he would put him first in the grave and then his companions. (Jabir added): My father and my uncle were shrouded in one sheet.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by 'Abd al-Wahid from Khusaif, but he did not report it as a statement of the Prophet (saws). The version of 'Abd al-Wahid has been corroborated by Sufyan, Sharik, and Isra'il. They differed amongst themselves about the text of the tradition and they did not narrate it with the continuous chain up to the Prophet (saws).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) led one section in one rak'ah of prayer and the other section was facing the enemy. Then they turned away and took the position of the other section. They (the other section) came and he (the Prophet) led them in the second rak'ah. He then uttered the salutation. Thereafter they stood up and completed the remaining rak'ah, they went away and the other section completed their remaining rak'ah.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Nafi' and Khalid b. Ma'dan from Ibn 'Umar in like manner from the Prophet (saws). This has also been transmitted similarly by Masruq ad Yusuf b. Mihran on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas. This has been narrated by Yunus from al-Hasan from Abu Musa something similarly, saying that Abu Musa has done so.

While I was praying, the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not go to him till I had finished my prayer. When I went to him, he said, "What prevented you from coming?" I said, "I was praying." He said, "Didn't Allah say" "O you who believes Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle." (8.24) Then he added, "Shall I tell you the most superior Sura in the Qur'an before I go out of the mosque?" When the Prophet intended to go out (of the Mosque), I reminded him and he said, "That is: "Al hamdu-li l-lahi Rabbil-`alamin (Surat-al-fatiha)' which is the seven oft repeated verses (Al-Mathani) and the Grand Qur'an which has been given to me."

The delegates of `Abd-ul-Qais came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We are from the tribe of Rabi`a and the infidels of Mudar tribe stand between us and you, so that we cannot come to you except in the Sacred Months. Therefore we would like you to give us some instructions which we may follow and convey to our people staying behind us." The Prophet said, "I order you to observe four things and forbid you (to do) four things: (I order you) to believe in Allah testifying that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah; to offer the prayer perfectly; to pay the Zakat; and to give one-fifth of the war booty to Allah. And I forbid you to use Ad-Dubba, Al-Hantam, An-Naqir and Al- Muzaffat." (These are names of utensils in which alcoholic drinks were served.)

Umm Al Hakam or Duba’ah daughters of Al Zibair bin ‘Abd Al Muttalib said “Some captives of war were brought to the Apostle of Allaah(saws). I and my sister Fatimah, daughter of Apostle of Allaah(saws) went (to the Prophet) and complained to him about our existing condition. We asked him to order (to give) us some captives. The Apostle of Allaah(saws) said “the orphans of the people who were killed in the battle of Badr came before you (and they asked for the captives). But I tell you something better than that. You should utter “Allaah is Most Great” after each prayer thirty three times, “Glory be to Allaah” thirty three times, “Praise be to Allaah” thirty three times and “there is no god but Allaah alone, He has no associate, the Kingdom belongs to Him and praise is due to Him and He has power over all things.”

The narrator ‘Ayyash said “They were daughters of Uncle of the Prophet (saws).”

'A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) missed the night prayer due to pain or any other reason, he observed twelve rak'ahs during the daytime.

Al-Hasan reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered the people (in tarawih prayer) behind Ubayy ibn Ka'b (who led them). He used to lead them for twenty days (during Ramadan, and would not recite the supplication except in the second half of it (i.e. Ramadan). When the last ten days remained, he kept away from them, and prayed in his house. They used to say: Ubayy ran away.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition shows that whatever has been reported about the recitation of the supplication is not tenable. Moreover, these two traditions from Ubayy b. Ka'b indicate that another tradition which tells that the Prophet (saws) recited the supplication in the witr is weak.

(the clerk of Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba) Muawiya wrote to Al-Mughira: "Write to me a narration you have heard from Allah's Apostle." So Al-Mughira wrote to him, "I heard him saying the following after each prayer: 'La ilaha illal-lahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahuI-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli Shai-in qadir.' He also used to forbid idle talk, asking too many questions (in religion), wasting money, preventing what should be given, and asking others for something (except in great need), being undutiful to mothers, and burying one's little daughters (alive).

This hadith has been narrated by another chain of transmitters like Abu Bakr b. Abi Shaiba, 'Abda b. Sulaiman Ibn Abi 'Umar Sufyan, 'Ubaidullah b. Mu'adh, Shu'ba; all of them heard it from Salih b. Salih.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that he heard Said ibn al Musayyab say, about the girdle worn by some one in ihram under his clothes, "There is no harm in it if he ties the ends together as a belt."

Malik said, "This is what I like most out of what I have heard about the matter."

Once I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maimuna bint Al-Harith and Allah's Apostle was with her as it was her turn. Allah's Apostle got up to offer the night prayer. I stood on his left but he took hold of my two locks of hair and made me stand on his right.

Narrated Abu Bishr:

(the above Hadith) but he quoted: Ibn `Abbas said, (took hold of) my two braids on my head."

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Anybody who spends a pair of something in Allah's Cause will be called from all the gates of Paradise, "O Allah's slave! This is good.' He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan." Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said about the futile oath: It is man's speech in his house: No, by Allah, and Yes, by Allah.

Abu Dawud said: Ibrahim al-Sa'igh, the narrator of this tradition , was a pious man. Abu Muslim killed him at 'Aranda. When he raised a hammed and heard the call to prayer, he gave it up.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Dawud b. Abi al-Furat from Ibrahim al-Sa'igh as a statement of 'Aishah (not attributed to the Prophet). Similarly, it has been transmitted by al-Zuhri, 'Abd al-Malik b. Abi Sulaiman and Malik b. Mughul. All of them transmitted it from 'Ata on the authority of 'Aishah on her own statement.

We were at Al-Ahwaz fighting the Al-Haruriya (tribe). While I was at the bank of a river a man was praying and the reins of his animal were in his hands and the animal was struggling and he was following the animal. (Shu`ba, a sub-narrator, said that man was Abu Barza Al-Aslami). A man from the Khawarij said, "O Allah! Be harsh to this sheik." And when the sheik (Abu Barza) finished his prayer, he said, "I heard your remark. No doubt, I participated with Allah's Apostle in six or seven or eight holy battles and saw his leniency, and no doubt, I would rather retain my animal than let it return to its stable, as it would cause me much trouble. "

A man from the Companions of the Prophet (saws) passed by ravine containing a small spring of thirst quenching water, so he was amazed by how pleasant it was. So he said: 'I should leave the people and stay in this ravine. But I will not do it until I seek permission from the Messenger of Allah (saws).' So he mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and he said: 'Do not do so. For indeed one of you standing in the cause of Allah is more virtuous that his Salat in his house for seventy years. Do you not love that Allah forgive your sins and admit you into Paradise ? Then fight in the cause of Allah, for whoever fights in Allah's cause for the time it takes for two milkings of a camel, then Paradise is obligatory for him.'"

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

If a man saw a dream during the lifetime of the Prophet he would narrate it to the Prophet. Once I wished to see a dream and narrate it to the Prophet I was young, unmarried, and used to sleep in the Mosque during the lifetime of the Prophet. I dreamt that two angels took me and went away with me towards the (Hell) Fire which looked like a well with the inside walls built up, and had two side-walls like those of a well. There I saw some people in it whom I knew. I started saying, "I seek Refuge with Allah from the (Hell) Fire, I seek Refuge with Allah from the (Hell) Fire." Then another angel met the other two and said to me, "Do not be afraid." I narrated my dream to Hafsa who, in her turn, narrated it to the Prophet. He said, "What an excellent man `Abdullah is if he only observes the night prayer." (Salem, a sub-narrator said, "Abdullah used not to sleep at night but very little hence forward."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yazid ibn Ruman said, "The people used to watch the night in prayer during Ramadan for twenty- three rakas in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab."

`Umar said, "I agreed with Allah in three things," or said, "My Lord agreed with me in three things. I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Would that you took the station of Abraham as a place of prayer.' I also said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Good and bad persons visit you! Would that you ordered the Mothers of the believers to cover themselves with veils.' So the Divine Verses of Al-Hijab (i.e. veiling of the women) were revealed. I came to know that the Prophet had blamed some of his wives so I entered upon them and said, 'You should either stop (troubling the Prophet ) or else Allah will give His Apostle better wives than you.' When I came to one of his wives, she said to me, 'O `Umar! Does Allah's Apostle haven't what he could advise his wives with, that you try to advise them?' " Thereupon Allah revealed:-- "It may be, if he divorced you (all) his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you Muslims (who submit to Allah).." (66.5)

(The clerk of Al-Mughira) Muawiya wrote to Al-Mughira 'Write to me what you have heard from Allah's Apostle.' So he (Al-Mughira) wrote to him: Allah's Prophet used to say at the end of each prayer: "La ilaha illalla-h wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul Mulku, wa lahul Hamdu wa hula ala kulli shai'in qadir. 'Allahumma la mani' a lima a'taita, wala mu'tiya lima mana'ta, wala yanfa'u dhuljadd minkal-jadd." He also wrote to him that the Prophet used to forbid (1) Qil and Qal (idle useless talk or that you talk too much about others), (2) Asking too many questions (in disputed Religious matters); (3) And wasting one's wealth by extravagance; (4) and to be undutiful to one's mother (5) and to bury the daughters alive (6) and to prevent your favors (benevolence to others (i.e. not to pay the rights of others (7) And asking others for something (except when it is unavoidable).

Once Allah's Apostle; offered the morning prayer and then faced the people and said, "While a man was driving a cow, he suddenly rode over it and beat it. The cow said, "We have not been created for this, but we have been created for sloughing." On that the people said astonishingly, "Glorified be Allah! A cow speaks!" The Prophet said, "I believe this, and Abu Bakr and `Umar too, believe it, although neither of them was present there. While a person was amongst his sheep, a wolf attacked and took one of the sheep. The man chased the wolf till he saved it from the wolf, where upon the wolf said, 'You have saved it from me; but who will guard it on the day of the wild beasts when there will be no shepherd to guard them except me (because of riots and afflictions)? ' " The people said surprisingly, "Glorified be Allah! A wolf speaks!" The Prophet said, "But I believe this, and Abu Bakr and `Umar too, believe this, although neither of them was present there." (See the Foot-note of page No. 10 Vol.5)

A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." He replied, "I do not find such a deed." Then he added, "Can you, while the Muslim fighter is in the battle-field, enter your mosque to perform prayers without cease and fast and never break your fast?" The man said, "But who can do that?" Abu- Huraira added, "The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope."

¹ i.e. he has not been ostentatious in his obedience. It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound.

The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter)." He said, "How is that?" They said, "The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise)." He said, "Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed as you do). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah ten times, and 'Al-Hamduli l-lah ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times after every prayer."

'Uthman prayed four rak'ahs at Mina. 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) said: I prayed two rak'ahs along with the Prophet (saws) and two rak'ahs along with 'Umar. The version of Hafs added: And along with 'Uthman during the early period of his caliphate. He ('Uthman) began to offer complete prayer (i.e. four rak'ahs) later on. The version of Abu Mu'awiyah added: Then your modes of action varied. I would like to pray two rak'ahs acceptable to Allah instead of four rak'ahs.

Al-A'mash said: Mu'awiyah b. Qurrah reported to me from his teachers: 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud) once prayed four rak'ahs. He was told: You criticized 'Uthman but you yourself prayed four ? He replied: Dissension is evil.

I used to sit with Ibn 'Abbas and he made me sit on his sitting place. He requested me to stay with him in order that he might give me a share from his property. So I stayed with him for two months. Once he told (me) that when the delegation of the tribe of 'Abdul Qais came to the Prophet, the Prophet asked them, "Who are the people (i.e. you)? (Or) who are the delegate?" They replied, "We are from the tribe of Rabi'a." Then the Prophet said to them, "Welcome! O people (or O delegation of 'Abdul Qais)! Neither will you have disgrace nor will you regret." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! We cannot come to you except in the sacred month and there is the infidel tribe of Mudar intervening between you and us. So please order us to do something good (religious deeds) so that we may inform our people whom we have left behind (at home), and that we may enter Paradise (by acting on them)." Then they asked about drinks (what is legal and what is illegal). The Prophet ordered them to do four things and forbade them from four things. He ordered them to believe in Allah Alone and asked them, "Do you know what is meant by believing in Allah Alone?" They replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." Thereupon the Prophet said, "It means:

1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle.

2. To offer prayers perfectly

3. To pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)

4. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.

5. And to pay Al-Khumus (one fifth of the booty to be given in Allah's Cause).

Then he forbade them four things, namely, Hantam, Dubba,' Naqir Ann Muzaffat or Muqaiyar; (These were the names of pots in which Alcoholic drinks were prepared) (The Prophet mentioned the container of wine and he meant the wine itself). The Prophet further said (to them): "Memorize them (these instructions) and convey them to the people whom you have left behind."

The Prophet (saws) said: Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off.

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Shjrah is Kathir b. Murrah.

Tha'labah heard his elders say that a man from the Quraysh had his share with Banu Qurayzah (in water). He brought the dispute to the Messenger of Allah (saws) about al-Mahzur, a stream whose water they shared together. The Messenger of Allah (saws) then decided that when water reached the ankles waters should not be held back to flow to the lower.

(the wife of the Prophet) When the health of Allah's Apostle deteriorated and his condition became serious, he asked the permission of all his wives to allow him to be treated In my house, and they allowed him. He came out, supported by two men and his legs were dragging on the ground between `Abbas and another man. (The sub-narrator told Ibn `Abbas who said: Do you know who was the other man whom `Aisha did not mention? The sub-narrator said: No. Ibn `Abbas said: It was `Ali.) `Aisha added: When the Prophet entered my house and his disease became aggravated, he said, "Pour on me seven water skins full of water (the tying ribbons of which had not been untied) so that I may give some advice to the people." So we made him sit in a tub belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet and started pouring water on him from those water skins till he waved us to stop. Then he went out to the people and led them in prayer and delivered a speech before them.

Some people went to Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi and told him that they had different opinions regarding the wood of the pulpit. They asked him about it and he said, "By Allah, I know of what wood the pulpit was made, and no doubt I saw it on the very first day when Allah's Apostle took his seat on it. Allah's Apostle sent for such and such an Ansari woman (and Sahl mentioned her name) and said to her, 'Order your slave-carpenter to prepare for me some pieces of wood (i.e. pulpit) on which I may sit at the time of addressing the people.' So she ordered her slave-carpenter and he made it from the tamarisk of the forest and brought it (to the woman). The woman sent that (pulpit) to Allah's Apostle who ordered it to be placed here. Then I saw Allah's Apostle praying on it and then bowed on it. Then he stepped back, got down and prostrated on the ground near the foot of the pulpit and again ascended the pulpit. After finishing the prayer he faced the people and said, 'I have done this so that you may follow me and learn the way I pray.' "