Zainab bint Abu Salama told me these three narrations: Zainab said: I went to Um Habiba, the wife of the Prophet when her father, Abu- Sufyan bin Herb had died. Um ,Habiba asked for a perfume which contained yellow scent (Khaluq) or some other scent, and she first perfumed one of the girls with it and then rubbed her cheeks with it and said, "By Allah, I am not in need of perfume, but I have heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'It is not lawful for a lady who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for a dead person for more than three days unless he is her husband for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days.'"

I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maimuna bint Al-Harith (the wife of the Prophet ) while the Prophet was there with her during her night turn. The Prophet offered the `Isha' prayer (in the mosque), returned home and after having prayed four rak`at, he slept. Later on he got up at night and then asked whether the boy (or he used a similar word) had slept? Then he got up for the prayer and I stood up by his left side but he made me stand to his right and offered five rak`at followed by two more rak`at. Then he slept and I heard him snoring and then (after a while) he left for the (Fajr) prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his father heard Talha ibn Ubaydullah say, "Once one of the people of Najd came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He had dishevelled hair and although his voice could be heard we could not make out what he was saying until he drew nearer and then we found he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'There are five prayers during the day and the night.' He said, 'Do I have to do anything else besides that?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, added, 'And fasting the month of Ramadan.' He said, 'Is there anything else I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned zakat. The man said, 'Is there anything else that I have to do?' He said, 'No, except what you do of your own accord.'

He continued, "The man went away saying, 'By Allah, I won't do any more than this, nor will I do any less.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'That man will be successful, if he is telling the truth.'

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Zakat does not have to be paid on property until a year has elapsed over it."

Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said that there was only one hadd against a man who slandered a group of people.

Malik said, "If they are on separate occasions there is still only one hadd against him."

Malik related to me from Abu'r-Rijal Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Haritha ibn an-Numan al- Ansari, then from the Banu'n-Najar from his mother Amra bint Abd ar- Rahman that two men cursed each other in the time of Umar ibn al- Khattab. One of them said to the other, " By Allah, my father is not an adulterer and my mother is not an adulteress." Umar ibn al-Khattab asked advice about that. One person said, "He has praised his father and mother." Another said, "His father and mother have praise other than this. We think that he is to be flogged with the hadd." So Umar flogged him with the hadd of eighty lashes.

Malik said, "There is no hadd in our view except for slander, denial or insinuation, in which one sees that the speaker intends by that denial or slander. Then the hadd is completely imposed on the one who said it."

Malik said, "What is done in our community when a man denies that another man is from his father, is that he deserves the hadd. If the mother who is denied is a slave, then he deserves the hadd as well. '

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha heard Anas ibn Malik say that Abu Talha had said to Umm Sulaym, "I have just been listening to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his voice was very weak. I recognised hunger in it, so, do you have anything?" She replied, "Yes," and brought out some barley loaves. She took her long head scarf and wrapped up the bread with part of it and put it into my (Anas's) hand and gave me part of it to wear. Then she sent me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Anas continued, "I took it, and I found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sitting in the mosque with some people. I watched them. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Did Abu Talha send you?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'For food?' I said, 'Yes.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to those with him, 'Let us go.' He set off and I went among them until I came to Abu Talha and told him. Abu Talha said, 'Umm Sulaym! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has brought people and we have no food. What shall we give them to eat?' She said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' "

Anas continued, "Abu Talha went out and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, approached with Abu Talha until they entered. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Come now, Umm Sulaym, what have you got?' She brought out bread. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered it to be broken into pieces, and Umm Sulaym squeezed out onto it a container of clarified butter which she had seasoned. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said whatever Allah wished him to say, and said, 'Will you give permission for ten of them to come in?' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and then left. He said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission, and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave them permission and they ate until they were full and left. Then he said, 'Give permission to ten more.' He gave permission and they ate until they were full and left. There were seventy or eighty men."

While I was present in one of the gatherings of the Ansar, Abu Musa came as if he was scared, and said, "I asked permission to enter upon `Umar three times, but I was not given the permission, so I returned." (When `Umar came to know about it) he said to Abu Musa, "Why did you not enter?'. Abu Musa replied, "I asked permission three times, and I was not given it, so I returned, for Allah's Apostle said, "If anyone of you asks the permission to enter thrice, and the permission is not given, then he should return.' " `Umar said, "By Allah! We will ask Abu Musa to bring witnesses for it." (Abu Musa went to a gathering of the Ansar and said). "Did anyone of you hear this from the Prophet ?" Ubai bin Ka`b said, "By Allah, none will go with you but the youngest of the people (as a witness)." (Abu Sa`id) was the youngest of them, so I went with Abu Musa and informed `Umar that the Prophet had said so. (See Hadith No. 277, Vol. 3)

The Prophet appointed a man from the tribe of Bani Asad, called Ibn Al-Utabiyya to collect the Zakat. When he returned (with the money) he said (to the Prophet), "This is for you and this has been given to me as a gift." The Prophet stood up on the pulpit (Sufyan said he ascended the pulpit), and after glorifying and praising Allah, he said, "What is wrong with the employee whom we send (to collect Zakat from the public) that he returns to say, 'This is for you and that is for me?' Why didn't he stay at his father's and mother's house to see whether he will be given gifts or not? By Him in Whose Hand my life is, whoever takes anything illegally will bring it on the Day of Resurrection by carrying it over his neck: if it is a camel, it will be grunting: if it is a cow, it will be mooing: and if it is a sheep it will be bleating!" The Prophet then raised both his hands till we saw the whiteness of his armpits (and he said), "No doubt! Haven't I conveyed Allah's Message?" And he repeated it three times.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) announced to go on expedition for Tabuk. I went to my family and then proceeded (on journey). The vanguard of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws) had already proceeded. So I began to announce loudly in Medina: Is there anyone who takes a man on his ride, and he will get his share (from the booty? An old man from the Ansar (Helpers) spoke loudly: We shall have his share if we take him with us on our mount by turns, and he will have his meal with us. I said: Yes. He said: So go on journey with Allah's blessing. I then proceeded along with my best companion and Allah gave us booty. Some she-camels were given to me as my share of booty. I drove them till I reached him. He came out and sat on the rear part of the saddle of his camel. He then said: Drive them backward. He again said: Drive them forward. He then said: I find your she-camels very gentle. He said: This is your booty which I stipulated for you. He replied: Take your she-camels, my nephew; we did not intend (to get) your portion.

Malik related to me that he had heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab estimated the full blood-money for the people of urban areas. For those who had gold, he made it one thousand dinars. and for those who had silver he made it ten thousand dirhams.

Malik said, "The people of gold are the people of ash-Sham and the people of Egypt. The people of silver are the people of Iraq "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that the blood-money was divided into instalments over three or four years.

Malik said, "Three is the most preferable to me of what I have heard on that."

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things in our community is that camels are not accepted from the people of cities for blood-money nor is gold or silver accepted from the desert people. Silver is not accepted from the people of gold and gold is not accepted from the people of silver."

For the whole year I had the desire to ask `Umar bin Al-Khattab regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Surat Al-Tahrim) but I could not ask him because I respected him very much. When he went to perform the Hajj, I too went along with him. On our return, while we were still on the way home. `Umar went aside to answer the call of nature by the Arak trees. I waited till he finished and then I proceeded with him and asked him. "O chief of the Believers! Who were the two wives of the Prophet who aided one another against him?" He said, "They were Hafsa and `Aisha." Then I said to him, "By Allah, I wanted to ask you about this a year ago, but I could not do so owing to my respect for you." `Umar said, "Do not refrain from asking me. If you think that I have knowledge (about a certain matter), ask me; and if I know (something about it), I will tell you." Then `Umar added, "By Allah, in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allah revealed regarding them what He revealed regarding them and assigned for them what He has assigned. Once while I was thinking over a certain matter, my wife said, "I recommend that you do so-and-so." I said to her, "What have you got to do with the is matter? Why do you poke your nose in a matter which I want to see fulfilled.?" She said, How strange you are, O son of Al-Khattab! You don't want to be argued with whereas your daughter, Hafsa surely, argues with Allah's Apostle so much that he remains angry for a full day!" `Umar then reported; how he at once put on his outer garment and went to Hafsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Allah's Apostle so that he remains angry the whole day?" H. afsa said, "By Allah, we argue with him." `Umar said, "Know that I warn you of Allah's punishment and the anger of Allah's Apostle . . . O my daughter! Don't be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allah's Apostle for her (i.e. `Aisha)." `Umar addled, "Then I went out to Um Salama's house who was one of my relatives, and I talked to her. She said, O son of Al-Khattab! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allah's Apostle and his wives!' By Allah, by her talk she influenced me so much that I lost some of my anger. I left her (and went home). At that time I had a friend from the Ansar who used to bring news (from the Prophet) in case of my absence, and I used to bring him the news if he was absent. In those days we were afraid of one of the kings of Ghassan tribe. We heard that he intended to move and attack us, so fear filled our hearts because of that. (One day) my Ansari friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, "Open Open!' I said, 'Has the king of Ghassan come?' He said, 'No, but something worse; Allah's Apostle has isolated himself from his wives.' I said, 'Let the nose of `Aisha and Hafsa be stuck to dust (i.e. humiliated)!' Then I put on my clothes and went to Allah's Apostle's residence, and behold, he was staying in an upper room of his to which he ascended by a ladder, and a black slave of Allah's Apostle was (sitting) on the first step. I said to him, 'Say (to the Prophet ) `Umar bin Al-Khattab is here.' Then the Prophet admitted me and I narrated the story to Allah's Apostle. When I reached the story of Um Salama, Allah's Apostle smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Allah's Apostle though you are, is living in destitute". The Prophet then replied. 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned the day of jumua and said, "There is a time in it when Allah gives to a muslim slave standing in prayer whatever he asks for," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated with his hand how small it was.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that one time the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was speaking to Umar ibn al-Khattab while he was travelling with a troop and Umar swore by his father and he (the Messenger) said, "Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers. If anyone swears, let him swear by Allah or keep silent."

We were digging (the trench) on the day of (Al-Khandaq ( i.e. Trench )) and we came across a big solid rock. We went to the Prophet and said, "Here is a rock appearing across the trench." He said, "I am coming down." Then he got up, and a stone was tied to his belly for we had not eaten anything for three days. So the Prophet took the spade and struck the big solid rock and it became like sand. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to go home." (When the Prophet allowed me) I said to my wife, "I saw the Prophet in a state that I cannot treat lightly. Have you got something (for him to eat?" She replied, "I have barley and a she goat." So I slaughtered the she-kid and she ground the barley; then we put the meat in the earthenware cooking pot. Then I came to the Prophet when the dough had become soft and fermented and (the meat in) the pot over the stone trivet had nearly been well-cooked, and said, "I have got a little food prepared, so get up O Allah's Apostle, you and one or two men along with you (for the food)." The Prophet asked, "How much is that food?" I told him about it. He said, "It is abundant and good. Tell your wife not to remove the earthenware pot from the fire and not to take out any bread from the oven till I reach there." Then he said (to all his companions), "Get up." So the Muhajirn (i.e. Emigrants) and the Ansar got up. When I came to my wife, I said, "Allah's Mercy be upon you! The Prophet came along with the Muhajirin and the Ansar and those who were present with them." She said, "Did the Prophet ask you (how much food you had)?" I replied, "Yes." Then the Prophet said, "Enter and do not throng." The Prophet started cutting the bread (into pieces) and put the cooked meat over it. He covered the earthenware pot and the oven whenever he took something out of them. He would give the food to his companions and take the meat out of the pot. He went on cutting the bread and scooping the meat (for his companions) till they all ate their fill, and even then, some food remained. Then the Prophet said (to my wife), "Eat and present to others as the people are struck with hunger."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Bukayr ibn Abdullah al-Ashajj from an-Numan ibn Abi Ayyash al Ansari from Ata ibn Yasar that a man came and asked Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As about a man who divorced his wife three times before he had had intercourse with her Ata said, "The divorce of the virgin is one. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As said to me, 'You say one pronouncement separates her and three makes her haram until she has married another husband.' "

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Give in charity because there will come a time on the people when a person will go out with his alms from place to place but will not find anybody to accept it."

The Prophet of Allah (saws) forbade us to face the qiblah at the time of making water. Then I saw him facing it (qiblah) urinating or easing himself one year before his death.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Jabir ibn Atik that Atik ibn al-Harith, the grandfather of Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Jabir on his mother's side, told him that Jabir ibn Atik had told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to visit Abdullah ibn Thabit and found him in his death-throes. He called to him but he did not reply. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "We belong to Allah, and to Him we are returning," and added, "You are being taken from us, Abur-Rabi`." The women cried out and wept, and Jabir began to silence them. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Leave them, and when the necessary time comes, none of the women should cry." They said, "Messenger of Allah, what is the necessary time?" and he replied, "When he dies." The dying man's daughter said, "By Allah, I hope that you will be a martyr, for you have completed your preparations for battle," and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah has made his reward fall according to his intention. What do you consider dying a martyr to be?" They said, "Death in the way of Allah." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There are seven kinds of martyr other than those killed in the way of Allah. Someone who is killed by the plague is a martyr, someone who drowns is a martyr, someone who dies of pleurisy is a martyr, someone who dies of a disease of the belly is a martyr, someone who dies by fire is a martyr, someone who dies under a falling building is a martyr and a woman who dies in childbirth is a martyr."

We received the news of the departure of the Prophet (to Medina) while we were in Yemen. So we went on board a ship but our ship took us away to An-Najashi (the Negus) in Ethiopia. There we met Ja`far bin Abi Talib and stayed with him till we came (to Medina) by the time when the Prophet had conquered Khaibar. The Prophet said, "O you people of the ship! You will have (the reward of) two migrations."

The people started asking the Prophet too many questions importunately. So one day he ascended the pulpit and said, "You will not ask me any question but I will explain it to you." I looked right and left, and behold, every man was covering his head with his garment and weeping. Then got up a man who, whenever quarreling with somebody, used to be accused of not being the son of his father. He said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is my father?" The Prophet replied, "Your father is Hudhaifa." Then `Umar got up and said, "We accept Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion and Muhammad as our Apostle and we seek refuge with Allah from the evil of afflictions." The Prophet said, " I have never seen the good and bad like on this day. No doubt, Paradise and Hell was displayed in front of me till I saw them in front of that wall," Qatada said: This Hadith used to be mentioned as an explanation of this Verse:-- 'O you who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.' (5.101)

Aisha said, "Barirah came to me and said, 'My people (masters) have written the contract for my emancipation for nine Awaq ) of gold) to be paid in yearly installments, one Uqiyya per year; so help me." Aisha said (to her), "If your masters agree, I will pay them the whole sum provided the Wala will be for me." Barirah went to her masters and told them about it, but they refused the offer and she returned from them while Allah's Apostles was sitting. She said, "I presented the offer to them, but they refused unless the Wala' would be for them." When the Prophet heard that and `Aisha told him about It, he said to her, "Buy Barirah and let them stipulate that her Wala' will be for them, as the Wala' is for the manumitted." `Aisha did so. After that Allah's Apostle got up amidst the people, Glorified and Praised Allah and said, "What is wrong with some people who stipulate things which are not in Allah's Laws? Any condition which is not in Allah's Laws is invalid even if there were a hundred such conditions. Allah's Rules are the most valid and Allah's Conditions are the most solid. The Wala is for the manumitted."

Jumay' ibn Umayr, one of the sons of Banu Taym Allah ibn Tha'labah, said: Accompanied by my mother and aunt I entered upon Aisha. One of them asked her: How did you do while taking a bath? Aisha replied: The Messenger of Allah (saws) performed ablution (in the beginning) as he did for prayer. He then poured (water) upon his head three times. But we poured water upon our heads five times due to plaits.

A man of ad-Dabab, said: When the Prophet (saws) became free from the people of Badr I brought to him a colt of my mare called al-Qarha' I said: Muhammad, I have brought a colt of a al-Qarha' , so that you may take it. He said: I have no need of it. If you wish that I give you a select coat of mail from (the spoils of) Badr, I shall do it. I said: I cannot give you today a colt in exchange. He said: Then I have no need of it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban that his paternal uncle Wasi ibn Habban said, "I was praying, and Abdullah ibn Umar was resting his back on the wall of the qibla. When I had finished the prayer I turned towards him on my left hand side. Abdullah ibn Umar said, 'What stopped you from turning away to your right?' I replied, 'I saw you and turned towards you.' Abdullah said, 'You have spoken correctly. People say that you should turn away to your right, but when you pray, you can turn whichever way you wish. If you like, to your right, and if you like, to your left.' "

From his father who said: "When the Messenger of Allah (sawS) sent a commander of an army, he would exhort him concerning himself to have Taqwa of Allah, and he would exhort him to be good to those who are with him among the Muslims. He would say: 'Fight in the Name of Allah, in the cause of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah, and do not steal from the spoils of war or be treacherous, nor mutilate, and do not kill a child. When you meet your enemy among the idolaters, then call them to one of the three options or choices, whichever of them they respond to then accept it from them, and refrain from them. Call them to Islam, and to relocate from their land to the land of Emigrants. Inform them that if they do that, then they will have similar to what those who emigrated have, and from them will be required similar to what is required from those who have emigrated. And if they refuse to relocate, then inform them that they will be like the Bedouins among the Muslim, and they will be treated the same as Bedouins are treated. There is no war spoils or Fay' for them, unless they fight along with the Muslims. If they refuse then seek aid from Allah against them and fight them. And if you lay siege to a fortress and they want you to grant them covenant from Allah and a covenant of His Prophet, then do not grant them the covenant of Allah nor the covenant of His Prophet. Rather grant them your own covenant and the covenant of your companions, it will be better than breaking Allah's covenant and the covenant of His Messenger. And if you lay siege to the people of a fortress and they want you to lift the siege for negotiating upon the judgement of Allah, then do not stop, but rather make them surrender to your judgement, for you do not know if you will come upon the judgement of Allah regarding them or not.' Or similar to that."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There is something on this topic from An-Nu'man bin Muqarrin, and the Hadith of Buraidah is a Hasan Sahih Hadith

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "I understood from people that when they made the kaffara for a broken oath, they gave a mudd of wheat according to the smaller mudd. They thought that that would compensate for them."

Malik said, "The best of what I have heard about the one who does kaffara for breaking his oath by clothing people is that if he clothes men he clothes them each in one garment. If he clothes women, he clothes them each in two garments, a long shift and a long scarf, because that is what is satisfactory for each of them in the prayer."

The Prophet said on the day of Nahr, "Whoever has slaughtered his sacrifice before the prayer, should repeat it (slaughter another sacrifice)." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! This is a day on which meat is desired." He then mentioned his neighbors saying, "I have a six month old ram which is to me better than the meat of two sheep." The Prophet allowed him to slaughter it as a sacrifice, but I do not know whether this permission was valid for other than that man or not. The Prophet then went towards two rams and slaughtered them, and then the people went towards some sheep and distributed them among themselves.

Abu Jamra said, "I was an interpreter between Ibn 'Abbas and the people." Some people said, "A ruler should have two interpreters."

Abu Juhaifa said, "I asked `Ali, 'Have you got any book (which has been revealed to the Prophet apart from the Qur'an)?' `Ali replied, 'No, except Allah's Book or the power of understanding which has been bestowed (by Allah) upon a Muslim or what is (written) in this sheet of paper (with me).' Abu Juhaifa said, "I asked, 'What is (written) in this sheet of paper?' `Ali replied, it deals with The Diyya (compensation (blood money) paid by the killer to the relatives of the victim), the ransom for the releasing of the captives from the hands of the enemies, and the law that no Muslim should be killed in Qisas (equality in punishment) for the killing of (a disbeliever).

"When the Messenger of Allah (saws), would wear a new garment he would mention what it was, whether an 'Imamah, a Qamis, or a Rida', then he would say: Allahumma lakal-hamdu, Anta kasawtanihi, as'aluka khairuhu wa khaira ma suni'a lahu, wa a'udhu bika min sharrihi wa sharri ma suni'a lahu'" ('O Allah! For You is the praise, You have clothed me, I ask You for its good and the god for which it was made, and I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil for which it was made.)

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from 'Umar, and Ibn 'Umar.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: There were two men among Banu Isra'il, who were striving for the same goal. One of them would commit sin and the other would strive to do his best in the world. The man who exerted himself in worship continued to see the other in sin.

He would say: Refrain from it. One day he found him in sin and said to him: Refrain from it.

He said: Leave me alone with my Lord. Have you been sent as a watchman over me? He said: I swear by Allah, Allah will not forgive you, nor will he admit you to Paradise. Then their souls were taken back (by Allah), and they met together with the Lord of the worlds.

He (Allah) said to this man who had striven hard in worship; Had you knowledge about Me or had you power over that which I had in My hand? He said to the man who sinned: Go and enter Paradise by My mercy. He said about the other: Take him to Hell.

AbuHurayrah said: By Him in Whose hand my soul is, he spoke a word by which this world and the next world of his were destroyed.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd al-Malik ibn Qurayr from Muhammad ibn Sirin that a man came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and said, "I was racing a friend on horseback towards a narrow mountain trail and we killed a gazelle accidently and we were in ihram. What is your opinion?" Umar said to a man by his side, "Come, so that you and I may make an assessment." They decided on a female goat for him, and the man turned away saying, "This amir al-muminin cannot even make an assessment in the case of a gazelle until he calls a man to decide with him." Umar overheard the man's words and called him and asked him, "Do you recite surat al-Ma'ida?" and he said, "No." He said, "Then do you recognize this man who has taken the decision with me?" and he said, "No." He said, "If you had told me that you did recite surat al-Ma'ida, I would have dealt you a blow." Then he said, "Allah the Blessed, the Exalted says in His Book, 'as shall be judged by two men of justice among you, a sacrificial animal to reach the Kaba' (Sura 5 ayat 95), and this is Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf."

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, used to say, "If you have intercourse with your wife and then wish to go to sleep before doing ghusl, do not sleep until you have done wudu as for prayer."

Yahya said, "Malik related to us from Ibn Shihab from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The pledge given as security is not forfeited.' "

Malik said, "The explanation of that according to what we think - and Allah knows best - is that a man gives a pledge to somebody in security for something. The pledge is superior to that for which he pawned it. The pledger says to the pawn-broker, 'I will bring you your due, after such-and-such a time. If not, the pledge is yours for what it was pawned for.' "

Malik said, "This transaction is not good and it is not halal. This is what was forbidden. If the owner brings what he pledged it for after the period, it is his. I think that the time condition is void."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abd al-Hamid ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn al-Khattab from Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal from Abdullah ibn Abbas that Umar ibn al- Khattab set out for ash Sham and when he was at Sargh, near Tabuk, the commanders of the army, Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah and his companions, met him and told him that the plague had broken out in ash-Sham. Ibn Abbas said, "Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'all the first Muhajir unto me.' He assembled them and asked them for advice, informing them that the plague had broken out in ash Sham. They disagreed. Some said, 'You have set out for something, and we do not think that you should leave it.' Others said, 'You have the companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the rest of the people with you, and we do not think that you should send them towards this plague.' Umar said, 'Leave me.'

Then he said, 'Summon the Ansar to me.' They were summoned and he asked them for advice. They acted as the Muhajirun had and disagreed as they had disagreed. He said, 'Leave me.' "Then he said, 'Summon to me whoever is here of the aged men of Quraysh from the Muhajirun of the conquest.' He summoned them and not one of them differed. They said, 'We think that you should withdraw the people and not send them towards the plague.' Umar called out to the people, 'I am leaving by camel in the morning,' so they set out. Abu Ubayda said, 'Is it flight from the decree of Allah?' Umar said, 'Better that someone other than you had said it, Abu Ubayda. Yes. We flee from the decree of Allah to the decree of Allah. What would you think if these camels had gone down into a valley which had two slopes, one of them fertile, and the other barren. If you pastured in the fertile part, wouldn't you pasture them by the decree of Allah? If you pastured them in the barren part, wouldn't you pasture them by the decree of Allah?'

''Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf arrived and he had been off doing something and he said, 'I have some knowledge of this. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "If you hear about it in a land, do not go forward to it. If it comes upon a land and you are in it, then do not depart in flight from it." ' Umar praised Allah and then set off."

That she was married to Sad bin Khaula who was from the tribe of Bani 'Amr bin Luai, and was one of those who fought the Badr battle. He died while she wa pregnant during Hajjat-ul-Wada.' Soon after his death, she gave birth to a child. When she completed the term of deliver (i.e. became clean), she prepared herself for suitors. Abu As-Sanabil bin Bu'kak, a man from the tribe of Bani Abd-ud-Dal called on her and said to her, "What! I see you dressed up for the people to ask you in marriage. Do you want to marry By Allah, you are not allowed to marry unless four months and ten days have elapsed (after your husband's death)." Subai'a in her narration said, "When he (i.e. Abu As-Sanabil) said this to me. I put on my dress in the evening and went to Allah's Apostle and asked him about this problem. He gave the verdict that I was free to marry as I had already given birth to my child and ordered me to marry if I wished."

While I was on my way, all of a sudden I saw a shepherd driving his sheep, I asked him whose servant he was. He replied that he was the servant of a man from Quraish, and then he mentioned his name and I recognized him. I asked, "Do your sheep have some milk?" He replied in the affirmative. I said, "Are you going to milk for me?" He replied in the affirmative. I ordered him and he tied the legs of one of the sheep. Then I told him to clean the udder (teats) of dust and to remove dust off his hands. He removed the dust off his hands by clapping his hands. He then milked a little milk. I put the milk for Allah's Apostle in a pot and closed its mouth with a piece of cloth and poured water over it till it became cold. I took it to the Prophet and said, "Drink, O Allah's Apostle!" He drank it till I was pleased.

Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith ibn al-Mustaliq, fell to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, or to her cousin. She entered into an agreement to purchase her freedom. She was a very beautiful woman, most attractive to the eye.

Aisha said: She then came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) asking him for the purchase of her freedom. When she was standing at the door, I looked at her with disapproval. I realised that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would look at her in the same way that I had looked.

She said: Messenger of Allah, I am Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith, and something has happened to me, which is not hidden from you. I have fallen to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, and I have entered into an agreement to purchase of my freedom. I have come to you to seek assistance for the purchase of my freedom.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Are you inclined to that which is better? She asked: What is that, Messenger of Allah? He replied: I shall pay the price of your freedom on your behalf, and I shall marry you.

She said: I shall do this. She (Aisha) said: The people then heard that the Messenger of Allah (saws) had married Juwayriyyah. They released the captives in their possession and set them free, and said: They are the relatives of the Messenger of Allah (saws) by marriage. We did not see any woman greater than Juwayriyyah who brought blessings to her people. One hundred families of Banu al-Mustaliq were set free on account of her.

Abu dawud said: This evidence shows that a Muslim ruler may marry a slave woman himself.

About the story of `Aisha and their narrations were similar attesting each other, when the liars said what they invented about `Aisha, and the Divine Inspiration was delayed, Allah's Apostle sent for `Ali and Usama to consult them in divorcing his wife (i.e. `Aisha). Usama said, "Keep your wife, as we know nothing about her except good." Barirah said, "I cannot accuse her of any defect except that she is still a young girl who sleeps, neglecting her family's dough which the domestic goats come to eat (i.e. she was too simpleminded to deceive her husband)." Allah's Apostle said, "Who can help me to take revenge over the man who has harmed me by defaming the reputation of my family? By Allah, I have not known about my family-anything except good, and they mentioned (i.e. accused) a man about whom I did not know anything except good."

(the wife of the Prophet) I bought a cushion having on it pictures (of animals). When Allah's Apostle saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter. I noticed the sign of disapproval on his face and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I repent to Allah and His Apostle. What sin have I committed?' Allah's Apostle said. "What is this cushion?" I said, "I have bought it for you so that you may sit on it and recline on it." Allah's Apostle said, "The makers of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, 'Give life to what you have created (i.e., these pictures).' " The Prophet added, "The Angels of (Mercy) do not enter a house in which there are pictures (of animals).

Malik related to me from Umar ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Dalaf al- Muzani from his father that a man from the Juhayna tribe used to buy camels before people set out for hajj and sell them at a higher price. Then he travelled quickly and used to arrive in Makka before the others who set out for hajj. He went bankrupt and his situation was put before Umar ibn al-Khattab, who said, "O People! al-Usayfi, al- Usayfi of the Juhayna, was satisfied with his deen and his trust because it was said of him that he arrived before the others on hajj. He used to incur debts which he was not careful to repay, so all of his property has been eaten up by it. Whoever has a debt against him, let him come to us tomorrow and we will divide his property between his creditors. Beware of debts! Their beginning is a worry and their end is destitution. "

A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).

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 overtaken by sleep at night, he would pray twelve rak'ahs.

The narrator said: I came to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated all this to him. By Allah, this is really a tradition. Has I been on speaking terms with her, I would have come to her and heard it from her mouth. I said: If I knew that you were not on speaking terms with her, I would have never narrated it to you.