'Abdallah b. ‘Amr told that God’s Messenger cursed the one who bribes and the one who takes bribes. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted it on ‘Abdallah’s authority and on that of Abu Huraira. Ahmad and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it on the authority of Thauban, who added that the raish is the go-between regarding a bribe.

God’s Messenger sent ordering me to collect my weapons and clothing and come to him. I came to him when he was performing ablution, and he said, “I sent for you, ‘Amr, to dispatch you on a matter in which God will keep you safe and grant you booty, and I shall make you an allotment from the spoil.” I replied, “My emigration, Messenger of God, was not for the sake of property, but was only for the sake of God and His Messenger.” He said, “Honest property is good ¹ for an honest man.” It is transmitted in Sharh as- sunna, and Ahmad transmitted something similar. His version has “Good is honest property ² for an honest man.” 1. Ni'imma bil mal as-salih. 2. Ni'ma’ al-mal as-salih.

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone intercedes for, someone and that one gives him for it a present which he accepts, he has been guilty of a serious type-of usury.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “If people were given what they asked when they brought a case some would claim the lives and property of others; but the oath must be taken by the defendant.” Muslim transmitted it. In the commentary on his work by Nawawi it says that in Baihaqi’s version with an isnad which is hasan or sahih there is an addition on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas which is traced to the Prophet, “But the proof lies on the plaintiff and the oath must be taken by him who rejects the claim.”

Umm Salama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I am only a human being and you bring your disputes to me, some perhaps being more eloquent in their plea than others, so that I give judgment on their behalf according to what I hear from them. Therefore whatever I decide for anyone which by right belongs to his brother he must not take, for I am granting him only a portion of hell.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A'isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The man who is most hateful to God is the one who quarrels and disputes most.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God's Messenger gave a decision on the basis of an oath and a single witness. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Alqama b. Wa’il told on his father’s authority that a man from Hadramaut and man from Kinda came to the Prophet, the Hadrami saying, ‘‘Messenger of God, this man has seized land belonging to me,” and the Kindi saying, “It is my land and in my possession; he has no right to it.” The Prophet asked the Hadrami if he had any proof, but he replied that he had none, so he told him that he could have the other swear an oath. He replied, “Messenger of God, the man is a reprobate who would swear to anything and stick at nothing,” but he told him that that was his only recourse. The man went off to take an oath, and when he turned his back God’s Messenger said, “If he swears about his property to take it unjustly he will certainly find God turning away from him when he meets Him.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Dharr told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “If anyone claims what is not his he does not belong to us, and let him come to his seat in hell.” Muslim transmitted it.

Zaid b. Khalid reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Shall I not tell you of the best witness? He is the one who produces his deposition before he is asked for it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The best of men are my generation, then those who come next to them, then those who come next to them. Afterwards people will come who will give testimony before swearing an oath and swear an oath before giving testimony.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira told that the Prophet suggested to some people that they should swear an oath and when they hastened to do so he ordered that lots should be cast among them concerning the oath as to who should swear it. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather reported the Prophet as saying, “Proof lies on the plaintiff and the oath is to be sworn by the defendant.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Umm Salama told on the Prophet’s authority about two men, who brought a dispute before him about inheritances, but had no proof beyond their claim. He said, “If I give a decision in favour of one respecting what is rightly his brother’s I am allotting him only a portion of hell.” Thereupon both the men said, “Messenger of God, this right of mine may go to my brother,” but he replied, "No; rather go and divide it up, aiming at what is right, then draw lots, and let each of you consider the other to have what is legitimately his.” In a version he said, “I judge between you only by my opinion regarding matters about which no revelation has been sent down to me.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir b. ‘Abdallah told that two men claimed an animal and both of them brought proof that it was his animal, the offspring of one of his beasts. God’s Messenger then gave his decision that it should go to the one who had it in his possession. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the Prophet said to a man whom he had asked to take an oath, “Swear by God than Whom there is no god that you have nothing belonging to him,” i.e. the plaintiff. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

A Jew and I shared some land and he denied my right, so I took him to the Prophet who asked me whether I had any proof. When I replied that I had none and he told the Jew to swear an oath, I said, “Messenger of God, he will swear an oath and go off with my property.” Then God most high sent down, “Those who barter for a small price God’s covenant and their oaths . . .” (Al-Qur’an, 3:77) Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

He told that a man of Kinda and a man of Hadramaut brought a dispute before God’s Messenger about land in the Yemen. The Hadrami said, “Messenger of God, this man’s father took my land forcibly from me, and it is in his hands.” He asked him if he had any proof, and he replied, “No, but I shall require him to swear by God he does not know it is my land which his father took forcibly from me.” The Kindi was prepared to take the oath, but when God’s Messenger said, “Anyone who appropriates property by an oath will meet God in a maimed condition,” the Kindi said, “It is his land.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Unais reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Among the most serious of major sins are attributing a partner to God, unfilial behaviour, and deliberate perjury. If anyone swears an oath which he is compelled to take (or a firm oath) and introduces into it as much falsehood as a gnat’s wing, a spot will be put in his heart till the day of resurrection.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone swears a false oath near this pulpit of mine, even though it be about a green tooth stick, he will come to his place in hell,” or, “he will certainly go to hell.” Malik, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted.

Khuraim o. Fatik told that when God’s Messenger had finished praying the morning prayer he stood up and said three times, “False witness has been made equivalent to attributing a partner to God. He then recited, “So avoid the abomination of idols and avoid spreading falsehood as people pure of faith to God, not associating anything with Him." (Al-Qur’an, 22:30) Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it and Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it on the authority of Aiman b. Khuraim. Ibn Majah did not mention what he recited.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The testimony of a deceitful man or woman, or of one who has been flogged for transgressing the bounds set by God, or of one who harbours rancour against his brother, or of one suspected regarding the patrons he claims or relationship, or of one who is dependent on a family is not allowable." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition and that the traditions of Yazid b. Ziyad ad-Dimashqi, the transmitter, are rejected.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather reported the Prophet as saying, “The testimony of a deceitful man or woman, or of an immoral man or woman, or of one who harbours rancour against his brother is not allowable," and he rejected the testimony of one who is dependent on a family. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “The testimony of a nomadic Arab against a townsman is not allowable." Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Auf b. Malik told that the Prophet gave a decision between two men and that when the one against whom the decision had been given turned away he said, “My sufficiency is God, and good is the Guardian." Thereupon the Prophet said, “God most high blames for falling short, hut apply intelligence, and when a matter gets the better of you say, 'My sufficiency is God, and good is the Guardian’. (Al-Qur’an, 3:173) Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Bahz b. Hakim, on his father’s authority, said his grandfather told that the Prophet imprisoned a man on suspicion. Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi and Nasa’i added that afterwards let him go.

‘Abdallah b. az-Zubair told that God’s Messenger gave the decision that the two adversaries should be made to sit in front of the judge. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Imran b. Husain said that a man who had no other property emancipated six slaves of his at the time of his death. God’s Messenger called for them, and after dividing them into three sections, casting lots among them, setting two free and keeping four in slavery,* he spoke severely of him. Nasa’i transmitted it on ‘Imran’s authority, but in place of “he spoke severely of him,” he mentioned that the Prophet said, “I was inclined not to pray over him.” In Abu Dawud’s version he said, “Had I been present before his burial, he would not have been buried in a Muslim cemetery.” Muslim transmitted it. *The principle is that at least two-thirds of a dead man's property must go to the heirs.

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “A son does not repay what he owes his father unless he buys him and emancipates him if he finds him in slavery.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “When a man’s slave-woman bears him a child she becomes free at his death.”* Darimi transmitted it. * The text has 'au durbur in minhu au ba'dahu’ indicating a doubt on the part of a transmitter as to which words were used. Both expressions amount to the same thing so it seems sufficient to give "at his death" in the translation above.

In the time of God’s Messenger and of Abu Bakr we sold slave women who had borne children, but when ‘Umar was in power he forbade us to do so and we stopped. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Thabit b. ad-Dahhak reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone swears by a religion other than Islam falsely he is like what he has said.* A son of Adam may not take a vow about something which he does not possess, and if anyone kills himself with something in this world he will be punished with it on the day of resurrection. If anyone curses a believer it is like murdering him, if anyone charges a believer with infidelity it is like murdering him, and if anyone makes a false claim to gain much thereby God will give him less instead of more.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) *Opinions differ about the meaning. Some say it means he is a liar, others that he is an infidel.

Abu Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “I swear by God that if God will, I shall not swear an oath and then consider something else to be better than it without making atonement for my oath and doing the thing that is better.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A version has, "Do the thing that is better and make atonement for your oath.’* Bukhari, al-Aiman wan-nudhur, I and Muslim, Aiman, 19 give the first form in full. I have not found the other version.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone swears an oath and considers something else to be better than it he should make atonement for his oath and do that.” Muslim transmitted it.

Buraida reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who swears by faithfulness* is not one of our number.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. * Amana. It is held that the objection is due to the fact that the word is not the name of one of God's attributes, but merely one of the duties prescribed to mankind. It is an unsuitable word because its use suggests that it is being equated with one of God’s attributes.

He reported God’s Messenger as stating that if anyone says, “I am free from Islam,” that is just as he has said if he is lying, but if he is speaking the truth he will not return safely to Islam. Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told of a woman who said, “Messenger of God, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you,” to which he replied, “Fulfil your vow.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. Razin added that she said, “And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such and such a place,” a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times. He asked whether that place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times, and she replied that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there, and she replied that none was. He then said, “Fulfil your vow.” Razin

bu Lubaba told that she said to the Prophet, “To make my repentance complete* I should abandon my people’s abode in which I committed sin and divest myself of all my property to be given as sadaqa.” He replied, “A third will be enough for you to give.” Razin transmitted it. * The story is given in Ibn Hisham’s as-Sirat an nabawiya (Cairo, 1355/1936), iii. 247. Quraiza had consulted him as to whether they should surrender unconditionally, and while he replied that they should, he put his hand to his throat to indicate that if they did they would be put to death, thus giving them a warning. Al-Qur’an, 8:27 is said to be connected with this incident.

Jabir b. ‘Abdallah told that a man got up on the day of the Conquest and said, “Messenger of God, I have vowed to God who is great and glorious that if God conquers Mecca at your hands I shall pray two rak'as in Jerusalem.” He replied, “Pray here.” He repeated his statement to him and he replied, “Pray here.” He again repeated it to him and he replied, “Pursue your own course, then.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the sister of ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir took a vow to perform the Pilgrimage on foot, but was unable to do so. God’s Messenger then said, “God is not in need of your sister’s walking, so let her ride and present a sacrificial camel.”* Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it. *Arabic budana In a version by Abu Dawud it says the Prophet ordered her to ride and offer animals for sacrifice.* In another version by him the Prophet said, “God gets no good from the affliction your sister imposes on herself, so let her perform the Pilgrimage riding and make atonement for her oath.” Abu Dawud. *Arabic hady

‘Abdallah b. Malik told that when ‘Uqba b. ‘Amir consulted the Prophet about a sister of his who had vowed to perform the Pilgrimage. If barefoot and bareheaded, he said, “Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

‘Imran b. Husain told that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Vows are of two kinds, so if anyone vows to do an act of obedience, that is for God and must be fulfilled; but if anyone vows, to do an act of disobedience, that is for the devil and must not be fulfilled, but he must make atonement for it to the extent he would do in the case of an oath.”

Muhammad b. al-Muntashir told of a man who vowed to sacrifice himself if God rescued him from his enemy. He consulted Ibn ‘Abbas who told him to consult Masruq, and when he consulted him he replied, “Do not sacrifice yourself, for if you are a believer, you will kill a believing soul, and if you are an infidel you will hasten to hell; but buy a ram and sacrifice it for the poor, for Isaac was better than you and he was ransomed with a ram.”* He told Ibn ‘Abbas and he replied, “This is the decision I wanted to give you.” Razin transmitted it. *This agrees with the story in the Old Testament which says that Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac, whereas the usual Muslim version is that it was Ishmael.

Al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad told that he said, “Tell me, Messenger of God, supposing I meet an infidel and we fight together and he strikes one of my hands with his sword and cuts it off, then flies for refuge from me to a tree and says he has submitted himself to God (or, in another version, says when I intend to kill him that there is no god but God), shall I kill him after he has said it?” He replied, “Do not kill him.” He protested, “But, Messenger of God, he cut off one of my hands.” God’s Messenger then replied, “Do not kill him, for if you do so, he will be in the position in which you were before you killed him, and you will be in the position in which he was before he made his testimony.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *i.e. he will now be one for whose killing retaliation may be demanded, and you will be one whose blood may lawfully be shed.

God’s Messenger sent us to some people of Juhaina, and I attacked one of them and was about to spear him when he said, “There is no god but God.” I then speared him and killed him, after which I went and told the Prophet. He said, “Did you kill him when he had testified that there is no god but God?” I replied, “Messenger of God, he did that only as a means to escape death.” He asked, “Why did you not split his heart?”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *He is here rebuked for attributing motives to the man when he could not know his inner motive. Splitting the heart is a figure of speech for examining the inner motives. In the version of Jundub b. ‘Abdallah al-Bajali God’s Messenger is reported as saying several times, “How will you deal with ‘There is no god but God’ when it comes on the day of resurrection?” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone kills a man who has made a covenant* he will not experience the fragrance of paradise, yet its odour can be experienced at a distance of forty years’ journey.” Bukhari transmitted it. * Mu'ahid. This is used of a member of protected communities, but is also used of anyone who belongs to a non-Muslim community with whom a treaty of peace has been made.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will be thrown down in the fire of jahannam and remain in it for ever and ever; he who sips poison and kills himself will have his poison in his hand and sip it for ever and ever in the fire of jahannam; and he who kills himself with a piece of iron will have his piece of iron in his hand and will be stabbed with it in his belly in the fire of jahannam for ever and ever.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Shuraih al-Ka'bi reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Then you, Khuza’a, have killed this man of Hudhail, but I swear by God that I will pay his blood wit. If anyone kills a man hereafter his people will have a choice, to kill him if they wish, or to accept blood wit if they wish." Tirmidhi and Shafi‘i transmitted it. It occurs in Sharh as-sunna with his isnad, but it states clearly that it does not occur in the two Sahihs on the authority of Abu Shuraih, saying that they rendered it from Abu Huraira’s version, meaning something similar.* *In Masabih as-sunna the tradition is given among the sound ones without any reference to its source. Here Sharh as-sunna is quoted to the effect that the above tradition is not given by Bukhari or Muslim, but that they give something similar on Abu Huraira’s authority. Section 1 is normally confined to traditions from Bukhari or Muslim, or from both, so it is strange to find that a tradition from another source is here preferred to theirs.

Anas said that a Jew crushed a girl’s head between two stones and she was asked who had done this to her, whether it was so and so, or so and so, until the Jew was named, whereupon she gave a sign with her head. The Jew was fetched, and when he admitted it God’s Messenger gave command that his head should be crushed with stones. (Bukhari and Muslim.)