When Hani went with his people in a deputation to the Messenger of Allah (saws), he heard them calling him by his kunyah (surname), AbulHakam.

So the Messenger of Allah (saws) called him and said: Allah is the judge (al-Hakam), and to Him judgment belongs. Why are you given the kunyah AbulHakam?

He replied: When my people disagree about a matter, they come to me, and I decide between them, and both parties are satisfied with my decision.

He said: How good this is! What children have you? He replied: I have Shurayh, Muslim and Abdullah. He asked; Who is the oldest of them? I replied: Shurayh. He said: Then you are AbuShurayh.

Abu Dawud said: This is Shuraib who broke the chain, and who entered Tustar.

Abu Dawud said: I have been told that Shuraib broke the gate of Tustar, and he entered it through tunnel.

During the period of peace between God's messenger and me I went off, and while I was in Syria a letter was brought from the Prophet to Hiraql. Dihya al-Kalbi brought it and handed it to the governor of Busra who handed it to Hiraql. Hiraql asked whether there was anyone there belonging to the people of that man who asserted `that he was a prophet, and when he was told that there was, I was summoned along with some members of Quraish. We entered the presence of Hiraql who made us sit in front of him and then asked, "Which of you is most closely related to this man who asserts that he is a prophet?" When I said that I was, they made me sit in front of him and made my companions sit behind me. He then called for his interpreter and said, "Tell them I am asking this man about this one who asserts he is a prophet, and that if he lies to me, they must accuse him of falsehood." (Abd Sufyan swore by God that if he had not been afraid of his falsehood being reported, he would have lied to him.) He said to his interpreter, "Ask him about the-nature of his lineage among them," and I replied, "He is a man of high lineage among us." He asked, "Has there been any king among his ancestors?" and I replied that there had not been any. He asked whether we had suspected him of falsehood before he said what he had said, and I replied that we had not. He asked whether he was followed by the nobles among the people or by the weak ones, and I replied that he was followed by the weak ones. He asked whether their numbers were increasing or diminishing, and I replied that they were increasing. He asked whether any apostatised from his religion after accepting it through displeasure with him, and I replied that they did not. He asked if we had fought with him, and I replied that we had. He asked the nature of our fighting with him, and I replied that it had its ups and downs, he neither getting the better of us nor we getting the better of him. He asked if he employed treachery, and I replied that he did not, but added that during that period we did not know what he was doing. I swear by God that he did not give me an opportunity of inserting a word except on this occasion. He asked if anyone had said what he was saying before him, and I replied that no one had. He then told his interpreter to say to me, "I asked you about his lineage among you and you asserted that he had a high lineage among you; and messengers are commissioned thus from the high families of their people. I asked you whether any of his ancestors had been a king and you asserted that none had, for if any of his ancestors had been a king, I would have considered him to be a man who was seeking the kingdom of his ancestors. I asked you about his followers whether they were weak people or nobles, to which you replied that they were their weak ones, and such are the followers of the messengers. I asked you whether you suspected him of falsehood before he said what he has said, and you replied that you did not, so I recognised that he was not one to avoid falsehood about men and then go and lie about God. I asked you whether any of them apostatised from his religion after accepting it through displeasure with him, to which you replied that none had, and thus is faith when its cheerfulness mingles with hearts. I asked you whether they were increasing or diminishing, to which you replied that they were increasing, and thus is faith till it is complete. I asked you whether you fought with him, and you asserted that the war between you and him had its ups; and downs, he sometimes getting the better of you and you sometimes getting the better of him; now thus messengers are tested, after which the issue turns out in their favour. I asked you if he employed treachery and you asserted that he did not; now that is how the messengers are, not employing treachery. I asked you whether anyone had said what he was saying before him, and you asserted ta t no one had done so, for if someone had said this before him, I would have said he was a man who copied something said before his time." He then asked what he commanded us and we replied, "He commands us to observe prayer, zakat, ties of relationship, and chastity." He then said, "If what you say is true, he is a prophet. I knew he would come forth but did not think it would be from among you. If I knew I could get to him I would like to meet him, and if I were with him, I would wash his feet. His kingdom will certainly reach to what is under my feet." He then called for God's messenger's letter and read it. (Bukhari and Muslim.) The completion of the tradition has already been given in the chapter on writing to infidels.

"We set out as pilgrims and came to Al-Madinah intending to perform Hajj. While we were in our camping place unloading our mounts, someone came to us and said: 'The people have gathered in the Masjid and there is panis.' So we set out and found the people gathered around a group in the middle of the Masjid, among whom were 'Ali, Zubayr, Talhah and Sa'd bin Abi Waqas. While we were like that, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, came, wearing a yellow cloak with which he had covered his head. He said: 'Is Talhah here? Is Az-Zubair here? Is Sa'd here?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'I adjure you be the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, din't the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Whoever buys the Mirbad [1] of Banu so-and so, Allah will forgive him, and I bought it for twenty or twenty-five thousand, then I came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and told him, and he said: Add it to our Masjid and the reward for it will be yours?' They said: 'By Allah, yes.' He said: 'I adjure you by the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn't the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Whoever buys the well of Rumah, Allah will forgive him, so I bought it for such and such and amount, then I came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and told him, and he said: Give it to provide water for the Muslims, and the reward for it will be yours?' They said: 'By Allah, yes.' He said: 'I adjure you by the One beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn't the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Whoever equips these (men)- meaning the army of Al-'Usrah (Tabuk) - Allah will forgive him, so I equipped them until they were not lacking even a rope or a bridle?' They said: 'By Allah, yes.' He said: 'O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness.'" [1] Mirbad: A place for drying dates.

“The Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent me to Yemen. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you are sending me to judge between them while I am a young man, and I do not know how to judge.' He struck me on the chest with his hand and said: 'O Allah, guide his heart and make his tongue steadfast.' And after that I never doubted in passing judgment between two people.”

that when the Messenger of Allah (saws) would stand for prayer during the middle of the night, he would say: “O Allah, to You is the Praise, You are the Light of the heavens and the earth, and to You is the Praise, You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth, and to You is the praise, You are the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and those in them, You are the truth, and Your Promise is the truth, and Your meeting is true, and Paradise is true, and the Fire is true, and the Hour is true, O Allah, to You have I submitted, and in You have I believed , and in You have I relied, and to You have I turned, and by You have I argued, and to You have I referred for judgment. So forgive me what I have done before and after, and that which I have hidden and that which I have done openly. You are my Deity, no has the right to be worshiped but You (Allāhumma lakal-ḥamd, anta nūrus-samāwāti wal-arḍ, wa lakal-ḥamd, anta qayyāmus-samāwāti wal-arḍ, wa lakal-ḥamd, anta rabbus-samāwāti wal-arḍ, wa man fīhinn, antal-ḥaqq, wa wa`dukal-ḥaqq, wa liqā'uka ḥaqq, wal-jannatu ḥaqq, wan-nāru ḥaqq, was-sā`atu ḥaqq. Allāhumma laka aslamtu, wa bika āmantu, wa `alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu, wa bika khāṣamtu, wa ilaika ḥākamtu, faghfirlī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhartu, wa mā asrartu wa mā a`lant. Anta ilāhī lā ilāha illā ant).”

‘Asim bin ‘Adi (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) excused the herdsmen of camels from sleeping at Mina and asked them to throw pebbles on the day of sacrifice (i.e. throw Jamrat-ul ‘Aqabah and they do not have to spend the night at Mina), and then to throw the pebbles of the next day and the day after (i.e. of the 11th and the 12th combined (on the 12th ), and then throw pebbles again on the 13th Related by the five Imams. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it as Sahih.

"During the Farewell Hajj, while the Messener of allah was standing at Arafat, a Bedouin came to him begging while pulling on the edge of his Rida. He gave him something and he left. With that, begging was made unlawful, so the Messenger of Allah said: 'Begging is not lawful for the rich nor for the physically fit, except for the one who is severely poor or in perilous debt. And whoever begs the people (merely) to increase his wealth, then on the Day of Judgment (the wealth he begged for) will be lacerations on his face and heated coals from Hell will be provided for him to eat. Whoever wishes, let him take a little, and whoever wishes, then let him take a lot.'"

Aus b. Aus reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trump will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke many blessings on me that day, for your blessing will be submitted to me." He was asked how that could be when his body had decayed* and replied, "God has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of prophets.” *The text here gives two alternative words, both with the same meaning, the first being aramta, and the second balita, the latter being the more common. Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Darimi and Baihaqi, in [Kitab] ad-Da‘awat al-kabir, transmitted it.

fifty camels. Each finger has ten camels."

Malik said, "The reckoning of the fingers is thirty-three dinars for each fingertip, and that is three and a third shares of camels."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab, Sulayman ibn Yasar, and Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman said, "The blood-money of manslaughter is twenty yearlings, twenty two-year-olds, twenty male two-year-olds, twenty four-year-olds, and twenty five-year-olds."

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way with us is that there is no retaliation against children. Their intention is accidental. The hudud are not obliged for them if they have not yet reached puberty. If a child kills someone it is only accidentally. Had a child and an adult killed a free man accidentally, each of them pays half the full blood-money."

Malik said, "A person who kills someone accidentally pays blood-money with his property and there is no retaliation against him. That money is like anything else from the dead man's property and his debt is paid with it and he is allowed to make a bequest from it. If he has a total property of which the blood-money is a third and then the blood-money is relinquished, that is permitted to him. If all the property he has is his blood-money, he is permitted to relinquish a third of it and to make that a bequest."

It is as if I can see the partridge in pieces in the bowls. Then a man came and said that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) was objecting to this. So he sent for ‘Ali, whose hands were dusty because he had been knocking down leaves (to feed to the camels) and he said: You disagree with us a great deal. ‘Ali said: I am reminding of Allah those who were present with the Prophet (ﷺ) when the meat of an onager was brought to him when he was in ihram, and he said: `We are in ihram; give it to people who are not in ihram.` Some men stood up and testified to that. Then he said: I am reminding of Allah any man who was present with the Prophet (ﷺ) when five ostrich eggs were brought to him and he said: “We are in ihram, give them to people who are not in ihram ” And some men stood up and testified. Then ‘Uthman stood up and went into his tent, and they left the food for the people of the oasis.

I sat with a company of the poor*members of the Emigrants who were sitting close together because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. God’s messenger came along and stood beside us, and when he did so the reader stopped and gave him a salutation. He asked what we were doing, and when we told him we were listening to God’s Book he said, “Praise be to God who has put among my people those with whom I have been ordered to keep myself.”(Qur’ān,18:28) He then sat down among us so as to be like one of us, and when he had made a sign with his hand they sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him, and he said, “Rejoice, you group of poor Emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the day of resurrection. You will enter paradise half a day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.” *Lit. 'Weak'. This is said to refer to the people who lived in the Suffa Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

“We began our Talbiyah for Hajj only with Allah’s Messenger (saw), and we did not mix it with ‘Umrah. We arrived in Makkah when four nights of Dhul-Hijjah had passed, and when we had performed Tawaf around the Ka’bah and Sa’y between Safa and Marwah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded us to make it ‘Umrah, and to come out of Ihram and have relations with our wives. We said: ‘There are only five (days) until ‘Arafah. Will we g out to it with our male organs dripping with semen?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘I am the most righteous and truthful among you, and were it not for the sacrificial animal, I would have exited Ihram.’ Suraqah bin Malik said: ‘Is this Tamattu’ for this year only or forever?’ He said: ‘No, it is forever and ever.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) came out one day to the people, and a man came to him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, when will the Hour be?’ He said: ‘The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. But I will tell you of its portents. When the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, that is one of its portents. When the barefoot and naked become leaders of the people, that is one of its portents. When shepherds compete in constructing buildings, that is one of its portents. (The Hour) is one of five (things) which no one knows except Allah.’ Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) recited the words: “Verily, Allah, with Him (alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. (to the end of the Verse).”[31:34]

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to teach us Istikharah, just as he used to teach us a Surah of the Qur’an. He said: ‘If anyone of you is deliberating about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two Rak’ah of non- obligatory prayer, then say: Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi ‘ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘azim, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta’lamu wa la a’lam, wa Anta ‘allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta’lamu hadhal-amra (then the matter should be mentioned by name) ma kan min shay’in khairan li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri, aw khairanli fi ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li wa barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta’lamu [O Allah, I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (then it should be mentioned by name) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, or both in this world and in the Hereafter then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge]. Then saying similar to what he said the first time, except: Wa in kana sharran li fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqdur li al-khair haithuma kana thumma raddini bihi (If it is bad for me then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it).’”

Umar b. al-Khattab sent for me and I came to him when the day had advanced. I found him in his house sitting on his bare bed-stead, reclining on a leather pillow. He said (to me): Malik, some people of your tribe have hastened to me (with a request for help). I have ordered a little money for them. Take it and distribute it among them. I said: I wish you had ordered somebody else to do this job. He said: Malik, take it (and do what you have been told). At this moment (his man-servant) Yarfa' came in and said: Commander of the Faithful, what do you say about Uthman, Abd al-Rabman b. 'Auf, Zubair and Sa'd (who have come to seek an audience with you)? He said: Yes, and permitted them. so they entered. Then he (Yarfa') came again and said: What do you say about 'Ali and Abbas (who are present at the door)? He said: Yes, and permitted them to enter. Abbas said: Commander of the Faithful, decide (the dispute) between me and this sinful, treacherous, dishonest liar. The people (who were present) also said: Yes. Commander of the Faithful, do decide (the dispute) and have mercy on them. Malik b. Aus said: I could well imagine that they had sent them in advance for this purpose (by 'Ali and Abbas). 'Umar said: Wait and be patient. I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained, don't you know that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:" We (prophets) do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity"? They said: Yes. Then he turned to Abbas and 'Ali and said: I adjure you both by Allah by Whose order the heavens and earth are sustained, don't you know that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:" We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity"? They (too) said: Yes. (Then) Umar said: Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, had done to His Messenger (may peace be upon him) a special favour that He has not done to anyone else except him. He quoted the Qur'anic verse:" What Allah has bestowed upon His Apostle from (the properties) of the people of township is for Allah and His Messenger". The narrator said: I do not know whether he also recited the previous verse or not. Umar continued: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) distrbuted among you the properties abandoned by Banu Nadir. By Allah, he never preferred himself over you and never appropriated anything to your exclusion. (After a fair distribution in this way) this property was left over. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would meet from its income his annual expenditure, and what remained would be deposited in the Bait-ul-Mal. (Continuing further) he said: I adjure you by Allah by Whose order the heavens and the earth are sustained. Do you know this? They said: Yes. Then he adjured Abbas and 'All as he had adjured the other persons and asked: Do you both know this? They said: Yes. He said: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) passed away, Abu Bakr said:" I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)." Both of you came to demand your shares from the property (left behind by the Messenger of Allah). (Referring to Hadrat 'Abbas), he said: You demanded your share from the property of your nephew, and he (referring to 'Ali) demanded a share on behalf of his wife from the property of her father. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said:" We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity." So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Abu Bakr passed away and (I have become) the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that I am true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. I became the guardian of this property. Then you as well as he came to me. Both of you have come and your purpose is identical. You said: Entrust the property to us. I said: If you wish that I should entrust it to you, it will be on the condition that both of you will undertake to abide by a pledge made with Allah that you will use it in the same way as the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used it. So both of you got it. He said: Wasn't it like this? They said: Yes. He said: Then you have (again) come to me with the request that I should adjudge between you. No, by Allah. I will not give any other judgment except this until the arrival of the Doomsday. If you are unable to hold the property on this condition, return it to me.

I asked 'Aishah (RA), "How much had Allah's Messenger (SAW) given as dowry?" She replied, "His dowry to his wives was twelve Uqiya and Nashsh." She asked, "Do you know what a an-Nashsh is?" I replied, "No." She said, "It is half an Uqiya. Hence, the total was five hundred Dirhams, and that was Allah's Messenger's (SAW) dowry to his wives." [Reported by Muslim].

Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met AbuHurayrah. He attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his lineage.

AbuHurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy on you?

(Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the tradition) from the Prophet (saws):) The first thing about which the people will be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels - though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfect.

If it is defective, He will say: See there are some optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not observe more than eleven Rak'ah (of Tahajjud prayers), be in Ramadan or any other month. First of all he would perform four Rak'ah. Ask not about their excellence and their length. He (PBUH) would then perform four more Rak'ah; and do not ask about their excellence and their length. Then he would perform three Rak'ah (Witr prayer). ('Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) added) I submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you sleep before performing the Witr prayer?" He (PBUH) said, "O 'Aishah! My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

"We were forbidden in the Quran to ask the Prophet about anything not imperative, so we liked it when a wise man from among the people of the desert came and asked him. A man from among the desert people came and said: 'O Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you say that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has sent you.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'Who created the heavens?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created the Earth?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who set up the mountains in it?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'Who created beneficial things in them?' He said: 'Allah.' He said: 'By the One Who created the heavens and the Earth, and set up the mountains therein, and created beneficial things in them, has Allah sent you?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to offer five prayers each day and night.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to pay Zakah on our wealth.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to fast the month of Ramadan each year.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent You, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Your messenger said that we have to perform Hajj, those who can afford it.' He said: 'He spoke the truth.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you, has Allah commanded you to do this?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'By the One Who sent you with the truth, I will not do more than this or less.' When he left, the Prophet said: 'If he is sincere, he will certainly enter paradise.'"

'Ikrimah narrated on the authority of Al-Hajjaj bin ’Amro al-Ansari (RAA), that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, "If anyone breaks (a leg) or becomes lame (while he was performing Hajj or 'Umrah) he is released from him Ihram and must perform Hajj the next year.’ ’lkrimah said, ‘l asked Ibn 'Abbas and Abu Hurairah about this statement of Al-Hajjaj and they said that he had spoken the truth. Related by the five Imams. At-Tirmidhi graded it as Hasan.

an administrator of Zakah, a man who buys Zakah holdings with his money, a person who is in debt, a fighter in the cause of Allah, or a rich person who is given a present by a needy (miskin) person which the latter had been given as Zakah.” Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim regarded it as Sahih.

someone fighting in the way of Allah, someone who collects zakat, someone who has suffered (financial) loss (at the hands of debtors), someone who buys it with his own money, and some one who has a poor neighbour who receives some zakat and gives some as a present to the one who is not in need."

Malik said, "The position with us concerning the dividing up of zakat is that it is up to the individual judgement of the man in charge (wali). Whichever categories of people are in most need and are most numerous are given preference, according to how the man in charge sees fit. It is possible that that may change after one year, or two, or more, but it is always those who are in need and are most numerous that are given preference, whatever category they may belong to. This is what I have seen done by people of knowledge with which I am satisifed."

Malik said, "There is no fixed share for the collector of the zakat, except according to what the imam sees fit."

Khaibar was divided among those who had been at al-Hudaibiya, and God’s Messenger divided it into eighteen portions. The army was one thousand five hundred of which three hundred were cavalry, and he gave two shares to a horseman and one to a footman. Abu Dawud transmitted it, saying Ibn ‘Umar’s tradition¹ is sounder, and it is the one which is followed. The error in the tradition of Mujammi’ was because he said three hundred horsemen when there were only two hundred. Habib b. Maslama al-Fihri said he saw the Prophet give a quarter of the spoil on the outward journey and a third on the return journey.² 1. I have available two editions of Abu Dawud’s Sunan (Cairo, 1280 and 1348 A .H.). Both give Ibn Mu'awiya in place of Ibn 'Umar. See Jihad, 144. 2. This tradition and the following one are explained as referring to a section of the army which comes in contact with the enemy. The greater amount granted them when this happens on the return journey is because there is more difficulty and danger in fighting after having gone through the campaign. The second tradition is more explicit by making it clear that the fifth was deducted. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

The Prophet (SAW) used to teach us to seek Allah's Counsel in all matters, as he used to teach us a Surah from the Qur'an. He would say: When anyone of you has an important matter to decide, let him pray two Rak'ahs other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi `ilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, wa as'aluka min faḍlika ‘l-`Aẓīm, fa'innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta`lamu wa lā a`lam, wa anta `allāmu ‘l-ghuyūb, Allāhumma in kunta ta`lamu anna hādha ‘l-amra - [then mention the thing to be decided] Khayrun lī fī dīnī wa ma`āshī wa `āqibati amrī - [or say] `ājilihi wa ājilih - faqdurhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh, wa in kunta ta`lamu anna hādha ‘l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma`āshī wa `āqibati 'amrī - [or say] `ājilihi wa 'ājilihi - faṣrifhu `annī waṣrifnī `anh, waqdur liya ‘l-khayra ḥaythu kān, thumma arḍinī bih. "O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I beseech You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable and I am not. You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it." Whoever seeks the counsel of the Creator will not regret it and whoever seeks the advice of the believers will feel confident about his decisions, for Allah has said in the Qur'an: "And consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah." Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/162. and Aal-'Imran 3:159.

“Allahumma laka sajadtu, wa bika amantu, wa laka aslamtu, Anta rabbi, sajada wajhi lilladhi shaqqa sam’ahu wa basarahu, tabarak Allah ahsanul-khaliqin (O Allah, to You I have prostrated, and in You I have believed, and to You I have submitted. You are my Lord; my face has prostrated to the One Who gave it hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah the best of Creators).”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. So we said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I counsel you to have taqwa (fear) of Allah, and to listen and obey [your leader], even if a slave were to become your ameer. Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], for verily every bidah (innovation) is misguidance.”

[Abu Dawud]

It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said that it was a good and sound hadeeth.

We came upon the Messenger of Allah (saws) in a deputation of Thaqif. The signatories of the pact came to al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah as his guests. The Messenger of Allah (saws) made Banu-Malik stay in a tent of his.

Musaddad's version says: He was in the deputation of Thaqif which came to the Messenger of Allah (saws). He used to visit and have a talk with us every day after the night prayer.

The version of AbuSa'id says: He remained standing for such a long time (talking to us) that he put his weight sometimes on one leg and sometimes on the other due to his long stay. He mostly told us how his people, the Quraysh, behaved with him.

He would say: We were not equal; we were weak and degraded at Mecca (according to Musaddad's version). When we came over to Medina the fighting began between us; sometimes we overcome them and at other times they overcome us. One night he came late and did not come at the time he used to come.

We asked him: You came late tonight? He said: I could not recite the fixed part of the Qur'an that I used to recite every day. I disliked to come till I had completed it.

Aws said: I asked the companions of the Messenger of Allah (saws): How do you divide the Qur'an for daily recitation? They said: Three surahs, five surahs, eleven surahs, thirteen surahs' mufassal surahs.

Abu Dawud said: The version of Abu Sa'id is complete.

Abu Hurairah, Ibn Abbas and Abu Salamah bin Abdur-Rahman mentioned the pregnant women whose husband died and she gave birth after the death of her husband. So Ibn Abbas said: "She observes Iddah until the end of the two terms." Abu Salamah said: "Rather, she is allowed when she gives birth." Abu Hurairah said: "I am with my nephew," meaning Abu Salamah.So he sent a message to Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet. She said: "Subai'ah Al-Aslamiyyah gave birth a short time after her husband died, so she sought the judgment of the Messenger of Allah and he ordered her to get married."

"During the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, I heard the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) saying in the Khutbah: 'Indeed Allah, Most Blessed and Most High, has given the right due to everyone deserving a right. So there is no will for an heir, the child is for the bed, and for the fornicator is the stone, and their reckoning is for Allah, Most High. And whoever claims someone other than his father, or an affiliation with other than his Mawali, then upon him is the continued curse of Allah until the Day of Judgment. The wife is not to spend from her husband's house except with her husband's permission.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Not even food?' He said: 'That is the most virtuous of our wealth.' And he said: 'The borrowed is to be returned, the endowment is to be refunded and the debt is to be repaid, and the guarantor is responsible.'"

The Prophet said: “When one of you lies down on his right side, then says: ‘O Allah, I have submitted myself to You, and I have turned my face to You, and I lay myself down relying upon You, and I have entrusted my affair to You, there is no refuge [nor escape] from You except to You. I believe in Your Book and Your Messengers (Allāhumma innī aslamtu nafsī ilaika wa wajjahtu wajhī ilaika, wa alja’tu ẓahrī ilaika, wa fawwaḍtu amrī ilaika, lā malja'a [wa lā manjā] minka illā ilaik, ūminu bikitābika wa birusulika)’ – then if he dies that night, he shall enter Paradise.”

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone is afflicted by much care he should say, “O God, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, and at Thy disposal; my forelock is in Thy hand; Thy judgment is effective regarding me; just concerning me is Thy decree; I ask Thee by every name Thou hast by which Thou hast called Thyself, or sent down in Thy Book, or taught any of Thy creatures, or kept to Thyself in the hidden place of the unseen, to make the Qur’an the Spring of my heart and the means of clearing away my care and grief.” He declared that no one had ever said it without God removing his grief and giving him joy instead of it. Razin transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Qais b. Makhrama said that God’s messenger addressed the people as follows, “The people of pre-Islamic times used to return from 'Arafa when the sun before setting was shining in their faces like men’s turbans, and from al-Muzdalifa after the sun rose when it was shining in their faces like men’s turbans; (When the sun is low it shines only on men’s foreheads, and this is here likened to a turban) but we do not return from ‘Arafa till the sun sets, and we return from al-Muzdalifa before the sun rises. Our guidance differs from that of the worshippers of idols and those who attribute partners to God.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman, saying “He addressed us . . .” and then going on, with the tradition to similar effect.

He reported God's messenger as saying, “There is no infection, no evil omen, no hama*, and no serpent in a hungry belly*; but flee from one who has tubercular leprosy as you would from a lion." Bukhari transmitted it. * The word means an owl, or a night-bird which frequents graves. The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that when vengeance had not been taken for one who had been killed a bird called hama came forth from the dead and screeched demanding vengeance. ** The word is safar. The pre-Islaraic Arabs used the word as meaning a serpent which bites a man from within when he is hungry and causes the sense of stinging a man feels when hungry. It was also used of a serpent within the belly which was believed to cause a disease more contagious than mange or scab.

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘Allah enjoined fifty prayers upon my nation, and I came back with that until I came to Musa. Musa said: ‘What has your Lord enjoined upon your nation?’ I said: ‘He has enjoined fifty prayers on me.’ He said: ‘Go back to your Lord, for your nation will not be able to do that.’ So I went back to my Lord, and He reduced it by half. I went back to Musa and told him, and he said: ‘Go back to your Lord, for your nation will not be able to do that.’ So I went back to my Lord, and He said: ‘They are five and they are fifty; My Word does not change.’ So I went back to Musa and he said: ‘Go back to your Lord.’ I said: ‘I feel shy before my Lord.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) turned to us and said: ‘O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them: Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but plagues and diseases that were never known among the predecessors will spread among them. They do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers. They do not withhold the Zakah of their wealth, but rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them. They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, but Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands. Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another.’”

Ibn Umar (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “Allah will not look on the Day of Judgment at him who lets his garment drag on the ground out of pride and arrogance.” Agreed upon.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "People of two different religions do not inherit from one another." [Reported by Ahmad and al-Arba'a except at-Tirmidhi].

I and my father set out in search of knowledge to a tribe of the Ansar before their death (i. e. before the Companions of the Holy Prophet left the world) and I was the first to meet Abu Yasar, a Companion of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and there was a young man with him who carried the record of letters with him and there was a mantle prepared by the tribe of Ma'afiri upon him. And his servant too had a Ma'afiri mantle over him. My father said to him: My uncle, I see the signs of anger or that of agony on your face. He said: Yes, such and such person, the son of so and so, of the tribe of Harami owed me a debt. I went to his family, extended salutations and said: Where is he? They said: He is not here. Then came out to me his son who was at the threshold of his youth. I said to him: Where is your father? He said: No sooner did he hear your sound than he hid himself behind my mother's bedstead. I said to him: Walk out to me, for I know where you are. He came out. I said to him: What prompted you to hide yourself from me? He said: By God, whatever I would say to you would not be a lie. By Allah, I fear that I should tell a lie to you and in case of making promise with you I should break it, as you are the Companion of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). The fact is that I was hard up in regard to money. I said: Do you adjure by Allah? He said: I adjure by Allah. I said: Do you adjure by Allah? He said: I adjure by Allah. I said: Do you adjure by Allah? He said: I adjure by Allah. Then he brought his promissory note and he wrote off (the debt) with his hand and said: Make payment when you find yourself solvent enough to pay me back; if you are not, then there is no liability upon you. These two eyes of mine saw, and he (Abu'I-Yasar) placed his fingers upon his eyes and these two ears of mine heard and my heart retained, and he pointed towards his heart that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who gives time to one who is financially hard up (in the payment of debt) or writes off his debt, Allah will provide him His shadow. I said to him: My uncle, if you get the cloak of your servant and you give him your two clothes, or take his two clothes of Ma'afir and give him your cloak, then there would be one dress for you and one for him. He wiped my head and said: O Allah, bless the son of my brother. O, son of my brother, these two very eyes of mine saw and these two ears of mine listened to and this heart of mine retained this, and he pointed towards the heart that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Feed them (the servants) and clothe them (the servants) what you wear, and if I give him the goods of the world, it is easy for me than this that he should take my virtues on the Day of Resurrection. We went on till we came to Jabir b. Abdullah in the mosque and he was busy in observing prayer in one cloth which he had joined at its opposite ends. I made my way through the people till I sat between him and the Qibla and I said: May Allah have mercy upon you. Do you observe prayer with one cloth on your body whereas your mantle is lying at your side? He pointed me with his hand towards my breast just like this and he separated his fingers and bent them in the shape of a bow. And (he said): I thought that a fool like you should come to me so that he should see me as I do and he should then also do like it. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to us in this very mosque and he had in his hand the twig of the palm-tree and he saw mucus towards the Qibla of the mosque and he erased it with the help of the twig. He then came to us and said: Who amongst you likes that Allah should turn His face away from him? We were afraid. He then again said: Who amongst you likes that Allah should turn His face away from him? We were afraid. He again said: Who amongst you likes that Allah should turn His face away from him? We said: Allah's Messenger, none of us likes it. And he said: If one amongst you stands for prayer, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, is before him he should not spit in front of him, or on his right side, but should spit on his left side beneath his left foot and if he is impelled to do so all of a sudden (in spite of himself) he should then spit in his cloth and fold it in some part of it. (and he further said: ) Bring some sweet-smelling thing. A young man who belonged to our tribe stood up, went and brought scent in his palm. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) took that and applied it to the end of that twig and then touched the place where there had been mucus. Jabir said: This is why you should apply scent to your mosques. It is reported on the same authority: We set out along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on an expedition of Batn Buwat. He (the Holy Prophet) was in search of al-Majdi b. 'Amr al-Juhani. (We had so meagre equipment) that five. six or seven of us had one camel to ride and so we mounted it turn by turn. Once there wan. the turn of an Ansari to ride upon the camel. He made it kneel down to ride over it (and after having. mounted it), he tried to raise it up but it hesitated. So he said. May there be curse of Allah upon you! Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Who is there to curse his camel? He said: Allah's Messenger, it' is I. Thereupon he said: Get down from the camel and let us not have in our company the cursed one. Don't curse your own selves, nor your children. nor your belongings. There is the possibility that your curse may synchronies with the time when Allah is about to confer upon you what you demand and thus your prayer may be readily responded. It is reported on the same authority: We set out on an expedition along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) until it was evening, and we had been near a. water reservoir of Arabia. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Who would be the person who would go ahead and set right the reservoir and drink water himself and serve us with it? Jabir said: I stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, it is I who am ready to do that. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Who is the person to accompany Jabir? And then Jabbar b. Sakhr stood up. So we went to that well and poured in that tank a bucket or two of water and plastered it with clay and then began to fill it (with water) until it was filled to the brim. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was the first who appeared before us, and he said: Do you (both) permit me to drink water out of it? We said: Yea, Allah's Messenger. He led his camel to drink water and it drank. He then pulled its rein and it stretched its legs and began to urinate. He then took it aside and made it kneel down at another place and then came to the tank and performed ablution. I then got up and performed ablution like the ablution of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and Jabbar b. Sakhr went in order to relieve himself and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) got up to observe prayer and there was a mantle over me. I tried to invert its ends but it was too short (to cover my body easily). It had its borders. I then inverted it (the mantle) and drew its opposite ends and then tied them at my neck. I then came and stood upon the left side of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He caught hold of me and made me go round behind him, until he made me stand on his right side. Then Jabbar b. Sakhr came. He performed ablution and then came and stood on the left side of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) caught hold of our hands together, pushed us back and made us stand behind him. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) began to look upon me with darting looks, but I did not perceive that. After that I became aware of it and he pointed with the gesture of his hand that I should wrap my loin-cloth. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had finished the prayer, he said: Jabir! I said: Allah's Messenger, at thy beck and call. He said: When the cloth around you is inadequate, then tie the opposite ends but when it is small, tie it over the lower body. Jabir reported: We set out on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and the only means of sustenance for every person amongst us was only one date for a day and we used to chew it. And we struck the leaves with the help of our bow and ate them until the sides of our mouths were injured. It so happened one day that a person was overlooked and not given a date. We carried that person and bore witness to the fact that he had not been given that date so he was offered that and he got up and received that. Jabir reported: We set out on an expedition along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) until we got down at a spacious valley and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) went to relieve himself. I followed him with a bucket full of water and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) looked about and he found no privacy but two trees at the end of the valley and Allah's Messenger (may. peace be upon him) went to one of them and took hold of one of its twigs and said: Be thou under my control by the permission of Allah, and so it came under his control like the camel who has its nosestring in the hand of its rider, and then he came to the second tree and took hold of a twig and said: Be thou under my control with the permission of Allah, and it came under his control, and when he came in the middle of the two trees he joined together the two twigs and said: join with the permission of Allah. Jabir said: I was afraid lest Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) should be aware of my nearness and go still farther. And Muhammad b. Abbad has used the word" faitab'd" and I began to talk to myself. And as I saw, I suddenly found Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) before me and the two trees were separated and each one of them was standing at its place. I saw Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) standing for a short time, nodding his head towards right and left. Isma'il pointed towards the right and left with the help of his head (in order to demonstrate how the Holy Prophet had pointed). Then he (the Holy Prophet) came to me and said: Jabir did you see my place where I was standing? I said: Allah's Messenger, yes. He then said: Then you should go to those two trees and cut a twig from each of them and go to that place with them where I was standing and stand there where I was standing and place a twig on the right and a twig on the left. Jabir said: I set out and took hold of a stone and broke it and sharpened it and then I came to those trees and cut a twig from each one of them. I then came dragging them until I stood at the place where Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had been standing and placed a twig on the right and a twig on the left. Then I met him and said: Allah's Messenger, I have done that, but (kindly) explain to me the reason for it. Thereupon he said: I passed by two graves the occupants of which had been undergoing torment. I liked to make intercession for them so that the might be relieved of this torment y as long as these twigs remain fresh. Jabir said: We came back to the (camp of the) army and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Jabir, call people for per- forming wudu. I cried: Come and perform wudu, come and perform wudu, come and perform wudu. I said: Allah's Messenger, there is not even a drop of water in the army camp, and there. was a person who used to cool the water for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in the old water-skin which kept hanging by the twig. He asked me to go to such and such Ansari and ask him to see if there was any water in that skin. I went to him and cast a glance in it but did not find anything but a drop in the mouth of that water-skin and if I were to draw that, the water-skin's,. dried part would suck it up. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, I have not found anything in it but a drop of water in the mouth of the water-skin and now if I were to draw that, it would be absorbed. He said: Go and bring that to me. I brought that to him. He took hold of it -and began to utter something which I could not understand and then pressed it with his hand and gave that to me and said: Jabir, announce for the tub to be brought. So I announced that the tub of the army (be brought). It was brought accordingly and I placed it before him (the Holy Prophet). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) placed his hands in the tub like this: with his fingers stretched out, and then he placed his fingers at the bottom of the tub and said: Jabir, take it (that waters-skin) and pour water over me, by reciting Bismillah, and I poured water and I said: Bismillah, and found water sprouting out between the fingers of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Then that tub gushed forth until it was filled up and the Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Jabir, make an announcement to the effect: He who needs water should take that. Jabir said: The people came and got water until they were all satiated. I said: Is there anyone left who wants to get it? And Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) then lifted up his hand from that tub and it was still full. Then the people made a complaint to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about hunger and he said: May Allah provide you food! We came to the bank of the ocean and the ocean was tossing and it threw out a big animal and we lit fire and cooked it and took it until we had eaten to our heart's content. Jabir said: I and such and such five persons entered Its socket and nobody could see us until we had come out, and we took hold of one of its ribs and twisted it into a sort of arch, then we called the tallest of the persons of the army and the hugest of the camels of the army and it had the big saddle over it, and it could easily pass through it without the rider having need to bend down.

Ibn ’Umar (RAA) narrated that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H.) said, “A man who persists in begging people to give him charity, will come on the Day of Judgment and there will not be a piece of flesh on his face.” Agreed upon.

While we were accompanying God’s messenger who was riding a she-mule in a garden belonging to the B. an-Najjar, the animal shied and almost unseated him. It happened that there were five or six graves there, so he asked if anyone knew who were buried in them. A man replied that he did, and on being asked when they died said it was in the period when the people were polytheists. The Prophet then said, “These people are being afflicted in their graves, and were it not that you would cease to bury, I would ask God to let you hear the punishment in the grave which I am hearing.” Then he turned facing us and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment of the fire.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the punishment in the grave.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” They said, “We seek refuge in God from trials both open and secret.” He said, “Seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal!” They said, “We seek refuge in God from the trial of ad-Dajjal.” Muslim transmitted it.

Allāhumma innī as'aluka 'l-`afwa wal-`āfiyah fid-dunyā wal-ākhirah, Allāhumma innī as'aluka 'l-`afwa wal-`āfiyah fī dīnī wa dunyāya, wa ahlī, wa mālī, Allāhummastur `awrātī, wa āmin raw`ātī, Allāhummaḥfaẓnī min bayni yadayya, wa min khalfī, wa `an yamīnī, wa `an shimālī, wa min fawqī, wa a`ūdhu bi`aẓamatika an 'ughtāla min taḥtī. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness and Your protection in this world and the next. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness and Your protection in my religion, in my worldly affairs, in my family and in my wealth. O Allah, conceal my secrets and preserve me from anguish. O Allah, guard me from what is in front of me and behind me, from my left, and from my right, and from above me. I seek refuge in Your Greatness from being struck down from beneath me. Reference: Sahih Ibn Majah 2/332 and Abu Dawud.

The Prophet (saws) said, "I have been given five things which were not given to anyone else before me. Allah made me victorious by awe (of frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey. The earth has been made for me (and my followers) a place for praying and something with which to perform Tayammum (to purify oneself for prayer). Therefore, anyone (of my followers) can pray (anywhere) and at any time that the Salat (prayer) is due."

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "al-Witr prayer is a duty upon every Muslim, so whoever likes to offer it with five Rak'at let him do so and whoever likes to offer it with three let him do so, and whoever likes to offer it with one let him do so." [Reported by al-Arba'ah except at-Tirmidhi. And Ibn Hibban graded it Sahib (authentic) and an-Nasa'i held that the stronger view is that it is Mawquf (saying of a companion)].

Alqamah and al-Aswad said: A man came to Ibn Mas'ud. He said: I recite the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah. You might recite it quickly as one recites verse (poetry) quickly, or as the dried dates fall down (from the tree).

But the Prophet (saws) used to recite two equal surahs in one rak'ah; he would recite (for instance) surahs an-Najm (53) and ar-Rahman (55) in one rak'ah, surahs Iqtarabat (54) and al-Haqqah (69) in one rak'ah, surahs at-Tur (52) and adh-Dhariyat (51) in one rak'ah, surahs al-Waqi'ah (56) and Nun (68) in one rak'ah, surahs al-Ma'arij (70) and an-Nazi'at (79) in one rak'ah, surahs al-Mutaffifin (83) and Abasa (80) in one rak'ah, surahs al-Muddaththir (74) and al-Muzzammil (73) in one rak'ah, surahs al-Insan (76) and al-Qiyamah (75) in one rak'ah, surahs an-Naba' (78) and al-Mursalat (77) in one rak'ah, and surahs ad-Dukhan (44) and at-Takwir (81) in one rak'ah.

Abu Dawud said: This is the arrangement of Ibn Mas'ud himself

"When the Prophet (SAW) got up at night to pray Tahajjud, he said: Allahumma, lakal-hamdu anta nurus-samawati wal-ardi wa man fihinna wa lakal-hamdu anta qayyamus-samawati wal ardi wa man fihinna wa lakal-hamdu, anta haqqun wa wa'duka haqqun wal jannatu haqqun wan-nuru haqqun wan-nabiyyuna haqqun wa Muhammadan haqqun, laka aslant wa 'alaika tawakkaltu wa bika amant. ( O Allah, to You be praise, You are the Light of the heavens and earth and whoever is in them. To You be praise, You are the Sustainer of the Heavens and the earth and whoever is in them. To You be praise, You are the Sovereign of the heavens and earth and whoever is in them. To You be praise; You are True, Your promise is true, Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Hour is true, the Prophets are true and Muhammad is true. To You have I submitted, in You I put my trust and in You I have believed.'" Then (one of the narrators) Qutaibah mentioned some words the meaning of which was: "Wa bika khasamtu wa ilaika hakamtu, ighfirli ma quadrate wa ma akhkhartu wa ma a'lantu antal-muqaddimu wa antal-mu'khkhir, la ilaha illa anta wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (And with Your help I argue [with my opponents, the non-believers], and I take You as a judge [to judge between us]. Forgive me my past and future sins and those that I commit openly. You are the One who puts [some people] back and bring [others] forward. There is no God but You and there is no power and no strength except with Allah).'"

Abu Bakr had a slave who brought him his earnings and Abu Bakr would eat* some of his earnings. One day he brought him something and when Abu Bakr had eaten some of it the slave asked him whether he knew what it was. Abu Bakr asked what it was, and he replied, "I acted as a soothsayer for a man in the pre-Islamic period, and not being good at it, I deceived him; but he met me and gave me that, so this is the thing of which you have eaten.” She said that Abu Bakr then put his hand in his mouth and vomited everything which was in his stomach. Bukhari transmitted it. * Here the word is used in its literal sense. Elsewhere the word is often translated by "enjoy when it is not clear that something is actually eaten.”

Khishf b. Malik, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, said God’s Messenger gave judgment that the blood wit for accidental killing should be twenty female and twenty male camels which had entered their second year, twenty she-camels which had entered their third year, twenty she-camels in their fifth year and twenty she-camels in their fourth year. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but the sound view is that it does not go back beyond Ibn Mas'ud. Khishf is unknown, being known only by this tradition. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna that the Prophet paid bloodwit for those slain at Khaibar from the camels of the sadaqa, but the male camel which has entered its second year is not among the age groups of the camels of the sadaqa, only the male camel which has entered its third year being included.

‘A’isha said that when some of the Prophet’s wives asked him which of them would join him soonest, he replied that it would be the one with the longest arm. So they took a rod and measured, and Sauda was the one among them who had the longest arm. They later came to know that sadaqa was the meaning of the length of the arm, for Zainab was the one who joined him soonest and she was fond of giving sadaqa.* Bukhari transmitted it. In Muslim’s version she reported God’s messsenger as saying, “The one of you who will join me first is the one who has the longest arm.” She said they measured one another’s arms to see which was the longest, and the one with the longest was Zainab because she worked with her hand and gave sadaqa. * She was called Umm al-masakin (mother of the needy), a title given her in the pre-Islamic period.