He gathered them and put them in pairs. Thereafter He fashioned them and endowed them with speech, and they spoke. He then made an agreement and covenant with them, calling them to witness regarding themselves, [saying] “Am I not your Lord?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “I call the seven heavens and the seven earths to witness regarding you, and I call your father Adam to witness regarding you, lest you should say on the day of resurrection, ‘We did not know of this.’ Know that there is no god other than me and no lord other than me, and do not associate anything with me. I shall send to you my messengers to call to your remembrance my agreement and my covenant, and I shall send down my books to you. They replied, “We testify that Thou art our Lord and our God; we have no other lord and no other god but Thee.” So they confirmed that. Adam was raised above them and looked at them, and seeing the rich and the poor, the beautiful and those not so beautiful, he asked, “My Lord, why didst Thou not make Thy servants equal?” He replied, “I wanted to be thanked.” He also saw among them the prophets like lamps with light in them. They had another -special covenant concerning their mission and prophetic office, viz. His words, “And when we took from the prophets their covenant... Jesus son-of Mary.” ² He was among those spirits and He sent him to Mary. Ubayy is quoted as saying that he entered by her mouth. Ahmad transmitted it. ¹ ibid. ² Quran, xxxiii, 7.

Salman al-Farisi told of God’s messenger saying in a sermon which he delivered to them on the last day of Sha'ban, “A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. God has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to God during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer’s provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his sins and save him from hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect.” Some of them remarked to God’s messenger that they did not all have the means to give one who had been fasting something with which to break his fast, and he replied, “God gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink from any tank by God and will not thirst till he enters paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from hell. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, God will forgive him and free him from hell.”

Being alarmed at their difference in reading the Qur’ān he said to ‘Uthmān, “Commander of the faithful, set this people right before they disagree about the Book in the manner of the Jews and the Christians.” ‘Uthmān therefore sent a message to Hafsa asking her to send the sheets to him so that they might make copies of them, after which he would return them to her. Hafsa sent them to ‘Uthmān and he commanded Zaid b. Thābit, ‘Abdallāh b. az-Zubair, Sa'īd b. al-‘Ās and ‘Abdallāh b. al-Hārith b. Hishām who made copies of them. ‘Uthmān gave instructions to the three members of Quraish that when they and Zaid b. Thābit disagreed about anything in the Qur’ān they were to write in the dialect of Quraish, for it came down only in their dialect. They did so, and when they had made several copies of the sheets ‘Uthmān returned the sheets to Hafsa. He then sent a copy of those which they had transcribed to every region, giving orders that every sheet or volume which contained a part of the Qur’ān in different form should be burned. Ibn Shihāb said he was told by Khārija b. Zaid b. Thābit that he heard Zaid b. Thābit say that when they transcribed the Qur’ān he failed to find a verse in al-Ahzāb which he had heard God’s messenger reciting. He therefore sought it and found it with Khuzaima b. Thābit al-Ansārī, “Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with God” (Qur’ān, 33:23). They then added it to its sūra in the copy of the Qur’ān. Bukhārī transmit­ted it.

‘Ammar b. Yasir led us in a prayer and did so in brief form. One of the people camplained that he had shortened the prayer and conducted it briefly, but he replied that that would cause him no harm, for he had used in it various supplica­ tions he had heard from God’s messenger." When he got up to depart one of the people followed him (‘Ata’ explaining that this was his father although he made a vague reference to himself) 3 and asked him about the supplication, whereupon he came and informed the people of it as follows: “O God, by Thy knowledge of the unseen and Thy power to create, grant me life as long as Thou knowest life to be best for me, and take me when Thou knowest death to be best for me; O God, I ask Thee for fear of Thee both within my secret heart and openly; I ask Thee for the word of truth in pleasure and anger; I ask Thee for moderation both in poverty and riches; I ask Thee for felicity which does not pass away; I ask Thee for comfort which is not cut off; I ask Thee for satisfaction with what is decreed; I ask Thee for a pleasant life 1 after death; I ask Thee for the pleasure of looking at Thy face, and longing to meet Thee in a state in which distress does not cause harm or testing lead astray. O God, beautify us with the adornment of faith, and make us guides who are rightly guided.” Nasa’i transmitted it. 3. The vague reference consists in his saying "one of the people." 1. Literally "coolness of life." The word bard (coolness) develops the meaning of pleasantness.

'A’isha said the people complained to God’s Messenger of the lack of rain, so he gave orders for a pulpit, and when it was set up for him in the place of prayer he appointed a day for the people on which they should come out. ‘A’isha said God’s Messenger came out when the rim of the sun appeared and sat down on the pulpit. Having declared God’s greatness and expressed His praise, he said, “You have complained of drought in your abodes and of delay in receiving rain at the beginning of its season, but God has ordered you to supplicate Him and has promised that He would answer your prayers.” Then he said, “Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Master of the day of judgment. There is no god but God who does what He wishes. O God, Thou art God than whom there is no god, the Rich, while we are the poor. Send down rain upon us and make what Thou sendest down a strength and satisfaction for us for a time.” He then raised his hands and kept raising them till the whiteness under his armpits was visible. He then turned his back to the people and inverted (or, turned round) his cloak while keeping his hands aloft. He then faced the people, descended and prayed two rak'as. God then produced a cloud and a storm of thunder and lightning came on. Then it rained by God’s permission, and before he reached his mosque streams were flowing. When he saw the speed with which the people sought shelter he laughed till his back teeth were visible. Then he said, “I testify that God is omnipotent and that I am God’s servant and Messenger.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “When the darkness of night comes, or in the evening, collect your children, for the devil is abroad at that time, and when an hour of the night has passed let them free and shut the doors, making mention of God’s name, for the devil does not open a shut door. Tie up you buckets, mentioning God's name; cover up your vessels, mentioning God’s name, even though you should just put something on them, and extinguish your lamps.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Bukhari he said, “Cover up the vessels, tie the water-skins, shut the doors, and gather your children in the evening, for the jinn are abroad and seize them; and extinguish the lamps when you go to sleep, for a mouse often drags a wick and burns a household.” In a verison by Muslim he said, “Cover the vessel, tie up the water-skin, shut the doors and extinguish the lamp, for the devil does not loosen a water-skin, or open a door, or uncover a vessel. If all one can do is to put a piece of wood over his vessel and mention God's name let him do so, for a mouse sets a house on fire over its inhabitants.” In a version by him he said, “Do not let your animals and children go at large when the sun sets till the first and darkest part of the night has passed, for the devil is sent out; from the time the sun sets till the first and darkest part of the night is past.” In a version by him he said, “Cover the vessel and tie up the water-skin, for there is a night in the year when pestilence descends, and it does not pass an uncovered vessel or an untied water-skin without some of that pesti- lence descending into it.”

When we were with `Umar he asked which of us remembered the tradition of God's messenger about the fitna, and I replied that I remembered it just as he had uttered it. Telling me to relate it, and remarking that I was daring, he asked how he had spoken and I replied that I had heard God's messenger say, "A man's fitna concerns his family, his property, his person, his children and his neighbour for any shortcoming in which atonement made by fasting, prayer, sadaqah recommending what is reputable and reproving what is disreputable.[1] `Umar said that this was not what he meant, for he was thinking of the fitna which swells like the waves of the sea.[2] I asked the commander of the faithful what he had to do with it, for between him and it there was a closed door. He asked whether the door would be broken down or opened, and when I replied that it would be broken down, he said it would never likely be closed. Hudhaifa was asked if `Umar knew who the door was and he replied that he knew it as well as he knew that a night comes before tomorrow, adding that he had told him a tradition which included no misleading language. They were afraid to ask Hudhaifa who the door was, so they asked Masruq to ask him, and when he did so he replied that it was `Umar.3 A man who has these responsibilities may fall short of what is due from him, but can make atonement for his shortcoming. Contention which leads to strife and warfare. The point of the tradition is that the fitna would not occur in `Umar's lifetime, but that as he was to be assassinated there was no hope of peaceful conditions ever returning. The opening of the door indicates a natural death and the breaking down of the door a violent death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "No descendant of Adam may make a vow concerning something he does not possess, or set free (a slave) that he does not possess, or divorce (a woman) whom he does not possess (in marriage)." [Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi reported it; the latter graded it Sahih (authentic), and transmitted from al-Bukhari his statement that it is the most authentic Hadith on this subject].

He heard the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There were three men among the Banu Israel, one leper, one bald and one blind. Allah wanted to test them. He therefore, sent to them an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best. He replied: "A good colour, a good skin and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people". He (the angel) rubbed him and his loathsomeness vanished and he was given a good colour and a good skin. He then asked him what type of property he would like best. The leper replied that he would like camels - [or perhaps he said cattle, for Ishaq (one of the subnarrator of the Hadith) was uncertain, either said: 'Camels,' or: 'Cattle']. He was given a pregnant she-camel. The angel invoked for Allah's Blessing on it. The angel then went to the bald man and asked him what he would like best and he replied: "Good hair and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people". The angel ran his hand over him and he was given good hair. He then asked him what property he would like best. He replied that he would like cattle, so he was given a pregnant cow. The angel invoked Allah's Blessing on it. The angel then went to the blind man and asked him what he would like best, and he replied: "I wish that Allah restore my sight to me so that I may see people." Thereupon the angel ran his hand over him and Allah restored his sight. The angel then asked what property he would like best. He replied that he would like sheep, so he was given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and herds were produced for the three men, the first having a valley full of camels, the second one, a valley full of cows and the third one full of sheep. Then the angel came in the form of a leper, to the one who had been a leper, and said: "I am a poor man and my resources have been exhausted in my journey, and my only means of reaching my destination are dependent on Allah and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who gave you the good colour, the good skin and the property, for a camel by which I may get to my destination". He replied: "I have many dues to pay." The angel then said: "I think I recognize you. Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a poor man to whom Allah gave property?" He replied: "I inherited this property through generations". The angel said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former condition". The angel went in the form of a bald man to the one who had been bald, and said the same as he had said to the former and received a similar reply. So he said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former condition". The angel then went to the one who had been blind and said: "I am a poor traveller and my resources have been exhausted in my journey. My only means of reaching my destination are dependant on Allah and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who restored your eyesight for a sheep by which I may get to the end of my journey". He replied: "Yes, I was blind. Allah restored my eyesight, so take what you wish and leave what you wish. I swear by Allah that I shall not argue with you today to return anything you take, as I give it for Allah's sake". The angel said: "Keep your property. You have all simply been put to a test, and Allah is pleased with you and displeased with both of your companions".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Huraira told that the people asked, "Messenger of God, shall we see our Lord on the day of resurrection?" and then mentioned something to the same general effect as Abu Sa'id's tradition, except for "things will be made plain[1]." The Prophet then said, "The Path will be set over the main part of jahannam and I shall be the first of the messengers to take his people across. On that day only the messengers will speak and what they say that day will be, `0 God, keep safe, keep safe.' In jahannam there will be pronged flesh-hooks like sadan[2] thorns whose size is known only to God, and they will seize people for their deeds, some being confined for what they have done and others being cut in small pieces and escaping. Then when God finishes judging His servants and desires to take out of hell such people as He pleases among those who testified that there is no god but God, He will command the angels to bring out those who worshipped God. They will do so, recognising them by the marks of prostration, God most high having prevented hell from devouring the mark of prostration, for hell will devour everything in the sons of Adam except the mark of prostration. They will come forth from hell having been burned, the water of life will be poured over them, and they will sprout as a seed does in the rubbish carried away by a flood. Bat a man who will be the last of the inhabitants of hell to enter paradise will remain between paradise and hell facing hell and will say, `0 my Lord, turn my face away from hell, for its odour has annoyed me and its fierce blaze has burned me; but God will reply, 'If I do that you will perhaps ask something else.' He will say, `No, by Thy might,' giving God such covenant and agreement as God wishes, and He will turn his face away from hell. When he is turned to face paradise and sees its beauty, he will remain silent as long as God wishes him to remain so, and will then say, 'O my Lord, bring me forward to the gate of paradise.' God who is blessed and exalted will reply, `Did you not give covenants and agreement that you would not ask anything beside what you have asked?' and he will say, `O my Lord, let me not be made the most miserable of Thy creatures.' He will ask, `What else are you likely to ask for if you are granted that?' and he will reply, `No, by Thy might, I shall ask nothing else.' He will then give his Lord such covenant and agreement as He wishes, and He will bring him forward to the gate of paradise. Then when he reaches its gate and sees its freshness and the splendour and joy it contains, he will remain silent as long as God wishes him to remain so, and will then say, `O my Lord, bring me into paradise.' God who is blessed and exalted will reply, `Woe to you, son of Adam, how treacherous you are! Have you not given covenants and agreement that you would not ask anything more than you have been granted?' and he will say, `O my Lord, do not make me the most miserable of Thy creatures.' He will continue making supplication till God laughs at him, and when He does so He will give him permission to enter paradise, and will say, `State your wish.' When he has done so till his wishing has come to an end God most high will say, `State your wish from such and such,' his Lord mentioning the matters to him. Then when there is nothing more he can wish God will say, `You can have that and a similar amount along with it'." In Abu Sa'id's version God says, "You can have that and ten times as much." i.e., they will have everything as far as their eyes can see. The name of a plant with a prickly head on which camels pasture. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Mujahid said, "I was with 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr while his slave was skinning a sheep. He said, 'Boy! When you finish, start with the Jewish neighbour.' A man there exclaimed, 'Jewish? May Allah correct you!' He replied, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recommend that we treat our neighbours well until we feared (or we thought) that he would order us to make them our heirs.'"

Ad-Dahhak said, "It was about us (the Banu Salima) that these words were revealed, 'Do not find fault with one another' (49:11)" He went on to say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us and there was not a man among us who did not have two names. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to say, 'O so-and-so!' and they said, 'Messenger of Allah! That will make him angry!'"

either his supplication is answered quickly, or it is stored up for him in the Next World, or an evil equal to it is averted from him." It was said, "Then many supplications will be made." He replied, "Allah has more still to give."

Az-Zuhri reported that a man from Bali said, "I came to visit the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with my father. My father spoke to him while I was not there. I said to my father, 'What did he say to you?' He replied, 'When you desire something, then you must proceed slowly until Allah shows you a way out of it or until Allah makes a way out for you.'"

'Uqba ibn 'Amir al-Juhani passed by a man who looked like a Muslim who greeted him. 'Uqba answered him, saying, "And on you and the mercy of Allah and his blessings." His slave said to him, "He is a Christian." 'Uqba got up and followed him until he caught up to him. He said, "The mercy of Allah and His blessings are for the believers, but may Allah make your life long and give you much wealth and many children."

Sa'id al-Maqburi said, "I passed by Ibn 'Umar who had a man with him with whom he was conversing. I went to them, and he struck me on the chest and said, 'When you find two men conversing, do not go up to them nor sit with them until they give you permission.' I said. 'May Allah make you prosper, Abu 'Abdu'r-Rahman. I hoped that I would hear something good from you.'"

(O Allah, let us have the good of this world and the good of the hereafter and save us from the torment of the fire).

He used to make a condition on the man to whom he gave his property in al-Muqaradah (to trade with, and the profit being shared between them), that: "You should not trade with my property in living beings, and do not transport it by sea, and do not settle with it at the bottom of a river-bed; and if you do any of the aforesaid acts you should then guarantee my property." [ad-Daraqutni reported it and its narrators are reliable (thiqah)].

Allāhummak’tub lī bihā `indaka ajra, waḍa` `annī bihā wizra, waj`alhā lī `indaka dhukhra, wa taqabbal’hā minnī kamā taqabbal’tahā min `abdika Dāwūd. O Allah, write it as a reward for me, and release me from a burden for it, and make it a treasure for me with You. Accept it from me as You accepted it from your servant Dawud. Reference: At-Tirmidhi 2/473, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Thahabi agreed 1/219.

“A Bedouin came to the Prophet (SAW) to ask him to pay back a debt that he owed him, and he spoke harshly, saying: 'I will make things difficult for you unless you repay me.' His Companions rebuked him and said: 'Woe to you, do you know who you are speaking to?' He said: 'I am only asking for my rights.' The Prophet (SAW) said: 'Why do you not support the one who has a right?' Then he sent word to Khawlah bint Qais, saying to her: 'If you have dates, lend them to us until our dates come, then we will pay you back.' She said: 'Yes, may my father be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!' So she gave him a loan, and he paid back the Bedouin and fed him. He (the Bedouin) said: 'You have paid me in full, may Allah (SWT) pay you in full.' He (the Prophet (SAW) ) said: 'Those are the best of people. May that nation not be cleansed (of sin) among whom the weak cannot get their rights without trouble.' ”

“I have forgiven them, except for the wrongdoer, with whom I will settle the score in favor of the one whom he wronged.” He said: “O Lord, if You will, then grant Paradise to the one who is wronged, and forgive the wrongdoer.” No response came (that evening).The next day at Muzdalifah he repeated the supplication, and received a response to what he asked for. He (the narrator) said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) laughed,” or he said, “He smiled. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar said to him: ‘May my father and mother be ransomed for you, this is not a time when you usually laugh. What made you laugh, may Allah make your years filled with laughter?’ He said: ‘The enemy of Allah, Iblis, when he came to know that Allah answered my prayer and forgiven my nation, took some dust and started to sprinkle it on his head, uttering cries of woe and doom, and what I saw of his anguish made me laugh.’”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Malik ibn Aus ibn al-Hadathan an-Nasri that one time he asked to exchange 100 dinars. He said, "Talha ibn Ubaydullah called me over and we made a mutual agreement that he would make an exchange for me. He took the gold and turned it about in his hand, and then said, 'I can't do it until my treasurer brings the money to me from al-Ghaba.' Umar ibn al- Khattab was listening and Umar said, 'By Allah! Do not leave him until you have taken it from him!' Then he said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Gold for silver is usury except hand to hand. Wheat for wheat is usury except hand to hand. Dates for dates is usury except hand to hand. Barley for barley is usury except hand to hand." "'

Malik said, "When a man buys dirhams with dinars and then finds a bad dirham among them and wants to return it, the exchange of the dinars breaks down, and he returns the silver and takes back his dinars. The explanation of what is disapproved of in that is that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Gold for silver is usury except hand to hand.' and Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'If someone asks you to wait to be paid until he has gone back to his house, do not leave him.' When he returns a dirham to him from the exchange after he has left him, it is like a debt or something deferred. For that reason, it is disapproved of, and the exchange collapses. Umar ibn al-Khattab wanted that all gold, silver and food should not be sold for goods to be paid later. He did not want there to be any delay or deferment in any such sale, whether it involved one commodity or different sorts of commodities."

" The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) entered his Musalla and saw the people who looked as if they were smiling. So he said: 'Indeed, if you were to increase in remembrance of the severer of pleasures, then you would find yourselves too busy for what I see. So increase in remembrance of death, the severer of pleasures. For indeed there is no day that comes upon the grave except that it speaks, saying: "I am thee house of the estranged, I am the house of the solitude, I am the house of dust, and I am the house of the worm-eaten." When the believing worshipper is buried, the grave says to him: "Welcome, make yourself comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most beloved of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you." It will then widen for him so that his sight extends, and the door to Paradise is opened for him. And when the wicked worshipper or the disbeliever is buried , the grave says to him: "You are not welcome, do not get comfortable. Indeed, to me, you are the most hated of those who walked upon me. Since you have been entrusted to me and delivered to me today, you shall see what I have arranged for you.'" He said: 'It will begin closing in on him(squeezing him) until his ribs are crushing each other.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) clasped some of his fingers between others and said: 'Seventy giant serpents will constrict him, if even one of them were to hiss on the earth, nothing upon it would grow as long as it remained. They will chew on him and bite him until he is brought to the Reckoning.'" He said: " The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'The grave is but a garden from the gardens of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of the Fire.'"

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

"A man came to 'Abdullah and said: 'A story teller has said that a smoke will appear from the earth, taking the hearing of disbelievers and manifesting as a cold for the believers.'" He became angry, and since he was reclining, he sat up then said: 'When one of you is asked about something he knows, then let him speak accordingly' - Mansur (one of the narrators) narrated it as: "Then let him inform of it" - "And when asked about what he does not know, then let him say: "Allah knows best." For indeed, it is part of a man's knowledge, that when he is asked about something he does not know, he says: "Allah knows best." For verily Allah, Most High said to His Prophet: Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the pretenders (38:86)." When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saw that the Quraish were behaving stubbornly with him, he said: "O Allah! Assist me against them with seven (years of famine) like the seven of Yusuf." So He punished them with drought making everything barren, until they ate skins and carcasses" - one of them said: "bones." He said: 'And it appeared that smoke was coming out of the earth. So Abu Sufyan came to him and said: "Verily your people are being destroyed, so supplicate to Allah for them." He said: "So this is about His saying: 'The Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke, covering the people, this is a painful torment (44:10 & 11).'" Mansur narrated it as: "So this is about His saying: Our Lord! Remove the torment from us, really we shall become believers (44:12)." - "So shall the punishment be removed from them in the Hereafter? Al-Batshah (humiliated defeat in Badr), Al-Lizam (disbeliever captives from Badr), the smoke," - one of them said: "The moon" the other said: "The Romans have all passed."

I asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "Inform me of an act which will cause me to enter Jannah and keep me far from Hell." He (PBUH) replied, "You have asked me about a matter of great importance, but it is easy for one for whom Allah makes it easy." He added, "Worship Allah, associate nothing with Him in worship, offer As-Salat (the prayer), pay the Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) during Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House of Allah, if you can afford it." He (PBUH) further said, "Shall I not guide you to the gates of goodness? Fasting is a screen (from Hell), charity extinguishes (i.e., removes) the sins as water extinguishes fire, and standing in prayers by a slave of Allah during the last third part of the night." Then he recited: "Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Rabb in fear and hope, and they spend (in charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do." (32:16-17) Then he added, "Shall I tell you of the root of the matter, its pillar and its highest point?" I replied: "Yes! Certainly, O Prophet of Allah." He said, "The root of this matter (foundation) is Islam, its pillar (mainstay is) As-Salat (the prayer) and its highest point is Jihad (fighting in the Cause of Allah)." Then he asked, "Shall I tell you of that which holds all these things?" I said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." So he took hold of his tongue and said, "Keep this in control." I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we really be accounted for what we talk about?" He replied, "May your mother lose you! People will be thrown on their faces into the Hell on account of their tongues."

Abul-Harith was in charge of some of the affairs of Makkah at the time of `Uthman. `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) came to Makkah and `Abdullah bin Al-Harith said: I welcomed ‘Uthman in the camp at Qudaid. The people of the oasis caught a partridge and cooked it in water and salt, then they cut it into pieces to make thareed, and we offered it to `Uthman and his companions, but they refused to eat it. `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: It is game that I did not catch and I did not order it to be caught; it was caught by people who are not in ihram, and they have offered it to us, so there is nothing wrong with it. `Uthman said, Who can say something about this issue? They said: `Ali. So he sent for `Ali (رضي الله عنه), who came to him. `Abdullah bin Al-Harith said: It is as if I can see ‘Ali when he came, brushing some leaves off his hands. `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said to him: Game that we did not catch and we did not order it to be caught; it was caught by people who are not in ihram and they offered it to us, so there is nothing wrong with it. ‘Ali got angry and said: I adjure any man who was present with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when the meat of an onager was brought and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “We are people who are in ihram; give it to people who are not in ihram.” Twelve of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bore witness to that. Then `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: I adjure by Allah, any man who was present with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when some ostrich eggs were brought and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `We are people who are in ihram; give them to people who are not in ihram.` Fewer than twelve men bore witness. Then `Uthman turned away from the food and entered his tent, and that food was eaten by the people of the oasis.

Hilal b. Umayya accused his wife in the Prophet’s presence of having committed adultery with Sharik b. Sahma'. When the Prophet told him that he must produce evidence or receive punishment on his back, he said, “Messenger of God, when one of us sees a man having intercourse with his wife, must he go and seek evidence?” But the Prophet merely replied that he must produce evidence or receive punishment on his back. Hilal then said, “By Him who sent you with the truth, I am speaking truly. May God send down something which will free my back from punishment!” Then Gabriel descended and brought down to him, “And those who make charges against their spouses,” reciting till he reached, “if he is one of those who speak the truth” (Al-Qur’an 24:6-9).Then Hilal came and gave testimony and the Prophet was saying, “God knows that one of you is lying. Will one of you repent?” Then the woman got up and testified, but when she was about to do it a fifth time they stopped her and told her that it would be the deciding one. Ibn ‘Abbas told that she then hesitated and drew back, so that they thought she would renounce what she had said; but thereafter she said, “I shall not disgrace my people forever,” and went on with her declaration. The Prophet told them to look and see whether she gave birth to a child with eyes looking as if they had antimony in them, wide buttocks and fat legs, for if she did, Sharik b. Sahma' would be its father. Then when she gave birth to a child of that description the Prophet said, “If it were not for what has already been stated in God’s Book, I would have dealt severely with her.” Bukhari transmitted it.

We went out with God’s Messenger in the year of Hunain, and when the armies met, the Muslims suffered a reverse. I saw one of the polytheists getting the better of one of the Muslims, so I struck him with my sword from behind on his shoulder-blade and cut his coat of mail. He came at me and closed with me, so that I felt death was near, but he was overtaken by death and let me go. I then caught up on ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and asked him what was the matter with the people, to which he replied that it was what God had commanded.1 Then they returned and the Prophet sat down and said, "If anyone kills a man and can prove it he will get his spoil.” I said, "Who will testify for me?” and then sat down. The Prophet said the same again and I said, "Who will testify for me?”2 and then sat down. Again the Prophet said the same and I stood up He asked, "What is the matter with you, Qatada?” and when I informed him a man said, "He has spoken the truth. I have his spoil, so make him agreeable to take something in exchange.” Abu Bakr said, “In that case I swear by God that he did not do so. One of God’s heroes3 does not fight for God and His Messenger and then give you his spoil.” The Prophet said he had spoken the truth and told the man to hand it over to me. He did so, and I bought a garden among the B. Salima. This was the first property I acquired in the Islamic period. 1. He wondered why the Muslims had fled from the enemy, and 'Umar replied that it was what God had decreed. 2. There is doubt as to whether Abu Qatada spoke aloud the first two times, or inwardly. In the translation I have kept strictly to the wording in the Arabic. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ash-Sha'bi told that Ibn `Abbas met Ka`b at `Arafa and asked him about something, whereupon he said "God is most great" so loudly that the mountains re-echoed his voice. Ibn `Abbas said, "We are the B. Hashim," and Ka'b replied, "God has divided the vision of Him and His speech between Muhammad and Moses, for He spoke twice to Moses and Muhammad saw Him twice." Masruq said he went to visit `A'isha and asked whether Muhammad had seen his Lord, whereupon she replied, "You have said something that makes my hair stand on end." Telling her not to be excited he recited, "He has indeed seen the greatest of the signs of his Lord<sup>1</sup>." She replied, "where is it leading you? It was only Gabriel. Who told you that Muhammad saw his Lord, or concealed any command given him, or knew the five things of which God most high said, `God has knowledge of the last hour, He sends down the rain ²? He considered falsehood to be serious. But he saw Gabriel, seeing him in bodily form only twice, once at the lote-tree of the boundary, and once at Ajyad³ with six hundred wings blocking out the horizon." [1] Quran; 53:18 [2] Quran; 31:34 [3] A place in the neighbourhood of Makkah. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and the two shaikhs transmitted it with an addition and a difference. In their version he told that he asked `A'isha the meaning of His words, "Then he drew near and was suspended, and was two bows' length away or nearer[4], "and she replied, "That was Gabriel who used to come to him in human form, but on this occasion he came to him in his own form in which he was fashioned and blocked out the horizon." [4] Quran; 53:8

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard the same as that from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ibn Muayqib ad-Dawsi.

Malik said, "This is the way of doing things among us . "

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us is that wheat is not sold for wheat, dates for dates, wheat for dates, dates for raisins, wheat for raisins, nor any kind of food sold for food at all, except from hand to hand. If there is any sort of delayed terms in the transaction, it is not good. It is haram. Condiments are not bartered except from hand to hand."

Malik said, "Food and condiments are not bartered when they are the same type, two of one kind for one of the other. A mudd of wheat is not sold for two mudds of wheat, nor a mudd of dates for two mudds of dates, nor a mudd of raisins for two mudds of raisins, nor is anything of that sort done with grains and condiments when they are of one kind, even if it is hand to hand.

"This is the same position as silver for silver and gold for gold. No increase is halal in the transaction, and only like for like, from hand to hand is halal."

Malik said, "If there is a clear difference in foodstuffs which are measured and weighed, there is no harm in taking two of one kind for one of another, hand to hand. There is no harm in taking a sa of dates for two sa of wheat, and a sa of dates for two sa of raisins, and a sa of wheat for two sa of ghee. If the two sorts in the transaction are different, there is no harm in two for one or more than that from hand to hand. If delayed terms enter into the sale, it is not halal ."

Malik said, "It is not halal to trade a heap of wheat for a heap of wheat. There is no harm in a heap of wheat for a heap of dates, from hand to hand. That is because there is no harm in buying wheat with dates without precise measurement."

Malik said, "With kinds of foods and condiments that differ from each other, and the difference is clear, there is no harm in bartering one kind for another, without precise measurement from hand to hand. If delayed terms enter into the sale, there is no good in it. Bartering such things without precise measurement is like buying it with gold and silver without measuring precisely."

Malik said, "That is because you buy wheat with silver without measuring precisely, and dates with gold without measuring precisely, and it is halal. There is no harm in it."

Malik said, "It is not good for someone to make a heap of food, knowing its measure and then to sell it as if it had not been measured precisely, concealing its measure from the buyer. If the buyer wants to return that food to the seller, he can, because he concealed its measure and so it is an uncertain transaction. This is done with any kind of food or other goods whose measure and number the seller knows, and which he then sells without measurement and the buyer does not know that. If the buyer wants to return that to the seller, he can return t. The people of knowledge still forbid such a transaction."

Malik said, "There is no good in selling one round loaf of bread for two round loaves, nor large for small when some of them are bigger than others. When care is taken that they are like for like, there is no harm in the sale, even if they are not weighed."

Malik said, "It is not good to sell a mudd of butter and a mudd of milk for two mudds of butter. This is like what we described of selling dates when two sa of kabis and a sa of poor quality dates were sold for three sa of ajwa dates after the buyer had said to the seller, 'Two sa of kabis dates for three sa of ajwa dates is not good,' and then he did that to make the transaction possible. The owner of the milk puts the milk with his butter so that he can use the superiority of his butter over the butter of the other party to put his milk in with it."

Malik said, "Flour for wheat is like for like, and there is no harm in that. That is if he does not mix up anything with the flour and sell it for wheat, like for like. Had he put half a mudd of flour and half of wheat, and then sold that for a mudd of wheat, it would be like what we described, and it would not be good because he would want to use the superiority of his good wheat to put flour along with it. Such a transaction is not good."

He said he had heard the Prophet say there were three men among the B. Isra’il, one leprous, one bald and one blind, whom God wished to test. He therefore sent to them an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best and he replied, “A good colour, a good skin, and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people.” Thereupon he stroked him and his loathsomeness departed and he was given a good colour and a good skin. He then asked What property he would like best and he replied that he would like camels—or perhaps he said cattle, for Ishaq* was uncertain, but either the leper or bald man said camels and the other said cattle. He was given a she-camel ten months gone with young, the angel expressing the wish that God’s blessing might accompany it. He then went to the bald man and asked him what he would like best and he replied, "Good hair, and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people.” Thereupon he stroked him and it departed from him and he was given good hair. He then asked what property he would like best and he replied that he would like cattle, so he was given a pregnant cow, the angel expressing the wish that God’s blessing might accompany it. He then went to the blind man and asked him what he would like best, and he replied, "That God should restore my sight to me so that I may see people.” Thereupon he stroked him and God restored his sight to him. He then asked what property he would like best and he replied that he would like sheep, so he was given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and herds were produced for the three men, the one having a wadi with camels, the second one with cattle, and the third one with sheep. Then the angel came to the one who had been a leper in the form and appearance of a leper and said, “I am a poor man whose resources are exhausted in my journey, and my only means of arriving at my destination are dependent on God and then on you, so I ask you by Him who gave you the good colour, the good skin and the property for a camel by which I may get to the end of my journey,” but he replied, "I have many dues to pay.” He then said, "I seem to recognise you. Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a poor man to whom God gave property?” He replied, "I became heir to this property as one great in dignity from one great in dignity.”** Then he said, "If you are lying, may God return you to your former condition.” He went to the one who had been bald in the form of a bald man and said the same as he had said to the other and received a similar reply, so he said, "If you are lying, may God return you to your former condition.” He then went to the one who had been blind in the form and appearance of a blind man and said, "I am a poor man and a traveller whose resources are exhausted in my journey, and my only means of arriving at my destination are dependent on God and then on you, so I ask you by Him who restored your sight to you for a sheep by which I may get to the end of my journey." He replied, “I have been blind and God restored my sight to me, so take what you wish and leave what you wish. I swear by God that I shall not importune you today for anything you take, as I give it for God's sake." He said, “Keep your property, for you have all simply been put to a test, and God is pleased with you and displeased with your two companions.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Ishaq b. 'Abdallah, one of the transmitters of the tradition. ** Meaning that, he was the oldest of his family, their leader, and of the best stock. His inheritance had come from people of similar nature.

how ugly is misguidance after guidance! When you make a promise to your friend, fulfil your promise. If you do not, it will bring about enmity between you and him. Seek refuge in Allah from a companion who, when you mention something to him, does not help you and who does not remind you when you forget."

Anas ibn Malik was told, "Your brothers have come to you from Basra (and that day he was at the zawiyya) wanting for you to make supplication to Allah for them." He said, "O Allah, forgive them and show mercy to them. Give them good in this world and good in the Next World and protect them from the punishment of the Fire." They asked him to say more and he said repeated the same thing. He said, "If you are given this, you have been given the good of this world and the Next."

'O Allah, I ask You for pardon and good health in this world and the Next. O Allah, I ask You for good health in my deen and my family. Veil my faults and assuage my terror. Guard me before me, behind me, on my right and my left and above me. I seek refuge with You from unexpected destruction from beneath me.'"

Jabir said, "One of our men had a son and named him al-Qasim. The Ansar said, "We will not give you the kunya of Abu'l-Qasim to make you happy.' He went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him what the Ansar had said. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The Ansar did well. Call yourselves with my name but do not use my kunya. I am Qasim (the divider)."

'Alqama reported that 'A'isha used to go to children when they were born and make supplication for them. She came to a child and removed its pillow and found a straight razor under his head. She asked about the razor and they said, "We put it there against the jinn. She took the razor, threw it away and forbade them to use it. She said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, disliked and hated seeing bad omens in things. She forbade doing that.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "Both parties in a business transaction have a right to annul the transaction, so long as they have not separated and remain together; or one of them gives the other the choice (to conclude or annul the transaction); so, if one of them gives the other the choice (to conclude or annul the transaction) and then they make the transaction accordingly, the transaction then becomes binding; or if they separate after having made the transaction and none of them has annulled it, the transaction then becomes binding." [Agreed upon, and the wording is Muslim's].

I heard Allah's Messenger (SAW) say, "If you sell anything on credit to anyone, on the condition that you will buy it back for a lower price (al-'Einah), take hold of the tails of cattle, become pleased with agriculture and give up Jihad - Allah will make disgrace prevail over you and will not remove it from you till you return to your religion." [Reported by Abu Dawud from the narration of Nafi' on the authority of Ibn 'Umar (RA), but there is a defect in its chain].

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "When one of you doubts and stands at the end of two Rak'at, if he remembers while having stood up completely he should continue and should not return (to the sitting position) and he should make two prostrations, but if he did not stand up straight he should sit down and there is no forgetfulness (prostration) upon him." [Reported Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and ad-Daraqutni, with a weak Sanad (chain); the wording is ad-Daraqutni's].

Allāhumma lā saḥla illā ma ja`altahu saḥla wa anta taj`alu ‘l-ḥazna idhā shi'ta saḥla. O Allah, there is no ease other than what You make easy. If You please You ease sorrow. Reference: Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (no. 2427), and Ibn As- Sunni (no. 351). Al-Hafidh (Ibn Hajar) said that this Hadith is authentic. It was also declared authentic by 'Abdul-Qadir Al-Arna'ut in his checking of An-Nawawi's Kitabul-Athkarp. 106.

Allāhumma lā tu'ākhidhnī bimā yaqūlūn, waghfir lī mā lā ya`lamūn [waj`alnī khayran mimmā yaẓunnūn]. O Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of [and make me better than they imagine]. Reference: Al-Bukhari, Al-'Adabul-Mufrad no. 761. See Al-Albani, Sahih Al-'Adabul-Mufrad (no. 585). The portion between brackets if from Al-Bayhaqi, Shu'ab Al-Iman 4/228, and comes another account.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

We went out with the Prophet to the funeral of a man of the Ansar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so God’s messenger sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge in God from the punishment of the grave saying it twice or thrice. He then said, “When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, 'Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from God.' It then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so, they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, “Who is this good soul?' to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the best of his names by which people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven till he is brought to the seventh heaven, and God who is great and glorious says, ‘Record the book of my servant in ‘Illiyun (Cf. Qur’an, lxxxiii, 18) and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.' His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘My Lord is God.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ and he replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ and he replies, ‘He is God’s messenger.’ They ask, ‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’ and he replies, ‘I have read God’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets from paradise for him, clothe him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’ Then some of its joy and fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.' He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?” He replies, ‘I am your good deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my people and my property.’ But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with hair-cloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says, ‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from God.’ Then it becomes dissipated in his body, and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but put it in that hair-cloth and from it there comes forth a stench like the most offensive stench of a corpse found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking, ‘Who is this wicked soul?’ to which they reply, ‘So and so, the son of so and so,’ using the worst names he was called in the world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him. (God’s messenger then recited, ‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.)(Qur'an, vii, 40) God who is great and glorious then says, ‘Record his book in Sijjin (Cf. Qur’an, Ixxxiii, 7 ff) in the lowest earth,’ and his soul is thrown down. (He then recited, ‘He who assigns partners to God is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.')(Qur’an, xxii, 31). His soul is then restored to his body, two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’. He replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?' and he replies, ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’ Then one cries from heaven, ‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him into hell.’ Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it, and a man with an ugly, face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says, ‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?' He replies, ‘I am your wicked deeds.’ He then says, ‘My Lord, do not bring the last hour.’ ” In a version there is something similar containing an addition: “When his soul comes out every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven invoke blessings on him, and the gates of heaven are opened for him, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may be taken up beyond them. But his soul, i.e., the infidel’s, is pulled out along with the veins and every angel between heaven and earth and every angel in heaven curse him, and the gates of heaven are locked, no guardians of a gate failing to supplicate God that his soul may not be taken up beyond them. Ahmad transmitted it.

the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Verily there are two things - words and guidance. The best words are the words of Allah, and the best guidance in the guidance of Muhammad. Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation (Bid'ah) and every innovation is a going-stray. Do not let the desire for a long life causes your hearts to grow hard. That which is bound to happen is close to you, and the only thing that is far away is that which is not going to happen. The one who is doomed to Hell is doomed from his mother's womb, and the one who is destined for Paradise is the one who learns from the lessons of others. Killing a believer constitutes disbelief (Kufr) and verbally abusing him is immorality (Fusuq). It is not permissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days. Beware of lying, for lying is never good, whether it is done seriously or in jest. A man should not make a promise to a child that he will not keep. Lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hell. Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. It will be said of the truthful person: 'He spoke the truth and was righteous', and it will be said of the liar, 'He told lies and was immoral.' "For a person continues to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar."

"Fatimah came to the Prophet (saas) to ask him for a servant, and he said: 'I do not have anything to give you.' So she went back, but after that he came to her and said: 'Is what you asked for dearer to you, or something better than that?' 'Ali said to her: 'Say: something better than that.' So she said it. He said: 'Say: Allahumma Rabbas-samawatis-Sab'i wa Rabbal-'Arshil-'Azim, Rabbana wa Rabba Kulli shay'in, munzil at-Tawrati wal-Injili wal-Qur'anil-'Azim. Antal-Awwalu fa laysa qablaka shay', wa Antal-Akiru fa laysa ba'daka shay', Antaz-Zahiru fa laysa fawqaka shay', wa Antal-Batinu fa laysa dunaka shay', Iqdi 'annad-daina wa aghnina minal-faqr (O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Mighty Throne, Our Lord, and the Lord of Everything, Revealer of the Tawrah, the Injil and the Magnificent Qur'an. You are the First and there is nothing after You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You. You are the Most High, and there is nothing above You, and You are the Most Near and there is nothing nearer than You. Settle our debts and make us free of want).'"

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘There are two characteristics which no Muslim man acquires but he will enter Paradise. They are easy but those who do them are few. At the end of every prayer he should glorify Allah (by saying Subhan Allah) ten times, extol Him (by saying Allahu Akbar) ten times, and praise Him (by saying Al-Hamdu Lillah) ten times.’ I saw the Messenger of Allah (saw) counting them on his hand. ‘That is one hundred and fifty (after all the prayers of the day) on the tongue, and one thousand and five hundred on the Scale. And when he goes to his bed, let him glorify Allah and praise Him and extol Him one hundred times. That will be one hundred on the tongue and one thousand on the Scale. Who among you does two thousand and five hundred evil actions in one day?’ They said: ‘Who would not be keen to do that?’ He said: ‘But the Shaitan comes to anyone of you while he is performing prayer and says: ‘Remember such and such, remember such and such,” until the person becomes distracted and does not understand (what he is saying). And he comes to him when he is in his bed, and makes him sleepy such that he sleeps.’”

“When the Messenger of Allah (saw) fell ill with the sickness that would be his last” – (One of the narrators) Abu Mu’awiyah said: “When he was overcome by sickness” – “Bilal came to tell him that it was time for prayer. He said, ‘Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.’ We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Abu Bakr is a tender-hearted man, and when he takes your place he will weep and not be able to do it. Why do you not tell ‘Umar to lead the people in prayer?’ He said: ‘Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer; you are (like) the female companions of Yusuf.’” She said: “So we sent word to Abu Bakr, and he led the people in prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) began to feel a little better, so he came out to the prayer, supported by two men with his feet making lines along the ground. When Abu Bakr realized that he was there, he wanted to step back, but the Prophet (saw) gestured to him to stay where he was. Then (the two men) brought him to sit beside Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr was following the lead of the Prophet (saw) and the people were following Abu Bakr.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father would never do two sets of seven tawafs together without praying between them. After every seven tawafs he would pray two rakas, sometimes at the maqam of Ibrahim, and sometimes elsewhere.

Malik was asked whether a man doing voluntary tawaf could, to make it easier on himself, join two or more sets of seven circuits and then pray whatever he owed for those sets of seven, and he said, "He should not do that. The sunna is that he does two rakasafter every seven circuits."

Malik said, about someone who began doing tawaf and then forgot how many he had done and did eightor nine circuits, "He should stop when he knows that he has done more than the right number and then pray two rakas,and he should not count the ones that he has done in excess. Neither should he build on the nine that he has done and then pray the rakas for the two sets of seven circuits together, because the sunna is that you pray two rakas after every seven circuits."

Malik said that someone who was in doubt about his tawaf after he had prayed the two rakas of tawaf should go back and complete his tawaf until he was certain of how much he had done. He should then repeat the two rakas, because prayer when doing tawaf was only valid after completing seven circuits.

"If some one breaks his wudu either while he is doing tawaf, or when he has finished tawaf but before he has prayed the two rakas of tawaf, he should do wudu and begin the tawaf and the two rakas afresh. Breaking wudu does not interrupt say between Safa and Marwa, but a person should not begin say unless he is pure by being in wudu."

Yahya said that he heard Malik speak about a man who bought goods - animals or clothes or wares, and the sale was found not to be permitted so it was revoked and the one who had taken the goods was ordered to return the owner his goods. Malik said, "The owner of the goods only has their value on the day they were taken from him, and not on the day they are returned to him. That is because the man is liable for them from the day he took them and whatever loss is in them after that is against him. For that reason, their increase and growth are also his. A man may take the goods at a time when they are selling well and are in demand, and then have to return them at a time when they have fallen in price and no one wants them. For instance, the man may take the goods from the other man, and sell them for ten dinars or keep them while their price is that. Then he may have to return them while their price is only a dinar. He should not go off with nine dinars from the man's property. Or perhaps they are taken by the man, and he sells them for a dinar or keeps them, while their price is only a dinar, then he has to return them, and their value on the day he returns them is ten dinars. The one who took them does not have to pay nine dinars from his property to the owner. He is only obliged to pay the value of what he took possession of on the day it was taken ."

He said, "Part of what clarifies this is that when a thief steals goods, only their price on the day he stole them is looked at. If cutting off the hand is necessary because of it, that is done. If the cutting off is delayed, either because the thief is imprisoned until his situation is examined or he flees and then is caught, the delay of the cutting off of the hand does not make the hadd, which was obliged for him on the day he stole, fall from him even if those goods become cheap after that. Nor does delay oblige cutting off the hand if it was not obliged on the day he took those goods, even if they become expensive after that."