‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather reported God’s messenger as saying that when anyone was alarmed while asleep he should say, “I seek refuge in God's perfect words from His anger, His punishment, the evil of His servants, the evil suggestions of the devils and their presence,” for they will not injure him. 'Abdallah b. ‘Amr used to teach them to those of his children who had reached puberty and those who had not. He wrote them down on some material (1) and hung the writing on the child’s neck. 1. The word is sakh which usually means a document. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, this being Tirmidhi's wording.

Anas reported God’s messsenger as saying that if anyone asks God for paradise three times, paradise will say, ‘‘O God, bring him into paradise;” and if anyone asks for protection from hell three times, hell will say, "O God, grant him protection from hell.” Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Al-Qa'qa' reported Ka‘b al-Ahbar as saying, “Were it not for some words which I say, the Jews would treat me as an ass.” (2) He was asked what they were and replied, “I seek refuge in God’s mighty Person than which nothing is mightier, in God’s perfect words which no one, whether pious or profligate, can go beyond and in God’s beautiful names, those which I know and those which I do not know, from the evil of what He has created, produced and brought into being.” 2. This might be translated “turn me into an ass.” If that is the correct translation it would suggest the use of magic. Malik transmitted it.

My father used to say at the end of the prayer, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from infidelity, poverty and the punishment in the grave.” I used to say these words also, so he asked me, “From whom did you get this, sonny?” When I told him that I had got it from him, he said that God’s messenger used to say these words at the end of the prayer. Nasa'i and Tirmidhi transmitted it, but the latter did not mention "at the end of the prayer." Ahmad transmitted the wording of the tradition, but he had, "at the end of every prayer."

Abu Sa'id said he heard God’s messenger say, "I seek refuge in God from infidelity and debt." A man asked him whether he treated infidelity on a level with debt, and he replied that he did. A version has, "O God, I seek refuge in Thee from infidelity and poverty." A man asked whether they were equal, and replied that they were. Nasa’i transmitted it.

“O God, forgive me my sin, my ignorance, my extravagance in my affairs, and what Thou knowest better than I do. O God, forgive me my serious and my frivolous sins, my unintentional and my intentional sins, for I am guilty of all that. O God, forgive me my former and my latter sins, what I have kept secret and what I have done openly, and what Thou knowest better than I do. Thou art the Advancer, Thou art the Delayer, and Thou art omnipotent.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, order well for me my religion which is the support of my affairs; order well for me my worldly affairs in which my livelihood is found; order well for me my life to come where is my ultimate destination; make life for me a means of increase in all that is good; and make death a rest for me from every evil.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told on the authority of the Prophet that he used to say, "O God, I ask Thee for guidance, piety, self-control and a competence." Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ali said that God’s messenger told him to say, "O God, guide me and dispose me to do what is right,” keeping in mind when asking for guidance his being guided in the right way, and when asking for disposal to do what is right an arrow’s faculty of hitting the mark. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Malik al-Ashja‘i told on his father’s authority that when a man accepted Islam the Prophet instructed him in the prayer, then commanded him to make supplication with these words, “O God, forgive me, show mercy to me, guide me, grant me health, and grant me provision.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet's most frequent supplication was, "O God, bring us blessing in this world, blessing in the next, and guard us from the punishment of hell." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas told that the Prophet used to say when making supplication, "My Lord, help me and do not give help against me; grant me victory and do not grant victory over me; plan on my behalf and do not plan against me; guide me and make right guidance easy for me; grant me victory over those who act wrongfully towards me. My Lord, make me grateful to Thee, mindful of Thee, full of fear towards Thee, devoted to Thy obedience, humble before Thee, earnest in supplication, and penitent. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sin, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, make true my tongue, guide my heart, and draw out the malice in my breast.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Bakr said that God’s messenger mounted the pulpit, then wept and said, "Ask God for forgiveness and health, for after being granted certainty, one is given nothing better than health." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan tradition whose isnad is gharib.

Anas told of a man who came to the Prophet and asked him which supplication was most excellent. To this he replied, "Ask your Lord for health and for security from evil in this world and the next." He came to him on the following day, asked the same question, and received a similar reply. Then when he came on the third day he received a similar reply with this addition, "If you are given health and security from evil in this world and the next, you have attained felicity." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan tradition whose isnad is gharib.

‘Abdallah b. Yazid al-Khatmi told on the authority of God's messenger that he used to say in his supplication, "O God, provide me with Thy love 1 and the love of those whose love will benefit me with Thee; O God, make the things I love with which Thou hast provided me a strength to me regarding what Thou lovest; O God, make the things I love which Thou hast turned away from me a means of my devoting myself to what Thou lovest." 1. hibbaka. This could be translated either as above or as "love of Thee", but the phrase which follows it suggests that the translation given above is the correct one in this context. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

“O God, apportion to us such fear of Thee as will come between us and acts of disobedience to Thee, such obedience to Thee as will bring us to Thy paradise, and such certainty that the calamities of this world will be made easy for us by Thee; let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our power as long as Thou dost grant us life, and do the same for those who inherit from us; grant us revenge on those who have wronged us and help us against those who are hostile to us; let no calamity befall our religion, let not worldly affairs be our greatest care or all that we know about, and let not those who do not show mercy towards us rule over us.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira told that God's messenger used to say, “O God, grant me benefit in what Thou hast taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise be to God in all circumstances. I seek refuge in God from the state of those who go to hell.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a tradition whose isnad is gharib.

When the inspiration was sent down to the Prophet, a low sound was heard near his face like the humming of bees. One day when inspiration was sent down to him and we had waited for a time, it left him, then facing the qibla and raising his hands, he said, “O God, give us more and do not give us less; honour us and do not humiliate us; give us and do not withhold from us; choose us and do not prefer others to us; please us and be pleased with us.” He then said, “I have had sent down to me ten verses which will provide entrance to paradise for those who recite them.” He then recited, “The believers have been successful” and continued till he had completed ten verses, 1 1. Qur'an, xxiii, 1-10. Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He then commanded him to perform ablution, doing it well, and make this supplication, “O God, I make request of Thee and I turn towards Thee by means of Thy prophet Muhammad, the prophet of mercy. By means of you 1 have turned towards my Lord to accomplish for me this need of mine. O God, make him an intercessor for me.” 1. bika. This would seem here to refer to the Prophet, although by itself it might naturally be taken to refer to God. The sentence which precedes certainly suggests that it must refer to the Prophet, in which case the translation might go, “by means of whom I have turned towards my Lord.” Changes of pronouns in Arabic often present difficulties to the translator. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.

Abud Darda’ reported God's messenger as saying that part of David's supplication was that he would say, “O God, I ask Thee for Thy love, 2 the love of those who love Thee, and deeds which will cause me to attain to Thy love. O God, make Thy love dearer to me than myself, my property, my family, and than cold water." He said that when God’s messenger mentioned David and talked about him, he would say that he was most devoted of men to worship. 2. cf. page 530, n. 1. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

‘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.

Umm Salama said that the Prophet used to say after the dawn prayer, “O God, I ask Thee for beneficial knowledge, acceptable action, and good provision.” Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in [Kitab] ad- Da'awat al-kabir, transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that a supplication he had learned from God’s messenger and which he would never give up was, “O God, make me thank Thee greatly, keep Thee in my memory often, follow Thy counsel, and keep Thy injunction.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. 'Amr told that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I ask Thee for health, continence, integrity, a good character, and acceptance of what is decreed.”

Umm Ma'bad said she heard God’s messenger say, “O God, purify my heart from hypocrisy, my action from vain show, my tongue from falsehood and my eyes from wrongful glances, for Thou knowest the surreptitious looks of the eyes and what is concealed in the breasts.” 2 Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in [Kitab] ad-Da'awat al-kabir. 2. cf. Qur’an, xl, 19.

The man used it in supplication to God, and God healed him. Muslim transmitted it.

Hudhaifa reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is not fitting for a believer to demean himself." On being asked how he could demean himself he replied, “By exposing himself to a calamity which he has not the capacity to endure." Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-iman, transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

‘Umar told that God’s messenger taught him to say, “O God, make my inner nature better than my outer, and make my outer nature good. O God, I ask Thee to give me some of the abundance Thou givest to men, in family, property and children, which neither strays nor leads astray." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when Ma'iz b. Malik came to the Prophet and he* said, “Perhaps you kissed, or squeezed, or looked,” he replied, “No, Messenger of God.” He then said, “Did you have intercourse with her?” asking the question in plain words, and when he replied that he had, he gave orders that he should be stoned to death. Bukhari transmitted it. * i.e. the Prophet. The tradition leaves it to be inferred that Ma'iz had confessed to committing fornication.

Buraida told that Ma'iz b. Malik came to the Prophet and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God.” He replied, “Out upon you! Go back, ask God's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.” He said that he went back not very far, then came and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God,” and the Prophet said the same as he had said before. When this went on till a fourth time he asked, “For what am I to purify you?” and he replied that it was because of fornication. God’s Messenger then asked if the man was mad, and when he was told that he was not, he asked if he had drunk wine. A man got up and smelt his breath but noticed no smell of wine, so the Prophet asked him if he had committed fornication, and when he replied that he had, he gave orders regarding him and he was stoned to death. Two or three days later God’s Messenger came and said, “Ask forgiveness for Ma'iz b. Malik. He has repented to such an extent that if it were divided among a people it would be enough for them all.” Then a woman of Ghamid, a branch of Azd came to him and said, “Purify me, Messenger of God.” He replied, “Out upon you! Go back, ask God’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance.” She said, “Do you want to send me back as you did to Ma'iz b. Malik when I am ¹ pregnant as a result of fornication?” He asked whether she was referring to herself, and when she replied that she was, he told her to wait till she had given birth to what was in her womb. One of the Ansar became responsible for her till she was delivered of a child, and then went to the Prophet and told him that the woman of Ghamid had given birth to a child. He said, "In that case we shall not stone her and so leave her child as an infant with no one to suckle him.” One of the Ansar then got up and said, "I shall be responsible for his suckling, Prophet of God." He then had her stoned to death. A version says that he told her to go away till she gave birth to a child, then when she did, he told her to go away and suckle him till she had weaned him. When she had weaned him she brought the boy to him with a piece of bread in his hand and said, "I have weaned this one and he has eaten food." He (hen handed the boy over to one of the Muslims, and when he had given command regarding her and she was put in a hole up to her breast, he ordered the people to stone her. Khalid b. al-Walid came forward with a stone which he threw at her head, and when the blood spurted on his face he cursed her, ...

Aba Huraira told that he heard the Prophet say, "When the slave woman of any of you commits fornication and the matter is clear, he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it again he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it a third time and the matter is clear he should sell her, even if only for a rope of hair." (Bukhari and Muslim)

You people must carry out the punishment on your slaves, those of them who are married and those who are not, for a slave woman belonging to God’s Messenger committed fornication and he ordered me to beat her. But she had recently given birth to a child and I was afraid that if I beat her I might kill her, so I mentioned that to the Prophet and he said, “You have done well." Muslim transmitted it. In a version by Abd Dawud he said, “Leave her till her blood stops flowing and then carry out the punishment on her, and carry out* the punishment on your female slaves”. Abu Dawud. *Here the verb is plural.

Yazid b. Nu'aim b. Hazzal told on his father’s authority that Ma'iz b. Malik who was an orphan under his father's protection had intercourse with a slave girl belonging to the clan, so his father told him to go and inform God's Messenger what he had done, for he might perhaps ask forgiveness for him. His purpose in that was simply a hope that it might be a way of escape for him. He went to him and said, “Messenger of God, I have committed fornication, so inflict on me the punishment ordained by God.” He turned away from him, so he came back and said, “Messenger of God, I have committed fornication, so inflict on me the punishment ordained by God.” When he had said it four times God’s Messenger said, “You have said it four times. With whom did you commit it?” When he replied that it was with so and so he asked whether he had lain with her and he replied that he had. He asked whether his skin had been in contact with hers and he replied that it had. He then asked whether he had had intercourse with her and he replied that he had. He ordered him to be stoned to death and he was taken out to the harra, but when he felt the effect of the stones and could not bear it he went away quickly. But ‘Abdallah b. Unais encountered him when those who had been stoning him could not catch up on him, threw the bone of a camel’s foreleg at him, hit him and killed him. Then when he went to the Prophet and mentioned that to him he said, “Why did you not leave him alone,* for perhaps he might have repented and been forgiven by God.” Abu Dawud transmitted it. *The verb is in the plural.

‘Amr b. al-'As told that he heard God's Messenger say, “Fornication will not appear among any people without their being punished by famine, and bribery will not appear among any people without their being punished by terror.” Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu Husain al-Makki reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A hand is not to be cut off for fruit which is hung up, or for a sheep stolen by night from the mountain;* but when the sheep is in its fold or the fruit in the place where it is dried a hand is to be cut off for whatever reaches the price of a shield.” Malik transmitted it. * Harisa jabal. It is used either of a sheep or goat stolen before it gets back from the mountain to the fold, or of one guarded in the mountain. The most satisfactory reason for the prescription would seem to be that animals kept in the mountain are not sufficiently protected.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Cutting off the hand is not to be inflicted on one who plunders, but he who does so conspicuously does not belong to us.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Jabir told that a thief was brought to the Prophet and he said, "Maim him,* so this was done. He was brought a second time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a third time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fourth time and he said, "Maim him,” so this was done. He was brought a fifth time and he said, "Kill him,” so they took him away and killed him. They then dragged him and cast him into a well and threw stones over him. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it. In Sharh as-sunna the Prophet is reported as saying regarding the maiming of a thief, "Maim him, then cauterise him." * Where there has been one offence I have translated 'cut off the hand’, but here, where the verb 'to cut off’ is used without an object, I have found it more convenient to use a general word. In the previous tradition the hands and feet were mentioned in the Arabic.

Fadala b. 'Ubaid said a thief was brought to God’s Messenger, and when his hand was cut off he gave command that it should be hung on his neck. Tirmidhi, Aba Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I can still picture myself looking at God’s Messenger when a man who had drunk wine was brought before him and he told the people to beat him. Some struck him with sandals, some with sticks and some with mitakhas. Ibn Wahb said this means green palm fronds. Then God’s Messenger took some dust from the ground and threw it in his face. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Khuzaima b. Thabit reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone commits a sin and has inflicted on him the prescribed punishment for that sin, it is an atonement for him.” It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Ali reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone transgresses and receives his punishment in this world, God is too just to repeat the punishment to His servant in the next; and if anyone transgresses and God conceals it and forgives him, He is too generous to go back upon a thing He has forgiven.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “When a man calls another a Jew give him twenty lashes, when he calls someone a mukhannath* give him twenty lashes, and kill anyone who has intercourse with a woman who is within the prohibited degress.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition. * Mukhannaths were sexually abnormal men who imitated women. Some of them were signets.

‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you find a man has been unfaithful about spoil in God’s path, burn his goods and beat him.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

'A’isha said that when God’s Messenger was asked about bit’, which is the nabidh* from honey, he replied, “Every liquor which intoxicates is forbidden.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Nabidh is a drink made from dates, raisins, honey, wheat, barley, etc. The ingredients were steeped in water in a vessel, and provided the drink was used before fermentation took place it was lawful.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every intoxicant is khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies when he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not drink it in the next.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that the Prophet was asked about wine which was turned into vinegar* and forbade it. Muslim transmitted it. * This is said to have been done by putting onions or salt in it, or by placing it in the sun.

Wa’il al-Hadrami said that Tariq b. Suwaid asked the Prophet about wine and he forbade him. When he told him that he made it only as a medicine he replied, “It is not a medicine, but is a disease.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone drinks wine God will not accept prayer from him for forty days,* but if he repents God will forgive him. If he repeats the offence God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents God will forgive him. If he again repeats the offence God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents God will forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time God will not accept prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents God will not forgive him,, but will give him to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of hell.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it on the authority of ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr. * Literally, 'mornings.'

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a large amount of anything causes intoxication, a small amount of it is prohibited.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If a faraq of anything causes intoxication, a handful of it is forbidden.”* Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. * To drink as much as a faraq (see p. 577) would be almost impossible, so the point of the tradition is to forbid anything which might in any conceivable circumstances cause intoxication.