For those who do good is the best (reward) and even more- the Prophet (s.a.w) said: "When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, a caller shall call out: 'Indeed you have a promise with Allah.' They will say: 'Did he not whiten our faces, save us from the Fire, and admit us into Paradise?' They will say: 'Indeed.' Then the Veil shall be lifted." He said: "So, by Allah, He did not grant them anything more beloved to them than looking at Him."

from Ibn 'Abbas: "A man came to the Prophet (SAW) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! When I consume meat and I get around women, my desires get the best of me. So I made meat unlawful for myself.' So Allah revealed: O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful to you, and transgress not. Verily Allah does not like the transgressors. And eat of the things which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good (5:87-88)."

There came a man to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which charity is the most rewardable?" He (PBUH) said, "That you should give charity (in a state when you are) healthy and stingy and fear poverty, hoping to become rich (charity in such a state of health and mind is the best). And you must not defer (charity to such a length) that you are about to die and would be saying: 'This is for so-and-so, and this for so-and-so.' Lo! It has already come into (the possession of) so-and- so".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "How can I feel at ease when the Angel of the Trumpet, (Israfil) has put his lips to the Trumpet and is waiting for the order to blow it". He (PBUH) perceived as if this had shocked his Companions, so he (PBUH) told them to seek comfort through reciting: 'Hasbunallah wa ni'mal-Wakil [Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)]".

[At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The best life is that of the man who holds his horse's rein in Allah's way and flies on its back to the places from whence he hears a war cry or the clatter of arms, seeking martyrdom or slaughter on the battlefield; or that of a person who goes to stay on the top of the hill or in a valley, and there he performs Salat (prayer), pays the Zakat and worships his Rubb till death overtakes him. He has no concern with the affairs of anyone except the doing of good."

[Muslim].

Abu Sa'id said that Bilal brought the Prophet some barni* dates, and when he asked him where he had got them he replied, "I had some inferior dates, so I sold two sa's of them for a sa." He said, "Ah, the very essence of usury, the very essence of usury. Do not do so, but when you wish to buy, sell the dates in a separate transaction, then buy with what you get." (Bukhari and Muslim.) * A type of dates of the best quality, sweet and luscious, red tinged with yellow.

Abud Darda’ reported God's messenger as saying, “Would you like me to tell you the best and purest of your deeds in the estimation of your King, those which raise your degrees highest, those which are better for you than spending gold and silver, and are better for you than that you should meet your enemy and cut off one another's head?” On receiving a reply in the affirmative he said, “It is remembering God.” Malik, Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Malik traced it no farther back than Abud Darda’.

Zaid b. Arqam said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude, and the punishment in the grave. O God, bring my soul to fear of Thee and purify it; Thou art the best of those who purify it; Thou art its Patron and Master. O God, I seek refuge in Thee from knowledge which does not profit, from a heart which is not submissive, from an appetite which is insatiable, and from a supplication which is not granted an answer.” Muslim transmitted it.

'Abdallah b. ‘Adi b. Hamra’ said he saw God’s messenger standing at al-Hazwara (Taj al-'Arus gives two statements about this place, one saying it was a place at the gate of the wheat sellers, the other saying it was the market of Mecca which was later incorporated in the mosque when it was enlarged) and saying, “I swear by God that you are the best part of God’s earth and the part dearest to Him. Had I not been expelled from you I would not have gone out.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

An-Nu‘man b. Murra reported God’s Messenger as saying, “What do you think of the drinker, the fornicator, and the thief?” That was before the prescribed punishments regarding them were revealed. On receiving the reply that God and His Messenger knew best, he said, “Such sins are abominations and punishment is prescribed for them, but the worst theft is what one steals from his prayer.” He was asked how one could steal from his prayer and replied, “By not performing his bowing and his prostration perfectly.” Malik and Ahmad transmitted it, and Darimi transmitted something similar.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One of the best types of subsistence is that of a man who grasps his horse’s rein in (God’s path and races on its back, making for the places where being killed and dying are liable to take place as often as he hears a terrible shout or a cry for help; or of a man with a few sheep on one of these highlands or down in one of these wadis who observes prayer, pays the zakat and worships his Lord till death* comes. Such a one is in a good condition among men.” * Al-yaqin, the certainty. Muslim transmitted it.

Suhaib reported the Prophet as saying, "When the inhabitants of paradise enter it God most high will ask, `Do you wish me to give you anything more?' and they will reply, `Hast Thou not whitened our faces, hast Thou not brought us into paradise and saved us from hell?' The veil will then be removed, they will look at God's face, and will not have been given anything dearer to them than looking at their Lord." He then recited, "Those who do good will have the best reward and something more[*]." *Quran; 10:26 Muslim transmitted it.

God's messenger was the best of men, the most generous of men, the bravest of men. One night when the people of Medina were startled and went in the direction of the sound, they were met by the Prophet who had gone in the direction of the sound before them, and he was saying, "You have nothing to fear, you have nothing to fear." He was on a bare-backed horse with no saddle belonging to Abu Talha and had a sword slung on his neck. He said, "I found it could run like a great river." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Amr b. al-'As told that when God's messenger sent him as head of the army to Dhat as-Salasil[*] he went to him and asked him which of the people he liked best. On his replying that it was `A'isha, he said he was referring to men, and he replied that it was her father. He asked who came next, and when he replied that it was `Umar and went on to enumerate some men, he asked him no more from fear that he might put him among the last of them. *In 8 AH. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We fasted with the Messenger of Allah (saws) during Ramadan, but he did not make us get up at night for prayer at any time during the month till seven nights remained; then he made us get up for prayer till a third of the night had passed. When the sixth remaining night came, he did not make us get up for prayer. When the fifth remaining night came, he made us stand in prayer till a half of the night had gone.

So I said: Messenger of Allah, I wish you had led us in supererogatory prayers during the whole of tonight.

He said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer. On the fourth remaining night he did not make us get up. When the third remaining night came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people and prayed with us till we were afraid we should miss the falah (success).

I said: What is falah? He said: The meal before daybreak. Then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month.

We went out with the Messenger of Allah (saws) to a funeral, and I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) at the grave giving this instruction to the grave-digger:

Make it wide on the side of his feet, and make it wide on the side of his head. When he came back, he was received by a man who conveyed an invitation from a woman. So he came (to her), to it food was brought, and he put his hand (i.e. took a morsel in his hand); the people did the same and they ate. Our fathers noticed that the Messenger of Allah (saws) was moving a morsel around his mouth.

He then said: I find the flesh of a sheep which has been taken without its owner's permission.

The woman sent a message to say: Messenger of Allah, I sent (someone) to an-Naqi' to have a sheep bought for me, but there was none; so I sent (a message) to my neighbour who had bought a sheep, asking him to send it to me for the price (he had paid), but he could not be found. I, therefore, sent (a message) to his wife and she sent it to me.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Give this food to the prisoners.

Ibn Awn said: I asked about the meaning of intisar (revenge) in the Qur'anic verse: "But indeed if any do help and defend themselves (intasara) after a wrong (done) to them, against them there is no cause of blame." Then Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'an told me on the authority of Umm Muhammad, the wife of his father.

Ibn Awn said: It was believed that she used to go to the Mother of the Faithful (i.e. Aisha). She said: The Mother of the Faithful said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) came upon me while Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, was with us. He began to do something with his hand. I signalled to him until I made him understand about her. So he stopped. Zaynab came on and began to abuse Aisha. She tried to prevent her but she did not stop.

So he (the Prophet) said to Aisha: Abuse her.

So she abused her and dominated her. Zaynab then went to Ali and said: Aisha abused you and did (such and such). Then Fatimah came (to the Prophet) and he said to her: She is the favourite of your father, by the Lord of the Ka'bah!

She then returned and said to them: I said to him such and such, and he said to me such and such. Then Ali came to the Prophet (saws) and spoke to him about that.

Abu Ajfa As-Sulami said: “Umar bin Khattab said: 'Do not go to extremes with regard to the dowries of women, for if that were a sign of honor and dignity in this world or a sign of Taqwa before Allah, then Muhammad (saws) would have done that before you. But he did not give any of his wives and none of his daughters were given more than twelve uqiyyah. A man may increase dowry until he feels resentment against her and says: “You cost me everything I own,” or, “You caused me a great deal of hardship.”'” (Hassan)

"A man from Banu Fazdrah came to the Messenger of Allah, and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my wife has given birth to a black boy! The Messenger of Allah said: 'Do you have camels?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What color are they?' He said: 'Red.' He said: 'Are there any grey ones among them?' He said: 'Yes, there are some grey ones among them.' He said: 'Where does that come from?' He said: 'Perhaps it is hereditary.' He said: 'Likewise, perhaps this is hereditary! "

“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (saw) when there were five nights left of Dhul-Qa’dah, intending only to perform Hajj. When we came close, the Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered that whoever did not have a sacrificial animal, then he should exit the Ihram. So all the people exited Ihram, except those who had the sacrificial animal. When the Day of Sacrifice i.e., the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah) came, some beef was brought to us, and it was said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (saw) has offered a sacrifice on behalf of his wives.’”

“One night at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) I was late returning from the ‘Isha’, then I came and he said: ‘Where were you?’ I said: ‘I was listening to the recitation of a man among your Companions, for I have never heard a recitation or a voice like his from anyone.’ He got up and I got up with him, to go and listen to him. Then he turned to me and said: ‘This is Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah. Praise is to Allah Who has created such men among my Ummah.’”

“I missed the Prophet (saw) one night, so I went out looking for him. I found him at Al-Baqi’, raising his head towards the sky. He said: ‘O ‘Aishah, were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would wrong you?’” She said: “I said: ‘No, it is not that, but I thought that you had gone to one of your other wives.’ He said: ‘Allah descends on the night of the middle of Sha’ban to the lowest heaven, and He forgives more than the numbers of hairs on the sheep of Banu Kalb.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) said one day to his Companions: ‘Who will strive hard with sincerity for Paradise? For there is nothing like Paradise. By the Lord of the Ka’bah, it is sparkling light, sweet basil waving in the breeze, a lofty palace, a flowing river, abundant ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and many fine garments, in a palace of eternal abode, in ease and luxury, in beautiful, strongly-built, lofty houses.’ They said: ‘We will strive heard for it, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Say: In sha’ Allah (if Allah wills).’ Then he mentioned Jihad and encouraged them to engage in it.”

‘We, Muhammad’s wives, would go an entire month without cooking anything over a fire, and with nothing to eat and drink but dates and water.”

The Prophet (SAW) held a wedding feast for one of his wives with two Mudd of barley. [Reported by al-Bukhari].

'We said: "O Messenger of Allah (SAW), we know about sending salams upon you, but how should we send salah upon you?" He said: 'Say: Alahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita 'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammad kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim fil-'alamin, innaka hamidun majid (O Allah, send salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent salah upon the family of Ibrahim, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim among the nations. You are indeed Worthy of praise, Full of glory.)'" (One of the narrators) 'abdur Rahman said: "We used to say: 'And also upon us.'" Abu Abdur-rahman (An Nasa'i) said: This is more worthy of being correct than the one that is before it. And we do not know of anyone who said "Amr bin Murrah" in it other than in this case. And Allah (SWT) knows best.

"Fast one day, and you will have the reward of what is left." He said: "I am able to do more than that." He (saws) said: "Fast two days, and you will have the reward of what is left." He said: "I am able to do more than that." He (saws) said: "Fast three days and you will have the reward of what is left." He said: "I am able to do more than that." He (saws) said: "Fast four days and you will have the reward of what is left." He said: "I am able to do more than that." He (saws) said: "Observe the best kind of fasting before Allah, the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him; he used to fast one day and break his fast for one day." 'Ata said: "Someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted.'"

"When the believer is dying, the angels of mercy come to him with white silk and sya: 'Come out content and with the pleasure of Allah upon you to the mercy of Allah, fragrance and a Lord Who is not angry; So it comes out like the best fragrance of musk. They pass him from one to another until they bring him to the gate of heaven, where they say: '; How good is this fragrance that has come to you from the Earth! Then the souls of the believers come to him and they rejoice more over him than any one of you rejoices when his absent loved one comes to him. They ask him: 'What happened to so-and-so, what happened to so-and-so?' They say: 'Let him be, for he was in the hardship of the world. When he says, 'Did he not come here?' They say: 'He was taken to the pit (of Hell).' Come out discontent, subject of Divine wrath, to the punishment of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; So it comes out like the foulest stench of a corpse. They bring him to the gates of the Earth, where they say: 'How foul is this stench!' Then they bring him to the souls of the disbelievers."

"When it was said to Zaid bin Arqam: 'Tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah [SAW], he said: "I will not tell you anything but that which the Messenger of Allah [SAW] commanded us to say: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-'ajzi wal-kasali, wal-bukhli, wal-jubni, wal-harami, wa 'adhabil-qabri. Allahumma at nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkaha anta khairu min zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min nafsin la tashba'u wa min qalbin la yakhsha'u wa min 'ilmin la yanfa'u wa du'a'in la yustajab (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, old age, the torment of the grave. O Allah, make my soul obedient and purify it, for You are the best One to purify it, You are its Guardian and Lord. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a soul that is not satisfied, a heart that is not humble, knowledge that is of no benefit and a supplication that is not answered.)'"

“Time has completed a cycle to the form of the day when God created the heavens and the earth. The year contains twelve months of which four are sacred, three of them consecutive, viz. Dhul Qa'da, Dhul Hijja. and Muharram, and also Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban.”( The month Rajab is here connected with the North Arabian tribe of Mudar because they are said to have honoured it greatly and never to have broken its sacred nature. The precise reference to its place among the months is said’to be for the purpose of removing any doubt about it owing to the earlier practice of periodically intercalating a month) He asked, “What month is this?" and when the people replied that God and His messenger knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not Dhul Hijja?" and they replied that it was. He asked, “What town is this?" and when the people replied that God and His apostle knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not al-Balda?”( This word occurs a number of times in the Qur’an in the general sense of a district, but in 27, 91 it is used particularly of Mecca which is there called “this district (balda)". In the tradition the word seems to be used as if it were a proper name) and they replied that it was. He asked, “What day is this?” and when the people replied that God and His messenger knew best, he remained silent so that they thought he would give it a new name, but he said, “Is it not the day of sacrifice?" and they replied that it was. He said, “Your lives, property and honour must be regarded by you with a sacredness like that of this day of yours in this town of yours in this month of yours. You will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. O, do not revert after my death to being people who are astray, beheading one another. Have I delivered the message ?" When they replied that he had he said, “O God, testify ; and let him who is present convey it to him who is absent, for many a one to whom a message is conveyed has a more retentive memory than the one who hears.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said, "One of my wives died and Muhammad ibn Kab al Quradhi came to console me about her. He told me of one among the Bani Israil who was a diligent, worshipping, knowing and understanding man who had a wife that he admired and loved, and she died. He grieved over her intensely and lamented her until he withdrew into a house and locked himself in, hidden from everyone, and no-one visited him. A woman heard about him and went to him, saying, 'I need him to give me an opinion. Nothing will satisfy me except what he says about it.' Everyone went away, but she stuck to his door and said, 'I must see him.' Someone said to him, 'There is a woman who wishes to ask your opinion about something,' and she insisted, 'I will only talk to him about it.' When everyone had gone away, and she still had not left his door, he said, 'Let her in.' So she went in and saw him and said, 'I have come to ask your opinion about something.' He said, 'What is it?' She said, 'I borrowed a piece of jewellery from a neighbour of mine, and I have worn it and used it for a long time. Then they sent to me for it. Should I let them have it back?' He said, 'Yes, by Allah.' She said, 'I have had it for a long time.' He said, 'It is more correct for you to return it to them, since they have lent it to you for such a long time.' She said, 'Yes. May Allah have mercy on you. Do you then grieve over what Allah has lent you and then taken from you, when He has a greater right to it than you?' Then he saw the situation he was in, and Allah helped him by her words."

"A man came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), and said: 'My father is taking all my wealth.' He said: 'You and your wealth belong to your father.' And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Your children are among the best of your earnings, so eat from your wealth.’”

“Were it not for the Hadith of Ibn Buraidah from his father, from the Prophet (SAW) who said: 'Judges are of three types, two of whom will be in Hell and one will be in Paradise. The man who knows the truth and rules in accordance with it, will be in Paradise. The man who passes judgment on the people in ignorance will be in Hell' - we would have said that if the judge does his best he will be in Paradise.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha from Humayda bint Abi Ubayda ibn Farwa that her maternal aunt Kabsha bint Kab ibn Malik, who was the wife of the son of Abu Qatada al-Ansari, told her that once Abu Qatada was visiting her and she poured out some water for him to do wudu with. Just then a cat came to drink from it, so he tilted the vessel towards it to let it drink. Kabsha continued, "He saw me looking at him and said, 'Are you surprised, daughter of my brother?' I said, 'Yes.' He replied that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, cats are not impure. They intermingle with you .' "

Yahya said that Malik said, "There is no harm in that unless one sees impurities on the cat's mouth."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say in the tashahhud, "Greetings, good words, prayers, pure actions belong to Allah. I testify that there is no god except Allah, alone without partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Peace be on you, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the slaves of Allah who are salihun. Peace be upon you."

"At-tahiyatu, at- tayibatu, as-salawatu, az-zakiyatu lillah. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa'llah, wahdahu la sharika lah wa anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu. As-salamu alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadi-llahi's-salihin. As-salamu alaykum."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Said ibn Abi Said al-Maqburi from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that he asked A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, what the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was like during Ramadan. She said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not go above eleven rakas in Ramadan or at any other time. He prayed four - do not ask me about their beauty or length. Then he prayed another four - do not ask me about their beauty and length. Then he prayed three."

A'isha continued, "I said, 'Messenger of Allah, are you sleeping before you do the witr?' He said, A'isha, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "The slave girl is not married when there is a free woman who is a wife unless the free woman wishes it. If the free woman complies, she has two-thirds of the division of time."

Malik said, "A free man must not marry a slave-girl when he can afford to marry a free-woman, and he should not marry a slave-girl when he cannot afford a free woman unless he fears fornication. That is because Allah, may he be Blessed and Exalted, says in His Book, 'If you are not affluent enough to marry believing women, who are muhsanat, take slave-girls who are believing women that your right hands own.' (Sura 4 ayat 24) He says, 'That is for those of you who fear al-anat.' "

Malik said, "Al-anat is fornication."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Damra ibn Said al-Mazini from al-Hajjaj ibn Amr ibn Ghaziya that he was sitting with Zayd ibn Thabit when Ibn Fahd came to him. He was from the Yemen. He said, "Abu Said! I have slave-girls. None of the wives in my keep are more pleasing to me than them, and not all of them please me so much that I want a child by them, shall I then practise coitus interruptus?" Zayd ibn Thabit said, "Give an opinion, Hajjaj!" "I said, 'May Allah forgive you! We sit with you in order to learn from you!' He said, 'Give an opinion! 'I said, 'She is your field, if you wish, water it, and if you wish, leave it thirsty. I heard that from Zayd.' Zayd said, 'He has spoken the truth.' "

I came to visit the Prophet (PBUH) while he was in the state of I'tikaf [(seclusion) in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan]. After having talked to him, I got up to return. The Prophet (PBUH) also got up with me and accompanied me a part of the way. At that moment two Ansari man passed by. When they saw him they quickened their pace. The Prophet (PBUH) said to them, "Do not hurry. She is Safiyyah, daughter of Huyai, my wife." They said: "Subhan Allah (Allah is free from imperfection)! O Messenger of Allah! (You are far away from any suspicion)." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Satan circulates in a person like blood (in the blood streams). I apprehended lest Satan should drop some evil thoughts in your minds."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

I wanted to ask `Umar something but I did not find a chance, so I waited for two years. Then when we were in Marraz-Zahran, he went to relieve himself, then he came after relieving himself and I poured water for him, I said: O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, who are the two women who helped one another against the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)`? He said: `A`ishah and Hafsah. ` As mentioned in the Qur`an: `If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ)) turn in repentance to Allâh. (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes); but if you help one another against him (Muhammad (ﷺ)). then verily, Allâh is his Maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector), and Jibril (Gabriel). and the righteous among the believers, and furthermore, the angels are his helpers` (surah at-Tahreem 66:3)

On the day of al-Khandaq, `Umar bin Abi Salamah and I were in the fort where the wives of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) were, the fort of Hassan. He would lift me up and I would lift him up. When he lifted me up, I saw my father go past on his way to Quraizah, as he was fighting alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of al-Khandaq. He said: “Who will go to Banu Quraizah and fight them?” I said to him when he came back: “O my father, I recognized you when you were going to Banu Quraizah.” He said: “O my son, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) mentioned both his parents together for me when he said: May my father and mother be sacrificed for you.`

Three people came to the Prophet’s wives and asked how the Prophet conducted his worship. When they were told about it they seemed to consider it little and said, “What a difference there is between us and the Prophet whose former and latter sins have been forgiven him by God!” One of them said, “As for me, I will always pray during the night.” Another said, “I will fast during the daytime and not break my fast.” The other said, “I will have nothing to do with women and will never marry.” Then the Prophet came to them and said, “Are you the people who said such and such? By God, I am the one of you who fears and reverences God most, yet I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my sunna has nothing to do with me.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God's messenger as saying, "If anyone wishes to meet God, God wishes to meet him; but if anyone does not wish to meet God, God does not wish to meet him.” When ‘A'isha or one of his wives said she did not want to die, he replied, "That is not what I mean; but when death comes to a believer he is given glad tidings of God’s good pleasure and regard, so nothing is dearer to him than what lies before him, and he wishes to meet God and God wishes to meet him. But when an infidel approaches death he is given tidings of God’s punishment and chastisement, so nothing is more objectionable to him than what lies before him, and he does not wish to meet God and God does not wish to meet him.” In ‘A’isha's version it says that death precedes the meeting with God. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Zainab the wife of ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told that ‘Abdallah saw a thread on her neck and asked what it was. When she told him that it was a thread over which a spell had been recited for her he took it, cut it up and said, “You, family of ‘Abdallah, are independent of polytheism. I have heard God’s messenger say that spells, charms and love-spells are polytheism.” She replied, “Why do you speak like this? My eye was discharging and I kept going to so and so, the Jew, and when he applied a spell to it it calmed down.” ‘Abdallah said, “That was just the work of the devil who was pricking it with his hand, and when a spell was uttered he desisted. All you need to do is to say as God’s messenger did, ‘Remove the harm, O Lord of men, and heal. Thou art the Healer. There is no remedy but Thine which leaves no disease behind.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

(1) By the mention of the prisoners at the battle of Badr. He ordered that they be killed and God most high sent down, "Were it not that a decree had come previously from God a severe punishment would have come to you for what you took[1]." (2) By his mention of the seclusion. He commanded the Prophet's wives to seclude themselves and Zainab said to him, "Have you been set over us, son of al-Khattab, when the revelation comes down in our houses?" Then God most high sent down, "And when you ask them for anything ask them from behind a screen[2]." (3) By the Prophet's supplication, "0 God, strengthen Islam by `Umar." (4) By his opinion about Abu Bakr to whom he was the first to swear allegiance. Quran, 8:68. Quran, 33:53. Ahmad transmitted it.

When he divorced his wife the Prophet (SAW) said to 'Umar, "Command him to take her back." [Agreed upon].

All of them (i.e. these three chains of narrators) are weak. However, they may strengthen one another (becoming Hasan), and Allah Knows Best.

Ḥasbunallāhu wa ni`mal-wakīl. Allah is sufficient for us and the best of those on whom to depend. Reference: Al-Bukhari, 5/172.

I entered the mosque when 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As was sitting in the shade of the Ka'ba and the people had gathered around him. I betook myself to them and sat near him. (Now) Abdullah said: I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on a journey. We halted at a place. Some of us began to set right their tents, others began to compete with one another in shooting, and others began to graze their beasts, when an announcer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) announced that the people should gather together for prayer, so we gathered around the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He said: It was the duty of every Prophet that has gone before me to guide his followers to what he knew was good for them and warn them against what he knew was bad for them; but this Umma of yours has its days of peace and (security) in the beginning of its career, and in the last phase of its existence it will be afflicted with trials and with things disagreeable to you. (In this phase of the Umma), there will be tremendous trials one after the other, each making the previous one dwindle into insignificance. When they would be afflicted with a trial, the believer would say: This is going to bring about my destruction. When at (the trial) is over, they would be afflicted with another trial, and the believer would say: This surely is going to be my end. Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and enter the garden should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them. He who swears allegiance to a Caliph should give him the piedge of his hand and the sincerity of his heart (i. e. submit to him both outwardly as well as inwardly). He should obey him to the best of his capacity. It another man comes forward (as a claimant to Caliphate), disputing his authority, they (the Muslims) should behead the latter. The narrator says: I came close to him ('Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As) and said to him: Can you say on oath that you heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? He pointed with his hands to his ears and his heart and said: My ears heard it and my mind retained it. I said to him: This cousin of yours, Mu'awiya, orders us to unjustly consume our wealth among ourselves and to kill one another, while Allah says:" O ye who believe, do not consume your wealth among yourselves unjustly, unless it be trade based on mutual agreement, and do not kill yourselves. Verily, God is Merciful to you" (iv. 29). The narrator says that (hearing this) Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-As kept quiet for a while and then said: Obey him in so far as he is obedient to God; and diqobey him in matters involving disobedience to God.

I was sitting in a circle in the mosque of Medina and there was an old man, quite handsome. He was 'Abdullah b. Salim. He was telling good things to them (to the people sitting in that company). As he stood up (to depart) the people said: He who is desirous of looking at a person from amongst the people of Paradise should see him. I said: By Allah, I will follow him, and would try to know his residence. So I followed him and he walked on until he reached the outskirts of Medina. He then entered his house. I sought permission from him to get in, and he granted me the permission, saying: My nephew, what is the need (that has brought you here)? I said to him: As you stood up, I heard people say about you: He who is desirous of seeing a person from among the people of Paradise should look at him. So I became desirous of accompanying you. He ('Abdullah b. Salim) said: It is Allah Who knows best about the people of Paradise. I would, however, narrate to you as to why they said like it. (The story is) that while I was asleep (one night) there came to me a person (in the dream) who asked me to stand up. (So I stood up) and he caught hold of my hand and I walked along with him, and, lo, I found some paths on my left and I was about to set out upon them. Thereupon he said to me Do not set yourself on (them) for these are the paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell-fire). Then there were paths leading to the right side, whereupon he said: Set yourself on these paths. We came across a hill and he said to me: Climb up, and I attempted to climb up that I fell upon my buttocks. I made several attempts (but failed to succeed). He led until he came to a pillar (so high) that its upper end touched the sky and its base was in the earth. And there was a handhold at its upper end. He said to me Climb over it. I said: How can I climb upon it, as its upper end touches the sky? He cought hold of my hand and pushed me up and I found myself suspended with the handhold. He then struck the pillar and it fell down, but I remained attached to that handhold until it was morning (and the dream was thus over). I came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and narrated it to him. He said: So far as the paths which you saw on your left are concerned, these are paths of the leftists (denizens of Hell) and the paths which you saw on your right, these are the paths of the rightists (the dwellers of Paradise) and the mountain represents the destination of the martyrs which you would not be able to attain. The pillar implies the pillar of Islam. and so far as the handhold is concerned, it implies the handhold of Islam, and you would hold to it fastly until you would meet death.