"There was an eclipse of the sun and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) prayed and the people with him. He stood for long time reciting something like Surah Al-Baqarah, then he raised (his head) and stood for a long time, then he raised (his head) and stood for a long time which was shorter than the first time. Then he bowed for a long time, which was shorter than the first time, then he prostrated. Then he got up and stood for a long time, which was shorter than the first time, then he bowed for a long time, which was shorter than the first time, then he raised (his head) and stood for a long time, which was shorter than the first time. Then he bowed for a long time, which was shorter than the first time, then he prostrated, then he finished (his prayer) and the sun had been clear. He said: 'The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah (SWT) and they do not become eclipsed for the death or birth of anyone. If you see that then remember Allah (SWT) the Mighty and Sublime.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah (SAW), we saw you stretching out your hand when you were standing, then we saw you moving backward. He said: 'I saw Paradise-or it was shown to me- and I reached out to a take a bunch of its fruits. If I ha taken it you would have eaten from it for as long as this world lasts. And I saw Hell and I have never seen anything like it, and I saw that most of its inhabitants are women.' They said: "Why, O Messenger of Allah (SAW)? He said: 'Because of their ingratitude.' It was said: 'Are they ungrateful to Allah?' He said: 'They are ungrateful to their husbands and they are ungrateful for kind treatment. If you are kind to one of them for a lifetime, then she sees (one) bad thing from you, she will say: I have never seen anything good from you.'"

"While we were with the Messenger of Allah in the early hours of the morning, some people came who were naked and barefoot, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, may all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The face of the Messenger of Allah changed when he saw them in poverty. He went in (to his house) then he came out and ordered Bilah to call the Adhan and then the Iqamah. He (the Prophet) prayed, tjem je addressed te,, (reciting the Verses): 'O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him(Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women: and fear Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual right), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you.' [1] and: 'Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow,' [2] Then they gave in charity, some giving a Dinar, others a Dirham, or a garment, or a Sa' of wheat or, a Sa' of dates, until he said: 'Even half a date.' A man from among the Ansar came with a bag of money which his hands could hardly lift. The people followed one another (in giving charity) until I saw two heaps of food and clothing, and I saw the face of the Messenger of Allah shining like gold (with joy). The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever sets a good precedent in Islam, he will have the reward for that, and the reward of those who acted in accordance with it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest. And whoever sets an evil precedent in Islam, he will have a burden of sin for that, and the burden of those who acted in accordance with it, without that detracting from their burden in the slightest."'

Uthman (rad) called for water to perform ablution. He washed palms of his hands three times, then rinsed his mouth and sniffed water in his nose and then blew it out. He then washed his face three times. Thereafter he washed his right hand up to his elbow three times, then the left one likewise, then he passed wet hands on his head. Then he washed his right foot up to the ankle three times, then the left one likewise. He then said, “I saw Allah’s Messenger (saw) performing ablution like this ablution of mine”. [Agreed upon]

We were with the Prophet (SAW), and he drew a line (in the sand), then he drew two lines to its right and two to its left. Then he put his hand on the middle line and said : 'This is the path of Allah. Then he recited the Verse: And verily, this (i.e. Allah's Commandments) is My straight path, so follow it and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you from His path..."

“When ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud stoned ‘Aqabah Pillar, he went to the bottom of the valley and turned to face the Ka’bah, with the Pillar on his right hand side. Then he threw seven pebbles, saying the Takbir with each one. Then he said: ‘From here, by the One besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, did the one throw, to whom Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed.’”

“I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: ‘I bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (saw) prayed before the sermon, then he delivered the sermon. And he thought that the women had not heard, so he went over to them and reminded them (of Allah) and preached to them and enjoined them to give in charity, and Bilal was spreading his hands like this, and the women started giving their earrings, rings and things.’”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd ibn Qays al-Makki that Mujahid said, "I was with Abdullah ibn Umar and an artisan came to him and said, 'Abu Abd ar-Rahman - I fashion gold and then sell what I have made for more than its weight. I take an amount equivalent to the work of my hand.' Abdullah forbade him to do that, so the artisan repeated the question to him, and Abdullah continued to forbid him until he came to the door of the mosque or to an animal that he intended to mount. Then Abdullah ibn Umar said, 'A dinar for a dinar, and a dirham for a dirham. There is no increase between them. This is the command of ourProphet to us and our advice to you.' "

Malik related to me that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Masud used to say, "If someone makes a loan, they should not stipulate better than it. Even if it is a handful of grass, it is usury."

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us is that there is no harm in borrowing any animals with a set description and itemisation, and one must return the like of them. This is not done in the case of female slaves. It is feared about that that it will lead to making halal what is not halal, so it is not good. The explanation of what is disapproved of in that, is that a man borrow a slave-girl and have intercourse with her as seems proper to him. Then he returns her to her owner. That is not good and it is not halal. The people of knowledge still forbid it and do not give an indulgence to any one in it."

His father said: "Ali took me by the hand and said: 'Come with us to pay a visit to Al-Hasan.' So we found that Abu Musa was with him.' Ali - peace be upon him - said: 'O Abu Musa! Did you come to visit (the sick) or merely (stop by to) visit?' He said: 'No, to visit (the sick).' So Ali said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "No Muslim visits (the sick) Muslims in the morning, except that sevety-thousand angels, sent Salat upon him until the evening, and he does not visit at night except that seventy thousand angels sent Salat upon him until the morning, and there will be a garden for him in Paradise."

"The parable of the one who upholds Allah's laws and the one who breaches them, is that of a people who drew lots on a ship at sea. Some of them got the upper part, and some of them the lower part. Those on the lower part ascended to get water, spilling it upon those upper part. So those in the upper part say: 'We will not leave you to come up here and bother us.' Then those on the lower part say: 'We should make a hole in the lower part, so we can get water.' If they take them by the hand and stop them, then they will save all of them, and if they leave them, they will all drown."'

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What about the vessels of the Hawd?' He said: 'By the one in Whose Hand is my soul! Its vessels number more than the stars of the heavens and the planets on a clear dark night. (They are) among the vessels of Paradise, whoever drinks from them, he will never be thirsty again. Its longest breadth is the same as its length, like that which is between 'Amman to Aylah, its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey.'"

Another chain reports a similar narration.

It has been reported from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet SAW said: "My Hawd (covers a distance) like what is between Kufah to the Black Stone."

"We were with the Prophet (SAW) and a man came to him who I think was from Qais. So he said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Curse Himyar.' So he turned away from him, then he went to his other side, and he turned away from him. Then he went to his other side, and he turned away from him. Then he went to his other side, and he turned away from him. So the Prophet (SAW) said: 'May Allah have mercy upon Himyar! Their mouths are (full of) peace, their hands are (generous with) food, and they are the people of trust and faith.'"

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'When the Children of Isra'il fell into disobedience, their scholars forbade them from it. But they did not stop, so they sat with them in their gatherings, and participated in eating and drinking with them. So Allah pitted their hearts against each other, and cursed them upon the tongue of Dawud and 'Eisa bin Mariam. That was because they disobeyed and were ever transgressing.'" He said: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) sat up after he had been reclining, and he said: 'No, by the One in Whose Hand is my soul! Not until you incline them to the truth.'" 'Abdullah bin 'Abdur-Rahman said: "Yazid said: 'Sufyan Ath-Thawri would not say in it: "From 'Abdullah."

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will come so close to people that there would be left only a distance of one Meel". Sulaim bin 'Amir said: By Allah, I do not know whether he meant by "Meel", the mile of the distance measure or the stick used for applying antimony powder to the eye. (Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is, however, reported to have said:) "The people then will be submerged in perspiration according to their deeds, some up to their ankles, some up to their knees, some up to the waist and some will have the bridle of perspiration (reaching their mouth and nose) and, while saying this Messenger of Allah (PBUH) pointed to his mouth with his hand".

[Muslim].

There were, about forty of us with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in a camp when he said, "Aren't you pleased that you will constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Jannah?" We said, "Yes". He again said, "Aren't you pleased that you will constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Jannah?". We said: "Yes." Upon this he (PBUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, I hope that you will constitute one-half of the inhabitants of Jannah; and the reason is that only Muslims will be admitted into Jannah; and you are no more compared to the polytheists than as a white hair on the skin of a black ox, or a black hair on the skin of a white ox."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

A man called Bairah bin Asad went out from Tahiyah, migrating [Hijrah], and he reached Madinah a few days after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) died ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) saw him and realized he was a stranger, so he said to him. Who are you? Are you from Oman? He said: Yes. He took him by the hand and brought him to Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) and said: This man is from the land of which heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: `I know a land called Oman at the edge of the sea, in it is a tribe of the Arabs who, if my envoy goes to them, they will not shoot arrows or throw stones at him.”

Who here is from Ashja`? Do you know that a Bedouin brought some ostrich eggs and the meat of an onager to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: `Feed them to your family, for we are in ihram`? They said: Yes indeed. Then `Uthman turned away from his seat and said: We cannot have it then.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me to Yemen. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you are sending me to people who are older than me, and I am young and do not know how to judge. He put his hand on my chest and said: `O Allah, make his tongue steadfast and guide his heart. O Ali, when two disputants sit before you, do not judge between them until you listen to the second one as you listened to the first. If you do that, the verdict will become clear to you.” ‘Ali said: I never got confused about any judgement after that or doubted a verdict after that.

We prayed Zuhr with ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه), then he went to a gathering that he used to hold in ar-Rahbah. He sat and we sat around him, then the time for ‘Asr came. A vessel (of water) was brought to him. He took a handful from it and rinsed his mouth and nose, and he wiped his face and forearms, and he wiped his head, and he wiped his feet. Then he stood up and drank what was left over in the vessel. Then he said: I have been told that some men dislike anyone to drink whilst standing, but I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do what I have done.

Zuhra b. Ma'bad said his grandfather 'Abdallah b. Hisham would take him out to the market and buy grain, and Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn az- Zubair would meet him and say to him, “Take us into partnership, for the Prophet has invoked a blessing on you then he would take them into partnership. He would often make a profit of a camel-load* and send it to the house. ‘Abdallah b. Hisham had been taken by his mother to the Prophet who passed his hand over his head and invoked a blessing on him. Bukhari transmitted it. * Another explanation is that this means he made enough profit to buy a camel with its load' Cf. Mirqat, iii, 344.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as telling that God most high will say to the inhabitants of paradise, "O inhabitants of paradise," to which they will reply, "At Thy service and pleasure, our Lord, in whose hands is all good." He will ask them if they are pleased, and they will reply, "Why should we not be pleased, O Lord, when Thou hast given us what Thou hast not given to any of Thy creatures?" He will say, "Shall I not give you something more excellent than that?" and they will reply, "0 Lord, what can be more excellent than that?" He will say, "I shall cause my good pleasure to alight on you and I shall never afterwards be displeased with you." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I was sleeping in the mosque on a cloak mine whose price was thirty dirhams. A man came and pinched it away from me. The man was seized and brought to the Messenger of Allah (saws). He ordered that his hand should be cut off. I came to him and said: Do you cut off only for thirty dirhams ? I sell it to him and make the payment of its price a loan ? He said: Why did you not do so before bringing him to me ?

Abu Dawud said: Za'idah has also transmitted it from Simak from Ju'ayd ibn Hujayr. He said: Safwan slept. Mujahid and Tawus said: While he was sleeping a thief came and stole the cloak from beneath his head. The version of AbuSalamah ibn AbdurRahman has: He snatched it away from beneath his head and he awoke. He cried and he (the thief) was seized. Az-Zuhri narrated from Safwan ibn Abdullah. His version has: He slept in the mosque and used his cloak as pillow. A thief came and took his cloak. The thief was seized and brought to the Prophet (saws).

The Prophet (saws) said: There are two qualities or characteristics which will not be returned by any Muslim without his entering Paradise. While they are easy, those who act upon them are few. One should say: "Glory be to Allah" ten times after every prayer, "Praise be to Allah" ten times and "Allah is Most Great" ten times. That is a hundred and fifty on the tongue, but one thousand and five hundred on the scale. When he goes to bed, he should say: "Allah is Most Great" thirty-four times, "Praise be to Allah" thirty-three times, and Glory be to Allah thirty-three times, for that is a hundred on the tongue and a thousand on the scale. (He said:) I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) counting them on his hand.

The people asked: Messenger of Allah! How is it that while they are easy, those who act upon them are few?

He replied: The Devil comes to one of you when he goes to bed and he makes him sleep, before he utters them, and he comes to him while he is engaged in prayer and calls a need to his mind before he utters them.

The deputation of 'Abd al-Qais came to Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: This is the tribe of Rabi'ah, and the infidels of Mudar are between us and you. We are able to come to you only in the sacred month. So give a decisive command which we may follow ourselves and to which we call those at home behind us. He (the Prophet) said: I command you to observe four things, and forbade you four things: Belief in Allah. the testimony that there is no god but Allah, and he expresses one by folding his hand. Musadad's version has: Faith in Allah, and he explained to them: The testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, observance of prayer, payment of zakat, and your giving the filth of the booty. I forbid you the use of pumpkins, green jarrs, vessels smeared with pitch, and hollow stumps of palm-trees. Ibn 'Ubaid's version has word muqayyar (vessels smeared with pitch) instead of naqir (hollow stumps). Musaddad's version has naqir and muqayyar (pitch); he did not mention muzaffat (vessels smeared with pitch).

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Jamrah is Nasr bin 'Imran al-Duba'i.

Messenger of Allah. Allah is not ashamed of truth what do you think, if a woman sees what a man sees in dream, should she take a bath or not? The prophet (may peace be upon him) replied: Yes, she should take a bath if she finds the liquid (vaginal secretion) ‘A’ishah said : Then I came upon her and said her : Woe to you! Does a woman see that (sexual dream)? In the meantime, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came upon me and said: May your right hand be covered with dust! How can there be the resemblance (i.e., between the child and the mother)?

Abu Dawud said: A similar version has been narrated by Zubaid, ‘Uqail, Yunus, cousin of Al-Zuhri, Ibn Abi-Wazir, on the authority of al-Zuhr, musan, al-Hajabi, like al-Zuhri, narrated on the authority of ‘Urwah from ‘A’ishah, but Hisham b. ‘Urwah narrated from ‘Urwah on the authority of Zainab daughter of Abu Salamah from Umm Salamah saying. Umm Sulaim came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

He then raised his head after bowing and uttered:”Allah listens to him who praises Him, to Thee, our Lord, be the praise,” and raised his hands. He then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then he prostrated himself and rested on his palms, knees, and the end of his toes while prostrating: then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great), and sat down on his hips and raised his other foot; then he uttered the takbir and prostrated himself; then he uttered takbir and stood up, but did not sit on his hips. He (the narrator) then narrated the rest of the tradition. He further said: Then he sat down at the end of two rak’ahs; when he was about to stand after two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir; then he offered the last two rak’ahs of the prayer. The narrator did not mention about his sitting on the hips spreading out his feet.

‘While he was among ten of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saw) including Abu Qatadah: “I heard Abu Humaid As-Sa’idi say: ‘I am the most knowledgeable of you concerning the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saw).’ They said: ‘Why? By Allah, you did not follow him more than we did, and you did not accompany him for longer.’ He said: ‘Yes I am.’ They said: ‘Show us.’ He said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (saw) stood up for prayer, he would say the Takbir, then he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders, and every part of his body would settle in place. Then he would recite, then he would raise his hands parallel to his shoulders and bow, placing his palms on his knees and supporting his weight on them. He neither lowered his head, nor raised it up, it was evenly balanced (between either extreme). Then he would say: “Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him); and he would raise his hands parallel with his shoulders, until every bone returned to its place. Then he would prostrate himself on the ground, keeping his arms away from his sides. Then he would raise his head and tuck his left foot under him and sit on it, and he would spread his toes when he prostrated.* Then he would prostrate, then say the Takbir and sit on his left foot, until every bone returned to its place. Then he would stand up and do the same in the next Rak’ah. Then when he stood up after two Rak’ah, he would raise his hands level with his shoulders as he did at the beginning of the prayer. Then he would offer the rest of his prayer in like manner until, when he did the prostration after which the Taslim comes, he would push one of his feet back and sit with his weight on his left side, Mutawarrikan.’** They said: ‘You have spoken the truth; this is how the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to perform the prayer.’”
* Meaning that he would plant them in such a way that they were facing the Qiblah.
** Mutawarrikan: i.e., sitting with the left foot brought forward so that one's buttocks are in direct contact with the ground.

“Who is this?” I said: “I am ‘Abdullah bin Hunain. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas sent me to you to ask you how the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to wash his head when he was in Ihram.” He said: “Abu Ayyub put his hand on the cloth and lowered it until his head appeared, then he said to someone who was pouring water for him, Pour water. So he poured water on his head. Then he rubbed his head with his hands, forwards and backwards, and said: ‘This is what I saw him (saw) doing.’”

“When the emigrants who had crossed the sea came back to the Messenger of Allah (saw), he said: ‘Why don’t you tell me of the strange things that you saw in the land of Abyssinia?’ Some young men among them said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah. While we were sitting, one of their elderly nuns came past, carrying a vessel of water on her head. She passed by some of their youth, one of whom placed his hand between her shoulders and pushed her. She fell on her knees and her vessel broke. When she stood up, she turned to him and said: “You will come to know, O traitor, that when Allah sets up the Footstool and gathers the first and the last, and hands and feet speak of what they used to earn, you will come to know your case and my case in His presence soon.’” The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘She spoke the truth, she spoke the truth. How can Allah purify any people (of sin) when they do not support their weak from their strong?’”

Suhayb said, "I saw 'Ali kiss the hands and feet of al-'Abbas."

"The Messenger of Allah never refused to see me from the time I became Muslim, and whenever he saw me he would smile at me. I complained to him that I could not sit firmly on a horse, so he struck me on the chest with his hand and said: 'O Allah, make him firm and cause him to guide others and be rightly-guided.'"

"I see that your companion (the Prophet) is teaching you everything, even how to relieve yourselves?" He said: "Yes indeed. He has ordered us not to face the Qiblah (prayer direction) nor to clean ourselves with our right hands, and not to be content with anything less than three stones, which are not to include any excrement or bones."

'I saw Abu Hurairah hitting his forehead with his hand and saying: "O people of Iraq! Do you claim that I would tell a lie against the Messenger of Allah so that it may be more convenient for you and a sin upon me?' I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'If a dog licks the vessel of anyone of you, let him wash it seven times.'"

"Aishah heard that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr was telling his wives to undo their braids (when they bathed). She said: 'How odd that Ibn 'Amr would do that! Why does he not tell them to shave their heads? The Messenger of Allah and I used to bathe from a single vessel, and I never did more than pour three handfuls of water over my head.'"

Awf bin Malik Al-Ashja'i said: “The Messenger of Allah went out, and a man had hung up one or more bunches of dates. He (the Prophet) had a stick in his hand and he started hitting that bunch of dates repeatedly, saying: 'If the owner of these dates wanted to give in charity, he should have given something better than these. The owner of this charity will eat rotten and shriveled dates on the Day of Resurrection.' ”

“When the Prophet (saw) stood up to offer a prescribed prayer, he said Allahu Akbar and raised his hands until they were parallel to his shoulders. When he wanted to bow he did likewise; when he raised his head from bowing he did likewise; and when he stood up after the two prostrations he did likewise.”*

“I was riding with the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he came across a dead lamb that had been thrown out.’ He said: ‘Don’t you think that this is worthless to its owners?’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is because it is worthless that they have thrown it out, - or words to that effect. He said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, this world is more worthless to Allah than this is to its owners.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) passed by a man who was praying on a rock, and he went towards Makkah and stayed a while, then he left and found the man still praying as he had been. He stood up and clasped his hands, then said: “O people, you should observe moderation,” three times, “for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) but you get tired.”

When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) started to pray, he would say Takbir, then say: "Wajahtu wajhi lilladhi fataras-samawatiwal-arda hanifan wa ma ana minal-mushrikin. Inna salati wa nusuki wa mahyaya wa mamati lillahi rabbil-alamin, la sharika lahu, wa bidhalika umirtu wa ana min al-muslimin. Allahumma! Antal-maliku la ilaha illa ant, ana abduka zalamtu nafsi wa'taraftu bidhanbi faghfirli dhunubi jami'an, la yaghfirudhunuba illa anta, wahdini lihasanil-ahklaqi, la yahdi li ahsaniha illa anta wasrif anni sayy'aha la yasrifu anni sayy'aha illa anta, labaika wa sa'daika, wal-khairu kulluhu fi yadaika wash-sharru laisa ilaika ana bika wa ilaika ana bika wa ilaika tabarkta wa ta'alaita astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaik. (Verily, I have turned my face toward Him who created the Heavens and the Earth hanifa (worhsipping none but Allah Alone), and I am not of the idolaters. Verily, my salah, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign and there is none worthy of worship but You. I am Your slave, I have wronged myself and I acknowledge my sin. Forgive me all my sins for no one forgives sins but You. Guide me to the best of manners for none can guide to the best of them but You. Protect me from bad manners for none can protect against them but You. I am at Your service, all goodness is in Your hands, and evil is not attributed to You. I rely on You and turn to You, blessed and exalted are You, I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Khusayfa that he had asked Sulayman ibn Yasar whether zakat was due from a man who had wealth in hand but also owed a debt for the same amount, and he replied, "No."

Malik said, "The position that we are agreed upon concerning a debt is that the lender of it does not pay zakat on it until he gets it back. Even if it stays with the borrower for a number of years before the lender collects it, the lender only has to pay zakat on it once. If he collects an amount of the debt which is not zakatable, and has other wealth which is zakatable, then what he has collected of the debt is added to the rest of his wealth and he pays zakat on the total sum."

Malik continued, "If he has no ready money other than that which he has collected from his debt, and that does not reach a zakatable amount, then he does not have to pay any zakat. He must, however, keep a record of the amount that he has collected and if, later, he collects another amount which, when added to what he has already collected, brings zakat into effect, then he has to pay zakat on it."

Malik continued, "Zakat is due on this first amount, together with what he has further collected of the debt owed to him, regardless of whether or not he has used up what he first collected. If what he takes back reaches twenty dinars of gold, or two hundred dirhams of silver he pays zakat on it. He pays zakat on anything else he takes back afte rthat, whether it be a large or small amount, according to the amount."

Malik said, "What shows that zakat is only taken once from a debt which is out of hand for some years before it is recovered is that if goods remain with a man for trading purposes for some years before he sells them, he only has to pay zakat on their prices once. This is because the one who is owed the debt, or owns the goods, should not have to take the zakat on the debt, or the goods, from anything else, since the zakat on anything is only taken from the thing itself, and not from anything else."

Malik said, "Our position regarding some onewho owes a debt, and has goods which are worth enough to pay off the debt, and also has an amount of ready money which is zakatable, is that he pays the zakat on the ready money which he has to hand. If, however, he only has enough goods and ready money to pay off the debt, then he does not have to pay any zakat. But if the ready money that he has reaches a zakatable amount over and above the amount of the debt that he owes, then he must pay zakat on it."

We visited 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with him) when he was in his deathbed. He wept for a long time and turned his face towards the wall. His son said: "O father, did not the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) give you the good news of such and such? Did he not give you glad tidings of such and such?" Then he ('Amr) turned his face towards us and said: "The best thing which you can count upon is the affirmation that: La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah), and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I have passed through three phases. I remember when I hated none more than I hated the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and there was no other desire stronger in me than that of killing him. Had I died in that state, I would have definitely been one of the dwellers of Fire (Hell). When Allah instilled the love for Islam in my heart, I went to Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, 'Extend your right hand, so that I pledge allegiance to you.' He (PBUH) stretched out his right hand, but I withdrew my hand. He said, 'What is the matter, 'Amr?' I said, 'I wish to lay down same conditions.' He asked, 'What conditions do you wish to put forward?' I replied, 'To be granted forgiveness.' He said, 'Do you not know that (embracing) Islam wipes out all that has gone before it (previous misdeeds). Verily, emigration wipes out all the previous sins, and the Hajj (pilgrimage) wipes out all the previous sins.' Thereafter, no one was dearer to me than Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and none was more respectable than him in my eyes. So bright was his splendour that I could not gather enough courage to look at his face for any length of time. If I were asked to describe his feature, I would not be able to do so because I have never caught a full glimpse of his face. Had I died in that state I could have hoped to be one of the dwellers of Jannah. Thereafter, we were made responsible for many things and in the light of which I am unable to know what is in store for me. When I die, no mourner, nor fire should accompany my bier. When you bury me, throw the earth gently over me and stand over my grave for the space of time within which a camel is slaughtered and its meat is distributed so that I may enjoy your intimacy, and in your presence ascertain what answer can I give to the Messengers of my Rubb (the angels in grave)."

[Muslim].

I had been placed in charge of the zakāt of Ramadān by God’s messenger, and when someone came to me and began to take up handfuls of the food, I seized him and told him I was certainly going to take him before God’s messenger. But when he said, “I am needy, have children dependent on me, and my need is great,” I let him go. In the morning the Prophet asked, “What happened to your prisoner last night, Abū Huraira?” and I replied, “Messenger of God, he complained of great need and of having children dependent on him, so I had pity on him and let him go.” He said, “He lied to you, and he will come back.” I realised that he would return because God’s messenger had told me so, and therefore I lay in wait for him. When he came and began to take up handfuls of the food, I seized him and told him I was certainly going to take him before God's messenger; but when he said, “Let me go, for I am needy with children dependent on me, and I shall not return” I had pity on him and let him go. In the morning God’s messenger asked me, “What has happened to your prisoner, Abū Huraira?” and I replied, “Messenger of God, he complained of great need and of having children dependent on him, so I had pity on him and let him go.” He said, “He has certainly lied to you, and he will come back,” so I lay in wait for him, and when he came and took up handfuls of food I seized him and said, “I am certainly going to take you before God’s messenger, for this is the third time you assert you will not return, and then you do.” He said, “If you let me go I will teach you some words by which God will benefit you. When you go to your bed recite the Throne Verse (Qur’ān 2:255), ‘God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal’ to the end of the verse, for a guardian from God will then remain over you and no devil will come near you till the morning.” I therefore let him go, and in the morning God’s messenger asked me, “What has happened to your prisoner?” I replied, “He asserted that he would teach me some words by which God would benefit me.” He said, “He has certainly told you the truth though he is a great liar. Do you know to whom you have been talking for, three nights?” When I replied that I did not, he said, “That was a devil.” Bukhārī transmit­ted it.

Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "Gold is to be paid for with gold, silver with silver, wheat with wheat, barley with barley, dates with dates, and salt with salt, same quantity for same quantity and equal for equal, hand to hand (i.e. payment being made on the spot). If these classes differ, sell as you wish as long as payment is made on the spot." [Reported by Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went out (of his house) one day, or one night, and there he met Abu Bakr and 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) also. He (PBUH) said, "What made you leave your houses at this hour?" They said, "It is hunger, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, what made you leave, made me also leave, so come along!" And he went along with them to a man from the Ansar, but they did not find him in his house. When the wife of that man saw the Prophet, she said, "You are most welcome." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to her, "Where is so-and-so?" She said, "He went to fetch some fresh water for us." In the meantime, the Ansari came back, saw Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his two companions and said: "Praise be to Allah, today no one has more honourable guests than I." He then went out and brought them a bunch of date fruit, having dates, some still green, some ripe, and some fully ripe, and requested them to eat from it. He then took his knife (to slaughter a sheep). Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to him, "Do not kill a milch sheep." So he slaughtered a sheep for them. After they had eaten and drunk to their fill, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to Abu Bakr and 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them), "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, you will certainly be questioned about this treat on the Day of Resurrection. Hunger brought you out of your homes, and you do not return to your homes till you have been blessed with this treat."

[Muslim].

While I was sitting with Abu Huraira a Persian woman came, to him along with a son of hers. She had been divorced by her husband and they both claimed him. She addressed him in foreign speech telling him that her husband wished to take her son away, and Abu Huraira told them to cast lots for him, saying that to her in foreign speech. Then her husband came and asked who was disputing with him about his son, and Abu Huraira assured him in God's name that the only reason why he said what he had said was because once when he was sitting with God’s Messenger a woman came to him and said, “Messenger of God, my husband wants to take away my son, and he had benefited me and drawn water for me from the well of Abu ‘Inaba.” (Nasa’i has “from sweet water.”) God’s Messenger replied, “Cast lots for him.” Her husband asked, “Who is disputing with me about my son?” and God’s Messenger said, “This is your father and this is your mother, so take whichever of them you wish by the hand,” and he took his mother’s hand. * Mirqat, iii, 536 says that while Sulaiman appears in all texts of the Mishkat, the correct form is Salman. Abu Dawud, Talaq, 35 (in the 2-vol. edn. Cairo, 1348 A.H.) has Salma (or Sulma). See further Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, xii, 253. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, but Nasa’i mentioned the version which was traced back to the Prophet. Darimi transmitted it on the authority of Hilal b. Usama.

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimuna when the Prophet was with her. After talking to his family for a time he had a sleep, then when the last third of the night came, or a little later, he sat up, looked at the sky, and recited, “In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for people of understanding,"(Al-Qur’an; 3:190) to the end of the sura. Then getting up and going to the bucket, he loosened its cord and poured some water into a bowl, then performed a good ablution between the two extremes, not going to great length, and when he had done it fully he stood up and prayed. I got up, and when I had performed ablution I stood at his left side, whereupon he took me by the ear and made me go round to his right side. His prayer was altogether thirteen rak'as. Then he lay down and slept, and he snored as was his custom. When Bilal made the call to prayer for him he prayed without performing ablution, and his supplication included these words, “O God, place light in my heart, light in my eyesight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and grant me light." Some added, “and light in my tongue," and mentioned, “my joints, my flesh, my blood, my hair, my skin." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them he said, “Place light in my soul, and give me abundant light." In another by Muslim he said, “O God, give me light."

'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.

Abu Huraira told that when God’s messenger went out one day, or night, he met Abu Bakr and 'Umar and asked them what had brought them out of their houses at that hour. When they replied that it was hunger he said, "It is the same with me. By Him in whose hand my soul is, what has brought you out has brought me out. Get up." They got up and went with him to a man of the Ansar, but he was not at home. When his wife saw him she gave a hearty welcome and God’s messenger asked her where so and so had gone, to which she replied that he had gone to get them some fresh water. At that moment the Ansari appeared, and seeing God’s messenger and his two companions he said, "Praise be to God! No one has more honourable guests to-day than I." He then went and brought them a bunch containing ripening dates, dried dates and fresh dates, and telling them to eat some of that he took his knife. God’s messenger having warned him not to kill an animal which was giving milk, he killed a sheep for them; and after they had eaten of it and of the bunch and drunk to their satisfaction God’s messenger said to Abu Bakr and 'Umar, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, you 1 will be questioned about this bounty on the day of resurrection. Hunger brought you out of your houses, then you did not return till this bounty came to you." 1. It it noteworthy that the second person pronouns in this and the following sentence are plural although two people are addressed. Muslim transmitted it. Abu Mas'ud’s tradition, "One of the Ansar..." has been mentioned in the chapter on the wedding-feast. 2 2. See p. 684.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muhammad ibn Uqba, the mawla of az Zubayr, asked al-Qasim ibn Muhammad whether he had to pay any zakat on a large sum given to him by his slave to buy his freedom. Al- Qasim said, "Abu Bakr as-Siddiq did not take zakat from anyone's property until it had been in his possession for a year."

Al- Qasim ibn Muhammad continued, "When Abu Bakr gave men their allowances he would ask them, 'Do you have any property on which zakat is due?' If they said, 'Yes,' he would take the zakat on that property out of their allowances. If they said, 'No,' he would hand over their allowances to them without deducting anything from them."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd at-Tawil from Anas ibn Malik that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he had a traceof yellow on him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked about it. He told him that he had just been married. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "How much did you hand over to her?" He said, "The weight of a date pit in gold." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Hold a feast, even if it is only with a sheep.