Wahb ibn Munabbih said: Abdullah ibn Amr asked the Prophet (saws); In how many days should one complete the recitation of the Qur'an? He said: In forty days. He then said: In one month. He again said: In twenty days. He then said: In fifteen days. He then said: In ten days. Finally he said: In seven days.

My father said, "The Prophet uses to recite Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two rak`at of the prayer and used to recite only Al-Fatiha in the last two rak`at of the Zuhr prayer. Sometimes a verse or so was audible and he used to prolong the first rak`a more than the second and used to do the same in the `Asr and Fajr prayers."

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) sat on his camel to go out on a journey, he said: "Allah is Most Great" three times. Then he said: "Glory be to Him Who has made subservient to us, for we had not the strength for it, and to our Lord do we return. O Allah, we ask Thee in this journey of ours, uprightness, piety and such deeds as are pleasing to Thee. O Allah, make easy for us this journey of ours and make its length short for us. O Allah, Thou art the Companion in the journey, and the One Who looks after the family and property in our absence." When he returned, he said these words adding: "Returning, repentant, serving and praising our Lord." The Prophet (saws) and his armies said: "Allah is Most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when armies said: "Allah is most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when they descended, they said: "Glory be to Allah." So the prayer was patterned on that.

In the lifetime of Allah's Apostle the mosque was built of adobes, its roof of the leaves of date-palms and its pillars of the stems of date-palms. Abu Bakr did not alter it. `Umar expanded it on the same pattern as it was in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle by using adobes, leaves of date-palms and changing the pillars into wooden ones. `Uthman changed it by expanding it to a great extent and built its walls with engraved stones and lime and made its pillars of engraved stones and its roof of teak wood.

I never used to leave in the Prophet house anything carrying images or crosses but he obliterated it.

The Prophet said, "Allah will say to that person of the (Hell) Fire who will receive the least punishment, 'If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself (i.e. save yourself from this Fire)?' He will say, 'Yes.' Then Allah will say, 'While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, i.e. not to worship others besides Me, but you insisted on worshipping others besides me.' "

Once `Umar gave a horse in charity to be used in holy fighting. It had been given to him by Allah's Apostle . `Umar gave it to another man to ride. Then `Umar was informed that the man put the horse for sale, so he asked Allah's Apostle whether he could buy it. Allah's Apostle replied, "You should not buy it, for you should not take back what you have given in charity."

The Prophet saw expectoration (on the wall of the mosque) in the direction of the Qibla and scraped it off with his hand. It seemed that he disliked it and the sign of disgust was apparent from his face. He said, "If anyone of you stands for the prayer, he is speaking in private to his Lord, (or) his Lord is between him and his Qibla, therefore he should not spit towards his Qibla, but he could spit either on his left or under his foot." Then he took the corner of his sheet and spat in it, folded it and said, "Or do this."

We used to be very happy on Friday as an old lady used to cut some roots of the Silq, which we used to plant on the banks of our small water streams, and cook them in a pot of her's, adding to them, some grains of barley. (Ya'qub, the sub-narrator said, "I think the narrator mentioned that the food did not contain fat or melted fat (taken from meat).") When we offered the Friday prayer we would go to her and she would serve us with the dish. So, we used to be happy on Fridays because of that. We used not to take our meals or the midday nap except after the Jumua prayer (i.e. Friday prayer).

On the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijja, in the year prior to the last Hajj of the Prophet when Abu Bakr was the leader of the pilgrims in that Hajj) Abu Bakr sent me along with other announcers to Mina to make a public announcement: "No pagan is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba. Then Allah's Apostle sent `Ali to read out the Surat Bara'a (at-Tauba) to the people; so he made the announcement along with us on the day of Nahr in Mina: "No pagan is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba."

`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "O Allah's Apostle! I vowed in the Pre-Islamic period to perform I`tikaf in Al-Masjid-al-Haram for one night." The Prophet said, "Fulfill your vow." So, he performed I`tikaf for one night.

When the Prophet (saws) proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Messenger of Allah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible that Allah might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home. Allah, the Almighty , will bestow martyrdom upon you.

The narrator said: Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission from the Prophet (saws) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He, therefore, permitted her (to do so).

She announced that her slave and slave-girl would be free after her death. One night they went to her and strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died, and they ran away.

Next day Umar announced among the people, "Anyone who has knowledge about them, or has seen them, should bring them (to him)."

Umar (after their arrest) ordered (to crucify them) and they were crucified. This was the first crucifixion at Medina.

When Allah's Apostle came to Mecca, he refused to enter the Ka`ba with idols in it. He ordered (idols to be taken out). So they were taken out. The people took out the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael holding Azlams in their hands. Allah's Apostle said, "May Allah curse these people. By Allah, both Abraham and Ishmael never did the game of chance with Azlams." Then he entered the Ka`ba and said Takbir at its corners but did not offer the prayer in it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab gave a horse to carry some one in the way of Allah, and then he wished to buy it back. So he asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it, and he said, "Do not buy or take back your sadaqa."

`Abdullah bin `Umar said, "I knew that the land was rented for cultivation in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle ." Later on Ibn `Umar was afraid that the Prophet had forbidden it, and he had no knowledge of it, so he gave up renting his land.

Somebody said to Usama, "Will you go to so-and-so (i.e. `Uthman) and talk to him (i.e. advise him regarding ruling the country)?" He said, "You see that I don't talk to him. Really I talk to (advise) him secretly without opening a gate (of affliction), for neither do I want to be the first to open it (i.e. rebellion), nor will I say to a man who is my ruler that he is the best of all the people after I have heard something from Allah s Apostle ." They said, What have you heard him saying? He said, "I have heard him saying, "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of (Hell) Fire will gather around him and say: O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself."

(as regards) Allah's Statement: "Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith." (75.16) When Gabriel revealed the Divine Inspiration in Allah's Apostle , he (Allah's Apostle) moved his tongue and lips, and that state used to be very hard for him, and that movement indicated that revelation was taking place. So Allah revealed in Surat Al-Qiyama which begins: 'I do swear by the Day of Resurrection...' (75) the Verses:-- 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it (Qur'an) in your mind, and give you the ability to recite it by heart. (75.16-17) Ibn `Abbas added: It is for Us to collect it (Qur'an) (in your mind), and give you the ability to recite it by heart means, "When We reveal it, listen. Then it is for Us to explain it," means, 'It is for us to explain it through your tongue.' So whenever Gabriel came to Allah's Apostle ' he would keep quiet (and listen), and when the Angel left, the Prophet would recite that revelation as Allah promised him.

Abu Huraira said, "Abu Bakr sent me in that Hajj in which he was the chief of the pilgrims along with the announcers whom he sent on the Day of Nahr to announce at Mina: "No pagan shall perform Hajj after this year, and none shall perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba in a naked state." Humaid added: That the Prophet sent `Ali bin Abi Talib (after Abu Bakr) and ordered him to recite aloud in public Surat-Baraa. Abu Huraira added, "So `Ali, along with us, recited Bara'a (loudly) before the people at Mina on the Day of Nahr and announced "No pagan shall perform Hajj after this year and none shall perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba in a naked state."

I had a she-camel which I got in my share from the booty of the battle of Badr, and the Prophet had given me another she camel from the Khumus which Allah had bestowed on him that day. And when I intended to celebrate my marriage to Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, I made an arrangement with a goldsmith from Bani Qainuqa 'that he should go with me to bring Idhkhir (i.e. a kind of grass used by gold-smiths) which I intended to sell to gold-smiths in order to spend its price on the marriage banquet. While I was collecting ropes and sacks of pack saddles for my two she-camels which were kneeling down beside an Ansari's dwelling and after collecting what I needed, I suddenly found that the humps of the two she-camels had been cut off and their flanks had been cut open and portions of their livers had been taken out. On seeing that, I could not help weeping. I asked, "Who has done that?" They (i.e. the people) said, "Hamza bin `Abdul Muttalib has done it. He is present in this house with some Ansari drinkers, a girl singer, and his friends. The singer said in her song, "O Hamza, get at the fat she-camels!" On hearing this, Hamza rushed to his sword and cut of the camels' humps and cut their flanks open and took out portions from their livers." Then I came to the Prophet, with whom Zaid bin Haritha was present. The Prophet noticed my state and asked, "What is the matter?" I said, "O Allah's Apostle, I have never experienced such a day as today! Hamza attacked my two she-camels, cut off their humps and cut their flanks open, and he is still present in a house along some drinkers." The Prophet asked for his cloak, put it on, and proceeded, followed by Zaid bin Haritha and myself, till he reached the house where Hamza was. He asked the permission to enter, and he was permitted. The Prophet started blaming Hamza for what he had done. Hamza was drunk and his eyes were red. He looked at the Prophet then raised his eyes to look at his knees and raised his eves more to look at his face and then said, "You are not but my father's slaves." When the Prophet understood that Hamza was drunk, he retreated, walking backwards went out and we left with him.

While we were sitting with the Prophet in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg and then said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time the Prophet was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his arm. We replied, "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him, "O Son of `Abdul Muttalib." The Prophet said, "I am here to answer your questions." The man said to the Prophet, "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet said, "Ask whatever you want." The man said, "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the mankind?" The Prophet replied, "By Allah, yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night (24 hours).? He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah! Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year (i.e. Ramadan)?" He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take Zakat (obligatory charity) from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet replied, "By Allah, yes." Thereupon that man said, "I have believed in all that with which you have been sent, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger, and I am Dimam bin Tha`laba from the brothers of Bani Sa`d bin Bakr."

Malik related to me that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab spoke about a man who died and left three sons and left mawali whom he had freed. Then two of his sons died and left children. He said, "The third remaining son inherits the mawali. When he dies, his children and the children of his brothers share equally in the wala' of the mawali."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that once in the time of Uthman ibn Affan the new moon had been seen in the afternoon and Uthman did not break his fast until evening had come and the sun had set.

Yahya said that he had heard Malik say that some one who sees the new moon of Ramadan when he is on his own should start the fast and not break it if he knows that that day is part of Ramadan. He added, "Some one who sees the new moon of Shawwal when he is on his own does not break the fast, because people suspect the reliability of someone among them who breaks the fast. Such people should say, when they sight the new moon, 'We have seen the new moon.' Whoever sees the new moon of Shawwal during the day should not break his fast but should continue fasting for the rest of that day. This is because it is really the new moon of the night that is coming ."

Yahya said that he heard Malik say, "If people are fasting on the day of Fitr thinking that it is still Ramadan and then definite evidence comes to them that the new moon of Ramadan had been seen one day before they began to fast and that they are now into the thirty- first day, then they should break the fast on that day at whatever time the news comes to them. However, they do not pray the id prayer if they hear the news after the sun has begun to decline."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "In the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we used to buy food. He sent orders for us to move our purchases from the place in which we purchased them to another place before we re-sold them."

(daughter of Abu Sufyan) I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Marry my sister. the daughter of Abu Sufyan." The Prophet said, "Do you like that?" I replied, "Yes, for even now I am not your only wife and I like that my sister should share the good with me." The Prophet said, "But that is not lawful for me." I said, We have heard that you want to marry the daughter of Abu Salama." He said, "(You mean) the daughter of Um Salama?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Even if she were not my step-daughter, she would be unlawful for me to marry as she is my foster niece. I and Abu Salama were suckled by Thuwaiba. So you should not present to me your daughters or your sisters (in marriage)." Narrated 'Urwa: Thuwaiba was the freed slave girl of Abu Lahb whom he had manumitted, and then she suckled the Prophet. When Abu Lahb died, one of his relatives saw him in a dream in a very bad state and asked him, "What have you encountered?" Abu Lahb said, "I have not found any rest since I left you, except that I have been given water to drink in this (the space between his thumb and other fingers) and that is because of my manumitting Thuwaiba."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "Stealing from the spoils does not appear in a people but that terror is cast into their hearts. Fornication does not spread in a people but that there is much death among them. A people do not lessen the measure and weight but that provision is cut off from them. A people do not judge without right but that blood spreads among them. A people do not betray the pledge but that Allah gives their enemies power over them."

The Prophet of Allah (saws) took silk and held it in his right hand, and took gold and held it in his left hand and said: both of these are prohibited to the males of my community.

The Prophet said, "Amongst the trees, there is a tree, the leaves of which do not fall and is like a Muslim. Tell me the name of that tree." Everybody started thinking about the trees of the desert areas. And I thought of the date-palm tree. The others then asked, "Please inform us what is that tree, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree."

Abdullah heard his son praying to Allah: O Allah, I ask Thee a white palace on the right of Paradise when I enter it. He said: O my son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from Hell-Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: In this community there will be some people who will exceed the limits in purification as well as in supplication.

`Umar bin Al-Khattab appointed a freed slave of his, called Hunai, manager of the Hima (i.e. a pasture devoted for grazing the animals of the Zakat or other specified animals). He said to him, "O Hunai! Don't oppress the Muslims and ward off their curse (invocations against you) for the invocation of the oppressed is responded to (by Allah); and allow the shepherd having a few camels and those having a few sheep (to graze their animals), and take care not to allow the livestock of `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and the livestock of (`Uthman) bin `Affan, for if their livestock should perish, then they have their farms and gardens, while those who own a few camels and those who own a few sheep, if their livestock should perish, would bring their dependents to me and appeal for help saying, 'O chief of the believers! O chief of the believers!' Would I then neglect them? (No, of course). So, I find it easier to let them have water and grass rather than to give them gold and silver (from the Muslims' treasury). By Allah, these people think that I have been unjust to them. This is their land, and during the prelslamic period, they fought for it and they embraced Islam (willingly) while it was in their possession. By Him in Whose Hand my life is! Were it not for the animals (in my custody) which I give to be ridden for striving in Allah's Cause, I would not have turned even a span of their land into a Hima."

Anas b. Malik reported that 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf and Zu'bair. b. 'Awwam complained to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about lice; he granted them concession to wear shirts of silk.

Al-Abbas asked the Prophet (saws) about paying the sadaqah (his zakat) in advance before it became due, and he gave permission to do that.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by Hushaim through a different chain of narrators. The version of Hushaim is more sound.

`Umar bin Al-Khattab gave a horse in charity in Allah's Cause and later he saw it being sold in the market and intended to purchase it. Then he went to the Prophet and asked his permission. The Prophet said, "Do not take back what you have given in charity." For this reason, Ibn `Umar never purchased the things which he had given in charity, and in case he had purchased something (unknowingly) he would give it in charity again.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Abu Idris al-Khawlani said, "I entered the Damascus mosque and there was a young man with a beautiful mouth and white teeth sitting with some people. When they disagreed about something, they referred it to him and proceeded from his statement. I inquired about him, and it was said, 'This is Muadh ibn Jabal.' The next day I went to the noon-prayer, and I found that he had preceded me to the noon prayer and I found him praying."

Abu Idris continued, "I waited for him until he had finished the prayer. Then I came to him from in front of him and greeted him and said, 'By Allah! I love you for Allah!' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' He said, 'By Allah?' I said, 'By Allah.' "

He continued, "He took me by the upper part of my cloak and pulled me to him and said, 'Rejoice! I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said, 'My love is obliged for those who love each other in Me, and those who sit with each other in Me, and those who visit each other in Me, and those who give to each other generously in Me.' " ' "

Once in a cold night, Ibn `Umar pronounced the Adhan for the prayer at Dajnan (the name of a mountain) and then said, "Pray at your homes", and informed us that Allah's Apostle used to tell the Mu'adh-dhin to pronounce Adhan and say, "Pray at your homes" at the end of the Adhan on a rainy or a very cold night during the journey."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr from Jabir ibn Abdullah as-Salami that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade a man to eat with his left hand or walk in one sandal or wrap a single garment around his drawn-up legs exposing his genitals.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Yazid, the mawla of al Aswad ibn Sufyan, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar Rahman that Abu Hurayra recited al-Inshiqaq (Sura 84) to them and prostrated in it. When he had finished he told them that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had prostrated in it.

`Umar asked the Prophet "I vowed in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance to stay in I`tikaf for one night in Al-Masjid al-Haram." The Prophet said to him, "Fulfill your vow."