Malik said, "No-one should carry the Qur'an by its strap, or on a cushion, unless he is pure. If it were permissible to do so, it would also have been permissible to carry it in its cover. This is not because there is something on the hands of the one who carries it by which the Qur'an will be soiled, but because it is disapproved of for someone to carry the Qur'an without being pure out of respect for the Qur'an, and in order to honour it."

Malik said, "The best thing that I have heard about this is the ayat 'None touch it except the purified.' (Sura 56 ayat 79) It ranks with the ayat in Surat Abasa (Sura 80), where Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says, 'No, it is a reminder, and whoever wishes will remember it. Upon honoured pages, exalted and purified, by the hands of scribes, noble and obedient.' "

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which sin is the greatest in Allah's Sight?" The Prophet said, "To set up a rival unto Allah though He Alone created you . " The man said, "What is next?" The Prophet said, "To kill your son lest he should share your food with you." The man said, "What is next?" The Prophet said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor." So Allah revealed in confirmation of this narration:-- 'And those who invoke not with Allah, any other god. Nor kill, such life as Allah has forbidden except for just cause nor commit illegal sexual intercourse. And whoever does this shall receive the punishment.' (25.68)

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Which sin is the biggest in Allah's Sight?" The Prophet said, "To set up rivals unto Allah though He Alone created you." That man said, "What is next?" The Prophet said, "To kill your son lest he should share your food with you.'' The man said, "What is next?" The Prophet said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor." Then Allah revealed in confirmation of that: "And those who invoke not with Allah any other god, nor kill such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment..... (25.68)

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Umar was asked about what a pregnant woman should do if the fast became difficult for her and she feared for her child, and he said, "She should break the fast and feed a poor man one mudd of wheat in place of every day, using the mudd of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Malik said, "The people of knowledge consider that she has to make up for each day of the fast that she misses as Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, says, 'And whoever of you is sick or on a journey should fast an equal number of other days, ' and they consider her pregnancy and her concern for her child as a sickness."

I saw `Uthman performing ablution; he washed his hands thrice, rinsed his mouth and then washed his nose, by putting water in it and then blowing it out, and washed his face thrice, and then washed his right forearm up to the elbow thrice, and then the left-forearm up to the elbow thrice, then smeared his head with water, washed his right foot thrice, and then his left foot thrice and said, "I saw Allah's Apostle performing ablution similar to my present ablution, and then he said, 'Whoever performs ablution like my present ablution and then offers two rak`at in which he does not think of worldly things, all his previous sins will be forgiven."

From his father, from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) delivering a Khutbah in which he said: "Whoever gives a writ of emancipation to his slave, for one hundred Uqiyyah, and he pays it to him less then ten Uqiyah." - or he said: "Ten Dirham" - "then he becomes incapable (of paying the remainder), the he remains a slave."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib. And this acted upon according to most of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others: The Mukatab is a slave as long as something remains due from him for his Kitabah.

Al-Hajjaj bin Artat reported similarly from 'Amr bin Shu'aib.

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) passed by a pile of food. He put his fingers in it and felt wetness. He said: 'O owner of the food! What is this ?' He replied: 'It was rained upon O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Why not put it on top of the food so the people can see it?' Then he said: 'Whoever cheats, he is not one of us.'"

He said: There are narrations on this topic from Ibn 'Umar, Abu Al-Hamra', Ibn 'Abbas, Buraidah, Abu Burdah bin Niyar, and Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] The Hadith of Abu Hurairah is Hasan Sahih Hadith. This is acted upon according to the people of knowledge. They dislike cheating and they say that cheating is unlawful.

While I was with Ibn `Abbas a man came and said, "O father of `Abbas! My sustenance is from my manual profession and I make these pictures." Ibn `Abbas said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Allah's Apostle . I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes a picture will be punished by Allah till he puts life in it, and he will never be able to put life in it.' " Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Ibn `Abbas said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on making pictures I advise you to make pictures of trees and any other unanimated objects."

One night the Prophet delayed the `Isha' prayer whereupon `Umar went to him and said, "The prayer, O Allah's Apostle! The women and children had slept." The Prophet came out with water dropping from his head, and said, "Were I not afraid that it would be hard for my followers (or for the people), I would order them to pray `Isha prayer at this time." (Various versions of this Hadith are given by the narrators with slight differences in expression but not in content).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father heard Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Rabia say, "We prayed subh behind Umar ibn al-Khattab and he recited suraYusuf (Sura 12) and surat al- Hajj (Sura 22) slowly." I (Hisham's father) said, "By Allah, then it must have been his habit to get up at the crack of dawn." He said, "Of course."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba said, "I visited Umar ibn al-Khattab just before noon and found him praying a voluntary prayer. So I stood behind him, but he pulled me nearer and put me next to him, on his right hand side, and then Yarfa came and I moved back and we formed a row behind him."

The things which annul prayer were mentioned before me (and those were): a dog, a donkey and a woman. I said, "You have compared us (women) to donkeys and dogs. By Allah! I saw the Prophet praying while I used to lie in (my) bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I disliked to sit and trouble the Prophet. So, I would slip away by the side of his feet."

My grandmother Mulaika invited Allah's Apostle for a meal which she had prepared specially for him. He ate some of it and said, "Get up. I shall lead you in the prayer." I brought a mat that had become black owing to excessive use and I sprinkled water on it. Allah's Apostle stood on it and prayed two rak`at; and the orphan was with me (in the first row), and the old lady stood behind us.

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, "Anyone who takes a bath on Friday and cleans himself as much as he can and puts oil (on his hair) or scents himself; and then proceeds for the prayer and does not force his way between two persons (assembled in the mosque for the Friday prayer), and prays as much as is written for him and remains quiet when the Imam delivers the Khutba, all his sins in between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven."

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr said that Fatimah daughter of AbuHubaysh narrated to him that she asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) and complained to him about the flowing of (her) blood. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to her: That is only (due to) a vein: look, when your menstruation comes, do not pray; and when your menstruation ends, wash yourself and then offer prayer during the period from one menstruation to another.

I heard the apostle of Allah (saws) say: If anyone makes (his wife) wash and he washes himself on Friday, goes out early (for Friday prayer), attends the sermon from the beginning, walking, not riding, takes his seat near the imam, listens attentively, and does not indulge in idle talk, he will get the reward of a year's fasting and praying at night for every step he takes.

A bedouin prayed with the Prophet (saws). He then narrated the tradition (No 0380) about urinating of that bedouin.

This version adds: The Prophet (saws) said: Remove the earth where he urinated and throw it away and pour water upon the place.

Abu Dawud said: This is a mursal tradition (i.e. the narrator quotes the Prophet (saws) directly, although he did not see him). Ibn Ma'qil did not see the Prophet (saws).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to prolong the recitation of the Qur'an in the two rak'ahs after the sunset prayer until the people praying in the mosque dispersed.

Abu Dawud said: This has been reported by Nasr al-Mujaddir from Ya'qub al-Qummi with the same chain of narrators.

Abu Dawud said: Muhammad b. 'Isa b. al-tabba' transmitted from Nasr al-Mujaddir from Ya'qub in like manner.

That she borrowed a necklace from Asma' and it was lost. Allah's Apostle sent some of his companions to look for it. During their journey the time of prayer was due and they prayed without ablution. When they returned to the Prophet they complained about it. So the Divine Verse of Tayammum was revealed. Usaid bin Hudair said (to `Aisha), "May Allah reward you handsomely. By Allah, whenever you have a difficulty, Allah took you out of it and brought with it, a Blessing for the Muslims."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim Salama ibn Dinar from Sahl ibn Said as-Saidi that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to the tribe of Bani Amr ibn Awf to settle their disputes .The time for the prayer came and the muadhdhin came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, "Could you lead the people in prayer and I will say the iqama?" He said, "Yes," and Abu Bakr prayed. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came back while the people were praying, and approached and joined the row. People clapped, but Abu Bakr did not turn round. The people increased their clapping, and Abu Bakr turned round and saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicated to him to stay in his place. Abu Bakr raised his hands and praised Allah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had told him to do that. Then he drew back until he was in the row, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stepped forward and led the prayer. When he had finished he said, "Abu Bakr, what stopped you from staying put like I told you?" Abu Bakr said, "It is not for Ibn Abi Quhafa to pray in front of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Why did I see you all clapping so much? If something happens to you in the prayer you should say 'Subhana-llah' (Glory be to Allah), and when you say 'Subhana-llah' you will be heard. Clapping is only for women."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd arRahman ibn Harmala that a man asked Said ibn al-Musayyab about what a man who was junub and had done tayammum should do when he came across water. Said said, "When he comes across water he must do ghusl for what comes after."

Malik said about some one who had a wet dream while he was on a journey and there was only enough water for wudu and he was not thirsty and so he did not need to use it for that, "Let him wash his genitals, and whatever the semen has fallen on, with the water and then he does tayammum with good earth as Allah has ordered him."

Malik was asked whether a man who was junub and wished to do tayammum but could only find salty earth could do tayammum with that earth, and whether it was disapproved of to pray on salty earth. He said, "There is no harm in praying on salty earth or in using it to do tayammum, because Allah the Blessed and Exalted has said, '...and do tayammum with good earth.' One is purified by tayammum with everything that is earth, whether it is salty or otherwise."

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed, he began with himself and said: May the mercy of Allah be upon us and upon Moses. If he had patience, he would have seen marvels from his Companion. But he said: "(Moses) said: If ever I ask thee about anything after this, keep me not in they company: then wouldst thou have received (full) excuse from my side". Hamzah lengthened it.

I and my father went to the house of my father-in-law from the Ansar to pay a sick visit to him. The time of prayer came. He said to someone of his relatives: O girl! bring me water for ablution so that I pray and get comfort. We objected to him for it. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: Get up, Bilal, and give us comfort by the prayer.