Yahya related to me from Malik, from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad, that Amra bint 'Abd ar-Rahman told him that Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan once wrote to A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, "'Abdullah ibn Abbas said that whatever was haram for some one doing hajj was also haram for some one who sent a sacrificial animal until the animal was sacrificed. I have sent one, so write and tell me what you say about this, or tell the man in charge of the animal what to do.

Amra said that A'isha said, "It is notas Ibn Abbas has said. I once plaited the garlands for the sacrificial animal of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with my own two hands. Then after that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself put the garlands on the animal and then sent it with my father. And there was nothing that Allah had made halal forthe Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that was haram for him until such time as the animal had been sacrificed."

Abu Hurairah said “When Allah, the Exalted, granted the conquest of Makkah to his Apostle, the Prophet(saws) stood among them(the people) and praised Allaah and extolled Him. He then said, Verily Allaah stopped the Elephant from Makkah, and gave His Apostle and the believers sway upon it and it has been made lawful for me only for one hour on one day then it will remain sacred till the Day of Resurrection. Its trees are not to be cut, its game is not to be molested and the things dropped there are to be picked up only by one who publicly announces it. ‘Abbas or Al ‘Abbas suggested “Apostle of Allaah(saws) except the rush(idhkir) for it is useful for our graves and our houses. The Apostle of Allaah(saws) said “Except the rush.”

Abu Dawud said “Ibn Al Musaffa added on the authority of Al Walid Abu Shah a man from the people of the Yemen stood and said “Give me in writing, Apostle of Allaah(saws)”. The Apostle of Allaah(saws) said “Give in writing to Abu Shah. I said to Al Awza’i “What does the statement mean? Give Abu Shah in writing?” He said “This was an address which he heard from the Apostle of Allaah(saws).”

The Prophet set out with the intention of going to Suq `Ukaz (market of `Ukaz) along with some of his companions. At the same time, a barrier was put between the devils and the news of heaven. Fire commenced to be thrown at them. The Devils went to their people, who asked them, "What is wrong with you?" They said, "A barrier has been placed between us and the news of heaven. And fire has been thrown at us." They said, "The thing which has put a barrier between you and the news of heaven must be something which has happened recently. Go eastward and westward and see what has put a barrier between you and the news of heaven." Those who went towards Tuhama came across the Prophet at a place called Nakhla and it was on the way to Suq `Ukaz and the Prophet was offering the Fajr prayer with his companions. When they heard the Qur'an they listened to it and said, "By Allah, this is the thing which has put a barrier between us and the news of heaven." They went to their people and said, "O our people; verily we have heard a wonderful recital (Qur'an) which shows the true path; we believed in it and would not ascribe partners to our Lord." Allah revealed the following verses to his Prophet (Sura 'Jinn') (72): "Say: It has been revealed to me." And what was revealed to him was the conversation of the Jinns.

Once `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, said, "Who amongst you remembers the statement of Allah's Apostle regarding the afflictions?" Hudhaifa replied, "I remember what he said exactly." `Umar said. "Tell (us), you are really a daring man!'' Hudhaifa said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'A man's afflictions (i.e. wrong deeds) concerning his relation to his family, his property and his neighbors are expiated by his prayers, giving in charity and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.' " `Umar said, "I don't mean these afflictions but the afflictions that will be heaving up and down like waves of the sea." Hudhaifa replied, "O chief of the believers! You need not fear those (afflictions) as there is a closed door between you and them." `Umar asked, "Will that door be opened or broken?" Hudhaifa replied, "No, it will be broken." `Umar said, "Then it is very likely that the door will not be closed again." Later on the people asked Hudhaifa, "Did `Umar know what that door meant?" He said. "Yes, `Umar knew it as everyone knows that there will be night before the tomorrow morning. I narrated to `Umar an authentic narration, not lies." We dared not ask Hudhaifa; therefore we requested Masruq who asked him, "What does the door stand for?" He said, "`Umar."

Malik related to me that he had heard that Umar ibn al-Khattab estimated the full blood-money for the people of urban areas. For those who had gold, he made it one thousand dinars. and for those who had silver he made it ten thousand dirhams.

Malik said, "The people of gold are the people of ash-Sham and the people of Egypt. The people of silver are the people of Iraq "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that the blood-money was divided into instalments over three or four years.

Malik said, "Three is the most preferable to me of what I have heard on that."

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things in our community is that camels are not accepted from the people of cities for blood-money nor is gold or silver accepted from the desert people. Silver is not accepted from the people of gold and gold is not accepted from the people of silver."

We set out with Allah's Apostle in the year of his Last Hajj and we mended (the Ihram) for `Umra. Then the Prophet said, "Whoever has a Hadi with him should assume Ihram for both Hajj and `Umra, and should not finish it till he performs both of the them (Hajj and `Umra)." When we reached Mecca, I had my menses. When we had performed our Hajj, the Prophet sent me with `Abdur-Rahman to Tan`im and I performed the `Umra. The Prophet said, "This is in lieu of your missed `Umra." Those who had assumed Ihram for `Umra performed Tawaf (between Safa and Marwa) and then finished their Ihram. And then they performed another Tawaf (between Safa and Marwa) after returning from Mina. And those who had assumed lhram for Hajj and `Umra to get her ( Hajj-Qiran ) performed only one Tawaf (between Safa and Marwa).

"A man among the Ansar decided to free a slave of his after his death. He died but he left no wealth behind beside the slave. So the Prophet (saws) sold him and Nu'aim [bin 'Abdullah] bin An-Nah-ham bought him." Jabir said: "He was Coptic slave who died during the first year of the leadership of Ibn Az-Zubair."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih and it has been reported through more than one route from Jabir bin 'Abdullah.

This Hadith is acted upon according to some of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others. They did not see any harm in the sale of Mudabbar. This is the view of Ash-Shafi'i, Ahmad and Ishaq. There are those among people of knowledge, among the Companions of the Prophet (saws) and others, who disliked selling the Mudabbar. This is the view of Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Malik and Al-Awza'i.

The Prophet said to me, "Recite (the Qur'an) to me." I said, "O Allah's Apostle Shall I recite (the Qur'an) to you while it has been revealed to you?" He said, "Yes." So I recited Surat-An-Nisa' (The Women), but when I recited the Verse: 'How (will it be) then when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people.' (4.41) He said, "Enough for the present," I looked at him and behold! His eyes were overflowing with tears

Once Sa`da bint Zam`a went out at night for some need, and `Umar saw her, and recognizing her, he said (to her), "By Allah, O Sa`da! You cannot hide yourself from us." So she returned to the Prophet and mentioned that to him while he was sitting in my dwelling taking his supper and holding a bone covered with meat in his hand. Then the Divine Inspiration was revealed to him and when that state was over, he (the Prophet was saying: "O women! You have been allowed by Allah to go out for your needs."

Allah's Apostle and I entered the house of Maimuna. A roasted mastigure was served. Allah's Apostle stretched his hand out (to eat of it) but some woman said, "Inform Allah's Apostle of what he is about to eat." So they said, "It is mastigure, O Allah's Apostle!" He withdrew his hand, whereupon I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Is it unlawful?" He said, "No, but this is not found in the land of my people, so I dislike it." So I pulled the mastigure towards me and ate it while Allah's Apostle was looking at me.

A man asked permission to enter upon Allah's Apostle. The Prophet said, "Admit him. What an evil brother of his people or a son of his people." But when the man entered, the Prophet spoke to him in a very polite manner. (And when that person left) I said, "O Allah's Apostle! You had said what you had said, yet you spoke to him in a very polite manner?" The Prophet said, "O `Aisha! The worst people are those whom the people desert or leave in order to save themselves from their dirty language or from their transgression."

The Prophet said, "I will be standing at the Lake-Fount so that I will see whom among you will come to me; and some people will be taken away from me, and I will say, 'O Lord, (they are) from me and from my followers.' Then it will be said, 'Did you notice what they did after you? By Allah, they kept on turning on their heels (turned as renegades).' " The sub-narrator, Ibn Abi Mulaika said, "O Allah, we seek refuge with You from turning on our heels, or being put to trial in our religion."

We were with the Prophet and he was holding the hand of `Umar bin Al-Khattab. `Umar said to Him, "O Allah's Apostle! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self." The Prophet said, "No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self." Then `Umar said to him, "However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self." The Prophet said, "Now, O `Umar, (now you are a believer).

While the Prophet was delivering a sermon on the Day of Nahr (i.e., 10th Dhul-Hijja-Day of slaughtering the sacrifice), a man got up saying, "I thought, O Allah's Apostle, such-and-such a thing was to be done before such-and-such a thing." Another man got up, saying, "O Allah's Apostle! As regards these three (acts of Hajj), thought so-and-so." The Prophet said, "Do, and there is no harm," concerning all those matters on that day. And so, on that day, whatever question he was asked, he said, "Do it, do it, and there is no harm therein."

A woman asked the Prophet (Hadith 456).

Narrated `Aisha:

A woman asked the Prophet about the periods: How to take a bath after the periods. He said, "Take a perfumed piece of cloth and clean yourself with it." She said,' "How shall I clean myself with it, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "Clean yourself" She said again, "How shall I clean myself, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "Clean yourself with it." Then I knew what Allah's Apostle meant. So I pulled her aside and explained it to her.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to make supplication during the prayer saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of the Antichrist; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of life and the trial of death; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sin and debt." Someone said to him: How often you seek refuge from debt! He replied: When a man is in debt, he talks and tells lies, makes promises and breaks them.

When a man from the Ansar quarreled with Az-Zubair, the Prophet said, "O Zubair! Irrigate (your land) first and then let the water flow (to the land of the others)." "On that the Ansari said, (to the Prophet), "It is because he is your aunt's son." On that the Prophet said, "O Zubair! Irrigate till the water reaches the walls between the pits around the trees and then stop (i.e. let the water go to the other's land)." I think the following verse was revealed concerning this event: "But no, by your Lord They can have No faith Until they make you judge In all disputes between them." (4.65)

That during the Mina days, Abu Bakr came to her, while there where two girls with her, beating drums, and the Prophet was (lying) covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked the two girls, but the Prophet uncovered his face and said, "O Abu Bakr! Leave them, for these are the days of Id (festival)." Those days were the days of Mina-. `Aisha added, "I was being screened by the Prophet while I was watching the Ethiopians playing in the Mosque. `Umar rebuked them, but the Prophet said, "Leave them, O Bani Arfida! Play. (for) you are safe."

Yahya said that Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things in our community is that retaliation is taken from someone who breaks someone's hand or foot intentionally and not blood-money."

Malik said, "Retaliation is not inflicted on anyone until the wound of the injured party has healed. Then retaliation is inflicted on him. If the wound of the person on whom the retaliation has been inflicted is like the first person's wound when it heals, it is retaliation. If the wound of the one on whom the retaliation has been inflicted becomes worse or he dies, there is nothing held against the one who has taken retaliation. If the wound of the person on whom the retaliation has been inflicted heals and the injured party is paralysed or his injury has healed but he has a scar, defect, or blemish, the person on whom the retaliation has been inflicted does not have his hand broken again and further retaliation is not taken for his injury."

He said, "But there is blood-money from him according to what he has impaired or maimed of the hand of the injured party. The bodily injury is also like that."

Malik said, "When a man intentionally goes to his wife and gouges out her eye or breaks her hand or cuts off her finger or such like, and does it intentionally, retaliation is inflicted on him. As for a man who strikes his wife with a rope or a whip and hits what he did not mean to hit or does what he did not intend to do, he pays blood-money for what he has struck according to this principle, and retaliation is not inflicted on him."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abu Bakr ibn Muhammd ibn Amr ibn Hazm took retaliation for the breaking of a leg.

Yahya related to me from Malik from more than one source that when Abdullah ibn Masud was in Kufa, he was asked for an opinion about marrying the mother after marrying the daughter when the marriage with the daughter had not been consummated. He permitted it. When Ibn Masud came to Madina, he asked about it and was told that it was not as he had said, and that this condition referred to foster-mothers. Ibn Masud returnedto Kufa,and he had just reached his dwelling when the man who had asked him for the opinion came to visit and he ordered him to separate from his wife.

Malik said that if a man married the mother of a woman who was his wife and he had sexual relations with the mother then his wife was haram for him, and he had to separate from both of them. They were both haram to him forever, if he had had sexual relations with the mother. If he had not had relations with the mcther, his wife was not haram for him, and he separated from the mother.

Malik explained further about the man who married a woman, and then married her mother and cohabited with her, "The mother will never be halal for him, and she is not halal for his father or his son, and any daughters of hers are not halal for him and so his wife is haram for him."

Malik said, "Fornication however, does not make any of that haram because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, mentioned 'the mothers of your wives,' as one whom marriage made haram, and he didn't mention the making haram by fornication. Every marriage in a halal manner in which a man cohabits with his wife, is a halal marriage. This is what I have heard, and this is how things are done among us."

'Uwaimir Al-`Ajlani came to `Asim bin `Adi and said, "If a man found another man with his wife and killed him, would you sentence the husband to death (in Qisas,) i.e., equality in punishment)? O `Asim! Please ask Allah's Apostle about this matter on my behalf." `Asim asked the Prophet but the Prophet disliked the question and disapproved of it. `Asim returned and informed 'Uwaimir that the Prophet disliked that type of question. 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will go (personally) to the Prophet." 'Uwaimir came to the Prophet when Allah had already revealed Qur'anic Verses (in that respect), after `Asim had left (the Prophet ). So the Prophet said to 'Uwaimir, "Allah has revealed Qur'anic Verses regarding you and your wife." The Prophet then called for them, and they came and carried out the order of Lian. Then 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Apostle! Now if I kept her with me, I would be accused of telling a lie." So 'Uwaimir divorced her although the Prophet did not order him to do so. Later on this practice of divorcing became the tradition of couples involved in a case of Li'an. The Prophet said (to the people). "Wait for her! If she delivers a red short (small) child like a Wahra (a short red animal). then I will be of the opinion that he ('Uwaimir) has told a lie but if she delivered a black big-eyed one with big buttocks, then I will be of the opinion that he has told the truth about her." 'Ultimately she gave birth to a child that proved the accusation. (See Hadith No. 269, Vol. 6)

That his father said, "In the year of the last Hajj of the Prophet I became seriously ill and the Prophet used to visit me inquiring about my health. I told him, 'I am reduced to this state because of illness and I am wealthy and have no inheritors except a daughter, (In this narration the name of 'Amir bin Sa`d is mentioned and in fact it is a mistake; the narrator is `Aisha bint Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas). Should I give two-thirds of my property in charity?' He said, 'No.' I asked, 'Half?' He said, 'No.' then he added, 'Onethird, and even one-third is much. You'd better leave your inheritors wealthy rather than leaving them poor, begging others. You will get a reward for whatever you spend for Allah's sake, even for what you put in your wife's mouth.' I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Will I be left alone after my companions have gone?' He said, 'If you are left behind, whatever good deeds you will do will upgrade you and raise you high. And perhaps you will have a long life so that some people will be benefited by you while others will be harmed by you. O Allah! Complete the emigration of my companions and do not turn them renegades.' But Allah's Apostle felt sorry for poor Sa`d bin Khaula as he died in Mecca." (but Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas lived long after the Prophet (p.b.u.h).)

While I was standing in the row on the day (of the battle) of Badr, I looked to my right and my left and saw two young Ansari boys, and I wished I had been stronger than they. One of them called my attention saying, "O Uncle! Do you know Abu Jahl?" I said, "Yes, What do you want from him, O my nephew?" He said, "I have been informed that he abuses Allah's Apostle. By Him in Whose Hands my life is, if I should see him, then my body will not leave his body till either of us meet his fate." I was astonished at that talk. Then the other boy called my attention saying the same as the other had said. After a while I saw Abu Jahl walking amongst the people. I said (to the boys), "Look! This is the man you asked me about." So, both of them attacked him with their swords and struck him to death and returned to Allah'S Apostle to inform him of that. Allah's Apostle asked, "Which of you has killed him?" Each of them said, "I Have killed him." Allah's Apostle asked, "Have you cleaned your swords?" They said, "No. " He then looked at their swords and said, "No doubt, you both have killed him and the spoils of the deceased will be given to Mu`adh bin `Amr bin Al-Jamuh." The two boys were Mu`adh bin 'Afra and Mu`adh bin `Amr bin Al-Jamuh.

Abu Bakr bought a (camel's) saddle from `Azib, and I carried it for him. `Azib (i.e. my father) asked Abu Bakr regarding the journey of the migration of Allah's Apostle. Abu Bakr said, "Close observers were appointed by our enemies to watch us. So we went out at night and travelled throughout the night and the following day till it was noon, then we perceived a rock and went towards it, and there was some shade under it. I spread a cloak I had with me for Allah's Apostle and then the Prophet layed on it. I went out to guard him and all of a sudden I saw a shepherd coming with his sheep looking for the same, the shade of the rock as we did, I asked him, 'O boy, to whom do you belong?' He replied, 'I belong to so-and-so.' I asked him, 'Is there some milk in your sheep?' He replied in the affirmative. I asked him, 'Will you milk?' He replied in the affirmative. Then he got hold of one of his sheep. I said to him, 'Remove the dust from its udder.' Then he milked a little milk. I had a water-skin with me which was tied with a piece of cloth. I had prepared the water-skin for Allah's Apostle . So I poured some water over the milk (container) till its bottom became cold. Then I brought the milk to the Prophet and said, 'Drink, O Allah's Apostle.' Allah's Apostle drank till I became pleased. Then we departed and the pursuers were following us."

Allah's Apostle was fond of honey and sweet edible things and (it was his habit) that after finishing the `Asr prayer he would visit his wives and stay with one of them at that time. Once he went to Hafsa, the daughter of `Umar and stayed with her more than usual. I got jealous and asked the reason for that. I was told that a lady of her folk had given her a skin filled with honey as a present, and that she made a syrup from it and gave it to the Prophet to drink (and that was the reason for the delay). I said, "By Allah we will play a trick on him (to prevent him from doing so)." So I said to Sa`da bint Zam`a "The Prophet will approach you, and when he comes near you, say: 'Have you taken Maghafir (a bad-smelling gum)?' He will say, 'No.' Then say to him: 'Then what is this bad smell which i smell from you?' He will say to you, 'Hafsa made me drink honey syrup.' Then say: Perhaps the bees of that honey had sucked the juice of the tree of Al-`Urfut.' I shall also say the same. O you, Safiyya, say the same." Later Sa`da said, "By Allah, as soon as he (the Prophet ) stood at the door, I was about to say to him what you had ordered me to say because I was afraid of you." So when the Prophet came near Sa`da, she said to him, "O Allah's Apostle! Have you taken Maghafir?" He said, "No." She said. "Then what is this bad smell which I detect on you?" He said, "Hafsa made me drink honey syrup." She said, "Perhaps its bees had sucked the juice of Al-`Urfut tree." When he came to me, I also said the same, and when he went to Safiyya, she also said the same. And when the Prophet again went to Hafsa, she said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Shall I give you more of that drink?" He said, "I am not in need of it." Sa`da said, "By Allah, we deprived him (of it)." I said to her, "Keep quiet." '

The Prophet (saws) said: The day of Arafah, the day of sacrifice, the days of tashriq are (the days of) our festival, O people of Islam. These are the days of eating and drinking.

The most frequent invocation of The Prophet was: "O Allah! Give to us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire." (2.201)

That the Prophet used to take him (i.e. Usama) and Al-Hassan (in his lap) and say: "O Allah! Love them, as I love them."

(the mother of the faithful believers) I said, "O Allah's Apostle! We consider Jihad as the best deed." The Prophet said, "The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj Mabrur. "

`Umar said, O Allah! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let my death be in the city of Your Apostle."

One day the Messenger of Allah (saws) entered the mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called AbuUmamah.

He said: What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the mosque when there is no time of prayer?

He said: I am entangled in cares and debts, Messenger of Allah.

He replied: Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will remove your care, and settle your debt?

He said: Why not, Messenger of Allah?

He said: Say in the morning and evening: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from care and grief, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity and slackness, I seek refuge in Thee from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek in Thee from being overcome by debt and being put in subjection by men."

He said: When I did that Allah removed my care and settled my debt.

I came upon `Abdullah and he said, "When Allah's Apostle invited Quraish (to Islam), they disbelieved him and stood against him. So he (the Prophet) said, "O Allah! Help me against them by afflicting them with seven years of famine similar to the seven years of Joseph.' So they were stricken with a year of drought that destroyed everything, and they started eating dead animals, and if one of them got up he would see something like smoke between him and the sky from the severe fatigue and hunger." `Abdullah then recited:-- 'Then watch you for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible, covering the people. This is a painful torment... (till he reached) ........ We shall indeed remove the punishment for a while, but truly you will revert (to heathenism): (44.10-15) `Abdullah added: "Will the punishment be removed from them on the Day of Resurrection?" He added," The severe grasp" was the Day of the Battle of Badr."

I heard `Aisha saying, "The Prophet used to stay for a long while with Zanab bint Jahsh and drink honey at her house. So Hafsa and I decided that if the Prophet came to anyone of us, she should say him, "I detect the smell of Maghafir (a nasty smelling gum) in you. Have you eaten Maghafir?' " So the Prophet visited one of them and she said to him similarly. The Prophet said, "Never mind, I have taken some honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh, but I shall never drink of it anymore." So there was revealed: 'O Prophet ! Why do you ban (for you) that which Allah has made lawful for you . . . If you two (wives of Prophet) turn in repentance to Allah,' (66.1-4) addressing Aisha and Hafsa. 'When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to some of his wives.' (66.3) namely his saying: But I have taken some honey."

The jews came to Allah's Apostle and mentioned to him that a man and a lady among them had committed illegal sexual intercourse. Allah's Apostle said to them, "What do you find in the Torah regarding the Rajam?" They replied, "We only disgrace and flog them with stripes." `Abdullah bin Salam said to them, 'You have told a lie the penalty of Rajam is in the Torah.' They brought the Torah and opened it. One of them put his hand over the verse of the Rajam and read what was before and after it. `Abdullah bin Salam said to him, "Lift up your hand." Where he lifted it there appeared the verse of the Rajam. So they said, "O Muhammad! He has said the truth, the verse of the Rajam is in it (Torah)." Then Allah's Apostle ordered that the two persons (guilty of illegal sexual intercourse) be stoned to death, and so they were stoned, and I saw the man bending over the woman so as to protect her from the stones.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said that Abasa (Sura 80) was sent down about Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum. He came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and began to say, "O Muhammad, show me a place near you (where I can sit)," whilst one of the leading men of the idol worshippers was in audience with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to turn away from him and give his attention to the other man, and he said to him, "Father of so-and-so, do you see any harm in what I am saying?" and he said, "No, by the blood (of our sacrifices) I see no harm in what you are saying." And Abasa - "He frowned and turned away when the blind man came" - was sent down.

I came to Medina when an epidemic had broken out. While I was sitting with `Umar bin Al-Khattab a funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. `Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." And another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. `Umar said, "It has been affirmed to him." A third (funeral procession) passed by and the people spoke badly of the deceased. He said, "It has been affirmed to him." I (Abu Al-Aswad) asked, "O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?" He replied, "I said the same as the Prophet had said, that is: if four persons testify the piety of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise." We asked, "If three persons testify his piety?" He (the Prophet) replied, "Even three." Then we asked, "If two?" He replied, "Even two." We did not ask him regarding one witness.

I heard Sahl bin Sa`d saying, "A woman brought a Burda (i.e. a square piece of cloth having edging). I asked, 'Do you know what a Burda is?' They replied in the affirmative and said, "It is a cloth sheet with woven margins." Sahl went on, "She addressed the Prophet and said, 'I have woven it with my hands for you to wear.' The Prophet took it as he was in need of it, and came to us wearing it as a waist sheet. One of us said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Give it to me to wear.' The Prophet agreed to give it to him. The Prophet sat with the people for a while and then returned (home), wrapped that waist sheet and sent it to him. The people said to that man, 'You haven't done well by asking him for it when you know that he never turns down anybody's request.' The man replied, 'By Allah, I have not asked him for it except to use it as my shroud when I die." Sahl added; "Later it (i.e. that sheet) was his shroud."

While I was on my way, all of a sudden I saw a shepherd driving his sheep, I asked him whose servant he was. He replied that he was the servant of a man from Quraish, and then he mentioned his name and I recognized him. I asked, "Do your sheep have some milk?" He replied in the affirmative. I said, "Are you going to milk for me?" He replied in the affirmative. I ordered him and he tied the legs of one of the sheep. Then I told him to clean the udder (teats) of dust and to remove dust off his hands. He removed the dust off his hands by clapping his hands. He then milked a little milk. I put the milk for Allah's Apostle in a pot and closed its mouth with a piece of cloth and poured water over it till it became cold. I took it to the Prophet and said, "Drink, O Allah's Apostle!" He drank it till I was pleased.

The delegates of the tribe of `Abdul-Qais came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We are from the tribe of Rabi`a, and there is the infidels of the tribe of Mudar intervening between you and us, so we cannot come to you except in the Sacred Months. So please order us some instructions that we may apply it to ourselves and also invite our people whom we left behind us to observe as well." The Prophet said, "I order you (to do) four (things) and forbid you (to do) four: I order you to believe in Allah, that is, to testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah (the Prophet pointed with his hand); to offer prayers perfectly; to pay Zakat; to fast the month of Ramadan, and to pay the Khumus (i.e. one-fifth) of the war booty to Allah and I forbid you to use Ad-dubba', An-Naqir, Al-Hantam and Al-Muzaffat (i.e. utensils used for preparing alcoholic drinks)." (See Hadith No. 50, Vol. 1).

The Prophet offered one of the evening prayers (the sub-narrator Muhammad said, "I think that it was most probably the `Asr prayer") and he finished it after offering two rak`at only. He then stood near a price of wood in front of the Mosque and put his hand over it. Abu Bakr and `Umar were amongst those who were present, but they dared not talk to him about that (because of excessive respect for him), and those who were in a hurry went out. They said, "Has the prayer been reduced?" A man who was called Dhul-Yadain by the Prophet said (to the Prophet), "Has the prayer been reduced or have you forgotten?" He said, "Neither have I forgotten, nor has the prayer been reduced." He said, "Certainly you have forgotten." So the Prophet offered two more rak`at and performed Taslim and then said Takbir and performed a prostration of Sahu like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer and then raised his head and said Takbir and then put his head down and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer, and then raised his head and said Takbir.