Allah's Apostle used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying, "O Allah, I seek refuge with you from all sins, and from being in debt." Someone said, O Allah's Apostle! (I see you) very often you seek refuge with Allah from being in debt. He replied, "If a person is in debt, he tells lies when he speaks, and breaks his promises when he promises."

The Prophet said, "If someone leaves some property, it will be for the inheritors, and if he leaves some weak offspring, it will be for us to support them."

The Prophet said, "I am closer to the believers than their selves in this world and in the Hereafter, and if you like, you can read Allah's Statement: "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves." (33.6) So, if a true believer dies and leaves behind some property, it will be for his inheritors (from the father's side), and if he leaves behind some debt to be paid or needy offspring, then they should come to me as I am the guardian of the deceased."

Allah's Apostle said, "Procrastination (delay) in repaying debts by a wealthy person is injustice."

A man came to the Prophet and demanded his debts and used harsh words. The companions of the Prophet wanted to harm him, but the Prophet said, "Leave him, as the creditor (owner of the right) has the right to speak."

Allah's Apostle said, "If a man finds his very things with a bankrupt, he has more right to take them back than anyone else."

A man pledged that his slave would be manumitted after his death. The Prophet asked, "Who will buy the slave from me?" Nu'aim bin `Abdullah bought the slave and the Prophet took its price and gave it to the owner.

When `Abdullah (my father) died, he left behind children and debts. I asked the lenders to put down some of his debt, but they refused, so I went to the Prophet to intercede with them, yet they refused. The Prophet said (to me), "Classify your dates into their different kinds: 'Adha bin Zaid, Lean and 'Ajwa, each kind alone and call all the creditors and wait till I come to you." I did so and the Prophet came and sat beside the dates and started measuring to each his due till he paid them fully, and the amount of dates remained as it was before, as if he had not touched them. (On another occasion) I took part in one of Ghazawat among with the Prophet and I was riding one of our camels. The camel got tired and was lagging behind the others. The Prophet hit it on its back. He said, "Sell it to me, and you have the right to ride it till Medina.'' When we approached Medina, I took the permission from the Prophet to go to my house, saying, "O Allah's Apostle! I have newly married." The Prophet asked, "Have you married a virgin or a matron (a widow or divorcee)?" I said, "I have married a matron, as `Abdullah (my father) died and left behind daughters small in their ages, so I married a matron who may teach them and bring them up with good manners." The Prophet then said (to me), "Go to your family." When I went there and told my maternal uncle about the selling of the camel, he admonished me for it. On that I told him about its slowness and exhaustion and about what the Prophet had done to the camel and his hitting it. When the Prophet arrived, I went to him with the camel in the morning and he gave me its price, the camel itself, and my share from the war booty as he gave the other people.

A man came to the Prophet and said, "I am often betrayed in bargaining." The Prophet advised him, "When you buy something, say (to the seller), 'No deception." The man used to say so afterwards.

The Prophet said, "Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) to not to pay the rights of the others (e.g. charity, etc.) and (4) to beg of men (begging). And Allah has hated for you (1) vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it." I heard that from Allah's Apostle and I think that the Prophet also said, "A man is a guardian of is father's property and is responsible for it, so all of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and things under your care."

I heard a man reciting a verse (of the Holy Qur'an) but I had heard the Prophet reciting it differently. So, I caught hold of the man by the hand and took him to Allah's Apostle who said, "Both of you are right." Shu`ba, the sub-narrator said, "I think he said to them, "Don't differ, for the nations before you differed and perished (because of their differences). "

Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, "By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, "By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!" At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to the Prophet and informed him of what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it. The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet said, "Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will. be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) has also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke."

While Allah's Apostle was sitting, a Jew came and said, "O Abul Qasim! One of your companions has slapped me on my face." The Prophet asked who that was. He replied that he was one of the Ansar. The Prophet sent for him, and on his arrival, he asked him whether he had beaten the Jew. He (replied in the affirmative and) said, "I heard him taking an oath in the market saying, 'By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the human beings.' I said, 'O wicked man! (Has Allah given Moses superiority) even over Muhammad I became furious and slapped him over his face." The Prophet said, "Do not give a prophet superiority over another, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be the first to emerge from the earth, and will see Moses standing and holding one of the legs of the Throne. I will not know whether Moses has fallen unconscious or the first unconsciousness was sufficient for him."

A Jew crushed the head of a girl between two stones. The girl was asked who had crushed her head, and some names were mentioned before her, and when the name of the Jew was mentioned, she nodded agreeing. The Jew was captured and when he confessed, the Prophet ordered that his head be crushed between two stones.

A man was often cheated in buying. The Prophet said to him, "When you buy something, say (to the seller), No cheating." The man used to say so thenceforward .

A man manumitted a slave and he had no other property than that, so the Prophet canceled the manumission (and sold the slave for him). Nu'aim bin Al-Nahham bought the slave from him.

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever takes a false oath so as to take the property of a Muslim (illegally) will meet Allah while He will be angry with him." Al-Ash'ath said: By Allah, that saying concerned me. I had common land with a Jew, and the Jew later on denied my ownership, so I took him to the Prophet who asked me whether I had a proof of my ownership. When I replied in the negative, the Prophet asked the Jew to take an oath. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! He will take an oath and deprive me of my property." So, Allah revealed the following verse: "Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths." (3.77)

Ka`b demanded his debt back from Ibn Abi Hadrad in the Mosque and their voices grew louder till Allah's Apostle heard them while he was in his house. He came out to them raising the curtain of his room and addressed Ka`b, "O Ka`b!" Ka`b replied, "Labaik, O Allah's Apostle." (He said to him), "Reduce your debt to one half," gesturing with his hand. Ka`b said, "I have done so, O Allah's Apostle!" On that the Prophet said to Ibn Abi Hadrad, "Get up and repay the debt, to him."

I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to that of mine. Allah's Apostle had taught it to me (in a different way). So, I was about to quarrel with him (during the prayer) but I waited till he finished, then I tied his garment round his neck and seized him by it and brought him to Allah's Apostle and said, "I have heard him reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to the way you taught it to me." The Prophet ordered me to release him and asked Hisham to recite it. When he recited it, Allah s Apostle said, "It was revealed in this way." He then asked me to recite it. When I recited it, he said, "It was revealed in this way. The Qur'an has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easier for you."

The Prophet said, "No doubt, I intended to order somebody to pronounce the Iqama of the (compulsory congregational) prayer and then I would go to the houses of those who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses over them."

Abu bin Zam`a and Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas carried the case of their claim of the (ownership) of the son of a slave-girl of Zam`a before the Prophet. Sa`d said, "O Allah's Apostle! My brother, before his death, told me that when I would return (to Mecca), I should search for the son of the slave-girl of Zam`a and take him into my custody as he was his son." 'Abu bin Zam`a said, 'the is my brother and the son of the slave-girl of my father, and was born or my father's bed." The Prophet noticed a resemblance between `Utba and the boy but he said, "O 'Abu bin Zam`a! You will get this boy, as the son goes to the owner of the bed. You, Sauda, screen yourself from the boy."

Allah's Apostle sent horsemen to Najd and they arrested and brought a man called Thumama bin Uthal, the chief of Yamama, and they fastened him to one of the pillars of the Mosque. When Allah's Apostle came up to him; he asked, "What have you to say, O Thumama?" He replied, "I have good news, O Muhammad!" Abu Huraira narrated the whole narration which ended with the order of the Prophet "Release him!"

The Prophet sent some horsemen to Najd and they arrested and brought a man called Thumama bin Uthal from the tribe of Bani Hanifa, and they fastened him to one of the pillars of the Mosque.

That `Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Al-Aslami owed him some debt. Ka`b met him and caught hold of him and they started talking and their voices grew loudest. The Prophet passed by them and addressed Ka`b, pointing out to him to reduce the debt to one half. So, Ka`b got one half of the debt and exempted the debtor from the other half.

I was a blacksmith In the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance, and 'Asi bin Wail owed me some money. I went to him to demand it, but he said to me, "I will not pay you unless you reject faith in Muhammad." I replied, "By Allah, I will never disbelieve Muhammad till Allah let you die and then resurrect you." He said, "Then wait till I die and come to life again, for then I will be given property and offspring and will pay your right." So, thus revelation came: "Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and yet says, 'I will be given property and offspring?' " (19.77)

I found a purse containing one hundred Diners. So I went to the Prophet (and informed him about it), he said, "Make public announcement about it for one year" I did so, but nobody turned up to claim it, so I again went to the Prophet who said, "Make public announcement for another year." I did, but none turned up to claim it. I went to him for the third time and he said, "Keep the container and the string which is used for its tying and count the money it contains and if its owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it." The sub-narrator Salama said, "I met him (Suwaid, another sub-narrator) in Mecca and he said, 'I don't know whether Ubai made the announcement for three years or just one year.' "

A bedouin went to the Prophet and asked him about picking up a lost thing. The Prophet said, "Make public announcement about it for one year. Remember the description of its container and the string with which it is tied; and if somebody comes and claims it and describes it correctly, (give it to him); otherwise, utilize it." He said, "O Allah's Apostle! What about a lost sheep?" The Prophet said, "It is for you, for your brother (i.e. its owner), or for the wolf." He further asked, "What about a lost camel?" On that the face of the Prophet became red (with anger) and said, "You have nothing to do with it, as it has its feet, its water reserve and can reach places of water and drink, and eat trees."

Yazid Maula Al-Munba'ith heard Zaid bin Khalid al-Juham saying, "The Prophet was asked about Luqata. He said, 'Remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and announce it publicly for one year.' " Yazid added, "If nobody claims then the person who has found it can spend it, and it is regarded as a trust entrusted to him." Yahya said, "I do not know whether the last sentences were said by the Prophet or by Yazid." Zaid further said, "The Prophet was asked, 'What about a lost sheep?' The Prophet said, 'Take it, for it is for you or for your brother (i.e. its owner) or for the wolf." Yazid added that it should also be announced publicly. The man then asked the Prophet about a lost camel. The Prophet said, "Leave it, as it has its feet, water container (reservoir), and it will reach a place of water and eat trees till its owner finds it."

A man came and asked Allah's Apostle about picking a lost thing. The Prophet said, "Remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and make public announcement about it for one year. If the owner shows up, give it to him; otherwise, do whatever you like with it." He then asked, "What about a lost sheep?" The Prophet said, "It is for you, for your brother (i.e. its owner), or for the wolf." He further asked, "What about a lost camel?" The Prophet said, "It is none of your concern. It has its water-container (reservoir) and its feet, and it will reach water and drink it and eat the trees till its owner finds it."

The Prophet passed a date fallen on the way and said, "Were I not afraid that it may be from a Sadaqa (charitable gifts), I would have eaten it."

When Allah gave victory to His Apostle over the people of Mecca, Allah's Apostle stood up among the people and after glorifying Allah, said, "Allah has prohibited fighting in Mecca and has given authority to His Apostle and the believers over it, so fighting was illegal for anyone before me, and was made legal for me for a part of a day, and it will not be legal for anyone after me. Its game should not be chased, its thorny bushes should not be uprooted, and picking up its fallen things is not allowed except for one who makes public announcement for it, and he whose relative is murdered has the option either to accept a compensation for it or to retaliate." Al-`Abbas said, "Except Al-Idhkhir, for we use it in our graves and houses." Allah's Apostle said, "Except Al-Idhkhir." Abu Shah, a Yemenite, stood up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Get it written for me." Allah's Apostle said, "Write it for Abu Shah." (The sub-narrator asked Al-Auza'i): What did he mean by saying, "Get it written, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied, "The speech which he had heard from Allah's Apostle ."

Allah's Apostle said, "An animal should not be milked without the permission of its owner. Does any of you like that somebody comes to his store and breaks his container and takes away his food? The udders of the animals are the stores of their owners where their provision is kept, so nobody should milk the animals of somebody else, without the permission of its owner."

A man asked Allah's Apostle about the Luqata. He said, "Make public announcement of it for one year, then remember the description of its container and the string it is tied with, utilize the money, and if its owner comes back after that, give it to him." The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What about a lost sheep?" Allah's Apostle said, "Take it, for it is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf." The man asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What about a lost camel?" Allah's Apostle got angry and his cheeks or face became red, and said, "You have no concern with it as it has its feet, and its watercontainer, till its owner finds it."

While I as in the company of Salman bin Rabi`a and Suhan, in one of the holy battles, I found a whip. One of them told me to drop it but I refused to do so and said that I would give it to its owner if I found him, otherwise I would utilize it. On our return we performed Hajj and on passing by Medina, I asked Ubai bin Ka`b about it. He said, "I found a bag containing a hundred Dinars in the lifetime of the Prophet and took it to the Prophet who said to me, 'Make public announcement about it for one year.' So, I announced it for one year and went to the Prophet who said, 'Announce it publicly for another year.' So, I announced it for another year. I went to him again and he said, "Announce for an other year." So I announced for still another year. I went to the Prophet for the fourth time, and he said, 'Remember the amount of money, the description of its container and the string it is tied with, and if the owner comes, give it to him; otherwise, utilize it.' "

the above narration (Hadith 616) from Ubai bin Ka`b: adding, "I met the sub-narrator at Mecca later on, but he did not remember whether Ka`b had announced what he had found one year or three years."

A bedouin asked the Prophet about the Luqata. The Prophet said, "Make public announcement about it for one year and if then somebody comes and describes the container of the Luqata and the string it was tied with, (give it to him); otherwise, spend it." He then asked the Prophet about a lost camel. The face of the Prophet become red and he said, "You have o concern with it as it has its water reservoir and feet and it will reach water and drink and eat trees. Leave it till its owner finds it." He then asked the Prophet about a lost sheep. The Prophet said, "It is for you, for your brother, or for the wolf."

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.

Allah's Apostle said, "When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted into Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world."

While I was walking with Ibn `Umar holding his hand, a man came in front of us and asked, "What have you heard from Allah's Apostle about An-Najwa?" Ibn `Umar said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'Allah will bring a believer near Him and shelter him with His Screen and ask him: Did you commit such-and-such sins? He will say: Yes, my Lord. Allah will keep on asking him till he will confess all his sins and will think that he is ruined. Allah will say: 'I did screen your sins in the world and I forgive them for you today', and then he will be given the book of his good deeds. Regarding infidels and hypocrites (their evil acts will be exposed publicly) and the witnesses will say: These are the people who lied against their Lord. Behold! The Curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers." (11.18)

Allah's Apostle said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection . "

Allah's Apostle said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one."

Allah's Apostle said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Allah's Apostle! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet said, "By preventing him from oppressing others."

I heard Al-Bara' bin `Azib saying, "The Prophet orders us to do seven things and prohibited us from doing seven other things." Then Al-Bara' mentioned the following:-- (1) To pay a visit to the sick (inquiring about his health), (2) to follow funeral processions, (3) to say to a sneezer, "May Allah be merciful to you" (if he says, "Praise be to Allah!"), (4) to return greetings, (5) to help the oppressed, (6) to accept invitations, (7) to help others to fulfill their oaths. (See Hadith No. 753, Vol. 7)

The Prophet said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." The Prophet then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced (while saying that).

The Prophet said, "Oppression will be a darkness on the Day of Resurrection."

The Prophet sent Mu`adh to Yemen and said, "Be afraid, from the curse of the oppressed as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah."

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him."

Regarding the explanation of the following verse:-- "If a wife fears Cruelty or desertion On her husband's part." (4.128) A man may dislike his wife and intend to divorce her, so she says to him, "I give up my rights, so do not divorce me." The above verse was revealed concerning such a case.

A drink (milk mixed with water) was brought to Allah's Apostle who drank some of it. A boy was sitting to his right, and some old men to his left. Allah's Apostle said to the boy, "Do you allow me to give the rest of the drink to these people?" The boy said, "O Allah's Apostle! I will not give preference to anyone over me to drink the rest of it from which you have drunk." Allah's Apostle then handed the bowl (of drink) to the boy. (See Hadith No. 541).

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever usurps the land of somebody unjustly, his neck will be encircled with it down the seven earths (on the Day of Resurrection). "

That there was a dispute between him and some people (about a piece of land). When he told `Aisha about it, she said, "O Abu Salama! Avoid taking the land unjustly, for the Prophet said, 'Whoever usurps even one span of the land of somebody, his neck will be encircled with it down the seven earths."

The Prophet said, "Whoever takes a piece of the land of others unjustly, he will sink down the seven earths on the Day of Resurrection."

"We were in Medina with some of the Iraqi people, and we were struck with famine and Ibn Az- Zubair used to give us dates. Ibn `Umar used to pass by and say, "The Prophet forbade us to eat two dates at a time, unless one takes the permission of one's companions."

There was an Ansari man called Abu Shu'aib who had a slave butcher. Abu Shu'aib said to him, "Prepare a meal sufficient for five persons so that I might invite the Prophet besides other four persons." Abu Shu'aib had seen the signs of hunger on the face of the Prophet and so he invited him. Another man who was not invited, followed the Prophet. The Prophet said to Abu Shu'aib, "This man has followed us. Do you allow him to share the meal?" Abu Shu'aib said, "Yes."

The Prophet said, "The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome person."

(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle heard some people quarreling at the door of his dwelling. He came out and said, "I am only a human being, and opponents come to me (to settle their problems); maybe someone amongst you can present his case more eloquently than the other, whereby I may consider him true and give a verdict in his favor. So, If I give the right of a Muslim to another by mistake, then it is really a portion of (Hell) Fire, he has the option to take or give up (before the Day of Resurrection).

The Prophet said, "Whoever has (the following) four characters will be a hypocrite, and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy until he gives it up. These are: (1 ) Whenever he talks, he tells a lie; (2) whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; (3) whenever he makes a covenant he proves treacherous; (4) and whenever he quarrels, he behaves impudently in an evil insulting manner." (See Hadith No. 33 Vol. 1)

Hind bint `Utba (Abu Sufyan's wife) came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Abu Sufyan is a miser. Is there any harm if I spend something from his property for our children?" He said, there is no harm for you if you feed them from it justly and reasonably (with no extravagance).

We said to the Prophet, "You send us out and it happens that we have to stay with people who do not entertain us. What do you think about it? He said to us, "If you stay with some people and they entertain you as they should for a guest, accept their hospitality, but if they don't, take the right of the guest from them."

When Allah took away the soul of His Prophet at his death, the Ansar assembled In the shed of Bani Sa`ida. I said to Abu Bakr, "Let us go." So, we come to them (i.e. to Ansar) at the shed of Bani Sa`ida. (See Hadith No. 19, Vol. 5 for details)

Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'No one should prevent his neighbor from fixing a wooden peg in his wall." Abu Huraira said (to his companions), "Why do I find you averse to it? By Allah, I certainly will narrate it to you."

I was the butler of the people in the house of Abu Talha, and in those days drinks were prepared from dates. Allah's Apostle ordered somebody to announce that alcoholic drinks had been prohibited. Abu Talha ordered me to go out and spill the wine. I went out and spilled it, and it flowed in the streets of Medina. Some people said, "Some people were killed and wine was still in their stomachs." On that the Divine revelation came:-- "On those who believe And do good deeds There is no blame For what they ate (in the past)." (5.93)

The Prophet said, "Beware! Avoid sitting on he roads (ways)." The people said, "There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks." The Prophet said, "If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the way." They asked, "What are the rights of the way?" He said, "They are the lowering of your gazes (on seeing what is illegal to look at), refraining from harming people, returning greetings, advocating good and forbidding evil."

The Prophet said, "A man felt very thirsty while he was on the way, there he came across a well. He went down the well, quenched his thirst and came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself, "This dog is suffering from thirst as I did." So, he went down the well again and filled his shoe with water and watered it. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him. The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He replied: "Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate (living being)." (See Hadith No. 551)

Once the Prophet stood at the top of one of the castles (or higher buildings) of Medina and said, "Do you see what I see? No doubt I am seeing the spots of afflictions amongst your houses as numerous as the spots where raindrops fall (during a heavy rain). (See Hadith No. 102)