God’s messenger asked, “Abul Mundhir (this is Ubayy’s Kunya), do you know which verse of God’s Book that you have is greatest?” I replied, “God and His messenger know best.” He repeated his question and I said, “God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal.” Thereupon he struck me on the breast and said, “May knowledge be pleasant for you, Abul Mundhir!” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Salama said he asked ‘A’isha how much the Prophet had given as dower, and she replied that his dower to his wives was twelve uqiyas* and a nashsh. She asked whether he knew what a nashsh was, and when he replied that he did not, she said it was half an uqiya; so the total was five hundred dirhams. * The uqiya was 40 dirhams. Muslim transmitted it. Nashsh is in the nominative in Sharh as-sunna and all the sources.

Ibn ‘Umar said that the Prophet made a man and his wife invoke curses when the man disowned her child, and separated them and attributed the child to the woman. In his tradition transmitted by both of them it says that God's Messenger exhorted and admonished the man and informed him that punishment in this world is easier than that in the next. He then summoned the woman and exhorted and admonished her and told her that punishment in this world is easier than that in the next. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha told that Hind daughter of ‘Utba said, “Messenger of God, Abu Sufyan is a niggardly man who does not give me and my son enough; except what I take from him without his knowledge.” He replied, “Take what is enough for you and your son to the extent recognised by the law.”* * Bil ma’roof.This is what is generally recognised as reasonable. The amount would vary according to the circumstances of the people. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “If people were given what they asked when they brought a case some would claim the lives and property of others; but the oath must be taken by the defendant.” Muslim transmitted it. In the commentary on his work by Nawawi it says that in Baihaqi’s version with an isnad which is hasan or sahih there is an addition on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas which is traced to the Prophet, “But the proof lies on the plaintiff and the oath must be taken by him who rejects the claim.”

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “God had ninety-nine names, one short of a hundered. He who retains them in his memory* will enter paradise.” A version has, “And He is One. He loves what is single.” *The Arabic is ahsaha, a word which has different meanings. Besides the meaning above can mean to number, to reach the last number, to understand, to attain comprehensive knowledge. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Aba Huraira told that he heard the Prophet say, "When the slave woman of any of you commits fornication and the matter is clear, he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it again he should give her the appropriate beating, but not hurl reproaches at her. If she does it a third time and the matter is clear he should sell her, even if only for a rope of hair." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “You will find among the best people those who have the strongest dislike of this command till they fall into it.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *This is explained as meaning either they cease to dislike having authority and so cease to be among the best people, or they find that God helps them. Preference is given to the first explanation, but the remark is made that whichever explanation is correct, in the end these people do not object to having authority.

We went out with God’s messenger in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, some of us raising our voices in the i>talbiya for an ‘umra, some for hajj and ‘umra, and others for the hajj, but God’s messenger raised his voice in the talbiya for the hajj. Those who did it for an 'umra took off the ihram, but those who did it for the hajj, or who combined the hajj and the ‘umra did not remove the ihram till the day of sacrifice. Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger sent sixteen sacrificial camels with a man whom he put in charge of them. He asked God’s messenger what he should do with those of them which became fatigued and he replied, “Slaughter them, then dye their shoes in their blood, and put them on the sides of their humps ; but neither you nor any who are with you must eat any part of them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud said that a man kissed a woman and came and told the Prophet. Then God revealed, “And observe the prayer at the two ends of the day and the neighbouring parts of the night, for good deeds remove evil deeds (Al- Qur’an, 11:114).”’ The man asked God’s Messenger whether this referred to him, and he replied, “It refers to every one of my whole people.” A version has, “To those of my people who act upon it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I asked the Prophet which action is dearest to God and he replied, “Prayer at its proper time.” I asked what came next, and he replied that it was kindness to parents. I asked what came next and he replied that it was jihad in God's path. He said, “He told me of them, and if I had asked for more he would have told me more.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If people knew what blessing lies in the call to prayer and in the first row, then could do nothing but cast lots for it, they would do so; if they know what blessing lies in going to prayer early, they would race to do it i and if they knew what blessing lies in the prayer after nightfall and the morning prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Prophet used to teach them this prayer just as he used to teach them a sura of the Qur’an, telling them te say, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment in jahannam, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment in the grave, I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of the antichrist, and I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of life and death.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Dharr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “In the morning alms are due from every bone in a man’s fingers and toes. Every utterance of ‘Glory be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘Praise be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘There is no god but God' is alms; every utterance of ‘God is most great’ is alms; enjoining good is alms; forbidding what is disreputable is alms; and two rak'as which one prays in the forenoon serve instead of that.” Muslim transmitted it.

The Prophet addressed us on the day of sacrifice saying, “The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray; then we return and sacrifice. If anyone does that he has correctly followed our custom; but if anyone makes sacrifice before praying, it is only mutton* he has got ready beforehand for his family, and has nothing to do with the rites." *It counts merely as ordinary food, and is not reckoned as a sacrifice. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Abu Aufa told that the Prophet said when people brought him their sadaqa, “O God, bless the family of so and so.” He told how, when his father brought him his sadaqa, he said, “O God, bless the family of Abu Aufa.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version says that when a man brought the Prophet his sadaqa he said, “O God, bless him.”

Abu Huraira told that when a man asked God’s messenger which sadaqa produced the greatest reward he replied, “That which you give when you are healthy and inclined to be mean, fearing poverty and hoping for a competence. Do not put it off and then say when you are about to die that you give such and such to so and so and such and such to so and so when it has already become the property of so and so.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) * i.e. by inheritance.

Part of my lower garment was hanging down when I passed by God’s messenger, so he said, “Raise your lower garment, ‘Abdallah.” I did so and he told mo to raise it higher. I did so, and as I was still trying to find the best place [for it] one of the people asked where it should reach and he replied, “Halfway up the legs.” Muslim transmitted it.

circumcision, shaving with a razor, clipping the moustache, paring the nails, and plucking out hairs under the armpit.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha told that when the Prophet was ill some of his wives mentioned a church called Mariya. Umm Salama and Umm Habiba who had gone to Abyssinia mentioned its beauty and the statues it contained, whereupon he raised his head and said, "When a pious man among those people dies they build a place of worship over his grave, then make those statues in it. Those are the worst of God’s creatures.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Ayyub said that when food was brought to the Prophet he ate some of it and sent him what was left over. One day when he sent him a dish from which he had eaten nothing because it contained garlic, he asked him whether it was unlawful and he replied, “No; but I dislike it because of its odour;” so he said, “I dislike what you dislike." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you travel in fertile country give the camels their due from the ground, and when you travel in time of drought make them go quickly. When you encamp at night keep away from the roads, for they are where the beasts pass and are the resort of insects at night." A version has, “When you travel in time of drought hasten with them while they have their marrow." Muslim transmitted it.

God's messenger gave us an address on which occasion he left out nothing that would happen up to the last hour without telling of it. Some remembered and some forgot, and these companions of mine have known it. Some of it I have forgotten, but when I see it, I remember it, just as a man remembers another's face when he is away and recognizes him when he sees him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "When the time becomes short[1] knowledge will be withdrawn, civil strife will appear, niggardliness will be cast into people's hearts, and harj will be prevalent." He was asked the meaning of harj and said it meant slaughter.[2] 1. Literally, `when time is contracted'. The reference is to the approach of the last hour. 2. Harj, meaning 'turmoil' or 'Rioting, a state of affairs which leads ta people being killed. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

the smoke, the dajjal, the beast of the earth, the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the trial which will affect all mankind[*], and the one which applies more particularly to one of you." *The Arabic is amr al-'amma which I prefer to explain as in the translation above. It could mean the rule in the hands of the common people. Muslim transmitted it.

I met him when his eye was inflamed and asked him when his eye had become infected with the trouble I noticed. On his replying that he did not know I said, "You do not know, and yet it is in your head?" He replied, "If God will He will create it when you are unaware." He then snorted as loudly as I have ever heard an ass snort. Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "When the inhabitants of paradise enter paradise and the inhabitants of hell enter hell God most high will say, `Bring forth those in whose hearts there is as much faith as a grain of mustard-seed.' They will then be brought forth burned and turned to charcoal and be cast into the river of life, and they will sprout as does a seed in the rubbish carried away by a flood. Have you not seen that it comes out yellow and twisted?" (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I prayed the first prayer along with God's messenger, then he went out to his family and I went out with him. Some children met him and he began to stroke the cheeks of one of them one after the other. He stroked my cheeks, and I experienced a coolness, or a fragrance, in his hand as though he had-brought it out of a scent-bag. Muslim transmitted it.

He told that a woman whose mind was affected said, "Messenger of God, I want something from you[*]." He replied, "Mother of so and so, consider which of the streets you wish so that I may accomplish what you want." He then went alone with her into a road till she got all she wanted. *Presumably meaning that she wished to speak to him privately about something. Muslim transmitted it.

`A'isha said God's messenger was never given his choice between two things without taking the lesser of them provided it involved no sin, for if it did, no one kept farther away from it than he. And God's messenger never took revenge on his own behalf for anything unless something God had forbidden had been transgressed, in which event he took revenge for it for God's sake. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Ali told that he heard God's messenger say, "The best woman of her time was Mary daughter of `Imran, and the best woman of her time is Khadija daughter of Khuwailid." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version Abu Kuraib said that Waki pointed to the sky and to the earth[*]. *The tradition is usually understood as translated above, but the gesture of Waki suggests that he understood the words to be spoken in Khadija's lifetime and meant Mary was the best in heaven and Khadija the best on earth.

I was not so jealous of any of the Prophet's wives as I was of Khadija. I never saw her, but he frequently mentioned her, and he would often kill a sheep, cut it in pieces and send, them round among Khadija's friends. I often said to him, "It seems as if Khadija was the only woman in the world," and he replied, "She was indeed a fine woman, and I had children from her." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The fountain-head of unbelief is towards the east; boasting and pride are to be found among owners of horses and camels and husbandmen[*] who live in camel-hair tents; but calm deportment is to be found among the owners of sheep." *The word faddadun means either husbandmen or `camel-drivers. The former seems the more appropriate here as owners of camels have already been mentioned. Cf. Mirqat, 5: 649. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Bakra reported the Prophet as saying, “When two Muslims meet and one of them bears arms against his brother, they are both on the brink of hell, and if one of them kills the other they will both enter it.” In a version on Abu Bakra's authority he said, “When two Muslims meet with their swords, the one who kills and the one who is killed will go to hell." When he (i.e. Abu Bakr) remarked that one was the killer and asked what was wrong with the one who was killed, he replied, “He was eager to kill his companion." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ali said that Khadija asked the Prophet about two children of hers who had died in the pre-Islamic period and God’s messenger replied, “They are in hell.” Then when he saw her look of disapproval he said, “If you saw their position you would hate them.” She asked, “Messenger of God, what about my son whom I had from you?” He replied, “He is in paradise.” Then God’s messenger said, “The believers and their children are in paradise and the polytheists and their children are in hell.” Then God’s messenger recited, “Those who believe and whose offspring have followed them.” Ahmad transmitted it.

that he should return to the polytheists anyone who came to him from them, but they should not return any of the Muslims who came to them; that he should enter Mecca the following year and stay in it three days; and that he should enter it only with such weapons as swords and bows in cases. Then Abu Jandal came hobbling in his fetters and he sent him back to them. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that he heard Abdullah ibn Umar making dua on Safa saying, "O Allah, You have said, 'call on Me - I will answer you' and You do not break Your promise. So I am askingYou, in the same way that You have guided me to Islam, not to take it away from me, and that You make me die while I am muslim."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Khusayfa that Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said that he heard A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'When a mumin is afflicted by something, even a thorn, it removes (or effaces) his wrong actions.' " Yazid did not know which of them Urwa said.

that the Prophet (SAW) said: "People should stop boasting about their fathers who have died, while they are but coals of Hell, or they will be more humiliated with Allah than the dung beetle who rolls dung with his nose. Indeed Allah has removed the pride of Jahiliyyah from you, and its boasting about lineage. [Indeed a person is either] a pious believer, or a miserable sinner. And people are all the children of Adam, and Adam was [created] from dust."

"Some people came to the Prophet (SAW) and they said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Why is it that we can eat what we kill but we can not eat what Allah has killed?' So Allah revealed: So eat of that on which Allah's Name has been mentioned if you are indeed believers in His Ayat..." up to His saying: ...And if you obey them, then you would indeed be idolaters (6:121)."

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "My parable and that of yours is like a man who kindled a fire. When it has illuminated all around him, the moths and grasshoppers began to fall therein. He tried to push them away, but they overcame him and jumped into it. I am catching hold of your waists ties (to save you) from fire, but you slip away from my hands".

[Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "On every joint of man, there is charity, on everyday when the sun rises: doing justice between two men is charity, and assisting a man to ride an animal or to load his luggage on it is charity; and a good word is charity, every step which one takes towards (the mosque for) Salat is charity, and removing harmful things from the way is charity".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who performs the Fajr (dawn) prayer comes under the Protection of Allah, so beware lest Allah questions you about what you owe Him. For if He questions anyone of you and he falls short of fulfilling the duty which he owes Him, He will requite and then throw upon his face into the Hellfire".

[Muslim].

(When he died) Messenger of Allah (PBUH) left neither a dinar nor a dirham nor a male slave nor a female slave, nor anything else except his white riding mule, his weapons and his land which he had given in charity to wayfarers.

[Al- Bukhari].

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "The best of you, are my contemporaries, then those who follow them, then those who will come after them. ('Imran said, I do not know if he said this twice or thrice). Then, they will be followed by those who will testify but will not be called upon to testify; they will betray the trust, and will not be trusted. They will make vows but will not fulfill them, and obesity will prevail among them."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

A man ate in the presence of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) with his left hand. He (PBUH) said, "Eat with your right hand." He said: "I cannot." Thereupon he (the Prophet (PBUH)) said, "May you never be able to do that." It was arrogance that prevented him from doing it, and he could not raise it (the right hand) up to his mouth afterwards.

[Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Verily Allah has prescribed Ihsan (kindness) for everything. So when you kill, you must make the killing in the best manner; when you slaughter, make your slaughter in the best manner. Let one of you sharpen his knife and give ease to his animal (in order to reduce his pain)."

[Muslim].

When two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), he responded to one with "Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)" and did not respond to the other. The latter said to him: "You invoked a blessing on this man but did not do so in my case." The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "He praised Allah (i.e., he said 'Al-hamdu lillah') but you did not."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

A daughter of the Prophet (PBUH) sent a message to him that her son was at his last breath, and requested him to come to her. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) sent back the informer saying: "To Allah belongs what He takes and what He gives, and everything has a limited period (in this world). So ask her to endure patiently, and expect the reward of Allah."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].