It has been transmitted by Abu Huraira and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (both of them the reputed Companions of the Holy Prophet) that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said like that.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Thawri (i.e. Sufyan) from Suhail, from his father on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has: until it (the bier) is placed on the ground. It has also been narrated by Abu Mu'wiyah from Suhail. This has: Until it is placed in the grave.

Abu Dawud said: Sufyan's version is more guarded than that of Abu Mu'awiyah.

Some women requested the Prophet to fix a day for them as the men were taking all his time. On that he promised them one day for religious lessons and commandments. Once during such a lesson the Prophet said, "A woman whose three children die will be shielded by them from the Hell fire." On that a woman asked, "If only two die?" He replied, "Even two (will shield her from the Hell-fire).

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Abu 'Amr Dhakwan on the authority of 'Aishah who said: A virgin is ashamed of speaking, Messenger of Allah. He said: Her silence is her acceptance.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Kathir ibn Farqad asked Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm about a man who sold food to be delivered at a future date to a man for gold and then with the gold, he bought dates before he had taken delivery of the gold. He disapproved of that and forbade it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab the like of that.

Malik said, ''Said ibn al-Musayyab, Sulayman ibn Yasar, Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm, and Ibn Shihab forbade that a man sell wheat for gold and then buy dates with that gold before he had received the gold from the transaction in which he sold the wheat. There is no harm for someone to buy dates on delayed terms, on the strength of the gold for which he sold the wheat, from someone other than the person to whom he sold the wheat before taking possession of the gold, and to refer the one from whom he bought the dates to his debtor who bought the wheat, for the gold he is owed for the dates."

Malik said, "I asked more than one of the people of knowledge about that and they did not see any harm in it."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) raided Thaqif. When Sakhr heard this, he proceeded on his horse along with some horsemen to support the Prophet (saws). He found the Prophet of Allah (saws) had returned and he did not conquer (Ta'if).

On that day Sakhr made a covenant with Allah and had His protection that he would not depart from that fortress until they (the inhabitants) surrendered to the command of the Messenger of Allah (saws). He did not leave them until they had surrendered to the command of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Sakhr then wrote to him: To proceed: Thaqif have surrendered to your command, Messenger of Allah, and I am on my way to them. They have horses with them.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) then ordered prayers to be offered in congregation. He then prayed for Ahmas ten times: O Allah, send blessings the horses and the men of Ahmas.

The people came and Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said to him: Prophet of Allah, Sakhr took my paternal aunt while she embraced Islam like other Muslims.

He called him and said: Sakhr, when people embrace Islam, they have security of their blood and property. Give back to Mughirah his paternal aunt.

So he returned his aunt to him and asked the Prophet of Allah (saws): What about Banu Sulaym who have run away for (fear of) Islam and left that water? He said: Prophet of Allah, allow me and my people to settle there.

He said: Yes. So he allowed him to settle there. Banu Sulaym then embraced Islam, and they came to Sakhr. They asked him to return their water to them. But he refused.

So they came to the Prophet (saws) and said: Prophet of Allah, we embraced Islam and came to Sakhr so that he might return our water to us. But he has refused.

He (the Prophet) then came to him and said: When people embrace Islam, they secure their properties and blood. Return to the people their water.

He said: Yes, Prophet of Allah. I saw that the face of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was reddening at that moment, being ashamed of taking back from him the slave-girl and the water.

Abu Dawud said: It has been narrated by Ibn 'Umar and Anas b. Malik that she should take bath at the time of the Zuhr prayer (being valid) until the next Zuhr prayer. This tradition has also been transmuted by Dawud and 'Asim from al-Sha'bi from his wife from Qumair on the authority of 'Aishah, except that the version of Dawud has the words: "every day," and the version of 'Asim has the words: "at the time of Zuhr prayer". This is the view of Salim b. 'Abd Allah, al-Hassan, and 'Ata.

Abu Dawud said: Malik said: I think that the tradition narrated by Ibn a;-Musayyab must contain the words: "from one purification to another". But it was misunderstood and the people changed it to: "for one Zuhr prayer to another".

It has also been reported by Miswar b. 'Abd al-Malik b. Sa'id b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Yarbu', saying: "from one purification to another," but the people changed it to: "from one zuhr to another."

"Umar bin Al-Khattab sent An-Nu'man bin Muqarrin to Al-Hurmuzan." And he mentioned the Hadith in its entirety. An-Nu'man bin Muqarrin said: "I participated (in battles) with the Messenger of Allah (saw). So when he did not fight in the beginning if the daytime, he would wait until the sun passed the zenith, and the wind of victory would rage, and victory would descent upon them."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. 'Alqamah bin 'Abdullah (one of the narrators) is the brother of Bakr bin 'Abdullah Al-Muzani.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Sulayman ibn Yasar that Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf differed on the question of a wornan who gave birth a few nights after the death of her husband. Abu Salama said, "When she gives birth to the child she is carrying, she is free to marry." Ibn Abbas said, "At the end of two periods." Abu Hurayra came and said, "I am with my nephew", meaning Abu Salama. They sent Kurayb, a mawla of Abdullah ibn Abbas to Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to ask her about it. He came back and told them that she had said that Subaya al-Aslamiya had given birth a few nights after the death of her husband, and she had brought the matter to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he had said, "You are free to marry, so marry whomever you wish."

Malik said, "This is how the people of knowledge here continue to act."

29.31 Widows Remaining in Their Houses until Free to Marry

That the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah has cursed the woman who artificially lengthens and the woman who seeks to have her hair artificially lengthened, and the woman who tattoos and the woman who seeks tattooed." Nafi' (one of the narrators) said: "Tattooing was on the gums."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

He said: There are narrations on this topic from Ibn Mas'ud, 'Aishah, Asma' bint Abi Bakr, Ma'qil bin Yasar, Ibn 'Abbas, and Mu'awiyah.

Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was more modest than the virgin behind the curtain (or in the apartment), and when he disliked anything, we recognised that from his face.

While I was present in one of the gatherings of the Ansar, Abu Musa came as if he was scared, and said, "I asked permission to enter upon `Umar three times, but I was not given the permission, so I returned." (When `Umar came to know about it) he said to Abu Musa, "Why did you not enter?'. Abu Musa replied, "I asked permission three times, and I was not given it, so I returned, for Allah's Apostle said, "If anyone of you asks the permission to enter thrice, and the permission is not given, then he should return.' " `Umar said, "By Allah! We will ask Abu Musa to bring witnesses for it." (Abu Musa went to a gathering of the Ansar and said). "Did anyone of you hear this from the Prophet ?" Ubai bin Ka`b said, "By Allah, none will go with you but the youngest of the people (as a witness)." (Abu Sa`id) was the youngest of them, so I went with Abu Musa and informed `Umar that the Prophet had said so. (See Hadith No. 277, Vol. 3)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al- Hadi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that Abu Said al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do itikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan. One year he was doing itikaf and then, when it came to the night of the twenty-first, which was the night before the morning when he would normally have finished his itikaf, he said, 'Whoever has done i'tikaf with me should continue doing itikaf for the last ten days. I saw a certain night and then I was made to forget it. I saw myself prostrating the following morning in water and clay. Look for it in the last ten days, and look for it on the odd days.' "

Abu Said continued, "The sky poured with rain that night and the mosque had a roof (made of palm fronds) and the mosque was soaked. With my own eyes I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leave with traces of water and clay on his forehead and nose, in the morning after the night of the twenty- first."

Bushair b. Yasar reported on the authority of some of the Companion of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that he exempted the transactions, of 'ariyya (from the direct exchange of one kind) after measuring the dry dates (in exchange for fresh dates).

The Prophet (saws) said: There is nothing heavier than good character put in the scale of a believer on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu al-Walid said: I heard 'Ata al-Kaikharani say: Abu Dawud said: His name is 'Ata b. Ya'qub. He is the maternal uncle of Ibrahim b. Nafi'. He is called Kaikharani or Kukharani.