The Jew could not help shouting at the top of his voice, "O you 'Arabs! Here is your great man whom you have been waiting for!" So all the Muslims rushed to their arms and received Allah's Apostle on the summit of Harra. The Prophet turned with them to the right and alighted at the quarters of Bani 'Amr bin 'Auf, and this was on Monday in the month of Rabi-ul-Awal. Abu Bakr stood up, receiving the people while Allah's Apostle sat down and kept silent. Some of the Ansar who came and had not seen Allah's Apostle before, began greeting Abu Bakr, but when the sunshine fell on Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr came forward and shaded him with his sheet only then the people came to know Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle stayed with Bani 'Amr bin 'Auf for ten nights and established the mosque (mosque of Quba) which was founded on piety. Allah's Apostle prayed in it and then mounted his she-camel and proceeded on, accompanied by the people till his she-camel knelt down at (the place of) the Mosque of Allah's Apostle at Medina. Some Muslims used to pray there in those days, and that place was a yard for drying dates belonging to Suhail and Sahl, the orphan boys who were under the guardianship of 'Asad bin Zurara. When his she-camel knelt down, Allah's Apostle said, "This place, Allah willing, will be our abiding place." Allah's Apostle then called the two boys and told them to suggest a price for that yard so that he might take it as a mosque. The two boys said, "No, but we will give it as a gift, O Allah's Apostle!" Allah's Apostle then built a mosque there. The Prophet himself started carrying unburnt bricks for its building and while doing so, he was saying "This load is better than the load of Khaibar, for it is more pious in the Sight of Allah and purer and better rewardable." He was also saying, "O Allah! The actual reward is the reward in the Hereafter, so bestow Your Mercy on the Ansar and the Emigrants." Thus the Prophet recited (by way of proverb) the poem of some Muslim poet whose name is unknown to me.

(Ibn Shibab said, "In the Hadiths it does not occur that Allah's Apostle

recited a complete poetic verse other than this one.")

The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good righteous (true) dreams in his sleep. He never had a dream but that it came true like bright day light. He used to go in seclusion (the cave of) Hira where he used to worship(Allah Alone) continuously for many (days) nights. He used to take with him the journey food for that (stay) and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again for another period to stay, till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him in it and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read." (The Prophet added), "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, "I do not know how to read," whereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it anymore. He then released me and asked me again to read, but again I replied, "I do not know how to read (or, what shall I read?)." Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me and then released me and said, "Read: In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists). Has created man from a clot. Read and Your Lord is Most Generous...up to..... ..that which he knew not." (96.15) Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration, his neck muscles twitching with terror till he entered upon Khadija and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and then he said, "O Khadija, what is wrong with me?" Then he told her everything that had happened and said, 'I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija said, 'Never! But have the glad tidings, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you as you keep good reactions with your Kith and kin, speak the truth, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guest generously and assist the deserving, calamityafflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to (her cousin) Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin `Abdul `Uzza bin Qusai. Waraqa was the son of her paternal uncle, i.e., her father's brother, who during the Pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the Arabic writing and used to write of the Gospels in Arabic as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" The Prophet described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same Namus (i.e., Gabriel, the Angel who keeps the secrets) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they turn me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said: "Never did a man come with something similar to what you have brought but was treated with hostility. If I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while and the Prophet became so sad as we have heard that he intended several times to throw himself from the tops of high mountains and every time he went up the top of a mountain in order to throw himself down, Gabriel would appear before him and say, "O Muhammad! You are indeed Allah's Apostle in truth" whereupon his heart would become quiet and he would calm down and would return home. And whenever the period of the coming of the inspiration used to become long, he would do as before, but when he used to reach the top of a mountain, Gabriel would appear before him and say to him what he had said before. (Ibn `Abbas said regarding the meaning of: 'He it is that Cleaves the daybreak (from the darkness)' (6.96) that Al-Asbah. means the light of the sun during the day and the light of the moon at night).

I went out with 'Ubaidullah bin `Adi Al-Khaiyar. When we reached Hims (i.e. a town in Syria), 'Ubaidullah bin `Adi said (to me), "Would you like to see Wahshi so that we may ask him about the killing of Hamza?" I replied, "Yes." Wahshi used to live in Hims. We enquired about him and somebody said to us, "He is that in the shade of his palace, as if he were a full water skin." So we went up to him, and when we were at a short distance from him, we greeted him and he greeted us in return. 'Ubaidullah was wearing his turban and Wahshi could not see except his eyes and feet. 'Ubaidullah said, "O Wahshi! Do you know me?" Wahshi looked at him and then said, "No, by Allah! But I know that `Adi bin Al-Khiyar married a woman called Um Qital, the daughter of Abu Al-Is, and she delivered a boy for him at Mecca, and I looked for a wet nurse for that child. (Once) I carried that child along with his mother and then I handed him over to her, and your feet resemble that child's feet." Then 'Ubaidullah uncovered his face and said (to Wahshi), "Will you tell us (the story of) the killing of Hamza?" Wahshi replied "Yes, Hamza killed Tuaima bin `Adi bin Al-Khaiyar at Badr (battle) so my master, Jubair bin Mut`im said to me, 'If you kill Hamza in revenge for my uncle, then you will be set free." When the people set out (for the battle of Uhud) in the year of 'Ainain ..'Ainain is a mountain near the mountain of Uhud, and between it and Uhud there is a valley.. I went out with the people for the battle. When the army aligned for the fight, Siba' came out and said, 'Is there any (Muslim) to accept my challenge to a duel?' Hamza bin `Abdul Muttalib came out and said, 'O Siba'. O Ibn Um Anmar, the one who circumcises other ladies! Do you challenge Allah and His Apostle?' Then Hamza attacked and killed him, causing him to be non-extant like the bygone yesterday. I hid myself under a rock, and when he (i.e. Hamza) came near me, I threw my spear at him, driving it into his umbilicus so that it came out through his buttocks, causing him to die. When all the people returned to Mecca, I too returned with them. I stayed in (Mecca) till Islam spread in it (i.e. Mecca). Then I left for Taif, and when the people (of Taif) sent their messengers to Allah's Apostle, I was told that the Prophet did not harm the messengers; So I too went out with them till I reached Allah's Apostle. When he saw me, he said, 'Are you Wahshi?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Was it you who killed Hamza?' I replied, 'What happened is what you have been told of.' He said, 'Can you hide your face from me?' So I went out when Allah's Apostle died, and Musailamah Al-Kadhdhab appeared (claiming to be a prophet). I said, 'I will go out to Musailamah so that I may kill him, and make amends for killing Hamza. So I went out with the people (to fight Musailamah and his followers) and then famous events took place concerning that battle. Suddenly I saw a man (i.e. Musailamah) standing near a gap in a wall. He looked like an ash-colored camel and his hair was dishevelled. So I threw my spear at him, driving it into his chest in between his breasts till it passed out through his shoulders, and then an Ansari man attacked him and struck him on the head with a sword. `Abdullah bin `Umar said, 'A slave girl on the roof of a house said: Alas! The chief of the believers (i.e. Musailamah) has been killed by a black slave."

Allah's Apostle rode a donkey, equipped with a thick cloth-covering made in Fadak and was riding behind him. He was going to pay visit to Sa`d bin Ubada in Banu Al-Harith bin Al-Khazraj; and this incident happened before the battle of Badr. The Prophet passed by a gathering in which `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul was present, and that was before `Abdullah bin Ubai embraced Islam. Behold in that gathering there were people of different religions: there were Muslims, pagans, idol-worshippers and Jews, and in that gathering `Abdullah bin Rawaha was also present. When a cloud of dust raised by the donkey reached that gathering, `Abdullah bin Ubai covered his nose with his garment and then said, "Do not cover us with dust." Then Allah's Apostle greeted them and stopped and dismounted and invited them to Allah (i.e. to embrace Islam) and recited to them the Holy Qur'an. On that, `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Saluil said, "O man ! There is nothing better than that what you say. If it is the truth, then do not trouble us with it in our gatherings. Return to your mount (or residence) and if somebody comes to you, relate (your tales) to him." On that `Abdullah bin Rawaha said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle! Bring it (i.e. what you want to say) to us in our gathering, for we love that." So the Muslims, the pagans and the Jews started abusing one another till they were on the point of fighting with one another. The Prophet kept on quietening them till they became quiet, whereupon the Prophet rode his animal (mount) and proceeded till he entered upon Sa`d bin Ubada. The Prophet said to Sa`d, "Did you not hear what 'Abu Hub-b said?" He meant `Abdullah bin Ubai. "He said so-andso." On that Sa`d bin Ubada said, "O Allah's Apostle! Excuse and forgive him, for by Him Who revealed the Book to you, Allah brought the Truth which was sent to you at the time when the people of this town (i.e. Medina) had decided unanimously to crown him and tie a turban on his head (electing him as chief). But when Allah opposed that (decision) through the Truth which Allah gave to you, he (i.e. `Abdullah bin Ubai) was grieved with jealously. and that caused him to do what you have seen." So Allah's Apostle excused him, for the Prophet and his companions used to forgive the pagans and the people of Scripture as Allah had ordered them, and they used to put up with their mischief with patience. Allah said: "And you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you and from the pagans........'(3.186) And Allah also said:--"Many of the people of the Scripture wish if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, from selfish envy.." (2.109) So the Prophet used to stick to the principle of forgiveness for them as long as Allah ordered him to do so till Allah permitted fighting them. So when Allah's Apostle fought the battle of Badr and Allah killed the nobles of Quraish infidels through him, Ibn Ubai bin Salul and the pagans and idolaters who were with him, said, "This matter (i.e. Islam) has appeared (i.e. became victorious)." So they gave the pledge of allegiance (for embracing Islam) to Allah's Apostle and became Muslims.

That he heard Al-Bara narrating when a man from Qais (tribe) asked him "Did you flee leaving Allah's Apostle on the day (of the battle) of Hunain?" Al-Bara' replied, "But Allah's Apostle did not flee. The people of Hawazin were good archers, and when we attacked them, they fled. But rushing towards the booty, we were confronted by the arrows (of the enemy). I saw the Prophet riding his white mule while Abu Sufyan was holding its reins, and the Prophet was saying "I am the Prophet undoubtedly." (Israil and Zuhair said, "The Prophet dismounted from his Mule.")

The first of the companions of the Prophet who came to us (in Medina), were Mus`ab bin `Umar and Ibn Um Maktum, and they started teaching us the Qur'an. Then came `Ammar, Bilal and Sa`d. Afterwards `Umar bin Al-Kkattab came along with a batch of twenty (men): and after that the Prophet came. I never saw the people of Medina so pleased with anything as they were with his arrival, so that even the little boys and girls were saying, "This is Allah's Apostle who has come." He (the Prophet ) did not come (to Medina) till I had learnt Surat Al-Ala and also other similar Suras.

I saw the Prophet near the Jamra and the people were asking him questions (about religious problems). A man asked, "O Allah's Apostle! I have slaughtered the Hadi (animal) before doing the Rami." The Prophet replied, "Do the Rami (now) and there is no harm." Another person asked, "O Allah's Apostle! I got my head shaved before slaughtering the animal." The Prophet replied, "Do the slaughtering (now) and there is no harm." So on that day, when the Prophet was asked about anything as regards the ceremonies of Hajj performed before or after its due time his reply was, "Do it (now) and there is no harm."

On the Day of Nahr (10th of Dhul-Hijja, in the year prior to the last Hajj of the Prophet when Abu Bakr was the leader of the pilgrims in that Hajj) Abu Bakr sent me along with other announcers to Mina to make a public announcement: "No pagan is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba. Then Allah's Apostle sent `Ali to read out the Surat Bara'a (at-Tauba) to the people; so he made the announcement along with us on the day of Nahr in Mina: "No pagan is allowed to perform Hajj after this year and no naked person is allowed to perform the Tawaf around the Ka`ba."

Mu'awiya bin Qurra reported that `Abdullah bin Al-Maghaffal Al-Muzani said, "I saw Allah's Apostle on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, riding his she-camel and reciting Surat-al-Fath (48) or part of Surat-al-Fath. He recited it in a vibrating and pleasant voice. Then Mu'awiya recited as `Abdullah bin Mughaffal had done and said, "Were I not afraid that the people would crowd around me, I would surely recite in a vibrating pleasant voice as Ibn Mughaffal did, imitating the Prophet." I asked Muawiya, "How did he recite in that tone?" He said thrice, "A, A , A."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Halhalaad-Dili from Mabad ibn Kab ibn Malik that Abu Qatada ibn Ribi used to relate that a funeral procession passed by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "One is relieved and another others are relieved from." They said, "Who is the one relieved and the one from whom others are relieved?" He said, "A slave who is mumin is the one who is relieved from the exhaustion and suffering of this world to the mercy of Allah, and a wrong-acting slave is the one from whom people, towns, trees and animals are relieved."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said about the child of lian and the child of fornication, that if they died, the mother inherited her right from them according to the Book of Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic! The siblings by the mother had their rights. The rest was inherited by the former masters of the mother if she was a freed slave. If she was a free woman by origin, she inherited her due and the siblings by the mother inherited their due, and the rest went to the Muslims.

Malik said, "I heard the same as that from Sulayman ibn Yasar."

Malik said, "That is what I saw the people of knowledge in our city doing."

The Prophet said on the day of Nahr, "Whoever has slaughtered his sacrifice before the prayer, should repeat it (slaughter another sacrifice)." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Apostle! This is a day on which meat is desired." He then mentioned his neighbors saying, "I have a six month old ram which is to me better than the meat of two sheep." The Prophet allowed him to slaughter it as a sacrifice, but I do not know whether this permission was valid for other than that man or not. The Prophet then went towards two rams and slaughtered them, and then the people went towards some sheep and distributed them among themselves.

The Prophet was given some clothes including a black Khamisa. The Prophet said, "To whom shall we give this to wear?" The people kept silent whereupon the Prophet said, "Fetch Um Khalid for me." I (Um Khalid) was brought carried (as I was small girl at that time). The Prophet took the Khamisa in his hands and made me wear it and said, "May you live so long that your dress will wear out and you will mend it many times." On the Khamisa there were some green or pale designs (The Prophet saw these designs) and said, "O Um Khalid! This is Sanah." (Sanah in a Ethiopian word meaning beautiful).

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Inform me of a deed which will make me enter Paradise." The people said, "What is the matter with him? What is the matter with him?" Allah's Apostle said, "He has something to ask (what he needs greatly)." The Prophet said (to him), (In order to enter Paradise) you should worship Allah and join none in worship with Him: You should offer prayers perfectly, give obligatory charity (Zakat), and keep good relations with your Kith and kin." He then said, "Leave it!" (The sub-narrator said, "It seems that the Prophet was riding his she camel."

The Prophet was the best of all the people in character. I had a brother called Abu `Umar, who, I think, had been newly weaned. Whenever he (that child) was brought to the Prophet the Prophet used to say, "O Abu `Umar! What did Al-Nughair (nightingale) (do)?" It was a nightingale with which he used to play. Sometimes the time of the Prayer became due while he (the Prophet) was in our house. He would order that the carpet underneath him be swept and sprayed with water, and then he would stand up (for the prayer) and we would line up behind him, and he would lead us in prayer.

I asked `Ali "Do you have anything Divine literature besides what is in the Qur'an?" Or, as Uyaina once said, "Apart from what the people have?" `Ali said, "By Him Who made the grain split (germinate) and created the soul, we have nothing except what is in the Qur'an and the ability (gift) of understanding Allah's Book which He may endow a man, with and what is written in this sheet of paper." I asked, "What is on this paper?" He replied, "The legal regulations of Diya (Blood-money) and the (ransom for) releasing of the captives, and the judgment that no Muslim should be killed in Qisas (equality in punishment) for killing a Kafir (disbeliever).

Ash-'Shu`bi asked me, "Did you notice how Al-Hasan used to narrate Hadiths from the Prophets? I stayed with Ibn `Umar for about two or one-and-half years and I did not hear him narrating any thing from the Prophet except his (Hadith): He (Ibn `Umar) said, "Some of the companions of the Prophet including Sa`d, were going to eat meat, but one of the wives of the Prophet called them, saying, 'It is the meat of a Mastigure.' The people then stopped eating it. On that Allah's Apostle said, 'Carry on eating, for it is lawful.' Or said, 'There is no harm in eating it, but it is not from my meals."

the mother of the believers: Allah's Apostle during his illness prayed at his house while sitting whereas some people prayed behind him standing. The Prophet beckoned them to sit down. On completion of the prayer, he said, 'The Imam is to be followed: bow when he bows, raise up your heads (stand erect) when he raises his head and when he says, 'Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah' (Allah heard those who sent praises to Him) say then 'Rabbana wa laka l-hamd' (O our Lord! All the praises are for You), and if he prays sitting then pray sitting."

The Prophet once passed by two graves, and those two persons (in the graves) were being tortured. He said, "They are being tortured not for a great thing (to avoid). One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other went about committing slander (to make enmity between friends). He then took a green leaf of a date-palm tree split it into two pieces and fixed one on each grave. The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why have you done so?" He replied, "I hope that their punishment may be lessened till they (the leaf) become dry."

Allah's Apostle said, "While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, 'This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him." The people asked, "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."

Somebody asked Al-Bar-a bin `Azib, "Did you flee deserting Allah's Apostle during the battle of Hunain?" Al-Bara replied, "But Allah's Apostle did not flee. The people of the Tribe of Hawazin were good archers. When we met them, we attacked them, and they fled. When the Muslims started collecting the war booty, the pagans faced us with arrows, but Allah's Apostle did not flee. No doubt, I saw him on his white mule and Abu Sufyan was holding its reins and the Prophet was saying, 'I am the Prophet in truth: I am the son of `Abdul Muttalib.' "

Salama said, "I gave the Pledge of allegiance (Al-Ridwan) to Allah's Apostle and then I moved to the shade of a tree. When the number of people around the Prophet diminished, he said, 'O Ibn Al-Akwa` ! Will you not give to me the pledge of Allegiance?' I replied, 'O Allah's Apostle! I have already given to you the pledge of Allegiance.' He said, 'Do it again.' So I gave the pledge of allegiance for the second time." I asked 'O Abu Muslim! For what did you give he pledge of Allegiance on that day?" He replied, "We gave the pledge of Allegiance for death."

The Prophet reached Khaibar in the morning, while the people were coming out carrying their spades over their shoulders. When they saw him they said, "This is Muhammad and his army! Muhammad and his army!" So, they took refuge in the fort. The Prophet raised both his hands and said, "Allahu Akbar, Khaibar is ruined, for when we approach a nation (i.e. enemy to fight) then miserable is the morning of the warned ones." Then we found some donkeys which we (killed and) cooked: The announcer of the Prophet announced: "Allah and His Apostle forbid you to eat donkey's meat." So, all the pots including their contents were turned upside down.

We were afflicted with hunger during the besiege of Khaibar, and when it was the day of (the battle of) Khaibar, we slaughtered the donkeys and when the pots got boiling (with their meat). Allah's Apostle made an announcement that all the pots should be upset and that nobody should eat anything of the meat of the donkeys. We thought that the Prophet prohibited that because the Khumus had not been taken out of the booty (i.e. donkeys); other people said, "He prohibited eating them for ever." The sub-narrator added, "I asked Sa`id bin Jubair who said, 'He has made the eating of donkeys' meat illegal for ever.")

The people used to consider the performance of `Umra in the months of Hajj an evil deed on the earth, and they used to call the month of Muharram as Safar and used to say, "When (the wounds over) the backs (of the camels) have healed and the foot-marks (of the camels) have vanished (after coming from Hajj), then `Umra becomes legal for the one who wants to perform `Umra." Allah's Apostle and his companions reached Mecca assuming Ihram for Hajj on the fourth of Dhul-Hijja. The Prophet ordered his companions to perform `Umra (with that lhram instead of Hajj). They asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What kind of finishing of Ihram?" The Prophet said, "Finish the Ihram completely.'

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd ibn Qays al-Makki that a man called Dhafif said that Ibn Abbas was asked about coitus interruptus. He called a slave-girl of his and said, "Tell them." She was embarrassed. He said, "It is alright, and I do it myself."

Malik said, "A man does not practise coitus interruptus with a free woman unless she gives her permission. There is no harm in practising coitus interruptus with a slave-girl without her permission. Someone who has someone else's slave-girl as a wife, does not practise coitus interruptus with her unless her people give him permission."

Yahya said that Malik spoke about a man who died and had a debt owing to him and there was one witness, and some people had a debt against him and they had only one witness, and his heirs refused to take an oath on their rights with their witness. He said, "The creditors take an oath and take their rights. If there is anything left over, the heirs do not take any of it. That is because the oaths were offered to them before and they abandoned them, unless they say, 'We did not know that our companion had extra,' and it is known that they only abandoned the oaths because of that. I think that they should take an oath and take what remains after his debt."

Yahya related to me from Malik from a reliable source from Bukayr ibn Abdullah ibn al-Ashajj from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Hubab al-Ansari from Abu Qatada al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade making nabidh from dates and raisins together, and nearly ripe dates and fresh dates together.

Malik said, "That is the way of doing things among us in which the people of knowledge in our city continue. It is disapproved of because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade it."

Yahya said that Malik said, "What is done in our community about slaves is that when a slave is struck intentionally or accidentally and the master brings a witness, he swears with his witness one oath and then he has the value of the slave. There is no swearing for revenge in slaves, accidentally or intentionally, and I have not heard any of the people of knowledge say that there was."

Malik said, "If a slave is killed intentionally or accidentally, the master of the slave who is slain has no swearing or oath. The master cannot demand his right except with a fair proof or a witness if he swears with one witness."

Yahya said that Malik said, "This is the best of what I have heard on the matter.''

"The Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited the price of the dog and the cat."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There is some confusion (Idtirab) in the chain for this Hadith. The price of a cat is not correct. This Hadith has been reported from Al-A'mash, from some of his companions, from Jabir, and they caused some confusion for Al-A'mash in this narration.

There are those among the people of knowledge who disliked the price of a cat, and some of them permitted it. This is the view of Ahmad and Ishaq. It has been reported from Ibn Al-Fudail, from Al-A'mash, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws), through other than this route.

That the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Do not sell the (slave) female singers, not purchase them, nor teach them (to sing). And there is no good in trading in them, and their prices are unlawful. It was about the likes of this that this Ayah was revealed: And among mankind is he who purchases idle talk to divert from the way of Allah."

[He said:] There is narration about this from 'Umar bin Al-Khattab.

[Abu 'Eisa said:] We only know of the Hadith of Abu Umamah, like this, from this route. Some of the people of knowledge have criticized 'Ali bin Yazid (one of the narrators) and graded him weak, and he is from Ash-Sham.

The Prophet (saws) said: It is not permissible for a man who believes in Allah and in the Last Day that he should say the prayer while he is feeling the call of nature until he becomes light (by relieving himself).

Then the narrator Thawr b. Yazid transmitted a similar tradition with the following wordings: "It is not permissible for a man who believes in Allah and in the Last Day that he should lead the people in prayer but with their permission; and that he should not supplicate to Allah exclusively for himself leaving all others. If he did so, he violated trust."

Abu Dawud said: This is a tradition reported by the narrators of Syria; no other person has joined them in relating this tradition.

I was driving the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (saws) during a journey. He said to me: Uqbah, should I not teach you two best surahs ever recited? He then taught me: "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn," and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men." He did not see me much pleased (by these two surahs).

When he alighted for prayer, he led the people in the morning prayer and recited them in prayer. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he turned to me and said: O Uqbah, how did you see.

A woman called Umm Khallad came to the Prophet (saws) while she was veiled. She was searching for her son who had been killed (in the battle) Some of the Companions of the Prophet (saws) said to her: You have come here asking for your son while veiling your face? She said: If I am afflicted with the loss of my son, I shall not suffer the loss of my modesty. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: You will get the reward of two martyrs for your son. She asked: Why is that so, Messenger of Allah? He replied: Because the people of the Book have killed him.

A man said: Messenger of Allah, a man wishes to take part in jihad in Allah's path desiring some worldly advantage? The Prophet (saws) said: He will have not reward. The people thought it terrible, and they said to the man: Go back to the Messenger of Allah (saws), for you might not have made him understand well. He, therefore, (went and again) asked: Messenger of Allah, a man wishes to take part in jihad in Allah's path desiring some worldly advantage? He replied: There is no reward for him. They again said to the man: Return to the Messenger of Allah. He, therefore, said to him third time. He replied: There is no reward for him.

When I entered upon Mu'awiyah, he said: How good your visit is to us, O father of so-and-so. (This is an idiom used by the Arabs on such occasions). I said: I tell you a tradition which I heard (from the Prophet). I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: If Allah puts anyone in the position of authority over the affairs of the Muslims, and he secludes himself (from them), not fulfilling their needs, wants, and poverty, Allah will keep Himself away from him, not fulfilling his need, want and poverty. He said: He (Mu'awiyah) appointed a man to fulfil the needs of the people.

Abu Dawud said: A similar tradition has also been transmitted by Isma'il b. Umayyah.

A mukhannath (eunuch) used to enter upon the wives of Prophet (saws). They (the people) counted him among those who were free of physical needs. One day the Prophet (saws) entered upon us when he was with one of his wives, and was describing the qualities of a woman, saying: When she comes forward, she comes forward with four (folds in her stomach), and when she goes backward, she goes backward with eight (folds in her stomach). The Prophet (saws) said: Do I not see that this (man) knows what here lies. Then they (the wives) observed veil from him.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Nadr b. Shumail said: The skin is called ihab when it is not tanned and when it is tanned, it not called ihab but na,es shann and qirbah (tanned skin or leather).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to me: O AbuDharr: I replied: At your service and at your pleasure, Messenger of Allah! He said: how will you do when death smites people, and a house, meaning a grave, will cost as much as a slave. I said: Allah and His Apostle know best, or he said: What Allah and His Apostle choose for me. He said: Show endurance, or he said: You may show endurance.

Abu Dawud said: Hammad b. Abi Sulaiman said: The hand of one who rifles a grave should be cut off because he had entered the deceased's house.

Zayd ibn Aslam quoted his father as saying: Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) struck one of his sons who was given the kunyah AbuIsa, and al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah had the kunyah AbuIsa. Umar said to him: Is it not sufficient for you that you are called by the kunyah AbuAbdullah? He replied: The Messenger of Allah (saws) gave me this kunyah. Thereupon he said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) was forgiven all his sins, past and those followed. But we are among the people similar to us. Henceforth he was called by the kunyah AbuAbdullah until he died.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition was read out to al-Harith b. Miskin and I was witness. It was said to him that Ibn Qasim told him that Malik was asked about evil omen in a horse and in a house. He replied: There are many houses in which people lived and perished and again others lived therein and they also perished. This is its explanation so far as we know. Allah knows best.

Abu Dawud said: 'Umar (ra) said: A mat in a house better than a woman who does not give birth to a child.