Allah's Messenger, the good would reach everyone but it would not reach these two. He said: Why so? I said: Because you have invoked curse and hurled malediction upon both of them. He said: Don't you know that I have made condition with my Lord saying thus: O Allah, I am a human being and that for a Muslim upon whom I invoke curse or hurl malediction make it a source of purity and reward.

O Allah, I am a human being and for any person amongst Muslims upon whom I hurl malediction or invoke curse or give him whipping make it a source of purity and mercy.

I was playing with children that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) happened to pass by (us). I hid myself behind the door. He (the Prophet) came and patted my shoulders and said: Go and call Mu'awiya. I returned and said: He is busy in taking food. He again asked me to go and call Mu'awiya to him. I went (and came back) and said that he was busy in taking food, whereupon he said: May Allah not fill his belly! Ibn Muthanna, said: I asked Umm Umayya what he meant by the word Hatani. He said: It means "he patted my shoulders."

A liar is not one who tries to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good (in order to avert dispute), or he conveys good. Ibn Shihab said he did not hear that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in battle, for bringing reconciliation amongst persons and the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband (in a twisted form in order to bring reconciliation between them).

Truth leads one to Paradise and virtue leads one to Paradise and the person tells the truth until he is recorded as truthful, and lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell, and the person tells a lie until he is recorded as a liar.

Whom do you count as" Raqub" amongst you? They (his Companions) said: One who has no children (the children are born unto him but they do not survive). Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: He is not a Raqub but Raqub is one who does not find his child as the forerunner (in Paradise). He then said: Whom do you count as a wrestler amongst you? We said: He who wrestles with persons. He said: No, it is not he but one who controls himself when in a fit of rage.

The strong-man is not one who wrestles well but the strong man is one who controls himself when he is in a fit of rage.

I know of a wording, if he were to utter that, his fit of rage (would be no more and that wording is): I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed. The person said: Do you find any madness in me? Ibn al-'Ala' said: Do you see it? And he made no mention of the person.

When Allah fashioned Adam in Paradise, He left him as He liked him to leave. Then Iblis roamed round him to see what actually that was and when he found him hollow from within, he recognised that he had been created with a disposition that he would not have control over himself.

When any one of you fights with his brother he should avoid striking at the face.

What is this? It was said: They are being punished for (not paying) the Kharaj (the government revenue). Thereupon he said: Allah would punish those who torment people in this world (without any genuine reason).

A person happened to come to the mosque with an arrow; thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to him: Take hold of its pointed head.

When any one of you happens to go to a meeting or the bazar with an arrow in his hand he must grasp its pointed head; then (he again said): He must grasp its pointed head. Abu Musa said: By Allah, we did not court death until some of us had flung arrows upon the faces of one another.

Abu'l-Qasim (the kunya of Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him), said: He who pointed a weapon towards his brother the angels invoke curse upon him even if he is his real brother so long as he does not abandon it (the pointing of weapon towards one's brother Muslim).

I said: Allah's Messenger, teach me something so that I may derive benefit from it. He said: Remove the troublesome thing from the paths of the Muslims.

When a person says that people are ruined he is himself ruined. Abu Ishaq said: I do not know whether he said" ahlakahum or ahlakuhum.

Gabriel impressed upon me (kind treatment) towards the neighbour (so much) that I thought as if he would confer upon him the (right) of inheritance.

Gabriel impressed upon me (the kind treatment) towards the neighbour (so much) that I thought as if he would soon confer upon him the (right) of inheritance.

Anyone amongst the Muslims, three of whose children die, and he resigns himself calmly to the will of God, Fire will not touch him but for the fulfilment of the oath.

Allah's Apostle, invoke Allah's blessing upon him for I have already buried three. He said: You have buried three! She said: Yes. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You have, indeed, safeguarded yourself against the torment of Hell with a strong safeguard. 'Umar has made a mention of his father, whereas others have not made a mention of his father.

When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honour upon him in the earth; and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also.

Souls are troops collected together and those who familiarised with each other (in the heaven from where these come) would have affinity, with one another (in the world) and those amongst them who opposed each other (in the Heaven) would also be divergent (in the world).

When would be the Last Hour? Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: What preparation have you made for that? Thereupon he said: The love of Allah and of His Messenger (that is my preparation for the Last Hour) (for the Day of Resurrection). Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You would be along with one whom you love.

What is your opinion about the person who loves the people but his (acts or deeds are not identical to theirs)? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: A person would be along with one whom he loves.

It was said to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him): What is your opinion about the person who has done good deeds and the people praise him? He said: It is glad tidings for a believer (which he has received in this mortal world).

Verily your creation is on this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel to it with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds, his fortune and misfortune. By Him, besides Whom there is no god, that one amongst you acts like the people deserving Paradise until between him and Paradise there remains but the distance of a cubit, when suddenly the writing of destiny overcomes him and he begins to act like the denizens of Hell and thus enters Hell, and another one acts in the way of the denizens of Hell, until there remains between him and Hell a distance of a cubit that the writing of destiny overcomes him and then he begins to act like the people of Paradise and enters Paradise.

Evil one is he who is evil in the womb of his mother and the good one is he who takes a lesson from the (fate of) others. The narrator came to a person from amongst the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) who was called Hudhaifa b. Usaid Ghifari and said: How can a person be an evil one without (committing an evil) deed? Thereupon the person said to him: You are surprised at this, whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When forty-two nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones, and then says: My Lord, would he be male or female? And your Lord decides as He desires and the angel then puts down that also and then says: My Lord, what about his age? And your Lord decides as He likes it and the angel puts it down. Then he says: My Lord, what about his livelihood? And then the Lord decides as He likes and the angel writes it down, and then the angel gets out with his scroll of destiny in his hand and nothing is added to it and nothing is subtracted from it.

We were in a funeral in the graveyard of Gharqad when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to us and we sat around him. He had a stick with him. He lowered his head and began to scratch the earth with his stick, and then said: There is not one amongst you whom a seat in Paradise or Hell has not been allotted and about whom it has not been written down whether he would be an evil person or a blessed person. A person said: Allah's Messenger, should we not then depend upon our destiny and abandon our deeds? Thereupon he said: Acts of everyone will be facilitated in that which has been created for him so that whoever belongs to the company of the blessed will have good works made easier for him and whoever belongs to the unfortunate ones will have evil acts made easier for him. He then recited this verse (from the Qur'an): "Then, who gives to the needy and guards against evil and accepts the excellent (the truth of Islam and the path of righteousness it prescribes), We shall make easy for him the easy end and who is miserly and considers himself above need, We shall make easy for him the difficult end" (xcii. 5-10).

Allah's Messenger, explain our religion to us (in a way) as if we have been created just now. Whosoever deeds we do today, is it because of the fact that-the pens have dried (after recording them) and the destitiles have began to operate or these have effects in future? Thereupon he said: The pens have dried tmd destinies have begun to operate. (Suraqa b. Malik) said: If it Is so, then what is the use of doing good deeds? Zuhair said: Then Abu Zubair said something but I could not understand that and I said. What did he say? Thereupon he said: Act, for everyone is facilitated what he intends to do.

Has there been drawn a distinction between the people of Paradise and the denizens of hell? He said: Yes. It was again said: (If it is so), then What is the use of doing good deeds? Thereupon he said: Everyone is facilitated in what has been created for him.

There was argument between Adam and Moses. Moses said to Adam: You are our father. You did us harm and caused us to get out of Paradise. Adam said to him: You are Moses. Allah selected you (for direct conversation with you) and wrote with His own Hand the Book (Torah) for you. Despite this you blame me for an act which Allah had ordained for me forty years before He created me. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said:. This is how Adam came the better of Moses and Adam came the better of Moses.

" On the day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces, taste the touch of Fire. Surely, We have created everything according to a measure" (liv. 48).

The mother of every person gives him birth according to his true nature. It is subsequently his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian. Had his parents been Muslim he would have also remained a Muslim. Every person to whom his mother gives birth (has two aspects of his life) ; when his mother gives birth Satan strikes him but it was not the case with Mary and her son (Jesus Christ).

The young man whom Khadir killed was a non-believer by his very nature and had he survived he would have involved his parents in defiance and unbelief.

Recite the Qur'an as long as your hearts agree to do so, and when you feel variance between them (between your hearts and tongues), then get up (and leave its recital for the time being).

You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Allah's Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?

It is from the conditions of the Last Hour that knowledge would be taken away and ignorance would prevail (upon the world), the liquor would be drunk, and adultery would become rampant.

I was sitting with 'Abdullah and Abu Musa that they reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: Prior to the Last Hour, there would be a time when knowledge would be taken away, and ignorance would take its place and there would be bloodshed on a large scale.

Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves no learned person, people turn to the ignorant as their leaders; then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and lead others astray.

I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.

There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number) and He loves odd number. And in the narration of Ibn 'Umar (the words are):" He who enumerated them."

When one of you makes a supplication (to his Lord) one should not say: O Allah, grant me pardon, if Thou so likest, but one should beg one's (Lord) with a will and full devotion, for there is nothing so great in the eye of Allah which He cannot grant.

O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me.

I visited Khabbab who had seven cauteries on his stomach and he said: Had Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) not forbidden us to call for death, I would have done so.

He who loves to meet Allah, Allah also loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah also abhors to meet him.

He who loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I ('A'isha) said: Allah's Apostle, so far as the feeling of aversion against death is concerned, we all have this feeling. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: It is not that (which you construe), but (this) that when a believer (at the time of death) is given the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah, His Pleasure, and of Paradise, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah also loves to meet him, and when an unbeliever is given the news of the torment at the Hand of Allah, and Hardship to be imposed by Him, he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah also abhors to meet him.

He who loves meeting Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I (Shuraih b. Hani, one of the narrators) came to A'isha and said to her: Mother of the faithful, I heard Abu Huraira narrate from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which, if it is actually so, is a destruction to us. Thereupon she said: Those are in fact ruined who are ruined at the words of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). What are (the words which in your opinion would cause your destruction)? He said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had stated: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah too loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah too abhors to meet him, and there is none amongst us who dons not hate death. Thereupon she said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has in fact stated this, but it does not mean what you construe, but it implies (the time) when one loses the lustre of the eye, and there is rattling in the throat, shudder in the body and convulsion in fingers (at the time of death). (It is about this time) that it has been said: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah would love to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah would abhor to meet him

" He who comes with goodness, there are in store for him ten like those and even more than those: 'And he who comes with vice, ' it is only for that that he is called to account. I even forgive him (as I like) and he who draws close to Me by the span of a palm I draw close to him by the cubit, and he who draws close to Me by the cubit I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and he who walks towards Me I rush towards him, and he who meets Me in the state that his sins fill the earth, but not associating anything with Me, I would meet Him with the same (vastness) of pardon (on My behalf)." This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Waki'.

Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that? He said: Yes. I used to utter (these words): Impose punishment upon me earlier in this world, what Thou art going to impose upon me in the Hereafter. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Hallowed be Allah, you have neither the power nor forbearance to take upon yourself (the burden of His Punishment). Why did you not say this: O Allah, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Fire. He (the Holy Prophet) made this supplication (for him) and he was all right.

The supplication that he (the Holy Prophet made very frequently is this:" O Allah, grant us the good in this world and the good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of Hell-Fire." He (Qatada) said that whenever Anas had to supplicate he made this very supplication, and whenever he (intended) to make another supplication he (inserted) this very supplication in that.

" O Allah, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to the path of righteousness and provide me sustenance."

He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection, and he who finds relief for one who is hard-pressed, Allah would make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother, and he who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in the house among the houses of Allah (mosques) and recite the Book of Allah and they learn and teach the Qur'an (among themselves) there would descend upon them tranquility and mercy would cover them and the angels would surround them and Allah mentions them in the presence of those near Him, and he who is slow-paced in doing good deeds, his (high) lineage does not make him go ahead.

There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day.

We were along with Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) on a journey when the people began to pronounce "Allahu Akbar" in a loud voice. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: O people, show mercy to yourselves for you are not calling One who is deaf or absent. Verily, you are calling One who is All-Hearing (and) Near to you and is with you. Abu Musa said that he had been behind him (the Prophet) and reciting: "There is neither might nor power but that of Allah." He (the Prophet), while addressing 'Abdullah b. Qais, said: Should I not direct you to a treasure from amongst the treasures of Paradise? I ('Abdullah b. Qais) said: Allah's Messenger, do it, of course. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Then recite: "There is no might and no power but that of Allah."

" O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, from indolence, from cowardice, from senility, from miserliness, and I seek refuge in Thee from the torment of the grave and from trial of the life and death."

I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When anyone lands at a place, and then says:" I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He has created," nothing would harm him until he marches from that stopping place.

When you go to bed, perform ablution as is done for prayer; then lie down pn the right side and recite:" O Allah, I turn my face towards Thee and entrust my affair to Thee. I retreat unto Thee for protection with hope in Thee and fear of Thee. There is no resort and no deliverer (from hardship) but Thou only. I affirm my faith in Thine books which Thou revealed and in Thine Apostles whom Thou sent." Make this as the last word of yours (when you go to sleep) and in case you die during that night, you would die upon Fitra (upon Islam). And as I repeated these words in order to commit them to memory, I said:" I affirm my faith in Thy Messenger (Rasul) whom Thou sent." He said: Say:" I affirm my faith in the Apostle (Nabi) whom Thou sent."

When any one of you intends to go to sleep, he should lie on the bed on his right side and then say:" O Allah. the Lord of the Heavens and the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of evervthina, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the datestone (or fruit kernal), the Revealer of Torah and Injil (Bible) and Criterion (the Holy Qur'an), I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of every- thing Thou art to sieze by the forelock (Thou hast perfect control over it). O Allah, Thou art the First, there is naught before Thee, and Thou art the Last and there is naught after Thee, and Thou art Evident and there is nothing above Thee, and Thou art Innermost and there is nothing beyond Thee. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want." Abu Salih used to narrate it from Abu Huraira who narrated it from Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him).

When any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of Allah for he himself does tiot know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words:" Hallowed be Allah, my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants."

I asked: 'A'isha, in what words did Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) supplicate Allah? She said that he used to utter:" I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I did and from the evil of what I did not."

" O Allah, forgive me my faults, my ignorance, my immoderation in my concerns. And Thou art better aware (of my affairs) than myself. O Allah, grant me forgiveness (of the faults which I committed) seriously or otherwise (and which I committed inadvertently and de- liberately. All these (failings) are in me. O Allah, grant me forgiveness from the fault which I did in haste or deferred, which I committed in privacy or in public and Thou art better aware of (them) than myself. Thou art the First and the Last and over all things Thou art Omnipotent."

" O Allah. I beg of Thee the right guidance, safeguard against evils, chastity and freedom from want."

" We entered upon evening and the whole Kingdom of Allah also entered upon evening and praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, the One Who has no partner with Him." Hasan said that Zubaid reported to him that he memorised it from Ibrahim in these very words." His is the Sovereignty and Praise is due to Him, and He is Potent over everything. O Allah, I beg of Thee the good of this night and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of this night and the evil which follows it. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from the evil of vanity. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from torment in the Hell-Fire and from torment in the grave."

Say," O Allah, direct me to the right path and make me adhere to the straight path," and when you make a mention of right guidance, keep in mind the right path and when you consider of the straight (path), keep in mind the straightness of the arrow.

You have been in the same seat since I left you. She said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: I recited four words three times after I left you and if these are to be weighed against what you have recited since morning these would outweigh them and (these words) are:" Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him according to the number of His creation and according to the pleasure of His Self and according to the weight of His Throne and according to the ink (used in recording) words (for His Praise)."

We tried to stand up (as a mark of respect) but Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Keep to your beds, and he sat amongst us and I felt the coldness of his feet upon my chest. He then said: May I not direct you to something better than what you have asked for? When you go to your bed, you should recite Takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) thirty-four times and Tasbih (Subhan Allah) thirty-three times and Tahmid (al-Hamdu li-Allah) thirty-three times, and that is better than the servant for you.

" There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Tolerant, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Heaven and the earth, the Lord of the Edifying Throne."

Those for which Allah made a choice for His Angels and His servants (and the words are):" Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him."

There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) that the Angels do not say: The same be for you too.

Allah is pleased with His servant who says: Al-Hamdu lillah while taking a morsel of food and while drinking.

The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and says: I supplicated but it was not granted.

I had a chance to look into the Paradise and I found that majority of the people was poor and I looked into the Fire and there I found the majority constituted by women.

Amongst the inmates of Paradise the women would form a minority.

I have not left after me turmoil for the people but the harm done to men by women.

Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I came back to them in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents. One day I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder and I could not come back before evening and found them (the parents) asleep. I milked the animals as I used to milk and brought milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to disturb them from sleep and I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving them. My children wept near my feet. I remained there in that very state and my parents too until it was morning. And (0 Allah) if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble. (The rock slipped a bit) that they could see the sky. The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them. The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.

I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him). He heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink).

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.

I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them.

I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.

When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath.

I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Allah created mercy in one hundred parts and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and He has sent down upon the earth one part, and it is because of this one part that there is mutual love among the creation so much so that the animal lifts up its hoof from its young one, fearing that it might harm it.

Verily, there are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah, and it is one part of this mercy by virtue of which there is mutual love between the people and ninety-nine reserved for the Day of Resurrection.

My Lord, it is out of Thine fear that I have done it and Thou art well aware of it, and Allah granted him pardon:.

'You must do as I command you to do, otherwise I will make others besides you as my inheritors. As I die, burn my body and blow my ashes in the wind as I do not find any merit of mine which would please Allah, and if Allah were to take hold of me, He would punish me. He took a pledge from them and they did as he commanded thein to do. Allah said: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord. Thine fear, and Allah did not punish him at all.

Nothing is more loveable to Allah than His praise as He has praised Himself and no one is more self-respecting than Allah Himself and it As because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts.

Allah is self-respecting and a believer is also self-respecting and the respect of Allah is injured if a believer does what He has forbidden him to do.

" And observe prayer at the (two) ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful" (xi. 115). That person said: Allah's Messenger, does it concern me only? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It concerns every one of my Unimah, who acts according to it.

There was a person before you who had killed ninety-nine persons and then made an inquiry about the learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship and you also worship along with them and do not come to the land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said: This man has come as a penitant and remorseful to Allah and the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all. Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to slip in the land of mercy.

When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your rescue from Hell-Fire.

'A'isha said: Whenever Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) intended to set out on a journey he cast lots amongst his wives and he took one with him in whose favour the lot was cast. It so happened that he cast lots amongst us while setting out on a battle and it was cast in my favour, so I set out along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This relates to the period when the revelation concerning the commands of veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and I was brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan was near Medina, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when the command for the march was given and moved on until I went out of the encampments of the army and after relieving myself I came to my place. I touched my chest and found that my necklace which had been made of the stones of zafar had been broken. I retraced my steps and tried to search my necklace and this detained me there. The group of people who saddled my ride and placed my haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched on. They were under the impression that I was in it. The women in those days were light of weight and they did not wear much flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I was a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and Eet out and I found my necklace after the army had marched. I came to my place and there was none to call and none to respond (the call). I waited at my place under the impression that when the people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept. Safwan b. Mu'attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind the army because of taking rest came to my place walking in the latter part of the night and he saw the body of a person who was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as he had seen rue before it was enjoined to observe purda. I got ap by his voice as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un [we are for Allah and to Him we have to return. ] and I covered my head with my headdress. By Allah, he did not speak to me a word and I did not hear a word from him except Inna lillahi. He made his camel kneel down and I amounted the camel as he pressed tLe camel's foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the nose string on which I was riding until we came to the army where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat. Woe be upon those who harboured doubts about me and the most notorious among them was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the great hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a month. The people had been deliberating over the statements of those who had brought these calumnies against me. I was absolutely unaware of anything concerning that. This, however, caused doubt in my mind that I did not see Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him.) treating me with such kindness with which he treated me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) would coome and greet me with Assalam-o-'Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept outside despite my failing health and there went along with me Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b. Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of Sakhr b. 'Amir, the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq and his son was Mistah b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. Muttalib. I and the daughter of Abu Rahm set towards the direction of my house. Something got into the head dress of Umm Mistah and she said: Woe be upon Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon what you say. Do you curse people who had participated in Badr? She said: Innocent woman, have you not heard what he said? I said: What did he say? She conveyed to me the statement of those who had brought false allegations against me. So my illness was aggravated. I went to my house and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to me and he greeted me and then said: How is that woman? I said: Do you permit me to go to the (house) of my parents? She (further) said: I had at that time made up my mind to confirm this news from them. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted me. So I came to (the house of) my parents and said to my mother: Mother, do you know what the people are talking about? She said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah, if there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and he has co-wives also they talk many a thing about her. I said: Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking about? I wept during the whole night until it was morning and I did not have a wink of sleep and I wept even in the morning. As the revelation was delayed (in regard to this matter), so Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali ibn Abi 'Talib and Usama b. Zaid in order to seek their advice in regard to the separation of his wife. Usama b. Zaid told Allah's Messenger (may peace be apen him) about the innocence of his wives and what he knew about his love for them. He said: Allah's Messenger, they are your wives and we know nothing else about them but goodness. And as for 'Ali b. Abu Talib, he said: Allah has not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in regard to your wives). There are a number of women besides her and if you ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the truth. So, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in 'A'isha which can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who sent thee with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her but only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit and sought vindication against 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul, and he further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations of that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family? By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the person whom the people have mentioned in this connection is, according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person, and he did never get into my house but along with me. Sa'd b. Mu'adh stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, I defend your honour against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus we would strike his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of our brother Khazraj and you order us we would comply with your order. Then Sa'd b. 'Ubada stood up. He was chief of the Khazraj tribe. He was otherwise a pioas man but he had some what tribal partisanship in him and he said to Sa'd b. Mu'adh: By the everlasting existence of Allah. you are not stating the fact, you will not be able to kill him and you will not have the power to do so. Thereupon, Usaid b. Hudair stood up, and he was the first cousin of Sa'd b. Mu'adh and said to Sa'd b. 'Ubada: By the everlasting existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact. We would kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in defence of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon one another and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kept standing upon the pulpit and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) tried to subside their anger until they became silent and thus there was silence. 'A'isha further reported: I spent the whole day in weeping and even the night and could not have a wink of sleep even next night. My parents thought that this constant weeping of mine would break my heart. I wept and they sat beside me. In the meanwhile a woman of the Ansar came to see me. I permitted her to see me and she also began to weep. And we were in this very state that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came and he greeted me and then sat down. He had never sat with me since a month when this rumour was afloat, and there was no revelation (to clarity) my case. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) recited Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, 'A'isha, this is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent, Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if accidentally there has been a lapse on your part seek forgiveness of Allah; He will pardon thee for when a servant makes a confession of his fault and turns (to Him) penitently, Allah also turns to him (mercifully) accepting his repentance. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked, my tears dried up and not even a single drop of tear was perceived by me (rolling out of my eyes). I said to my father: You give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I then said to my mother: Give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my behalf, but she said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I was a small girl at that time and I had not read much of the Qur'an (but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard about this and it has settled down in your mind and you have taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am quite innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would never believe me to be true, and if I confess to (the alleged) lapse before you, whereas Allah knows that I am completely innocent (and I have not committed this sin at all), in that case You will take me to be true and, by Allah, I, therefore, find no other alternative for me and for you except that what the father of Yousuf said:, (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought for in that (predicament) which ye describe" (xii 18). After this I turned my face to the other side and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I was fully aware of this fact that I was innocent but I did not expect that Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur'anic Wahy) in my case as I did not think myself so much important that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in vision give an indication of my innocence to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) during his sleep. And, by Allah, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had not moved an inch from where he had been sitting and none from the members of my family had gone that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, descended revelation upon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) there and then and he felt the burden which he used to feel at the time of receiving revelation. He began to perspire because of the burden of words of Allah as they descended upon him even during the winter season and there fell the drops of his sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) smiled and the first words which he spoke to me were that he said: 'A'isha, there is glad tidings for you. Verily, Allah has vindicated your honour, and my mother who had been standing by me said: Get up (and thank him, i. e. the Holy Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not thank him and laud him but Allah Who has descended revelation vindicating my honour. She ('A'isha) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed:" 'Verily, those who spread the slander are a gang among you" (and) ten (subsequent) verses in regard to my innocence. She further said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah (some stipend) as a token of kinship with him and for his poverty and he (Abu Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not spend anything for him. 'A'isha said: It was upon this that Allah the Exalted and Glorious revealed this verse:" And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear to give to the near of the kin" up to" Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you?" Hibban b. Musa' said that 'Abdullah b. Mubarak used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book which most (eminently) brightens the hope. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I wish that Allah should pardon me. I shall never stop this stipend. So he continued to give him the stipend which he had withdrawn. 'A'isha said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), about me what she knew or what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah's Messenger, I shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears) and seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her but goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact) that she was the only lady who amongst the wives of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) used to vie with me but Allah saved her in bringing false allegation against me because of her God-consciousness. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh, however, opposed her and she was undone along with others.

Allah's Messenger, are you going to conduct prayer for this man, whereas Allah has forbidden you to offer prayer for him? Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah has given me an option as He has said:" You may beg pardon for them or you may not beg pardon for them, and even if you beg pardon for them, seventy times" (ix. 80), and I am going to make an addition to the seventy. He was a hypocrite and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) offered prayer for him and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this verse:" Do not offer prayer for any one of them at all and do not stand upon their graves for (offering prayer over them)" (ix. 84).

Do you think that Allah hears as we speak? The other one said: He does hear when we speak loudly and He does not hear when we speak in undertones, and still the other one said: If He listens when we speak loudly, He also listens when we speak in undertones. It was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" You did not conceal yourselves lest your ears, your eyes and your skins would stand witness against you" (xli. 22).

We would kill them, and the other one said: No, this should not be done, and it was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" Why should you, then, be two parties in relation to hypocrites?" (iv. 88).

I said to 'Ammar: What is your opinion about that which you have done in case (of your siding with Hadrat 'Ali)? Is it your personal opinion or something you got from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)? 'Ammar said: We have got nothing from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which people at large did not get, but Hudhaifa told me that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) had especially told him amongst his Companion, that there would be twelve hypocrites out of whom eight would not get into Paradise, until a camel would be able to pass through the needle hole. The ulcer would be itself sufficient (to kill) eight. So far as four are concerned, I do not remember what Shu'ba said about them.