Narrate to me a hadith which you had heard directly from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and there is no extra link in between them. She said: Very well, if you like, I am prepared to do that, and he said to her: Well, do It and narrate that to me. She said: I married the son of Mughira and he was a chosen young man of Quraish at that time, but he fell as a martyr in the first Jihad (fighting) on the side of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). When I became a widow, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Auf, one amongst the group of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), sent me the proposal of marriage. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) also sent me such a message for his freed slave Usama b. Zaid. And it had been conveyed to me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had said (about Usama): He who loves me should also love Usama. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked to me (about this matter), I said: My affairs are in your hand. You may marry me to anyone whom you like. He said: You better shift now to the house of Umm Sharik, and Umm Sharik was a rich lady from amongst the Ansar. She spent generously for the cause of Allah and entertained guests very hospitably. I said: Well, I will do as you like. He said: Do not do that for Umm Sharik is a woman who is very frequently visited by guests and I do not like that your head may be uncovered or the cloth may be removed from your shank and the strangers may catch sight of them which you abhor. You better shift to the house of your cousin 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. Umm Maktum and he is a person of the Bani Fihr branch of the Quraish, and he belonged to that tribe (to which Fatima) belonged. So I shifted to that house, and when my period of waiting was over, I heard the voice of an announcer making an announcement that the prayer would be observed in the mosque (where) congregational prayer (is observed). So I set out towards that mosque and observed prayer along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and I was in the row of the women which was near the row of men. When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling and said: Every worshipper should keep sitting at his place. He then said: Do you know why I had asked you to assemble? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something, which agrees with what I was telling, you about the Dajjal. He narrated to me that he had sailed in a ship along with thirty men of Bani Lakhm and Bani Judham and had been tossed by waves in the ocean for a month. Then these (waves) took them (near) the land within the ocean (island) at the time of sunset. They sat in a small side-boat and entered that island. There was a beast with long thick hair (and because of these) they could not distinguish his face from his back. They said: Woe to you, who can you be? Thereupon it said: I am al-Jassasa. They said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: O people, go to this person in the monastery as he is very much eager to know about you. He (the narrator) said: When it named a person for us we were afraid of it lest it should be a devil. Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles. We said: Woe be upon thee, who are you? And he said: You would soon come to know about me. but tell me who are you. We said: We are people from Arabia and we embarked upon a boat but the sea-waves had been driving us for one month and they brought as near this island. We got Into the side-boats and entered this island and here a beast met us with profusely thick hair and because of the thickness of his hair his face could not be distinguished from his back. We said: Woe be to thee, who are you? It said: I am al- Jassasa. We said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: You go to this very person in the monastery for he is eagerly waiting for you to know about you. So we came to you in hot haste fearing that that might be the Devil. He (that chained person) said: Tell me about the date-palm trees of Baisan. We said: About what aspect of theirs do you seek information? He said: I ask you whether these trees bear fruit or not. We said: yes. Thereupon he said: I think these would not bear fruits. He said: Inform me about the lake of Tabariyya? We said: Which aspect of it do you want to know? He said: Is there water in it? They said: There is abundance of water in it. Thereupon he said: I think it would soon become dry. He again said: Inform me about the spring of Zughar. They said: Which aspect of it you want to know? He (the chained person) said: Is there water in it and does it irrigate (the land)? We said to him: Yes, there is abundance of water in it and the inhabitants (of Medina) irrigate (land) with the help of it, He said: Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done? We said: He has come out from Mecca and has settled In Yathrib (Medina). He said: Do the Arabs fight against him? We said: Yes. He said: How did he deal with them? We informed him that he had overcome those in his neighbourhood and they had submitted themselves before him. Thereupon he said to us: Has it actually happened? We said: Yes. Thereupon he said: If it is so that is better for them that they should show obedience to him. I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina as these two (places) are prohibited (areas) for me and I would not make an attempt to enter any one of these two. An angel with a sword in his hand would confront me and would bar my way and there would be angels to guard every passage leading to it; then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) striking the pulpit with the help of the end of his staff said: This implies Taiba meaning Medina. Have I not, told you an account (of the Dajjal) like this? 'The people said: Yes, and this account narrated by Tamim Dari was liked by me for it corroborates the account which I gave to you in regard to him (Dajjal) at Medina and Mecca. Behold he (Dajjal) is in the Syrian sea (Mediterranean) or the Yemen sea (Arabian sea). Nay, on the contrary, he is in the east, he is in the east, he is in the east, and he pointed with his hand towards the east. I (Fatima bint Qais) said: I preserved it in my mind (this narration from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).

"What was said about me had been said, and I myself was unaware of it, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) got up and addressed the people. He recited the Tashahhud and after praising and expressing gratitude to Allah, as He deserved, he said: 'To proceed: O people! Give me your opinion regarding those people who made a forged story against my wife. By Allah, I do not know anything bad about her at all. By Allah, they accused her of being with a man about whom I have never known anything bad, and he never entered my house unless I was present there, and whenever I went on a journey, he went with me.' Sa'd bin Mu'adh [may Allah be pleased with him] got up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (SAW)! Allow me to chop their heads off!' Then a man from Al-Khazraj, to whom the mother of Hassan bin Thabit was a relative, got up and said (to Sa'd): 'You have told a lie! By Allah, if those persons were from Al-Aws, you would not like to chop their heads.' It was probable that some evil would take place between Aws and Khazraj in the Masjid while I was unaware of that. In the evening of that day, I went out for some of my needs, and Umm Mistah was accompanying me. On our return, Umm Mistah stumbled and said: 'Let Mistah be ruined!' I said to her, 'O mother! Why do you abuse your son?' On that Umm Mistah became silent for a while, and stumbling again, she said: 'Let Mistah be ruined!' I said to her: 'O mother! Why do you abuse your son?' She stumbled for the third time and said: 'Let Mistah be ruined!' I said to her: 'O mother! Why do you abuse your son?' Upon that she said: 'By Allah! I do not abuse him except because of you.' I asked her: 'Concerning what of my affairs?' So she disclosed the whole story to me. I said: 'Has this really happened?' She replied: 'Yes, by Allah!' I returned to my house, so astonished, that I did not know for what purpose I had gone out. Then I became sick and said to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) 'Send me to my father's house.' So he sent a servant with me, and when I entered the house, I found Umm Ruman downstairs, while Abu Bakr was reciting something upstairs. My mother asked: 'What has brought you, O daughter?' She said: "I informed her and mentioned the whole story to her, but she did not feel as I did about it. She said: 'O my daughter! Do not worry much about this matter, for there is never a charming lady loved by her husband who has other wives, but that they feel jealous of her and speak badly of her.' But she did not feel the same about it as I did. I asked her: 'Does my father know about it?' She said 'Yes.' I asked: 'Does the Messenger of Allah (SAW) know about it too?' She said 'Yes, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) also knows about it.' Tears filled my eyes and I wept. Abu Bakr, who was reading upstairs, heard my voice, and came down asking my mother: 'What is the matter with her?' She said: 'She has heard what has been said about her.' On that Abu Bakr wept and said: 'I beseech you, by Allah, O my daughter, to go back to your home.' I went back to my home, and the Messenger of Allah (SAW) had come to my house asking my maid-servant about me. The maid-servant said: 'By Allah! I do not know of any fault or defect in her character except that she sleeps and lets the sheep enter and eat her dough.' On that, some of the Prophet's Companions spoke harshly to her and said: 'Tell the truth to the Messenger of Allah (SAW).' Finally, they told her of the slander and she said: 'Subhan Allah! By Allah, I know nothing against her except what a goldsmith knows about a piece of pure gold.' Then this news reached the man who was accused, and he said: 'Subhan Allah! By Allah, I have never uncovered the private parts of any woman.' Later, that man was martyred in Allah's Cause. Then the next morning, my parents came to pay me a visit and they stayed with me until the Messenger of Allah (SAW) came to me, after he performed the 'Asr prayer. He came to me and while my parents were sitting around me on my right and my left. The Prophet (SAW) said the Tashahhud, praised and glorified Allah and said: 'Now then, O 'Aishah! If you have committed a bad deed, or you have wronged (yourself), then repent to Allah, as Allah accepts the repentance from His worshipers.' An Ansari woman had come and was sitting near the gate. I said to the Prophet (SAW): 'Isn't it improper that you speak in such a way in the presence of this lady?' The Messenger of Allah (SAW) then gave a piece of advice and I turned to my father and requested him to reply to him. My father said: 'What should I say?' Then I turned to my mother and asked her to answer him. She said: 'What should I say?' When my parents did not reply to the Prophet (SAW), I said the Tashahhud, praised and glorified Allah as His due, and I said: 'Then, by Allah! If I were to tell you that I have not done (this) and Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is witness that I am telling the truth, that would not be of any use to me on your part, because you (people) have spoken about it and your hearts have absorbed it (as truth); and if I were to tell you that I have done this sin, and Allah knows that I have not done it, then you will say: 'She has confessed her guilt.' By Allah! I do not see a suitable example for me and you except the example of - and I could not remember Ya'qbus name - Yusuf's father when he said: So patience is most fitting. And it is Allah Whose help can be sought against that which you describe (12:18). She said: "It was at that time that Revelation came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), and we remained silent. Then the Revelation was over, and I noticed the signs of happiness on his face while he was wiping (the sweat) from his forehead, and saying: 'Have the good tidings O 'Aishah! Allah has revealed your innocence.' At that time I was extremely angry. My parents said to me: 'Get up and go to him.' I said: 'By Allah, I will not do it,and will not thank him nor either of you, but I will thank Allah, Who has revealed my innocence. You have heard (this story) but neither of you have denied it, nor have you changed it (to defend me).'" 'Aishah used to say: "But as regards to Zainab bint Jahsh, Allah protected her because of her piety. She did not say anything except good (about me). But her sister, Hamnah was ruined among those who were ruined. Those who used to speak evil about me were Mistah, Hassan bin Thabit, and the hypocrite 'Abdullah bin Ubayy [bin Salul] and [it is he who] used to spread that news and tempt others to speak of it, and it was he and Hamnah who had the greater share therein. Abu Bakr took an oath that he would never do any favor for Mistah at all. Then Allah, Most High, revealed this Ayah: 'Let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth' [until the end of the Ayah] referring to Abu Bakr: 'to give their kinsmen, the poor, and those who left their homes for Allah's Cause.' - meaning Mistah - up to His saying: Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (24:22).' On that, Abu Bakr said: 'Yes, by Allah! O our Lord! We wish that You forgive us.' So he returned to what he had been doing."

I heard Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrating that he who is overtaken by dawn in a state of seminal emission should not observe fast. I made a mention of it to 'Abd al-Rahman b. Harith (i. e. to his father) but he denied it. 'Abd al-Rahman went and I also went along with him till we came to'A'isha and Umm Salama (Allah be pleased with both of them) and Abd al-Rahman asked them about it. Both of them said: (At times it so happened) that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) woke up in the morning in a state of junub (but without seminal emission in a dream) and observed fast He (the narrator) said: We then proceeded till we went to Marwan and Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it to him. Upon this Marwan said: I stress upon you (with an oath) that you better go to Abu Huraira and refer to him what is said about it. So we came to Abu Huraira and Abu Bakr had been with us throughout and 'Abd al-Rahman made a mention of it to him, whereupon Abu Huraira said: Did they (the two wives of the Holy Prophet) tell you this? He replied: Yes Upon this (Abu Huraira) said: They have better knowledge. Abu Huraira then attributed that what was said about it to Fadl b. 'Abbas and said: I heard it from Fadl and not from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). Abu Huraira then retracted from what he used to say about it. Ibn Juraij (one of the narrators) reported: I asked 'Abd al-Malik, if they (the two wives) said (made the statement) in regard to Ramadan, whereupon he said: It was so, and he (the Holy Prophet) (woke up in the) morning in a state of junub which was not due to the wet dream and then observed fast.

By Allah, there is no maintenance allowance for you, except in case you are pregnant. She came to Allah's Apostle (may peace he upon him) and mentioned their opinion to him, whereupon he said: There is no maintenance allowance for you. Then she sought permission to move (to another place), and he (the Holy Prophet) permitted her. She said: Allah's Messenger, where (should I go)? He said: To the house of Ibn Umm Maktum and, as he is blind, she could put off her garmeqts in his presence and he would not see her. And when her 'Idda was over. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her to Usama b. Zaid. Marwan (the governor of Medina) sent Qabisa b. Dhuwaib in order to ask her about this hadith, and she narrated it to him, whereupon Marwan said: We have not heard this hadith but from a woman. We would adopt a safe (path) where we found the people. Fatima said that when these words of, Marwan were conveyed to her. There is between me and you the word of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic: Do" not turn them out" of their houses. She asserted: This is in regard to the revocable divorce what new (turn can the event take) after three pronouncements (separation between irrevocable). Why do you say there is no maintenance allowance for her if she is not pregnant? Then on what ground do you restrain her?

"The Messenger of Allah invaded Khaibar and we prayed Al-Ghadah (Fajr) there (early in the morning) when it was still dark. Then the Prophet rode and Abu Talha rode, and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet of Allah passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly, and my knee was touching the thigh of the Messenger of Allah, and I could see the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet. When he entered the town he said: 'Allahu Akbar, Khaibar is destroyed! Whenever we approach a (hostile) nation to fight, evil will be the morning for those who have been warned.' He said this three times. The people came out for their work." (One of the narrators) 'Abdul-'Aziz said: "They said: 'Muhammad (has come)!'" 'Abdul-'Aziz said: "Some of our companions said: 'With his army.'" "We conquered Khaibar and gathered the captives. Dihyah came and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, give me a slave girl from among the captives.' He said: 'Go and take a slave girl.' He took Safiyyah bint Huyayy. Then a man came to the Prophet and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you gave Dihyah Safiyyah bint Huyayy, and she is the chief mistress of Quraizah and An-Nadir, and she is fit for no one but you.' He said: 'Call him to bring her.' When the Prophet saw her, he said: 'Take any other slave girl from among the captives.'" He said: "The Prophet of Allah set her free and married her." (One of the narrators) Thabit said to him: "O Abu Hamzah, what dowry did he give her?" He (Anas) said: "Herself; he set her free and married her." He said: "While on the road, Umm Sulaim fitted her out and presented her to him in the night, and the following morning he was a bridegroom. He said: 'Whoever has anything, let him bring it.' He spread out a leather cloth and men came with cottage cheese, dates, and ghee, and they made Hais, and that was the Walimah (wedding feast) of the Messenger of Allah."

"By Allah, she is not entitled to any provision. So, she sent to Al-Harith bin Hisham and 'Ayyash asking them for the provisions from us unless she is pregnant, and she has no right to live in our house unless we permit her." Fatimah said that she went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about that and he said that they had told the truth. She said: "I said: 'Where shall I move to, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'Move to the house of Ibn Umm Maktum' -who was the blind man, concerning whom Allah rebuked him in His Book. I moved to his house, and I used to take off my outer garments." Then the Messenger of Allah married her to Usamah bin Zaid.

‘Ubaid Allah said “Marwan sent someone (Qabisah) to Fatimah and asked her (about the case). She said that she was the wife of Abu Hafs. The Prophet (saws) appointed ‘Ali as governor in a certain part of Yemen. Her husband also proceeded with him. From there he sent a message to her pronouncing one divorce that had yet remained. He commanded ‘Ayyash bin Abi Rabi’ah and Al Harith bin Hisham to provide maintenance to her. They said “By Allah there is no sustenance for her except in case she is pregnant.” She came to the Prophet(saws) who said “There is no sustenance for you except in case you are pregnant. She then asked permission to shift (from her house) and he gave her permission.” She asked “Where should I shift. Apostle of Allaah(saws)? The Apostle of Allaah(saws) said to Ibn Umm Maktum . He was blind. She would undress herself and he could not see her. She lived there till her waiting period passed. The Prophet (saws) married her to Usamah. Qabisah then returned to Marwan and narrated that to him. Marwan said “We did not hear this tradition except from a woman, so we shall follow the reliable practice on which we found the people”. When this reached Fatimah she said “between me and you is the Book of Allah”. Allaah the exalted said “Divorce them for their waiting period...” Thou knowest not it may be that Allaah will afterward bring some new thing to pass. She said “What a new thing will emerge after triple divorce.”

Abu Dawud said “A similar tradition has been narrated by Yunus on the authority of Al Zuhri. As for Al Zubaidi he narrated both traditions, the tradition of ‘Ubaid Allah in the version of Ma’mar and the tradition of Abu Salamah in the version of ‘Aqil.”

Abu Dawud said “Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated on the authority of Al Zuhri that Qabisah bin Dhuwaib transmitted to him the version which was narrated by ‘Ubaid Allah bin ‘Abd Allaah which has Qabisah then returned to Marwan and informed him about that.”

'Umara ibn Ghurab reported that an aunt of his told him that she asked 'A'isha, Umm al-Mu'minin, "If a woman's husband desires her and she refuses to give herself to him either because she is angry or not eager, is there anything wrong in that?" "Yes," she replied. "Part of his right over you is that if he desires you when you are on a saddle, you must not refuse him." She said, "I also asked her, 'If one of us is menstruating and she and her husband only have a single cover, what should she do?' She replied, 'She should wrap her wrapper around her and sleep with him. He can have what is above it. I will tell you what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did on one of his nights with me. I had cooked some barley and made loaf for him. He came in, stopped at the door, and then went into the mosque. When he wanted to sleep, he closed the door, tied up the waterskin, turned the cup over and put out the light. I waited for him and he ate the loaf. He did not go until I fell asleep. Later he felt the cold and came and got me up. "Warm me! Warm me!" he said. I said, "I am menstruating." He said, "Then uncover your thighs," so I uncovered my thighs and he put his cheek and head on my thighs until he was warm. Then a pet sheep belonging to our neighbour came in. I went and took the load away. I disturbed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he woke up, so I chased the sheep to the door. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Take what you got of your loaf and do not injure your neighbour's sheep."'"

It was narrated from 'Ubaidullah bin 'Abdullah bin 'Utbah that during the reign of Marwan, 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin 'Uthman, who was a young man, issued a final divorce to the daughter of Sa'eed bin Zaid, whose mother was Bint Qais. Her maternal aunt, Fatimah bint Qais, sent word to her telling her to move from the house of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr. Marwan heard of that and he sent word to the daughter of Sa'eed, telling her to go back to her home, and asking her why she had moved from her home before her 'Iddah was over? She sent word to him telling him that her maternal aunt had told her to do that. Fatimah bint Qais said that she had been married to Abu 'Amr bin Hafs, and when the Messenger of Allah appointed 'Ali bin Abi Talib as governor of Yemen, he went out with him and sent word to her that she was divorced with the third Talaq. He told Al-Harith bin Hisham and 'Ayyash bin Abi Rai'ah to spend on her. She sent word to Al-Harith and 'Ayyash asking them what her husband had told them to spend on her, and they said: 'By Allah, she has no right to any maintenance from us, unless she is pregnant, and she cannot come into our home without our permission.' She said that she came to the Messenger of Allah and told him about that, and he stated that they were correct. Fatimah said: 'Where should I move to, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'Move to the home of Ibn Umm Maktum, the blind man whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, named in His Book.' Fatimah said: 'So I observed my 'Iddah there. He was a man who has lost his sight, so I used to take off my garments in his house, until the Messenger of Allah married me to Usamah bin Zaid.' Marwan criticized her for that and said: 'I have never heard this Hadith from anyone before you. I will continue to follow the ruling that the people have been following.'"

"Eleven women sat together and agreed that they would not conceal anything pertaining to their husbands. [Each of them spoke in rhyming Arabic]. ‘The first said: “My husband is the flesh of a scrawny camel [jamal] on top of a mountain [jabal] that is rugged, not smooth, so he climbs it, emaciated, and is carried away [yuntaqal].” ‘The second said: “I do not broadcast my husbands story [khabara-hu], for I am afraid that I may not let him alone [la adhara-hu]. If I mention him, I shall mention his apparent faults ['ujara-hu] and his hidden defects [bujara-hu]” ‘The third said: “My husband is extremely tall and ill- natured ['ashannaq]. If I speak, I will be divorced [utallaq], and if keep silent, I will be left in suspense [u'allaq]” ‘The fourth said: “My husband is like the night of Tihama [the province in which Mecca is situated]: neither heat nor cold, and neither fear nor disgust [sa’ama].” ‘The fifth said: “If my husband comes in, he is relaxed like the lynx [fahida], and if he goes out, he is bold like the lion [asida] and does not ask about what he has undertaken ['ahida]. ‘The sixth said: “If my husband eats, he gorges and mixes all sorts of food [laffa], and if he drinks, he swigs all the contents of the bowl [ishtaffa]. If he lies down to sleep, he wraps himself up [iltaffa], and he does not feel with the palm of his hand to detect [his wife’s] sorrow [al-baththa].” ‘The seventh said: “My husband is incompetent ['ayaya’]— or dispirited [ghayaya’]—, impotent [tabaqa], sick with every sickness [da’]. He would fracture your skull [shajja-ki] or jag you [falla-ki], or do both to you [la-ki]” ‘The eighth said: “My husband is softness, the softness of a rabbit [arnab], and scent, the scent of saffron [zarnab]” ‘The ninth said: “My husband is of lofty status [imad], of tall stature [najad], of splendid hospitality [ramad], the neighbor of the clubhouse [bait an-nad].” ‘The tenth said: “My husband is Malik, and what is Malik? Malik is better than that. [In order to provide food for the guest], he has camels with many stalls [mabarik] and few pastures. If they hear the sound of the lute, they know for certain that they are about to be slaughtered [hawalik]” ‘The eleventh said: “My husband is Abu Zar", and what about Abu Zar'? He has made my ears dangle with jewelry. He has filled my upper arms with fat. He has made me happy, so my soul has become happy with me. He found me among the owners of little sheep and goats, in dire straits, so he put me among the owners of neighing [horses], braying [camels], crop-treading [cows] and fattening [sheep]. I therefore speak in his presence, for I shall not be rebuked. I sleep soundly until the morning arrives, and I shall drink until I satisfy my thirst. “The mother of Abu Zar so what about the mother of Abu Zar? Her bundles [of clothes and suchlike] are heavy, and her house is spacious. “The son of Abu Zar so what about the son of Abu Zar? His couch is like a palm-stick stripped of its leaves [because he is very slender], and the foreleg of the lamb fills his stomach. “The daughter of Abu Zar, so what about the daughter of Abu Zar? She is obedient to her father and obedient to her mother. She fits perfectly into her clothes, and she is the rage of her female neighbor. “The maidservant of Abu Zar so what about the maidservant of Abu Zar? She does not broadcast our speech, nor does she scatter our provisions, nor does she fill our home with treachery and slander.” ‘She said: “Abu Zar" went out while the milkskins were being churned, and so he encountered a woman accompanied by two children of hers. Like a pair of lynxes, they were playing below her waist with a couple of lumps shaped like pomegranates. He therefore divorced me and married her, so I married a nobly generous man. He rode a sturdy horse and held a spear. He endowed me with rich benefits, and gave me a couple of every perfume. He said: ‘Eat, Umm Zar, and feed your relatives!’ Yet even if I collected everything that he gave me, it would not amount to the smallest of the vessels of Abu Zar'!” 'A'isha said (may Allah be well pleased with her): “Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to me: ‘I have been to you as Abu Zar was to Umm Zar'.”

Yahya related to me from Malik that it reached him that a slave of Abdullah ibn Umar escaped and one of his horses wandered off, and the idol worshippers seized them. Then the Muslims recaptured them, and they were returned to Abdullah ibn Umar, before the division of the spoils took place.

I heard Malik say about muslim property that had been seized by the enemy, "If it is noticed before the distribution, then it is returned to itsowner. Whatever has already been distributed is not returned to anyone."

Malik, when asked about a man whose young male slave was taken by the idol worshippers and then the Muslims re-captured him, said, "The owner is more entitled to him without having to pay his price or value or having to incur any loss before the distribution takes place. If the distribution has already taken place then I think that the slave belongs to his master for his price if the master wants him back."

Regarding an umm walad of a Muslim man who has been taken by the idol worshippers and then recaptured by the Muslims and allotted in the distribution of spoils and then recognised by her master after the distribution, Malik said, "She is not to be enslaved. I think that the Imam should pay a ransom for her for her master. If he does not do it, then her master must pay a ransom for her and not leave her. I do not think that she should be made a slave by whoever takes her and intercourse with her is not halal. She is in the position of a free woman because her master would be required to pay compensation if she injured somebody and so she is in the same position (as a wife). He must not leave the mother of his son to be enslaved nor may intercourse with her be made halal."

Malik was asked about a man who went to enemy territory to pay ransom or to trade, and he bought a free man or a slave, or they were given to him. He said, "As for the free man, the price he buys him for is a debt against the man and he is not made a slave. If the captive is given to him freely, he is free and owes nothing unless the man gave something in recompense for him. That is a debt against the free man, the same as if a ransom had been paid for him. As for a slave, his former master can choose to take him back and pay his price to the man who bought him or he can choose to leave him, as he wishes. If he was given to the man, the former master is more entitled to him, and he owes nothing for him unless the man gave something for him in recompense. Whatever he gave for him is a loss against the master if he wants him back."

I was sitting by the side of Ibn 'Umar, and we were waiting for the bier of Umm Aban, daughter of 'Uthman, and there was also 'Amr b. 'Uthman. In the meanwhile there came Ibn 'Abbas led by a guide. I conceive that he was informed of the place of Ibn 'Umar. So he came till he sat by my side. While I was between them (Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn 'Umar) there came the noise (of wailing) from the house. Upon this Ibn 'Umar said (that is, he pointed out to 'Amr that he should stand and forbid them, for): I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: The dead is punished because of the lamentation of his family. 'Abdullah made it general (what was said for a particular occasion). Ibn 'Abbas said: When we were with the Commander of the believers, 'Umar b. Khattab, we reached Baida', and there was a man under the shadow of the tree. He said to me: Go and inform me who is that person. So I went and (found) that he was Suhaib. I returned to him and said: You commanded me to find out for you who that was, and he is Suhaib. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: Command him to see us. I said: He has family along with him. He said: (That is of no account) even if he has family along with him. So he (the narrator) told him to see (the Commander of the believers and his party). When we came (to Medina), it was before long that the Commander of the believers was wounded, and Suhaib came weeping and crying: Alas for the brother, alas for the companion. Upon this 'Umar said: Didn't you know, or didn't you hear, that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:" The dead is punished because of the lamentation of his family"? Then 'Abdullah made it general and 'Umar told it of certain occasions. So I ('Abdullah b. Abu Mulaika) stood up and went to 'A'isha and told her what Ibn 'Umar had said. Upon this she said: I swear by Allah that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) never said that dead would be punished because of his family's lamenting (for him). What he said was that Allah would increase the punishment of the unbeliever because of his family's lamenting for him. Verily it is Allah Who has caused laughter and weeping. No bearer of a burden will bear another's burden. Ibn Abu Mulaika said that al-Qasim b. Muhammad said that when the words of 'Umar and Ibn 'Umar were conveyed to 'A'isha, she said: You have narrated it to me from those who are neither liar nor those suspected of lying but (sometimes) hearing misleads.

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest). Khaibar is ruined. And when we get down in the valley of a people evil is the morning of the warned ones. He repeated it thrice. In the meanwhile the people went out for their work, and said: By Allah, Muhammad (has come). Abd al-'Aziz or some of our companions said: Muhammad and the army (have come). He said: We took it (the territory of Khaibar) by force, and there were gathered the prisoners of war. There came Dihya and he said: Messenger of Allah, bestow upon me a girl from among the prisoners. He said: Go and get any girl. He made a choice for Safiyya daughter of Huyayy (b. Akhtab). There came a person to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and said: Apostle of Allah, you have bestowed Safiyya bint Huyayy, the chief of Quraiza and al-Nadir, upon Dihya and she is worthy of you only. He said: Call him along with her. So he came along with her. When Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) saw her he said: Take any other woman from among the prisoners. He (the narrator) said: He (the Holy Prophet) then granted her emancipation and married her. Thabit said to him: Abu Hamza, how much dower did he (the Holy Prophet) give to her? He said: He granted her freedom and then married her. On the way Umm Sulaim embellished her and then sent her to him (the Holy Prophet) at night. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) appeared as a bridegroom in the morning. He (the Holy Prophet) said: He who has anything (to eat) should bring that. Then the cloth was spread. A person came with cheese, another came with dates, and still another came with refined butter, and they prepared hais and that was the wedding feast of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

from Anas bin Malik: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) got married, and he went in with his wife." He said: "So my mother, Umm Sulaim prepared some Hais in a Tawr (a vessel made of brass and stone) and said: 'O Anas! Take this to the Prophet (SAW).' I said to him: 'My mother sent this to you, and she conveys her Salam, and says: 'This is a little something from us for you.'" He said: 'Put it down.' Then he said: 'Go and invite so-and-so, so-and-so, and so-and-so for me, and whomever you meet.'" He named some people, and said: "I invited those he named, and whomever I met." - He (Al-Ja'd) said: "I said to Anas: 'How many of you were there?' He said: 'Roughly about three-hundred.'" - He (Anas) said: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to me: 'O Anas! Bring me the Tawr.'" He said: "They entered until the Suffah (a shaded part of the Masjid in Al-Madinah) and the apartment were full. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: 'Let groups of ten in, and let each person eat what is near him.'" He said: "They ate until they were full." He said: "A group exited, and another group entered, until all of them ate.'" He said: "He said to me: 'O Anas! Remove it.'" He said: "So I took it. I could not tell if there was more when I first put it down, or when I picked it up." He said: "Groups of them sat talking in the house of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), while the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and his wife sat facing the wall. They began to be burdensome on the Messenger of Allah (SAW), so the Messenger of Allah (SAW) went out to greet his women folk, then he returned, they realized that they had overburdened him, so they hastened for the gate and all of them exited. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) came until he lowered the curtain, and entered while I was sitting in the apartment. He did not remain there long before he left me, and these Ayat were revealed. So the Messenger of Allah (SAW) went out to recite them to the people: 'O you who believe! Do not enter the Prophet's house unless permission is given to you for a meal, not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meals, dispense without sitting for a talk. Verily, such annoys the Prophet...' till the end of the Ayah (33:53)' Al-Ja'd said: "Anas said: 'I am the earliest of the people to encounter these Ayat, and to be screened from the wives of the Prophet (SAW)."

I was sitting beside Ibn ‘Umar, and we were waiting for the funeral of Umm Aban bint `Uthman bin `Affan. `Amr bin `Uthman was also present. Ibn ‘Abbas came, led by a guide, who told him where Ibn ‘Umar was. He came and sat beside me, so I was between them, and we heard a voice from inside the house, Ibn `Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `The deceased is tormented because of the crying of his family.` He said: And `Abdullah understood it as general in meaning. Ibn `Abbas said: We were with Ameer al-Muʼmineen ‘Umar until we came to some arid land, where we found a man who had halted in the shade of a tree. He said to me: Go and find out for me who that man is, I went and found that it was Suhaib. I came back to him and said: You told me to find out for you who that man is; it is Suhaib. He said: Tell him to join us. I said: He has his family with him. He said: Even if he has his family with him [and perhaps Ayyoob said on one occasion:Tell him to join us). When we came to Madinah, it was not long before Ameer al Muʼmineen [ʼUmar} was attacked. Suhaib came, saying O my brother, O my friend! `Umar said: Do you not know, or have you not heard, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `The deceased is tormented because of some of his family`s crying.” “Abdullah understood it as general in meaning, but ‘Umar said: some of [their] weeping. I went to `A`ishah, and I told her what Ibn `Umar had said. She said: No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not say, “The deceased is tormented because of the weeping of anyone.” Rather he said: “Allah increases the torment of the kafir because of his family`s weeping, and that it is He (Allah) Who makes (whom He wills) laugh, and makes (whom He wills) weep, “And no bearer of burdens shall bear another`s burden` [Al Anʼam 6:164].” Ayyoob said: Ibn Abu Mulaikah said: al-Qasim bin Muhammad told me: When `Aʼishah heard what ʼUmar and Ibn `Umar had said, she said. You are narrating to me from two who are not liars and are not to be suspected of being liars, but one may mishear.

`Abdullah bin Abi Mulaikah narrated… and he mentioned a hadeeth similar to that of Ayyoob, except that he said: ibn `Umar said to `Amr bin `Uthman, when he was facing him: Why don`t you tell them not to weep? For the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `The deceased is tormented because of his family`s weeping for him.`

Allah has commanded you to treat well your parents and I am your mother and I command you to do this. She passed three days in this state until she fainted because of extreme hunger and at that time her son whose name was Umara stood up and served her drink and she began to curse Sa'd that Allah, the Exalted and Glorions, revealed these verses of the Holy Qur'an:" And We have enjoined upon a person goodness to his parents but if they contend with thee to associate (others) with Me of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not" (xxix. 8) ; Treat thein with customary good in this world" (xxxi. 15). He also reported that there fell to the lot of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) huge spoils of war and there was one sword in them. I picked that up and came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Bestow this sword upon me (as my share in the spoils of war) and you know my state. Thereupon he said: Return it to the place from where you picked it up. I went back until I decided to throw it in a store but my soul repulsed me so I came back and asked him to give that sword to me. He said in a loud voice to return it to the place from where I had picked it up. It was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" They asked about the spoils of war" (viii. 1). He further said: I once fell ill and sent a message to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). He visited me and I said to him: Permit me to distribute (in charity) my property as much as I like. He did not agree. I said: (Permit me to distribute) half of it. He did not agree. I said: (Permit me to distribute) the third part, whereupon he kept quiet and it was after this (that the distribution of one's property in charity) to the extent of one-third was held valid. He further said: I came to a group of persons of the Ansir and Muhajirin and they said: Come, so that we may serve you wine, and it was before the use of wine had been prohibited. I went to them in a garden and there had been with them the roasted head of a camel and a small water-skin containing wine. I ate and drank along with them and there came under discussion the Ansr (Helpers) and Muhajirin (immigrants). I said: The immigrants are better than the Ansar, that a person picked up a portion of the head (of the camel and struck me with it that my nose was injured. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and informed him of the situation that Aliah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed verses pertaining to wine:" Intoxicants and the games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (divining by) arrows are only an uncleanliness, the devil's work" (v. 90).

Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) contracted marriage and he went to his wife. My mother Umm Sulaim prepared hais and placed it in an earthen vessel and said: Anas, take it to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and say: My mother has sent that to you and she offers greetings to you, and says that it is a humble gift for you on our behalf, Messenger of Allah. So I went along with it to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: My mother offers you salutations, and says that it is a humble gift for you on our behalf. He said: Place it here, and then said: Go and invite on my behalf so and so and anyone whom you meet, and he even named some persons. He (Anas) said: I invited whom he had named and whom I met. I (one of the narrators) said: I said to Anas: How many (persons) were there? He (Anas) said: They were about three hundred persons. Then Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) (said to me): Anas, bring that earthen vessel. They (the guests) then began to enter until the courtyard and the apartment were fully packed. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Make a circle of ten (guests), and every person should eat from that nearest to him. They began to eat, until they ate to their fill. A group went out (after eating the food), and another group came in until all of them had eaten. He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: Anas, lift it (the earthen vessel), so I lifted it, but I could not assess whether it had more (food) when I placed it (before Allah's Messenger) or when I lifted it (after the people had been served out of it). A group among them (the guests) began to talk in the house of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was sitting and his wife had been sitting with her face turned towards the wall. It was troublesome for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), so Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) went out and greeted his wives. He then returned. When they (the guests) saw that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had returned they thought that it (their overstay) was something troublesome for him. He (the narrator) said: They hastened towards the door and all of them went out. And there came Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he hung a curtain and went in, and I was sitting in his apartment and he did not stay but for a short while. He then came to me and these verses were revealed. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came out and recited them to the people:" O you who believe, enter not the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, not waiting for its cooking being finished-but when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken food, disperse not seeking to listen to talk. Surely this gives the Prophet trouble", to the end of verse (xxxiii. 53). (Al-Ja'd said that Anas [b. Malik] stated: I am the first amongst the people to hear these verses), and henceforth the wives of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) began to observe seclusion (al-hijab).

"When the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) left Hunain, I was the tenth of a group of ten of the people of Makkah who were trying to catch up with them. We heard them calling the Adhan for the prayer and we started to repeat the Adhan, mocking them. The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) said, 'I heard among these people the Adhan of one who has a beautiful voice.' He sent for us, and we recited the Adhan one by one, and I was the last of them. When I said the Adhan, he said: 'Come here.' He sat me down in front of him and rubbed my forelock and blessed me three times, then he said, 'Go and give the Adhan at the sacred House.' I said: 'How, O Messenger of Allah?' He taught me as you say the Adhan now: 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar; Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah; Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah; Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah; Hayya 'alas-salah, Hayya 'ala-salah; Hayya 'alal-falah Hayya 'alal-falah; as-salatu khairun min an-nawm;as-salatu khairun min an-nawm; (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger Allah; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to prosperity, come to prosperity; prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep)' - in the first (Adhan) for As-Subh (Fajr). And he taught me the Iqamah saying each phrase twice: 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar), Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah; Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah; Hayya 'alas-salah, Hayya 'alas-salah; Hayya 'alal-falah, Hayya 'alal-falah; qad qamatis-salah, qad qamati-salah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar La ilaha illallah (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest); I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah ; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to prosperity, come to prosperity; the prayer is about to begin, the prayer is about to begin, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; there is none worthy of worship except Allah)." (One of the narrators) Ibn Juraij said: ''Uthman narrated this whole report to me from his father and from Umm 'Abdul-Malik bin Abi Mahdhurah, and (said that) they heard that from Abu Mahdhurah.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd arRahman ibn al-Qasim from his father that A'isha umm al-muminin said, "We went out on a journey with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and, when we came to Bayda' or Dhat al-Jaysh, a necklace of mine broke. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped to look for it and the people stopped with him. There was no water nearby and the people were not carrying any with them, so they came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, 'Don't you see what A'isha has done? She has made the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people stop when there is no water nearby and they are not carrying any with them.' "

A'isha continued, "Abu Bakr came and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had fallen asleep with his head on my thigh . Abu Bakr said, 'You have made the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people stop when there is no water nearby and they are not carrying any with them ' "

She continued, "Abu Bakr remonstrated with me and said whatever Allah willed him to say, and began to poke me in the waist. The only thing that stopped me from moving was that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had his head on my thigh. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slept until morning found him with no water. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent down the ayat of tayammum and so they did tayammum. Usayd ibn Hudayr said, 'This is not the first baraka from you, O family of Abu Bakr.'"

A'isha added, "We roused the camel I had been on and found the necklace under it."

Malik was asked whether a man who did tayammum for one prayer should do tayammum when the time of the next prayer came or whether the first tayammum was enough. He said, "No, he does tayammum for every prayer, because he has to look for water for every prayer. If he looks for it and does not find it then he does tayammum."

Malik was asked whether a man who did tayammum could lead others in prayer if they were in wudu. He said, "I prefer that someone else should lead them. However, I see no harm in it if he does lead them in prayer."

Yahya said that Malik said that a man who did tayammum because he could not find any water, and then stood and said the takbir and entered into the prayer, and then someone came with some water, did not stop his prayer but completed it with tayammum and did wudu for future prayers.

Yahya said that Malik said, "Whoever rises for prayer and does not find water and so does what Allah has ordered him to do of tayammum has obeyed Allah. Someone who does find water is neither purer than him nor more perfect in prayer, because both have been commanded and each does as Allah has commanded. What Allah has commanded as far as wudu is concerned is for the one who finds water, and tayammum is for the one who does not find water before he enters into the prayer."

Malik said that a man who was in a state of major ritual impurity could do tayammum and read his portion of Qur'an and do voluntary prayers as long as he did not find any water. This applied only to circumstances in which it was allowable to pray with tayammum.

Abu Bakr bought a saddle from ‘Azib for thirteen dirhams, then Abu Bakr said to 'Azib. Tell al-Bara to carry it to my house. He said: No, not until you tell us what happened when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out and you were with him. Abu Bakr said: We started our journey at the beginning of the night and we hastened for one day and one night, until it was midday. I looked into the distance to see whether there was anywhere to seek shade, and I saw a rock, so I went to it and it had a little shade. I smoothed the ground for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and spread a garment of camel hair for him, and said: Lie down and rest, O Messenger of Allah. So he lay down, and I went out to see if I could spot anyone looking for us. Then I saw a shepherd and I said: Who do you belong to, O boy? He said: To a man of Quraish. He mentioned his name and I recognised it. I said: Is there any milk in your sheep? He said: Yes | said: Will you milk some for me? He said: Yes. I told him to do that, so he caught a sheep, then I told him to brush the dust from its teat, then to brush the dust off his hands. I had a small vessel with me on the neck of which was a cloth. He milked a little bit of milk for me and I poured it into the vessel until it cooled down. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When I reached him, he had already woken up. I said: Drink, O Messenger of Allah. He drank until I was pleased, then I said: Is it time to move on? So we moved on and the people were coming after us but none of them caught up with us except Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'shum, who was riding a horse of his, I said: O Messenger of Allah, someone has caught up with us. He said: `Do not be afraid, for Allah is with us.` When he got close to us, and there was no more between us and him then the length of a spear or two or three spears, I said: O Messenger of Allah, this pursuer has caught up with us, and I wept. He said: `Why are you weeping?` I said: I am not weeping for myself; rather I am weeping for you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed against him [the pursuer] and said: “O Allah, protect us from him by whatever means You will.” Then his horse's legs sank into the solid ground up to its belly, and he fell off it. He said: O Muhammad, I know that this is because of you; pray to Allah to save me from my predicament, and by Allah I shall divert away from you any one who is behind me of those who are seeking you. Here is my quiver, take one arrow. You are going to pass by some camels and sheep of mine in such and such a place, take whatever you need from thern. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `I have no need of it.“ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed for him and he was released, and he went back to his companions. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I continued on our way until we came to Madinah, where the people met him. They came out on the road and on the roofs, and a lot of servants and children crowded the road saying: Allahu Akbar, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has come, Muhammad has come. The people disputed as to who he would stay with. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Tonight I will stay with Banun-Najjar, the maternal uncles of 'Abdul-Muttalib, to honour them thereby.” The next morning, he went where he was instructed. Al-Bara' bin 'Azib said: The first of the Muhajireen to come to us was Mus'ab bin 'Umair, the brother of Banu 'Abdud-Dar. Then Ibn Umm Maktoom, the blind man and brother of Banu Fihr, came to us. Then 'Umar bin al-Khattab, came to us with twenty riders and we said: What happened to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: He is behind me. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and Abu Bakr was with him. Al-Bara said: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come until I had read some soorahs from al-Mufassal [Al-Mufassal is that portion of the Qur'an which goes from Qaf to an-Nas]. Isra'eel said: al-Bara' was one of the Ansar from Banu Harithah.

Malik related to me from Humayd ibn Qays al-Makki that a son of al-Mutawakkil had a mukatab who died at Makka and left (enough to pay) the rest of his kitaba and he owed some debts to people. He also left a daughter. The governor of Makka was not certain about how to judge in the case, so he wrote to Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan to ask him about it. Abd al-Malik wrote to him, "Begin with the debts owed to people, and then pay what remains of his kitaba. Then divide what remains of the property between the daughter and the master."

Malik said, "What is done among us is that the master of a slave does not have to give his slave a kitaba if he asks for it. I have not heard of any of the Imams forcing a man to give a kitaba to his slave. I heard that one of the people of knowledge, when someone asked about that and mentioned that Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said, 'Give them their kitaba, if you know some good in them' (Sura 24 ayat 33) recited these two ayats, 'When you are free of the state of ihram, then hunt for game.' (Sura 5 ayat 3) 'When the prayer is finished, scatter in the land and seek Allah's favour.' " (Sura 62 ayat 10)

Malik commented, "It is a way of doing things for which Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, has given permission to people, and it is not obligatory for them." Malik said, "I heard one of the people of knowledge say about the word of Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, 'Give them of the wealth which Allah has given you,' that it meant that a man give his slave a kitaba and then reduce the end of his kitaba for him by some specific amount."

Malik said, "This is what I have heard from the people of knowledge and what I see people doing here."

Malik said, "I have heard that Abdullah ibn Umar gave one of his slaves his kitaba for 35,000 dirhams, and then reduced the end of his kitaba by 5,000 dirhams."

Malik said, "What is done among us is that when a master gives a mukatab his kitaba, the mukatab's property goes with him but his children do not go with him unless he stipulates that in his kitaba."

Yahya said, "I heard Malik say that if a mukatab whose master had given him a kitaba had a slave- girl who was pregnant by him, and neither he nor his master knew that on the day he was given his kitaba, the child did not follow him because he was not included in the kitaba. He belonged to the master. As for the slave-girl, she belonged to the mukatab because she was his property."

Malik said that if a man and his wife's son (by another husband) inherited a mukatab from the wife and the mukatab died before he had completed his kitaba, they divided his inheritance between them according to the Book of Allah. If the slave paid his kitaba and then died, his inheritance went to the son of the woman, and the husband had nothing of his inheritance.

Malik said that if a mukatab gave his own slave a kitaba, the situation was looked at. If he wanted to do his slave a favour and it was obvious by his making it easy for him, that was not permitted. If he was giving him a kitaba from desire to find money to pay off his own kitaba, that was permitted for him.

Malik said that if a man had intercourse with a mukataba of his and she became pregnant by him, she had an option. If she liked she could be an umm walad. If she wished, she could confirm her kitaba. If she did not conceive, she still had her kitaba.

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us about a slave who is owned by two men is that one of them does not give a kitaba for his share, whether or not his companion gives him permission to do so, unless they both write the kitaba together, because that alone would effect setting him free. If the slave were to fulfil what he had agreed on to free half of himself, and then the one who had given a kitaba for half of him was not obliged to complete his setting free, that would be in opposition to the words of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. 'If someone frees his share in a slave and has enough money to cover the full price of the slave, justly evaluated for him, he must give his partners their shares, so the slave is completely free . ' "

Malik said, "If he is not aware of that until the mukatab has met the terms or before he has met them the owner who has written him the kitaba returns what he has taken from the mukatab to him, and then he and his partner divide him according to their original shares and the kitaba is invalid. He is the slave of both of them in his original state."

Malik spoke about a mukatab who was owned by two men and one of them granted him a delay in the payment of the right which he was owed, and the other refused to defer it, and so the one who refused to defer the payment exacted his part of the due. Malik said that if the mukatab then died and left property which did not complete his kitaba, "They divide it according to what they are still owed by him. Each of them takes according to his share. If the mukatab leaves more than his kitaba, each of them takes what remains to them of the kitaba, and what remains after that is divided equally between them. If the mukatab is unable to pay his kitaba fully and the one who did not allow him to defer his payment has exacted more than his associate did, the slave is still divided equally between them, and he does not return to his associates the excess of what he has exacted, because he only exacted his right with the permission of his associate. If one of them remits what is owed to him and then his associate exacts part of what he is owed by him and then the mukatab is unable to pay, he belongs to both of them. And the one who has exacted something does not return anything because he only demanded what he was owed. That is like the debt of two men in one writing against one man. One of them grants him time to pay and the other is greedy and exacts his due. Then the debtor goes bankrupt. The one who exacted his due does not have to return any of what he took."

Malik related to me that he heard that Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made a settlement with her mukatab for an agreed amount of gold and silver.

Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us in the case of a mukatab who is shared by two partners, is that one of them cannot make a settlement with him for an agreed price according to his portion without the consent of his partner. That is because the slave and his property are owned by both of them, and so one of them is not permitted to take any of the property except with the consent of his partner. If one of them settled with the mukatab and his partner did not, and he took the agreed price, and then the mukatab died while he had property or was unable to pay, the one who settled would not have anything of the mukatab's property and he could not return that for which he made settlement so that his right to the slave's person would return to him. However, when someone settles with a mukatab with the permission of his partner and then the mukatab is unable to pay, it is preferable that the one who broke with him return what he has taken from the mukatab for the severance and he can have back his portion of the mukatab. He can do that. If the mukatab dies and leaves property, the partner who has kept hold of the kitaba is paid in full the amount of the kitaba which remains to him against the mukatab from the mukatab's property. Then what remains of property of the mukatab is between the partner who broke with him and his partner, according to their shares in the mukatab. If one of the partners breaks off with him and the other keeps the kitaba, and the mukatab is unable to pay, it is said to the partner who settled with him, 'If you wish to give your partner half of what you took so the slave is divided between you, then do so. If you refuse, then all of the slave belongs to the one who held on to possession of the slave.' "

Malik spoke about a mukatab who was shared between two men and one of them made a settlement with him with the permission of his partner. Then the one who retained possession of the slave demanded the like of that for which his partner had settled or more than that and the mukatab could not pay it. He said, "The mukatab is shared between them because the man has only demanded what is owed to him. If he demands less than what the one who settled with him took and the mukatab can not manage that, and the one who settled with him prefers to return to his partner half of what he took so the slave is divided in halves between them, he can do that. If he refuses then all of the slave belongs to the one who did not settle with him. If the mukatab dies and leaves property, and the one who settled with him prefers to return to his companion half of what he has taken so the inheritance is divided between them, he can do that. If the one who has kept the kitaba takes the like of what the one who has settled with him took, or more, the inheritance is between them according to their shares in the slave because he is only taking his right."

Malik spoke about a mukatab who was shared between two men and one of them made a settlement with him for half of what was due to him with the permission of his partner, and then the one who retained possession of the slave took less than what his partner settled with him for and the mukatab was unable to pay. He said, "If the one who made a settlement with the slave prefers to return half of what he was awarded to his partner, the slave is divided between them. If he refuses to return it, the one who retained possession has the portion of the share for which his partner made a settlement with the mukatab."

Malik said, "The explanation of that is that the slave is divided in two halves between them. They write him a kitaba together and then one of them makes a settlement with the mukatab for half his due with the permission of his partner. That is a fourth of all the slave. Then the mukatab is unable to continue, so it is said to the one who settled with him, 'If you wish, return to your partner half of what you were awarded and the slave is divided equally between you.' If he refuses, the one who held to the kitaba takes in full the fourth of his partner for which he made settlement with the mukatab. He had half the slave, so that now gives him three-fourths of the slave. The one who broke off has a fourth of the slave because he refused to return the equivalent of the fourth share for which he settled."

Malik spoke about a mukatab whose master made a settlement with him and set him free and what remained of his severance was written against him as debt, then the mukatab died and people had debts against him. He said, "His master does not share with the creditors because of what he is owed from the severance. The creditors begin first."

Malik said, "A mukatab cannot break with his master when he owes debts to people. He would be set free and have nothing because the people who hold the debts are more entitled to his property than his master. That is not permitted for him."

Malik said, "According to the way things are done among us, there is no harm if a man gives a kitaba to his slave and settles with him for gold and reduces what he is owed of the kitaba provided that only the gold is paid immediately. Whoever disapproves of that does so because he puts it in the category of a debt which a man has against another man for a set term. He gives him a reduction and he pays it immediately. This is not like that debt. The breaking of the mukatab with his master is dependent on his giving money to speed up the setting free. Inheritance, testimony and the hudud are obliged for him and the inviolability of being set free is established for him. He is not buying dirhams for dirhams or gold for gold. Rather it is like a man who having said to his slave, 'Bring me such-and-such an amount of dinars and you are free', then reduces that for him, saying, 'If you bring me less than that, you are free.' That is not a fixed debt. Had it been a fixed debt, the master would have shared with the creditors of the mukatab when he died or went bankrupt. His claim on the property of the mukatab would join theirs."

'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.

"The Messenger of Allah (saw) addressed us, and most of his speech had to do with telling us about Dajjal. He warned about him, and among the things he said was: 'There will not be any tribulation on earth, since the time Allah created the offspring of Adam, that will be greater than the tribulation of Dajjal. Allah has not sent any Prophet but he warned his nation about Dajjal. I am the last of the Prophets, and you are the last of the nations. He will undoubtedly appear among you. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on behalf of every Muslim, and if he appears while I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. He will emerge from Al-Khallah, between Sham and Iraq, and will wreak havoc right and left. O slaves of Allah, remain steadfast. I will describe him to you in a manner in which none of the Prophets has described him before me. He will start by saying "I am a Prophet," and there is no Prophet after me. Then a second time he will say: "I am your Lord." But you will not see your Lord until you die. He is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed, and written between his eyes is Kafir. Every believer will read it, whether he is literate or illiterate. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will have with him Paradise and Hell, but his Hell will be a Paradise and his Paradise a Hell. Whoever is tested with his fire (hell), let him seek the help of Allah and recite the first Verses of Al-Kahf, then it will be cool and safe for him, as the fire was for Ibrahim. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will say to a Bedouin: "What do you think, if I resurrect your father and mother for you, will you bear witness that I am your Lord?" He will say: "Yes." Then two devils will appear to him in the form of his father and mother and will say: "O my son, follow him, for he is your Lord." And part of his Fitnah will be that he will overpower a single soul and kill him, then he will cut him with a saw until he falls in two pieces. Then he will say: "Look at this slave of mine; I will resurrect him now, then he will claim that he has a Lord other than me." Then Allah will resurrect him and the evil one will say to him: "Who is your Lord?" and he will say: "Allah is my Lord, and you are the enemy of Allah, you are Dajjal. By Allah, I have never had more insight about you than I have today." (An addition) Abul-Hasan Tanafisi said: "Muharibi told us: 'Ubaidullah bin al-Walid Al-Wassafi told us, from 'Atiyyah, that Abu Sa'eed said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'That man will be the highest in status in my nation in Paradise'" -  He said: "Abu Sa'eed said: 'By Allah, we did not think that man would be anyone other than 'Umar bin Khattab, until he passed away. -   Muharibi said: "Then we went back to the narration of Abu Rafi'." He said: - 'Part of his Fitnah will be that he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan and they will disbelieve in him, so all their flocks will perish and none will be left. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan who will believe in him, so he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so, until their flocks will come back in the evening of that day, bigger and fatter than they have ever been, with their flanks stretched and their udders full of milk. There will be no part of the earth left that he does not enter and prevail over, except for Makkah and Al-Madinah, for he will not approach them on any of their mountain paths but he will be met by angels with unsheathed swords, until he will stop at the red hill at the end of the marsh. Then Al-Madinah will be shaken with its people three times, and no hypocrite, male or female, will be left, all will come out to him. Thus it will be cleansed of impurity just as the bellows cleanses the iron of dross. And that day will be called the Day of Deliverance.' "Umm Sharik bint Abi 'akar said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where will the Arabs be that day?' He said: 'On that day they will be few, and most of them will be in Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their leader will be a righteous man. When their leader has stepped forward to lead them in subh prayer, 'Eisa bin Maryam will come down to them. Their leader will step backwards so that 'Eisa can come forward and lead the people in prayer, but 'Eisa will place his hand between his shoulders and say to him: "Go forward and pray, for the Iqamah was given for you." Then their leader will lead them in prayer. When he has finished, 'Eisa (as), will say: "Open the gate." So they will open it and behind it will be Dajjal with seventy thousand Jews, each of them carrying an adorned sword and wearing a greenish cloak. When Dajjal looks at him, he will start to melt as salt melts in water. He will run away, and 'Eisa (as), will say: "I have only one blow for you, which you will not be able to escape!" He will catch up with him at the eastern gate of Ludd, and will kill him. Then Allah will defeat the Jews, and there will be nothing left that Allah has created which the Jews will be able to hide behind, except that Allah will cause it to speak - no stone, no tree, no wall, no animal - except for Al-Gharqad (the box-thorn), for it is one of their trees, and will not speak - except that it will say: "O Muslim slave of Allah, here is a Jews, come and kill him!" "The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'His (Dajjal's) days will number forty years: a year like half a year, a year like a month, a month like a week, and the rest of his days will be like sparks from a fire (i.e., they will pass quickly). One of you will enter the gate of Al-Madinah in the morning and not reach its other gate until evening comes.' It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how should we pray on those short days?' He said: 'Estimate (the times of) the prayer, as you do on these long days, then pray.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Eisa bin Maryam (as), will be a just judge and a just ruler among my nation. He will break the cross, slaughter the pigs, abolish the Jizyah and charity will be left. No one will be appointed to (collect the Zakah of) sheep and camels. Grudges and mutual hatred will disappear and the venom of every venomous creature will be removed, so that a baby boy will but his hand in a snake and it will not harm him, and a baby girl will make a lion run away, and it will not harm her; and the wolf will be among the sheep like their sheepdog. The earth will be filled with peace just as a vessel is filled with water. The people will be united and none will be worshipped except Allah. War will cease and Quraish will no longer be in power. The earth will be like a silver platter, with its vegetation growing as it did at the time of Adam, until a group of people will gather around one bunch of grapes and it will suffice them, and a group will gather around a single pomegranate and it will suffice them. An ox will be sold for such and such amount of money, and a horse will be sold for a few Dirham.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, why will horses be so cheap?' He said: 'They will never be ridden in war again.' It was said to him: 'Why will oxen be so expensive?' He said: 'Because all the land will be tilled. Before Dajjal appears there will be three difficult years in which the people will suffer severe famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold one third of its rain and the earth to withhold one third of its produce. In the second year, He will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain and the earth to withhold two-thirds of its produce. In the third year, he will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and not a single drop will fall, and the earth to withhold all of its produce, and nothing will grow. All cloven-hoofed animals will die, except those that Allah wills.' It was said: 'What will the people live on at that time?' He said: 'Tahlil, Takbir, Tasbih and Tahmid. That will take the place of food for them.'" Abu 'Abdullah (Ibn Majah) said: "I heard Abul-Hasan Tanafisi say: 'I heard 'Abdur-Rahman Al-Muharibi say: "This Hadith should be sent to every teacher so that they can teach it to the children in the schools."