Mu'awiya ra. as a Model of Islamic Governance

I have been asked to speak on Mu'awiya and his governance. Mu'awiya was one of the Companions of the Prophet and one of his scribes who recorded the Revelation. He was appointed governor of greater Syria by 'Umar after the death of his brother Yazid who had been appointed by Abu Bakr, and remained governor under 'Uthman. As he was related to 'Uthman, he was a leading force in demanding that his murderers be brought to justice. Thus he and 'Ali came to be on opposite sides in the Fitna or Civil War. Eventually 'Ali was murdered by a Kharijite and his son Hasan declared khalif. When Hasan realised he could not control the situation, he handed over power to Mu'awiya which led to peace and re-unification of the Umma in 40/661, the year known as the Year of the Jama'a, or Community. There was no further major civil unrest - except for the odd Kharijite agitation - during his reign. When he died, another chapter of the Fitna ensued in the form of the war between his son Yazid and first Husayn, 'Ali's son, and then Ibn az-Zubayr in the Hijaz.

So what was it about Mu'awiya which made his rule so successful to such an extent that the famous historian, adh-Dhahabi, points out that after al-Hasan had surrendered his claim to the khalifate, "Mu'awiya reigned without a rival, and without losing any of the conquests of Islam. Neither 'Abdu'l-Malik, nor al-Mansur, nor Harun ar-Rashid earned this praise, unique in the annals of Islam"?

Before examining governance under Mu'awiya, it must first be pointed out that defining the nature of governance in an Islamic context is somewhat difficult, not least because it has been a long time since Islam formed the foundation of governance and Muslims have tended to base themselves on Western political theories and then to "Islamicise" these theories. Even the question of what an umma is causes problems. What precisely is the Muslim Umma? When it is translated as "nation", it is inevitable that some of the connotations of the modern nation-state creep in, or if "community" is used, it becomes a purely social concept, something like a undefined social unit without any real political role. So any attempt to deal with Islamic governance is often fraught either with tinges of historical romanticism and utopic idealism, or else a pragmatism devoid of any real Islamic content - and so we find ourselves like Odysseus trying to pass between the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis without being destroyed by either one. It is with the hope of avoiding these twin perils that we will examine how Mu'awiya, one of the most successful of Muslim rulers, governed.

So what is the umma? The concept of umma was an entirely new one which superseded previous tribal and family allegiances, although these tendencies kept coming back, particularly in the case in the Ridda, or Revolt, which followed the death of the Prophet. We read in the Qur'an: "You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day who are loving to anyone who opposes Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers or their clan." (Qur'an 58:22) Acceptance of and allegiance to the umma, based on following Allah and His Prophet, became one's primary allegiance. This means that the umma is not a nation-state based on ethnicity or language. It is not surprising, then, that it left the Arabs of the time somewhat bemused. Like the revelation with its uncompromising statement of tawhid, the idea of a community whose central core of political cohesion was based on that same principle was entirely alien to them. In fact, it was probably alien to just about everyone of the time. And indeed, it kept being forgotten, and still is forgotten, in favour of 'asabiyya, or tribal solidarity.

The umma is further delineated in the Qur'an when Allah says, "You are the best umma brought forth to mankind - enjoining the correct and forbidding the incorrect and believing in Allah" (3:110) and "The believers, men and women, are protector-friends of each other, enjoining the correct and forbidding the incorrect." (9:71)

The Covenant of Madina stipulated that the Muslims "Constitute one umma" and "All believers shall rise as one man against whomsoever rebels or seeks to commit injustice, aggression, wrong action or spread mutual enmity between the believers, even though he be one of their sons. ... All believers are bonded together to the exclusion of other men."

This, then, is the polity of the Muslims, and it is clearly a political as well as a spiritual collective, the one being a logical consequence of the other. Being a Muslim necessarily entails certain political consequences.

Having defined what the polity is, the question becomes: how it is to be governed? Historically, there has been two basic forms of governance - and indeed fiqh - which seem to reflect an eastern/ western split - and we find the same split in the forms of governance in eastern and western Christendom. In the east, we find the imperial form, reflecting the Persian Sassanid and Soghdian traditions, and, on the other side, initially in the Hijaz and Syria, a more open form of governance based on amirate and shura, which moved to Spain when the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads. I leave the imperial form to others. From 138/756, the Umma is split because the Umayyads in Spain regarded the Abbasids as usurpers. From 316/929 there were two rulers with the title Amir al-Mu'minin, and in 334/945, the Buwayhids, the Persian military dynasty, assumed full power, and the khalif was a mere figurehead.

This brings up the question of leadership: how is a leader chosen?

When it comes to choosing the Khalif, in the early community there were four ways that the Khalif was chosen:

1. By the bay'a of the people of loosing and binding (ahl al-hal wa'l-'aqd) i.e. the 'ulama' (people of knowledge), leaders and army commanders, as happened with the first Khalif, Abu Bakr;

2. By the will and appointment of the preceding khalif as happened with the second Khalif, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab;

3. By a decision of the consultation (shura) of a certain group - as with 'Uthman and 'Ali, the third and fourth khalifs;

4. By the successful assumption of power of a man possessing the requisite qualities and qualifications to be khalif (sometimes in conjunction with 1 or 2).

When the khalif has been chosen, bay'a takes place. It is an act of validation by which the ruler accepts the duties of office and receives the power to discharge them, and the subjects undertake to obey him. It is usually translated as "allegiance" but this is somewhat unfortunate because rather than being one-sided, it is an agreement undertaken by two parties, like the conclusion of a sale from which the word is derived. As in any transaction, each side has an expectation of the other. In essence, the khalif makes an undertaking or covenant ('ahd) to act according to the Shari'a.

Hence the ruler has certain duties. He must respect and enforce the Shari'a and thus he must protect the interests of the umma, defend or expand the frontiers, carry out jihad, administer public property, dispense justice and maintain internal security.

The behaviour of the ruler vis-a-vis his subject is a trust and a matter of grave concern for him in this world and the Next. The ruler is empowered to implement the Shari'a and all that entails, but he is nevertheless a custodian, and he expects to be corrected by the people of knowledge if he errs. When Abu Bakr was given the bay'a as Khalif, he stood up and addressed people, saying:

O people! I have been put in charge over you, but I am not the best of you. If I act well, then help me, and if I act badly, then put me right. Truthfulness is a trust and lying is treachery. The weak among you is strong in my sight until I restore his right to him, Allah willing. The strong among you is weak in my sight until I take the right from him, Allah willing. People do not abandon jihad in the way of Allah but that Allah afflicts them with humiliation. Shamelessness does not spread in a people but that Allah envelops them in affliction. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey Allah and His Messenger, you owe me no obedience.

(Sira Ibn Hisham)

This clearly indicates the existence of a certain reciprocity in the relation between ruler and ruled. Abu Bakr's successor, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was also concerned about overstepping his authority.

Salman said that 'Umar asked him, "Am I a king or a khalif?" Salman answered, "If you have taxed the lands of the Muslims one dirham, or more or less, and applied it to unlawful purposes, then you are a king, not a khalif." And 'Umar wept. (At-Tabari, Tarikh, p. 2754)

This view of leadership was also held by Mu'awiya. He came to Madina and spoke to the people, saying, "I desired the way followed by Abu Bakr and 'Umar, but I was unable to follow it, and so I have followed a course with you which contains fortune and benefits for you despite some bias, so be pleased with what comes to you from me even if it is little. When good is continuous, even if it is little, it enriches. Discontent makes life grim."

He also said in a khutba which he delivered to the people, "O people! By Allah, it is easier to move the firm mountains than to follow Abu Bakr and 'Umar in their behaviour. But I have followed their way of conduct falling short of those before me, but none after me will equal me in it."

The Greek historian Theophanus does not call Mu'awiya a king or an emperor, but rather a primus inter pares, or in Greek, a protosymboulos, "a first among equals". Theophanus also referred to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab as "primus inter pares", so there cannot have appeared to be much difference between the rule of 'Umar and that of Mu'awiya to an outside non-Muslim observer. We must attribute the later fixation on Mu'awiya as a king with the sense of an absolute monarch or despot to the backdating of things that happened later.

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The role of Mu'awiya is interesting in modern terms because the rule of Mu'awiya and his immediate successors involves bringing disparate elements into a single unity - as there were really three power bases for a time: Syria and the Umayyads, Iraq where 'Ali based himself, and the Hijaz as represented by Ibn az-Zubayr. How did Mu'awiya manage to bring about a unity and prevent the fragmentation of the Umma into three states? Eventually the single unit broke up again under the Abbasids, and never again were the Muslims a single entity. During Mu'awiya's rule, he had no rivals, a situation which was never to prevail again. Even the Ottomans, the most successful in later times, did not encompass the entire community of Muslims.

The fitna itself was partially a reaction to the centralisation of power. As the provinces manifested a tendency towards autonomy, 'Uthman tried to counter this by appointing people who were loyal to him - who happened to be mostly from his family. Perhaps if 'Uthman had been of a less mild disposition, he might have succeeded. Of course, this raises the question: is it inevitable that such a large political unit will break up into smaller autonomous or semi-autonomous unit? Are 'nations' inevitable? Can this only be countered by an imperial form - which is not the original form of governance? What happens when the centre will not hold?

Looking at the course followed by Mu'awiya to re-establish the centre, once peace was established, Mu'awiya reconciled many of the Muslims who had been fighting each other by his generosity and fairness, not to mention the intrinsic power of his position, and resumed the conquests of Islam which had been interrupted by the fighting. Even the most stubborn of opponents would often melt under his generosity and diplomacy. He also managed through fine diplomacy to balance out the tribal rivalries which later destroyed Umayyad rule. The importance of jihad cannot be understated because without the external struggle against the unbelievers, almost without fail the struggle for power becomes internal.

We have an example of Mu'awiya's astuteness when he visited 'A'isha, the daughter of the murdered 'Uthman, who was lamenting and crying for her father. He said, "Cousin, our subjects have sworn to obey us. In return, we promised to pardon them. If our act of clemency is tarnished by the memory of the past, their submission is also not free of regret. Each, with his hand on his sword, searched the eyes of his comrades. If we were to now break our commitments, we would push them into being disloyal to us. That would open a spate of new difficulties whose end result cannot be foreseen. "

When his friends expressed surprise at the vastness of his gifts to his opponents, he said, "a war costs infinitely more." He said that he preferred to buy men than to cut off their heads, and he took the example of the Prophet, and the Book of Allah in this. This amounts to the Qur'anic category of ta'lif al-qulub, reconciling hearts (see Qur'an 9:60). This is gaining hearts rather than closing mouths, and it was a technique which was quite effective with the unruly Bedouins. Mu'awiya asked 'Amr b. al-'As, "How great is your cunning?" He replied, "I have never entered into anything but that I got out of it." Mu'awiya said, "And I have never entered into anything that I wanted to get out of!"

Mu'awiya was famous for both for his self-possession or hilm and for his political finesse, his daha'. To have daha' means to be a good orator, to have firm resolution in matters, a fertile imagination, an ability to foresee future turns of events, and an ability to manoeuvre people. Mu'awiya had the ability to single out enemies and turn them into allies. Ibn az-Zubayr said of him, "Truly the son of Hind deployed a dexterity and mental resourcefulness as one will never see after him. When we tried to impose something on him, an irritated lion with claws unsheathed would not show more audacity than him. He knew when to give into us, to even allow himself to be tricked when we tried to do that to him. He was the most artful of men, more crafty than a thief. I wished that we would never lose him, just as a rock remains on this summit," pointing to the mountain of Abu Qubays outside Makka.

An example of this is found in al-Baladhuri which involves his wife, Fakhita bint Quraza:

She said to him, "Amir al-Mu'minin, why do you flatter people when you know that they are treated fairly by you? If you were to take the upper hand, they would be the ones abased and you would have force over them." He said, "Bother you! There still is some force in the Arabs. If it were not for that, I would turn them upside down." She said, "By Allah, there is only you and you have power over them!" He said, "Would you like me to show you some of that on their part?" She said, "Yes."

So he put her in a room and lowered a curtain over it and then commanded his doorman to admit one of the nobles at the door.

He admitted a man from Qays called al-Harith. Mu'awiya said, "Little Harith! Is it you who attacks the khalifate and disparages its people? By Allah, I would like to make an example of you!" He replied, "Mu'awiya, have you summoned me for this? By Allah, my arm is strong and my spear is straight! My sword is sharp and my answer ready. If you do not take what I give with thanks, then you will be wrested from what we dislike with humiliation." He said, "Remove him from me." He was removed.

Fakhita said, "How bold this one is and how strong his heart!" Mu'awiya said, "That is only due to his pride in how his people obey him."

Then he ordered the doorman who admitted a man of Rabi'a called Jariya. Mu'awiya said to him, "Little Jariya, it has reached me that you cause disaffection in the army and show little gratitude." He said, "And what should we be grateful for? You only give to avert and you are only forbearing out of flattery. Strive your hardest! Rabi'a is behind me, a strong support! Their shields have not grown rusty since they polished them, and their swords have not become blunt since they sharpened them!" He said, "Remove him."

Then he commanded his doorman who brought in a man from Yemen called 'Abdullah. He said to him, "Little 'Abd! You have behaved badly to people and spoken freely. I have heard such evil things about you that I want to exile you! You will be a lesson for the people of Syria!" He said, "Mu'awiya! Did you summon me for this and then use the diminutive of my name without using my kunya? I call you Mu'awiya, the name of a female dog who barks at dogs! Restrain yourself! That would be better for you!" He said to his doorman, "Remove him."

Fakhita said, "Flatter people with your effort and some of your gentleness and forbearance. Allah will disgrace the one who censures you!"

As regards his hilm, or his forbearance, the quality of resorting to force only when absolutely necessary, Mu'awiya is known for his famous saying, "I do not apply my sword where my lash suffices, nor my lash where my tongue is enough. And even if there be one hair binding me to my fellow men, I do not let it break. When they pull, I loosen, and if they loosen, I pull."

Mu'awiya was welcoming to his subjects at every hour of the day, including mealtimes. He created the first postal system and put it at the disposition of his subjects to use. He was known for his impartiality and justice, even where his family was concerned. He did not make 'Uthman's mistake of putting his relatives into the limelight to the exclusion of others. He would often give judgement against the Umayyads in favour of the Hashimites, especially if it involved Hasan ibn 'Ali whom he was always eager to honour. He once imposed 100 lashes to 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Hakam, the brother of the governor, Marwan, and confiscated his property. He would have an incorrect punishment publicly rescinded on the minbar, no matter who had issued it.

One thing that is clear in Mu'awiya is his reliance on shura and openness to his subjects with some modifications because of the situation in Syria. Az-Zuhri said, "Mu'awiya acted for two years (in Syria) as 'Umar had acted without altering it." Mu'awiya himself said that he had done his best to follow the behaviour of Abu Bakr and 'Uthman. But when he realised that the environment and circumstances in Syria were different from those in Madina, and that the prevailing culture and people were different, he modified his style of governance accordingly. Mu'awiya himself used this excuse to 'Umar when he came to Syria in 18 AH and Mu'awiya met him with a great retinue. 'Umar disliked that, but Mu'awiya excused himself, saying, "We are in a land where there are many enemy spies. We must display the might of power in which the might of Islam and its people lie. We will frighten them by that." 'Umar was satisfied with that.

This use of pomp does not mean that Mu'awiya indulged himself in luxury, taking advantage of the excuse that he was impressing the Byzantines with his wealth. Mu'awiya could be seen speaking to the people on the minbar of Damascus wearing a patched garment. Yunus ibn Maysar al-Himyari said, "I saw Mu'awiya riding in the Damascus market with his servant behind him. He was wearing a shirt with a patched pocket, going along in the Damascus markets."

Although Mu'awiya is said to be the first king in Islam as he himself is credited, probably posthumously, as saying, "I am the first of the kings and the last of the khalifs," it was a rather strange sort of kingship. He continued to receive deputations from the provinces and the tribes and consulted these assemblies as much as possible, asking for their counsel, mixing with them, and accepting their criticisms. In fact, he knew just how to allow individualism scope without letting it run rampant. He did not worry about what they said about him, saying, "I do not trouble about words as long as they do not lead to deeds," certainly well anticipating the principle of free speech, but with responsibility for any actions to which such words might lead.

He also let people speak their piece and allowed malcontents to vent their bad temper. When informed of a vicious satire against him and another Arab, he said, "I know a more effective method – both of us should raise our hands to heaven to pray against our adversary!" This freedom of expression also provided a healthy brake on centralisation, as people knew that they would always have a hearing. They could always speak out against something and be assured of a hearing in the presence of the Khalif.

Deliberations between the khalif and the bedouins took place in the Community Mosque, where the speakers were free and unconstrained towards the khalif. It is reported about him: "If he wanted to do something, he 'had a look at the people,'" i.e. he consulted them. When he wanted to undertake a major decision, such as delegating Yazid as the next khalif, he summoned such a shura and the debate was unrestrained and very lively indeed.

On one occasion, Mu'awiya ascended the minbar and praised Allah. When he wanted to speak, a lad of the Ansar interrupted him and said, "Mu'awiya! What makes you and the people of your house more entitled to this wealth than us! Allah gave it as spoils to the Muslims by our swords and our spears. We have no wrong action against you that we know of other than our slaying of your uncle Walid, your grandfather 'Uqba, and your brother Hanzala." Mu'awiya said, "By Allah, nephew, you did not kill them. Rather Allah killed them with angels upon angels at the hands of the sons of their father. That was not a fault nor a loss." The Ansari said, "So where is the fault and loss then?" He said, "You spoke the truth. Do you need something?" He said, "Yes. I look after an old woman and sisters and things have been hard on us." Mu'awiya said, "Take what you can from the treasury." The boy took it and then Mu'awiya resumed his khutba.

Once in Madina, he visited a house he wanted to buy and the owner, whose wits were somewhat addled, got up and chased him with a stick. Mu'awiya was amused.

In another instance, Mu'awiya had sent 500 dinars to an Ansari who thought the amount paltry. He told his son to go and throw it in the khalif's face. The young man came and told Mu'awiya what he had been told to do by his father. Mu'awiya put his hand over his face and said, "Come on, obey your father, but do not be too hard on your uncle!" The man threw the money to the ground and Mu'awiya doubled the amount.

Once, losing his composure, he described a bedouin as lying in a report he was giving. The nomad retorted, 'By Allah, the liar is to be found in your shirt!" Surprised, Mu'awiya smiled and said, "Here is the repayment of precipitation!"

He said, "There is nothing I like better than anger I swallow by which I hope for the reward of Allah."

He said, "Intelligence and forbearance are the best things granted to mankind. If someone is reminded, he should remember. If someone is given something, he should be thankful. If someone is tested, he should be steadfast. If someone is angry, he should restrain it. If someone has power over another, he should forgive. If someone does wrong, he should ask forgiveness. If someone makes a promise, he should fulfil it."

Mu'awiya said to 'Amr ibn al-'As, "I free myself from there being a wrong action greater than my pardon, ignorance greater than my forbearance and a fault which I do not cover and evil greater than my charity (ihsan)."

He remarked about his fierce governor and half-brother, Ziyad, "Ziyad mastered Iraq with the sword and I mastered Iraq, Syria, the Hijaz and the Yemen with forbearance."

Once some people came to Mu'awiya and said that his governor had cut off someone's hand on simple suspicion without clear evidence, and Mu'awiya paid them the blood money for the hand and dismissed the governor in question, asking them whom they would like as governor instead.

Another important point was the answerability of the ruler to scholars. He appointed people as qadi who were known for their knowledge of the Shari'a. Mu'awiya himself was subject to judgement. We have the following story in the Ansab al-Ashraf of al-Baladhuri:

'Abdu'r-Rahman b. Zayd ibn al-Khattab owned some land which was next to the land of Mu'awiya. Mu'awiya's trustee in Madina, his client an-Nadir, took 'Abdu'r-Rahman's land and added it to Mu'awiya's land and informed him of this. 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, "I have evidence that Abu Bakr granted it to me on account of my father's participation in the fighting at Yamama." An-Nadir said, "This is the land-grant of the Amir al-Mu'minin."

He took the dispute to Marwan b. al-Hakam and he said, "Make peace between yourselves." He did not like to give a definitive judgement against Mu'awiya. So 'Abdu'r-Rahman b. Zayd went to Syria. When he reached Mu'awiya's door, the doorman met him at al-Khadra' in Damascus. He said to him, "Ask permission for me to visit the Amir al-Mu'minin! He put him off, so he raised his voice, saying, "I must see him! Our ties of kinship must be maintained and our property kept safe which we need more than having it taken from our possession!" Mu'awiya heard him and said, "Let him in."

He entered and greeted him and said, "Your trustee in Madina has gone too far and has taken my land grant received from the khalif of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which was allowed me by 'Umar. He went to my land and claimed that he had a letter from 'Uthman that he had given it to you. How could 'Uthman give to you a right which was mine?" Mu'awiya said, "You left your land without cultivating it until I worked it. Then I planted 5000 palm-shoots in it. I said, 'It is the grant of Abu Bakr and it is related that 'Umar heard that some people sequestered some land and then left it idle and some other people came and cultivated it. He said that it belonged to the one who cultivated it.'" He said, "By Allah, you have not spoken the truth, Mu'awiya! Give me justice!" He said, "Then I must have the qadi, who is Fadala b. 'Ubayd al-Ansari az-Zuraqi."

The Qadi would not come to the khalif and stayed in his house, saying "One comes to the arbiter." So Mu'awiya and 'Abdu'r-Rahman went to him and he gave them a cushion and said, "Sit down on it."

'Abdu'r-Rahman made his previous statement and Mu'awiya made his previous statement. Fadala thought that the statement of 'Abdu'r-Rahman's was right and gave judgement in his favour.

Mu'awiya said, "We accept what you have said. What is your opinion about what we have planted in it?" He said, "That was undertaken by you. If 'Abdu'r-Rahman wishes, he can pay the price of your planting, and if he wishes, he can make you responsible for them in exchange for the price of the land." 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, "You have been fair!"

Then Fadala said, "Amir al-Mu'minin, is this being done to the like of the descendants of Zayd and 'Umar?" Mu'awiya said to his gardener, "Anything he takes a liking to in our land, is his by the connection of kinship," and he wrote to his trustee to that effect on his behalf and settled his debt and gave him the highest pension (sharaf al-'ata'). He said, "You deserve it, nephew of al-Faruq and son of the martyr." And he gave him some money.

When 'Abdu'r-Rahman had gone, Fadala said to Mu'awiya, "By Allah, if you had acted otherwise, he would have gone to the people of the City of Hijra and to the rest of the people and complained about you. Then what is neither good nor attractive would have occurred." Mu'awiya said, "May Allah repay you for helping me to the truth!" Ibn Zayd left and took his money.

There are various things to be seen in this story. First of all, when 'Abdu'r-Rahman b. Zayd considered he had been wronged by the governor, Marwan, he felt free to go straight to the Khalif and take up the matter. Although Mu'awiya's position was based on valid ijtihad, realising that it was a conflict between himself and someone else, Mu'awiya empowered the Qadi to judge over him. This means that the khalif was not above the judgement of the Shari'a. Indeed, the Qadi would not even go to the khalif. The khalif had to go to the qadi, which indicates that all were equal as far as the Shari'a was concerned, and Mu'awiya accepted this. He accepted it when the judgement went against him and even thanked the Qadi for ensuring that he did what was right. There is absolutely no sense of royal prerogative here and a complete admission that he was in the wrong and the willingness to be corrected and put right.

So in this early vision of leadership, the khalif has conditional rather than absolute authority as a despot would have. Once Mu'awiya said in a khutba, "'Umar appointed me over Syria and then 'Uthman did so after him. By Allah, I never swindled nor monopolised. Then Allah appointed me to command, and I did well sometimes and badly sometimes." Then a man stood up and said, "O Mu'awiya! Rather you monopolised and were bad and neither good nor just!" He said to the man, "Sit down. Why are you speaking?" They went on to exchange words with each other until Mu'awiya said, "Sit down or I will make you sit down." At which the man exclaimed, "I will not sit down! I will go as far from you as possible!" He made to leave and Mu'awiya said, "Bring him back." They brought him back and Mu'awiya said, "I ask Allah's forgiveness. I saw you when you came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and greeted him and he returned the greeting to you and you were guided to him and he accepted that from you. You became a good Muslim. We have spoken harshly to you. Tell us what you need and I will give to you and you will be satisfied."

The Companion, al-Miswar b. Makhrama visited Mu'awiya and said, "Peace be upon, you, O king!" He said, "I know better what you said. Why do you attack the amirs?" He replied, "I do not leave anything without criticising it." He said, 'Miswar! We are not innocent of wrong actions but we hope for the mercy of Allah. I am following a Shari'a of certainty in which Allah accepts the good and overlooks the evil. If I were to be given a choice between Allah and what is other than Him, I would chose Him, and then He would take care of my needs."

He once wrote to 'A'isha requesting some succinct advice and she wrote back, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'If anyone seeks the pleasure of people at the expense of the wrath of Allah, Allah will entrust him to them until the one who praised him becomes his critic. If anyone seeks the pleasure of Allah at the expense of people, Allah will be enough for him against them.'" He took this to heart and later said on the minbar of Damascus, "No one abandons fearfulness of Allah but that the one who praised him becomes his critic."

One of the instructions of Mu'awiya to a new governor was:

"Open your door to the people; thus you will have information from them. You and they are equal. When you decide on a matter, express it openly to the people, and no one will expect anything or make demands on you, and you will be able to carry it out. When you encounter your enemies, and they defeat you at the border of your territory, do not let them defeat you in its interior. If your companions need you to assist them personally, do so."

He also said, "Fear Allah and do not prefer anything to that, for there is a reward in fearing Him." He added, "Do not tempt anyone with that to which he has no right, and do not make anyone feel hopeless regarding his rights." This sense of duty to the people under one's authority was important.

Mu'awiya also said when he appointed someone, "The matters most proper to be hastened are the rights of Allah."

If you look closely at Mu'awiya and examine his behaviour, you will see that what he actually did was to take on the Sunna of the Prophet and try to embody it as much as possible in a real and constructive way. If one looks at his statements and behaviour, his inspiration always came from the Prophet, may Allah's blessings be upon him. He envisaged himself as following in the footsteps of his predecessors.

At this point, we should perhaps remark on what is perhaps the major criticism most people direct against Mu'awiya – the fact that he chose his son Yazid to succeed him, thereby instituting a dynasty. Mu'awiya had seen the effects of a civil war and was keen to avoid another one. There was more than one possible contender for leadership at that time. There was not only Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but also 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, who had an even larger following in the Hijaz. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar could also have made a claim, but he was only interested in matters of the deen. There were also various Kharijite groups waiting for an opportunity to assert themselves.

Mu'awiya, a great pragmatist, realised that Husayn certainly had better character than his son and Ibn az-Zubayr a wider following, but he realised also that Yazid had the army of Syria behind him, which could enforce peace and prevent civil war. He urged Yazid to avoid bloodshed as much as possible. When criticised for having people give their allegiance to Yazid in advance, Mu'awiya pointed out that Abu Bakr had named 'Umar as his successor before his death, and that the upheaval involved in an election could lead to another civil war, which would involve Muslim blood being shed and offer the enemies of the Muslims an opportunity to attack. It was not the desire for a dynasty which led Mu'awiya to have people offer allegiance to his son while he was still alive, but the desire to ensure peace and prevent civil war.

To repeat the judgement on Mu'awiya in a nutshell: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"The best of your Imams is the one you love and who loves you, who gives to you and you to him."

During Mu'awiya's rule he put into practice the advice that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant peace, had given him, "When you rule, do it well." He was scrupulous about justice and was generous and fair to people of all classes. He honoured people who possessed ability and talent and helped them to advance their talents, regardless of their tribe. He displayed great forbearance towards the rashness of ignorant men and great generosity towards the grasping. He made the judgements of the Shari'a binding on everyone with resolution, compassion and diligence. He led them in their prayers and directed them in their gatherings. He led them in their wars. In short, he proved to be a balanced and model ruler. 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas stated that he did not see a man more suited to rule than Mu'awiya.

There has been ample testimony to Mu'awiya's abilities. Ibn Taymiyya said, "The behaviour of Mu'awiya with the people was the best behaviour of any ruler. His people loved him," reflecting what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is recorded as having said in the Sahih of Muslim: "The best of your Imams is the one you love and who loves you, who gives to you and you to him." This was Mu'awiya's behaviour in a nutshell.

'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Do not mention Mu'awiya with anything but good. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'O Allah, guide him!'" Abu Musa al-Ash'ari called him, "Aminu'llah," the trusty one of Allah."

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, the conqueror of Iraq and Iran and one of the oldest Companions and one of the ten promised the Garden, said that after 'Uthman, he did not see anyone who judged by the truth more than Mu'awiya. He also said, " After 'Uthman I did not see anyone giving more judgement for what was right than Mu'awiya."

The Chapter on Dhikr from at-Targhib wa at-Tarhib by Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani

1. Encouragement to remember Allah often, secretly and openly, and to presevere in it; what is reported about someone who does not remember Allah often

1. Abu Huryara reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Allah Almighty says, 'I am in My slave's opinion of Me and I am with Him when He remembers Me. When he remembers Me in himself, I mention him in Myself. If he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly than them.' If he comes near Me by a handspan, I come near him a cubit. If he comes near Me by a cubit, I come near a fathom. When he comes to walking, I come to him running."

(Muslim and al-Bukhari, Ahmad has at the end of it, Qatada said, "Allah is quicker to forgive.")

2. 'Abdullah ibn Busr reported a man said, "Messenger of Allah, the laws of Islam are too much for me. Tell me something I can cling to." He said, "Your tongue should remain moist with the remembrance of Allah." (at-Tirmidhi)

3. Abu'd-Darda' reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Shall I inform you of the best of your actions and the purest of your property and the highest of your degrees and what is better for you than spending gold and silver and better for you than encountering the enemy and striking their necks and their striking your necks?" They said, "Yes, indeed!" He said, "Remembrance of Allah Almighty." MuÔadh ibn Jabal said, "There is nothing which saves from the punishment of Allah more than remembrance of Allah." (Ahmad, Ibn Abi'd-Dunya, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

4. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Do a lot of remembrance of Allah until they say, 'He is mad.'" (Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and Ibn Hibban)

5. Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If one man has some dirhams in his possession which he divides and another remembers Allah, the one who remembers Allah is better." One variant has, "There is no sadaqa better than remembrance of Allah." (at-Tabarani)

6. Umm Anas reported that she said, "Messenger of Allah, command me." He said, "Avoid acts of disobedience: that is the best jihad. Do a lot of invoking Allah. You do not bring Allah anything he loves more than a lot of remembrance." (at-Tabarani. In one variant, "Remember Allah a lot. It is the action which Allah loves most to reveive." At-Tabarani notes that Umm Anas is not the mother of Anas ibn Malik.)

2. Encouraging attending gatherings of dhikr and meeting together to remember Allah

7. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Allah Almighty has angels who travel the highways and by-ways seeking out the people of dhikr. When they find people remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, they call out to one another, 'Come to what you hunger for!' and they enfold them with their wings stretching up to the lowest heaven. Their Lord - who knows them better - asks them, 'What are My slaves saying?' They say, 'They are glorifying You, proclaiming Your greatness, praising You and magnifying You.' He says, 'Have they seen Me?' They say, 'No, by Allah, they have not seen You.' He says, 'How would it be if they were to see Me?' [extra 'He said's deleted] They say, 'If they were to see You, they would worship You even more intensely and magnify You even more intensely and glorify You even more intensely.' He says, 'What are they asking Me for?'They say, 'They are asking You for the Garden.' He says, 'Have they seen it?' They say, 'No, by Allah, they have not seen it.'" He says, 'How would it be if they were to see it?' They say, 'If they were to see it, they would yearn for it even more strongly and seek it even more assiduously and would have an even greater desire for it.' He says, 'What are they seeking refuge from?' 'They are seeking refuge from the Fire.' He says, 'Have they seen it?' He says, 'How would it be if they were to see it?' They say, 'If they were to see it, they would flee from it even harder and have an even greater fear of it.' He says, 'I testify to you that I have forgiven them.' One of angels says, 'Among them is so-and-so who is not one of them. He came to get something he needed.' He says, 'They are sitting and the one sitting with them will not be wretched.'" (al-Bukhari)

8. ÔAbdullah ibn 'Umar reported: "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, what is the booty of the assemblies of dhikr?' He replied, 'The booty of the asemblies of dhikr is the Garden.'" (Ahmad)

9. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "When you come upon the meadows of the Garden, graze in them." He was asked, "What are the meadows of the Garden?" "Circles of dhikr." he replied. (at-Tirmidhi)

10. 'Amr ibn ÔAbasa said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say about the right hand of the All-Merciful, 'Both His hands are right hands. There are men who are not Prophets or martyrs the whiteness of whose faces overpowers the sight of those who look. The Prophets and martyrs envy their seat and proximity to Allah Almighty.' He was asked, 'Messenger of Allah, who are they?' He replied, 'A mixture of isolated people from the tribes who meet to remember Allah and select the best words as someone who eats dates selects the best ones.'" (at-Tabarani)

3. Warning against sitting where Allah is not mentioned nor the prayer said on His Prophet

11. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, "Whenever people sit in a place where they do not mention Allah or bless their Prophet, loss descends on them. If He wishes, He will punish them. If He wishes, He will forgive them." (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi)

4. Encouraging words which expiate the hubbub of the assembly

12. Rafi' ibn Khadij reported that when his Companions met with him, at the end of it when the Messenger of Allah wanted to get up, he said, "Glory be to You, O Allah, and by Your praise. I testify that there is no god but Allah. I ask forgiveness of You and repent to You. I have acted badly and have wronged myself, so forgive me. Only You forgive wrong actions." They said, "Messenger of Allah, are these words which you originated?" "Yes," he replied, "Jibra'il came to me and said, "O Muhammad, they are the expiations of the gathering." (an-Nasa'i)

13. ÔAbdullah ibn ÔAmr ibn al-ÔAs said that he said, "There are certain words which someone can say in a gathering devoted to good or a gathering of dhikr by which Allah will seal the gathering as the page is sealed with a seal. They are: 'Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise. There is no god but You. I ask You for forgiveness and turn to You.'" (Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban

5. Encouraging saying "la ilaha illa'llah" and its excellence

14. Abu Hurayra said, "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, who will be the person happiest with your intercession on the Day of Rising?' The Messenger of Allah replied, 'I think that none would ask about this before you since I know your eagerness for hadith [learning]. The person happiest with my intercession on the Day of Rising will be the one who says: "There is no god but Allah" sincerely from his heart.'" (al-Bukhari)

15. Jabir reported that the Prophet said, "The best dhikr is 'La ilaha illa'llah,' and the best supplication is 'al-hamdu lillah'." (an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)

16. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Do a lot of the shahada, testifying that there is no god but Allah before there comes a barrier between you and it." (Abu Ya'la)

17. He reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Renew your faith." He was asked, "Messenger of Allah, how do we renew our faith?" He replied, "Say often: 'There is no god but Allah.'" (Ahmad and at-Tabarani)

18. ÔAmr said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say, "I know some words which, if a person says it truly from his heart and dies on that, he will be unlawful to the Fire: 'There is no god but Allah'." (al-Hakim)

Encouraging saying "There is no god but Allah alone with no partner"

19. Abu Ayyub reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Anyone who says, 'There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. His is the kingdom and His is the praise. He has power over everything' ten times, it is as if he had set free four slaves of the descendants of Isma'il." (Agreed upon)

20. Ya'qub ibn ÔAsim reported that two of the Companions of the Prophet heard the Prophet say, "No one at all says "There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. The kingdom and praise belong to Him and He has power over everything" sincerely with his soul, affirming it with his heart, articulating it with his tongue but that Allah splits open the heaven so that He can look at the one on the earth who says it, and it is a right of the slave at whom Allah looks that He grant him his request." (an-Nasa'i)

6. Encouraging glorification, takbir, the shahada, and praise in its various forms

21. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Two words are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, beloved to the Merciful: 'Glory be to Allah and by His praise. Glory be to Allah, the Immense.'" (Agreed upon)

22. Abu Umama reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Whoever dreads to endure the night, or is miserly about spending money, or is too cowardly to fight the enemy should say often: 'Glory be to Allah and with His praise.' It is more beloved to Allah than a mountain of gold spent in the Way of Allah." (at-Tabarani)

23. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Anyone who says, 'Glory be to Allah and with His praise' a hundred times a day will have his sins fall away, even if they are like the froth of the sea." (Muslim and at-Tirmidhi)

24. Mus'ab ibn SaÔd (ibn Abi Waqqas) said that his father said, "We were with the Messenger of Allah when he asked, 'Are any of you able to earn a thousand good deeds every day?' One of those who was sitting there asked him, 'How can someone earn a thousand good deeds?' He said, 'Glorifying a hundred times is written as a thousand good deeds or a thousand errors fall away from him.'" (Muslim and an-Nasa'i)

25. Samura ibn Jundub reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "The dearest of words to Allah are four: 'Glory be to Allah; Praise be to Allah; There is no god but Allah; and Allah is greater.' It does not matter whichever of them you say first."(Muslim and an-Nasa'i, He added, "They are part of the Qur'an.".)

26. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet passed by him when he was planting a seedling and he asked, "Abu Hurayra, what is that which you are planting?" He said, "Seedlings." He said, "Shall I not direct you to a seedling better than this? 'Glory be to Allah. Praise be to Allah. Allah is greater, and there is no god but Allah.' Each word of them will plant a tree for you in the Garden." (Ibn Majah)

27. Umm Hani' said, "The Messenger of Allah passed by me one day and I said, 'Messenger of Allah, I am old and weak, so command me something I can do sitting.' He said, 'Say "Glory be to Allah" a hundred times: it is equal to a hundred slaves of the descendants of IsmaÔil you set free. Say "Praise be to Allah" a hundred times: it is equal to a hundred horses saddled and bridled and ridden in the Way of Allah. Say "Allah is greater" a hundred times: it is equal to a hundred camels garlanded and facing qibla. Say "There is no god but Allah" a hundred times. (I think he said) It fills up what is between heaven and earth. On that day no one will have a better action presented that which will be presented for you unless he brings the like of what you bring.'" (Ahmad, at-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi)

28. Abu Dharr reported that some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah *said, "Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have appropriated the rewards. They pray as we pray and they fast as we fast, but they give sadaqa since they have more wealth."He said, "Did not Allah give you that which you can give as sadaqa? Every glorification is sadaqa. Every takbir is sadaqa. Every praise is sadaqa. Every 'la ilaha illa'llah' is sadaqa. Commanding the right is sadaqa. Forbidding the wrong is sadaqa." (Muslim and Ibn Majah)

29. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Take your protection."They asked, "Messenger of Allah, from an enemy present?" He replied, "No, but your protection against the Fire. Say: 'Glory be to Allah. There is no god but Allah, and Allah is greater.' They will come on the Day of Rising in front and behind you. They are lasting righteous ones." (an-Nasa'i and al-Bayhaqi. At-Tabarani has it in al-Awsat and adds, "There is no strength or power except by Allah.")

30. ÔAbdullah ibn MasÔud said, "Anyone who is tight-fisted about giving money, fears the struggle against the enemy and is wearied by the night should often say, "There is no god but Allah. Allah is greater. Praise be to Allah and glory be to Allah.'" (At-Tabarani)

31. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Any words which do not with praise are mutilated." (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah)

7. Encouraging saying, "Glory be to Allah," "Praise be to Allah", "There is no god but Allah" and "Allah is greater" in mosques

32. Umm al-Mu'minin Juwayriyya bint al-Harith reported that the Prophet left her and then he returned after the sun was well risen and she was still sitting there. He said, "You are still in the state you were when I left you?" She said, "Yes." The Prophet said, "I said four words three times after I left you. If they were to be weighed against everything you have recited today they would outweigh it: 'Glory be to Allah and by His praise in number as great as His creation and His own pleasure, the weight of His Throne and the ink of His words.'"(Muslim and the Four)

33. 'A'isha bint SaÔd ibn Abi Waqqas related from her father that, together with the Messenger of Allah, he visited a woman and in front of her were some date-stones - or pebbles - which she was using to glorify Allah. He said, 'Shall I inform you what is easier for you than this - or better?' He said, 'Glory be to Allah by the number of things He has created in the heaven and glory be to Allah by the number of things He has created in the earth and glory be to Allah by the number of things in between them and glory be to Allah by the number of things He has created. Then say, "Allah is greater" in the same way and "Praise be to Allah" in the same way, and "There is no god but Allah" in the same way and "There is no power nor strength except by Allah" in the same way.'" (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi)

8. Encouraging saying "There is no power nor strength except by Allah"

34. Abu Musa said that the Prophet said, "Say: 'There is no power nor strength except by Allah.' It is one of the treasures of the Garden." (Agreed upon, and in the transmission of an-Nasa'i: "Whoever says 'There is no strength nor power except by Allah', it is the cure for ninety-nine illnesses, the least of which is worry.")

9. Encouraging the dhikrs which are said in the morning and the evening

35. Mu'adh ibn ÔAbdullah ibn Khubayb reported that his father said, "We went out on a very dark and rainy night looking for the Messenger of Allah to lead us in the prayer. We found him and he said, 'Speak.' I did not say anything,.' Then he said, 'Say,' and I did not say anything. Then he said, 'Say,' and I said, 'Messenger of Allah, what shall I say?' He said, 'Recite, "Say: He is God, One," and the suras of seeking refuge in the evening and the morning three times, it will be enough to protect you in respect of everything.'" (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i)

36. Shaddad ibn Aws reported that the Prophet said, "The best way to ask forgiveness is to say, 'O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me and I am Your slave. I comply with Your covenant and Your promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with you from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me. Only You can forgive sins.' Anyone who says it during the night having confidence in it and dies before morning will enter the Garden. Anyone who says this during the day having confidence in it and dies on that day before evening will enter the Garden. "

(Al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmidhi who has: "No one says it in the evening and then the decree comes to him before morning but that the Garden is mandatory for him. He does not say it in the morning and then the decree comes to him before evening but that the Garden is mandatory for him.")

37. Abu Hurayra said, "A man came to the Prophet and said, 'Messenger of Allah, what agony I suffered last night from a scorpion which stung me yesterday!' He said, 'If you had said in the evening, "I seek refuge with the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created," it would not have harmed you."(Muslim and the four;)

38. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the Day of Rising no one will bring anything better than someone who says in the morning and evening, 'Glory be to Allah and by His praise' a hundred times except someone who says the same as he says or more."

(Muslim, the people of the three Sunans, and Ibn Abi'd-Dunya. In Abu Dawud, "Glory be to Allah the Immense." Al-Hakim said "Anyone who says in the morning 'Glory be to Allah and by His praise,' a hundred times, and a hundred times in the evening, his sins will be forgiven even if they more than the forth of the sea.")

39. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said,"Anyone who says, 'There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He has power over everything' a hundred times a day has the same reward as if he had freed ten slaves, and a hundred good deeds are written for him and a hundred bad deeds are effaced from him and he has protection from Shaytan on that day until evening. No one will do anything better than he does except a man who does it more than he did." (Agreed upon)

40. Aban ibn 'Uthman said that he heard 'Uthman ibn 'Affan say that the Messenger of Allah said, "No slave of Allah says in the morning every day and the evening every night, 'In the name of Allah by whose name nothing in the earth or the heaven can be harmed. He is the Hearing, the Knowing,' three times without that ensuring that nothing will harm him." Aban suffered from a stroke which left him semi-paralysed on one side. He was asked about it and said, "I did not say it that day so that Allah could carry out His decree." (The four)

41. Abu'd-Darda' said, "If anyone says in the morning and evening, 'Allah is enough for me. There is no god but Him. I have relied on Him and He is the Lord of the Immense Throne' seven times, Allah will spare him what worries him (whether he is truthful or lying)." (Abu Dawud)

42. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If anyone says in the morning or the evening, 'O Allah, I testify to You and I testify to the bearers of Your throne, Your angels and all Your creation that You are Allah and there is no god but You and Muhammad is Your slave and Messenger,' Allah will free a quarter of him from the fire. If anyone says it twice, Allah will free half of him from the Fire. If anyone says it three times, Allah will free three-quarters of him from the Fire. If anyone says it four times, Allah will free all of him from the Fire.'"

43. Al-Mundhir, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah, said when he was in North Africa, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'If anyone says in the morning "I am pleased with with Allah as a Lord, Islam with a deen and Muhammad as a Prophet" I am the leader who will take his hand to admit him to the Garden."'" (at-Tabarani)

44. 'Abdullah ibn Ghannam al-Bayadi reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If anyone says in the morning, 'O Allah, whatever blessing comes to me or any of Your creation in the morning is from You alone with no partner; praise is Yours and thanks is to You' has fulfilled the thankfulness due for the day. If he says the like of that in the evening, he has fulfilled the thankfulness due for the night. " (Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i)

45. Ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah did not omit these words in the evening and morning: 'O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this world and the Next. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my deen and this world, my family and my property. O Allah, veil my defects and protect me from what I fear. O Allah, preserve me in front of me and behind me, to my right and to my left, and above me. I seek refuge with Your might from unexpected harm from under me." (Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)

46. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said to Fatima, "What will prevent you from listening to my advice to you? You should say in the morning and evening: 'O Living, O Self-Sustaining, I seek help by Your mercy. Put all my affairs in order for me. Do not entrust me to myself for the blink of an eye.'" (an-Nasa'i)

47. Al-Hasan stated that Samura ibn Jundub said, "Shall I inform you of a hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah several times, and from Abu Bakr several times and from ÔUmar several times?" "Yes," was the reply. He said, "If anyone says in the morning and the evening, 'O Allah, You created me and You guide me; You give me food and drink; You make me die and give me life,' he will not ask for anything but that He will give it to him." He said, "I met ÔAbdullah ibn Salam and said, 'Shall I inform you of a hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah several times, and from Abu Bakr several times and from ÔUmar several times?' He said, 'Yes,' and recounted this hadith. He said, 'By my mother and father, the Messenger of Allah said those words. Allah Almighty gave them to Musa, peace be upon him and he used to pray with them seven times every day, and he never asked Allah for something but that Allah gave it to him." (At-Tabarani)

48. Abu'd-Darda' reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Anyone who says the prayer on me ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening will obtain my intercession on the Day of Rising,"

(At-Tabarani with two isnads, one of which is excellent)

49. Zayd ibn Thabit reported that the Messenger of Allah taught him a supplication and commanded him to promise to do it and that his family should do it every day. He said: "He should say in the morning, 'O Allah, at Your service. Good is in Your hand and from You to You. O Allah, whatever word I say, oath I make or vow I make, You will is before it, What You wish will be and what you do not wish will not be. There is no power or strength except by You. You have power over everything. O Allah, whatever prayer I pray is for the on whom I pray and whatever curse I make is against the one I curse. You are my Protector in this world and the Next. Make me die a Muslim and join me to the righteous. O Allah, I ask you for pleasure with the Decree, pleasant life after death, the pleasure of looking at Your face, and yearning to meet You without harmful distress or misleading sedition. I seek refuge with You, O Allah, lest I wrong or be wronged, or transgress or be transgressed against, or acquire a wrong action or a sin which is not forgiven, O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, O Master of Majesty and Generosity, I entrust to You in this life and I call on You to testify. Allah is enough of a witness. I testify that there is no god but You alone with no partner. Yours is the kingdom and praise is Yours. You have power over everything. I testify that Muhammad is Your slave and Messenger. I testify that Your promise is true, meeting Your is true, the Garden is true, the Fire is true and the Hour is true. It is coming without doubt. You will raise whoever is in the graves. If You entrust me to myself, You entrust me to weakness, disgrace, sin and error. I can only trust in Your mercy, so forgive me all my sins. None but You forgive sins. Turn to me. You are the Ever-Turning, All-Merciful.'" (Ahmad and at-Tabarani)

10. Encouraging words which are said when one goes to bed and what has come about someone who rises from sleep without mentioning Allah

50. Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said, "The Prophet said, 'When you go to your bed, do wudu' as you do for the prayer and then lie down on your right side and said, 'O Allah, I have surrendered my soul to You, I have turned my face towards You, I have entrusted my affair to You and I have sought refuge in You out of desire for You and fear of You. There is no shelter nor place of safety from You except with You. I have believed in Your Book which You sent down and Your Prophet whom You sent.' Then if you die in the night, you will die in the natural harmonious form of man. Make them the last thing that you say." He said, "I repeated them to the Prophet and when I reached the words, 'Your Book which You sent down,' I said, 'and your Message.' He said, 'No: "Your Prophet whom You sent.'" (Agreed upon. In al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi, "If you die in the night, you die on the natural form. If you reach the morning, you obtain good.")

51. ÔAbdullah ibn ÔAmr ib al-'As reported that the Prophet said, "There are two qualities in which a Muslim does not persevere in but that he will enter the Garden. They are easy but those who do them are few: After every prayer, he should glorify Allah ten times, praise Him ten times, and say the takbir ten times. That is 150 on the tongue and 150,000 in the balance. When he goes to bed, he should say the takbir 34 times, praise Allah 33 times and glorify Him 33 times. That is 100 on the tongue and a thousand in the balance.' I saw the Messenger of Allah count them. They asked, 'Messenger of Allah, how is it that they are easy and those who do them few?' He said, 'Shaytan comes to one of you when he goes to sleep and makes him fall asleep before he says them, and he comes when he is praying and reminds him of a need before he says them." (Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi)

52. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If, when someone retires to his bed and says. 'There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. His is the Kingdom and praise is His. He has power over everything and there is no power nor strength except by Allah. Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah, and Allah is greater,' he will be forgiven his sins or errors, even if they are like the froth of the sea." (an-Nasa'i)

11. Encouraging words said when someone wakes up in the night

53. 'Ubada ibn as-Samit reported that the Prophet said, "If someone wakes up at night and says, 'There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. The kingdom is His and His is the praise. He has power over everything. Praise belongs to Allah. Glory be to Allah. There is no god but Allah. Allah is greater. There is no strength nor power except by Allah,' and then says, 'O Allah, forgive me' or makes supplication to Allah,' it will be answered. If he does wudu', then his prayer will be accepted." (al-Bukhari and the Four)

12. Encouraging dhikrs said after Subh, 'Asr and Maghrib

54. Abu Dharr reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If, after the Fajr prayer, anyone says while his feet are still folded before speaking, 'There is no god ut Allah alone with no partner. His is the kingdom and praise is His. He gives life and makes die, and He has power over everything' ten times, Allah will write for him ten good deeds, efface ten evil deeds from him, and raise him ten degrees, and that day he is protected from every very disliked thing, guarded against shaytan, and no sin will overtake him in that day unless it is associating with Allah." (At-Tirmidhi)

55. Al-Harith ibn Muslim at-Tamimi said, "The Prophet said to me, 'When you pray Subh, say seven times before speaking, 'O Allah, protect me from the Fire.' If you die on that day, Allah will write for you protection from the Fire. When you pray Maghrib, say seven times before speaking, 'O Allah, protect me from the Fire.' If you die that night, Allah will write for you protection from the Fire.' (an-Nasa'i, and Abu Dawud)

13. Encouraging what is said and done by someone who has a dream he dislikes

56. Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "When one of you has a dream he dislikes, he should spit to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan three times and then turn over onto his other side." (Muslim, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i)

57. Abu Qatada reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "The true dream is from Allah and the confused dream is from Shaytan. Whoever sees something he dsilieks should spit three times to his left and seek refuge from shaytan. It will not harm him" (Agreed upon. The four relate it. In one variant, "When he sees something he dislikes, he should seek refuge in Allah from its evil and from shaytan. He should spit three times to his left and not tell anyone about it." They have the like of it from Abu Hurayra which says, "Ésomething he dislikes should not recount it to anyone, and he should get up and pray.")

14. Encouraging ayats and dhikrs said after the obligatory prayers

58. Sumayy reported from Abu Salih that Abu Hurayra reported that the poor of the Muhajirun came to the Messenger of Allah and said, "The wealthy have appropriated the high degrees and abiding bliss." He said, "How is that?" He said, "They pray as we pray and they fast as we fast, but they give sadaqa and we do not give sadaqa and they set free slaves and we do not set free slaves." The Messenger of Allah said, "Shall I inform you of something by which you will overtake those who have preceded you and precede those who come after you and no one will be better than you unless he does the same as you do?" They said, "By all means, Messenger of Allah." He said, "You should say 'Glory be to Allah,' 'Praise be to Allah,' and 'Allah is greater' thirty-three times after every prayer."

Abu Salih said, "The poor Muhajirun then returned to the Messenger of Allah and said, "Our brothers who possess property heard about what we were doing and they have done the same." The Messenger of Allah said, "That is a favour which Allah gives to anyone He wills."

Sumayya said, "Some of my family related this hadith and said., "I was weak. He told you: Say 'Glory be to Allah' 33 times, 'Praise be to Allah' 33 times, and the takbir 34 times." He said, "I returned to Abu Salih and said that to him and he took my hand and said, 'Allah is great; Glory be to Allah, and Praise be to Allah' until he said them all 33 times."

(Agreed upon. This is the version of Muslim, He also has, "Anyone who say after every prayer, 'Glory be to Allah' thirty-three times, 'Praise belongs to Allah' thirty-three times and 'Allah is greater' thirty-three times and says to complete the hundred, 'There is no god but Allah alone with no partner. He has the kingdom and He has the praise and He has power over everything,' will be forgiven his errors, even if they are like the foam of the sea." Malik and Ibn Khuzayma transmitted it, but Malik said, "His sins will be forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea." Abu Dawud transmitted it. Abu Dharr said, "Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have appropriated the rewards." In it he said, "They have excess wealth which they give sadaqa and we do not have wealth to give as sadaqa." He said, "Abu Dharr, shall I teach you words by which you will catch those before you?" He said in it, "Say the takbir 33 times after every prayer ." He said in it, "Complete it with 'There is no god but Allah.'" At-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i transmitted it.")

59. Mu'adh ibn Jabal reported that the Messenger of Allah took him by the hand and said, "Mu'adh, by Allah, I love you." Mu'adh said, "May my mother and father be your ransom, Messenger of Allah. By Allah, I love you." He said, "Mu'adh, I advise you not to fail to say after every prayer, 'O Allah, help me to remember You and thank You and worship You well.'" Mu'adh advised as-Sanabihi to do that. (Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i)

15. Encouraging words said by someone who is alarmed at night

60. 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb reported from his father from his grandfather that the Messenger of Allah said, "When one you is alarmed in sleep, he should say, 'I seek refuge with the perfect words of Allah from His anger, from the evil of His servants and from the whisperings of shaytan and lest they be present,' and they will not harm him." 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr used to teach it those of his children who were sensible, and in the case of those who were not, he wrote it in a page and then hung it from their necks." (The three)

61. Abu't-Tayyah said, "I asked 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Khanbash at-Tamimi, who was old, 'Did you met the Messenger of Allah ?' 'Yes,' he replied. I asked, 'What did he act do the night when the shaytans of the jinn came at him?' He said, 'The shaytan came down that night to the Messenger of Allah from the valleys and ravines. Among them was a shaytan with a fiery torch in his hand with which he intended to burn the face of the Messenger of Allah. Jibril descended to him and said, 'Muhammad, speak.' He asked, 'What should I say?' He said, 'Say: "I seek refuge with the complete words of Allah from the evil of what He created, originated, and produced, and from the evil of what descends from the sky and from the evil of what ascends in it, and from the evil of the trials of the night and day, and from the evil of from the evil of every visitant at night except that which knocks with good, O All-Mericiful."' The fire was put out and Allah Almighty defeated them." (Ahmad and Abu Ya'la)

16. Encouraging what is said when one leaves his house for the mosque and elsewhere and when he enters it

62. Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "If, when a man leaveshis house, he says, 'In the name of Allah. I have relied on Allah and there is no power nor strength except by Allah,' he will he told, 'It is enough for you. You have been guided, spared and protected,' and Shaytan will be kept far from him."

(At-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i; and Ibn Hibban)

63. Jabir reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah say, "When a man enters his house and mentions the name of Allah both when he enters and when he eats, Shaytan says to his companions, 'You have no lodging and no meal.' When he enters and does not mention Allah when he enters, Shaytan says, 'You have lodging.' When he does not mention Allah Almighty when he eats, he says, 'You have lodging and a meal.'"(Muslim and the four)

17. Encouraging what is said when there is whispering in the prayers and at other times

64. 'Uthman ibn Abi'l-'As reported that he went to the Prophet and said, 'Messenger of Allah, Shaytan comes between me and my prayer and my recitation and confuses me.' He said, "That is a Shaytan called Khinzab. When you feel that, seek refuge in Allah from him and spit to your left three times.' I did that and Allah removed it from me." (Muslim.)

65. 'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Shaytan comes to one of you and asks, 'Who created you?' He says, 'Allah. Then he says, 'Who created Allah?' If one of you experiences that, he should say, 'I believe in Allah and His Messenger.' That will remove it.'" (Ahmad, Abu Ya'la, and al-Bazzar)

67. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "Shaytan comes to one you and says, 'Who created such-and-such? Who created such-and-such?' until he says, 'Who created your Lord?' When it reaches that, seek refuge with Allah and leave it."

(Agreed upon. In the varant of Muslim, "Say: 'I believe in Allah and His Messenger.'" In the variant of Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i, "Say, 'He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.' Then he should spit to his left three times and seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan." In the variant of an-Nasa'i, "He should seek refuge from him and his temptations.")

Book of the Virtues of the Companions

Quoted from Bukhari Sharief by Imam Bukhari Rahimahullah

I: The virtues of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them

Any Muslim who kept the company of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or saw him is one of his Companions.

3449. It is related from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A time will come to people when groups of people will go on expedition and will say, 'Is there any among you who kept the company of the Messenger of Allah?' They will say, Yes.' And victory will be given to them. Then a time will come to people when it will be said, 'Is there any among you who kept the company of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah?' They will say, 'Yes.' And victory will be given to them. Then a time will come to people when groups of people will go on expedition. It will be said, 'Is there any among you who kept the company of the companions of the Companions of the Prophet?' They will say, 'Yes.' And victory will be given to them."

3450. It is related that 'Imran ibn al-Husayn was heard to say that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of my community are my generation and then those who follow them and then those who follow them." 'Imran said, "I do not know whether the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said it twice or three times." "Then after them will come a people who testify when they are not asked to testify, who betray and are not trustworthy, and who make a vow and do not fulfil it. Fleshiness will appear among them."

3451. It is related from 'Abdullah that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of people are my generation and then those who follow them and then those who follow them. Then there will come people whose testimony will precede their oaths and whose oaths will precede their testimony."

Ibrahim said, "They used to beat us for rushing to testify and avow when we were young."

II: The virtues and excellence of the Muhajirun

They include Abu Bakr 'Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa at-Taymi, may Allah be pleased with him.

The words of Allah Almighty, "It is for the poor of the Muhajirun who were driven from their homes and wealth desiring the favour and the pleasure of Allah and supporting Allah and His Messenger. Such people are the truly sincere." (59:8) He also said, "If you do not help him, Allah did help him when those who reject drove him out, when there were two of them in the Cave. He said to his companion, 'Do not be despondent, Allah is with us.'" (9:40)

'A'isha, Abu Sa'id, and Ibn 'Abbas said, "Abu Bakr was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Cave."

3452. It is related that al-Bara' said, "Abu Bakr purchased a saddle from 'Azib for thirty dirhams. Abu Bakr said to 'Azib, 'Tell al-Bara' to carry my saddle for me.' 'Azib said, 'No, not until you relate to us what happened when you and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left Makka and the idolaters were pursuing you.' He said, 'We left Makka and travelled through the night and part of the following day until it was the middle of day and the sun was high. My eyes searched to see if I could see any shade where I could find shelter, and there was a rock. I went to it and it still had some shade left. I levelled it and spread out a place for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to sleep there Then I said to him, "Lie down, O Prophet of Allah!" So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laid down. Then I went to look around me to see whether I saw any one in pursuit. There was a shepherd driving his sheep towards the rock, intending what we had intended from it. I asked him, "Whose servant are you?" He mentioned a man of Quraysh and named him. I knew him. I asked, "Do your sheep have any milk?' He replied, "Yes.' I said, "Will you milk for us?" He said, "Yes." Then I commanded him to hobble one of his sheep. Then I commanded him to clean the dust from the teats and then I told him to clean his hands. (He said, 'Like that,') and clapped his hands together. He milked a little milk for me. I put it in a small pot for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and put a rag over its mouth. I poured water over the milk until its bottom was cold. Then I went to the Messenger of Allah who I found had woken up and said, "Drink, Messenger of Allah.' He drank so that I was pleased. Then I said, "Is it time to leave, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Yes indeed." So we travelled whilw the people seeking us. None of them caught up to us except for Suraqa ibn Malik ibn Ju'shum on a horse of his. I said, "This seeker has caught us, Messenger of Allah!" He said, "Do not grieve. Allah is with us."'"

3453. It is related that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "When we were in the Cave when the idolaters were looking for us, I could see their feet and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if one of them were to look under his feet, he would see us.' He said, 'Abu Bakr, what do you think of two people of whom Allah is the third?'""

III: The words of the Prophet, "Close up the doorways, except for that of Abu Bakr."

Ibn 'Abbas reported it from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace/

3454. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a khutba and said, 'Allah gave one of His slaves a choice between this world and what is with Allah. That slave chose what is with Allah.'" He said, "Abu Bakr wept, and we were astonished by his weeping at the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reporting that a slave had been given a choice. However, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the slave referred to and Abu Bakr knew more than we did. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Abu Bakr has been, of all people, the most generous to me both with regard to his company and his property. If I were to have made a close friend of any of my community other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr, but we have the brotherhood and love of Islam. Let there not remain any private doorways into the mosque except that of Abu Bakr.'"

IV: The excellence of Abu Bakr after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

3455. It is related that Ibn 'Umar said, "We used to put people in order of preference in the time of the Prophet, and we put Abu Bakr first, then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, then 'Uthman ibn 'Affan ."

V: The words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "If I were to have taken a close friend..."

Abu Sa'id said it.

3456. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If I were to have taken a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but he is my brother and my Companion."

3457. It is related that Ayyub said that he said, "If I were to have taken a close friend, I would have taken him as a close friend, but the brotherhood of Islam is better,"

The like of it is related from Ayyub.

3458. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Abi Mulayka said, "The people of Kufa wrote to Ibn az-Zubayr regarding the inheritance of the grandfather. He said, 'According to that which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said. He said, "If I were to have taken a close friend, I would have taken him," and he i.e. Abu Bakr, made him (the grandfather) like the father.

3459. It is related that Jubayr ibn Mut'im said, "A woman came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he commanded her to come back to him. She said, 'What do you think I should do if I come and do not find you,' as if she meant his death. He answered, 'If you do not find me, then go to Abu Bakr.'"

3460. It is related that 'Ammar said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when there were only with him five slaves, two women, and Abu Bakr."

3461. It is related that Abu'd-Darda' said, "I was sitting with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when Abu Bakr came, holding on to the end of his garment so that he uncovered his knee. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Your companion has had a quarrel.' He greeted and said, 'There was a disagreement between me and Ibn al-Khattab. I spoke harshly to him and then regretted it. I asked him to forgive me and he refused, so I came to you.' He said, 'May Allah forgive you, Abu Bakr' three times. Then 'Umar regretted that and went to Abu Bakr's house and asked, 'Is Abu Bakr there?' They said, 'No.' So he went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and gave the greeting, crossness showed in the face of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that Abu Bakr had compassion and knelt and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I was more in the wrong,' twice. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Allah sent me to you and you said, "You lied," while Abu Bakr affirmed and consoled me with himself and his property, Will you not leave me my Companion?' twice, and he was not injured after that."

3462. It is related from 'Amr ibn al-'As that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, put him in charge of the army of Dhat as-Salasil. "I went to him and asked, 'Which person is the most beloved to you?' He replied, ''A'isha.' I said, 'Which of the men?' He answered, 'Her father.' I said, 'Then who?' He said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab,' and he mentioned a number of men."

3463. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'While a shepherd was tending his flock, a wolf came and seized one of the sheep and the shepherd pursued it. The wolf said, "Who will guard it on the Day of Gathering when they will have no shepherd but me?" While a man was driving a cow, he mounted on it and it turned to him and said, "I was not created for this. I was created for ploughing."' The people said, 'Glory be to Allah!' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab believe it."

3464. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "While I was asleep, I dreamt that I was at a well in which there was a bucket. I drew water with it for as long as Allah willed and then Ibn Abi Quhafa [Abu Bakr] took it and drew one or two buckets, but there was some weakness in his drawing. May Allah forgive him for his weakness. Then it turned into a large bucket and Ibn al-Khattab took it and I have not seen a leader among the people work so well as he did until the people watered their camels."

3465. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If someone drags his garment out of pride, Allah will not look at him on the Day of Rising." Abu Bakr said, "One side of my garment hangs down unless I pay attention to it." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You do not do that out of pride."

Musa said, "I asked Salim, 'Did 'Abdullah mention "the one who drags his wrapper"?' He said, 'I only heard him mention his "garment".'"

3466. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The one who spends out two kinds of actions in the way of Allah will be summoned from the gates - i.e. of the Garden - and be told, "O slave of Allah, this is better." All the people who did the prayer will be called from the gate of the prayer. All the people who did jihad will be called from the gate of jihad. All the people who gave sadaqa will be called from the gate of sadaqa. All the people who fasted will be called from the gate of fasting, and the gate of Rayyan (Quenching). ' Abu Bakr said, 'No one called from those gates will feel distress.' Then he asked, 'Will anyone be called from all those gates, Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'Yes, and I hope that you will be among them, Abu Bakr.'"

3467. It is related from 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while Abu Bakr was at as-Sunh. (Isma'il says that it means at al-'Aliyya). 'Umar stood up saying, 'By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has not died!'" She said, ''Umar said [later], 'By Allah, nothing occurred to me but that." [He said], 'Allah will raise him and he will cut off the hands and feet of some men!' Abu Bakr came and uncovered the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and kissed him. He said, 'May my mother and my father be sacrificed! You were good both alive and dead! By the One who has my soul in His hand, Allah will not ever make you taste two deaths. ' Then he went out and said, 'O oath-taker, take it easy!' When Abu Bakr spoke, 'Umar sat down. Abu Bakr praised Allah and glorified Him and then said, 'Whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. Whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is alive and does not die.' He said, 'You will die and they too will die.' (39:30) He said, 'Muhammad is only a Messenger and he has been preceded by other Messengers. If he was to die or be killed, would you turn on your heels? Those who turn on their heels do not harm Allah in any way. Allah will recompense the thankful.' (3:144) The people sobbed and wept."

He ['Urwa] said, "The Ansar gathered around Sa'd ibn 'Ubada in the Saqifa of the Banu Sa'ida. They said, 'There should be an amir from us and an amir from you.' Abu Bakr, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah went to them. 'Umar started to speak and Abu Bakr made him be quiet. 'Umar used to say, 'By Allah, I only meant by that some words which I had prepared which I liked. I was afraid that Abu Bakr would not be eloquent.' Then Abu Bakr spoke and he spoke in the most eloquent fashion. He said in his words, "We are the amirs and you are the wazirs."' Hubab ibn al-Mundhir said, 'No, by Allah, we will not do it! An amir from us and an amir from you.' Abu Bakr said, 'No, but we are the amirs and you are the wazirs, for they (i.e. Quraysh) are the noblest house of the Arabs and the best in lineage. So give allegiance to 'Umar or Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.' So 'Umar said, 'Rather we will give allegiance to you! You are our master and the best of us and the one of us most beloved to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace!' 'Umar took his hand and gave him allegiance, and the people gave him allegiance. Someone said, 'You have killed Sa'd.' 'Umar replied, 'Allah has killed him.'"

It is related that 'A'isha said, "The eyes of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, became fixed and then he said three times, 'Among the highest Companion,'" He [al-Qasim] related the hadith. She said, "There was nothing in what both of them said by which Allah did not benefit people. 'Umar frightened the people, some of whom were hypocrites and then Allah caused them turn back [to the truth] by what he said. Then Abu Bakr showed the people guidance and acquainted them with the truth which they were following. They went out reciting, 'Muhammad is only a Messenger and he has been preceded by other Messengers. If he was to die or be killed, would you turn on your heels? Those who turn on their heels do not harm Allah in any way. Allah will recompense the thankful.'"

3468. It is related that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya said, "I asked my father ('Ali), 'Who was the best of people after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' He replied, 'Abu Bakr.' I said, 'Then who?' He said, 'Then 'Umar,' and I was afraid that he would say 'Uthman, so I said, 'Then you?' He replied, 'I am only a man of the Muslims.'"

3469. It is related that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, said, "We went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on one of his journeys until, when we had reached al-Bayda, or Dhat al-Jaysh, my necklace broke and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed to look for it and everyone else stayed with him. There was no water there, so the people went to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, 'Look what 'A'isha has done! She has caused the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and everyone else to halt at a place where there is no water for them nor are they carrying any water with them!' Abu Bakr came and found that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had gone to sleep with his head against my thigh. He said, 'You have held up the Messenger of Allah and everyone else in a place where there is no water and they are not carrying any water with them!' He rebuked me saying what Allah wished him to say and started to poke me in the side with his hand and the only reason I did not move was that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was against my thigh. At first light the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, got up and found that there was no water. Then Allah sent down the verse of tayammum. So they did tayammum." Usayd ibn al-Hudayr said, 'Family of Abu Bakr, this is not the first blessing you have brought!'" 'A'isha continued, "We made the camel I was on get up and found the necklace underneath it."

3470. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not abuse my Companions. If one of you were to spend the like of Uhud in gold, he would not reach the mudd or even a half of that of one of them."

Jarir, 'Abdullah ibn Dawud, Abu Mu'awiya, and Muhadir corroborated it from al-A'mash.

3471. It is related from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that he did wudu' in his house and then went out. [He said,] "I said, 'I will stay close to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and be with him on this day.'" He said, "He went to the mosque and asked where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was and they said, 'He went there,' indicating the direction he had gone. I followed after him asking about him until he entered the Well of Aris. I sat at the gate, which was made of palm branches, until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had finished his need and was doing wudu'. I went up to him and he was sitting at the Well of Aris on the middle of the rim with his legs uncovered dangling into the well. I greeted him and then went and sat at the gate. I said, 'I will be the doorkeeper of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, today.' Abu Bakr came and knocked at the door. I said, 'Who is it?' He said, 'Abu Bakr.' I said, 'Hold on!' I went and said, 'Messenger of Allah, it is Abu Bakr asking permission to come in.' He said, 'Let him in and give him the good news of the Garden.' I went and said to Abu Bakr, 'Enter and the Messenger of Allah gives you the good news of the Garden.' Abu Bakr went in and sat at the right side of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the rim and dangled his feet in the well as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had done, uncovering his legs. Then I went back and sat down. I had left my brother at home doing wudu' intending to join me. I said, 'If Allah desires good for someone' - meaning his brother - 'He will bring him.' Then a man moved the gate and I said, 'Who is it?' He said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab.' I said, 'Hold on!' Then I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and greeted him and said, 'It is 'Umar asking permission to come in.' He said, 'Let him in and give him the good news of the Garden.' I went to 'Umar and said, 'Enter and the Messenger of Allah gives you the good news of the Garden.' 'Umar went in and sat at the left side of the Prophet* on the rim and dangled his feet in the well like the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then I went back and sat down. I said, 'If Allah desires good for someone' - meaning his brother - 'He will bring him.' Then a man moved the gate and I asked, 'Who is it?' He said, ''Uthman ibn 'Affan.' I said, 'Hold on!' Then I went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him. He said, 'Let him in and give him the good news of the Garden as well as an affliction which will befall him.' I came and said, 'Enter and the Messenger of Allah gives you the good news of the Garden as well as an affliction which will befall you.' He entered and found the rim fully occupied, so he sat opposite them on the other side." Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "I interpreted it as as [the position of] their graves."

3472. It is related from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, and it shook with them. He said, "Be firm, Uhud, there is on you a Prophet, a true one, and two martyrs."

3473. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said [recounting a dream], "While I was at a well drawing water, Abu Bakr and 'Umar came. Abu Bakr took the bucket and drew one or two buckets, but there was some weakness in his drawing. May Allah forgive him. Then 'Umar took it from Abu Bakr's hand and it turned into a large bucket in his hand. I have not seen a leader among the people work so well as he did until the people watered their camels."

Wahb said that 'atan is where camels kneel. He said, "until the camels had their fill of water and knelt down."

3474. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "I was standing among the people who were making supplication to Allah for 'Umar ibn al-Khattab who had been placed on his bed [after his death]. A man behind me put his elbows on my shoulders, saying, 'May Allah have mercy on you. I hoped that Allah would place you with your two companions. I often heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar were..." and "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar did..." and "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar set out." So I hoped that Allah would put you with them.' I turned and it was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib."

3475. It is related that 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said, "I asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr about the worst thing that the idolaters did to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, 'I saw 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt go to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was praying and he put his cloak around his neck and began to choke him with it severely. Abu Bakr came and pulled him away from him and said, 'Will you kill a man for saying, "My Lord is Allah" when he has brought you clear signs from his Lord?'"

VI: The Virtues of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Hafs, al-Qurayshi al-'Adawi

3476. It is related that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I dreamt that I entered the Garden and there was ar-Rumaysa', the wife of Abu Talha. I heard a faint sound and said, 'Who is this?' He said, 'This is Bilal.' I saw a palace with a girl in its courtyard and said, 'Who does this belong to?' They said, ''Umar.' I wanted to enter it and look at it but then I remembered your jealousy.' 'Umar said, 'By my mother and father, Messenger of Allah, would I be jealous on account of you?'"

[ar-Rumaysa' is Umm Sulaym]

3477. It is related that Abu Hurayra said,"While we were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he said, 'While I was asleep I saw myself in the Garden. There was a woman doing wudu' beside a palace. I said, "To whom does this palace belong?" They answered, "To 'Umar ibn al-Khattab." I remembered his jealousy and turned back.' 'Umar wept and said, 'Would I have jealousy on account of you, Messenger of Allah?'"

3478. It is related from Hamza's father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "While I was asleep, I dreamt that I drank until I could feel moisture coming out of my nails and then I gave it to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab." They asked, "How do you interpret it, Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "It means knowledge."

3479. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I dreamt that I was at a well drawing water with a bucket. Abu Bakr came and drew one or two buckets, but there was some weakness in his drawing. May Allah forgive him. Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came and it turned into a large bucket in his hand. I have not seen a leader among the people work so well as he did until the people watered their camels."

Ibn Jubayr said, "'Abqari are the most excellent of carpets." Yahya said that zarabi are carpets with a fine fringe. Mabthütha means thick.

3480. It is related from Muhammad ibn Sa'd that his father saidÉ

It is related that Sa'id ibn Abi Waqqas said, "'Umar asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for permission to enter while there were some women of Quraysh with him who speaking to him and asking him for more, raising their voices above his voice. When 'Umar ibn al-Khattab asked for permission to enter, they rushed to screen themselves. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him permission and 'Umar entered while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was laughing. 'Umar said, 'May Allah make you laugh, Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'I am amazed at those women who were with me. When they heard your voice, they rushed to screen themselves.' 'Umar said, 'But you, Messenger of Allah, are more entitled to be feared.' Then he said, 'O enemies of your selves! Do you fear me and not fear the Messenger of Allah?' They said, 'Yes, you are harsher and more severe than the Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah said, 'O Ibn al-Khattab! By the One in whose hand my soul is, whenever Shaytan finds you taking a path, he only takes a path other than your path.'"

3481. It is related that 'Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud] said, "We have become mighty since 'Umar became Muslim."

3482. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab had been placed on his bed, and the people had gathered around him to make supplication and pray before he was removed [for burial]. I was among them. I was startled when a man took hold of my shoulders, and it turned out to be 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. He asked for mercy for 'Umar and said, 'You have not left behind anyone who has deeds like yours with which I would prefer to meet Allah. By Allah, I used to think that Allah would put you with your two companions. I supposed this since I often heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar went..." and "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar entered..." and "I and Abu Bakr and 'Umar left."'"

3483. It is related from Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, and it shook with them. He struck it with his foot and said, "Be firm, Uhud, there is on you a Prophet, a true one, and two martyrs."

3484. It is related that Aslam said, "Ibn 'Umar asked me something about him - i.e. 'Umar - and I told him." He said, "Since the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, I have not seen anyone more serious and generous until he died than 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."

3485. It is related from Anas that a man asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the Final Hour and said, "When will the Hour come?" He asked, "What have you prepared for it?" He replied, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Messenger." He said, "You will be with the one you love." Anas said, "I love the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr and "Umar, and I hope to be with them because of my love for them, even if I do not perform actions like theirs."

3486. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Among those nations before you were those who are inspired to action. If there are any of them among my community, then it is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab."

It is added that Abu Hurayra said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Among the tribe of Israel before you were men who were spoken to without being Prophets. If there are any of them among my community, then it is 'Umar."

3487. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "While a man was with his sheep, a wolf attacked and went off with one of the sheep, and he went after it until he rescued it. The wolf turned to him and said, 'Who will guard it on the day of wild beasts, the day when they will have no shepherd but me?'" The people said, "Glory be to Allah! A wolf that speaks!" He said, "I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar believe it," although they were not there.

3488. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'While I was asleep, I dreamed I saw some people who were shown to me and who were wearing shirts some of which reached to their breasts and some of which were shorter than that. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was shown to me wearing a shirt that was trailing on the ground.' They asked, 'How do you interpret that, Messenger of Allah?' He answered, 'The deen.'"

3489. It is related that al-Miswar ibn Makhrama said, "When 'Umar was stabbed, be began to show pain and so Ibn 'Abbas said to him, as if he was trying to assuage his disquiet, 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! If this has happened, you still kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and were a good companion, and then you parted from him while he was pleased with you. Then you kept the company of Abu Bakr and were a good companion and you parted from him while he was pleased with you. Then you kept their [the Muslims'] company and were a good companion. If you part from them, you will part from them while they are pleased with you.' He said, 'As for what you mentioned about the company and pleasure of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that is a favour from Allah, may His mention be exalted!, which He bestowed on me. As for what you mentioned about the company and pleasure of Abu Bakr, that is a favour from Allah Almighty which He bestowed on me. As for what you see of my disquiet, it is on your account and on account of your companions. By Allah, if I were to have gold enough to fill the earth, I would ransom myself with it from the punishment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, before I see Him.'"

It is related from Ibn 'Abbas, "I visited 'Umar."

3490. It is related that Abu Musa said, "I was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in one of the gardens of Madina when a man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Open for him and give him the good news of the Garden.' So I opened it for him and it was Abu Bakr. I gave him the good news of what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said, and he praised Allah. Then a man came and asked me to open the gate. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Open for him and give him the good news of the Garden.' So I opened it for him and it was 'Umar. I told him what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said and he praised Allah. Then a man came and asked me to open the gate and he said to me, 'Open for him and give him the good news of the Garden for an affliction which will befall him.' It was 'Uthman and I told him what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said and he praised Allah and then said, 'Allah is the One who is asked for help.'"

3491. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Hisham said, "We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was holding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab by the hand."

VII: The Virtues of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan Abu 'Amr al-Qurashi

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who digs the well of Ruma will have the Garden," and 'Uthman dug it. He said, "The one who equips the army of Hardship will have the Garden," and it was 'Uthman who equipped it."

3492. It is related that Abu Musa said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered a garden and commanded me to guard the door of the Garden. A man came and asked for permission to enter. He said, 'Let him in and give him the good news of the Garden.' It was Abu Bakr. Then another came and asked for permission to enter and he said, 'Let him in and give him the good news of the Garden.' It was 'Umar. Then another came and asked for permission to enter and he was silent for a little while and then said, 'Let him him and give him the good news of the Garden for an affliction which will befall him.' It was 'Uthman ibn 'Affan."

The like of it is related from Abu Musa, and 'Asim al-Ahwal added that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting at a place where there was water and had uncovered his knees - or his knee, and when 'Uthman entered, he covered them.

3493. It is related that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Adi ibn al-Khiyar reported, "Al-Miswar ibn Makhrama and 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Aswad ibn 'Abdu Yaghuth said, 'What prevents you from speaking to 'Uthman about his brother, al-Walid, when people have spoken a lot about him [and his bad conduct in office]?' So I went to 'Uthman when he came out for the prayer and said, 'I have something I need to say to you. It is good advice for you.' He said, 'O man, from you!?' (Ma'mar said, "I think that he meant, 'I seek refuge with Allah from you!'") So I left and returned to them and then a messenger came from 'Uthman, so I went back to him. He said, 'What is your advice?' I said, 'Allah - glory be to Him! - sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the truth and sent down the Book on him, and you were one of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger. You made two emigrations and you kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and you saw his guidance. The people are speaking a lot about the business of al-Walid.' He asked, 'Did you listen directly the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' I said, 'No, but some of his knowledge reached me even as it has reached the virgin in her tent.' He said, 'Following on from that, Allah sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the Truth and I was one of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger and I believed in what he was sent with. I made the two emigrations as you said. I kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I gave him allegiance. By Allah, I did not disobey him nor cheat him until Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, took him. Then it was the same with Abu Bakr and the same with 'Umar. Then I succeeded as caliph. Do I not have the right as they had it?' I said, 'Yes indeed.' He said, 'So what are these reports which you convey to me from you lot? As for what you mentioned about the business of al-Walid, we will punish for it by what is right, Allah willing.' Then he summoned 'Ali and commanded him to flog him and he gave him [al-Walid] eighty lashes."

3494. It is related that Ibn 'Umar said, "In the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we did not think that anyone was equal to Abu Bakr and then 'Umar and then 'Uthman, and then we left the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, without making any distinction between them."

'Abdullah corroborated it from 'Abdu'l-'Aziz.

3495. It is related that 'Uthman ibn Mawhab said, "A man of the people of Egypt came and made the pilgrimage to the House. He saw some people sitting there and asked, 'Who are those people?' They answered, 'They are Quraysh.' He inquired, 'Who is the old man among them?' They replied, ''Abdullah ibn 'Umar.' He said, 'Ibn 'Umar, I will ask you about something, so inform me. Do you know that 'Uthman fled on the Day of Uhud?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Do you know that he was absent from Badr and not present at it?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Do you know that he was absent from the Pledge of Ridwan and not present at it?' He said, 'Yes.' The man said, 'Allah is greater!' Ibn 'Umar said, 'Let me know explain this to you. As for his fleeing at Uhud, I testify that Allah pardoned him and forgave him. As for being absent from Badr, he was married to the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,who was ill and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "You will have the reward and share of a man who was present at Badr." As for his being absent from the Pledge of Ridwan, if there had been anyone dearer than 'Uthman in the valley of Makka, he would have sent him in his place. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent 'Uthman and the Pledge of Ridwan took place after Allah had gone to Makka. Therefore the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said of his right hand, "This is the hand of 'Uthman," and struck it against his other hand and said, "This is for 'Uthman."' Ibn 'Umar said to him, 'Take this with you now.'"

3496. It is related from Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, climbed Uhud with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, and it shook with them. He said, 'Be still, Uhud,' and I think he struck it with his foot, and said, 'There is on you a Prophet, a true one, and two martyrs.'"

VIII: The Story of the Pledge of allegiance (to 'Uthman) and the agreement on 'Uthman ibn 'Affan

3497. It is related that 'Amr ibn Ma'mun said, "I saw 'Umar ibn al-Khattab some days before he was struck down in Madina. He was standing with Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman and 'Uthman ibn Hunayf to whom he said, 'What have you done? Are you afraid that you have imposed [a tax on the earth] which it cannot bear?' They answered, 'We have imposed on it something which it can bear. It is not a great increase.' He said, 'Investigate to see whether you have imposed on the land what it cannot bear.' They said, 'We have not.' 'Umar said, 'If Allah preserves me, I will leave the widows of Iraq without need for any man after me ever.'"

He said, 'Only four days passed until he was struck down."

He said, "On the morning he was killed I was standing with only 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas between me and him. When 'Umar passed between the rows he would say, 'Make it straight' until he did not see any gaps. Then he would go forward and say the takbir. He would usually recite Surat Yusuf or an-Nahl or something like that in the first rak'at so that the people could gather. He had just said the takbir when I heard him say, 'The dog has killed me - or eaten me,' when he stabbed him. The non-Arab unbeliever fled with a double-edged knife, stabbing everyone he passed on the right and left until he had stabbed thirteen men, of whom seven died. When one of the Muslim men saw that, he threw his cloak over him. When the non-Arab unbeliever realised that he had been captured, he killed himself. 'Umar took hold of the hand of 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf and had him lead the prayer. Those who were near 'Umar saw what I saw while those in the far corners of the mosque did not know [what had happened], 'Glory be to Allah! Glory be to Allah!' 'Abdu'r-Rahman led them in a quick prayer. When they finished, he said, 'Ibn 'Abbas! See who has murdered me.' He looked for a short time and then came back and said, 'Al-Mughira's slave.' He asked, 'The craftsman?' He answered, 'Yes.' He said, 'May Allah fight him. I treated him correctly. Praise be to Allah who did not make my death be at the hand of a man who claimed to be Muslim. You and your father used to want to have many non-Arab unbelievers in Madina.' Al-'Abbas had the greatest number of slaves. He said, 'If you wish something, we will do it.' He meant: if you wish, we will kill them.' He said, 'You are mistaken [about the idea of killing them] after they have spoken your language, prayed towards your qibla and performed your pilgrimage.' Then he was carried to his house and we went with him. It was as if people had never suffered any affliction before that day. Some said, 'It will be alright,' and others said, 'I fear for him.' He was brought a date infusion and he drank it and it came out of his belly. Then he was brought some milk and drank it and it came out of his belly, so they knew that he was dying.

"We went in to him and people came and began to praise him. A young man came and said, 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! Rejoin in the good news of Allah to you for having kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and your precedence in Islam as you know. Then you were appointed ruler and you were just and now you have martyrdom.' 'Umar said, I wish that the balance would be that there was nothing for me and nothing against me.' When he turned to go, his wrapper was touching the ground. He said, 'Bring the boy back to me.' He said, 'Nephew, raise your garment. It is purer for your garment and shows more fear of your Lord.'

"He said, 'O 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar! See how great my debts are.' They calculated it and found that it was about eighty-six thousand. 'Umar said, 'If the property of 'Umar's family covers the debt, then pay it from their property. Otherwise ask the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b. If their property will not cover it, then ask Quraysh. Do not go beyond them to anyone else and pay this money for me. Go to 'A'isha, Umm al-Mu'minin and say, "'Umar sends you the greeting." Do not say, "Amir al-Mu'minin." Today I am not an amir for the believers. Say, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab asks for your permission to be buried with his two companions."' So 'Abdullah gave the greeting and asked for permission to enter and then entered where she was and found her sitting weeping. He said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab sends you the greeting and asks for permission to be buried with his two companions.' She said, 'I had wanted it for myself, but today I will prefer him over myself.' When he entered, it was said, 'This is 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar who has come.' He said, 'Make me sit up.' A man supported him against himself and he asked, 'What news have you got?' He said, 'That which you wish, Amir al-Mu'minin. She has given permission.' He said, 'Praise be to Allah. There was nothing more important to me than that. When I die, then carry me and then give the greeting and say, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab asks for permission to enter. If she gives permission, then take me in. If she refuses me, then take me to the graves of the Muslims.'"

"Umm al-Mu'minin Hafsa came and the women came with her. When we saw her, we got up and she went in to him and wept with him for a time. The men asked for permission to enter and she went into another place for them and we heard her weeping inside. They said, 'Command a successor for us, Amir al-Mu'minin.' He said, 'I do not find anyone more entitled to this authority than this group - or party - with whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was pleased when he died.' He named 'Ali, 'Uthman, az-Zubayr, Talha, Sa'd and 'Abdu'r-Rahman.' He said, ''Abdullah ibn 'Umar should be present with them, but he has nothing of authority,' as if it was a way of consoling him. 'If Sa'd becomes ruler, then it is that. If not, then whoever of you becomes ruler should seek his help. I did not dismiss him on account of incompetence or betrayal.'

"He said, 'I advise the Khalif after me to attend to the first Muhajirun and acknowledge their due and preserve their honour. I advise him to treat the Ansar well: Òthose who were already settled in the abode and faith before they came.Ó (59:9) Those of them who do good should be approved of and those who do evil should be pardoned. I advise him to treat the people of the various towns well as they are the support of Islam, the accumulators of wealth and the thorn of the enemy. Nothing should be taken from them except from their surplus with their consent. I advise him to treat the desert Arabs well. They are the root of the Arabs and the material support of Islam. The middle sort of their property should be collected from them [in zakat] and it is distributed to their poor. I advise him to maintain the dhimma of Allah Almighty and the dhimma of His Messenger and to fulfill the contracts of the people of the dhimma and to fight to defend them, and he should not burden them beyond their capacity.'

"When he died, we brought him out and set out walking. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar gave the greeting [to 'A'isha] and said, ''Umar ibn al-Khattab asks permission to enter.' She said, 'Bring him in,' and he was brought it and placed there with his two companions. When his burial was finished, that group met and 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'Assign your business to three of you.' Az-Zubayr said, 'I assign my place to 'Ali.' Talha said, 'I assign my place to 'Uthman. Sa'd said, 'I assign my place to 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf.' 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'If one of you excuses himself of this business we will let him decide which of them he thinks is the better, and Allah and Islam will be his judge.' The two shaykhs were silent. 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'So will you assign it to me and by Allah, I swear that I will only choose the better of you?' They said, 'Yes.' He took the hand of one of them and said, 'You have kinship to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and were an early Muslim as you know. I ask you by Allah that if I give you command, you will be just, and if I give command to 'Uthman, you will hear and obey.' Then he took the other and said the like of that to him. When he had taken their pledge, he said, 'Raise your hand, 'Uthman,' and he gave him allegiance and 'Ali gave him allegiance and the people of the abode (i.e. Madina) entered and gave him allegiance."

IX: The virtues of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib al-Qurashi al-Hashimi, Abu'l-Hasan

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to 'Ali, "You are from me and I am from you." (see 4005)

'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died when he was pleased with him." (see 3497)

3498. It is related that Sahl ibn Sa'd said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say on the Day of Khaybar, "I will give the banner tomorrow to a man at whose hands Allah will conquer." They spent the night wondering who it would be given to, and in the morning the people went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, all of them hoping to be given it. He said, "Where is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib?" He was told, "He has something wrong with his eyes, Messenger of Allah." He said, 'Send for him and bring him to me.' When he came, he spat in his eyes and made supplication for him and he was healed as if there had not been anything wrong with him. He gave him the banner. 'Ali said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall we fight them until they become the same as us?" He said, "Take it easy until you alight in their quarter and then invite them to Islam and tell them what is incumbent on them regarding the rights of Allah Almighty. By Allah, it is better for one man to be guided by you than for you to possess the most valuable red camels."

3499. It is related that Salama said, "Ali stayed behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during Khaybar because he had an eye-complaint. He said, 'Can I stay behind the Messenger of Allah!' So 'Ali set out and joined the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. On the evening of the night before the morning when it was conquered, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I will give the banner - or the banner will be taken - tomorrow to a man whom Allah and his Messenger love, or who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah will give him victory.' Then 'Ali was with us although we were not expecting him. They said, 'This is 'Ali!' and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave it to him, and Allah gave him victory."

3500. It is related that Abu Hazim said, "A man came to Sahl ibn Sa'd and said, 'So-and-so ' meaning the governor of the city, 'is speaking badly of 'Ali on the minbar.' He asked, 'What does he say?' He answered, 'He calls him Abu Turab (father of dust).' He laughed and said, 'By Allah, it was none but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who named him that, and there was no name dearer to him than it!' I asked Sahl to tell me the hadith and said, 'O Abu 'Abbas! How was that?' He answered, ''Ali went to Fatima and then went out and slept in the mosque. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Where is your cousin?" She said, "In the mosque." He went out to him and found that his cloak had fallen from his back and the dust had reached his back. He began to wipe the dust from his back, saying, "Sit up, Abu Turab (father of dust)!" twice.'"

3501. It is related that Sa'd ibn 'Ubada said, "A man came to Ibn 'Umar and asked him about 'Uthman and he mentioned his good actions. He said, 'Perhaps that vexes you?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'May Allah spite you!' Then he asked about 'Ali and he mentioned his good actions and said, 'He is that and his house is in the middle of the houses of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' Then he said, 'Perhaps that vexes you?' He said, 'Indeed.' He said, 'May Allah spite you! Go and strive your hardest against me!'"

3502. It is related from 'Ali, "Fatima, peace be upon her, complained of what she endured of fatigue from the grinding mill, , and she heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had taken captives. She went to him to ask for a servant but she did not find him. She found 'A'isha and mentioned it to her. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, 'A'isha mentioned to him that Fatima had come. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us after we had gone to bed and I went to get up and he said, 'Stay where you are.' He sat between us until I felt the coolness of his feet on my chest. He said, 'Shall I indicate to you two what is better than what you asked for? When you go to bed, say "Allah is greater" thirty-four times, "Praise be to Allah" thirty-three times, and "Glory be to Allah" thirty-three times. That is better for you than a servant.'"

3503. It is related that Sa'd said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to 'Ali, "Are you not content to me in relation to me as Harun was in relation to Musa?"

3504. It is related from 'Abida that 'Ali said, "Give judgement as you used to give judgement. I dislike disagreement. The people should form one community or until I die as my companions died."

Ibn Sirin used to think that most of what is related about 'Ali is lies.

X: The Virtues of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib al-Hashimi

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You resemble my physique and my character." (see 4005)

3505. It is related from Abu Hurayra, "People used to say, 'Abu Hurayra relates too much.' I used to keep close to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and was content with what would fill my belly. I did not eat leavened bread nor did I wear stripped fine garments nor did any man or woman serve me. I used to press my stomach against the gravel because of hunger. I used to ask a man to recite an ayat to me which I already knew so that he would take me back and feed me. The best of people towards the poor was Ja'far ibn Abi Talib. He used to take us home and feed us what was in his house. He would even bring out to is a ghee container which was empty and we would split it and lick whatever was in it."

3506. It is related from ash-Sha'bi, "Whenever Ibn 'Umar greeted Ibn Ja'far, he would say, 'Peace be upon you, O son of the one with two wings!'"

XI: Concerning al-'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib

3507. It is related from Anas, "If there was a drought, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab would ask al-'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib to perform the rain prayer. He would say, 'O Allah, we used to seek intercession with You by Your Prophet and You gave us rain. We seek intercession with You by the uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain!'" He added, "And they were given rain."

XII: The virtues of the relatives of the Messenger of Allah and the virtue of Fatima, peace be upon her, the daughter of the Prophet

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fatima is the mistress of the women of the people of the Garden." (see 3426)

3508. It is related from 'A'isha that Fatima, peace be upon her, sent to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq to ask him for her inheritance from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from what Allah had given His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of spoils, claiming the sadaqa of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Madina and Fadak and what remained of the khumus of Khaybar. Abu Bakr said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'We do not bequeath inheritance. What we leave is sadaqa. However, the family of Muhammad can eat from this property - i.e. the property of Allah - but they do not receive more than what they eat.' By Allah, I will not alter any of the sadaqat of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which was observed in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I will act in them as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, acted in them." 'Ali said the shahada and then said, "We have acknowledged your superiority, O Abu Bakr!" and he mentioned his kinship to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his right. Abu Bakr spoke and said, 'By the One who has my soul in His hand, I prefer to do good to the relatives of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, than to my own relatives."

3509. It is related that Abu Bakr said, "Respect Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in respect of the members of his family."

3510. It is related from al-Miswar ibn Makhrama that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fatima is part of me. Whoever makes her angry, makes me angry."

3511. It is related that 'A'isha said, During his illness from which he died, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called for his daughter Fatima. He confided something to her and she wept. Then he called her and confided something to her and she laughed. I later asked her about that and she said, 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, confided to me and informed me that he would die in the illness in which he died, so I wept. Then he informed me that I would be the first of the people of his house to follow him, and so I laughed.'"

XIII: The virtues of az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam

Ibn 'Abbas said, "He is the disciple of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." (see 4388) They were called disciples (hawariyyun) because of the whiteness of their garments.

3512. It is related that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said, "'Uthman ibn 'Affan was afflicted with a severe nose-bleed in a year which many people were similarly afflicted, so that he was prevented from going on hajj and he made a will. A man of the Quraysh visited him and said, 'Appoint a successor.' He said, 'They have said that?' He said, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Who?' He was silent. Another man visited him - and I think that it was al-Harith - and said, 'Appoint a successor.' He asked, 'They have said that?' He replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'Who?' He was silent. He said, 'Perhaps they said az-Zubayr?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'By the One in whose hand my soul is, he is the best of them as far as I know and he was the most beloved of them to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'"

3513. It is related that Marwan ibn al-Hakam said, "I was with 'Uthman when a man came to him and said, 'Appoint a successor.' He said, 'Is that being said?' He replied, 'Yes, az-Zubayr.' He said, 'By Allah, you know that he is the best of you,' three times."

3514. It is related that Jabir said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Every Prophet has disciples. My disciple is az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam."

3515. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr said, "On the Day of the Confederates, I and 'Umar ibn Abi Salama were put among the women. I looked and there was az-Zubayr on his horses, going and coming from the Banu Qurayza two or three times. When I returned, I said, 'O my father, I saw you going and coming.' He said, 'Did you really see me, my son?' I answered, 'Yes.' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah. may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Who will go to the Banu Qurayza and bring me their news?" so I went. When I returned, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned both his parents for me and said, "May my father and mother be your ransom."'"

3516. It is related from 'Urwa that the Companions of the Prophet said to az-Zubayr on the day of the Battle of Yarmuk, "Will you attack and we will attack with you?" So he attacked them and they struck him two blows on his shoulder between which was a blow he had received at the Battle of Badr. 'Urwa said, "When I was a child, I used to put my fingers into those scars while playing."

XIV: Concerning the virtues of Talha ibn 'Ubaydullah

'Umar said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died while he was pleased with him." (see 3497)

3517. It is related that Abu 'Uthman said, "In one of the battles in which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was fighting, only Talha and Sa'd remained with him as they related."

3518. It is related that Qays ibn Abi Hazim said, "I saw the hand of Talha with which he protected the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and had become paralysed."

XV: The Virtues of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas az-Zuhri. The Banu Zuhra were the maternal uncles of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He is Sa'd ibn Malik

3519. It is related that Sa'd said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned both his parents for me on the Day of Uhud [i.e. saying, "May my father and mother be your ransom"]."

3520. It is related that Sa'd said, "At one time I saw myself as representing a third of Islam."

3521. It is related that Sa'd ibn Waqqas said, "No one became Muslim except on the day when I began Muslim, and I remained for three days as one third of Islam."

Abu Usama corroborated it.

3522. It is related that Qays said, "I heard Sa'd say, 'I was the first of the Arabs to shoot an arrow in the way of Allah. We used to go on expeditions with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and we had no food except tree leaves so that when one of us went to relieve himself it was like sheep or camel droppings with nothing to mix them together. Yet now the Banu Aslam criticise me regarding [my knowledge of] Islam. I will have lost if my actions come to nothing.' They had complained about Sa'd to 'Umar and said, 'He does not pray properly.'"

XVI: Concerning the sons-in-law of the Prophet, one of whom was Abu'l-'As ibn ar-Rabi'

3523. It is related that al-Miswar ibn Makhrama said, "'Ali ibn Abi Talib proposed to the daughter of Abu Jahl and Fatima heard about it. She went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'Your people claim that you do not become angry on account of your daughters and so 'Ali is going to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, got up and I heard him say after the tashahhud, "Following on from that, I married my daughter to Abu'l-'As ibn ar-Rabi' and he spoke to me and told the truth to me. Fatima is part of me and I dislike that she be vexed. By Allah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the daughter of the enemy of Allah will not both be married to same man.' So 'Ali abandoned his proposal."

It is related that Miswar said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mention a son-in-law of his from the Banu 'Abd Shams whom he praised as a good son-in-law, saying, 'He spoke to me and told the truth. He promised me and kept his promise.'"

XVII: The Virtues of Zayd ibn Haritha, the freed slave of the Prophet

Al-Bara' said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You are our brother and our freed slave." (see 2552)

3524. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent an expedition and put Usama ibn Zayd in command of it. Some people objected to his being in command and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'If you object to him being in command, you also objected to his father being in command of his father. by Allah, he was worthy of command and he was one of the most beloved of people to me, and this is one of the most beloved of people to me after him.'"

3525. It is related that 'A'isha said, "A physiognomer came to me while the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was present. Usama ibn Zayd and Zayd ibn Haritha were lying asleep. He said, 'These feet belong to one another.'" 'Urwa said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was happy about that and pleased with it and told 'A'isha about it."

XVIII: Concerning Usama ibn Zayd

3526. It is related from 'A'isha that Quraysh were concerned with the case of a Makhzumi woman who had stolen something and they said, "Who will speak to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about her?" They said, "Who is bold enough to do it except Usama ibn Zayd, the beloved of the Messenger of Allah?"

It is related from 'A'isha that a man of the Banu Makhzum stole and they said, "Who will speak to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about her?" No one was bold enough to speak to him, but Usama ibn Zayd spoke to him. He said, "When a noble among the tribe of Israel stole, they let him be, but when the weak among them stole, they cut off his hand. If Fatima were to steal, I would cut off her hand."

3527. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "One day while Ibn 'Umar was in the mosque he looked at a man who was trailing his garment in a corner of the mosque. He asked, 'See who this is? I wish this one were with me.' Someone said to him, 'Do you not recognise him, Abu 'Abdu'r-Rahman? This is Muhammad ibn Usama.'" He said, "Ibn 'Umar bowed his head and struck the earth with his hands and then said, 'If the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had seen him, he would have loved him.'"

3528. It is related that Usama ibn Zayd related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to take hold of him and al-Hasan and say, "O Allah, love them for I love them!"

3529. It is related from the client of Usama ibn Zayd that al-Hajjaj ibn Ayman ibn Umm Ayman (Ayman ibn Umm Ayman was the brother of Usama ibn Zayd by the same mother), a man of the Ansar, was seen by Ibn 'Umar not performing a complete bowing and prostration and he told him, "Repeat it."

It is related from Harmala, the client of Usama ibn Zayd that while he was with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, al-Hajjaj ibn Ayman ibn Umm Ayman entered and did not complete his bowing and prostration. He said, "Repeat it." When he turned away, Ibn 'Umar asked me, "Who is this?" I replied, "Al-Hajjaj ibn Ayman ibn Umm Ayman." Ibn 'Umar said, "If the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had seen this one, he would have loved him." Then he mentioned his love for the children of Umm Ayman."

Al-Bukhari said, "One of my companions related to me from Sulayman that she was the nurse of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

XIX: The Virtues of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab

3530. It is related that Ibn 'Umar said, "When a man had a dream during the lifetime of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he would relate it to Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and so I wanted to have a dream which I could relate to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I was a young, unmarried boy and I used to sleep in the mosque in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I saw in a dream that the two angels took me to the Fire, and it was circular like a well and it had two sides like those of the well. There were some people in it whom I recognised and I began to say, 'I seek refuge with Allah from the Fire. I seek refuge with Allah from the Fire.' Then another angel met the two and said to me, 'Do not be alarmed.' I related it to Hafsa who related it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, 'What an excellent man 'Abdullah would be if only he prayed at night.'" Salim said, "'Abdullah used to only pray a little at night."

3531. It is related from Ibn 'Umar from his sister Hafsa that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to her, "'Abdullah is a righteous man."

XX: The virtues of 'Ammar and Hudhayfa

3532. It is related that 'Alqama said, "I arrived in Syria and prayed two rak'ats. Then I said, 'O Allah! Bless me with a righteous companion!' I went to some people and sat with them. An old man came and sat beside me. I asked, 'Who is this?' They answered, 'Abu'd-Darda'.' I said, 'I prayed to Allah to bless me with a righeous companion, and He has blessed me with you.' He asked, 'Where are you from?' I replied, 'From the people of Kufa.' He said, 'Is not Ibn Umm 'Abd, the keeper of the [Prophet's] sandals, the cushion and purification water among you? Is there not among you the one whom Allah protected from Shaytan, i.e. on the tongue of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace [meaning 'Ammar]? Is there not among you the confidant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his secrets whom no one but he knows [i.e. Hudhayfa]?' Then he asked, 'How does 'Abdullah recite "By the night as it conceals..." (92:1)' So I recited to him, 'By the night when it conceals and the day when it reveals and the male and female [i.e. not by the creation of the male and female].' Abu'd-Darda' said, 'By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had me recite them directly from his mouth to my mouth.'"

3533. It is related that Ibrahim said, "'Alqama went to Syria. When he entered the mosque, he said, 'O Allah! Bless me with a righteous companion!' He sat beside Abu'd-Darda'. Abu'd-Darda' asked, 'Where are you from?' I said, 'From the people of Kufa.' He said, 'Is there not among you - or in you - the confidant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his secrets whom no one but he knows, i.e. Hudhayfa?' I replied, 'Yes indeed.' He said, 'Is there not among you or in you the one whom Allah protected from Shaytan on the tongue of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, i.e. 'Ammar?' I replied, 'Yes indeed.' He said, 'Is there not among you or in you the keeper of the siwak and secrets?' (i.e. Ibn Mas'ud) I said, 'Yes indeed.' He said, 'How does 'Abdullah recite, "By the night when it conceals and the day when it reveals." (92:1)' I said, "And the male and female." He said, 'Those people have kept at me to make abandon something which I heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'"

XXI: The Virtues of Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah

3534. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Every community has a trustworthy one, and our trustworthy one, O community, is Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah."

3535. It is related that Hudhayfa said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to the people of Najran, "I will send you, i.e. over you, a trustworthy one who is truly trustworthy." His Companions were looking eagerly and hopefully. He sent Abu 'Ubayda.

XXII: The virtues of al-Hasan and al-Husayn

Nafi' ibn Jubayr said from Abu Hurayra, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, embraced al-Hasan." (see 2016)

3536. It is related from Abu Bakra: "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, speak on the minbar with al-Hasan at his side. He looked at the at the people at one moment and then at him and said, 'This son of man is a master, and perhaps Allah will make peace by him between two parties of Muslims.'"

3537. It is related that Usama ibn Zayd related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to take him and al-Hasan and say, "O Allah, love them for I love them!"

3538. It is related from Anas ibn Malik that the head of al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, peace be upon him, was brought to 'Ubadyullah ibn Ziyad and it was put in a basin. He began to play with it with a stick. He said something about his handsomeness, Anas said, "Of all of them he most resembled the Messenger of Allah." His hair was dyed with wasma (a black plant dye).

3539. It is related that al-Bara' said, "I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with al-Hasan ibn 'Ali on his shoulder, saying, 'O Allah, I love him, so love him!" or words to that effect.

3540. It is related that 'Uqba ibn al-Harith said, "I saw Abu Bakr carrying al-Hasan on his shoulder, saying, 'By my father, he resembles the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and does not resemble 'Ali,' and 'Ali was laughing."

3541. It is related that Abu Bakr said, "Respect Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by respecting the members of his family."

3542 It is related that Anas said, "No one more resembled the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, than al-Hasan ibn 'Ali."

3543. It is related from Ibn Umm Nu'm, "I heard someone ask 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar someone in ihram (Shu'ba said, 'I think that he had killed some flies.) He observed, 'The people of Iraq ask about flies when they murdered the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace! The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "They both are my fragrant basil of this world"!'"

XXIII: The virtues of Bilal ibn Rabah, the client of the Abu Bakr

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I heard the sound of your sandals before me in the Garden." (see 1098)

3544. It is related that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said that 'Umar used to say, "Abu Bakr is our chief and he set our chief free," i.e. Bilal.

3545. It is related from Qays that Bilal said to Abu Bakr, "If you bought me for yourself, then keep me. If you bought me for Allah, then leave me to work for Allah."

XXIV: Concerning Ibn 'Abbas

3546. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, pressed me to his chest and said, 'O Allah, teach him wisdom!"

'Abdu'l-Warith related that he said, "Teach him the Book!"

Khalid related the like of it.

Wisdom consists of being correct in things which are not part of prophethood.

XXV: The Virtues of Khalid ibn al-Walid

3547. It is related that Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, announced the deaths of Zayd, Ja'far and Ibn Rawaha to the people before their news arrived. He said, 'Zayd took the standard and was struck down. Then Ja'far took it and was struck down. Then 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha took it and was struck down,' and his eyes were weeping. [He said,] 'One of the swords of Allah took it until Allah gave them victory'"

XXVI: The virtues of Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfa

3548. It is related that Masruq said, "'Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud] was mentioned in the presence of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr. He said, "That is a man I continue to love after I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Learn the recitation of Qur'an from four persons: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, (and he began with him), Salim, the client of the Abu Hudhayfa, Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Mu'adh ibn Jabal.'" He said, "I so not whether whom he put first: Ubayy or Mu'adh."

XXVII: The virtues of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

3549. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was neither obscene nor did he appear so. He said, 'Those of you I love most are the best of you in character.'"

He said, "Learn to recite the Qur'an from four: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Salim, the client of Abu Hudhayfa, Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Mu'adh ibn Jabal."

3550. It is related that 'Alqama said, "I entered Syria and prayed two rak'ats. Then I said, 'O Allah! Bless me with a righteous companion!' I saw an old man coming forward. When he came near, I said, 'I hope He has answered me.' He said, 'Where are you from?' I replied, 'From the people of Kufa.' He asked, 'Is not the keeper of the sandals, the cushion and purification water among you? Is there not among you the one who was protected from Shaytan? Is there not among you the confidant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his secrets whom no one but he knows? How does Ibn Umm 'Abd recite, "By the night when it conceals.." ?(92:1)' So I recited to him, 'By the night when it conceals and the day when it reveals and the male and female." [i.e. not by the creation of the male and female].' He said, 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had me recite them directly from his mouth to my mouth. These people have kept up at me until they almost dissuaded me.'"

3551. It is related that 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Yazid said, "We asked Hudhayfa about a man who was close in appearance, manner and character to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that we could learn from him. He answered, 'I do not know anyone closer in appearance, manner and character to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, than Ibn Umm 'Abd.'"

[Ibn Umm 'Abd is 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud.]

3552. It is related that Abu Musa al-Ash'ari said, "I and my brother came from Yemen and we remained for some time thinking that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was one of the men of the family of the house of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, because we saw him and his mother going in to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so often."

XXVIII: Concerning Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan

3553. It is related that Ibn Abi Mulayka said, "Mu'awiya did the witr after 'Isha' with a single rak'at while a freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas was present who then went to Ibn 'Abbas who said, 'Let him be. He kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'"

3554. It is related that Ibn Abi Mulayka said, "It was said to Ibn 'Abbas, 'Will you speak to the Amir al-Mu'minin Mu'awiya? He only prays the witr with one rak'at.' He answered, 'He is a faqih.'"

3555. It is related that Mu'awiya said, "You pray a prayer which we, who accompanied the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never saw him pray and indeed he prohibited it. I mean the two rak'ats after 'Asr."

XXIX: The Virtues of Fatima

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fatima is the mistress of the women of the Garden." (see 3426)

3556. It is related from al-Miswar ibn Makhrama that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fatima is part of me. Whoever makes her angry, makes me angry."

XXX: The excellence of 'A'isha

3557. It is related that 'A'isha said that one day the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O 'A'ish, this is Jibril who gives the greeting to you." She said, "And upon him be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. You see what I do not see," meaning the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3558. It is related from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Many men have been prefect, but the only perfect women are Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam, daughter of 'Imran. The excellence of 'A'isha over other women is like the excellence of tharid over other types of food."

3559. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The excellence of 'A'isha over other women is like the excellence of tharid over other types of food.'"

3560. It is related from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that 'A'isha was ill and Ibn 'Abbas came and said, "O Umm al-Mu'minin! You are going ahead to the truthful ones who have gone on ahead: to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr."

3561. It is related that Abu Wa'il said, "When 'Ali sent 'Ammar and al-Hasan to Kufa to call on them to fight, 'Ammar gave a speech and said, 'I know that she is his wife in this world and the Next world, but Allah has put you to the test to see whether you follow Him or her.'"

3562. It is related from 'A'isha that she borrowed a necklace from Asma' and lost it, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent some of his Companions to look for it and the time of the prayer came and they prayed without wudu'. When they went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to complain about that to him, the Ayat of Tayammum was revealed. Usayd ibn Hudayr said, "May Allah repay you well! By Allah, nothing has been sent down about you at all but that Allah put in it a way out of a difficulty for you and placed blessing for the Muslims in it."

3563. It is related from the father of Hisham when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in his final illness, he started to go around to his wives, saying, "Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?" keen to be in 'A'isha's room. 'A'isha said, "When it was my day, he was silent."

3564. It is related from the father of Hisham that the people used to aim to give gifts on 'A'isha's day. 'A'isha said, "My companions (the wives) gathered at Umm Salama's and said, 'Umm Salama! The people take care to give their gifts on 'A'isha's day. We desire the good as 'A'isha does. Go and tell the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to command people to give to him wherever he is, or wherever his turn is.'" She said, "Umm Salama mentioned that to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and she said, 'He turned away from me. When he returned to me, I mentioned that to him and he turned away from me. When I mentioned it to him the third time, he said, 'Do not injure me regarding 'A'isha. The revelation does not come to me when I am under the blanket of any woman of you except her.'"

XXXI: The virtues of the Ansar

"Those who were already settled in the abode, and in belief, before they came, love those who have emigrated to them and do not find in their breasts any need for what they have been given." (59:9)

3565. It is related that Ghaylan ibn Jarir said, "I asked Anas, 'What about the name "Ansar"? Did you name yourselves that or did Allah name you?' He said, 'Rather Allah named us.'

"We used to visit Anas and he would relate to us the virtues and deeds of the Ansar. He would turn to me, or to a man of Azd, and say, 'Your people did such-and-such on such-and-such a day.'"

3566. It is related that 'A'isha said, "The Day of Bu'ath was a day which Allah brought about before the coming of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived when their community had been split and their leaders killed and wounded. Allah brought it about for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that they would enter into Islam."

[Bu'ath was a battle between Aws and Khazraj in the Jahiliyya. Bu'ath is a place near Madina.]

3567. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "On the Day of the Conquest of Makka when he had [the booty] given to Quraysh, the Ansar said, 'By Allah, this is extraordinary! Our swords are dripping with the blood of Quraysh and he returns our booty to them!' When that reached the Prophet, he summoned the Ansar and said, 'What is this that has reached me about you?' They used not to lie and said, 'It is what has reached you.' He said, 'Are you not content that while people return with booty to their homes, you return to your homes with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? If the Ansar were to travel through a valley or a ravine, I would travel that valley or ravine of the Ansar.'"

XXXII: The words of the Prophet, "Were it not for emigration, I would wish to be one of the Ansar."

'Abdullah ibn Zayd reported it from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. (see 4095)

3568. It is related from Abu Hurayra from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or he said that Abu'l-Qasim said, "If the Ansar were to travel through a valley or a ravine, I would travel the valley or ravine of the Ansar. Were it not for emigration, I would have been one of the Ansar." Abu Hurayra used to say, "He was not unjust. By my father and mother, it is they who they gave him shelter and helped him!" or words to that effect.

XXXIII: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between the Muhajirun and the Ansar

3569. It is related that Sa'd said that his grandfather said, "When they arrived in Madina, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' who said to 'Abdu'r-Rahman, 'I am the wealthiest man of the Ansar so I will allot you half of my property. I have two wives, so see which of my two wives you like and name her and I will divorce her. When she finishes her 'idda, then you can marry her.' He answered, 'May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth. Where is your market?' So they directed him to the Banu Qaynuqa' market. When he returned he had a profit in dried yoghurt and ghee. Then he continued to go in the morning. then one day he came with traces of yellow scent on him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, 'What is it?' He said, I got married.' He said, 'How much did you give her?' He said, 'Gold the weight of a date-stone (or a date-stone of gold) (Ibrahim is unsure.).'"

3570. It is related that Anas said, "'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf came to us and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between him and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' who was very wealthy. Sa'd said, 'You know that I am the wealthiest man of the Ansar, so I will divide my property in half between you and me. I have two wives, so see which of my two wives you like and I will divorce her. When she has become lawful, then you can marry her.' 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'May Allah bless you in your family!' He did not return that day unless he had a profit in some ghee and dried youghurt. It was not long before he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with traces of yellow scent on him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What is it?' He said, 'I have married a woman of the Ansar.' He said, 'How much did you give her?' He said, 'Gold the weight of a date-stone (or a date-stone of gold).' He said, 'Hold a wedding-feast, even if only with a sheep.'"

3571. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "The Ansar said, 'Divide the date-palms between us and them.' He said, 'No.' They then said, 'You spare us the labour and you will share with us in the fruits.' They [the Muhajirun] said, 'We hear and obey.'"

XXXIV: Love for the Ansar is part of belief

3572. It is related that al-Bara' said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say (or he said that the Prophet said), 'Only a believer loves the Ansar and only a hypocrite hates them. Whoever loves them, Allah loves him. Whoever hates him, Allah hates him.'"

3573. It was related from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet , may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Love for the Ansar is a sign of belief and hatred of the Ansar is a sign of hypocrisy."

XXXV: The words of the Prophet to the Ansar, "You are the most beloved of people to me."

3574. It is related that Anas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw the women and children coming - and I think he said 'from a wedding' - and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and said, 'O Allah! You are among the most beloved to people to me!' He said it three times."

3575. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "A woman of the Ansar came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a son of hers with her. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spoke to her and said, 'By the One in whose hand my soul is, you are the most beloved of people to me!'"

XXXVI: The followers of the Ansar

3576. It is related that Zayd ibn al-Arqam said, "The Ansar said, 'O Messenger of Allah, every Prophet has followers and we have followed you. Ask Allah to make our followers be part of us.' He made that supplication to Allah."

I presented that to Ibn Abi Layla and he said, "Zayd said that."

3577. It is related from Abu Hamza, a man of the Ansar, "The Ansar said, 'Every people has followers and we have followed you. Ask Allah to make our followers be part of us.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'O Allah! Make their followers part of them.'"

'Amr said, "I mentioned it to Ibn Abi Layla and he said, 'Zayd said that.'" Shu'ba said, "I think it was Zayd ibn Arqam."

XXXVII: The excellence of the houses of the Ansar

3578. It is related from Abu Usayd that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of the houses of the Ansar are those of the Ban'n-Najjar, then the Banu 'Abdu'l-Ash-hal, then the Banu'l-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, then the Banu Sa'ida, but there is good in all the houses of the Ansar." Sa'd said, "I see that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had preferred some people to us." He was told, "He has preferred you over many."

It is related that Abu Usayd said that from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "Sa'd ibn 'Ubada".

3579. It is related from Abu Usayd that he heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "The best of the Ansar (or he said, "The best of the houses of the Ansar") are the Banu'n-Najjar, the Banu 'Abdu'l-Ash-hal, the Banu'l-Harith and the Banu Sa'ida."

3580. It is related from Abu Humayd that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of the houses of the Ansar are those of the Banu'n-Najjar, then the Banu 'Abdu'l-Ash-hal, then the Banu'l-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, then the Banu Sa'ida, but there is good in all the houses of the Ansar." He said, "Sa'd ibn 'Ubada met us and Abu Usayd said, 'Do you not see that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made preference of the Ansar and made us the last?' Sa'd met the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, the houses of the Ansar have been compared, and we are made the last.' He said, 'Is it not enough for you that you are among the best?'"

XXXVIII: The words of the Prophet to the Ansar, "Be patient until you meet me at the Basin."

3581. It is related that Usayd ibn Hudayr said that a man of the Ansar said,"O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me as you appointed so-and-so?" He said, "After me you will encounter self-seeking, so be patient until you meet me at the Basin."

3582. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to the Ansar, "After me you will encounter self-seeking, so be patient until you meet me, and your assignation is at the Basin."

3583. It is related that Yahya ibn Sa'id heard Anas ibn Malik say when he was going with him to al-Walid, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called the Ansar to give them a land grant in Bahrayn. They said, 'No, not unless you grant the like of it for Quraysh.' He said, No, then be patient until you meet me. After me you will suffer because of self-seeking.'"

XXXIX: The supplication of the Prophet, "O Allah! Put right the Ansar and the Muhajirun!"

3584. It is related that Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'O Allah, the true life is the life of the Next World, so put right the Ansar and the Muhajirun!'"

There is the like of it from Anas from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, where he said, "Forgive the Ansar."

3585. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "On the Day of the Ditch the Ansar were saying,

'We are those who have given allegiance to Muhammad

to always fight in jihad as long as we live!'

He answered them saying, 'O Allah, the true life is the life of the Next World, so honour the Ansar and the Muhajirun!'"

3586. It is related that Sahl said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us while we were digging the Ditch and carrying the earth on our backs. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'O Allah, the true life is the life of the Next World, so forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun!'"

XL: The words of Allah Almighty, "They prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are needy." (59:9)

3587. From Abu Hurayra who said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he sent to his wives who said, 'We have nothing but water.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Who will take this man - or give him hospitality ?' A man of the Ansar said, 'I will, Messenger of Allah.' He took him to his wife and said , 'Honour the guest of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' She said, 'We only have the children's food.' He said, 'Prepare your food and light your lamp and put your children to sleep when they want supper.' So she prepared her food, lit her lamp and put her children to sleep. Then she went as if she was tending her lamp and put it out. They began to pretend to be eating, but they spent the night hungry. In the morning, he went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, 'Allah was pleased with (or likes) what you did last night.' Then Allah revealed, 'They prefer them to themselves even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves they are who are successful.' (59:9)"

XLI: The words of the Prophet, "Accept those among them who does good and pardon any of them who acts badly."

3588. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "Abu Bakr and al-'Abbas passed by one of the gatherings of the Ansar who were weeping. He said, 'Why are you weeping?' They said, 'We remember the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sitting with us.' He went in to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and reported that to him." He said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to them with his head wrapped in the end of a cloak." He said, "He went up the minbar, and he never went up it after that day and praised Allah and lauded Him. He said, 'I advise you to take care of the Ansar. They are my company whom I trust and to whom I confide my secrets. They have fulfilled what they owed and there remains for them what they are owed. Accept those among them who do good and pardon any of them who acts badly.'"

3589. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out with a large wrapper around his shoulders and his head was bound with an oily band. He sat on the minbar and praised Allah and glorified Him and then said, 'As for what follows, O people! People will increase and the Ansar will become less until they are like the salt in the food. Whoever among you comes to rule and is therefore able to bring harm and benefit to people should accept the good among them and pardon any of them who acts badly.'"

3590. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "They are my company whom I trust and to whom I confide my secrets. People will increase in number and they will become few, so accept the good among them and pardon any of them who acts badly."

XLII: The virtues of Sa'd ibn Mud'adh

3591. It is related that al-Bara' said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was given a silk robe and his Companions began to touch it and admire its softness and he said, 'Do you admire the softness of this? The handkerchief of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh in the Garden is better and softer than this!'"

Anas heard it from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3592. It is related that Jabir said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The Throne shook at the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh.'"

The like of it is related from Jabir from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. A man said to Jabir, "Al-Bara' says, 'The bier shook.'" He said, "In spite of grudges between these two tribes, I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The Throne of the Merciful shook* at the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh.'"

[* Aws and Khazraj.]

3593. It is related from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that some people* agreed to the judgement of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent for him, and he came on a donkey. When he was near the mosque, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Rise for the best of you - or your chief." He said, 'O Sa'd! These people have agreed to your judgement." He said, "Then I judge that their fighters be killed and the women and children taken captive." He said, "You have given the judgement of Allah - or the judgement of the King.'"

[*The Jewish tribe of Qurayza.]

XLIII: The virtue of Usayd ibn Hudayr and 'Abbad ibn Bishr

3594. It is related from Anas that two men left the house of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on a dark night and there were two lights in front of them until they parted, and the lights parted with them.

It is related from Anas, "Usayd ibn Hudayr and a man of the Ansar."

It is related from Anas, "Usayd ibn Hudayr and 'Abbad ibn Bishr were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

XLIV: The virtues of Mu'adh ibn Jabal

3595. It is related that Masruq said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Learn the recitation of Qur'an from four persons: 'Ibn Mas'ud, Salim, the client of Abu Hudhayfa, Ubayy and Mu'adh ibn Jabal."'"

XLV: The virtue of Sa'd ibn 'Ubada

'A'isha said, "He had been a righteous man before that." (see 4473)

3596. It is related that Abu Usayd said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of the houses of the Ansar are those of the Ban'n-Najjar, then the Banu 'Abdu'l-Ash-hal, then the Banu'l-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, then the Banu Sa'ida, but there is good in all the houses of the Ansar." Sa'd, who became Muslim early, said, "I see that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had preferred some to us." He was told, "He has preferred you over many people." [see 3578]

XLVI: the Virtues of Ubayy ibn Ka'b

3597. It is related that Masruq said, "'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was mentioned in the presence of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr. He said, "That is a man I continue to love. I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Take the Qur'an from four persons: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, (and he began with him), Salim, the client of the Abu Hudhayfa, Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Ubayy ibn Ka'b.'"

3598. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Ubayy, "Allah has commanded me to recite to you, 'Those who reject (Truth) among the People of the Book' (98)." He aseked, "He mentioned me by name?" He answered, "Yes," and Ubayy wept.

XLVII: The Virtues of Zayd ibn Thabit

3599. It is related from Qatada, "Anas said, "The Qur'an was collected in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by four, all of whom were from the Ansar: Ubayy, Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Abu Zayd and Zayd ibn Thabit.' I asked Anas, 'Who is Abu Zayd?' He replied, 'One of my paternal uncles.'"

XLVIII: The Virtues of Abu Talha

3600. It is related that Anas said, "On the Day of Uhud, the people were routed and fled, leaving the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Abu Talha remained in front of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was protecting him with his shield. Abu Talha was an archer with a strong bow-arm. On that day he broke two ot three bows. If a man passed by with a quiver of arrows, he would say, 'Put them out for Abu Talha.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to look over to at the people [while they were shooting] and Abu Talha would say, 'O Prophet of Allah, may my mother and father be your ransom, do not look over lest one of the arrows of the people strike you! My upper chest is in front of yours!' I saw 'A'isha bint Abi Bakr and Umm Sulaym with their skirts rolled up so that I could see their anklets hurrying with the waterskins on their backs. Then they would pour the water in the mouths of the the people and then go back to fill them up and then come back and pour it in the mouths of the people. Abu Talha's sword fell from is hand two or three times [from exhaustion]."

XLIX: The virtues of 'Abdullah ibn Salam

3601. It is related from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, "I never heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say to anyone walking on the face of the earth that he was one of the people of the Garden except for 'Abdullah ibn Salam." He said, "This ayat was revealed about him, 'When a witness from the Tribe of Israel testifies to its similarity ...' (46:10)." (He said, "I do not know whether Malik mentioned the ayat or whether it is in the hadith itself."

3602. It is related that Qays ibn 'Ubad said, "I was sitting in the mosque of Madina when a man with the mark of humility of his face entered. They said, 'This is a man who is one of the people of the Garden.' He prayed two quick rak'ats and then went out. I followed him and I said, 'When you entered the mosque, they said, "This is a man who is one of the people of the Garden."' He said, 'By Allah, no one should say what he does not know! I will relate to you why that is so. I had a dream in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I recounted it to him. I dreamt that I was in a meadow,' and he mentioned its vast expanse and greenness. 'In the middle of it was a iron pillar whose bottom was in the earth and whose top was in the heaven and at the top of it was a round handle. I was told, "Climb it." I said, "I cannot!" Then a servant came and lifted up my garment from behind and I climbed until I reached the top of it and took hold of the handle. I was told, "Hold fast!" I woke up and it was in my hand. I recounted it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "That meadow is Islam and that pillar is the pillar of Islam. That handle is the 'firmest handle'. You will remain in Islam until you die."' That man was 'Abdullah ibn Salam."

It is related from Qays ibn 'Ubad that Ibn Salam said, "wasîf" instead of "minsaf".

3603. It is related from Abu Burda, "I came to Madina and met 'Abdullah ibn Salam. He said, 'Will you come so that I can feed your sawiq and dates and so that you may enter a house [where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered]?' He then said, 'You are in a land where usury is widespread. If a man owes you something and gives you a load of straw or a load of barley or a load of fodder, do not take it from him. It is usury.'"

An-Nadr, Abu Dawud and Wahb did not mention "house" from Shu'ba.

[This is referring to the debtor giving a gift to the creditor.]

L: The marriage of the Prophet to Khadija, and her excellence

3604. It is related that 'Ali was heard to say, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say..."

It is related from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The best of the women of this world was Maryam and the best of the women of this community was Khadija."

3605. It is related that 'A'isha said, "I was not jealous about any of the wives of the Prophet as I was jealous of Khadija although she died before he married me, since Allah commanded him to give her the good news of a house of pearls, and if he sacrificed a sheep, he would give enough of it to her friends to suffice them."

3606. It is related that 'A'isha said, "I was not jealous about any of the wives of the Prophet as I was jealous about Khadija because of the frequency with which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned her." She said, "He married me three years after her and His Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, or Jibril, peace be upon him, commmanded him to give her the good news of a house of pearls in the Garden."

3607. It is related that 'A'isha said, "I was never jealous towards any of the other wives of the Prophet as I was jealous towards Khadija even though I never saw her. However, he used to mention her often. Often when he sacrificed a sheep, he would cut it into pieces and send them to Khadija's friends. I would often say to him, 'It is as if there was only Khadija in the world!' He would say, 'She was this and she was that and I had children from her.'"

3608. It is related that Isma'il said, "I asked 'Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, 'Did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, give Khadija the good news?' He replied, 'Yes, of a house of pearls in the Garden, in which there is no shouting and no fatigue.'"

3609. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "Jibril came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this is Khadija who is coming with a dish containing soup, food or a drink. When she comes to her, give her the greeting from her Lord and from me and give her the good news of a house of pearls in the Garden, in which there is no shouting and no fatigue.'"

3610. It is related that 'A'isha said, "Hala bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadija, asked permission to come into the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it reminded him of how Khadija had used to ask permission, and that made him very happy so that he said, 'O Allah, Hala bint Khuwalid!' I said, 'You are only mentioning one of the old women of Quraysh with red gums who died long ago and Allah has given you better than her as a replacement!'"

LI: Concerning Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali

3611. It is related that Jarir ibn 'Abdullah said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not concealed from the time when I became Muslim and whenever he saw me, he greeted me with a smile."

It is related that Jarir ibn 'Abdullah said, "In the time of the Jahiliyya, there was a house called Dhu'l-Khalasa, and it was also called the Yamani Ka'ba or the Syrian Ka'ba. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'Will you relieve me of Dhu'l-Khalasa?'" He said, "I set out with one hundred and fifty horsemen from Ahmas." He said, "We smashed it up and killed whoever we found ther. Then we went to him and told him and he prayed for us and for Ahmas."

LII: Concerning Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman al-'Absi

3612. It is related that 'A'isha said, "On the Day of Uhud when the idolaters were clearly defeated, Iblis shouted, 'O slaves of Allah! Watch your backs!' and the first of them turned back to fight the last of them. Hudhayfa looked, and there was his father and he cried out, 'O slaves of Allah! My father! My father!'" She said, "By Allah, they did not leave him until they had killed him. Hudhayfa said, 'May Allah forgive you.'" 'Urwa said, "Hudhayfa continued to pray for good for them regarding it until he met Allah, the Mighty and Exalted."

LIII: Concerning Hind bint 'Uqba ibn Rabi'a

3613. It is related that 'A'isha said, "Hind bint 'Uqba came and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, there was no person dwelling on the face of the earth whose family I wished to see abased more than your family. Now today that is person dwelling on the face of the earth whose family I wished to see exalted more than your family.' He said, 'As well, by the One who has my soul in His hand.' She said, 'Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a grasping man. Is there anything against me if I feed my children from what he has.' He said, "I only think that is allowable if it is a reasonable amount.'"

LIV: The hadith of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl

3614. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, met Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl at the bottom of Baldah before any revelation had come down on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Some food was offered to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he refused to eat any of it. Then Zayd said, "I do not eat from what you slaughter to your idols. I only eat from that over which the name of Allah has been mentioned." Zayd ibn 'Amr used to criticise Quraysh for how they slaughtered. He said, "Allah created the sheep and sent down water from the sky for it, and made things grow from the earth for it and then you slaughter it in other than the name of Allah," finding that objectionable and out of respect for Him.

3615. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar that Zayd ibn 'Amr went to Syria to ask about religion and to follow it. He met a Jewish scholar and asked him about his religion and said, "I may take on your religion, so inform me." He said, "You will not have our religion unless you take your portion of Allah's wrath." Zayd said, "I am only fleeing from the wrath of Allah! I will not ever bear any of Allah's wrath at all if I can avoid it. Can you direct to me to another religion?" He said, "I do not know any except that one be a hanif." Zayd asked, "What is a hanif [religion]?" He answered, "The deen of Ibrahim. He was neither a Jew nor a Christian and he worshipped only Allah." Zayd left and met a Christian scholar and mentioned the like of it. He said, "You will not have our religion unless you take your portion of Allah's curse." He said, "I am only fleeing from the curse of Allah! I will not ever bear any of Allah's curse or wrath at all if I can avoid it. Can you direct to me to another religion?" He said, "I do not know any except that one be a hanif [religion]." Zayd said, "What is the a?" He said, "The deen of Ibrahim. He was neither a Jew nor a Christian and he worshipped only Allah." When Zayd saw what they said about Ibrahim, peace be upon him, he left. When he came out of there, he raised his hands and said, "O Prophet, I testify that I have the deen of Ibrahim!"

3616. It is related that Asma' bint Abi Bakr said, "I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl standing, leaning with his back against the Ka'ba, saying, 'O company of Quraysh! By Allah, none of you but me is following the deen of Ibrahim!' He used to save the lives of girls about to buried alive. He would say to the man when he wanted to kill his daughter, 'Do not kill her. I will spare you feeding her.' He would take her and when he was grown up, he would say to her father, 'If you like, I will return her to you, and if you like, I will spare you having to feed her.'"

LV: The Building of the Ka'ba

3617. It is related that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "When the Ka'ba was being rebuilt, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went with 'Abbas to move stones. 'Abbas said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Put your waist-wrapper round your neck to protect yourself from the stones.' He fell to the earth with his eyes staring up into the sky and said, 'My waist-wrapper! My waist-wrapper!' and he girded himself with it."

3618. It is related that 'Amr ibn Dinar and 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Yazid said, "There was not a wall around the House in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They used to pray around the House until 'Umar built a wall around it." 'Ubaydullah said, "Its wall was low, so Ibn az-Zubayr built it [higher]."

LVI: The Days of the Jahiliyya before Islam

3619. It is related that 'A'isha said, "Quraysh used to fast the day of 'Ashura' in the time of the Jahiliyya. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used also to fast it. When he came to Madina, he fasted it and commanded that it be fasted. When Ramadan became obligatory, whoever wished could fast it ('Ashura') and whoever wished could leave it."

3620. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "They used to think that 'umra during the months of hajj was one of the most heinous actions anyone could do. They would call the month of al-Muharram Safar and would say, 'When the wounds on the back of the camel heal and the tracks [of the pilgrims] have disappeared, then 'umra is lawful for anyone who wants to perform it.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions arrived on the morning of the fourth of Dhu'l-Hijja, having gone into ihram for the hajj, and he told them to make it an 'umra. They thought that extraordinary and said, 'Messenger of Allah, what sort of coming out of ihram is it?' He said, 'A total coming out of ihram.'"

3621. It is related that the grandfather of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "A flood occurred in the Jahiliyya and covered what is between the two mountains."

Sufyan said, "This hadith has some significance."

3622. It is related that Qays ibn Abi Hazim said, "Abu Bakr visited a woman of Ahmas called Zaynab and saw that she would not speak. He asked, 'Why does she not speak?' They said, 'She is performing a silent hajj.' He said to her, 'Speak. This is not lawful. This is one of the practices of the Jahiliyya.' So she started speaking.' She asked, 'Who are you?' He replied, 'A man of the Muhajirun.' She said, 'Which Muhajirun?' He answered, 'Of Quraysh.' She asked, 'From what part of Quraysh are you?' He said, 'You ask a lot of questions. I am Abu Bakr.' She said, 'How long will this righteous business which Allah has brought after the Jahiliyya last for us?' He said, 'It will last for you as long as your leaders are straight with you.' She asked, 'Who are the leaders?' He said, 'Do not your people have leaders and nobles who command and are obeyed?' She replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'They are those who are in charge of people.'"

3623. It is related that 'A'isha said, "There was a black slavegirl who belonged to some of the Arabs who became Muslim. She had a small hut in the mosque." She said, "She used to come to me and talk with me. When she finished talking, she would say:

'The day of the girdle was one of the marvels of our Lord

Yes indeed! He surely rescued me from the land of unbelief.'"

When this happened often, 'A'isha asked her, "What is the day of the girdle?" She said, "A girl of one of my masters once went out wearing a leather girdle and it fell off her. A kite flew down on it thinking it was meat and took it. They suspected me and tortured me until it reached the point where they even searched my private parts. While they were around me and I was in distress, the kite flew over their heads and dropped it. They took it and I said to them, 'This is what you suspected me of and I am innocent of it.'"

3624. It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever makes an oath, should only swear by Allah." Quraysh used to swear by their fathers and he said, "Do not swear by your fathers."

3625. It is related from 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Qasim that al-Qasim used to walk in front of the funeral procession and would not stand up for it. He reported that 'A'isha said, "The people of the Jahiliyya used to rise for it and when they saw it, they would say twice, 'You were noble in your family. What are you now?'"

3626. It is related that 'Umar said, "The idolators used to not leave Jam' (Muzadalifa) until the sun had risen on Mount Thabir, The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, acted differently to them by leaving before the sun rose."

3627. It is related from 'Ikrima that "ka'san dihâqan" (78:34) means successive filled glassses. Ibn 'Abbas said, "I heard my father say in the Jahiliyya, 'Give us a filled glass (ka'san dihâqan).'"

3628. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The most truthful phrase ever said by a poet is the words of Labid:

'Everything except Allah is false.'

"And Umayya ibn Abi's-Salt was close to becoming a Muslim."

3629. It is related that 'A'isha said, "Abu Bakr as-Siddiq had a slave who used to pay him a levy from his earnings and Abu Bakr used to eat from the levy. One day he brought brought some of his levy and Abu Bakr ate some of it. The slave said to him, 'Do you know what this is?' He said, 'What is it?' He said, 'In the Jahiliyya I used to be a soothsayer for a man. I did not do soothsaying well. I only deceived him. He met me and gave me that from which you ate.' So Abu Bakr inserted his hand into his mouth and vomited all that he had in his stomach."

3630. It is related that Ibn 'Umar said that the people of the Jahiliyya used to sell the meat of camels based on the habal al-habala. He said that habal al-habala was a kind of sale in which a she-camel would give birth to what was in its womb and then the camel which was born would become pregnant with [the object of the sale]. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade that.

3631. It is related that Ghaylan ibn Jarir said, "We used to go to Anas ibn Malik and he would relate to us about the Ansar and he would say to us, 'Your people did such-and-such on such-and-such a day, and your people did such-and-such on such-and-such a day."

(Qasama (oaths regarding murder) in the Jahiliyya)

3632. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The first qasama which took place in the Jahiliyya was done among us, the Banu Hashim. A man of the Banu Hashim was hired by a man of Quraysh from another branch to accompany him with his camels. A man of the Banu Hashim passed by him. The handle of his bag had broken and he said [to the hired man], 'Help me by giving me a hobble-rope with which to tie the handle of my bag. The camels will not bolt.' He gave him a hobble-rope and he used it to tie the handle of his bag. When they halted, the camels were hobbled except for one camel. The one who had hired him said, 'Why is this camel not hobbled?' He said, 'It does not have a hobble-rope.' He said, 'So where then is it's hobble-rope?' He threw a stick at him which dealt him a fatal blow.

Ò[Before he died,] a man from the people of the Yemen passed by him and he asked him, 'Will you attend the festival (of hajj)?' He answered, 'I am not going to attend, but I have often done so.' He asked [him], 'Will you convey a message from me for one time in your life?' He replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'When you go to attend the festival then call out, "O family of Quraysh!" When they answer you, then call, "O Banu Hashim!" When they answer you, ask for Abu Talib and tell him that so-and-so has killed me for a hobble-rope.' Then the man who had been hired died.

"When the one who had hired him arrived, Abu Talib went to him and asked, 'What has happened to our companion?' He said, 'He became ill and I looked after him well and then buried him.' He said, 'He deserved that from you.' After some time, the man whom he had charged with conveying his message from him arrived during the festival. He said, "O family of Quraysh!' They said, 'This is Quraysh.' He said, 'O Banu Hashim!' They said, 'This is Banu Hashim.' He said, 'Where is Abu Talib?' They said, 'This is Abu Talib.' He said, 'So-and-so told me to convey a message to you: that so-and-so killed him for a hobble-rope.' Abu Talib went to him [the killer] and told him, 'You can choose from one of three options. If you wish, you can pay a hundred camels because you killed our companion. If you wish, fifty of your people can swear that you did not kill him. If you refuse, then we will kill you for him.' He went to his people and they said, 'We will swear.' A woman of the Banu Hashim who was married to one of their men and had had a son by him, went to him and said, 'Abu Talib! I wish that my son among these fifty be excused from the oath and that he should not be forced to take the oath when the oaths are taken.' He did that. One of their men came to him and said, 'Abu Talib! You want fifty men to take an oath in place of a hundred camels, so each man is equivalent to two camels. There are two camels. Accept them from me and do not force me to take the oath when the oaths are taken.' He accepted them. So forty-eight men came and took the oath.' Ibn 'Abbas said, "By the One in whose hand my soul is, not a year had passed with any of the forty-eight still alive.'"

3633. It is related that 'A'isha said, "The Day of Bu'ath was a day which Allah brought about before the coming of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought it about when their community had been split and their leaders killed and wounded. Allah had caused this to occur before the coming of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that they would enter into Islam."

3634. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Running in the bottom of the valley between Safa and Marwa was not a sunna. The people of the Jahiliyya used to run it and would say, 'We would cross the river bed running hard.'"

3635. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "O people! Listen to what I say to you and let me hear what you say. Do not leave simply saying, 'Ibn 'Abbas said this and Ibn 'Abbas said that.' Whoever does tawaf of the House should go behind al-Hijr and you should not say, 'Al-Hatîm [lit. smashed]' In the Jahiliyya a man used to take an oath and then throw his whip, shoe or bow into it."

3636. It is related that 'Amr ibn Maymun said, "In the Jahiliyya I saw a female monkey around which other monkeys had gathered. It had fornicated and they stoned it and I stoned it with them."

3637. It is related that 'Ubaydullah said, "I heard Ibn 'Abbas say, 'Some of the traits of the Jahiliyya are: attacking people's lineage, wailing,'" and he forgot the third. Sufyan said, "They say that it is thinking that rain is caused by the stars."

LVII: The sending of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

He is Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn 'Abdu Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn an-Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan.

3638. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, received revelation when he was forty, and he remained in Makka for thirteen years and then was commanded to emigrate to Madina, and remained there for ten years and then he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died."

LVIII: What the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions experienced from the idolaters in Makka

3639. It is related that Khabbab said, "I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was using his cloak as a pillow in the shade of the Ka'ba. We had endured persecution from the idolators and I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, why do you not make supplication for us?' He sat up and his face had become red and said, 'Among those before you there was a man who was raked with metal teeth leaving no flesh or sinews on his bones, but that did not turn him from his deen. A saw was planed on the top of his head and he was sawed in half, but that did not turn him from his deen. Allah will complete this business so that a rider will be able to travel from San'a' to Hadramawt fearing none but Allah,' and he added for clarification, 'and wolves against his sheep.'"

3640. It is related from 'Abdullah, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited Surat an-Najm and did sajda in it and all of the people did sajda, but one man there whom I saw take a handful of pebbles or earth and brought it up to his face and said, 'This is enough for me.' I later saw him killed as an unbeliever."

3641. It is related that 'Abdullah said, "While the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in prostration, surrounded by some of the idolaters of Quraysh, 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt brought the afterbirth of a young camel and threw it on the back of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He did not raise his head until Fatima came and removed it from his back. Then he pronounced an invocation against those who had done that. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'O Allah! Destroy the council of Quraysh! Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, 'Umayya ibn Khalaf! (or Ubayy ibn Khalaf. Shu'ba is unsure.)' I saw them killed on the day of Badr and they were thrown into the well, except for Umayya or Ubayy. He was cut to pieces, so he not was thrown into the well."

3642. It is related that Sa'id ibn Jubayr said, "'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Abza ordered me, 'Ask Ibn 'Abbas about these two ayats: "Who do not kill anyone Allah has forbidden except with a legal right" (25:68) and "As for anyone who kills a believer deliberately." (4:93)' So I asked Ibn 'Abbas and he said, 'When the verse in al-Furqan (25:68) was revealed, the idolaters of the people of Makka said, "We have killed the life which Allah has made sacred, and we have called on other gods with Allah and we have committed lewd actions." So Allah sent down, "except for those who repent and believe ..." (25:70) So this verse is for those people. As for the verse in an-Nisa' (4:93), when a man knows Islam and its Shari'a and then murders, his repayment is Hellfire.' I mentioned it to Mujahid who said, 'except for those who regret.'"

3643. It is related that 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said, "I asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, "Tell me about the worst thing that the idolaters did to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' He said, 'While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was praying in the Hijr of the Ka'ba, 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt came an put his cloak around his neck and began to choke him with it severely. Abu Bakr came and grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away from him saying, '"Will you kill a man for saying, 'My Lord is Allah'?"'"

Abu Ishaq corroborated it from 'Urwa, "I said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr."

It is related from Hisham's father, "It was said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr."

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr related it.

LIX: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq becomes Muslim

3644. It is related that 'Ammar ibn Yasir said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when there were only with him five slaves, two men, and Abu Bakr."

LX: Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas becoming Muslim

3645. It is related that Abu Ishaq Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas said, "No one became Muslim until the day I became Muslim, and I remained for seven days representing a third of Islam."

LXI: Concerning the jinn

The words of Allah Almighty, "Say: it has been revealed to me that a company of jinns listened." (72:1)

3646. It is related that Ma'n ibn 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, "I heard my father say, 'I asked Masruq, "Who informed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the jinn on the night they listened to the Qur'an?" He said, "My father (i.e. 'Abdullah) informed me that a tree informed him."'"

3647. It is related that Abu Hurayra said that he used to carry a pot for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to use for his wudu' and for the lavatory. While he was following him, he asked, "Who is it?" He said, "I am Abu Hurayra." He said, "Go and look for some stones with which I can cleanse myself. Do not bring me bones or dung." [He said,] "I brought him some stones which I carried in the corner of my garment and placed them beside him and then left. When he finished, I went along and said, 'What is the matter with bones and dung?' He said, 'They are the food of the jinn. A delegation of the jinn of Nasibin came to me, and they were excellent jinn! They asked me for provision and I prayed to Allah for them that they would not pass by a bone or dung without finding food on it.'"

LXII: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari becoming Muslim

3648. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When Abu Dharr heard that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had been sent, he said to his brother, "Go this valley and bring me some information about this man who claims that he is a Prophet to whom reports come from heaven. Listen to what he says and then come to me.' So his brother went until he reached him and listened to what he said and then returned to Abu Dharr. He said to him, 'I saw him commanding good character and using words which are not poetry.' He said, 'You have not satisfied what I wanted.' So he got provisions and took a bag with some water in it and sent out for Makka. He went to the mosque and looked for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, although he did not know him, but he disliked to ask anyone about him. When part of the night had gone, 'Ali saw him and recognised that he was a stranger. When he saw him, he followed him and neither of them asked the other about anything until morning. Then he took his bag and provision to the mosque and the day remained like that, without him seeing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until evening. He returned to his resting-place and 'Ali passed by him and said, 'Has not the man recognised his house yet?' So he woke up him and took him with him and neither of them asked the other about anything. On the third day 'Ali did the same and Abu Dharr stayed with him. Then he said, 'Will you not tell me what has brought you?' He said, 'If you give me a pledge and promise to guide me, I will do that.' So he did that and he told him. He said, 'It is true. He is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In the morning, follow me. If I see something which causes me to fear for you, I will stop as if I am going to pass water. If I go on, follow me and enter where I enter.' He did it and followed after him until he went in to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he entered with him. He listened to what he said and became Muslim immediately. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'Return to your people and inform them until my command comes to you.' He said, 'By the One who has my soul in His hand, I will shout it out in the midst of them!' So he went out until he came to the mosque where Quraysh were and called out in at the top of his voice, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!' Then the people got up and beat him until they threw him to the ground. Al-'Abbas came and put himself over him and said, 'Woe to you! Do you not know that he is from Ghifar and your trade route to Syria goes through them?' So he saved him from them. Then he did the same thing the next day and they beat him and attacked him, and al-'Abbas put himself over him."

LXIII: Sa'id ibn Zayd becomes Muslim

3649. It is related that Qays said, "I heard Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl saying in the mosque of Kufa, 'By Allah, I recall that I was persecuted by 'Umar to leave Islam before 'Umar became Muslim. If Uhud could move on account of what you have done to 'Uthman, it would have done so."

LXIV: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab becomes Muslim

3650. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "We have become mighty since 'Umar became Muslim."

3651. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "While 'Umar was in fear in his house, al-'As ibn Wa'il as-Sahmi, Abu 'Amr, came wearing a stripped embroidered cloak and shirt with a silk border. He was from the Banu Sahm, and they were our allies in the Jahiliyya. He said to him, 'What is wrong with you?' He answered, 'Your people claim that they will kill me if I become Muslim.' He said, 'They will have no way to get you after that is said. I have given protection.' Al-'As went out and met the people who were filling the valley. He said, 'Where are you going?' They said, 'We want 'Umar ibn al-Khattab who has become a heretic!' He said, 'There is no way to him,' so the people retreated."

3652. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "When 'Umar became Muslim, the people gathered at his house and said, ''Umar has become a heretic.' I was a boy on the roof of my house. A man came wearing a silken cloak and said, "'Umar has become a heretic. So what? I am his protector.'" He said, "I saw the people separating from him, asking, 'Who is this?' They said, 'Al-'As ibn Wa'il.'"

3653. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "I never heard 'Umar say about anything, 'I think it is like such-and-such,' without the thing being as he had thought it was. While 'Umar was sitting, a handsome man passed by him and obsreved said, 'Unless I am mistaken, this one still follows the deen of the Jahiliyya or he was their soothsayer. Bring the man here.' He was summoned and he said that to him, and he said, 'I have never seen until today a Muslim man was confronted like this!' He insisted, 'I am resolved that you will tell me.' He said, 'I was their soothsayer in the Jahiliyya.' 'Umar asked, 'What was the most extraordinary thing that your jinn brought you?' He said, 'One day while I was in the market, she came to me and I recognised alarm in her. She said, "Have you not see the jinn in bewilderment and despair after they have been overturned? Now they follow the she-camels with their saddle-cloths."' 'Umar said, 'He spoke the truth. One day while I was near their gods, a man brought a calf to sacrifice. Then something shouted, and I have never heard a shouter with a harsher voice than it. It said, "O audacious one! A matter of success - a man of eloquent tongue says, 'There is no god but You!'" The people fled, but I said, "I will not go until I know who is behind this." So it called, "O audacious one! A matter of success - a man of eloquent tongue says, 'There is no god but Allah!'" I left and it was not long before it was said, "This is a Prophet."'"

[The man was Sawad ibn Qarib]

3654. It is related that Qays said, "I heard Sa'id ibn Zayd say to the people in the mosque of Kufa, 'By Allah, I recall that I and his sister were persecuted by 'Umar [in an effort to force us] to leave Islam before he became Muslim. If Uhud could crumble on account of what you have done to 'Uthman, it would have had the right to crumble."

LXV: The splitting of the moon

3655. It is related that Anas ibn Malik reported that the people of Makka asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to show them a sign and he showed them the splitting of the moon in two halves so that al-Hira' could be seen in between them.

3656. It is related that 'Abdullah said, "The moon was split into two halves while we were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Mina, and he said, 'Bear witness!' Then one piece went towards the mountain."

It is related from 'Abdullah, "The moon was split at Makka."

It is corroborated by Muhammad ibn Muslim, going back to 'Abdullah.

3657. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that the moon was split in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3658. It is related that 'Abdullah said, "The moon was split."

LXVI: The Abyssinian emigration

'A'isha said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I saw the abode of your emigration, with palm-trees between two lava-beds." Some people emigrated in the direction of Madina and all those who had emigrated to Abyssinian returned to Madina. (see 3663, 3990)

3659. It is related that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Adi ibn al-Khiyar reported, "Al-Miswar ibn Makhrama and 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn al-Aswad ibn 'Abdu Yaghuth said to him, 'What prevents you from speaking to 'Uthman about his brother, al-Walid ibn 'Uqba, when people have spoken a lot about what he has done?' 'Ubaydullah said, 'I therefore went to 'Uthman when he came out for the prayer and said, 'I have something I need to say to you. It is good advice for you.' He said, 'O man, I seek refuge with Allah from you!' So I left and when I finished the prayer, I sat beside al-Miswar and Ibn 'Abdu Yaghuth and I told what I said to 'Uthman and what he had said to me. They said, 'You have done what you must.' Then while I was sitting between them a messenger came from 'Uthman. They said to me, 'Allah has put you to the test.' I went and I entered where he was and he asked, ''What is your advice which you mentioned earlier?'" He said, 'I said the shahada and then said, 'Allah sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the truth and sent down the Book on him, and you were one of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger. You made two emigrations and you kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and you saw his guidance. The people are speaking a lot about the business of al-Walid ibn 'Uqba, and you must impose the hadd on him.' He said to me, 'O nephew, did you listen directly to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' I said, 'No, but some of his knowledge reached me as it reached the virgin in her tent.' "'Uthman said the shahada and then said, 'Allah sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the Truth and I was one of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger and I believed in what Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent with. I made the first two emigrations as you said. I kept the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I gave him allegiance. By Allah, I did not disobey him nor cheat him until Allah took him. Then Allah made Abu Bakr caliph, and by Allah, I did not disobey him nor cheat him. Then 'Umar became caliph, and by Allah, I did not disobey him nor cheat him. Then I became caliph. Do I not have the same rights over you as they had over me?' I answered, 'Yes, indeed.' He said, 'So what are these reports which you convey to me from you lot? As for what you mentioned about the business of al-Walid ibn 'Uqba, we will punish for it by what is right, Allah willing.'"

He said, "He had al-Walid flogged with a hundred lashes and ordered 'Ali to flog him, and it was he who flogged him,"

It is related from az-Zuhri, "Do I not have the same right over you as they had?"

Abu 'Abdullah said, "A trial from your Lord," (2:49; 7:141) is that with which you are tested in the way of hardship and in a situation. Bala' means ibtila' (test) and tamhîs (examination). It comes from testing it and examining something, i.e. to extract what is in it, so to "try" to to gain information from it. "He will test you" (2:249) is to examine you. "A terrible trial" is blessing, and it is from testing the thing, and that is part of His test.

3660. It is related from 'A'isha that Umm Habiba and Umm Salama mentioned a church they had seen in Abyssinia in which there were pictures. They mentioned it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "Among those people, if a virtuous man dies, they build a place of worship over his grave and paint those pictures in it. Those people will be the worst of creatures in the sight of Allah on the Day of Rising."

3661. It is related that Umm Khalid bint Khalid ibn Sa'd said, "I came from the land of Abyssinia when I was a young girl. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had me wear a garment with lines on it. He became to rub the lines with hand saying , 'Sanah! Sanah.' ('Abdullah said that it means "good" [in Abyssinian].)"

3662. It is related that 'Abdullah said, "We used to greet the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was praying and he would reply to us. But when we returned from the Negus we greeted him and he did not reply to us. We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, we used to greet you and you would reply to us!.' He said, 'In the prayer is occupation enough.'"

I (a sub-narrator) said, "What do you do?" He said, "I answer him in myself."

3663. It is related that Abu Musa said, "The fact that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had departed reached us while we were in the Yemen. We embarked on a boat and our boat took us to the Negus in Abyssinia. We found Ja'far ibn Abi Talib. So we stayed with him until we all went and found the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he had conquered Khaybar. He said, 'People of the boat! You have two emigrations!'"

LXVII: The death of the Negus

3664. It is related that Jabir said, "When the Negus died, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'A righteous man has died today. Get up and pray for your brother, As-hama.'"

3665. It is related that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah al-Ansari said, "The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed over the Negus and we prayed behind him. I was in the second or third row."

3666. It is related from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed over As-hama, the Negus, and said the takbir four times.

'Abdu's-Samad corroborated it.

3667. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, announced the death of the Negus, the master of Abyssinia, on the day that he died. He said, "Ask forgiveness for your brother."

3668. It is related that Abu Hurayra informed them that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made them form lines in the place of prayer and prayed over him and said the takbir four times.

LXVIII: The oath taken by the idolaters against the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

3669. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on the point of entering Makka, he said, 'Our stopping place tomorrow will, Allah willing, be Khayf Bani Kinana where they took the oath of disbelief.'"

LXIX: The story of Abu Talib

3670. It is related that al-'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "How have you helped your uncle who used to protect you and become angry on your behalf?" He said, "He is in the swallowest part of the Fire. If it had not been for me, he would have been in the lowest rank of the Fire."

3671. It is related from the father of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, "When Abu Talib was near death, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to him and found Abu Jahl with him. He said, 'Uncle, say, "There is no god but Allah", and I will testify before Allah that you said it.' Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya said, 'Abu Talib! Will you turn from the religion of 'Abdu'l-Muttalib?' They kept on cautioning him against it until the last thing that Abu Talib said was that he was following the religion of 'Abdu'l-Muttalib. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I will continue to ask for forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden to do it for you.' Then it was sent down, 'It is not right for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the idolaters, even if they are close relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are the Companions of the Blazing Fire.' (9:113) Also revealed was: 'You cannot guide those you love,' (28:56)"

3672. It is related from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that when the Prophet's uncle was mentioned in his presence, he heard him say, "Perhaps my intercession will help him and he will be put in the swallowest part of the Fire which will reach his ankles and from which his blood will boil."

This is related from Yazid and he said, "from it his brain itself will boil."

LXX: The hadith of the Night Journey

The words of Allah Almighty, "Glory be to Him who took His slave on a journey one night from the Sacred Mosque to the Furthest Mosque." (17:1)

3673. It is related from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "When Quraysh thought I was lying, I stood up in the Hijr and Allah displayed Jerusalem before me and I began to describe its points while I was looking at it."

LXXI: The Mi'raj

3674. Anas related from Malik ibn Sa'sa'a that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, related to them about the night he was taken on the journey, "While I was lying down in the Hatim (or he may have said al-Hijr), someone came to me and cut me (and Qatada said, "I heard him say 'split'") me from here to here.'" I asked al-Jarud who was beside me, "What does he mean?" He replied, "From his throat to his lower abodmen."

"My heart was brought out and then a golden tray filled with belief was brought and my heart was washed and filled and then returned. I was brought a white animal, smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey."

Al-Jarud asked, "Was it al-Buraq, Abu Hamza?" Anas answered, "Yes."

"Its stride was far as the eye could reach. I was carried on it and Jibril took me to the lowest heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' He replied, 'Jibril.' It was asked, 'Who is with you?' He said, 'Muhammad.' It was said, 'Has he been sent for?' He answered, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened. When I entered, Adam was there. I greeted him, and he returned the greeting and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous son and a righteous Prophet!'

Then he ascended to the second heaven and he asked for it to be opened. It was said, 'Who is it?' He said, 'Jibril.' It was said, 'Who is with you?' He said, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?' He replied, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened, and when I entered, Yahya and 'Isa were there. They are maternal cousins. He said, 'This is Yahya and 'Isa. Greet them.' So I greeted them and they returned it and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous brother and a righteous Prophet!'

Then he ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' He replied, 'Jibril.' It was said, 'Who is with you?' He answered, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?' He answered, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened and when I arrived, Yusuf was there. He said, 'This is Yusuf, so greet him.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous brother and a righteous Prophet!'

Then he ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' He answered, 'Jibril.' It was said, 'Who is with you?' He said, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?' He answered, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened and when I entered, Idris was there. He said, 'This is Idris, so greet him.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous brother and a righteous Prophet!'

Then he ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' He answered, 'Jibril.' It was asked, 'Who is with you?' He said, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was said, 'Has he been sent for?' He replied, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened and when I entered, Harun was there. He said, 'This is Harun, so greet him.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous brother and a righteous Prophet!'

Then he ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is this?' He answered, 'Jibril.' It was asked, 'Who is with you?' He replied, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was asked, 'Has he been sent for?' He said, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened and when I entered, Musa was there. He said, 'This is Musa, so greet him.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting and then said, 'Welcome to a righteous brother and a righteous Prophet!' When I passed on, he wept. He was asked, 'Why are you weeping?' He replied, 'I am weeping because more of the community of this lad who was sent after me will enter the Garden than those of my community!'

Then he ascended with me to the seventh heaven and Jibril asked for it to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is this?' He answered, 'Jibril.' It was asked, 'Who is with you?' He answered, 'Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' It was said, 'Has he been sent for?' He answered, 'Yes.' It was said, 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come!' It opened and when I entered, Ibrahim was there. He said, "This is your father, so greet him.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting and said, 'Welcome to a righteous son and a righteous Prophet!'

"Then I was shown the Lote-tree of the Limit. Its fruits were like the pots of Hajar, and its leaves were like elephant ears. He said, 'This is the Lote-tree of the Limit.' There were four rivers: two hidden rivers and two apparent rivers. I asked, 'What are these two, Jibril?' and he answered, 'The two hidden ones are in the Garden, and the two apparent ones are the Nile and Euphrates.' Then the Inhabited House was shown to me. Every day seventy thousand angels enter it. Then I was brought a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk and a vessel of honey. I took the milk and he said, 'It is the natural form (fitra) which you and your community have.'

Then fifty prayers every day were made obligatory for me. I returned and passed by Musa who asked, 'What are you commanded?' I replied, 'I am commanded fifty prayers a day.' He said, 'Your community will not be able to do fifty prayers a day. I tested people before you. I tried as hard as I could with the tribe of Israel. Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce it for your community.' I went back and He lessened it by ten for me. Then I returned to Musa and he said the same thing. I went back and He lessened it by ten for me. Then I returned to Musa and he said the same thing. I went back and He lessened it by ten for me. Then I went to Musa and he said the like of it. Then I went back and was commanded ten prayers every day. I went back and he said the like of it. Then I went back and was commanded five prayers every day. I went back to Musa and he said, 'What have you been commanded?' I said, "I have been commanded five prayers every day.' He said, 'Your community will not able to do five prayers every day. I tested people before you. I tried as hard as I could with the tribe of Israel. So back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce it for your community.' I said, 'I have asked my Lord until I am embarrassed, but I am content and have submitted.' When I passed, there was a call, 'I have imposed My obligation and have lightened it for My slaves.'"

3675. It is related from Ibn 'Abbas about the words of Allah Almighty, "We did not appoint the vision We showed you, except as a trial and temptation for the people," (17:60) that what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was shown on the night he made the journey to Jerusalem was by the actual eye. He said, "'The Cursed tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an' is the Tree of az-Zaqqum."

LXXII: The delegations of the Ansar to the Prophet in Makka and the Pledge of 'Aqaba

3676. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b, who was the guide of Ka'b when he went blind, said, "I heard Ka'b ibn Malik relate about when he stayed behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Tabuk expedition (in full)." Ibn Bukayr said in his hadith, "I was present with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the night of 'Aqaba when we gave our pledge on Islam. I would not want to exchange it for being at Badr, even if Badr is more renowned among the people than it."

3677. It is related that Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "I was present with my two maternal uncles at 'Aqaba." Abu 'Abdullah said that Ibn 'Uyayna said that one of them was al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur.

3678. It is related that Jabir said, "I, my father and my two maternal uncles were among those at 'Aqaba."

3679. It is related from Abu Idris 'A'idhullah that 'Ubada ibn as-Samit, who was one of those present at Badr with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and one of his Companions on the night of 'Aqaba, informed him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said while a group of his Companions were around him, "Give homage to me based on not associating anything with Allah, not stealing, not committing adultery, not killing your children, not making a false accusation of adultery which you forge yourselves and not being disobedient regarding anything good. Any among you who fulfils this will be rewarded by Allah. Any who falls short regarding any of these things and is punished in this world, that will be an expiation for them. If someone falls short regarding any of these things and Allah conceals it, then it will be up to Allah. If He wishes, He will pardon him, and if He wishes, He will punish him." 'Ubada said, "We gave him our allegiance on those conditions."

3680. It is related that 'Ubada ibn as-Samit said, "I was among the leaders who gave homage to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,." He said, "We gave homage based on not associating anything with Allah nor stealing nor committing fornication nor killing the self which Allah has made inviolable except for a right, nor robbing nor disobey in exchange for the Garden if we did that. If we broke any of that, the judgement of that would be up to Allah."

LXXIII: The Prophet marrying 'A'isha and her coming to Madina and consummating the marriage with her

3681. It is related that 'A'isha said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married me when I was a girl of six years. We came to Madina and stayed with the Banu'l-Harith ibn Khazraj. I came down with a fever and my hair fell out and then grew back until it reached my shoulders. My mother, Umm Ruman came when I was on a see-saw with some of my friends. She called me and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted me for. She took me by the hand until she made me stand at the door of the house, as I was panting, until my breathing was calm. Then she took some water and wiped my face and head with it. Then she brought me into the house and there were some women of the Ansar in the room who said, 'The best and blessing and good luck.' She handed me over to them and they dressed me up. Then I was surprised by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, coming to me in the mid-morning and they left me with him. At that time I was nine."

3682. It is related from 'A'isha that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to her, "I was shown you twice in a dream. I saw you on a piece of silk and it was said, 'This is your wife.' Then it was uncovered and it was you. I said, 'If this is from Allah, it will be done.'"

3683. It is related that Hisham's father said, "Khadija died three years before the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left for Madina. He stayed there for two years or thereabouts and then married 'A'isha when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when he was nine."

LXXIV: The emigration of the Prophet and his Companions to Madina

'Abdullah ibn Zayd and Abu Hurayra said from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "It is were not for emigration, I would like to have been one of the Ansar."

Abu Musa reported from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "I saw in a dream that I was emigrating from Makka to a land with palm-trees. I thought that it was Yamana or Hajar, but it was the city of Yathrib."

3684. It is related that Abu Wa'il said, "We visited Khabbab and he said, 'We emigrated with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, seeking to please Allah, and our reward was up to Allah. Some of us have gone without taking any of his reward, and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr was one of them. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud and left only a cloak. When we covered his head with it, his feet showed, and if we covered his feet, his head showed. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered us to cover his head and we put some idhkhir-herb over his feet. Some of us have had its fruits ripen for them in this world and they are harvesting them.'"

3685. It is related that 'Umar said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Actions are only judged according to intentions. So if someone emigrates to gain something of this world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated. If someone emigrates for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger.'"

3686. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar used to say, "There is no emigration after the Conquest of Makka."

3687. It is related that 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah said, "I visited 'A'isha with 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr al-Laythi and we asked her about emigration. She said, 'There is no emigration today. One of the believers would flee with his deen to Allah Almighty and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fearing that he would be tempted. Today Allah has made Islam victorious and the believer can worship his Lord wherever he wishes, but there is still jihad and intention.'"

3688. It is related that 'A'isha reported that Sa'd said, "O Allah! You know that there is no one I would rather fight against for Your sake than people who have denied Your Messenger and expelled, O Allah! I think that you have ended the war between us and them."

It is reported from 'A'isha, "a people of Quraysh who denied your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and expelled him."

3689. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent when he was forty years old. He remained in Makka for thirteen years receiving revelation, and then he was commanded to emigrate and he was an emigrant for ten years, and died when he was sixty-three."

3690. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, remained in Makka for thirteen years and died when he was sixty-three."

3691. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat on the minbar and said, 'Allah gave one of His slaves a choice between what he wished of the blessings of this world and what is with Him. He chose what is with Him.' Abu Bakr wept and said, 'May our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you!'. We were amazed at him and the people said, 'Look at this shaykh! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reports about Allah giving one of His slaves a choice between the blessings of this world and what is with Him, and he says, "May our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you"!' However, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the one who had been given the choice and Abu Bakr knew more than we did. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Abu Bakr has been, of all people, the most generous to me both with regard to his company and his property. If I were to have made a close friend of any of my community, it would have been Abu Bakr, but we have the friendship of Islam. Let no private doorways into the mosque remain except that of Abu Bakr.'"

3692. It is related that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, said, "I have no recollection of my parents doing anything but following the deen of Islam. No day would pass without the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visiting us at either end of it, both morning and evening. When the Muslims were being persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Abyssinia as an emigrant until he reached Bark al-Ghimad where he met Ibn ad-Daghina, the chief of al-Qara. He asked, 'Where are you going, Abu Bakr?' Abu Bakr said, 'My people have driven me out. I am intending to travel in the earth and to worship my Lord.' Ibn ad-Daghina said, 'Someone like you should not leave nor be driven out. You help the poor, maintain ties of kinship, give surety for orphans, give hospitality to guests and help people in times of trouble. I am your protector, so return and worship your Lord in your own land.' Ibn ad-Daghina travelled and returned with Abu Bakr and went around to the nobles of the unbelievers of Quraysh and said to them, 'Someone like Abu Bakr should not leave nor be expelled. Will you expel a man who helps the poor, maintains ties of kinship, gives surety for orphans, gives hospitality to guests and helps people in times of trouble?' Quraysh allowed the protection of Ibn ad-Daghina and gave security to Abu Bakr. They said to Ibn ad-Daghina, 'Tell Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and recite as he likes but not to bother us with it, and he should not make it public. We fear that he will seduce our sons and women.' Ibn ad-Daghina told that to Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr began to worship his Lord in his house and not to do the prayer publicly or recite outside of his house. Then it occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in the courtyard of his house and he began to pray in it and recite Qur'an, and the women and sons of the idolaters crowded around, admiring and looking at it. Abu Bakr was a man prone to weeping and he could not hold back his tears when he recited Qur'an. That alarmed the nobles of Quraysh who were idolaters and they sent for Ibn ad-Daghina who came to them. They said to him, 'We gave protection to Abu Bakr on condition that he would worship his Lord in his house and he has exceeded that and built a mosque in the courtyard of his house and has done the prayer and recitation publicly. We are afraid that he will seduce our sons and women. Go to him. If he wants to confine himself to worshipping his Lord in his house, he should do it. If he refuses not to do it in public, then ask him to return your pledge of protection to you. We dislike to break your pledge but we did not permit Abu Bakr to worship in public.'"

'A'isha said, "Ibn ad-Daghina went to Abu Bakr and said, 'You know the basis on which I gave you the pledge of protection. Either confine yourself to that or return my pledge to me. I do not want to hear the Arabs say that I broke my pledge to a man to whom I had given it.' Abu Bakr said, 'I return your protection to you. I am satisfied with the protection of Allah.' At that time the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was still in Makka. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I have been shown your place of emigration. I saw a land with palm-trees between two lava-fields.' Some people emigrated to Madina and most of those who had emigrated to the land of Abyssinia returned from there to Madina. Abu Bakr prepared to emigrate and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'Take your time. I hope to be given permission.' Abu Bakr said, 'My father be your ransom, do you hope for that?' He said, 'Yes.' Therefore Abu Bakr kept himself back in order to accompany the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He fed two riding-camels he had on acacia leaves, called khabat, which had been knocked off with a stick for four months."

'A'isha said, "While we were sitting in the house of Abu Bakr around midday, someone said to Abu Bakr, 'This is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, coming with his head covered at a time at which he did not used to come to us. Abu Bakr said, 'May my father and mother be his ransom, by Allah, he has only come at this hour because something has happened.'" She said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and asked for permission to enter and was given permission and he entered. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Bakr, 'Send out those who are with you.' He said, 'They are my family, Messenger of Allah, may my father be your ransom!' He said, 'I have been given permission to leave.' He said, 'In company, may my father be your ransom, Messenger of Allah?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Yes.' Abu Bakr said, 'Take one of these two she-camels, Messenger of Allah, may my father be your ransom.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I will take it for a price.'"

'A'isha said, "We prepared what they needed for the journey as quickly as possible and we put food for the journey in a bag. Asma' bint Abi Bakr cut a piece from his belt and used it to tie the mouth of the bag, and that is why she is called, 'She of the two belts.'"

She said, "Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr reached a cave in Mt. Thawr and hid in it for three days. 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr, who was a young boy who was clever and quick-witted, would spend the night with them and he would leave them before dawn and would be in Makka with Quraysh in the morning as if he had spent the night there. He did not hear of anything which they were planning about them but that he would remember it and bring them the news of that when it became dark. 'Amir ibn Fuhayra, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, would graze some milk sheep and bring them to them a hour after nightfall. So they had fresh milk at night, which was the milk of their milk animals and milk heated with stones. 'Amir ibn Fuhayra would then call the sheep away at the end of the night. He did that each of the three nights. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr hired a man of the Banu ad-Dil from the Banu 'Abd ibn 'Adi as an expert guide, (khirrit means expert guide.) He had taken an oath of alliance with the family of al-'As ibn Wa'il as-Sahmi and followed the religion of the unbelievers of Quraysh. They both trusted him and gave him their mounts and arranged with him to meet them at the cave of Thawr after three nights. He brought them their mounts on the morning of the third day whereupon they set off. 'Amir ibn Fuhayra and the Dili guide went with them. He took them below Makka along the coastal route."

3693. It is related that Suraqa ibn Ju'shum said, "The messengers of the unbelievers of Quraysh came to us and they offered a bounty on both the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr for the one who killed or captured one of them. While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my people, the Banu Mudlij, a man of them came forward and stood before us while we were sitting down and said, 'O Suraqa! I have just seen some people on the coast, and I think that it is Muhammad and his companions.'" Suraqa said, "I recognised that it was them and so I said to him, 'It isn't them. You have seen so-and-so and so-and-so whom we saw depart.' Then I stayed in the gathering for a time and then got up and went it and commanded my slave-girl to bring out my horse which was behind a hill and to keep it for me. I took my spear and went out from the back of the house, keeping it against the earth and keeping its point low until I got to my horse and mounted it and made it gallop to bring me near until I drew near them. Then my horse stumbled and I fell off it. I got up and stretched my hand to my quiver and took out the divining arrows from it. I drew them to see whether I should harm them or not and that which I disliked came out. So I mounted my horse and disobeyed the arrows and was brought near so that I heard the recitation of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was not turning around while Abu Bakr was often turning around. Then my horse's forelegs sunk into the earth up to the knees and I fell off it. Then I chided it and it got up but could barely extract its legs. When it stood upright, there was dust rising in the sky from its feet like smoke. I drew the arrows and what I disliked came out. I called to them to feel safe and they stopped. I mounted my horse and came to them. When I encountered what I had done of being kept from them, it occurred to me that the business of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will be victorious, so I said to him, 'Your people have offered a bounty for you.' Then I informed them about the people intended regarding them, and I offered them provision and goods, but they would not take anything from me and did not ask me for anything other than the fact that he said, 'Conceal our news.' I asked him to write a document of security for me and he commanded 'Amir ibn Fuhayra to write it on a piece of hide and then Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left."

3694. It is related from 'Urwa ibn az-Zubayr, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, met az-Zubayr in a caravan of Muslims who were merchants returning from Syria. Az-Zubayr gave the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr white clothes. The Muslims in Madina heard about the departure of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Makka. Every morning they would go out to the lava-field and wait for him until the heat of midday drove them back. One day after they had waited for a long time, they returned and when they reached their houses, a Jewish man climbed up on one of their fortresses to look for something and he saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions in white, shimmering through the heat. The Jew could not help shouting at the top of his voice, "O company of Arabs! This is your important one for whom you have been waiting!' The Muslims rushed to their weapons and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at the top of the lava-field. He turned with them to the right until he alighted with them among the Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf. That was on Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal. Abu Bakr stood up for the people while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat in silence. Some of the Ansar who had come who had not seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to greet Abu Bakr until the sunshine fell on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Abu Bakr then went to shade him with his cloak and when he did that the people recognised the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, remained among the Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf for about ten days and the mosque which was founded on taqwa was founded and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed in it. Then he mounted his camel and the people went with him until it knelt at the mosque of the Messenger in Madina. Some Muslim men used to pray there at that time. It was a place where dates were dried which belonged to Suhayl and Sahl, two orphan boys in the care of As'ad ibn Zurara. When his camel knelt there, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Allah willing, this is the place we will alight.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a mosque. They said, 'No, rather we give it to you, Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, refused to accept it from them as a gift. He bought it from them and then built a mosque there. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began moving bricks for its construction with them, saying, 'This load is not the load of Khaybar. This is more pious and purer for our Lord.' He said, 'O Allah! The reward is the reward of the Next world, so have mercy on the Ansar and Muhajirun!' He used an example of some poetry of a Muslim man who was not named to me."

Ibn Shihab said, "It has not reached us in hadiths that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used an example of any full verse of poetry other than this verse."

3695. It is related that Asma' said, "I prepared the journey provisions for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr when they wanted to go to Madina. I said to my father, 'I do not find anything with which to tie it except my belt.' He said, 'Cut it in half.' I did that and that is why I was called, 'the one with two belts.'"

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Asma', the one with two belts."

3696. It is related that al-Bara' said, "When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, Suraqa ibn Malik ibn Ju'shum pursued him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, invoked against him and his horse sank into the ground with him. He said, 'Pray to Allah for me. I will not harm you,' and so he prayed for him." He said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was thirsty and they passed by a shepherd. Abu Bakr said, 'I took a bowl and milked a little milk and brought it to him and he drank up I was pleased.'"

3697. It is related from Asma' about when she was pregnant with 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr. She said, "I set out [to emigrate to Madina] when I was at full term. I went to Madina and alighted at Quba' and gave birth to him at Quba'. Then I took him to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and put him in his lap. He called for a date which he chewed and then he put some of its juice in the child's mouth. So the first thing which entered his stomach was the spit of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then he rubbed his palate with a date and prayed for him and asked for blessing on him. He was the first child born in Islam [i.e. in Muslim Madina]."."

It is corroborated from Hisham's father from Asma' that she emigrated to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while she was pregnant."

3698. It is related that 'A'isha said, "The first child born in Islam was 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr. They brought to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took a date and chewed it a little and then put it in his mouth, so the first thing that entered his stomach was the saliva of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

3699. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Madina with Abu Bakr riding behind him. Abu Bakr was an older man who was known while the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a young man who was not known." He said, "A man would meet Abu Bakr and say, 'O Abu Bakr! Who is this man in front of you?' He would say, 'This man guides me to the way.' One would reckon that he meant the road, but he meant the way to good. Abu Bakr looked behind and there was a horseman who had caught up to them. He said, 'Messenger of Allah! This is a horseman who has caught up to us!' The Messenger of Allah of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned and said, 'O Allah, throw him down!' and the horse threw him. Then it got up whinnying. He said, 'O Prophet of Allah! command me what you wish.' He said, 'Stay where you are and do not let anyone catch us.' At the beginning of the day he was striving against the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and at the end of the day he was defending him.

"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then alighted beside the lava-bed and then sent to the Ansar who came to the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr. They greeted the two of them and then said, 'Mount in security, being obeyed.' So the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr mounted and they surrounded them with armed men. It was said in Madina, 'The Prophet of Allah has come! The Prophet of Allah has come!' The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and they began to look and say, 'The Prophet of Allah has come! The Prophet of Allah has come!' He went until he alighted beside the house of Abu Ayyub. He was speaking with his family when 'Abdullah ibn Salam heard of him. He was in his family's palm trees harvesting them for them. He went so quickly that he did not put down what he had harvested for them in the palms. He came with the dates and listened to the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then returned to his family. The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Which is the nearest of the houses of our people?' Abi Ayyub said, 'Mine, Prophet of Allah! This is my house and here is my door.' He said, 'Go and prepare a place for our midday rest.' He answered, 'Stay here with the blessing of Allah.'

"When the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, 'Abdullah ibn Salam came and said, 'I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah and that you have brought the truth. The Jews know that I am their chief and the son of their chief and the most knowledgeable of them and the son of the most knowledgeable among them. Summon them and ask them about me before they know that I have become Muslim. If they know that I have become Muslim, they will say things about me that are not true.' So the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent and they came and came in to him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them, 'Company of Jews! Woe to you! Fear Allah. By Allah, there is no god but Him, you know that I am truly the Messenger of Allah and that I have brought the truth, so become Muslim!' They said, 'We do not know it.' They said it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said that three times. Then he said, 'What kind of man is 'Abdullah ibn Salam among you?' They said, 'That is chief of us and the son of the chief of us and the most knowledgeable of us, and the son of the most knowledgeable of us.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What would you think if 'Abdullah were to become Muslim?' They answered, 'We seek refuge with Allah! He would not become Muslim!' He said, 'Ibn Salam! Come out to them!' He came out and said, 'O company of Jews! Fear Allah. By Allah, there is no god but He! you know that he is the Messenger of Allah and that he has brought the truth.' They said, 'You lied!' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent them out."

3700. It is related that Nafi' ibn 'Umar said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to allot four thousand for the first Muhajirun, but he only allotted three thousand five hundred for Ibn 'Umar. Someone said to him, 'He is one of the Muhajirun, so why do you give him less than four thousand?' He said, 'His parents took him with them when they emigrated.'" He said, "So he was not like those who emigrated on their own account."

3701. It is related that Khabbab said, "We emigrated with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

It is related that Khabbab said, "We emigrated with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and our reward was mandatory with Allah. Some of us have gone without consuming any of his reward, and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr was one of them. He was killed in the Battle of Uhud and we did not find anything with which to shroud him except a cloak. When we covered his head with it, his feet showed, and if we covered his feet, his head showed. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered us to cover his head and we put some idhkhir-herb over his feet. Some of us have had its fruits ripen for him in this world and he is harvesting them now."

3702. It is related that Abu Burda ibn Abi Musa al-Ash'ari said, "'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said to me, 'Do you know what my father said to your father?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'My father said to your father, "O Abu Musa! Would you be happy that our Islam with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, our emigration with him, our jihad with him and all our actions with him were confirmed for us while all the actions which we did after him will be not counted, good or bad?" My father said, "No, by Allah! After the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we did jihad, prayed and fasted and did much good and many people became Muslim through us and we have expectations from that." My father said, "As for myself, by the one who has the soul of 'Umar in His hand, I wish that it will be confirmed for us and that every thing we did after him would be not counted, good or bad." I said, 'By Allah, your father was better than mine!'"

3703. It is related that Abu 'Uthman said, "I heard Ibn 'Umar became angry when it was said to him that he had emigrated before his father. He said, ''Umar and I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and found him having his midday rest and so we returned to hour home. Then 'Umar sent me, saying, 'Go and see if he had woken up.' I went to him and went in to him and gave him allegiance. Then I went to 'Umar and informed him that he had woken up. We went running to him and he went in to him and gave him allegiance and then I gave him allegiance.'"

3704. It is related that al-Bara' said, 'Abu Bakr purchased a saddle from 'Azib and I carried it for him." 'Azib asked him about the journey of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, 'They were lying in wait for us, so we left at night. We travelled quickly through the night and until it was midday. Then a rock loomed before us and we went to it and it still had some shade left. I spread out a hide I had and then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, lay down on it. I went to look around me and saw a shepherd driving his sheep towards the rock, intending what we had intended from it. I asked him, "Whose servant are you?" He replied, "I belong to so-and-so." I asked, "Do your sheep have any milk?" He answered, "Yes." I said, "Will you milk for us?" He replied, "Yes." He took one of his sheep and I said to him, "Clean the dust from the teat." He milked a little milk for me. I had a small pot of water with me over which was a rag. I had prepared it for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I poured it over the milk until its bottom was cool. Then I took it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, "Drink, Messenger of Allah." He drank so that I was pleased. Then we set out while being pursued.'" Al-Bara' said, "I went with Abu Bakr into his family and there was his daughter 'A'isha lying down as she was afflicted by fever. I saw her father kiss her cheek and say, 'How are you, little daughter?'"

3705. It is related that Anas, the servant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived and there was no one among his Companions with white hair except for Abu Bakr, and he dyed it with henna and katam."

It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Madina and Abu Bakr was the oldest of his Companions. He dyed his hair with henna and katam which made it dark red."

3706. It is related from 'A'isha that Abu Bakr married a woman of Kalb called Umm Bakr. When Abu Bakr emigrated, he divorced her and her cousin married her, who is the poet who spoke this qasida in lamenting the unbelievers of Quraysh:

What is ileft n the well, the well of Badr,

of the owners of ebony platters adorned

by roasted camel humps?

What is left in the well, the well of Badr,

of the masters of singing girls and noble drinkers!

Umm Bakr greets us with peace,

but how will I have peace after the death of my people?

The Messenger reports to us that we will live again,

but what about the life of the owls and skulls?

3707. It is related that Abu Bakr said, "I was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the cave and I lifted my head and saw the people's feet. I said. 'O Prophet of Allah, if one of them was to glance down, he would see us.' He said, 'Be quiet, Abu Bakr. Two of whom Allah is the third.'"

3708. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, "A bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him about hijra and he said, 'Woe to you! Hijra is a hard business. Do you have any camels?" He answered, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Do you pay their zakat?' He said, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Do you give any of them as maniha?' He said, 'Yes.' He asked, 'Do you milk them on the day you water them?' He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Even though you work beyond the seas, Allah will not neglect any action you do.'"

LXXV: The Prophet and his Companions arriving in Madina

3709. It is related that al-Bara' said, "The first people to reach us [in Madina] were Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr and Ibn Maktum. Then 'Ammar ibn Yasar and Bilal came to us."

3710. It is related that al-Bara' said, "The first people to reach us were Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum. Then Bilal, Sa'd and 'Ammar ibn Yasir came. Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came with twenty of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came and I had never seen the people of Madina rejoice in anything the way that they rejoiced at the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that the slave-girls began to say, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has come!' Before he came, I could recite, "Glorify the name of your Guardian Lord, the Most High" (87:1) among others of the Mufassal suras."

3711. It is related that 'A'isha said, "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, Abu Bakr and Bilal came down with a fever. I visited them and said, 'O father, how are you? O Bilal, how are you?' When Abu Bakr's fever got worse, he would say:

''Every man begins the morning among his people

While death is nearer than the strap of his sandal.'

When the fever left Bilal, he raised his voice and said,

'Would that I knew whether I would spend a night

in the valley of Makka

with the sweet rushes and panic grass around me!

Will I one day return to the waters of Majinna?

Will the mountains of Shama and Tafil appear to me?'"

'A'isha said, "I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him and he said, 'O Allah! Make us love Madina as much as we love Makka or even more so! Make it healthy! Bless us in our sa' and in our mudd and remove its fever and put it in al-Juhfa!'"

3712. It is related that 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Adi ibn al-Khiyar reported, "I went to 'Uthman. After saying the tashahhud, he said, 'Following on from that, Allah sent Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the Truth and I was one of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger and I believed in what he was sent with. I made the two emigrations. I became the in-law of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I gave him allegiance. By Allah, I did not disobey him nor cheat him until Allah took him.'"

Ishaq al-Kalbi corroborated the like of it.

3713. It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas reported. "'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf returned to his family at Mina during the last hajj which 'Umar made, and he found me. 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'I said, 'O Amir al-Mu'minin! The festival gathers the lowly people and rabble and I think you should wait until you reach Madina. It is the abode of the emigration and the Sunna. You will reach the people of understanding (fiqh), the nobles of the people and those with sound opinion." 'Umar said, "I will rise to speak on it the first time I rise to speak in Madina."'"

3714. It is related from Kharija ibn Zayd ibn Thabit, "Umm al-'Ala', a woman of the Ansar who gave her allegiance to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told me that when the Ansar drew lots about lodging Muhajirun, they got 'Uthman ibn Maz'un to lodge. Umm al-'Ala' said, 'Then 'Uthman became ill and I nursed him until he died and we put him in his clothes. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited us. I said, "The mercy of Allah be upon you, Abu's-Sa'ib. I testify to you that Allah has honoured you." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, "How do you know that Allah has honoured him?" I said, "I do not know. May my father and mother be your ransom, Messenger of Allah! Who then will Allah honour?" He said, "By Allah, the Certain has come to him. By Allah, I hope for the best for him. By Allah, I do not know what He will do with me in spite of my being the Messenger of Allah." She said, "By Allah, I never vouched for anyone after that." She said, 'That made me sad and I went to sleep and I dreamt of a flowing spring for 'Uthman ibn Ma'zun. I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him and he said, 'That is his actions.'"

3715. It is related that 'A'isha said, "The Day of Bu'ath was a day which Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, brought about before the coming of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived when their community had been split and their leaders killed and wounded. Allah brought it about for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that they would enter into Islam."

3716. It is related from Hisham's father that Abu Bakr came in to 'A'isha on the day of Fitr or Adha while there were two girl singers with her singing about what the Ansar had said to each other on the Day of Bu'ath. Abu Bakr exclaimed, "Musical instruments from Shaytan?" twice. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Let them be, Abu Bakr, every people has an 'id and this is our 'id.'"

3717. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said, "When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, he stopped at the upper part of al-Madina in an area of a clan called the Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed among them for fourteen days. Then he sent for the Banu'n-Najjar. They came with their swords girded on. It is as if I could visualize the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on his camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him and the elders of the Banu'n-Najjar gathered around him, until he reached the courtyard of Abu Ayyub.

"He wouldpray wherever he was when the prayer time came. He would even pray in sheepfolds. He ordered the mosque to be built and sent for a group of the Banu'n-Najjar saying, 'Banu'n-Najjar, tell me the price of this walled garden of yours.' They said, 'No, by Allah! We ask for no payment except from Allah!' The place I am telling you about contained pagan graves and some ruins and also some palm-trees. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the graves of the pagans to be dug up and the ruins to be levelled and the palm-trees to be cut down. The palm trunks were lined up in the qibla of the mosque. Its door-posts were made of stone. They used to recite rhyming verses while carrying the stones while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was with them. They were saying:

'O Allah, there is no good except the good of the Next World

so grant forgiveness to the Ansar and the Muhajirun.'"

LXXVI: A Muhajir staying in Makka after finishing the hajj practices

3718. It is related that 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Humayd az-Zuhri said, "I heard 'Umar ibn 'Abdu'l-'Aziz ask as-Sa'ib, the nephew of an-Namir, 'What have you heard about living in Makka?' He said, 'I heard al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami say that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Muhajir is allowed three days after his return [from Mina]."'"

LXXVII: Dating: from when did the dating begin?

3719. It is related that Sahl ibn Sa'd said, "They did not count [the calendar] from when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent nor from his death. They only counted it from when he arrived in Madina."

3720. 'Urwa related that 'A'isha said, "The prayer was originally only two rak'ats. Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emigrated and four rak'ats were obliged, but the travelling prayer was kept the same."

LXXVIII: The words of the Prophet, "O Allah, complete their emigration for my Companions!" and his lamenting those who died in Makka

3721. It is related that Sa'd ibn Malik said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited me in the year of Farewell Pilgrimage on account of a illness from which I thought I would die. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, this illness has affected me as you can see and I have property and no heirs except a daughter. Shall I give two-thirds of my property away as sadaqa?' He said, 'No.' I said, 'Shall I give a half as sadaqa?' He said, 'No.' He added, 'A third, Sa'd, and a third is a lot. It is better to leave rich heirs than to leave them poor, begging from other people.'"

Ibrahim [ibn Sa'd reported that] he said, "Éto leave heirs. There is nothing you spend, desiring the pleasure of Allah by it, but that you will be rewarded for it, even for a morsel you put in your wife's mouth."

He said, 'I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, will I be left behind after my companions leave?' He said, 'You will not be left behind, for any virtuous actions you do will elevate you in degree and elevation. Perhaps you will be left behind so that some people will benefit from you and others harmed by you. O Allah, let My Companions complete their emigration and do not let them turn back on their heels!' But poor Sa'd ibn Khawla! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, grieved over his dying in Makka."

It is related from Ibrahim as "that you leave your heirs."

LXXIX: How the Prophet established brotherhood between his Companions

'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between me and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' when we came to Madina."

Abu Juhayfa said, The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between Salman and Abu'd-Darda'."

3722. It is related that Anas said, "When 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn 'Awf arrived in Madina, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood between him and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' al-Ansari. He offered to divide his wives and property in half with him, but 'Abdu'r-Rahman said, 'May Allah bless you in your family and propety! Direct me to the market.' He made a small profit in dried yoghurt and ghee. Some days later the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him with traces of yellow scent on him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What is this, 'Abdu'r-Rahman?' He said, 'I have married a woman of the Ansar.' He said, 'How much did you give her?' He said, 'A date-stone of gold.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'Hold a wedding-feast, even if only with a sheep.'"

3723. It is related that Anas said, "When 'Abdullah ibn Salam heard of the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Madina, he went to him to ask him about some things and said, 'I will ask you about three things which only a Prophet knows. What is the first sign of the Final Hour? What is the first food that the people of the Garden will eat? And for what reason does a child resemble his father and for what reason does he resemble his maternal uncles?' He said, 'Jibril has just informed me about them.Õ'Ibn Salam said, 'That is the enemy of the Jews among the angels.' He said, "The first sign of the Final Hour will be a fire which will gather people from the east to the west. The first food that the people of the Garden will eat will be the extra bit of the liver of the fish. As for the childÕs resemblance, when the man has intercourse with the woman and his discharge is first, it will resemble him. If she has a discharge first, then it will resemble her.' He said, 'I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.' Then he said, 'O Messenger of Allah, the Jews are a calumnious people.'. The Jews came and Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What kind of man is 'Abdullah ibn Salam among you?' They said, 'The most knowledgeable of us, and the son of the most knowledgeable of us, and the best of us and the son of the best of us.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What would you think if 'Abdullah ibn Salam were to become Muslim?' They said, 'We seek refuge with Allah from that!' He repeated that to them and they said something similar. 'Abdullah came out to them and said, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' They said, 'The worst of us and the son of the worst of us,' and began to disparage him. He said, 'This is what I feared, Messenger of Allah.'"

3724. It is related that Abu'l-Minhal 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Mut'im said, "Sharik sold me some dirhams in the market with delayed payment and I said, 'Glory be to Allah! Is this permissible?" He said, 'By Allah, I sold it in the market and no one criticised us for it. So I asked al-Bara' ibn 'Azib and he said, 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina at a time when we made such transactions and then he said, "There is no harm if it is hand to hand. If there is a delay, then it is not permissible." Find Zayd ibn Arqam and ask him, as he is the greatest trader of us.' So I asked Zayd ibn Arqam and he said the like of it."

Once Sufyan said that he [al-Bara'] said, "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us Madina while we were trading" and he said, "on delay until the festival - or the hajj.'"

LXXX: The Jews coming to the Prophet when he arrived in Madina

"Hâdü" (2:62) means "they became Jews" and "hudnâ" (7:156) is "we repented' and the hâ'id is the repenter (tâ'ib)

3725. It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If ten of the Jews were to believe me, then all the Jews would have believed me."

3726. It is related that Abu Musa said, "When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, some of the Jews used to esteem 'Ashura' and fast it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'We are more entitled to fast it,' and he commanded that it be fasted.'"

3727. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, he found that the Jews fasted 'Ashura'. They were asked about that and said, 'This is the day in which Allah gave Musa and the tribe of Israel victory over Pharaoh and we fast it out of esteem for it,' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'We are more entitled to Musa than you,' and he commanded that it be fasted."

3728. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to let his hair hang down while the idolaters used to part their hair. The People of the Book used to let their hair hang down and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, liked to be in harmony with the People of the Book when he had not been commanded anything about it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, parted his hair.

3729. It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "They, the People of the Book, divided the Qur'an into parts and believed in some and rejected some. That is the meaning of 'those who divide the QurÕan into pieces.' (15:90)"

LXXXI: Salman al-Farisi becomes Muslim

3730. It is related from Salman al-Farisi that he was sold from one master to another for more than thirteen and less than nineteen.

3731. It is related that Salman al-Farisi said, "I come from Ram Hurmuz."

3732. It is related that Salman said, "The gap between 'Isa and Muhammad, may Allah bless both of them and grant them peace, was six hundred years."

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