I came to Medina when an epidemic had broken out. While I was sitting with `Umar bin Al-Khattab a funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed to him.” And another funeral procession passed by and the people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed to him.” A third (funeral procession) passed by and the people spoke badly of the deceased. He said, “It has been affirmed to him.” I (Abu Al-Aswad) asked, “O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?” He replied, “I said the same as the Prophet (ﷺ) had said, that is: if four persons testify the piety of a Muslim, Allah will grant him Paradise.” We asked, “If three persons testify his piety?” He (the Prophet) replied, “Even three.” Then we asked, “If two?” He replied, “Even two.” We did not ask him regarding one witness.
Once I went to Medina where there was an outbreak of disease and the people were dying rapidly. I was sitting with `Umar and a funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed” (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed.” (Paradise). Then another funeral procession passed by. The people praised the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed (Paradise).” Then a third funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. `Umar said, “It has been affirmed (Hell).” I asked `Umar, “O chief of the believers! What has been affirmed?” He said, “I have said what the Prophet (ﷺ) said. He said, ‘Allah will admit into paradise any Muslim whose good character is attested by four persons.’ We asked the Prophet, ‘If there were three witnesses only?’ He said, ‘Even three.’ We asked, ‘If there were two only?’ He said, ‘Even two.’ But we did not ask him about one witness.”
An army unit was being recruited from the people of Medina and my name was written among them. Then I met `Ikrima, and when I informed him about it, he discouraged me very strongly and said, “Ibn `Abbas told me that there were some Muslims who were with the pagans to increase their number against Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (and the Muslim army) so arrows (from the Muslim army) would hit one of them and kill him or a Muslim would strike him (with his sword) and kill him. So Allah revealed:– ‘Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (by staying among the disbelievers).’ (4.97)
My father related to me that Ma’qil b. Yasir fell ill. ‘Ubaidullah b. Ziyad called on him to inquire after his health. Here follows the tradition as narrated by Hasan from Ma’qil.
What is your view, what the people do today in the world, and strive for, is it something decreed for them or preordained for them or will their fate in the Hereafter be deterrained by the fact that their Prophets brought them teaching which they did not act upon? I said: Of course, it is something which is predetermined for them and preordained for them. He (further) said: Then, would it not be an injustice (to punish them)? I felt greatly disturbed because of that, and said: Everything is created by Allah and lies in His Power. He would not be questioned as to what He does, but they would be questioned; thereupon he said to me: May Allah have mercy upon you, I did not mean to ask you but for testing your intelligence. Two men of the tribe of Muzaina came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah’s Messenger, what is your opinion that the people do in the world and strive for, is something decreed for them; something preordained for them and will their fate in the Hereafter be determined by the fact that their Prophets brought them teachings which they did not act upon. and thus they became deserving of punishment? Thereupon, he said: Of course, it happens as it is decreed by Destiny and preordained for them, and this view is confirmed by this verse of the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious:” Consider the soul and Him Who made it perfect, then breathed into it its sin and its piety” (xci. 8).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led one of the two groups in praying one rak’ah while the other group was facing the enemy, then they moved away and took the place of the others, and the others came and he led them in praying the other rak’ah, then he said the salam and they stood up and made up the other rak’ah, and the others stood up and made up the other rak’ah.
“I was told that Umm Habibah bin Abi Sufyan said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs during the day and night, apart from the prescribed prayers, Allah (SWT) will build for him a house in Paradise.'”
a funeral passed by the Messenger of Allah and he stood up. It was said: “It is the funeral of a Jew.” He said: “We stood up for the angels.”
“Aishah said: ‘The Messenger of Allah entered upon me and there was a man sitting with me. He got upset about that, and I saw the anger in his face.’ I said: “O Messenger of Allah, he is my brother through breast-feeding.” He said: “Be careful who you count as your brothers” –or: “be careful who you count as your brothers through breast-feeding”– “for the breast-feeding (which makes marriage prohibited) is from hunger.”
The Messenger of Allah said: “The Jews and Christians do not dye their hair, so be different from them.”
A similar report was narrated from Abu Hurairah, from the Messenger of Allah .
“The Messenger of Allah said: ‘The Jews and the Christians do not dye their hair, so be different from them and dye your hair.'”
“The Prophet forbade me to wear gold rings and Al-Qassi, red Al-Miyathir, and (to drink) Al-Ji’ah.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: people of two different religions would not inherit from one another.
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Islam increases and does not diminish. He, therefore, appointed a Muslim heir (of a non-Muslim).
Abu Quhafah was brought on the day of the conquest of Mecca with head and beard while like hyssop. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Change this something, but avoid black.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Shall I not inform you of something more excellent in degree than fasting, prayer and almsgiving (sadaqah)? The people replied: Yes, Prophet of Allah! He said: It is putting things right between people, spoiling them is the shaver (destructive).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this ? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak’ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you.
“The Prophet entered a grave during the night, so a torch was lit for him. He took it (the deceased) in from the direction of the Qiblah, and he said: ‘May Allah have mercy upon you, you were often invoking (Allah) by reciting the Qur’an.’ And he said: ‘Allahu Akbar four times.”
“We set out until we came to the Prophet (ﷺ). We gave him our oath of allegiance and performed prayer behind him. Then we offered another prayer behind him. He finished the prayer and saw a man on his own, praying behind the row.” He said: “The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) stood beside him and when he finished he said: ‘Repeat your prayer; there is no prayer for the one who is behind the row.’”
“We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the campaign of Khaibar, and in the evening the people lit their fires. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘What are you cooking?’ They said: ‘The meat of domesticated donkeys.’ He said: ‘Throw out what is in them (the pots) and break them.’ A man said: ‘Or can we throw out what is in them and wash them?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Or (do) that.’”
“Umar bin Khattab put on a new garment and said: Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi kasani ma uwari bihi ‘awrati, wa atajammalu bihi fi hayati (Praise is to Allah Who has clothed me in something with which I conceal my nakedness and adorn myself in my life). Then he said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever puts on a new garment and says: Al-hamdu lillahil- ladhi kasani ma uwari bihi ‘awrati, wa atajammalu bihi fi hayati (Praise be to Allah Who has clothed me in something with which I conceal my nakedness and adorn myself in my life), then takes the garment that has worn out, or that he had taken off and gives it in charity, he will be under the shelter, protection and care of Allah, whether he lives or dies.’ He said this three times.”
“Whoever offers the morning prayer, he is under the protection of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.”
“The believer should not humiliate himself.” They said: “How could he humiliate himself?” He said: “By taking on a trial that he cannot deal with.”