In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Ifadah Center
for Humanitarian Studies and Research
presents
The Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: One Who Does Not Display Grief at the Time of Calamity.
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
A son of Abu Talhah was ailing,
and Abu Talhah went out,
whereupon the child passed away.
When Abu Talhah returned,
he asked,
"How is my son?"
Umm Sulaym replied,
"He is calmer than he has ever been."
In another narration:
"His soul has found rest,
and I hope that he is now at peace."
Abu Talhah assumed
that she meant it literally.
So she brought him dinner,
and he dined,
after which he was intimate with her.
When he had finished,
she said,
"Bury the boy."
In the morning, Abu Talhah
went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and informed him of what happened.
He asked,
"Were you intimate last night?"
He replied, "Yes."
The Prophet said,
"O Allah, bless them both."
She subsequently gave birth to a boy,
and Abu Talhah told me,
"Look after him until you bring
him to the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
So he brought him to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and she sent along with him
some dates.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took him
and asked,
"Is there anything with him?"
They replied, "Yes,
some dates."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took them,
chewed them,
and then took some from his mouth
and placed it into the infant's mouth,
performing tahnik on him,
and named him 'Abdullah.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Was ailing" (yashtaki)
means he was sick.
"Passed away" (qubida)
means he died.
"Calmer than he has ever been"
means he was motionless,
no longer in pain from the severity of the illness.
"He was intimate with her"
is a metonymy for sexual intercourse.
"Bury the boy" (wari al-sabiyy)
means inter him.
"Were you intimate last night?" (a'rastum al-laylah)
comes from al-i'ras, meaning conjugal relations.
"Performing tahnik on him" (hannakahu bihi):
Tahnik
is to chew a date or something similar,
and then rub the palate of
the infant with it.
Key Benefits of the Hadith:
In the hadith is a tremendous merit
for Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her),
on account of her patience
and her contentment with the decree of Allah
the Exalted.
It indicates the permissibility of choosing the stricter, more resolute course
and foregoing the concession for whoever is capable
of doing so.
It shows that a woman may adorn herself for her husband
to invite conjugal intimacy.
It demonstrates that whoever gives up
something for the sake of Allah the Exalted,
Allah will compensate them with something far better
than what was lost.
It proves the legitimacy of using equivocation (double entendre)
in cases of necessity,
provided that it does not invalidate a right
belonging to a Muslim.
It shows the obligation of responding to the supplication of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
The hadith also illustrates
the virtue of patience and anticipating Allah's reward.
Chapter: The Statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
"Indeed, we are grieved by your departure."
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik
(may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
We entered along with the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
upon Abu Sayf
the blacksmith,
who was the foster father of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
The Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) took
Ibrahim,
kissed him, and smelled his fragrance.
Later on, we entered upon him
while Ibrahim was drawing
his last breaths.
Thereupon, the eyes of the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
began shedding tears.
'Abd al-Rahman
Ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him,
"Even you, O Messenger of Allah?"
He replied,
"O Ibn 'Awf,
it is mercy."
He then wept further
and said (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
"Indeed, the eye sheds tears,
and the heart grieves,
but we do not say
anything except what pleases our Lord.
And indeed, at your departure,
O Ibrahim,
we are deeply grieved."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Upon Abu Sayf
the blacksmith":
his name was al-Bara' Ibn Aws al-Ansari,
and al-qayn
means a blacksmith.
"He was a zi'r"
means the husband of the wet nurse.
The wet nurse was Umm Burdah,
Khawlah bint al-Mundhir al-Ansariyyah,
from the clan of Banu al-Najjar.
"Drawing his last breaths" (yajudu bi-nafsih)
means his soul was departing and he was giving it up,
just as a person generously gives
away his wealth.
"Began shedding tears" (tadhrifan)
means tears were flowing from them.
"He then wept further"
means he shed another tear.
Key Benefits of the Hadith:
In the hadith
is the mention of Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and his death.
It demonstrates the legitimacy of hiring a wet nurse
for children.
The hadith also shows that tribulation
may come in the form of the death of children,
which is among the greatest of trials.
It proves the permissibility of kissing
a person who is near death
as a gesture of farewell.
It indicates the permissibility of natural weeping
and sorrow,
free from the pre-Islamic practices of lamentation.
It highlights
the complete compassion of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and his tender mercy.
The hadith demonstrates that showing mercy
to children is innate.
It shows that a follower may inquire
about the action of a scholar
if he does something that seems surprising.
It indicates the recommendation to restrain
grief as much as possible,
though there is no harm if a person naturally displays
what is unavoidable.
The hadith illustrates
the virtue of submission, contentment,
and patience with the divine decrees.
It establishes that weeping
and sorrow do not contradict
contentment with Allah's decree and predestination,
as long as the grieving person does not commit
any violation of the Sacred Law.
Chapter: Weeping
in the Presence of the Sick.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar
(may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
Sa'd Ibn 'Ubadah fell ill
with an ailment of his,
so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came
to visit him, along with
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf,
Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas,
and 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
(may Allah be pleased with them).
When he entered upon him,
he found him unconscious, surrounded by
his family."
He asked, "Has he passed away?"
They replied, "No,
O Messenger of Allah."
Thereupon, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wept.
When the people saw the Prophet's weeping,
they wept as well.
So he said,
"Do you not hear?
Indeed, Allah does not punish
because of the shedding of tears, nor
because of the grief of the heart,
but rather He punishes because of this"—
and he pointed to his tongue—
"or He shows mercy.
And surely the deceased
is tormented by the wailing of his family
over him."
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to
strike with a stick for doing so,
pelt with stones,
and fling dust.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Fell ill" (ishtaka)
means he became sick.
"Visiting him" (ya'uduhu):
'Iyadah refers to visiting the sick.
"Surrounded by his family" (fi ghashiyati ahlihi):
What is meant is
the people present with him,
who surround him to serve him.
It is also said to mean
the severe agony of pain that enveloped him
which he was suffering from.
"Has he passed away?" (qad qada)
means: has he died?
"Rather He punishes because of this"—
and he pointed to his tongue—
meaning: He punishes because of what issues from it
of the sayings of pre-Islamic ignorance (Jahiliyyah),
"or He shows mercy,"
meaning: if He chooses not to execute the threat against him.
It is also said:
He shows mercy to whoever speaks good
and surrenders to the decree of Allah Almighty.
"Used to strike for it"
means: he would strike whoever wailed over the deceased,
"and fling dust,"
meaning into their mouths,
in compliance with the Prophetic command.
Key benefits of the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the recommendation of visiting the sick,
both individually and in groups.
It indicates the legitimacy of
enjoining good
and forbidding evil,
warning against falling
into sinful deeds,
and making clear the threat of punishment for them.
It shows the permissibility of people joining a weeping person in his weeping.
The hadith also explains that the deceased
is tormented by the wailing of his family over him.
It affirms the punishment of the grave.
It indicates the permissibility of changing evil by hand for the ruler
and those holding similar authority.
It demonstrates the perfection of the Prophet's compassion (peace be upon him)
and his mercy toward his Companions and his Ummah,
as well as his inquiring (peace be upon him)
after their conditions and visiting them.
The hadith also points to the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs.
Chapter: What is Prohibited of Wailing and Weeping,
and the Rebuke Against That.
On the authority of Umm 'Atiyyah, who said:
"We gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and he recited to us:
'that they will not associate anything with Allah,'
and he forbade us from wailing.
Thereupon, a woman among us pulled her hand back
and said,
'So-and-so comforted me in wailing,
and I want to reciprocate her.'
But he said nothing.
So she went away and then returned,
and none of the women fulfilled that pledge except Umm Sulaym, Umm al-'Ala',
and the daughter of Abi Sabrah,
the wife of Mu'adh;
or the daughter of Abi Sabrah
and the wife of Mu'adh."
In another narration:
"and the daughter of Abi Sabrah,
the wife of Mu'adh,
and two other women";
or: "the daughter of Abi Sabrah,
and the wife of Mu'adh,
and another woman."
Commentary on the hadith:
"We gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him)"
refers to the pact made when he accepted their pledge upon entering Islam.
"A woman among us pulled her hand back"
means she refrained from completing the pledge,
and that woman was Umm 'Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her),
but she kept herself anonymous.
"So-and-so comforted me in wailing":
A woman was said to comfort another woman
when she joined her in wailing, responding to her cries.
"To reciprocate her"
means: by wailing with her just as she wailed with me.
"None of the women fulfilled that pledge"
means: in completely abandoning wailing.
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith establishes the prohibition of wailing,
and the importance of condemning and forbidding it,
for it inflames grief and repels patience,
and it contradicts submission to the divine decree
and yielding to the command of Allah Almighty.
The hadith indicates returning favors and assistance,
and reciprocating good deeds,
as long as it does not involve sin.
It also highlights the virtue of fulfilling pledges and promises.
Chapter: Standing Up for a Funeral Procession.
On the authority of 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with him),
on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
"When one of you sees a funeral procession,
if he is not walking with it,
let him stand until it leaves him behind or he leaves it behind,
or until it is set down before it leaves him behind."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Let him stand until it leaves him behind or he leaves it behind":
that is, until he passes ahead of the funeral procession,
or the funeral procession passes ahead of him and leaves him behind,
and what is meant is parting company with it.
"Or it is set down"
means: the bier is lowered from the men's shoulders onto the ground.
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith highlights the virtue of accompanying a funeral until it is placed in its niche.
It indicates the recommendation of standing for a funeral procession
for one who is not accompanying it and witnesses it passing by.
The apparent wording of the hadith
suggests that one should stand as soon as he sees it, before it reaches him.
It indicates that the time for sitting down for one passed by a funeral
is when it is set down on the ground, if he is following it;
whereas if he is not following it,
he remains standing until the funeral passes out of sight.
Chapter:
When One Sits Down If He Stood for a Funeral Procession.
On the authority of Sa'id al-Maqburi,
on the authority of his father, who said:
"We were at a funeral,
and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) took Marwan by the hand,
and they sat down before it was lowered.
Then Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) came,
took Marwan by the hand, and said,
'Stand up!
For by Allah, this man surely knows that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
forbade us from doing that.'
Thereupon, Abu Hurayrah said,
'He has spoken the truth.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Stand up!"
means: for the funeral procession.
"For by Allah, this man surely knows
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade us from doing that":
meaning that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) knew
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade us from sitting before the funeral is lowered.
"He has spoken the truth"—meaning Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him).
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith demonstrates the Companions' adherence to the Sunnah,
and their alerting people to follow the Prophetic guidance.
It shows the legitimacy of enjoining good and forbidding evil,
and supporting enjoining good and forbidding evil with textual evidence.
Chapter: Whoever Follows a Funeral Procession
Shall Not Sit Until It Is Lowered from the Shoulders of Men;
and If He Sits, He Is Commanded to Stand.
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
"When you see a funeral procession, stand up;
and whoever follows it must not sit down until it is placed down."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Until it is placed down"
means: the bier is lowered from the men's shoulders onto the ground.
It is also said to mean: placed in its niche.
Key benefits of the hadith:
The hadith shows the virtue of accompanying a funeral until it is placed in its niche.
It indicates the recommendation of standing for a funeral for one who is not accompanying it and sees it passing by.
The apparent wording of the hadith indicates that one stands as soon as he sees it, before it reaches him.
It indicates that the time for sitting down for one whom a funeral passes
is when it is lowered onto the ground, if he is following it;
whereas if he is not following it,
he remains standing until the funeral passes out of sight.
Chapter: One Who Stood Up for the Funeral of a Jew.
On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"A funeral procession passed by us,
so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up for it,
and we stood up with him.
We then said, 'O Messenger of Allah,
it is the funeral of a Jew!'
He said, 'When you see a funeral procession, stand up.'"
Commentary on the Hadith:
"We stood up for it"
means: we stood up because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
From this hadith we learn:
An indication of the Prophet's complete compassion
and his mercy toward creation;
and that in death there is an admonition for creation;
and that it is recommended to stand up for a funeral procession,
even if the deceased was a non-Muslim;
and an illustration of the Companions' absolute submission
and adherence to the Prophetic guidance;
and the permissibility of inquiring about and seeking clarification regarding his actions.
On the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, who said:
Sahl ibn Hunayf and Qays ibn Sa'd
were sitting in al-Qadisiyyah,
when a funeral procession passed by them,
so they both stood up.
It was said to them:
"It is one of the people of the land,"
meaning one of the *dhimmis* (non-Muslim subjects).
So they said:
"A funeral procession passed by the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and he stood up.
It was said to him:
'It is the funeral of a Jew!'
So he replied:
'Is it not a soul?'"
Commentary on the Hadith:
"In al-Qadisiyyah":
It is a small town with date palms and water,
two stages of travel away from Kufa.
"From the *dhimmis*":
The *dhimmis* were called "the people of the land"
because when the Muslims conquered the lands,
they left them to work the land and pay the land tax (*kharaj*).
"Is it not a soul?":
Meaning, standing for it was out of reverence for the gravity and reminder of death.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
From this hadith we learn:
The recommendation to stand up for the funeral processions of *dhimmis*;
and that death is a reality binding upon every soul;
and that in it lies a profound admonition.
Chapter: Men Carrying the Bier, Not Women
On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him),
that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"When the bier is placed
and the men carry it on their shoulders:
if it was righteous, it says,
'Hasten me forward! Hasten me forward!'
But if it was unrighteous, it says,
'Woe to it! Where are you taking it?'
Every single creature hears its voice
except humans;
and were a human to hear it, he would collapse unconscious."
"When the bier is placed":
meaning in its coffin.
"Woe to it!":
meaning, when it sees that it was unrighteous,
it recoils from itself, speaking of itself as if it were someone else,
loathing to attribute woe directly to itself.
"Would collapse unconscious" (*sa'iqa*):
*Al-sa'q*
means that a person faints
from an intense sound that he hears,
and may even die from it.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
In the hadith is evidence that the deceased knows their destination
before being placed in their grave;
and it contains an allusion to the punishment and bliss of the grave,
for the righteous soul says, "Hasten me forward to it,"
unlike the unrighteous soul.
Chapter: Walking Fast with the Bier
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
"Hasten with the bier;
for if it is righteous, it is good that you are forwarding it to,
and if it is otherwise,
it is an evil you are putting off your necks."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Hasten with the bier":
What is meant is a pace between running and normal walking.
It has also been said to mean hastening its preparation and burial once death is verified.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
From this hadith we learn:
The recommendation to promptly prepare the deceased and hasten their burial;
and the hadith alludes to shunning the company of corrupt and wicked people.
Chapter: Forming Two or Three Rows Behind the Imam for the Funeral Prayer
On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Today a righteous man from Abyssinia has died,
so come and pray over him."
In another narration:
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
prayed over Ashamah, the Negus,
and pronounced four *takbirs*.
He said: "So we formed rows,
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the prayer over him
while we were behind him in rows."
Jabir said:
"I was in the second row."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Today a righteous man from Abyssinia has died":
That was the Negus.
"So come" (*halumma*): meaning, come forward.
"I was in the second row":
It has also been transmitted from Jabir that he said:
"I was in the second or third row."
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
The hadith demonstrates the great virtue of the Negus (may Allah be pleased with him);
and it contains the Prophet's commendation of the Negus,
confirming that he was among the righteous;
and it establishes the permissibility of the funeral prayer in absentia;
and the recommendation to form multiple rows behind the imam in the funeral prayer.
Chapter: Performing the Funeral Prayer in the Prayer Ground and the Mosque
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) announced the death of the Negus, ruler of Abyssinia,
on the very day he died,
and said: "Ask forgiveness for your brother."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"He announced the death" (*na'a*): meaning he informed them of his death.
*Al-na'y* is to publicly announce to people that so-and-so has died
so that they may attend his funeral.
Regarding the Negus: it is said his name was Ashamah,
and other names have also been mentioned.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
The hadith contains a command to seek forgiveness for the deceased;
and it proves that the Negus died as a Muslim,
because the Prophet (peace be upon him) described him
by saying, "for your brother";
and the hadith is one of the signs of Prophethood,
as the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed them of his death on the very day he died.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):
The Jews came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
with a man and a woman from among them who had committed adultery.
So he said to them:
"What do you do with those among you who commit adultery?"
They said: "We blacken their faces and beat them."
In another narration: "We disgrace them and they are flogged."
In another narration: "Our rabbis innovated blackening the face and parading them bent backward."
In another narration: "We smut their faces and humiliate them."
He said: "Do you not find stoning in the Torah?"
They replied: "We do not find anything about it in it."
Thereupon 'Abdullah ibn Salam said to them:
"You have lied! Bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful!"
So their teacher, the one who taught it among them, placed his hand over the verse of stoning
and began reading what preceded his hand and what followed it,
omitting the verse of stoning.
Then he had his hand pulled away from the verse of stoning,
and it was asked: "What is this?"
When they saw that, they said: "It is the verse of stoning."
So he ordered that both of them be stoned near the place where funerals were held by the mosque.
In another narration: "Near al-Balat."
"And I saw her companion leaning over her to shield her from the stones."
In another narration: "bending over her against the stones."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"We blacken their faces" (*nuhammimuhuma*): meaning, we smear them with soot, which is coal dust.
Stoning (*al-rajm*): it is pelting with stones until death.
'Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him):
an illustrious Companion who was formerly one of the foremost Jewish rabbis.
"Bring" (*fa'tu*): meaning, produce it.
"Their teacher placed" (*mudarisuha*): meaning the one who teaches their scriptures;
and *al-midras* is the schoolhouse in which they study.
"He began reading what was before his hand":
meaning he commenced reciting and proceeded with it.
"Then his hand was pulled away from the verse of stoning":
meaning it was removed from it.
"I saw her companion": meaning the adulterer,
"leaning over her": meaning out of sympathy and compassion,
"shielding her from the stones":
that is, protecting her from the stones.
Key Lessons from the Hadith:
From this hadith we learn:
The execution of prescribed legal penalties (*hudud*) upon the People of the Book;
and that the Jews and their rabbis
colluded to alter and conceal the Torah;
and that stoning the adulterer was the law of those before us,
which Islam reaffirmed with its specific conditions;
and the virtue of 'Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him);
and the deliberate intent of the Jewish rabbis
to conceal the rulings of the Torah;
and the legitimacy of arguing against an opponent
using their own texts and beliefs.
Chapter: What Is Disliked Regarding Taking Graves as Mosques
On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said
during his illness from which he did not recover:
"May Allah curse the Jews;
they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."
'A'ishah said:
"Were it not for that, his grave would have been made prominent,
but it was feared that it would be taken as a mosque."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"During his illness from which he did not recover":
meaning his terminal illness.
"May Allah curse the Jews":
Cursing (*al-la'n*)
is expulsion and banishment from the mercy of Allah the Exalted.
"...took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."
That is, they turned them into places of worship.
"His grave would have been made prominent."
Meaning the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have been left exposed and made prominent.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith serves as a foundational proof for the legal principle of blocking the means to evil (sadd al-dhara'i').
It contains a prohibition against combining a mosque and a grave in one place,
and there are further juristic details regarding this.
Chapter: Reciting Surat al-Fatihah in the Funeral Prayer.
On the authority of Talhah Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn 'Awf, who said:
"I prayed behind Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) in a funeral prayer,
and he recited Surat al-Fatihah."
He said:
"So that they would know it is a Sunnah."
Commentary on the hadith:
"So that they would know it is a Sunnah,"
meaning that reciting al-Fatihah during the funeral prayer is an established Sunnah.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from this hadith
that a Companion's statement, "It is from the Sunnah,"
carries the ruling of being marfu' (directly attributed to the Prophet).
It also shows that teaching through practical demonstration and personal example
leaves a far deeper impression on the soul.