In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents:
Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari.
On the authority of Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan, who said:
While I was sitting among my family late in the morning,
a messenger from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came to me and said,
"Answer the Commander of the Faithful!"
So I went with him until I entered upon 'Umar,
and found him sitting on the bare woven cords of a bed frame,
with no mattress between him and it,
reclining upon a leather pillow.
I greeted him with peace and then sat down.
He said,
"O Malik!
Some families from your people have arrived,
and I have ordered a modest grant for them;
take it and distribute it among them."
I said,
"O Commander of the Faithful,
if only you would assign someone other than me to do it."
He said,
"Take it, man."
While I was sitting with him,
his doorkeeper, Yarfa', came to him
and said,
"Would you receive 'Uthman, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf,
al-Zubayr, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas? They are asking for permission to enter."
He said, "Yes."
So he granted them permission,
and they entered,
greeted him with peace, and sat down.
Yarfa' then paused for a short while,
and then said,
"Would you receive 'Ali and 'Abbas?"
He said, "Yes."
So he granted both of them permission,
and they entered, greeted him with peace, and sat down.
'Abbas said,
"O Commander of the Faithful!
Judge between me and this one!"
They were disputing over the spoils of war that Allah had bestowed upon His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
from the property of Banu al-Nadir.
The group—
'Uthman and his companions—said,
"O Commander of the Faithful,
judge between them,
and relieve each of them from the other."
'Umar said,
"Wait!
—and in another narration:
Go slow!—
I adjure you by Allah, by Whose leave the heavens and the earth stand firm:
Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
'We leave no inheritance;
whatever we leave behind is a charity,'
meaning by that himself (peace be upon him)?"
The group said,
"He indeed said that."
'Umar then turned to 'Ali and 'Abbas and said,
"I adjure you both by Allah:
Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) indeed said that?"
They said, "Yes."
'Umar said,
"Then let me tell you about this matter.
Allah had singled out His Messenger (peace be upon him) with a share of this fai'
that He gave to no one else."
Then he recited:
“And that which Allah gave as spoil unto His messenger from them, ye urged not any horse or riding-camel for the sake thereof, but Allah giveth His messenger lordship over whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things.” (59:6)
up to His words:
{"All-Powerful."}
"So this was exclusively for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Yet, by Allah, he did not withhold it from you,
nor did he keep it entirely for himself over you;
he gave it to you and distributed it among you,
until this property remained from it.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to spend the annual provision for his family from this property,
and then take whatever remained
and designate it as the wealth of Allah is designated.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) acted in that manner throughout
his life.
I adjure you by Allah:
Do you know that?"
They said, "Yes."
Then he said to 'Ali and 'Abbas,
"I adjure you both by Allah:
Do you know that?" They said, "Yes."
'Umar continued,
"Then Allah took His Prophet (peace be upon him),
and Abu Bakr said,
'I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).'
So Abu Bakr took charge of it,
managing it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had managed it,
and Allah knows that he was indeed truthful, pious, rightly guided, and an adherent to the truth concerning it.
Then Allah took Abu Bakr,
and I became the successor of Abu Bakr.
So I held charge of it for two years of my rule,
managing it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had managed it,
and as Abu Bakr had managed it,
and Allah knows that I am indeed truthful, pious, rightly guided, and an adherent to the truth concerning it.
Then both of you came to me, speaking to me,
your word being one
and your purpose being one.
You came to me, O 'Abbas,
asking me for your share from your nephew,
and this one came to me—
meaning 'Ali—
wanting his wife's share from her father.
So I said to you both:
'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"We leave no inheritance;
whatever we leave behind is a charity."'
Then, when it seemed proper to me to hand it over to you,
I said:
'If you wish, I will hand it over to you both,
on the condition that you make a covenant and pledge before Allah
that you will manage it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) managed it,
and as Abu Bakr managed it,
and as I have managed it since I assumed charge of it.'
You both said,
'Hand it over to us.'
So on that condition, I handed it over to you both.
Now I adjure you by Allah:
Did I hand it over to them on that condition?"
The group said,
"Yes."
Then he turned to 'Ali and 'Abbas
and said,
"I adjure you both by Allah:
Did I hand it over to you both on that condition?"
They said, "Yes."
He said,
"Do you seek from me a judgment other than that?
By Allah, by Whose leave the heavens and the earth stand firm,
I will never pass a judgment concerning it other than that!
And if you are incapable of managing it, then hand it back to me,
and I will relieve you both of its care."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Late in the morning"
means when the day had advanced and the sun had risen high.
"On the bare woven cords of a bed frame":
the cords (rimal)
are what is plaited from palm fronds to lie upon.
"Pillow" (wisadah)
means a cushion.
"Of leather" (adam)
means made of hide.
"O Mali"
means: O Malik;
he used a curtailed vocative form by dropping the letter kaf.
"Some families" (ahl abyat)
means a group of people.
"A modest grant" (radkh)
—the term radkh
refers to a small, unspecified gift or allotment.
"Would you receive..."
means: Do you wish to grant them permission to enter?
"Judge between me and this one,"
referring to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
"They were disputing,"
meaning they were debating and contending
over what Allah had bestowed as spoils of war (fai') upon His Messenger (peace be upon him)
—the fai'
is what was acquired by him (peace be upon him)
from the wealth of the disbelievers
without armed conflict or warfare—
"from the property of Banu al-Nadir,"
which is the property in Medina and Fadak,
as well as what remained of the fifth of Khaybar.
"What befalls him" (ta'ruh):
it means
the rights and obligations that arise, and the needs that encompass him,
"and his vicissitudes,"
meaning the sudden events and misfortunes that afflict him.
"Wait" (taydakum)
is a verbal noun functioning as an imperative,
meaning: Be patient and take your time;
proceed at ease.
"I adjure you by Allah"
means: I ask you by Allah,
"by Whose leave the heavens and the earth stand firm":
meaning that it is among His great signs
that the heavens and the earth stand firm, steady, and fixed by His command,
neither shaking nor the heaven falling onto the earth.
"I tell you"
means: I speak to you.
"Exclusively for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)"
means specially for him to the exclusion of others.
"He did not withhold it from you"
means he did not hoard or reserve it exclusively from you,
"nor did he keep it entirely for himself over you,"
meaning he did not monopolize it or take exclusive possession of it apart from you;
"and distributed it among you,"
meaning he apportioned it among you and dispersed it among you.
"Whatever remained"
means what was left over and surplus,
"and designated it as the wealth of Allah is designated,"
meaning he spent it on the public interests of the Muslims.
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did so throughout his lifetime,
meaning, as long as he was alive.
"I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),"
meaning, the caliph of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
"So Abu Bakr took charge of it,"
meaning, he took custody of it by way of stewardship and management.
"Truly truthful,"
meaning, in what he says;
"righteous,"
meaning, in what he does;
"rightly guided,"
in emulating the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him);
"and a follower of the truth,"
meaning, in all of his actions.
"I am the successor of Abu Bakr,"
meaning, the caliph of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
"Of my rule,"
meaning, during the duration of my caliphate.
"Then you both came to speak to me,"
meaning, regarding the inheritance of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
"and both of your words and your claim were one and the same,"
meaning, in seeking the inheritance.
"You asked me for your share from your nephew,"
meaning, you were requesting his share from the inheritance of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
"and his wife's share,"
meaning, Fatimah's (may Allah be pleased with her) share from the inheritance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
"It appeared to me,"
meaning, it became clear and properly established to me.
"Allah's covenant and pledge be upon you,"
meaning, I take binding oaths and covenants from both of you.
"Would you then seek from me,"
meaning, would you ask of me and expect from me,
"a ruling other than that?"
meaning, a judgment different from what you have heard?
"By His permission,"
meaning, by His command.
"I will relieve you both of its management,"
meaning, I shall take full responsibility and manage it on your behalf.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that litigation and seeking the settlement of disputes are legally prescribed;
that it guides toward appointing the one most knowledgeable of people's needs,
who is typically the chieftain of the tribe;
that shortening names affectionately (tarkhim) is permissible;
and that doing so is neither an indignity to the one addressed nor a slight;
that seeking to be relieved of a leadership post or office using gentle, courteous words is permissible;
that it is permissible for the ruler and dignitaries to maintain doorkeepers;
that greeting with salam is initiated upon entering public and private gatherings;
that intercession before the ruler to see a judgment carried out is virtuous
when matters escalate and discord between litigants is feared;
the virtue of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),
as well as his asceticism and austere way of life;
that storing provisions for an entire year is permissible;
that the foundational rule in legal rulings is generality and the absence of specification,
until evidence indicating specification is established;
that litigants should be reminded of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,
and that the legal proofs should be clarified;
that there is no harm in a person praising himself when stating the truth;
that safety lies in adhering to the original course of action;
that it guides toward holding fast to the Sunnah of the two Sheikhs (Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them);
that swearing an oath without being asked to do so is permissible;
the virtue of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him),
and 'Umar's (may Allah be pleased with him) recognition of his stature and rank;
that having witnesses present during judicial rulings is legally prescribed;
that offices should be entrusted to people of knowledge and upright guidance;
the acceptance of a single-narrator report (khabar al-wahid);
that it cannot be denied that certain matters may remain unknown to a jurist or scholar while being known to others;
that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) readily returned to the truth;
and that the ruler's actions are tied directly to the welfare of the Ummah.
Chapter: The Maintenance of the Prophet's Wives After His Passing
On the authority of 'A'ishah, who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away,
and there was nothing in my house that a living creature could eat,
except for a small portion of barley on a shelf of mine.
So I ate from it for a long time,
until I measured it, whereupon it was finished."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A living creature" (dhu kabid) means any animal or human being.
"A portion of barley" (shatr sha'ir)
means a small quantity of barley;
it is also said to resemble half of a measure, such as a sa' or the like;
and other opinions have been stated.
"On a shelf" (fi raff):
a shelf is a piece of wood raised above the floor against the wall,
used to protect whatever is placed upon it.
"For a long time" means it remained with her for a lengthy period.
"I measured it" means I placed it in a measuring vessel to know its amount,
"whereupon it was finished," meaning it was completely consumed.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that blessing (barakah) is most prevalent in unmeasured and uncounted provisions,
and that calculating may negate that blessing;
that storing food according to need is permissible;
and an illustration of the state of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and the asceticism of his household.
Chapter: What Has Been Mentioned Regarding the Dwellings of the Prophet's Wives
and the dwellings that were attributed to him.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pointing toward the east."
In another narration:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood to deliver a sermon,
and pointed toward the dwelling of 'A'ishah,
saying:
"Tribulation is over there!
Tribulation is over there!"
In another narration:
"From where the horn of Satan emerges."
In another narration,
or he said:
"The horn of the sun."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Toward the east"
means in the direction of the east,
and what is meant is the direction of Iraq.
"Tribulation is over there"
means that tribulations will originate from the east,
and from its regions the Dajjal will emerge.
"The horn of Satan emerges"
means the side of his head;
meaning that he brings his head close to the sun at that time,
so that the disbelievers who prostrate to the sun appear as though prostrating to him;
and it is also said
that his horn refers to his followers.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
to beware of tribulations and the places they originate;
that the majority of tribulations originate from the east;
and a warning against the snares of Satan.
Chapter: What Has Been Mentioned Regarding the Prophet's Armor,
his staff, his sword, his cup, and his signet ring,
and what the caliphs after him made use of from these items,
among those not mentioned as having been divided,
as well as his hair, his sandals, and his vessels,
from which his Companions and others sought blessings after his death.
On the authority of Anas: When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed caliph,
he dispatched him to Bahrain,
and wrote this document for him,
sealing it with the signet ring of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The engraving on the ring was in three lines:
"Muhammad" on one line,
"Messenger" on another line,
and "Allah" on another line.
Commentary on the hadith:
"And wrote this document for him"
refers to the document stipulating the obligatory zakat.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that adopting a signet ring and engraving it is permissible;
and that official letters and correspondence should be authenticated by sealing them with a designated stamp.
On the authority of 'Isa Ibn Tahman, who said:
Anas brought out to us two hairless sandals, each with two thongs,
and Thabit al-Bunani later narrated to me
on the authority of Anas that they were the sandals of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Commentary on the hadith:
"Hairless" (jardawayn) means devoid of hair.
"Having two thongs" (qibalan):
the qibal is that to which the toe-strap is fastened;
it is the strap that goes between the middle toe and the toe adjacent to it.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that having two thongs on sandals
provides a firmer hold for the foot and better preserves the sandal;
and it shows the eagerness of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
to preserve the guidance and relics of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
On the authority of Abu Burdah, who said:
"'A'ishah brought out to us a coarse waist-wrapper of the kind made in Yemen,
and a cloak of the kind they call patched."
In another narration:
"'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) brought out to us a patched cloak,
and said: 'In these two garments the soul of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Patched" (al-mulabbadah)
means a thick garment with layers sewn over one another;
and other descriptions have also been mentioned.
From the benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
an illustration of what the Prophet (peace be upon him) was upon
regarding asceticism and his renunciation of luxury;
and it demonstrates the Companions' (may Allah be pleased with them) preservation
of the relics of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
On the authority of 'Asim al-Ahwal, who said:
"I saw the cup of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
in the possession of Anas Ibn Malik.
It had developed a crack,
so he mended the crack with a silver wire.
It was a fine, wide cup
made of tamarisk wood."
Anas said:
"I indeed served the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) drink
in this very cup
more than such-and-such number of times."
He said:
And Ibn Sirin said:
"It had an iron ring,
and Anas intended to replace it with a ring of gold or silver,
but Abu Talhah said to him:
'Do not alter anything made by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).'
So he left it as it was."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A drinking vessel (qadah)," meaning a cup or bowl.
"If it cracked (in sada'a)..."
"The crack (al-sad')" means a split or fissure.
"...he repaired it with a silver chain."
That is, he mended it by joining its broken parts together with silver wire.
"Made of tamarisk wood (nudar)..."
"Al-nudar" refers to:
The purest and finest of anything;
And it is also said:
They are reddish wooden drinking vessels,
Compared to gold due to their fine quality.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It is permissible to repair a broken cup with silver wire.
It also indicates that it is commendable for a person to obtain the finest quality of everyday items.
On the authority of Ibn al-Hanafiyyah, who said:
"If 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) were ever to speak ill of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him),
he would have done so the day some people came to him complaining about 'Uthman's tax collectors.
'Ali said to me:
'Go to 'Uthman and inform him that this contains the rules of zakat prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and tell him to instruct his collectors to act in accordance with it.'
So I brought it to him,
but he said: [Keep it away from us, for we have no need of it.]"
Commentary on the hadith:
"If 'Ali were ever to speak ill of 'Uthman..."
Meaning, with anything improper or unseemly.
"'Uthman's collectors (su'at)..."
Meaning his appointed workers over zakat collection.
"'Go to 'Uthman and inform him that this contains the rules of zakat prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)...'"
And 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned this regarding 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).
The meaning is that 'Ali sent a written document to 'Uthman
containing an explanation of the rulings of zakat.
"Keep it away from us" is a phrase meaning setting it aside and turning away from it,
and what is meant is: "We already possess sufficient knowledge such that we do not need this document."
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It illustrates the great virtue of both 'Uthman and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them).
It shows that scholars should assist and advise one another.
The hadith also points to the immense forbearance of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him),
and that he only grew angry for the sake of the truth.
Chapter: Evidence that the fifth of the spoils is designated for the unforeseen needs of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the destitute,
and the Prophet's prioritization of the people of the Suffah and widows.
On the authority of 'Ali: Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) complained of the pain she suffered from the hand-mill.
Some war captives were brought to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
so she went to him, but did not find him.
She found 'A'ishah and informed her of her need.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned,
'A'ishah informed him of Fatimah's visit.
The Prophet came to us after we had already gone to bed.
I started to stand up,
but he said: "Stay where you are."
He sat between us until I felt the coolness of his feet on my chest.
He then said: "Shall I not teach you something better than what you asked me for?
When you go to your beds,
glorify Allah (Allahu Akbar) thirty-four times,
exalt His purity (Subhan Allah) thirty-three times,
and praise Him (Alhamdulillah) thirty-three times.
That is better for you both than a servant."
Commentary on the hadith:
"The hand-mill (al-raha)" is a pair of stones used for grinding grain.
"We had gone to bed" means we had lain down to sleep.
"I started to stand up,"
meaning to rise out of reverence for the Prophet (peace be upon him).
"Shall I not teach you both something better than what you asked me for?"
The request was attributed to both of them,
even though the petitioner was Fatimah alone,
because her request was made with the approval of 'Ali.
"That is better for you both,"
meaning far superior for your welfare.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
A father should look after the welfare of his married daughter and offer her counsel.
It shows the legitimacy and virtue of a wife serving her household.
It demonstrates the virtue of the bedtime remembrances of Allah,
and that they bring about good and ward off hardship.
It also shows a father's gentle affection toward his daughter and her husband.
Chapter: The statement of Allah Almighty:
“And know that whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and for the messenger and for the kinsman (who hath need) and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if ye believe in Allah and that which We revealed unto Our slave on the Day of Discrimination, the day when the two armies met. And Allah is Able to do all things.” (8:41)
On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah al-Ansari, who said:
A son was born to a man among us,
and he named him al-Qasim.
The Ansar said:
"We will not call you Abu al-Qasim,
nor will we grant you comfort and joy in doing so."
So he went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
a son was born to me,
and I named him al-Qasim.
But the Ansar said:
'We will not call you Abu al-Qasim,
nor will we grant you comfort and joy in doing so.'"
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The Ansar have done well.
Name yourselves with my name,
but do not use my patronymic (kunya),
for I am a distributor (Qasim)."
In another narration:
"For I am a distributor (Qasim) who distributes among you."
And in another narration:
"Name your son 'Abd al-Rahman."
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: The statement of Allah Almighty:
“And know that whatever ye take as spoils of war, lo! a fifth thereof is for Allah, and for the messenger and for the kinsman (who hath need) and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if ye believe in Allah and that which We revealed unto Our slave on the Day of Discrimination, the day when the two armies met. And Allah is Able to do all things.” (8:41)
This share is expended on the general public interests of the Muslims
without being restricted to one specific beneficiary.
"Nor will we grant you comfort and joy (wa-la nu'nimuka 'ayna),"
meaning we will not delight you with that or honor you with this title.
"Do not use my patronymic (wa-la takannaw)..."
What is meant is:
Do not adopt the agnomen "Abu al-Qasim."
"I am a distributor (Qasim),"
meaning I apportion wealth on behalf of Allah Almighty
in inheritances, spoils of war, and other revenues.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It is disliked to combine the Prophet's personal name
and his kunya during his lifetime.
It also shows the permissibility of naming children after the prophets,
peace and blessings be upon them.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"I neither grant to you nor withhold from you;
I am merely a distributor,
allocating where I have been commanded."
Commentary on the hadith:
"I neither grant to you nor withhold from you..."
Meaning that Allah alone is truly the Giver and the Withholder,
and I only distribute to you in accordance with what Allah reveals to me.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It serves as guidance for every distributor of wealth to emulate the Prophet (peace be upon him),
giving and withholding solely according to what Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has legislated.
The hadith also indicates that the entire foundation of the Sacred Law rests on pure compliance.
On the authority of Khawlah al-Ansariyyah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say:
"Indeed, there are men who wrongfully misuse public wealth belonging to Allah,
and for them will be the Fire on the Day of Resurrection."
Commentary on the hadith:
"They misuse (yatakhawwadun)..."
What is meant is:
Indiscriminately and unlawfully amassing or spending wealth however one can.
Key lessons from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It is obligatory to exercise utmost caution in acquiring and spending wealth.
It contains a severe prohibition against unlawful earnings.