In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents:
An Abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Raising the hands during the sermon.
On the authority of Sharik ibn 'Abdillah ibn Abi Namir,
that he heard Anas ibn Malik
mention that a man entered the mosque on Friday through a door facing the pulpit,
In one narration:
A Bedouin stood up,
and in another narration:
The people stood up,
while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was standing and delivering the sermon.
So he faced the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while standing,
and said:
"O Messenger of Allah!
The livestock have perished,
and the roads have been cut off."
In one narration:
"The horses have perished, and the sheep have perished."
And in another narration:
"Wealth has perished, and children are starving."
And in another narration:
"The rain has withheld,
the trees have dried up,
and the beasts have perished.
So supplicate Allah to send us rain!"
Anas said:
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raised his hands,
and in one narration:
and the people raised their hands along with him, supplicating.
He then said:
"O Allah, grant us rain!
O Allah, grant us rain!
O Allah, grant us rain!"
In one narration:
"O Allah, relieve us with rain!
O Allah, relieve us with rain!
O Allah, relieve us with rain!"
Anas said:
"By Allah,
we could not see any cloud, nor a fleck of cloud, nor anything in the sky,
and between us and the mountain of Sal' there was no house or building."
He said:
"Then from behind it appeared a cloud like a shield,
and when it reached the middle of the sky,
it spread out and then began to rain."
In one narration:
"until the clouds swelled like mountains,
and he had not even descended from his pulpit
before I saw the rain dripping down his beard (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
And in another narration:
"Then the sky opened its floodgates,
and we went out wading through the water
until we reached our homes."
And in another narration:
"until the watercourses of Medina flowed."
Anas said:
"By Allah, we did not see the sun for six days!
Then a man entered through that same door the following Friday,
while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was standing and delivering the sermon.
He faced him while standing,
and said:
'O Messenger of Allah!
Properties have been destroyed, and the roads have been cut off!'"
In one narration:
"'Buildings have collapsed, and wealth has been drowned!'"
And in another narration:
"'The traveler is stranded, and passage along the roads has been halted!
So supplicate Allah to hold back the rain!'"
Anas said:
In one narration:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) smiled,
and then the Messenger of Allah raised his hands
and said:
"O Allah, around us and not upon us!
O Allah, upon the plateaus, the mountains,
the thickets, the hillocks,
the valleys, and the places where trees grow!"
In one narration:
He repeated it two or three times.
Anas said:
"So the rain stopped,
and we walked out in the sunlight."
In one narration:
"Whenever he pointed with his hand toward a part of the clouds,
it broke apart,
and Medina became like a circular clearing,
while the valley of Qanah flowed for an entire month,
and no one came from any region
without reporting heavy rainfall."
And in another narration:
"So the clouds parted from Medina just as an opening is cut in a garment."
And in another narration:
"I indeed saw the clouds scattering to the right and to the left,
raining all around while no rain fell upon the people of Medina."
And in another narration:
"Allah showed them the honor of His Prophet (peace be upon him)
and the answering of his supplication."
And in another narration:
"I looked at Medina,
and it was encircled as if with a crown."
Sharik said:
"I asked Anas ibn Malik:
'Was he the same man as the first?'
He replied:
'I do not know.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Facing the pulpit":
Meaning directly in front of it.
"The livestock have perished":
What is meant by their perishing
is the absence of sustenance to keep them alive, which was lost
due to the drought.
"The roads have been cut off":
Meaning the travel routes,
and the intended meaning
is the weakness of the camels
due to the scarcity of pasture, making it impossible to travel with them;
and other explanations have also been given.
"So supplicate Allah to send us rain":
Meaning, ask for rainfall.
"A cloud":
Clouds in general.
"Nor a fleck of cloud":
A small patch or wisp of cloud.
"Sal'":
It is a well-known mountain in Medina,
and today the urban expansion of Medina surrounds it on all sides.
"Al-Kura'":
A collective noun referring to horses.
"And the sheep have perished":
"Al-Sha'" is the plural of "shah" (sheep).
"The rain has withheld":
Meaning rain became scarce,
or did not fall at all.
"The trees have dried up":
Meaning their leaves withered and dried out.
"Like a shield":
The resemblance lies in its round shape, not in its size.
"We did not see the sun for six days":
Meaning six consecutive days,
referring to the interval between the two Fridays.
"And the roads have been cut off":
Meaning the routes,
due to the excess of torrential waters.
"So supplicate Allah to hold back the rain":
Meaning, to withhold the downpour and lift it.
"O Allah, around us and not upon us":
Meaning, O Allah, send down the rain in the surrounding regions,
and do not send it destructively upon us.
"Upon the plateaus":
Meaning the elevated hills.
"The thickets":
Referring to the fortresses of Medina,
or other features as has also been stated.
"The hillocks":
Meaning low, flat hills.
"And the places where trees grow":
Meaning the lands that produce vegetation and pasture.
"The clouds swelled":
Meaning they rose and expanded.
"Dripping":
Meaning flowing down and trickling.
"Its floodgates":
The lower outlet of a waterskin,
which is a spout fitted at one of its corners
through which its contents are emptied.
"The watercourses of Medina":
A "mith'ab" is an outlet or channel through which water flows.
"The traveler is stranded":
Meaning delayed and exhausted by hardship,
and other meanings have been suggested.
"Except that it broke apart":
Meaning cleared away.
"Like a circular clearing":
Meaning round like a circular basin,
with the waters surrounding it.
"The valley of Qanah":
Qanah
is the name of one of the major valleys of Medina.
"Heavy rainfall":
Meaning abundant and widespread rain.
"So the clouds parted from Medina just as an opening is cut in a garment":
Meaning they cleared away from Medina just as a neck-opening is separated from a garment.
"Like a crown":
Meaning encircled like a diadem.
Points of benefit from the hadith:
Among the lessons derived from the hadith:
The permissibility of speaking during the sermon out of necessity.
It demonstrates the recommendation to request supplication from a righteous person during calamities.
It demonstrates the permissibility of voicing a grievance in order to remove harm,
and that this does not constitute discontentment or impatience with divine decree.
It shows the utmost compassion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) toward the people
and his mercy toward creation.
It shows the recommendation to pray for the cessation of rain over residential dwellings
when it becomes excessive and causes harm.
The hadith indicates that the supplication for rain is an invocation of hopeful longing,
just as the eclipse prayer supplication is an invocation of awe and fear.
It also shows the legitimacy of repeating the supplication three times.
Furthermore, the hadith contains a manifest miracle of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
for he did not ask for the rain to cease entirely;
rather, he asked for its harm to be averted.
It demonstrates the permissibility of reiterating the request for rain,
as well as the permissibility of raising the hands during the prayer for rain.
It also shows the desirability of supplicating for the removal of hardship.
The hadith proves that supplicating for harm to be removed does not contradict reliance upon Allah,
nor does it contradict contentment with Allah's divine decree.
It also demonstrates the legitimacy of incorporating the supplication for rain into the Friday sermon,
and supplicating from upon the pulpit.
It shows that the Friday prayer suffices in place of the independent prayer for rain.
It also indicates the permissibility of taking an oath without being asked to do so, in order to emphasize speech.
It demonstrates the legitimacy of delivering the sermon while standing.
Chapter: Remaining Silent on Friday While the Imam Delivers the Sermon.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"If you say to your companion on Friday, 'Listen attentively,'
while the imam is delivering the sermon,
you have engaged in idle talk."
Commentary on the hadith:
"To your companion" means to the person sitting beside you.
"Listen attentively" means be quiet.
Attentive listening denotes keeping silent in order to hear.
"You have engaged in idle talk":
What is meant
is that you have lost the complete reward and virtue of the Friday prayer,
because you failed to comply with the command of total silence.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
all manner of speech is strictly forbidden during the sermon.
It also directs one to abstain from all speech that is devoid of benefit and utility.
Chapter: The Special Hour on Friday.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said:
Abu al-Qasim, peace be upon him, said:
"Indeed, there is an hour on Friday
during which no Muslim servant stands in prayer,
asking Allah for good,
except that He grants it to him."
And he gestured with his hand—
placing his fingertip upon the palm side of his middle finger and pinky—
we said, indicating how short it is.
Commentary on the hadith:
"No [servant] meets it"
means encounters it or coincides with it.
This expression is general, encompassing whether one intentionally seeks it out
or coincidentally happens to make supplication during it.
"Except that He grants it to him"
means He answers his prayer.
"And placed his fingertip":
The fingertips are the tips of the fingers.
"Upon the palm side of the middle finger"
refers to the middle finger.
"Indicating how short it is"
means minimizing its duration;
he meant that this hour is a very brief moment.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
the virtue of Friday is made manifest.
It also encourages seeking out the hour of response on Friday,
and the most correct view is that it occurs after 'Asr prayer.
Chapter:
When people disperse away from the imam during the Friday prayer,
the prayer of the imam and those who remain is valid.
On the authority of Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
While we were praying with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
a trade caravan arrived from the Levant.
In another narration:
A caravan on a Friday
carrying food provisions.
The people turned away toward it,
until no one remained with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
except twelve men.
Thereupon, the verse was revealed:
"And when they saw a transaction or an amusement,
they rushed to it."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Caravan" refers to camels carrying merchandise,
whether food or anything else.
"The people turned away toward it"
means they departed toward the caravan.
"And when they saw a transaction or an amusement,
they rushed to it"
means they left the mosque,
eager for that amusement and trade,
leaving behind that which is truly good.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
the virtue of Friday is emphasized.
It also shows the obligation of abandoning trade
and everything that distracts from the Friday prayer.
Chapter: The Sunnah Prayer Before and After the Friday Prayer.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
I memorized ten units of prayer from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
two rak'ahs before Zuhr,
two rak'ahs after it,
two rak'ahs after Maghrib in his house,
two rak'ahs after 'Isha' in his house,
and two rak'ahs before the Fajr prayer.
It was an hour during which no one entered upon the Prophet, peace be upon him.
In another narration:
And he would not pray after the Friday prayer until he departed,
whereupon he would pray two rak'ahs.
Commentary on the hadith:
"It was an hour during which no one entered upon the Prophet, peace be upon him":
His sister Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, informed him of the prayer during that hour.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
the number of rak'ahs of the confirmed Sunnah prayers is clarified.
It also indicates that performing voluntary prayers at home is preferable.
It illustrates the excellence of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both,
and his diligent observance of the Sunnah.
Chapter: The Statement of Allah Almighty:
“And when the prayer is ended, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah's bounty, and remember Allah much, that ye may be successful.” (62:10)
On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him,
that he said:
We used to rejoice on Fridays.
We had an elderly woman who would take beetroots from our garden,
which we used to plant along our water channels,
and she would place them into her cooking pot,
adding a few grains of barley to it.
He said:
It contained neither fat nor meat grease.
When we finished the Friday prayer, we would visit her,
and she would serve it to us,
and we used to rejoice on Fridays because of that.
We would neither eat lunch nor take our midday nap except after the Friday prayer.
Commentary on the hadith:
"From beetroots":
Beetroot is a well-known vegetable.
"We used to plant along our water channels":
The word refers to the edges of irrigation basins, rivulets, and watercourses.
"Fat" refers to animal fat and the like.
"Nor meat grease":
Grease is the melted fat and oil extracted from meat.
"And she would serve it to us"
means she presented it before us.
"We would neither eat lunch":
Lunch refers to the meal eaten in the first part of the day.
"Nor take our midday nap":
The midday nap entails resting around noon,
even if it does not involve actual sleep.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
it is commendable to draw close to Allah through good deeds, even if small.
It reveals the contentment and modest lifestyle of the Companions,
and their lack of longing for this worldly life and its pleasures.
It encourages hastening toward acts of obedience.
It also highlights the recommendation of taking a midday nap
to help in fulfilling one's obligations.
It demonstrates the virtue of feeding others.
It also indicates the virtue of bringing joy to the heart of a Muslim.
It emphasizes the importance of ongoing charity, even if modest in quantity.
Chapter: The Fear Prayer.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
I took part in a military expedition with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, toward Najd.
We stood parallel to the enemy,
and we drew up in battle lines facing them.
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stood to lead us in prayer,
so one group stood with him to pray,
while another group faced the enemy.
The Messenger of Allah bowed with those who were with him
and prostrated twice.
Then they moved back to take the place of the group that had not yet prayed,
and the other group came forward.
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prayed one rak'ah with them
and prostrated twice,
then concluded the prayer with the taslim.
Then each one of them stood up
and prayed one rak'ah individually, followed by two prostrations.
Ibn 'Umar added, narrating from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:
"And if the danger is greater than that,
then let them pray standing or riding."
Commentary on the hadith:
"I took part in a military expedition with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him":
This was the Battle of Dhat al-Riqa'.
"Toward Najd" means in the direction of Najd,
and Najd is a region of the Arabian Peninsula.
"We stood parallel to the enemy" denotes lining up opposite them,
which means facing one another.
"We drew up in battle lines" comes from the word for ranks.
"Riding" is the plural of a rider mounted on a beast.
Points of benefit derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that
the paramount importance of the prayer is underscored,
and that it is never abandoned even in times of war.
It also demonstrates that the obligatory components of the prayer
are waived in cases of actual or legal inability.
The hadith emphasizes the obligation of taking caution and vigilance against enemies.
It also highlights the immense virtue of striving in the cause of Allah Almighty.
Chapter: Guarding One Another During the Fear Prayer.
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood up,
and the people stood along with him.
He proclaimed the takbir, and they proclaimed it with him;
then he bowed, and a group of them bowed with him;
then he prostrated, and they prostrated with him.
Then he stood for the second rak'ah.
The group that had prostrated and guarded their brothers then stood up,
and the other group came
and bowed and prostrated with him,
while all the people were engaged in prayer,
yet guarding one another.
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: Guarding One Another During the Fear Prayer.
"Guarding" (al-hirāsah) means protection and surveillance.
"Yet guarding..."
Guarding in the cause of Allah
means remaining vigilant and protecting the Muslims
from being harmed by the enemy's plot.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, we learn:
An explanation of the virtue of standing guard in the cause of Allah Almighty.
The hadith contains a command to maintain the prayer.
The hadith indicates that the fear prayer takes various forms,
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed
on different occasions and in diverse manners,
seeking in all of them what was most cautious for the prayer
and most effective for guarding.
It shows that the leader of the prayer during the fear prayer
is the leader of jihad,
who leads both groups in prayer.
Chapter: The Prayer of the Pursuer and the Pursued,
Mounted and by Gestures.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to us
when he returned from the Battle of the Ahzab (the Trench):
"None of you should pray 'Asr
except at Banu Qurayzah."
Time for 'Asr overtook some of them on the way,
so some of them said,
"We will not pray until we reach it,"
while others said,
"Rather, we will pray now;
he did not intend that from us."
That was mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and he did not rebuke a single one of them.
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: The Prayer of the Pursuer and the Pursued,
Mounted and by Gestures.
The pursuer is the one seeking out the enemy,
and the pursued is the one being sought by the enemy.
"Gestures" (al-īmā') refers to signaling with body parts,
such as the head, hand, eye, or eyebrow,
and what is meant here is the head.
"Al-Ahzab" refers to the Battle of the Trench.
"None of you should pray 'Asr,"
meaning the 'Asr prayer,
"except at Banu Qurayzah,"
which was a Jewish tribe.
"He did not rebuke,"
meaning he did not reprimand or speak harshly to them.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith provides evidence that every two qualified jurists (mujtahids) who differ
in subsidiary matters of fiqh are both rewarded.
It guides us to refrain from rebuking a mujtahid
even if he errs, provided he exerts his utmost effort.
It shows that whoever acts upon a plausible interpretation
incurs no blame.
The Book of the Two 'Eids.
Chapter: The Sunnah of the Two 'Eids for the People of Islam.
On the authority of Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a sermon to us
on the Day of Sacrifice ('Eid al-Adha) after the prayer.
In a narration:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went out
on the Day of Sacrifice to Al-Baqi'
and prayed two rak'ahs,
then turned his face toward us
and said—
in another narration:
"The first thing we begin with on this day of ours
is to pray,
then return and slaughter our sacrifices.
Whoever prays our prayer
and slaughters as we slaughter
has fulfilled the sacred rite correctly;
but whoever slaughters before the prayer,
that sacrifice was made before the prayer
and is not counted as a sacred rite."
Abu Burdah ibn Niyar,
the maternal uncle of Al-Bara', said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
I slaughtered my sheep before the prayer,
knowing that today is a day of eating and drinking,
and I wished for my sheep to be the first slaughtered in my house;
so I slaughtered my sheep
and ate lunch before coming to the prayer."
In a narration:
"And I fed my family and my neighbors."
In another narration:
They had a guest,
so he ordered his family to slaughter before he returned
so that their guest could eat.
He said,
"Your sheep was merely a sheep for meat."
He said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
we have a young female goat, a jad'ah (under one year),
which is dearer to me than two adult sheep."
In a narration:
"...better than a mature sheep.
Will it suffice on my behalf?"
He said,
"Yes,
but it will not suffice for anyone after you."
In a narration:
"And it will not be valid for anyone else."
In another narration:
"And it will not fulfill the requirement for anyone else."
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: The Sunnah of the Two 'Eids for the People of Islam,
meaning the tradition that distinguishes them on their 'Eid.
"Prays our prayer,"
meaning the 'Eid prayer.
"And slaughters as we slaughter..."
The "nusuk" is the sacrifice,
referring here to the Udhiyah (Qurban).
"Has fulfilled the sacred rite correctly,"
meaning the prescribed method of the sacrifice,
which is the Udhiyah.
"And whoever slaughters,"
meaning whoever performs the slaughter.
"Then we slaughter,"
meaning we offer our sacrifices.
"Your sheep was merely a sheep for meat,"
meaning it is not a valid Udhiyah sacrifice,
nor is there reward for it as an Udhiyah;
rather, it is ordinary meat from which you benefit.
"We have a young female goat,"
'anāq being a young female goat.
"Jada'ah,"
meaning it has not yet completed one full year.
"Dearer to me than two sheep,"
meaning in terms of the quality, fatness,
and high value of its meat.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith proves that the people of Islam have an 'Eid
by which they are distinguished in sacred law and way of life;
that the Sunnah is to deliver the sermon after the prayer;
and that the Udhiyah sacrifice is among the ritual symbols of Islam.
The hadith highlights the keen devotion of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
to the ritual sacrifice of Udhiyah.
It clarifies the age requirement and proper time for the Udhiyah sacrifice.
It provides guidance to be generous to one's family on the Day of Sacrifice.
Chapter: Eating on the Day of Fast-Breaking ('Eid al-Fitr) Before Going Out.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
would never go out on the morning of the Day of Fast-Breaking
until he had eaten some dates.
Commentary on the hadith:
"Would never go out," meaning he would not head forth
until he had eaten some dates.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, we learn that it is part of the Sunnah
for a person not to head out to the prayer ground on the day of 'Eid al-Fitr
until after eating an odd number of dates.
The wisdom behind recommending dates
lies in sweet food strengthening the eyesight,
which fasting weakens,
and it is easier to digest than other foods
before the 'Eid al-Fitr prayer,
so that no one presumes fasting remains obligatory on the day of 'Eid al-Fitr
until one performs the 'Eid prayer—
while following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Chapter: Eating on the Day of Sacrifice ('Eid al-Adha).
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said on the Day of Sacrifice:
"Whoever slaughtered before the prayer must repeat his sacrifice."
A man stood up and said,
"O Messenger of Allah, this is a day
in which meat is greatly craved"—
and he mentioned his neighbors; in a narration:
"...and he mentioned some hardship among his neighbors";
in another narration, he said either:
"...they suffer severe need," or he said:
"...they suffer poverty—
and I have a young goat (jad'ah)," and in a narration:
"...a young female goat ('anāq) that is better than two sheep raised for meat."
So he granted him a special dispensation for that.
"And I do not know whether this dispensation reached
anyone besides him or not."
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned
toward two rams and slaughtered them,
and the people went to some sheep
and distributed them among themselves—or he said:
"...divided them among themselves."
"Whoever slaughtered," meaning his sacrifice,
"before the prayer," meaning the 'Eid prayer,
"must repeat it," meaning he must slaughter another one,
for it is merely a sheep for meat, not a sheep
for Udhiyah. "A man stood up,"
who was Abu Burdah. "This is
a day in which meat is craved,"
meaning people yearn on the Day of Sacrifice
...would be suitable for eating, even a young goat.
A young goat under two years of age...
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, overturned...
Meaning livestock.
And the people went toward a flock of sheep—
Meaning a small herd of sheep—
And distributed them, meaning they divided them among themselves.
"And they distributed them,"
Meaning they divided them among themselves.
And he mentioned a certain thing.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
the recommendability of honoring the guest and the neighbor.
The hadith also indicates that a young goat under one year of age is not sufficient for sacrifice.
It also shows that a special concession is not general in application,
nor should it be broadened.
It further demonstrates the keenness of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,
to observe the ritual of the sacrifice.