Riyadh al-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: The Dislike of Conversing After the Late Night Prayer (Isha).
This refers to conversation that is permissible at other times.
Where doing it or leaving it is of no consequence.
As for conversation that is forbidden or disliked at other times,
it is even more strictly forbidden and disliked at this time.
As for conversation regarding good matters, such as discussing knowledge,
stories of the righteous, and noble character,
or speaking with a guest, someone in need, and the like,
there is no dislike in it; rather, it is recommended.
Likewise, conversation due to an excuse or a pressing need is not disliked.
Authentic hadiths have corroborated everything I have mentioned.
On the authority of Abu Barzah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
used to dislike sleeping before Isha and conversing after it.
Agreed upon.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The dislike of sleeping before Isha,
for fear of missing its time.
The dislike of conversing and staying up late after Isha,
for fear of delaying sleep,
which leads to not waking up and missing the Fajr prayer.
The encouragement to maintain prayers at their appointed times,
and the warning against neglecting them or becoming preoccupied with other things,
or engaging in actions that lead to that.
On the authority of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
prayed Isha at the end of his life.
When he finished, he said,
"Do you realize the significance of this night of yours?
For at the turn of one hundred years,
not one person who is on the face of the earth today will remain."
Agreed upon.
"Do you realize" means: inform me.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The permissibility of conversing after Isha regarding knowledge,
due to the good that results from it.
Included in this is what results in a benefit,
such as speaking with one's wife and joking with her,
to comfort her and be gentle with her.
The encouragement to hasten in performing good deeds,
and not to delay them,
because death may take the servant by surprise,
while he is unaware.
A statement from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that the lifespans of his Ummah are short,
compared to the lifespans of those who preceded them,
from the past nations.
This hadith is among the signs of Prophethood,
for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, informed
of something unseen,
and it occurred just as he informed.
For the last person to pass away among those who were present was
Abu al-Tufayl 'Amir ibn Wathilah.
The scholars have agreed that he was
the last of the Companions to die,
and the latest date mentioned for it
is that he died in the year 110 AH,
which is at the turn of one hundred years
from his statement, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
that he was waiting for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and he came to them near the middle of the night,
and he led them in prayer,
meaning Isha.
He said:
Then he gave us a sermon and said,
"Verily, the people have prayed,
then they have slept,
but you will remain in a state of prayer
as long as you are waiting for the prayer."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
"Middle of the night"
means half of it.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The recommendation to delay the Isha prayer.
The end of the time for Isha
is the middle of the night.
The permissibility of conversing after Isha about good things, discussing knowledge,
enjoining good, and forbidding evil.
Waiting for the prayer contains great good,
for the one waiting receives the reward of the prayer as long as he is in his place of prayer.
The bounty of Allah upon His servants is great,
in that He gives them the reward as long as they are waiting for the prayer,
even if they eat and drink during that time.
Chapter: The Prohibition of a Woman Refusing Her Husband's Bed,
if he calls her and she has no valid legal excuse.
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, said:
"If a man calls his wife to his bed and she refuses,
and he spends the night angry with her,
the angels will curse her until morning."
Agreed upon.
In another narration: "until she returns."
Chapter: The Prohibition of a Woman Fasting while Her Husband is Present,
except with his permission.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"It is not lawful for a woman to fast while her husband is present,
except with his permission,
nor to allow anyone into his house except with his permission."
Agreed upon.
Chapter: The Prohibition of the Follower Raising His Head from Ruku' or Sujud Before the Imam.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Does one of you not fear, when he raises his head before the Imam,
that Allah will make his head the head of a donkey,
or that Allah will make his appearance the appearance of a donkey?"
Agreed upon.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The prohibition of preceding the Imam in prayer,
because that invalidates the function of the Imam,
which is that he is appointed to be followed.
The possibility of metamorphosis (maskh) occurring in this Ummah.
Evidence of the ignorance of the one who precedes the Imam and his lack of fiqh,
because the donkey is known for stupidity.
Chapter: The Dislike of Placing the Hand on the Waist (al-khasirah) During Prayer.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
"It was forbidden to place the hands on the waist during prayer."
Agreed upon.
"Al-khasr" means the middle of a person.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The prohibition of "ikhtisar" (placing hands on the waist) in prayer.
Placing the hands on the waist in prayer
is one of the characteristics of the arrogant.
Chapter: The Dislike of Praying in the Presence of Food,
when one's soul craves it,
or while suppressing the urge to relieve oneself,
which are urination and defecation.
On the authority of 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
"There is no prayer in the presence of food,
nor while one is suppressing the two impurities."
Narrated by Muslim.
"In the presence of food"
means its presence while one desires it.
"The two impurities" means urination and defecation.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The dislike of praying while there is a distraction from it,
which diminishes its khushu' (humility/focus),
such as hunger with food present,
or thirst with drink available.
The dislike of praying for someone who has a need
to urinate or defecate,
because of the disturbance it causes to the mind,
and the preoccupation of the heart that prevents khushu'.
The dislike decreases as the time becomes tight.
So whoever fears missing the prayer and its time expiring,
he should pray it in its time,
then eat, drink, and relieve himself.
And Allah knows best.
Chapter: The Prohibition of Raising One's Eyes to the Sky During Prayer.
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, said:
"What is the matter with people who raise their eyes
to the sky during their prayer?"
He spoke sternly about this until he said:
"They must stop this,
or their sight will be snatched away."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
"What is the matter" means: what is the situation.
"Their sight will be snatched away"
means it will be taken away and will not return to them.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The prohibition of raising the eyes to the sky during prayer.
The evidence for the prohibition
is the sternness of the Prophet's, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, words regarding it,
and his threat to the one who does it that his sight will be snatched away and not return.
Accountability for an action occurs after knowledge of its prohibition.
Chapter: The Dislike of Looking Around (al-iltifat) in Prayer Without an Excuse.
On the authority of 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about looking around in prayer.
He said:
"It is a snatching that the Shaytan steals from the servant's prayer."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
"Snatching" (ikhtilas) is taking something quickly by surprise.
From the benefits of the hadith:
The prohibition of looking around in prayer without a need.
Looking around in prayer
is a distraction from the Shaytan for the servant until his khushu' is gone.
Therefore, looking around without an excuse
is an indication of heedlessness and a lack of khushu'.
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to me:
"Beware of looking around in prayer,
for looking around in prayer is ruin.
If it is necessary,
then do it in voluntary prayer, not in the obligatory prayer."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.
From the benefits of the hadith:
This hadith is weak and cannot be used as an argument.
Therefore, looking around is not permissible,
in the obligatory or the voluntary prayer alike,
especially since there are hadiths that forbid
looking around in prayer generally.
And Allah knows best.
Chapter: The Prohibition of Praying Towards Graves.
On the authority of Abu Marthad
Kinaz ibn al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:
Do not pray facing graves,
and do not sit upon them.
Narrated by Muslim.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The prohibition of praying toward graves.
The prohibition of sitting upon graves.
It is not permissible to venerate graves or turn them into places of worship,
as this leads to shirk (polytheism).
Likewise, it is not permissible to treat them with disrespect or contempt,
because a Muslim possesses sanctity both in life and in death.
Chapter: The prohibition of passing in front of a person who is praying.
On the authority of Abu al-Juhaym,
'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
If the person who passes in front of someone praying knew what burden he incurs,
he would prefer to stand for forty,
rather than pass in front of him.
The narrator said:
I do not know
whether he said forty days,
or forty months,
or forty years.
Agreed upon.
"He would prefer to stand for forty":
Meaning, if he knew the magnitude of the sin that befalls him by passing in front of the one praying,
he would choose to stand for that duration so as not to incur the sin.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The prohibition of passing in front of someone praying,
regardless of whether the prayer is obligatory or voluntary,
and whether it is in the mosque or elsewhere.
The permissibility of using the word "if" in the context of warnings.
This does not fall under the category of prohibited speech.
Chapter: The dislike of a follower (ma'mum) beginning a voluntary prayer
after the mu'adhdhin has begun the iqamah for the obligatory prayer.
This applies whether the voluntary prayer is the Sunnah associated with that prayer or otherwise.
May Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
When the iqamah for prayer is called, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.
Narrated by Muslim.
"The obligatory one" means the fard (compulsory) prayer.
The intent is the current prayer among the five daily prayers
for which the iqamah has been called.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
It is not permissible to perform a voluntary prayer once the obligatory prayer has been signaled by the iqamah,
whether one began it before the iqamah or after it.
The recommendation to break off a voluntary prayer when the obligatory prayer is being established.
The warning against differing with the Imams and opposing them.
The recommendation to devote oneself entirely to the obligatory prayer,
and not to be distracted from it by anything else,
even if it is an act of obedience at another time.
This includes attending it at its proper time,
and maintaining its requirements.
Riyadh al-Salihin, O Riyadh al-Salihin.