In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Efadah Center
for Humanistic Studies and Research
presents:
A Summary of Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Fasting on the Day of Ashura.
Narrated by Humaid ibn Abd al-Rahman:
He heard Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him and his father)
on the Day of Ashura, the year he performed the Hajj,
saying while upon the pulpit:
"O people of Madinah, where are your scholars?
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
'This is the Day of Ashura,
and Allah has not prescribed its fasting upon you,
yet I am fasting.
So whoever wishes to fast may do so,
and whoever wishes to break his fast may do so.'"
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Where are your scholars?"
He apparently said this only
when he heard someone declaring it obligatory, forbidden, or disliked,
intending to inform them that it is neither obligatory, forbidden, nor disliked.
"And [Allah] has not prescribed"
means He has not made it mandatory or obligatory.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the recommendation of fasting on the Day of Ashura.
In it is a reminder for the scholar regarding what he might overlook
or fail to recall.
In it is also proof that nothing is obligatory except what Islamic law makes obligatory.
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah
and saw the Jews fasting on the Day of Ashura.
He asked, "What is this?"
They replied, "This is a righteous day."
In another narration: "This is a great day;
it is the day Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy,"
In another narration: "Allah granted Moses victory on it,"
In another narration: "Moses prevailed over Pharaoh on it,
so Moses fasted it."
In another narration: "So Moses fasted it out of gratitude to Allah,"
In another narration: "and we fast it to venerate it."
[The Prophet] said, "I am more worthy of Moses than you."
In another narration: "I have a greater right to Moses,"
In another narration: "We have a greater right to Moses."
So he fasted it and ordered that it be fasted.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"The Day of Ashura" refers to the tenth day of the month of Muharram.
"What is this?" means, what is the reason for this fasting?
"A righteous day" means it possesses merit in their view.
"Their enemy" refers to Pharaoh.
"So Moses fasted it" means out of gratitude to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.
"More worthy" means having a greater right.
"Than you" means than the Jews.
"So he fasted it" means he fasted the Day of Ashura.
"Allah granted Moses victory on it":
Victory denotes help, triumph, success, and conquest over the enemy.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
that the fasting of Ashura was initially an obligation,
which was later abrogated by the fast of Ramadan,
while the virtue of its fasting remains until the Day of Resurrection.
In it is also proof that Muslims have a greater right to express gratitude for the salvation of Moses (peace be upon him) than the Jews.
Narrated by Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Madinah
and found certain people among the Jews venerating Ashura.
In a narration:
The Jews treated it as an Eid
and fasted it.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"We have a greater right to fast it."
In a narration:
"So fast it yourselves."
And he commanded its fasting.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"They venerated Ashura"
means the Jews exalted the Day of Ashura
and took it as a festival,
"and fasted it"
out of gratitude.
"Greater right"
means more entitled to venerate and fast this day than the Jews.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
an exposition of the virtue of fasting the Day of Ashura.
In it is proof that the people of innovation venerating virtuous days
does not prevent orthodox believers from venerating them properly.
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father):
"I never saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
eagerly seeking to fast any day, considering it superior to others,
except this day—
the Day of Ashura—
and this month,"
meaning the month of Ramadan.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Eagerly seeking"
means seeking out;
and diligence (al-taharri)
is striving eagerly and making utmost effort to attain a thing.
"Superior to others":
The intended meaning is
that he fasted it due to its established virtue.
"The Day of Ashura"
means the tenth day of the month of Muharram.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the recommendation of eagerly seeking to fast virtuous days.
In it is proof that no virtue belongs to any place or time
except through explicit textual evidence.
Book of Tarawih Prayers.
Chapter: The Virtue of Performing Night Prayers in Ramadan.
Narrated by Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari:
"I went out with Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) one night in Ramadan to the mosque,
and the people were in separate groups:
a man praying by himself,
and another man praying with a small group following his prayer.
Umar said:
'I think that if I gathered these people behind a single reciter,
it would be better.'
Then he resolved upon it and gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Ka'b.
Later, I went out with him on another night,
and the people were praying behind their reciter.
Umar remarked:
'What an excellent innovation this is!
Yet the prayer they sleep through is better than the one they perform,'
referring to the end of the night,
whereas the people used to perform the night prayer in the earlier part of the night."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"To the mosque" means the Mosque of Madinah.
"And the people were" indicates his surprise at their state.
"Separate groups" means scattered gatherings.
"In separate groups" is emphasized to highlight their division in prayer;
the intended meaning is that they were offering voluntary prayers in the mosque
after the Isha prayer in scattered groups.
"A small group" (rahṭ) refers to a group numbering between three and ten.
"I think" stems from personal judgment and ijtihad.
"If I gathered these people" refers to those praying in separate groups,
"behind a single reciter" to lead them as imam.
"Better" (amthal) means more ideal and appropriate.
"Resolved" means he made a firm and decisive determination.
"Innovation" was used considering the outward appearance of the matter;
thus it is understood in its linguistic sense, not its technical jurisprudential definition.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the virtue of performing night prayers, especially during the nights of Ramadan.
In it is guidance for the leader to monitor the spiritual state of the people in worship
and unite them upon the best condition.
In the report is an indication of the condemnation of division and disunity.
In the report is an indication of adhering to the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs.
In it is the permissibility of praying Tarawih at home,
because his statement:
"Later, I went out with him on another night,
and the people were praying behind their reciter,"
indicates that Umar prayed it in his own home.
In it is proof that the practice of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs established
that the Tarawih prayer is performed in the early part of the night.
Al-Shatibi said regarding the statement of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him),
"What an excellent innovation":
"He only called it an innovation considering the outward state of affairs,
in that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had left it,
and it happened that it was not practiced during the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)—
not that it was an innovation in the technical religious sense.
So whoever terms it an innovation based on this consideration,
there is no dispute over mere terminology.
Consequently,
it is not permissible to use this statement as proof for the validity of religious innovation
in the jurisprudentially debated sense,
as that would be a form of distorting words from their proper contexts."
Chapter: Seeking the Night of Decree in the Odd Nights of the Last Ten Days.
Narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
used to observe i'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan
and say:
'Seek the Night of Decree in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.'"
In a narration:
"Search for it,"
And in another narration:
"in the odd nights."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Observed i'tikaf" (yujāwir)
means he entered spiritual retreat in the mosque.
"Seek"
means search for it and strive diligently to attain it.
Benefits of the Hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the virtue of i'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan.
In it is an encouragement to strive in acts of worship during the last ten days.
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Seek it in the last ten days of Ramadan—
the Night of Decree—
when nine nights remain,
when seven nights remain,
when five nights remain."
In a narration:
"among the nine that have passed,
or among the seven that remain."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Seek it out—
meaning, search for it—
on the ninth remaining night,
the seventh remaining night,
or the fifth remaining night."
That is, if the month is complete (thirty days),
the interpretation would be that it falls on an odd-numbered night,
whereas if the month is incomplete (twenty-nine days),
it would fall on an even-numbered night.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
We learn from the hadith
that Laylat al-Qadr occurs during the last ten nights of Ramadan,
and it is most hope-for on the odd-numbered nights.
It also contains an encouragement to seek out Laylat al-Qadr.
Chapter: Devotional Deeds During the Last Ten Nights of Ramadan.
On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
"Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him)
entered the last ten days of Ramadan,
he would tighten his waistwrapper,
keep his night alive with prayer,
and awaken his family."
Commentary on the hadith:
The auxiliary verb *kana* indicates continuity and habituality.
"The ten"
refers to the last ten nights of Ramadan.
"His waistwrapper" (*mi'zar*)
means his *izar*.
This expression is a metonymy either for abstaining from marital relations,
or for preparing oneself
and striving earnestly in worship,
or for both of these meanings combined.
"And kept his night alive"
means with prayer and devotion.
"His family"
means his wives.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
We learn from the hadith
the virtue of the last ten nights of Ramadan
and the importance of increasing worship during them.
It also shows that a man should regularly urge his family to perform virtuous acts of worship.
Chapters on Itikaf (Spiritual Retreat).
*Itikaf*
is remaining and residing in the mosque for the purpose of drawing closer to Allah Almighty.
Chapter: Itikaf During the Last Ten Days,
and Itikaf in All Mosques.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
used to observe itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan."
Commentary on the hadith:
The verb *kana* denotes constancy and continuity.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
We learn from the hadith
the recommended nature of observing itikaf during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.
It also demonstrates the virtue of the last ten days of Ramadan.
On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him):
"The Prophet (peace be upon him)
used to observe itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan
until Allah took his soul,
and his wives observed itikaf after him."
Commentary on the hadith:
"And his wives observed itikaf after him"
means that its ruling remained continuous after his death, even for women,
and it was not exclusive to him.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
We learn from the hadith
the importance of persisting in virtuous deeds during blessed times.
It also establishes the validity of women observing itikaf.
Chapter: Observing Itikaf for a Single Night.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar—
in a narration:
"When we returned from Hunayn,
'Umar asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about a vow..."
On the authority of 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him),
that he said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
I made a vow during the Days of Ignorance (*Jahiliyyah*) to observe itikaf for a night in al-Masjid al-Haram."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him:
"Fulfill your vow."
So he observed itikaf for a night.
Commentary on the hadith:
"During the Days of Ignorance (*Jahiliyyah*)"
means before Islam.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
The hadith provides evidence that itikaf is permissible without fasting.
It also shows the obligation to fulfill a vow made during the Jahiliyyah, provided it is an act of obedience.
Chapter: Women Observing Itikaf.
On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
used to observe itikaf every Ramadan;
after he prayed the morning prayer,
he would enter his place of retreat.
'A'ishah asked his permission to observe itikaf,
and he granted her permission,
so she pitched a tent there.
Hafsah heard about it
and pitched a tent,
and Zaynab heard about it
and pitched another tent.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished the morning prayer,
he saw four tents
and asked: 'What is this?'
He was informed of their situation,
so he said: 'What prompted them to do this?
Righteousness?'
In a narration:
'Do you think they were motivated by righteousness?'
In another narration:
'Do you deem this to be righteousness?'
And in a narration:
'Did they intend righteousness by this?'
'I am not observing itikaf.
Dismantle them so I do not see them!'
So they were dismantled,
and he did not observe itikaf in Ramadan,
but instead observed it during the last ten days of Shawwal."
Commentary on the hadith:
The verb *kana* denotes constancy and continuity.
"Every Ramadan"
means during the last ten days.
"He prayed the morning prayer"
means he prayed the Fajr prayer.
"He entered his place of retreat"
means he entered his designated area in the mosque that he had set aside for itikaf,
which was the location of his tent.
"A tent" (*qubbah*)
means a small tent or enclosure.
"From the morning prayer"
means after completing the Fajr prayer.
"He saw"
means he observed.
"Four tents"
refers to one tent for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and three tents for his wives (may Allah be pleased with them).
"What prompted them"
refers to their motive and incentive.
"Righteousness"
is phrased as a rhetorical question expressing disapproval.
Righteousness (*al-birr*) means obedience and goodness.
"Dismantle them"
means remove them.
"So I do not see them"
means so I no longer see the aforementioned tents.
"So they were dismantled"
means they were taken down.
Among the benefits of this hadith:
We learn from the hadith
that the beginning of itikaf starts from the early part of the day.
It also shows that the mosque is a prerequisite condition for itikaf.
It establishes the permissibility of setting up tents inside the mosque
and designating specific spots for retreat.
It highlights the harmful consequence of excessive jealousy,
as it stemmed from rivalry that led to abandoning what was superior.
It demonstrates that a superior action may be set aside for a greater benefit,
and that whoever fears ostentation in their act of worship
is permitted to leave or discontinue it.
It indicates that itikaf does not become obligatory merely by intention.
As for his (peace be upon him) making up the retreat later,
it was by way of recommendation,
because whenever he performed a deed, he would maintain it consistently.
For this reason, it is not reported that his wives observed itikaf with him in Shawwal.
It shows that a woman should not observe itikaf until she seeks her husband's permission,
and if she observes itikaf without his permission,
he has the right to remove her;
even if it was with his permission,
he may revoke it and forbid her.
It shows the prescribed nature of making up a missed itikaf.
It indicates that jealousy is a natural human inclination,
provided it does not lead to a violation of religious command.
Chapter:
May a Person in Itikaf Go out to the Door of the Mosque for His Needs?
On the authority of Safiyyah, wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
that she came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
to visit him during his itikaf in the mosque
during the last ten days of Ramadan.
She conversed with him for an hour,
then stood up to return home.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up
with her to escort her back.
In a narration:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the mosque,
and his wives were with him,
so they departed.
He said to Safiyyah bint Huyayy:
'Do not hurry, so that I may walk back with you.'
Her home was in the residence of Usamah.
When she reached the door of the mosque,
near the door of Umm Salamah,
two men from the Ansar passed by
and greeted the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to them:
'Slow down,
she is only Safiyyah bint Huyayy.'
They exclaimed:
'Glory be to Allah, O Messenger of Allah!'
and felt distressed that he thought he needed to explain.
Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'Satan reaches inside man as far as the blood reaches.'
In a narration:
"runs through the son of Adam like blood."
"And I feared lest he cast something into your hearts,"
or according to another narration:
"into your minds,"
and according to another narration:
"some evil."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"She was returning,"
meaning returning to her home.
"He walked her back,"
meaning he escorted her back to her house.
"Two men,"
namely Usaid ibn Hudayr and 'Abbad ibn Bishr (may Allah be pleased with them).
"Go at your leisure,"
meaning slow down and do not rush.
"It weighed heavily upon them,"
meaning it felt grave and distressful to them both.
"The reach of blood,"
meaning akin to the flow of blood.
The point of similarity in the comparison
is the extreme closeness and constant presence.
"I feared lest he cast something into your hearts."
Al-Shafi'i said:
"He feared disbelief for them,
had they harbored any suspicion against him."
So he hastened to inform them of their situation
out of sincere concern for their spiritual well-being,
before Satan could cast something into their hearts
that would cause their destruction.
"Do not hurry until I leave with you."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was occupied,
so he asked her to wait a moment.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, it is deduced that
it is permissible for a person in i'tikaf to engage in lawful matters,
such as seeing off a visitor, standing up with them, and conversing with them.
It also indicates that one in i'tikaf may recite the Qur'an, study hadith,
teach, write on religious matters, and listen to sacred knowledge.
It indicates the permissibility of a person in i'tikaf being alone with his wife.
It indicates the permissibility of a woman visiting someone in i'tikaf.
It demonstrates the perfection of the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compassion for his Ummah,
and his guidance toward whatever protects them from sin.
It shows that it is recommended to guard oneself against exposed suspicion,
to seek safety from misinterpretation, and to offer valid explanations.
It shows the permissibility of a woman going out at night, provided there is no risk of temptation.
Chapter: Observing I'tikaf During the Middle Ten Days of Ramadan
On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Would review," referring to Gabriel (peace be upon him).
"Was taken," meaning he passed away.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From the hadith, it is derived that it is prescribed to observe i'tikaf throughout the whole month of Ramadan.
It also highlights the recommendation to increase good deeds
as a person reaches the later stages of life.