In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Humanities Studies and Research
presents:
Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Repeating a Hadith Three Times to Ensure It Is Understood.
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
Whenever he spoke a word,
he would repeat it three times,
so that it would be fully understood from him;
and whenever he came upon a people and greeted them,
he greeted them three times.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"He would repeat it three times":
This repetition was either so that the meaning of the phrasing would be grasped,
or so that the wording would become clear,
or so that the expression could be memorized,
or for emphasis.
"He greeted them three times":
It has been said that this applies when asking permission to enter.
Key Takeaways from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from this hadith:
It is commendable to repeat speech
when there is a need to do so,
such as when the speech might be difficult for the listener to grasp,
whether in its wording or its meaning.
It also contains an encouragement to expend every effort
in teaching people
and clarifying the legal rulings of the Sharia for them.
Chapter: A Man Teaching His Bondwoman and His Household.
On the authority of Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Three persons will receive a double reward:
A man from the People of the Scripture
who believed in his own prophet and then believed in Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him);
an enslaved servant
who fulfills the right of Allah
and the right of his masters—"
and in another narration:
"who excels in worshipping his Lord
and renders to his master
the due rights he owes him,
along with sincere counsel and obedience—"
"and a man who had a bondwoman,
whom he disciplined and gave the finest discipline,
and whom he educated and gave the finest education,
and then he freed her and married her;
he shall receive a double reward."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"A man from the People of the Scripture
who believed in his own prophet and then believed in Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)":
That is, a person of the Scripture
who followed the truth within his own law,
and subsequently believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and followed him.
Key Takeaways from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from this hadith:
Whoever excels in two righteous deeds
belonging to the paths of goodness and piety
shall receive his reward twice over.
It also guides toward
actively nurturing one's family with sound manners and education.
Chapter: The Imam's Exhortation
and Instruction to the Women.
On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
I attended the Eid al-Fitr prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
as well as with Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them);
they used to perform the prayer before the sermon.
In another narration:
"He mentioned neither an adhan nor an iqamah,"
and then he would deliver the sermon afterward.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stepped forward—
as if I can still see him now—
motioning the people to sit down with his hand;
he then walked forward, making his way through them,
until he reached the women,
accompanied by Bilal.
He then recited:
"O Prophet,
when the believing women come to you
pledging allegiance to you..."
to the end of the verse.
Then, when he finished reciting it, he said:
"Do you abide by that?"
Only a single woman among them answered him—
none other spoke up:
"Yes."
He said:
"Then give in charity!"
Thereupon, Bilal spread out his garment
and said:
"Come forward,
may my father and mother be ransomed for you!"
So they began casting large, unjeweled rings and smaller rings into Bilal's garment.
In another narration:
"A woman would throw her earring and ring."
In another narration:
"A woman would cast her hoop earring and scent necklace."
In another narration:
"She would cast her anklet and hoop earring."
In another narration:
"They began reaching toward their ears and necks."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"They used to perform it":
That is, they prayed the Eid prayer.
"Motioning them to sit down with his hand":
Meaning he signaled them to remain seated,
because they had intended to depart.
"Making his way through them":
Meaning he stepped through the rows of seated men
until he reached the women.
They used to go out to the Eid prayer-ground
and witness the prayer and supplication there.
"O Prophet...":
“O Prophet! If believing women come unto thee, taking oath of allegiance unto thee that they will ascribe no thing as partner unto Allah, and will neither steal nor commit adultery nor kill their children, nor produce any lie that they have devised between their hands and feet, nor disobey thee in what is right, then accept their allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (60:12)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) recited
this noble verse
to remind them of the pledge of allegiance concluded between him and the women
at the Conquest of Mecca.
"Do you abide by that?":
Meaning: "Do you uphold what has been stated in this verse?"
"Come forward":
An expression used to summon or invite someone to an action.
"Al-Fatakh":
These are rings devoid of gemstones.
"Al-Qurt":
That which is worn in the earlobe, whether of gold or something else.
"Her khurs":
The "khurs"
is a small hoop earring worn in the ear.
"And her sikhab":
Meaning a necklace made of scented beads or musk.
"Al-Qalb":
Meaning an anklet,
though it has also been said to mean a bracelet.
Key Takeaways from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from this hadith:
It is valid to cite the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs as proof,
a woman is permitted to give charity from her own wealth without her husband's permission,
and charity delivers one from the Hellfire.
Chapter: Eagerness to Learn Hadith.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah,
who will be the most blessed of people through your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?"
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied:
"I certainly thought, O Abu Hurayrah,
that no one would ask me about this hadith before you,
because of the eagerness to learn hadith that I have seen in you.
The most blessed of people through my intercession on the Day of Resurrection
is he who says: 'There is no god but Allah,'
sincerely from his heart
or from his soul."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Who will be the most blessed of people through your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?":
That is, who will attain the greatest share of bliss through it.
"Before you":
Meaning ahead of you.
"There is no god but Allah":
He mentioned only the first part of the two testimonies of faith
because it serves as an emblem denoting the entirety of the testimony.
"Sincerely from his heart or from his soul":
This explicitly excludes the hypocrite.
Key Takeaways from the Hadith:
In this hadith, we find:
A student reaches the ability to inquire into intricate questions
and subtle meanings through dedication and diligence.
It also contains the teacher's encouragement of the student
and inspiring him to exert himself.
Furthermore, it demonstrates
that asking questions is the key to knowledge,
establishes the reality of the Prophetic intercession,
and shows that it is granted specifically to the people of Tawhid.
Chapter: How Knowledge Is Taken Away.
On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say:
"Indeed, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it away,
stripping it from the servants;
rather, He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars.
Then, when no scholar remains,
the people take ignorant figures as leaders,
who are questioned
and deliver legal rulings without knowledge,
thereby going astray and leading others astray."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Does not take away knowledge by snatching it away":
Meaning He does not erase it directly from people's hearts.
"By taking away the scholars":
This refers to the death of the scholars.
"When no scholar remains":
Meaning when Allah leaves behind no living scholar.
"Thereby going astray and leading others astray":
That is, they go astray within themselves
and lead all those who follow them astray.
Key Takeaways from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from this hadith:
The departure of sacred knowledge occurs through the departure of its bearers.
It contains an exhortation to preserve knowledge,
for it is the true leadership.
It also contains a warning against the leadership of the ignorant,
a censure of those who issue fatwas without knowledge,
and an indication that whoever issues rulings without knowledge
and misguides others is misguided himself,
whether he acts upon what he decreed or does not.
Chapter:
Should a separate day be designated for women to learn?
On the authority of Abu Sa'id, who said:
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
the men have monopolized your hadith,
so appoint for us a day of your own when we may come to you,
that you may teach us from what Allah has taught you."
He said:
"Gather on such-and-such a day,
at such-and-such a place."
So they gathered,
and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to them
and taught them from what Allah had taught him.
Then he said:
"There is no woman among you who sends forth three of her children before her,
but that they will be a shield for her against the Fire."
A woman among them said:
"O Messenger of Allah,
and two?"
He said—
and she repeated it twice—
then he said:
"And two,
and two,
and two."
And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, he said:
"Three who have not reached the age of sin."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Separately" means on their own.
"The men have monopolized your hadith"
means because they accompany you constantly,
hearing knowledge and matters of religion,
while we are vulnerable women unable to jostle with them.
"So appoint for us"
means designate for us.
"Sends forth before her"—
what is meant is
that she endures with patience and seeks reward for their loss until the Day of Resurrection.
"Except that they will be a shield for her against the Fire"
means that patience in the face of afflictions serves as a barrier and a safeguard against entering the Fire.
"A woman said"—
she was Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her),
and it was said to be someone else.
"Have not reached the age of sin"
means they died before reaching the age of moral responsibility,
so no sins had been recorded against them.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith demonstrates the virtue of patience upon the loss of children,
the legitimacy of women inquiring about their religion,
and the permissibility of their speaking to men out of necessity.
It also demonstrates the scholar's responsiveness to the students' request to appoint a day for their learning,
and the permissibility of announcing that gathering so that people may convene for it.
Chapter: Whoever hears something and does not understand it,
and therefore inquires about it until he grasps it.
On the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah,
that 'A'ishah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
never heard anything she did not know
without inquiring about it until she understood it;
and that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Whoever is called to account will be punished."
'A'ishah said: "I asked:
'Does not Allah the Exalted say:
“He truly will receive an easy reckoning” (84:8)
She said: "He replied:
'That is only the presentation of deeds;
Commentary on the hadith:
"She inquired" means she asked and sought clarification.
“He truly will receive an easy reckoning” (84:8)
It is the presentation of deeds that is easy and light,
but whoever is closely interrogated in the reckoning will perish.
Interrogation is exhaustive scrutiny in the reckoning,
such that nothing of it is left unexamined.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith highlights the virtue of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)
and her eagerness to learn and verify.
It affirms the Reckoning, the presentation of deeds, and the punishment,
as well as the differing ranks of people in the Reckoning.
It provides guidance on seeking clarification
regarding ambiguous matters of knowledge,
the permissibility of scholarly debate,
and comparing the Sunnah against the Book.
Chapter: Let the present convey knowledge to the absent.
On the authority of Abu Shurayh al-'Adawi,
that he said to 'Amr ibn Sa'id,
while he was dispatching military expeditions to Mecca:
"Grant me leave, O commander,
to relate to you a statement delivered by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
on the day following the Conquest.
My two ears heard it, my heart retained it,
and my two eyes saw him when he spoke it.
He praised Allah, extolled Him, and then said:
'Mecca was made sacred by Allah,
and was not made sacred by people.
It is not lawful for anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day
to shed blood therein,
nor to uproot any of its trees.
If anyone seeks a concession based on the fighting of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
therein, say to him:
"Allah permitted His Messenger,
but He did not permit you."
It was permitted for me for only an hour of a day,
and its sacredness has returned today
just as its sacredness was yesterday.
So let the one who is present convey it to the one who is absent.'"
It was said to Abu Shurayh:
"What did 'Amr say to you?"
He replied: "He said: 'I know that better than you, O Abu Shurayh;
the Sanctuary does not harbor a rebel,
nor one fleeing from bloodshed,
nor one fleeing from a crime.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Expeditions" refers to the troops sent for fighting and the like.
"My heart retained it"
means my heart preserved it,
understood it, and verified its meaning.
"And my two eyes saw him"
is an emphasis on the certainty of hearing it directly from him
and comprehending it through close proximity and sight.
"Mecca was made sacred by Allah"
refers to venerating Mecca through the sanctification of Allah the Exalted,
and that He, Mighty and Majestic, singled it out
with special characteristics.
"To shed blood therein"—
what is meant is taking a life unlawfully.
"Nor to uproot" means nor to cut down.
"If anyone seeks a concession"
means if anyone claims fighting was permitted,
taking the day of the Conquest of Mecca as an argument.
"Allah permitted His Messenger"—
thus the Sanctuary was, in his right (peace be upon him)
and during that specific hour, treated as non-sacred land.
"Let the one who is present convey it to the one who is absent"—
the one present is the attendee,
and the intent is to show great care in transmitting knowledge
and disseminating the Sunnahs and legal rulings.
"Does not harbor" means it does not grant immunity;
seeking refuge is seeking protection
through something and clinging to it.
"Nor one fleeing" means nor an absconder.
"From a crime"—
it denotes theft and ruin among them,
specifically the theft of camels.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
Derived from the hadith is
the exhortation to convey the religion and disseminate knowledge,
and the guidance to use gracious gentleness
when censuring that which contradicts the objective of the addressees,
as it is more conducive to their acceptance.
It contains the obligation of offering sincere counsel to leaders,
without being harsh toward them
and without deceiving them.
It indicates the prohibition of cutting the trees of the Sanctuary,
and that whoever the Lawgiver directly addresses with knowledge,
its transmission becomes an individual obligation upon him,
whereas for those after them it is a collective obligation.
It shows the recommendation of praising and extolling Allah
prior to imparting knowledge
and clarifying rulings.
It indicates the legitimacy of delivering a sermon
for important matters and general rulings.
It establishes that declaring things forbidden or permissible
belongs solely to Allah the Exalted,
and no human being has any share in it.
Chapter: The sin of the one who lies against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
On the authority of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Do not tell lies against me,
for whoever tells a lie against me
will enter the Fire."
And on the authority of al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever lies against me,
let him take his seat in the Fire."
And on the authority of Anas,
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever intentionally lies against me,
let him take his seat in the Fire."
And on the authority of Salamah, who said:
I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
say:
"Whoever attributes to me what I did not say,
let him take his seat in the Fire."
Commentary on the hadith:
Chapter: The sin of the one who lies against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
This ruling
has been transmitted via mutawatir hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him).
"Will enter the Fire"
is an invocation of entering the Fire.
"Let him take his seat in the Fire"
means let him prepare and settle into his abode within it.
"Whoever intentionally lies against me"
to clarify that untruth may occur inadvertently or deliberately;
thus, whoever makes an inadvertent mistake, forgets, or errs,
incurs no sin.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from these hadiths
that it is strictly forbidden to lie against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
that narrating a lie is prohibited,
and that it is obligatory to verify matters when narrating hadith.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
who said:
"Name yourselves after my name,
but do not adopt my kunyah (agnomen).
And whoever sees me in a dream has indeed seen me,"
and in another narration:
"he will soon see me in wakefulness,
for Satan cannot assume my likeness.
And whoever lies against me deliberately,
let him take his seat in the Fire."
Commentary on the hadith:
"And do not adopt my kunyah":
a kunyah
is a name that begins with "Abu" (father of) or "Umm" (mother of).
"For Satan cannot assume my likeness":
that is, it is impossible for Satan
to appear in the true form of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from this hadith
that it is permissible to name a newborn child Muhammad.
It also indicates that seeing the Prophet, peace be upon him,
in a dream
is glad tidings of goodness.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to forbid lying in all its forms,
except where an exemption was granted:
such as a man speaking untruthfully to his wife to please her,
during warfare, and to reconcile between disputing people.
Chapter: The Writing Down of Knowledge.
On the authority of Abu Juhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
I asked 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him:
"Do you possess any divine revelation
other than what is in the Book of Allah?"
He replied, "No, by Him Who split the seed
and created the soul,
I know of none, except an understanding that Allah bestows
upon a person regarding the Qur'an,
and whatever is in this scroll."
I asked, "And what is in this scroll?"
He replied, "The rules of blood money ('aql),
the ransoming of captives,
and that a Muslim shall not be executed for killing a disbeliever."
"Do you possess any divine revelation?":
the meaning is, did the Prophet, peace be upon him, specifically distinguish you
with anything pertaining to religion?
"Split the seed": meaning cracked it open in the earth
until it sprouted and bore fruit.
"Created" (bara'a): meaning brought into being;
and "the soul" (al-nasamah) refers to every living being.
As for "the scroll" (al-sahifah):
it means the written sheet.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
The early generations (salaf) differed regarding writing down hadith;
some of them disliked writing it and committing knowledge to writing,
enjoining instead that it be memorized,
while others permitted it.
The hadith also refutes the claim
that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
bequeathed to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,
esoteric knowledge
or singled him out with anything exclusive.
It also directs one to reflect deeply
upon what is contained in the Holy Qur'an,
for a scholar may extract insights from the Qur'an through his own understanding
that may not have been previously transmitted from earlier exegetes,
provided it accords with the foundations of Islamic law (Shari'ah).
It is also deduced from this
that it is permissible to record legal rulings and write them down.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah:
In the year of the Conquest of Makkah,
the tribe of Khuza'ah killed a man from Banu Layth
in retaliation for a person of theirs slain during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stood up
and said, "Indeed, Allah withheld
the elephant from Makkah"—
and in another narration: "withheld slaughter
or the elephant"—
"and gave His Messenger and the believers power over its people.
Fighting in it was not lawful for anyone before me,
nor will it be lawful for anyone after me.
Behold, it was made lawful for me only for an hour of a single day,
and behold, it is at this present hour sacred.
And in a narration:
Its game must not be chased away,
its thorny shrubs must not be uprooted,
its trees must not be felled,
and its lost property must not be picked up except by someone announcing it publicly."
"Whoever has a relative slain
has the choice of the two better options:
either to receive blood money or to demand retribution."
Thereupon, a man from the people of Yemen
called Abu Shah stood up
and said, "Write it down for me, O Messenger of Allah!"
So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Write it down for Abu Shah."
Then a man from Quraysh stood up
and said, "O Messenger of Allah,
except for idhkhir (sweet rush),
for we use it in our homes and our graves."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Except for idhkhir."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Withheld" means prevented.
"Its thorny shrubs must not be uprooted":
meaning they must not be clipped or cut down.
"Its lost property": that is, whatever fell there due to the owner's oversight,
referring to lost items.
"Except by someone announcing it publicly" (munshid):
the munshid is the one who makes a public proclamation of a lost item,
whereas the seeker of the lost property is termed a nashid;
it is said: "I searched for the lost item" (nashadtu) when seeking it,
and "I announced it" (anshadtu) when proclaiming it,
and the root meaning of inshad is raising one's voice.
"Has the choice of the two better options":
"either to receive blood money,"
meaning the killer's paternal kin ('aqilah) pays the victim's blood money,
"or to demand retribution,"
meaning the killer is executed.
"A man from Quraysh stood up":
he was al-'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
Idhkhir is a well-known plant
with a pleasant scent.
"We use it in our homes":
just as straw is utilized,
for they used to roof their houses with it over timber beams.
"And our graves":
because it is used to seal the gaps of the niche in the grave
between the unbaked bricks.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
It is deduced from the hadith
that the sanctity of Makkah remains intact until the Day of Judgment.
As for his saying "its thorny shrubs":
It also contains an encouragement for the victim's guardian to deliberate:
if retribution is deemed better than blood money,
he seeks retribution,
and if blood money is better, he accepts it,
without being coerced into doing so.
It also demonstrates the permissibility of writing down knowledge,
and shows the Prophet's guidance, peace be upon him,
directing people to what brings them welfare in their religious and worldly affairs,
and that legal rulings are fundamentally built upon securing benefits
and warding off harms.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said:
"None of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
narrated more hadiths from him than I did,
except for 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr,
for he used to write them down while I did not."
Commentary on the hadith:
"He used to write," meaning write down hadith.
Among the benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith highlights the virtue of the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and reflects their ardent dedication to preserving the hadith
of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
as well as recording and conveying it.