Category: Q n A

Once we were traveling with the Prophet (ﷺ) and we carried on traveling till the last part of the night and
then we (halted at a place) and slept (deeply). There is nothing sweeter than sleep for a traveler in the
last part of the night. So it was only the heat of the sun that made us to wake up and the first to wake
up was so and so, then so and so and then so and so (the narrator `Auf said that Abu Raja’ had told
him their names but he had forgotten them) and the fourth person to wake up was `Umar bin Al-
Khattab. And whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) used to sleep, nobody would wake up him till he himself used to
get up as we did not know what was happening (being revealed) to him in his sleep. So, `Umar got up
and saw the condition of the people, and he was a strict man, so he said, “Allahu Akbar” and raised his
voice with Takbir, and kept on saying loudly till the Prophet (ﷺ) got up because of it. When he got up, the
people informed him about what had happened to them. He said, “There is no harm (or it will not be
harmful). Depart!” So they departed from that place, and after covering some distance the Prophet (ﷺ)
stopped and asked for some water to perform the ablution. So he performed the ablution and the call
for the prayer was pronounced and he led the people in prayer. After he finished from the prayer, he
saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed with the people. He asked, “O so and so! What has
prevented you from praying with us?” He replied, “I am Junub and there is no water. ” The Prophet (ﷺ)
said, “Perform Tayammum with (clean) earth and that is sufficient for you.”
Then the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded on and the people complained to him of thirst. Thereupon he got down
and called a person (the narrator `Auf added that Abu Raja’ had named him but he had forgotten) and
`Ali, and ordered them to go and bring water. So they went in search of water and met a woman who
was sitting on her camel between two bags of water. They asked, “Where can we find water?” She
replied, “I was there (at the place of water) this hour yesterday and my people are behind me.” They
requested her to accompany them. She asked, “Where?” They said, “To Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) .” She said,
“Do you mean the man who is called the Sabi, (with a new religion)?” They replied, “Yes, the same
person. So come along.” They brought her to the Prophet (ﷺ) and narrated the whole story. He said, “Help
her to dismount.” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for a pot, then he opened the mouths of the bags and poured
some water into the pot. Then he closed the big openings of the bags and opened the small ones and
the people were called upon to drink and water their animals.
So they all watered their animals and they (too) all quenched their thirst and also gave water to others
and last of all the Prophet (ﷺ) gave a pot full of water to the person who was Junub and told him to pour it
over his body. The woman was standing and watching all that which they were doing with her water.
By Allah, when her water bags were returned the looked like as if they were more full (of water) than
they had been before (Miracle of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)) Then the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered us to collect something
for her; so dates, flour and Sawiq were collected which amounted to a good meal that was put in a
piece of cloth. She was helped to ride on her camel and that cloth full of foodstuff was also placed in
front of her and then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her, “We have not taken your water but Allah has given water
to us.” She returned home late. Her relatives asked her: “O so and so what has delayed you?” She said,
“A strange thing! Two men met me and took me to the man who is called the Sabi’ and he did such
and such a thing. By Allah, he is either the greatest magician between this and this (gesturing with her
index and middle fingers raising them towards the sky indicating the heaven and the earth) or he is
Allah’s true Apostle.”
Afterwards the Muslims used to attack the pagans around her abode but never touched her village.
One day she said to her people, “I think that these people leave you purposely. Have you got any
inclination to Islam?” They obeyed her and all of them embraced Islam.
Abu `Abdullah said: The word Saba’a means “The one who has deserted his old religion and embraced
a new religion.” Abul ‘Ailya [??] said, “The S`Abis are a sect of people of the Scripture who recite the
Book of Psalms.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Whoever prays in a single garment must cross its ends (over the shoulders).

Abu Musa said to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, “If one does not find water (for ablution) can he give up the
prayer?” `Abdullah replied, “If you give the permission to perform Tayammum they will perform
Tayammum even if water was available if one of them found it cold.” Abu Musa said, “What about
the statement of `Ammar to `Umar?” `Abdullah replied, “`Umar was not satisfied by his statement.”

I asked Jabir bin `Abdullah about praying in a single garment. He said, “I traveled with the Prophet (ﷺ)
during some of his journeys, and I came to him at night for some purpose and I found him praying. At
that time, I was wearing a single garment with which I covered my shoulders and prayed by his side.
When he finished the prayer, he asked, ‘O Jabir! What has brought you here?’ I told him what I
wanted. When I finished, he asked, ‘O Jabir! What is this garment which I have seen and with which
you covered your shoulders?’ I replied, ‘It is a (tight) garment.’ He said, ‘If the garment is large
enough, wrap it round the body (covering the shoulders) and if it is tight (too short) then use it as an
Izar (tie it around your waist only.)’ ”

I was with `Abdullah and Abu Musa; the latter asked the former, “O Abu `Abdur-Rahman! What is
your opinion if somebody becomes Junub and no water is available?” `Abdullah replied, “Do not pray
till water is found.” Abu Musa said, “What do you say about the statement of `Ammar (who was
ordered by the Prophet (ﷺ) to perform Tayammum). The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: “Perform Tayammum and
that would be sufficient.” `Abdullah replied, “Don’t you see that `Umar was not satisfied by `Ammar’s
statement?” Abu- Musa said, “All right, leave `Ammar’s statement, but what will you say about this
verse (of Tayammum)?” `Abdullah kept quiet and then said, “If we allowed it, then they would
probably perform Tayammum even if water was available, if one of them found it (water) cold.” The
narrator added, “I said to Shaqiq, “Then did `Abdullah dislike to perform Tayammum because of
this?” He replied, “Yes.”

The men used to pray with the Prophet (ﷺ) with their Izars tied around their necks as boys used to do;
therefore the Prophet (ﷺ) told the women not to raise their heads till the men sat down straight (while
praying).

Shaqiq said, “While I was sitting with `Abdullah and Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, the latter asked the
former, ‘If a person becomes Junub and does not find water for one month, can he perform
Tayammum and offer his prayer?’ (He applied in the negative). Abu Musa said, ‘What do you say
about this verse from Sura “Al-Ma’ida”: When you do not find water then perform Tayammum with
clean earth? `Abdullah replied, ‘If we allowed it then they would probably perform Tayammum with
clean earth even if water were available but cold.’ I said to Shaqiq, ‘You then disliked to perform
Tayammum because of this?’ Shaqiq said, ‘Yes.’ (Shaqiq added), “Abu Musa said, ‘Haven’t you heard
the statement of `Ammar to `Umar? He said: I was sent out by Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) for some job and I
became Junub and could not find water so I rolled myself over the dust (clean earth) like an animal
does, and when I told the Prophet (ﷺ) of that he said, ‘Like this would have been sufficient.’ The Prophet (ﷺ)
(saying so) lightly stroked the earth with his hand once and blew it off, then passed his (left) hand over
the back of his right hand or his (right) hand over the back of his left hand and then passed them over
his face.’ So `Abdullah said to Abu- Musa, ‘Don’t you know that `Umar was not satisfied with
`Ammar’s statement?’ ”
Narrated Shaqiq: While I was with `Abdullah and Abu Musa, the latter said to the former, “Haven’t
you heard the statement of `Ammar to `Umar? He said, “Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) sent you and me out and I
became Junub and rolled myself in the dust (clean earth) (for Tayammum). When we came to Allah’s
Apostle I told him about it and he said, ‘This would have been sufficient,’ passing his hands over his
face and the backs of his hands once only.’ ”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saw a person sitting aloof and not praying with the people. He asked him, “O so and
so! What prevented you from offering the prayer with the people?” He replied, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! I
am Junub and there is no water.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Perform Tayammum with clean earth and that
will be sufficient for you.”

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “While I was at Mecca the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended,
opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden tray full of wisdom
and faith and having poured its contents into my chest, he closed it. Then he took my hand and
ascended with me to the nearest heaven, when I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the
gatekeeper of the heaven, ‘Open (the gate).’ The gatekeeper asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered:
‘Gabriel.’ He asked, ‘Is there anyone with you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Yes, Muhammad I is with me.’ He
asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel said, ‘Yes.’ So the gate was opened and we went over the nearest
heaven and there we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some on his left. When he
looked towards his right, he laughed and when he looked toward his left he wept. Then he said,
‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.’ I asked Gabriel, ‘Who is he?’ He replied, ‘He is Adam and
the people on his right and left are the souls of his offspring. Those on his right are the people of
Paradise and those on his left are the people of Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and
when he looks towards his left he weeps.’
Then he ascended with me till he reached the second heaven and he (Gabriel) said to its gatekeeper,
‘Open (the gate).’ The gatekeeper said to him the same as the gatekeeper of the first heaven had said
and he opened the gate. Anas said: “Abu Dhar added that the Prophet (ﷺ) met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus
and Abraham, he (Abu Dhar) did not mention on which heaven they were but he mentioned that he
(the Prophet (ﷺ) ) met Adam on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven. Anas said, “When
Gabriel along with the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Idris, the latter said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious
brother.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Idris.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “I passed
by Moses and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.’ I asked Gabriel, ‘Who is he?’
Gabriel replied, ‘He is Moses.’ Then I passed by Jesus and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious brother and
pious Prophet.’ I asked, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Jesus.
Then I passed by Abraham and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.’ I asked Gabriel,
‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Abraham. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, ‘Then Gabriel ascended with me to a
place where I heard the creaking of the pens.” Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of Allah, I passed
by Moses who asked me, ‘What has Allah enjoined on your followers?’ I replied, ‘He has enjoined
fifty prayers on them.’ Moses said, ‘Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers
will not be able to bear it.’ (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to
half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, ‘Go back to your Lord as your
followers will not be able to bear it.’ So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and
half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: ‘Return to your Lord, for your
followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, ‘These are five prayers and
they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.’ I returned to Moses and he told
me to go back once again. I replied, ‘Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.’ Then Gabriel took me
till we ” reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of; the utmost boundary) which was shrouded in colors,
indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls
and its earth was of musk.”

the mother of believers: Allah enjoined the prayer when He enjoined it, it was two rak`at only (in
every prayer) both when in residence or on journey. Then the prayers offered on journey remained the
same, but (the rak`at of) the prayers for non-travelers were increased.