# Selections from Muḥammadan Traditions/Chapter 16

XVI
THE BOOK OF PUNISHMENTS
It is related from Abú Hurairah and Zaid bin Khálid that, 'Two men disputed before the Apostle of God. And one of them said, "Judge between us by the Book of God." And the other said, "Yes, O Apostle of God, judge between us by the Book of God, and give me permission to speak." He replied, "Say on." He said, "My son was a labourer with this man, and he committed adultery with his wife. And they told me that my son should be stoned. But I redeemed him therefrom by one hundred sheep and by a slave-girl which I had. After that I asked the learned, and they told me that my son must be given one hundred lashes, and must be banished the country for a year, and that stoning was only for this man's wife." The Apostle of God said, "By Him in whose hand is my life! I will certainly judge between you by the Book of God. As for thy sheep and thy slave-girl they must be returned to thee; and as for thy son, he must be given one hundred lashes and banished for a year. And as for thee, O Unais, come in the morning to this woman, and if she confesses, then stone her. Then she confessed, and they stoned her."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿOmar that he said, 'Verily God sent Muḥammad with truth, and He sent down on him the Book. And amongst what God Most High sent down was the verse of stoning. The Apostle of God stoned, and we stoned after him. And the stoning in the Book of God is proper for whoever commits adultery when married, whether men or women, when proofs are established, whether by pregnancy or confession."'—Muslim , Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin ʿOmar that some Jews came to the Apostle of God and told him that one of their men and a woman had committed adultery. The Apostle of God said to them, "What do ye find in the Taurát in the matter of stoning?" They said, "Their evil deeds are exposed, and ​they are scourged." ʿAbduʾlláh bin Salám said, "You lie! Verily in it is the command to stone." Then they brought the Taurát and opened it out. But one of them placed his hand over the verse of stoning, and read what preceded it and what followed it. Then ʿAbduʾlláh bin Salám said, "Lift up thy hand." And he lifted it up, and behold in it was the verse of stoning. Then they said, "He has spoken truly, O Muḥammad, in it is the verse of stoning." Then the Prophet gave orders concerning them both, and they were stoned.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from ʿAmru bin Shuʿaib, from his father, from his grandfather, ʿAbduʾlláh bin ʿAmru binuʾl-ʿÁṣ that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Remit punishments amongst yourselves; for what reaches my knowledge, of (acts deserving) punishments, it is obligatory for me to carry them out."'—Abú Dáud, An Nasái.
It is related from ʿÁyesha that she said, 'When (the revelation containing) my exoneration (from the charge of adultery) came down, the Prophet stood up in the pulpit and repeated it. And when he came down from the pulpit he gave orders regarding the two men and the woman (who had accused me), and they were beaten according to the legal punishment.'—Abú Dáud.
Concerning Amputation for Theft
It is related from ʿÁyesha that, 'The Prophet said, "The hand of a thief shall not be cut off, except for (theft of the value of) one-quarter of a dinar and over."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that he said, 'The Prophet cut off a thief's hand for (stealing) armour valued at three dirhams.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Prophet said, "God has cursed the thief who steals an egg, and his hand shall be cut off. And the hand of a thief who steals a rope shall be cut off."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ráfiʿ bin Khadíj that, 'The Prophet said, "There is no amputation for (stealing) fruit or date-buds."'—Málik, At Tirmidhí, Abú Dáud, An Nasái.
​It is related from Jábir that, 'The Prophet said, "There is no amputation of the hand for one who betrays his trust or for taking from that which has been plundered, or for that which is snatched away clandestinely."'—At Tirmidhí, An Nasái. And in the Sharḥuʾ-s-Sunnah it is related that ʿṢawfán bin Umayyah came to Madína and slept in the mosque. And he placed his cloak for a pillow; and a thief came and took it. Then Ṣafwán seized him and brought him to the Apostle of God. And he ordered that his hand should be cut off. Then Ṣafwán said, "Verily I did not desire this. I give it to him in alms." But the Apostle of God said, "Why didst thou not give it before thou broughtest him to me!"'
It is related from Abú Salamah from Abú Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said concerning the thief, "If he steal, cut off his hand." After that, if he steal again, then cut off his foot. After that, if he steal again, cut off his other hand. After that, if he steal again, then cut off his other foot."'—Sharḥuʾs-Sunnah.
It is related from Jábir that he said, 'A thief was brought to the Prophet, and he said, "Cut off his hand." And it was cut off. After that a second (thief) was brought to him, and he said, "Cut off his hand." And it was cutoff. Then a third was brought to him, and he said, "Cut off his hand." And it was cut off. After that a fourth was brought to him, and he said, "Cut off his hand." And it was done. Then a fifth was brought to him, and he said, "Kill him." Then we took him away and killed him." Afterwards we dragged him away and threw him into a well and cast stones upon him.'—Abú Dáud, An Nasái.
It is related from Faḍálah bin ʿUbaid that he said, 'A thief was brought to the Apostle of God; and his hand was cut off. Then he gave orders regarding it, and it was hung on his neck.'—At Tirmidhí, Abú Dáud, An Nasái, Ibn Májah.
On Intercession for Remission of Punishments
It is related from ʿÁyesha that 'The matter of a woman, whose nose was pierced for ornaments and who had stolen, had made the Quraish anxious. And they said, "Who will speak to the Apostle of God on her behalf?" And they said, "Who will dare to go to him but Usámab bin Zaid, the beloved of the ​Apostle of God." Then Usámah spoke to him; and the Apostle of God replied, "Dost thou intercede in the matter of one of God's punishments?" After that he stood up and gave an address and said, "Those who lived before you were destroyed simply because, when any honourable person amongst them committed theft, they used to let him off; but when any insignificant one amongst them committed theft, they used to execute the full penalty of the law upon him. By God! Verily if Fáṭimah, the daughter of Muḥammad, had committed theft, I would certainly have cut off her hand."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
Concerning the Punishment for Drinking Intoxicants
It is related from Anas that, 'The Prophet of God beat one who drank wine with the branch of a palm-tree stripped of its leaves, and with shoes. And Abú Bakr scourged with forty stripes.'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí. And in another tradition from the same person it runs, 'Verily the Prophet used to beat the one who drank wine, with forty blows of a shoe and a branch of a palm-tree stripped of its leaves.'
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that he said, 'A man drank wine and became intoxicated. And he was met in the road staggering with unsteady gait, and he was taken to the Apostle of God. But when the man arrived opposite the house of ʿAbbás he escaped and entered in to ʿAbbás and clung to him. Then the matter was mentioned to the Prophet. Then he laughed and said, "Did he do that!" And he did not order anything concerning him.'—Abú Dáud.
Concerning What is not Allowed to be Said to Those Punished
It is related from ʿAlí that, 'The Prophet said, "Whoever has violated the law, and his punishment is hastened in this world, then God is too just to repeat the punishment upon His servant a second time in the next world. And whoever violates the law, and God conceals it and forgives it, then He is too generous to return to anything which He has forgiven."'—At Tirmidhí, Ibn Májah.
Concerning Punishments Undefined by Law
It is related from ʿAbú Burdah bin Niyár that, 'The Prophet said, "A man shall not be scourged with more than ​ten stripes, except in connexion with the punishments prescribed by God."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿAbbás that, 'The Prophet said, "When one man says to another, "O Jew!" then give him twenty stripes. And when he says, "O effeminate one!" then give him twenty stripes. "And whoever commits adultery with a forbidden woman, kill him."'—At Tirmidhí.
Concerning Intoxicants, and Threats to the Drinkers thereof
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that he said, 'Omar gave an address (standing) on the pulpit of the Apostle of God, and said, "Verily the revelation concerning the prohibition of intoxicants came down. And they are (produced) from five things: grapes, dates, wheat, barley and honey. And intoxicants are whatever affect the reason."'—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Ibn ʿOmar that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Everything which inebriates is an intoxicant; and every intoxicant is unlawful. And whoever drinks intoxicants in this world, and dies whilst still addicted to them, without repenting, will not drink them in the next world."'—Muslim.
It is related from Waʾiluʾl-Ḥaḍrami that, 'Ṭáriq bin Suwaid asked the Prophet concerning intoxicants. But he forbade them. Then Waʾil said, "I only make them as medicines." He replied, "They are not medicine, but a disease."'—Muslim.
It is related from Jábir that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Even a little of what, when taken in quantity, produces intoxication, is unlawful."'—At Tirmidhí, Abú Dáud, Ibn Májah.
It is related from Dailamuʾl-Ḥimyari that he said, 'I said, "O Apostle of God, verily we live in a cold country, and we perform hard work therein; and we take wine with this wheat, and we are strengthened by it for our work and against the cold of our country." He said, "Does it intoxicate?" I replied, "Yes." He said, "Then avoid it." I replied, "The people will not give it up." He said, " If they do not give it up, then fight them."'—Abú Dáud.
It is related from ʿAbduʾlláh bin ʿOmar that, 'The Prophet forbade wine and lots and chess and (the liquor called) ghubairá. And he said, "All intoxicants are unlawful."'—Abú Dáud.
​It is related from ʿAbú Umamah that, 'The Apostle of God said, "Verily God Most High has sent me as a mercy to all the worlds, and as a guide to all the worlds. And my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, has commanded me to do away with musical instruments and reed instruments and idols and crosses and the practices of the times of ignorance. And my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, has sworn (saying) "By my Eminence! None of my servants shall drink a mouthful of wine, but I will make him drink pus like unto it. And none will forsake it out of fear of me, but I will give him to drink from the holy fountains (of paradise)."'—Aḥmad.
XXI THE BOOK OF CLOTHES
It is related from Anas that he said, ' The clothes which the Prophet liked to wear most were of striped cotton of Yeman.' Muslim, Al Buk/idrt.
It is related from Al Mughirah bin Shu 1 bah that, 'The Prophet wore a Grecian coat with tight sleeves.' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Abu Burdah that he said, ' 'Ayesha brought out to us a patched upper garment and a pair of coarse drawers and said, "The soul of the Apostle of God was taken (when he was) in these two garments." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "On the day of resurrection, God will not look upon the person who lengthens his trousers from pride." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "That part of the trousers which is below the two ankles is in the fire." ' Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Mu'awiyah bin Qurrah, from his father, that he said, ' I came to the Prophet in a band of men of the Muzainah (tribe); and they took the oath of fealty to him. And the buttons (of his shirt) were undone, so I put my hand inside the opening of his shirt and touched the seal of pro- phecy.' Abil Ddud.
It is related from Samurah that, ' The Prophet said, " Dress in white clothes, for verily they are purest and best; and shroud your dead in them." ' Ahmad, An Nasdi.
It is related from Abu Musau'l-Ash'ari that, ' The Prophet said, "Gold and silk have been made lawful for the women of my followers, but unlawful for the men." ' At Tirmidht, An Nasdi.
It is related from Mu'adh bin Anas that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Whoever eats food, and afterwards says, 'Praise be to God, who has fed me with this food and given me sustenance
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thereby, without (the exercise of) strength or power on my part,' all his former sins will be forgiven him." ' At Tirmidhi. And Abu Daucl has added the words, ' Whoever puts on clothes and says, " Praise be to God, who has arrayed me in these and provided me therewith, without (the exercise of) strength and power on my part; " all his former sins and later ones will be forgiven him.'
It is related from 'All that he said, 'The Apostle of God forbade me (wearing) a gold signet-ring, and from wearing cloth from Qiss, and from (using) a red saddle-cloth.' At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud, An Nasdi.
It is related from Abu Rimthah of Taimah that he said, ' I came to the Prophet when he was wearing two green cloths. And old age had reduced his hair; and his grey hairs had been
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of them, and the most upright of them in respect of trust- worthiness." 'At Tirmidhi, An Nasdi.
It is related from 'Ubadah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " It is your duty to wear turbans, for they are the covering of the angels. And let them hang down behind your backs." ' Al Baihaqi.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, ' Eat what you like and wear what you like, so long as they do not drive you to two sins : extravagance and pride.' Al Bukhdri.
CONCERNING SIGNET-RINGS
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that he said, ' The Prophet took a golden ring.' And in one tradition it runs, ' He put it on
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his right hand.' ' Then he took it off. Then he took a ring made of silver, on which was engraved " Muhammad, the Apostle of God." And he said, " No one must engrave like the engraving of this ring of mine." And whenever he put it on, he used to place the stone of the ring towards the palm of his hand.' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Anas that, ' The Prophet wished to write to Kisra (King of Persia), and to the Emperor of Rome and the King of Abyssinia. And it was remarked that they would not receive a letter unless it was sealed. So the Apostle of God made a signet-ring of silver, on which was engraved, "Muhammad, the Apostle of God." ' Muslim. And in another tradition from Bukhari it runs, ' The engraving of the ring was in three lines : "Muhammad" in one line, "Apostle" in one line, and " God " in one line.'
It is related from Bunanah, the slave-girl of 'Abdu'r- Rahman bin Hayyanu'l-Ansari, that she was with 'Ayesha when someone came in to her with a girl upon whom was a string of little bells which tinkled. Then 'Ayesha said, " Do not bring her in to me unless thou cut off her bells, for I heard the Apostle of God say, 'The angels do not enter a house in which is a bell." ' Abu Ddud.
CONCERNING SHOES
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " When anyone of you puts on his shoes, then let him begin with the right one; and when he takes them off, let him begin with the left. Let the right-hand side one be the first in the putting on and the last of them to be taken off." Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn Buraidah from his father that, ' The King of Abyssinia sent a present to the Prophet of a pair of black shoes which were without embellishments; and he put them on.'/t>?i Mdja/i. And At Tirmidhi has added^the words, from Ibn Buraidah from his father, ' After that he performed ablutions, and he wiped over them (without taking them off).'
ON COMBING THE* HAIR
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, " Five things are obligatory : circumcision, removing the
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hairs of the privates, shortening and clipping the moustache, paring the nails and plucking out the hairs of the armpit." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Do the opposite of the polytheists. Let your beards grow long, and shorten your moustaches. " Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, * The Prophet said, 'Verily the Jews and Christians do not dye (their hair). Then do ye the opposite to them." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that, ' The Prophet used either to clip his moustache or take away a part of it. And Abraham, the Friend of the Merciful, used to do the same.' At Tirmidhi.
It' is related from Ibn 'Omar that, 'The Prophet used to wear shoes of tanned leather; and he used to dye his beard yellow with (the dye called) wars and saffron. And Ibn ' Omar used to do the same.' An Nasdi.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that, ' The Prophet said, " Paint your eyes with antimony because it brightens the sight and causes the hair to grow." And he (Ibn 'Abbas) asserted that the Prophet had a vessel containing antimony from which he painted his eyes every night : three times on the one, and three times on the other.' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Abu'l-Malih that he said, ' Some women of Hems came to 'Ayesha. She said, "Whence come ye?" They replied, "From Syria." She said, "Then probably ye are from the city the women of which go to baths? " They said, "Yes." She said, " Verily I heard the Apostle of God say, ' No woman takes off her clothes in any house except her husband's, but she tears the veil between herself and her Lord.' " ' At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from Thabit that he said, 'Anas was asked concerning the dye used by the Prophet. He replied, "If I Had wished to count the grey hairs which were in his head, I could have done so. He did not use dye." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn ' Omar that he used to dye his beard yellow with saffron, until his clothes became covered with saffron. And it was remarked to him, "Why dost thou dye
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with saffron? " He replied, " Verily I saw the Apostle of God dye with it; and there was nothing more pleasing to him than it. And he used to dye the whole of his clothes with it, even to his turban." 'Abu Ddud, An Nasdi.
It is related from Al Walid bin ' Uqbah that he said, ' When the Apostle of God conquered Mecca, the people of Mecca began to bring their children to him. And he prayed for a blessing for them, and stroked their heads. And I was brought to him when I was dyed with khaluq; and he did not touch me on account of the khaluq" ' Abu Ddud.
It is related from Yahya bin Sa'id that he heard Sa'id binu'l-Musayyib say, ' Abraham, the Friend of the Merciful, was the first man who entertained visitors, and he was the first man who was circumcised, and the first man who shortened his moustache, and the first man who saw grey hairs. And he said, "O Lord, what is this! " The Lord Most High replied, " O Abraham, these are a sign of dignity." Abraham said, " O my Lord, increase me in dignity." ' Malik.
CONCERNING PICTURES
It is related from Abu Talhah that, ' The Prophet said, " The angels do not enter the house in which there is a dog or pictures." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from 'Ayesha that, ' The Prophet never left anything in his house on which were pictures of a cross, but would break them.' Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from 'Ayesha that, ' The Apostle of God said, "The men who will be most severely punished on the day of resurrection are those who draw likenesses of God's creation.' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, ' I heard the Apostle of God say, "Every maker of pictures is in the fire. God will appoint for him, for every picture which he has drawn, a person who will punish him in hell." Ibn 'Abbas said, " Then if you must make pictures, make them of trees and things in which there is no life." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Buraidah that, ' The Prophet said, " Who- ever plays at backgammon, it is as if he had dipped his hand into the flesh of swine." ' Muslim.
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It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "Gabriel came to me and said, ' I came to thee yesterday, and nothing prevented me from entering except that there were figures upon the door, and in the house there was a coloured cloth with figures upon it. And there was a dog in the house. Therefore give orders regarding the head of the figure which is on the door of the house, and let it be cut off, and it will become like the figure of a tree. And give orders regarding the cloth, and let it be cut, and let there be made two cushions to recline upon. And give orders regarding the dog, and let it be put out." Then the Apostle of God did so.'AtTirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God saw a man following a dove; and he said, " A Satan following a Satan! " ' Ahmad, Abu Ddud, Ibn Mdjah.
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' When the Pro- phet complained (of sickness) some of his wives mentioned a certain church called Mariyah. And Umm Salamah and Umm Habibah had been to the land of Abyssinia. And they mentioned the virtues of the church and the pictures within it. Then he raised his head and said, " When any good man dies from amongst those people, they build a mosque over his grave, after which they paint within the church those pictures. Those people are the worst of God's creation." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
XXII THE BOOK OF MEDICINE AND SPELLS
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that, 'The Apostle of God said, " Remedies for disease consist of three things: scarifica- tion with a cupping instrument, or the drinking of honey, or cauterising with fire. And I forbid my followers to practise cauterising." ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Jabir that he said, ' Ubayya was wounded in a vein of his arm by an arrow on the day of Ahzab. Then the Apostle of God cauterised it.' Muslim.
It is related from 'Ayesha and Rafi* bin Khadij that, 'The Prophet said, " Fever is from the boiling heat of hell; there- fore cool it with water." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Anas that he said, ' The Apostle of God specially permitted the use of magic (to protect) from the evil eye and from the sting of poisonous reptiles and from the bite of an ant.' Muslim.
It is related from 'Umm Salamah that, ' The Prophet saw a girl in her house in whose face there was a yellowness. And he said, " Use magic for her, for verily it proceeds from a glance of the eye." Mtislim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Usamah bin Sharik that they said, ' O Apostle of God, shall we use medicine?" He replied, " Yes, O servants of God, use medicines, for verily God has not created any disease without creating a remedy for it except one disease, namely, weakness from old age." ' Ahmad, AtTirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from Salma, the maid-servant of the Prophet, that she said, ' There was no one who complained to the Apostle of God of a pain in his head, but he replied, " Bleed yourself." And there was no one who complained of a pain in his feet, but he said, " Dye them." Abu Ddud.
It is related from Asma' bint 'Umais that she said, ' O Apostle of God, verily the sons of Ja'far are soon affected by the evil eye. Shall I use a spell for them?" He replied, "Yes; for verily if there be anything that can overcome fate, the evil eye will certainly do so." ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi, Ibn Mdjah.
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It is related from Abu Sa'idu'l-Khudri that he said, ' The Apostle of God used to take refuge (with God) from the genii and the evil eye of men, until there descended the two chapters of the Qur'an on taking refuge. 1 Then when they descended he used to take them and leave all others.' At Tirmidhi, Ibn Mdjah.
It is related from 'Othman bin 'Abdu'llah bin Marhab that he said, ' My family sent me to Umm Salamah with a cup of water. And when anyone used to be affected by the evil eye or anything else, he used to send to her a water vessel; and she used to bring out a hair of the Apostle of God which she used to keep in a silver bell. And she would rinse it for him (in the water), and he would drink from it. And I looked into the bell, and I saw some red hairs. ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Kabshahu'l-Anmari that,' The Apostle of God was cupped on the top of his head on account of poisoned mutton. Ma'mar said, " I was cupped in the same way on the head for other reasons than poisoning, and the excellence of my memory went from me to such an extent that the opening chap- ter of the Book was dictated to me at the prayers." ' Razin.
CONCERNING OMENS AND AUGURIES
It is related from Abu Hurairah that ' The Apostle of God said, " There is no such thing as contagion, nor an omen, nor (a bad influence from) the owl, nor (special calamities in the month) Safar." Then a desert Arab said, " O Apostle of God, then what happens to a camel which was living in the sand (of the desert) like a gazelle (for cleanness), arid when it is allowed to mix with a camel afflicted with the itch, it gives it the itch." The Apostle of God replied, "Who infected the first one?" ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from ' Urwah bin 'Amir that he said, ' Omens were mentioned to the Apostle of God, and he said, " The best of them is a good omen; and do not turn back a Muslim (by an omen). And if any one of you see that which he dislikes, let him say, ' O God, no one can bring good but Thee, and no one can remove evil but Thee. And there is no power and no strength except in God.' " ' Abu Ddud.
1 Namely Suratu'l-Falaq (cxiii),and Suratu'n Nas (cxiv).
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CONCERNING DIVINATION
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' I heard the Apostle of God say, " Verily the angels come down in the clouds and mention the matters determined in heaven. And the satans steal a hearing, and hear it and relate it to the diviners; and they repeat from it a hundred falsehoods from them- selves." ' Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Zaid bin Khalidu'l-Huhanni that he said, 'The Apostle of God prayed for us (as leader) at the morning prayer at Hudaibah on marks of rain which had fallen in the night. And when he had finished, he turned to the people and said, "Do ye know what your Lord said?" They replied, "God and His Apostle know best." He said, (God said) ' There arose this morning of my servants some who believe in me, and some who are unbelievers. As for those who said, ' Rain has been sent upon us by the bounty and mercy of God,' they are believers in me and disbelievers in the stars. But as for those who said, ' Rain has been sent upon us in such and such a way as the result of the moon being in a certain constel- lation, they are disbelievers in me and believers in the stars."' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that he said, 'A man of the Prophet's companions, one of the Helpers, informed me that whilst they were sitting on a certain night with the Apostle of God, a star shot and emitted a light. Then the Apostle of God said to them, " What used ye to say in the times of ignorance when a star shot in this way?" They replied, "God and His Apostle know best. We used to say, some great man has been born to-night and some great man has died." The Apostle of God said, " Verily this has not shot on account of the death of anyone or the life of anyone; but our Lord, blessed be His name, when He orders a matter, the bearers of the throne sing praises, after which the inhabitants of heaven who are near them sing praises, until the praises reach the inhabitants of this heaven of the world. Then those who are near the bearers of the throne say to them, ' What did your Lo^d say'? And they inform them what He said. And some of the inhabitants of the heavens ask others for information, until it reaches this heaven of the world. Then the genii steal a hearing and pass
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it on to their friends (the diviners). So they are shot at (by the stars). And what they bring is true, but they deceive therein and add thereto." ' Muslim.
CONCERNING VISIONS
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, 'The Prophet said, ' He who sees me in sleep, has certainly seen me; for Satan cannot fashion himself into my likeness." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Qatadah that, * The Apostle of God said, " A good vision is from God, but a dream is from Satan, therefore when anyone of you sees in a vision something that he likes, let him not relate it to any but one whom he loves; and when he sees what he dislikes, then let him take refuge with God from its evil and from the evil of Satan; and let him spit three times; and let him not tell it to anyone; then it will never harm him." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Musa that, ' The Prophet said, ' I saw in a dream that I was being taken from Mecca to a land in which were date-trees. And my imagination went so far that it appeared to be Yamamah or Hejr, and behold! it was the city of Yathrib (i.e., Madina.) And I saw in this dream of mine that I was brandishing a sword, and the forepart of it was cut off; and behold! it was what befel the believers on the day of (the battle of) 'Uhud. After that I brandished it a second time, and it returned to me better than it was before; and behold! it was the victory which God gave them, and the bringing together of the believers." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Ayesha that, 'The Apostle of God was asked about Waraqah. Then Khadija said to him, " Verily he bore witness to the truth of thy mission. But he died before thou appeared (as a Prophet)." The Apostle of God said, ' He was shown to me in a dream. And there were white clothes on him; but if he had been one of the inhabitants of the fire, there would certainly have been upon him different clothes from that." ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
XX11I THE BOOK OF GOOD MANNERS
ON SALUTATIONS
It. is related from Abii Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "God created Adam in His own image. His height was sixty cubits; and when He created him He said, 'Go and salute those people and they were a band of angels who were sitting and listen to what answer they return thee; for verily it is an answer for thee and for thy progeny.' Then he went and said, ' Peace be on you.' And they said, ' Peace and the mercy of God be on thee. (The Prophet) said, "They added to it the words, ' And the mercy of God.' Everyone who enters paradise will do so in the image of Adam. His height will be sixty cubits; but the creation has continued to decrease after him until now." Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, " Do not salute a Jew or a Christian first; and when ye meet one of them in the road, force him to the side of it." ' Muslim.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said, " When a Jew salutes you, he only says, * As sdm 'alaika.'* (' May death come upon thee '). Then do ye say in response, Wa ' alaika' (' And upon thee ')." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from ' Ayesha that she said, ' A party of Jews asked permission (to interview) the Prophet. And they said, " May death come upon you." Then I said, " Rather may death and a curse come upon you." Then (the Apostle) said, " O 'Ayesha, verily God is compassionate and loves compassion in all matters." I said, " Didst thou not hear what they said? " He replied, " I said, 'And upon you? " Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Ali that, ' The Apostle of God said, ' There are six duties incumbent upon one Muslim toward another : that he should salute him when he meets him; that he 1 i.e. Instead of saying, ' As saldm 'alaika' (' Peace be upon thee.')
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should accept the invitation when he invites him; that he should say "Praise be to God " when he sneezes; that he should visit him when he is ill; that he should follow his bier when he dies; and that he should love for him what he loves for himself." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from 'Amru bin shu'aib, from his father, from his grandfather that, ' The Prophet of God said, " He is not of us who makes himself like one who does not belong to us. Do not imitate the Jews and Christians. For the salutation of the Jews is a sign with the fingers, and the salutation of the Chris- tians is a sign with the palms of the hand." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Zaid bin Thabit that he said, ' I entered into the Prophet when a writer was (sitting) in front of him; and I heard him say, " Put the pen upon your ear, for it helps one to remember the money." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Zaid bin Thabit that he said, ' The Apostle of God ordered me to learn Syriac. ' And in another tradition it runs, ' He ordered me to learn the correspondence of the Jews; and said, "I put no reliance in the Jews in regard to correspondence." Zaid said, " Then not half a month had passed over me before I had learnt it. And so it came about that whenever he wrote to a Jew, I wrote (for him) . And when they wrote to him, I read their letter to him." ' At Tirmidhi. - It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " When God created Adam and blew a soul into him, he sneezed and said, 'Praise be to God,' and he praised God by His permission. And his Lord said to him, ' May God have mercy on thee. O Adam, go to those angels, to the party of them which is sitting down, and say, " Peace be upon you." So he said, 'Peace be upon you.' They replied, ' Upon thee be the peace and mercy of God.' After that he returned to his Lord and He said, ' Verily this is thy salutation and the saluta- tion of thy children amongst themselves.' And God said to him, His two hands being tightly closed, ' Choose which of the two thou wishest.' He replied, 'I choose the right hand of my Lord; but both the hands of my Lord are right and blessed.' Then He extended it, and behold! in it, Adam and his descendants. He said, ' O my Lord, what are these? ' He replied, ' These are thy descendants; and behold! the age of
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234 SELECTIONS FROM MUHAMMAUAN TRADITIONS
every man is written down between his two eyes. And behold! amongst them is a man, the brightest of them all, or one of the brightest of them.' He said, ' O Lord, who is this? ' He replied, ' This is thy son David, and I have written his age for him, forty years.' He said, 'O Lord, increase his age.' He replied, ' That is what I have written for him.' He said, 'O my Lord, verily I put to his credit, sixty years of my own life.' He, said, ' Do what thon wishest.' (The Apostle) said, After that Adam dwelt in paradise as long as God wished, and then he was cast down from it. And Adam was in the habit of counting up (his age) for himself. Then the angel of death came to him. And Adam said to him, ' Thon hast come too soon. A thousand years have been written down for me.' The angel replied, ' That is so; but thou hast placed sixty years to the credit of thy son David.' Then he denied; and his descendants have denied; and he forgot, and his descendants have forgotten." (The Prophet) said, " Then from that time it was ordered to be written down with witnesses." ' At Tirmidhi.
ON ASKING PERMISSION (TO ENTER)
It is related from Kaldah bin Hanbal that afwan bin Umayyah sent some milk and a young deer and some cucumbers to the Prophet when he was at the higher part of the valley. Kaldah said, ' Then I entered into him, and I neither saluted nor asked permission.' And the Prophet said, " Go back! and say, ' Peace be upon you. May I enter? ' At Tirmidln, Abu Ddud.
ON SHAKING HANDS AND EMBRACING
It is related from Qatadah that he said, ' I said to Anas, ' Was there shaking of hands amongst the companions of the Prophet of God? " He replied, " Yes." -Al Bukhdrl.
It is related from Al Bara' bin 'Azib that, ' The Apostle of God said, "There are no two Muslims who meet and shake hands; but they are forgiven before they separate." ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' I never saw anyone resemble the Apostle of God more in manner and habits and good disposition ' and in another tradition it runs ' in
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conversation and speech ' ' than Fatimah. When she entered where he was, he used to rise for her and take her by her hand and kiss her and sit her in his seat. And when he entered where she was, she used to rise for him and take him by his hand and kiss him and sit him in her seat.' Abu Ddud.
It is related from 'Afa'l-Kharasani that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Shake hands with one another in order to remove envy; and give one another presents, and show love to one another, and so take away malice." ' Malik.
ON RISING UP
It is related from Anas that he said, ' There was no man more beloved by them than the Apostle of God. And when they saw him, they used not to rise for him, because they were aware of his dislike of that.' At Tirmidht.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that he said, ' The Apostle of God used to sit with us in the mosque conversing with us. And when he rose up, we used to rise and remain standing until we saw that he had entered into some of the houses of his wives.'
ON SITTING AND SLEEPING AND WALKING
It is related from 'Abbas bin Tamim, from his uncle, that he said, ' I saw the Apostle of God in the mosque lying on his back and placing one of his feet upon the other.' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Jabir that he said, ' The Apostle of God forbade a man from raising one of his legs upon the other whilst he was lying on his back.' Muslim.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " When any one of you sits in the shade; and the shadow- moves away from him, so that a part of him remains in the sun and a part in the shade, then let him get up." 'Abti Ddud. And in the Sharhu's-Sunnah it runs : ' He said, "When anyone of you sits in the shade, and it moves away from him; then let him get up, for verily the sitting of Satan is of this kind."
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, 'The Prophet forbade a man to walk between two women.' Abu Daud.
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ON SNEEZING AND YAWNING It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Prophet said,
' Verily God loves sneezing and hates yawning. Therefore when anyone of you sneezes and praises God, it is the duty of every Muslim who hears him to say to him. ' May God have mercy on thee.' But as for yawning, it is only from Satan; therefore when anyone of you yawns, let him suppress it as far as he is able. For verily, when anyone of you yawns, Satan laughs at him." ' At Bukhdri.
_ It is related from Abu Miisa that he said, ' The Jews used to make themselves sneeze near the Prophet; hoping that he would say to them, " May God have mercy on you; " but he used to say, " May God guide you and make good your hearts! " At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
ON LAUGHING
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' I never saw the Prophet laugh heartily, so that I could see the palate of his mouth. He used only to smile/ Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Abdu'llah binu'l-Harith bin Jazi' that he said, ' I never saw anyone smile more than the Apostle of God.' At Tirmidhi.
CONCERNING NAMES
It is related from Anas that he said, ' The Prophet was in a bazaar, and a man said, " O Abu'l-Qasim! ' And the Prophet turned round to him. But the man said, " 1 only called this man." Then the Prophet said, "Give (your children) my name; but do not designate them by my epithet (Abu'l- Qasim)." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said, "Verily the most pleasing of your names in the sight of God are ' 'Abdu'llah ' and ' ' Abdu'r-Rahman.' -Muslim.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "No one of you must ever say, 'My slave' and 'My female slave.' All of you are slaves of God, and all your women are His female slaves.' But let him say, 'My boy,' ' My girl/ ' My young man,' ' My young woman.' And a slave must not say, ' My Lord '; but let him say, ' My master.' And in another tradition it runs, " Let not a slave say to his master* ' My Lord '; for verily your Lord is God." ' Muslim.
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It is related from Abu'l-Dardai' that, ' The Apostle of God said, " You will be called on the day of resurrection by your names and the names of your fathers. Therefore make your names good ones." ' Ahmad, Abu Ddud.
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, ' Verily the Prophet used to change bad names.' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from 'Abdu'l-Hamid bin Jubair bin Shaibah that he said, ' I sat near Sa'id binu'l-Musayyib, and he told me that his grandfather Hazn went to the Prophet. And the latter said, " What is thy name? " He replied, " My name is Hazn." He said, "Rather thou art Sahl." He replied, "I will not change the name which my father gave me." Ibnu'l-Musayyib said, "Ever since that stubbornness has remained amongst us." ' AL Bukhdri.
CONCERNING RHETORIC AND POETRY
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that he said, ' Two men from the East drew near and made speeches. And the people were astonished at their eloquence. Then the Apostle of God said, 'There is certainly magic in eloquence." ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, 'The Apostle of God said, " The truest word a poet has spoken is the word of Labid, 'Beware! everything except God is vanity.' Muslim , Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Al Barai' that, 'The Prophet said to Hassan bin Thabit on the day of Quraizah, " Lampoon the polytheists, for verily Gabriel is with thee." And the Apostle of God used to say to Hassan, "Answer for me." (And he prayed.) " O God, help him with the Holy Spirit." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Ayesha that, ' The Apostle of God said,, " Lampoon the Quraish, for it is more trying to them than the shooting of arrows." ' Muslim.
It is related from Anas that, ' The Apostle of God said, " On the night on which I was taken (up to heaven) I passed by a people whose lips were being cut off with scissors of fire. And I said, ' O Gabriel, who are these? ' He replied, ' These are those of thy followers who delivered the public address at prayers, and who said what they did not perform.' "' At T inn id hi.
238
It is related from 'Ayesha that she said, 'The Apostle of God used to place a pulpit in the mosque for Hassan on which to stand. And he used to stand and magnify the Apostle of God or boast of his virtues. And the Apostle of God said, 1 Verily God assists Hassan with the Holy Spirit so long as he boasts concerning the Apostle of God." ' Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Abu Sa'idu'l-Khudri that he said, ' When we were going with the Apostle of God to Al 'Arj, behold! a poet appeared reciting verses of poetry. Then the Apostle of God said, "Take hold of Satan," or "Seize Satan. It is certainly better that the belly of a man should be full of pus than of poetry."
It is related from Jabir that, ' The Apostle of God said, '* Songs cause hypocrisy to arise in the heart, as water causes the crops to spring up." ' Al Baihaqi.
It is related from Nafi' that he said, ' I was with Ibn 'Omar in a certain road. And he heard a reed instrument; and he placed his fingers in his ears, and turned off the road in another direction. Then, after going some distance, he said to me, " O Nafi' dost thou hear anything?' I replied, "No." Then he took his fingers out of his ears and said, " I was with the Apostle of God; and he heard the sound of a reed instrument and did as I did." Nafi 4 said, " When that happened I was young." ' Ahmad, Abu Ddud.
ON KEEPING THE TONGUE, AND ON CALUMNY AND ABUSE
It is related from 'Abdu'llah bin Ma'sud that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Abuse of a Muslim is disobedience to God, and fighting with him is infidelity." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdr'i.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " It is not right for one who tells the truth that he should be a great cnrser." ' Muslim.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " You will find that the worst men on the day of resurrect- ion will be those who are two-faced. Who come to some people in one attitude, and to others in another." ' Muslim, At Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Abdu'llah bin Ma'sud that, 'The Apostle of God said, "It is your duty to speak the truth; for verily the
THE BOOK OF GOOD MANNERS 239
truth leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to para- dise. And a man will continue to speak the truth and hold it fast until he is written down with God as a truth-teller. Then beware of falsehood, for verily falsehood leads to foul deeds, and foul deeds lead to the fire. And a man will continue to lie and hold falsehood fast until he is written down with God as a great liar." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Al Miqdad binu'l-Aswad that, ' The Apostle of God said, " When ye see flatterers, then throw dust into their mouths." ' Muslim.
It is related from Bahz bin Hakim, from his father, from his grandfather that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Woe to him who tells stories and lies in order to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him! Woe to him! ' ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
It is related from 'Uqbah bin 'Amir that he said, ' I met the Apostle of God; and I said, " What is (the means of) salvation? " He replied, " Rule thy tongue, let thine house be a sufficient dwelling-place, and weep for thy sins."' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said, "When a servant (of God) tells a falsehood, the angel removes from him a mile on account of the bad odour which emanates from it." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from 'Ammar that, ' The Apostle of God said, ' He who is two-faced in the world will have two tongues of fire on the day of resurrection." ' Abu Ddud.
It is related from Anas that, ' The Apostle of God said, 4 When a wicked man is praised, thy Lord Most High becomes angry, and the throne trembles on account of it." ' Al Baihaqi.
It is related from Anas that, ' The Apostle of God said, "O Abu Dharr, shall I not point you to two good qualities, which will be light on the back, but heavy in the scales? " I said, "Yes." He replied, " Length of silence, and goodness of disposition. By Him in whose hand is my life! there is no action of man like these two."
It is related from ' Ayesha that she said, ' The Prophet passed by Abu Bakr when he was cursing some of his slaves. Then he turned to him and said, " Cursers and confirmers of
SELECTIONS FROM MUHAMMADAN TRADITIONS
the truth! l Never by the Lord of the Ka'bah! " Abu Bakr at once set free some of his slaves, and afterwards came to the Prophet and said, " I will not do it again." ' At Baihaqi.
It is related from 'Ubadah binu's-Samit that, ' The Prophet said, " Be security for me for six things concerning yourselves . and I will be security for paradise for you. Tell the truth when you speak; perform when you promise; be trustworthy when put in trust; keep your private parts; turn away your eyes (from the forbidden); and withhold your hands (there- from)."
CONCERNING PROMISES
It is related from Jabir that he said, ' When the Apostle of God died, some property came to Abu Bakr from Al 'Alai ' binu'l-Hadrami. Then Abu Bakr said, "Whomsoever the Prophet owed anything, or to whomsoever he made a promise, let him come to us." Jabir said, " Then I said, ' The Apostle of God promised 10 give me such and such.' And he held out his hands three times. Jabir said, " Then he filled my hands once. And I counted it, and behold! it was five hundred (dirhams). And he said, ' Take double the amount.' : 'Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Zaid bin Arqam that, ' The Prophet said,
1 When a man makes a promise to his brother, and intends to
perform it, but does not do so. and does not come to the place
appointed; then there is no fault upon him." Abu Daud,
At Tirmidhi.
CONCERNING JOKING
It is related from Anas that, ' The Prophet said to an old woman, "Verily no old woman will enter paradise." She replied, " Then what will happen to them? " and she used to read the Qur'an. He said to her, " Dost thou not read the Qur'an? 'Verily we have created them in a certain fashion, and we will make them virgins.' ' 2 Razin.
It is related from Anas that ' A man of the desert Arabs, whose name was Zahir bin Haram, used to bring presents to
1 Muhammad had previously conferred upon Abu Bakr the special title, 'As Siddiq' ('Confirmer of the truth'). a Qur'an, Suratu'l-Waqi'a (Ivi) 35.
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the Prophet from the desert. And the Apostle of God used to furnish him with all necessaries when he wished to go out (to his people). And the Prophet said, " Verily Zahir provides us from the desert, and we give him something in return." And the Prophet loved him, and Zahir was ugly. And on a certain day the Prophet came, when he was selling his goods, and caught him in his arms from behind, so that he was not able to see him. And (Zahir) said, " Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned round and recognized the Prophet. And he struck his back against the Prophet's breast as a sign that he had detected him. Then the Prophet began to say, " Who will buy this slave? " He replied, " O Apostle of God, in that case, by God! you will find me goods not easy to sell! ' Then the Prophet said, " But in the sight of God thou art not worthless goods." ' Sharhu s-Sunnah.
It is related from Nu'man bin Bashir that he said, ' Abu Bakr asked the Prophet permission (to enter his house); and he heard 'Ayesha's voice raised (in anger). And when he entered, he seized her in order to box her ears, and said, " Let me never see thee raising thy voice against the Apostle of God." And the Prophet began to prevent him (from slapping 'Ayesha). Then Abu Bakr went out in anger. And when Abu Bakr went out, the Prophet said, " Dost thou see how I saved thee from that man? " ' She said, ' Then Abu Bakr stayed away for some days, and afterwards he asked permission (to enter) and found that the two of them had become recon- ciled. Then he said to them, "Include me in your reconcilia- tion as ye included me in your quarrel." The Prophet said, ' We have done so. We have done so." 'Abti Ddud.
ON BOASTING AND PARTISANSHIP
It is related from Al Barai' bin 'Azib that he said, ' On the day of (the battle of) Hunain Abu Sufyan binu'l-Harith was holding the reins of his mule, that is the mule of the Apostle of God; and when the polytheists surrounded him, he alighted and began to say, " I am the Prophet, there is no falsehood; I am the son of 'Abdu'l-Muttalib." (Al Barai') said, "No man amongst the people was seen to be braver on that day than he." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
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242
It is related from Anas that he said, ' A man came to the Prophet and said, "O best of creation." The Apostle of God replied, " That was Abraham." Muslim.
It is related from 'Omar that, 'The Apostle of God said,
'Do not give me exaggerated praise, as the Christians
exaggerate in praising the Son of Mary, for I am only His
servant. Therefore say, ' The servant of God and His
Apostle." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
ON FILIAL PIETY AND CHARITY
It is related from Abu Hurairah that a man said, 'O Apostle of God, who of my associates is most worthy of being treated well? " He replied, " Thy mother." He said, " And who after that?" He replied, " Thy mother." He said, " Who after that?" He replied, "Thy mother." He said, "Who after that? " He replied, " Thy father." -Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Al Mnghirah that, 'The Apostle of God said, " Verily God has forbidden bad behaviour towards mothers, and has forbidden burying daughters alive, and parsimony and begging. And He dislikes loquaciousness in you. And (He has forbidden) excessive questioning, and squandering of money." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Doing one's duty to one's relations does not consist in making recompense for benefits received; but the one who carries out his family duties is he who, when he is not treated well, still does his duty." ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, 'A man said, "O Apostle of God, I have some relations whom I treat well, but they treat me badly. And I do good to them, but they do evil to me. And I am patient with them, but they are rude to me." (The Prophet) said, " If thou art as thou sayest, then it is as if thou wert casting coals of fire at them; and thou wilt continue to receive assistance from God against them so long as thou behave thus."' Muslim.
It is related from Abu Usaid that he said, ' When we were near the Apostle of God, behold a man of the Bani 'Salimah came to him and said, "O Apostle of God, is there anything remaining undone of duties towards my parents which I might
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do to them after their death? " He replied, " Yes, prayer for them and asking forgiveness for them, and the execution of their promises after them, and good behaviour towards their relations, such as is not usually given except to them (the parents), and honouring their friends." ' Abu Ddud, Ibn Mdjah.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that he said, ' I had a woman as my wife whom I loved, but ' Omar disliked t her and said to me, " Divorce her." But I refused. Then 'Omar came to the Apostle of God and mentioned the matter to him. And the Apostle of God said to me, " Divorce her." ' AtTirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from Anas that, ' The Apostle of God said,
' Verily the servant whose parents die, or one of them dies,
and he has certainly been disobedient to them, must continue to
pray for them and ask pardon for them, until God writes him
down as one who acts with filial piety."
It is related from Sa'id binuVAs that, ' The Apostle of God said, " The rights of an elder brother which he may claim from a younger brother are (the same as) the rights which a parent may claim from his child." ' Al Bailiaqi.
ON COMPASSION AND MERCY TOWARDS THE CREATION
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " The one who takes care of widows and poor people, is like one who is active in the way of God." And I imagine he said, "He is like one who stands up (in prayer) without inter- mission, and keeps the fast without breaking it." 'Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Anas that, 'The Apostle of God said " By him in whose hand is my life! no servant believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." 'Muslim, Al Bukhdrz.
It is related from 'Ayesha and Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Prophet said, " Gabriel continued to give me orders concerning (the rights of) neighbours, until I thought that he would make them heirs." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdrt.
It is related from Ibn 'Abbas that, ' The Apostle of God said, " He is not of us who is not kind to our little ones, and does not honour our elders, and does not command what js lawful and forbid what is unlawful." ' At Tirmidhi.
244
It is related from Abu Umamah that, The Apostle of God said, " He who strokes the head of an orphan for no other reason than for the sake of God, shall have a good deed (ascribed to him) for every hair which his hand passes over. And whoever does good to an orphan, male or female, who is in his care, he and I will be in paradise like these two" and he joined his two fingers together.' At Tirmidht.
It is related from Ayytib bin Musa, from his father, from his grandfather, that, ' The Apostle of God said, " No father has given his son a better present than good manners."' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Ibn Ma'sud that, ' The Apostle of God said, "Verily God Most High has divided among you your natural dispositions, as He has apportioned among you your sustenance. Verily God Most High gives the earth to those whom He loves and to those whom He does not love; but He does not give religion except to those whom He loves. And he to whom God gives religion, him He has certainly loved. And by Him in whose hand is my life! no servant becomes a Muslim until his heart and tongue do so. And he does not believe until his neighbour is safe from his injustices."
CONCERNING LOVE IN GOD AND FROM GOD
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Verily when God loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says, 'Verily I love such an one, therefore do thou love him.' Then Gabriel loves him; after which he makes proclama- tion in the heavens and says, 'Verily God loves such an one, therefore do ye love him.' Then the inhabitants of heaven love him. After that his acceptance is established upon the earth. And when God hates a servant, He calls Gabriel and says, 'Verily I hate such an one, therefore do thou hate him.' Then Gabriel hates him; after which he makes proclamation amongst the inhabitants of heaven and says, 'Verily God hates such an one, therefore do ye hate him.' Then they hate him. After that hatred for him is established in the earth." ' Muslim.
It is related from Anas that, 'A man said, "O Apostle of God, when will the hour (of resurrection) come? " He replied,
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'Woe to thee! what provision hast thou made for it?" He said, " I have made no provision for it, except that I love God and His Apostle." He replied, "Thou wilt be with Him whom thou lovest." Anas said, "I never saw the Muslims rejoice more over anything, after Islam, than their joy at this (saying)." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Omar that, ' The Apostle of God said,
' Verily amongst the servants of God there will certainly be some men who were neither prophets nor martyrs, but whose felicity the prophets and martyrs will desire on the day of resurrection on account of their position near God." They said, "O Apostle of God, inform us who they are." He replied, " They are those who love one another in the spirit of God, and not on account of blood-relationships existing between them, or for property which they give and take amongst themselves. And by God! verily their faces will be light, and they will certainly be upon (seats of) light. They will not fear when others fear, nor will they be sorrowful when others grieve." Then he recited this verse of the Qur'an, " Beware! verily the friends of God have no fear on them, nor do they grieve," n Abu D dud.
It is related from Abu Sa'id that he heard the Prophet say, ' Do not make friends of any, except a believer; and let none eat of your food, but the pious.' At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
ON WHAT is FORBIDDEN REGARDING BREAKING OFF FRIENDSHIPS, AND SEARCHING OUT DEFECTS
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, "The actions of men are reported twice every week: on Mondays and Thursdays. And every believing servant is forgiven except the servant between whom and his brother there is enmity. And it is said (to the angels), ' Leave these two until they become reconciled.' Muslim.
It is related from Asma' bint Yazid that she said, ' The Apostle of God said, " Falsehood is not lawful except in three cases : the falsehood of a man to his wife in order to please her; falsehood in war; and falsehood in order to effect a reconcilia- tion between men." ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
1 Qur'an, Suratu Yunas (x) 61,
246
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that he said, ' The Apostle of God ascended the pulpit and cried with a loud voice and said, "O ye people, who have embraced Islam with the tongue, but whose hearts faith has not reached, distress not Muslims, nor reproach them, nor search out their defects; for verily he who seeks out the defects of his brother Muslim, God will seek out his defects. And he whose defects God seeks out, He will expose them although they be (hidden) in the middle of his pack-saddle." ' At Tirmidhl.
It is related from 'Ayeshathat she said, ' Safiyah's camel was sick. And Zainab had an excess of riding-camels. And the Apostle of God said to Zainab, "Give her a camel." She replied, "Shall I give to that Jewess! ' Then the Apostle of God became angry, and he forsook her for (the months of) Dhu'l-Hajj and Muharram and part of Safar." ' Abu Ddud.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Jesus, the Son of Mary saw a man stealing. Then Jesus, the Son of Mary, said to him, 'Thou didst steal.' He replied, 1 Never! by Him besides whom there is no other God!' Then Jesus said, ' I believed in God, but spoke falsely to myself.' ' Muslim.
ON CAUTION AND DELIBERATION IN MATTERS
It is related from Sahl bin Sa'du'l-Sa'id that, ' The Prophet said, " Deliberation is from God, and haste is from Satan." ' At Tirmid/ri.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Prophet said to Abu'l-Haitam binu'l Tabbihan, "Hast thou a servant?' He replied, " No." He said, " When captives come to us, do thou appear also." Then two captives were brought to the Prophet, and Abu'l-Haitam came to him, and the Prophet said, " Choose one of them." He replied, "O Prophet of God, do thou choose for me." Then the Prophet said, " Verily a counsellor is one to be trusted in. Take this one; for verily I saw him praying. And behave well towards him." ' At Tirmidhi.
ON KINDNESS AND MODESTY AND GOOD DISPOSITIONS
It is related from 'Imran bin Husain that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Modesty brings nothing but good." And in an-
THE BOOK OF GOOD MANNERS 247
other tradition it runs, "All kinds of modesty are good." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn Ma'siid that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Verily one of the things which men have understood from the words of former prophecies is this : ' When thou hast no shame, then do whatever thou wishest." ' Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Sahl bin Mu'adh, from his father that, 'The Prophet said, " He who suppresses his anger, when he has the power to give vent to it; God will call him to the chiefs of creation on the day of resurrection in order that He may let him choose which of the black-eyed virgins (Huris) of paradise he may wish." ' At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from Ibn 'Omar that, ' The Prophet said, 'Verily modesty and faith are joined together. When one of them is taken away, the other is taken also." And in a tradi- tion from Ibn 'Abbas it runs : "When one of them is stolen, the other follows it." ' Al Baihaqi.
ON ANGER AND PRIDE
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Tfre strong is not he who throws men down. Only he is the strong who exercises the mastery over himself at the time of anger." ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from Ibn Ma'sud that, ' The Apostle of God said, " No one will enter the fire in whose heart is faith equal in weight to a single grain of mustard seed. And no one will enter paradise in whose heart is pride equal in weight to a single grain of mustard seed." ' Muslim.
It is related from Abu Dharr that, ' The Apostle of God said, "When anyone of you gets angry whilst he is standing, then let him sit down. Then if the anger leaves him (well); otherwise let him lie on his side." ' Ahmad, At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Abu Hurairah that, ' The Apostle of God said, " Moses the son of 'Imran said, 'O my Lord, who is the most highly esteemed in Thy sight of all Thy servants? ' (God) replied, ' He who, when he is able, forgives.'
CONCERNING OPPRESSION
It is related from Hudhaifah that, 'The Apostle of God said, " Do not be partial in your behaviour and say, ' If people
248 SELECTIONS FROM MUHAMM ADAN TRADITIONS
do good (to us), we will do good (to them); and if they oppress (us) we will oppress them.' But determine within yourselves that if men do good, you will do good, but if they do evil, you will not oppress." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Ibn Ma'sud that he said, ' When the revelation came down, " They who believe, and clothe not their faith with injustice, (they shall enjoy security, and they are rightly directed)" 1 that became grievous to the companions of the Apostle of God, and they said, " O Apostle of God, who of us has not done injustice to his own soul! ' The Apostle of God replied, " It is not that. It only refers to attributing partners to God. Have you not heard the word of Luqman to his son, * O my little son, do not attribute partners to God, for verily attributing partners to God is great injustice.' ' Mus- lim , A I Bukhdri.
CONCERNING THINGS WHICH ARE LAWFUL It is related from Usamah bin Zaid that, ' The Apostle of God said, "A man will be brought on the day of resurrection and cast into the fire. And his intestines will be poured out into the fire and will be ground to powder in it, like the grind- ing of a mill-stone by an ass. Then the inhabitants of the fire will gather together to him and say, ' Ho such an one! what is the matter with thee? Wast thou not in the habit of ordering us what was lawful, and forbidding us what was unlawful? He will reply, * I used to order you what was lawful, but did not do it myself; and I used to forbid you what was unlawful, but T did it myself.' ' ' Muslim, Al Bukhdri.
It is related from 'Abdu'llah bin Ma'siid that, ' The Apostle of God said, "When the Children of Israel fell into dis- obedience, their learned men forbade them, but they did not prevent them. And they sat in company with them in their assemblies, and ate and drank with them. And God mixed the hearts of some of them with others; and He cursed them by the tongues of David and Jesus, the Son of Mary. That He did because they disobeyed and transgressed." (Ibn Ma'siid) said, " Then the Apostle of God sat down; and he was reclining and he said, ' No, by Him in whose hand is my life! (ye will
1 Qur'an, Suratu'l-An'am (vi) 82.
THE BOOK OF GOOD MANNERS 249
not escape the curse) until ye prevent them (from disobey- ing).' " ' At Tirmidhi, Abu Ddud.
It is related from 'Ammar bin Yasir that, ' The Apostle of God said, "A table descended from heaven with bread and meat (for the Children of Israel); and they were commanded to be faithful to their trust and to make no provision for the morrow; but they abused their trust and made provision and took up food for the morrow; and they were transformed into apes and swine." ' At Tirmidhi.
It is related from Jabir that, ' The Apostle of God said, " God, the Exalted and Magnified, revealed to Gabriel that he should turn such and such cities upside down, together with their inhabitants. He replied, ' O my Lord, verily amongst them is Thy servant so and so, who has never disobeyed Thee for the twinkling of an eye.' He said, 'Turn it over upon him and upon them, for verily his face has never changed for a single hour.' '