Mishkat al-Masabih

God’s Messenger led us in prayer facing a camel which had been taken in booty, and when he had given the salutation he took a hair from the camel’s side and said, "I have no right to as much as this of your booty, but only to the fifth, and the fifth is returned to you." Abu Dawud transmited it.

When God’s Messenger divided the portion of the relatives among the B. Hashim and the B. al-Muttalib, ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan and I came to him and said, "Messenger of God, these are our brethren of the B. Hashim whose superiority we do not deny because of the position in which God has placed you in relation to them, but tell us about our brethren of the B. al-Muttalib to whom you have given something while omitting us though our relationship is the same as theirs."* God’s Messenger replied, "The B. Hashim and the B. al- Muttalib are one body like this," and he intertwined his fingers. * Cf. Chapter 8a Shafi'i transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in the version of Abu Dawud and Nasa'i. It says, "I and the B. al-Muttalib have not been separate in the pre-Islamic or in the Islamic period and they and we are one," intertwining his fingers.

When I stood in the rank at the battle of Badr I looked to my right and my left, and when I saw that I was between two young men of the Ansar I wished that I had been between men who were stronger than they. One of them pinched me and said, "Do you know Abu Jahl, uncle?" and I replied, "Yes, but what do you want with him, nephew?” He said, “I have been told that he reviles God's Messenger. By Him in whose hand my soul is, if I see him I shall not leave him till the one of us who is to die first dies.” I was astonished at that, and then the other pinched me and said the same to me. Before long I saw Abu Jahl going round among the people and I said, “Look, this is the man about whom you were asking.” They then hastened to him with their swords and struck him till they killed him, after which they went to God’s Messenger and informed him. He asked which of them had killed him and they both claimed to have done so. He then asked if they had wiped their swords, and when they replied that they had not he looked at the swords and said, “Both of you killed him.” God’s Messenger then decided that what was taken from him should go to Mu'adh b. ‘Amr b. al-Jamuh. The two men were Mu'adh b. ‘Amr b. al-Jamah and Mu'adh b. ‘Afra’.* *’Afra’ was his mother. His father was al-Harith. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying at the battle of Badr, “Who will find out for us what has happened to Abu Jahl?” Ibn Mas'ud went and. found that the two sons of ‘Afra,’ had struck him till he was almost dead, so he seized him by his beard and said, “Are you Abu Jahl?” He replied, “Have you killed more than a man?” In a version he said, “I wish someone other than a tiller of the ground had killed me.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

While I was sitting God’s Messenger gave a company something but omitted the one who was most attractive to me. I therefore got up and said, ‘Why have you omitted so and so? I swear by God that I consider him to be a believer.” God’s Messenger replied, “No, a Muslim.” Sa'd mentioned that three times and he gave him the same reply, then said, “I give a man something although I like someone else better, from fear he may be thrown face downwards in hell.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them Zuhri said be considered that Islam is the attestation of belief and faith is good action.

Ibn ‘Umar told that God's Messenger stood up, i.e. on the day of Badr, and said, ‘Uthman has gone off on the business of God and His Messenger and I shall take the oath of allegiance on his behalf. God’s Messenger then appointed him a share, but did not do so for anyone else who was absent. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Rafi' b. Khadij said that in the division of the booty God’s Messenger used to treat ten sheep as equivalent to a camel. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A prophet who went out on an expedition told his people that no man should follow him who had married a woman with whom he wished to cohabit but had not yet done so, or who had built houses on which he had not yet put the roofs, or who had bought sheep or pregnant she-camels and was expecting them to produce young. He then went on the expedition and approached the town at the time of the afternoon prayer or thereabouts. He then told the sun that both it and he were under command and prayed God to keep it back for them, so it was kept back till God gave him victory. He collected the spoils and it (meaning fire) came to devour them, but did not do so. Saying that there was dishonesty about spoil among them he told them that a man from every tribe must swear allegiance to him, and when a man’s hand stuck in his he said there was dishonesty about spoil among them. They brought him a head of gold like a cow’s head an when he had laid it down the fire came and devoured the spoil.* A version has, "Spoils were not allowable to anyone before us .Then God allowed spoils to us. He saw our weakness and incapacity and allowed them to us.” *This tradition combines elements of the story of Joshua commanding the sun to stand still (Joshua, 10:12) and the story of Achan’s sin (Joshua, 7:10 ff ). (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said he was told by ‘Umar that on the day of Khaibar some of the Prophet’s companions came and said, So and so is a martyr and so and so is a martyr,” but when they came to a man about whom they said, "So and so is a martyr” God’s Messenger declared, "By no means, I have seen him in hell in a mantle (or cloak) which he took dishonestly.” God's Messenger then said, "Go, Ibn al-Khattab, and announce among the people three times that only the believers will enter paradise.” He said he went out and announced three times, "Only the believers will enter paradise.” Muslim transmitted it.

I was a clerk of Jaz’ b. Mu'awiya the paternal uncle of al-Ahnaf, and a year before the death of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab we received his letter in which he gave instruction to separate married couples among the Magians who were within the prohibited degrees. ‘Umar had not taken the jizya from the Magians till ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf testified that God’s Messenger had taken it from the Magians of Hajar. Bukhari transmitted it.

Mu'adh said that when God’s Messenger sent him to the Yemen he ordered him to take from every halim, meaning one who had reached puberty, a dinar or its equivalent in Ma'afiri,* i.e. garments of Yemen origin. *This word, which is usually an adjective qualifying thaub (garment), is here used by itself with an explanation of the meaning following Ma'afir is the name of a tribe which was a section of Hamdan, the Yemen tribal group. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying “Two qiblas in one land are not right, and no jizya is to be levied on a Muslim.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Anas told that God’s Messenger sent Khalid b. al-Walid to Ukaidir of Duma,* and when they seized him and brought him he spared his life and made peace with him on condition that he should pay jizya. *Duma was a fortress-near Tabuk. Ukaidir was a Christian. The incident took place in the year 9 A.H during the expedition to Tabuk. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Harb b. ‘Ubaidallah told on the authority of his grandfather, his mother’s father, that he had it on the authority of his father that God’s Messenger said, “Tithes are to be levied on Jews and Christians, but are not to be levied on Muslims.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. 'Amir told that he said, “Messenger of God, we come to people who do not give us hospitality, or pay what is due to us from them, and we take nothing from them.’’ He replied, “If they make it necessary for you to take it by force, do so.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Aslam told that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab imposed as jizya four dinars on those who possessed gold and forty dirhams on those who possessed silver along with provisions for the Muslims and three days’ hospitality. Malik transmitted it.

This is what Muhammad God's Messenger has decided.” Suhail protested, “I swear by God that if we knew you were God’s Messenger we would not turn you away from the House or fight with you; but write: Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah.” The Prophet replied, “I swear by God that I am God’s Messenger even if you disbelieve me; write Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah.” Suhail said, “And that a man will not come to you from us, even if he follows your religion, without your sending him back to us." Then when he finished drawing up the document God’s Messenger said to his companions, "Get up and sacrifice, and then shave.” Thereafter some believing women came and God most high sent down, "O you who believe, when believing women come to you as emigrants…”3 God most high forbade them to send them back, but ordered them to restore the dower. When the Prophet returned to Medina Abu Basir, a man of Quraish who was a Muslim, came to him and they sent two men to look for him, so he handed him over to the two men. They took him away, and when they reached Dhul Hulaifa and alighted to eat some dates which they had Abu Basir said to one of the men, "I swear by God, so and so, that I think this sword of yours is a fine one; let me look at it.” He let him have it and he struck him till he died, whereupon the other fled from him and when he reached Medina went running into the mosque. The Prophet said, “This man has seen something frightful.” He said, “I swear by God that my companion has been killed, and I am as good as dead.”4 Abu Basir arrived and the Prophet said, "Woe to his mother, stirrer up of war! Would that he had some kinsfolk!”5 When he heard that he knew that he would send him back to them, so he went out and came to the seashore. Abu Jandal b. Suhail escaped and joined Abu Basir, and it became the practice that every man of Quraish who went out having accepted Islam joined Abu Basir, till a band of them collected. Whenever they heard of a caravan which belonged to Quraish going out to Syria they intercepted it, killed the men and seized their goods; so Quraish sent a message to the Prophet adjuring him by God and the ties of relationship to send instructions to them to stop, and agreeing that anyone who came to him would be safe. So the Prophet sent them instructions. 1. Cf. Al-Qur'an; 105. 2. This indicates that a part of Bukhari’s tradition is omitted here. 3. Al-Qur'an; 60:10. 4. Literally “and I am killed." 5. Literally “would that he had someone!” It probably means that the Prophet wished Abu Basir had had some kinsfolk to whom he could go, and so save him the necessity of returning him to Mecca. 6. Bukhari's tradition is very long. In the version given here it is much reduced, the purpose evidently being to give the essential parts of it without including every detail. Bukhari transmitted it.6

that he should return to the polytheists anyone who came to him from them, but they should not return any of the Muslims who came to them; that he should enter Mecca the following year and stay in it three days; and that he should enter it only with such weapons as swords and bows in cases. Then Abu Jandal came hobbling in his fetters and he sent him back to them. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas told that Quraish made an agreement with the Prophet laying down the condition that if anyone came to them from him they should not send him back, but that if anyone came to him from them he should send him back. They asked God’s Messenger whether they should write that down and he replied, “Yes; may God remove far from His mercy anyone who goes from us to them, but God will make an escape and a way out for anyone who comes to us from them.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said regarding the oath of allegiance taken from women that God’s Messenger used to test them with this verse, “O Prophet, when believing women come to you to swear allegiance to you...” (Al-Qur’an; 60:12). When one of them acknowledged this condition he said to her, “I have made a covenant with you,” doing this only by words which he spoke to her. His hand never touched a woman’s hand when an oath of allegiance was taken. (Bukhari and Muslim.)