Mishkat al-Masabih

Abu Umama said he heard God’s messenger say in the course of his sermon in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, “A woman must not give anything away from her husband’s house without her husbnnd’s permission.” He was asked whether she might not even give away food and replied, “That is the most excellent property we possess.” Tirmidhi transmitted it

literally ‘a burden’

My patron ordered me to cut some meat in strips and spread it in the sun to dry, and when a poor man came to me I gave him some of it to eat. My patron got to know of that and beat me, so I went to God’s messenger and mentioned the matter to him. He summoned him and asked, “Why did you beat him?” He replied, “He gives away my food without instruction from me.” Then he said, “The reward is shared between you.” In a version he said: I was a slave and I asked God’s messenger whether I could give any sadaqa from my patron’s property. He replied, “Yes, and the reward will be shared equally between you.” Muslim transmitted it.

I provided a man with a horse to ride in God’s path, but as the one who had it did not look after it well, I wanted to buy it and thought he would sell it at a cheap price. I therefore asked the Prophet, but he said, “Do not buy it, and do not take back what you gave as sadaqa even if he gives it to you for a dirham, for the one who takes back what he gave as sadaqa is like a dog which returns to its vomit.” A version has, “Do not take back what you gave as sadaqa, for the one who does so is like one who takes back what he has vomited.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Buraida said that when he was sitting with the Prophet a woman came to him and said, “Messenger of God, I gave a slavegirl as sadaqa to my mother who has now died.” He replied. “Your reward is sure, and the inheritance has given her back to you.” She said, "Messenger of God, a month's fast was due from her; may I fast on her behalf ?” He replied, “Fast on her behalf.” She said, “She never performed the pilgrimage, so may I do so on her behalf ?” He replied, “Yes, perform the pilgrimage on her behalf.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "When Ramadan begins the gates of heaven are opened." A version has, "The gates of paradise are opened, the gates of jahannam are locked, and the devils are chained." Another has, "The gates of mercy are opened." (Bukhari and Muslim).

Sahl b. Sa'd reported God’s messenger as saying, "In paradise there are eight gates among which is a gate called ar-Rayyan which only those who fast will enter." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al-qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from God will have his past sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s messenger as saying, "Every and when the day of the fast of any of you comes he must not use vile language or raise his voice, and if anyone reviles him or tries to fight with him he should tell him he is fasting.” *This is not from the Qur’an, but is a hadith qudsi, a tradition which gives words spoken by God. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "When the first night of Ramadan comes the devils and the rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of hell are locked and not one of them is opened; the gates of paradise are opened and not one of them is locked, and a crier calls, 'You who desire what is good, come forward, and you who desire evil refrain.' Some are freed from hell by God, and that happens every night." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from a man. Tirmidhi said this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Ramadan, a blessed month, has come to you during which God has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of al-Jahim are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it God has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed suffered deprivation." Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a man. Fasting says, ‘O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an says, ‘I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.’ Then their intercession is accepted." Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

Anas b. Malik told of God’s messenger saying when Ramadan began, “This month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who are denied prosperity are deprived of it." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Salman al-Farisi told of God’s messenger saying in a sermon which he delivered to them on the last day of Sha'ban, “A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. God has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to God during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfills an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance, and the reward of endurance is paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer’s provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his sins and save him from hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect.” Some of them remarked to God’s messenger that they did not all have the means to give one who had been fasting something with which to break his fast, and he replied, “God gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast, and anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink from any tank by God and will not thirst till he enters paradise. It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is freedom from hell. If anyone makes things easy for his slave during it, God will forgive him and free him from hell.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when the month of Ramadan began God's messenger set every prisoner free and gave to every beggar.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet as saying, “Paradise is decorated for Ramadan from the beginning of the year till a following year, and when the first day of Ramadan comes a wind under the throne blows some of the leaves of paradise on the maidens with bright large eyes,* and they say, ‘My Lord, appoint us husbands from among Thy servants with whom we shall be happy and who will be happy with us’.” *cf. Qur’an, xliv, 54; lvi, 22. Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'ab al-iman.

Abu Huraira said that when the Prophet stated that his people would be granted forgiveness on the last night in Ramadan and was asked whether it was Lailat al-qadr, he replied, “No, but a workman is paid his full wages only when he has finished his work.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Do not fast till you see the new moon, and do not break your fast till you see it; but if the weather is cloudy calculate when it should appear.” In a version he said, “The month consists of twenty-nine days, but do not fast till you see it, and if the weather is cloudy wait till thirty days of the previous month have passed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Fast when you see it and break your fast when you see it, and if the weather is cloudy treat Sha‘ban as having thirty days.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “We are an unlettered people who can neither write nor count. The month is thus and thus and thus,” drawing in his thumb when he said it the third time.* Then he said, “The month is thus and thus and thus,” meaning a complete thirty days. He meant alternately twenty-nine and thirty. *Spreading out the ten fingers the first two times and nine the third time. (Bukhari and Muslim.)