Bk 37 Pertaining to Repentance and Exhortation
to Repentance (Kitab Al−Tauba)
Chapter 1: EXHORTATION FOR REPENTANCE
Bk 37, Number 6610:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in
the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers
Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more
pleased wth the repentance of His servant than what one of you
would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert.
When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him
by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the
length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom
and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him
hurriedly.
Bk 37, Number 6611:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His
servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you
would be on finding the lost camel.
Bk 37, Number 6612:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira
through another chain of transmitters.
Bk 37, Number 6613:
Harith b. Suwaid said: I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire
about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith
of Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him). He heard Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Allah is more
pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a
person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He
sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up
and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst.
then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes
to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands
waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before
him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink.
Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than
the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions
(of food and drink).
Bk 37, Number 6614:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash
through another chain of transmitters.
Bk 37, Number 6615:
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a
believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Bk 37, Number 6616:
Nu'man b. Bashir reported: Allah is more pleased with the
repentance of a believing servant than of a person who set out
on a journey with a provision of food and drink on the back of
his camel. He went on until he came to a waterless desert and
he felt like sleeping. So he got down under the shade of a
tree and was overcome by sleep and his camel ran away. As he
got up he tried to see (the camel) standing upon a mound. but
did not find it. He then got upon the other mound, but could
not see anything. He then climbed upon the third mound but did
not see anything until he came back to the place where he had
been previously. And as he was sitting (in utter
disappointment) there came to him the camel, till that (camel)
placed its nosestring in his hand. Allah is more pleased with
the repentance of His servant than the person who found (his
lost camel) in this very state. Simak reported that Sha'bi was
of the opinion that Nu'min traced it to Allah's Apostle (may
peace be upon him). Simak, however, did not hear that himself.
Bk 37, Number 6617:
Al−Bara' b. 'Azib reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) said: What is your opinion about the delight of a person
whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is
lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon
the waterless desert in which there is neither food nor drink,
and lie wanders about in search of that until he is completely
exhausted and then accidentally it happens to pass by the
trunk of a tree and its nosestring gets entangled in that and
he finds it entangled therein? He (in response to the question
of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, he would feel
highly delighted. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the
repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his
lost) camel.
Bk 37, Number 6618:
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a
servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that
one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and
there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink
also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to
get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about
his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him.
He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy
says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He
commits this mistake out of extreme delight.
Bk 37, Number 6619:
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of
His servant than if one of you gets up and he finds his camel
missing in a waterless desert (and then he accidentally finds
it). This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b.
Malik through another chain of transmitters.
Chapter 2: THE OBLITERATION OF SINS WITH THE HELP OF SEEKING
FORGIVENESS PROM ALLAH
Bk 37, Number 6620:
Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of Abu
Ayyub Ansari drew near, he said: I used to conceal from you a
thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) and I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
sayirig: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought
into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and
Allah) would have forgiven them.
Bk 37, Number 6621:
Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said: If you were not to commit sins, Allah would
have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by
another people who have committed sin, and then asked
forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon.
Bk 37, Number 6622:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not
to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He
would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and
seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.
Chapter 3: THE EXCELLENCE OF CONSTANT REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH AND
MEDITATION IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE HEREAFTER AND PERMISSION OF
ABANDONING IT AT TIMES AND ATTENDING TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE
WORLD
Bk 37, Number 6623:
Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him). reported: I met Abu Bakr.
He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to
be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what
are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in
the company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) we
ponder over Hell−Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them
with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) we attend to our wives, our children,
our business; most of these things (pertaining to After−life)
slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also
experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said to him: Allah's
Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: What has
happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in
your company, we are reminded of Hell−Fire and Paradise as if
we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away
from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much
of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: By Him in Whose Hand
is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in
my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah),
the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your
paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly
affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and
meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.
Bk 37, Number 6624:
Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) and he delivered to us a sermon and
made a mention of Hell−Fire. Then I came to my house and began
to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala)
further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a
mention of that to him. Thereupon he said: I have done the
same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah's
Messenger (way peace be upon him) and said to him: Allah's
Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the
Holy Prophet) said Show respite. And then I narrated to him
the story, and Abu Bakr said: I have done the same as he has
done. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is
a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and
devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it
is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake
hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying:
As−Salamu−Alaikum.
Bk 37, Number 6625:
Hanzala Taimi Ufayyidi, the scribe of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him), reported: We were in the presence of
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he brought to
our minds the problems pertaining to Paradise and Hell−Fire.
The rest of the hadith is the same.
Chapter 4: THE MERCY OF ALLAH PREDOMINATES HIS WRATH
Bk 37, Number 6626:
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) said: When Allah created the creation as He was upon the
Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates
My wrath.
Bk 37, Number 6627:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: My mercy
excels My wrath.
Bk 37, Number 6626:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: When Allah created the creation, He ordained for
Himself and this document is with Him: Verily, My mercy
predominates Mv wrath.
Bk 37, Number 6629:
Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: Allah created mercy in one hundred parts
and He retained with Him ninety−nine parts, and He has sent
down upon the earth one part, and it is because of this one
part that there is mutual love among the creation so much so
that the animal lifts up its hoof from its younc, one, fearing
that it might harm it.
Bk 37, Number 6630:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah created one hundred (parts of mercy) and He
distributed one amongst His creation and kept this one hundred
excepting one with Himself (for the Day of Resurrection).
Bk 37, Number 6631:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: There are one hundred (parts of) mercy for Allah
and He has sent down out of these one part of mercy upon the
jinn and human beings and the insects and it is because of
this (one part) that they love one another, show kindness to
one another and even the beast treats its young one with
affection, and Allah has reserved ninetynine parts of mercy
with which He would treat His servants on the Day of
Resurrection.
Bk 37, Number 6632:
Salman Farisi reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: Verily, there are one hundred (parts of) mercy
for Allah, and it is one part of this mercy by virtue of which
there is mutual love between the people and ninety−nine
reserved for the Day of Resurrection.
Bk 37, Number 6633:
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Mu'tamir,
reported on the authority of his father.
Bk 37, Number 6634:
Salman reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
said: Verily, Allah created, on the same very day when He
created the heavens and the earth, one hundred parts of mercy.
Every part of mercy is coextensive with the space between the
heavens. and the earth and He out of this mercy endowed one
part to the earth and it is because of this that the mother
shows affection to her child and even the beasts and birds
show kindness to one another and when there would be the Day
of Resurrection, Allah would make full (use of Mercy).
Bk 37, Number 6635:
'Umar b. Khattab reported that there were brought some
prisoners to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) amongst
whom there was also a woman, who was searching (for someone)
and when she found a child amongst the prisoners, she took
hold of it, pressed it against her chest and provided it suck.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Do
you think this woman would ever afford to throw her child in
the Fire? We said: By Allah, so far as it lies in her power,
she would never throw the child in Fire. ' Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Allah is more kind to
His servants than this woman is to her child.
Bk 37, Number 6636:
'Ala' reported on the authority of his father who reported on
the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: If a believer were to know the punishment
(in Hell) none would have the audacity to aspire for Paradise
(but he would earnestly desire to be rescued from Hell), and
if a non−believer were to know what is there with Allah as a
mercy. none would have been disappointed in regard to
Paradise.
Bk 37, Number 6637:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying that a person who had never done any good deed asked
the members of his family to burn his dead body when he would
die and to scatter half of its ashes over the land and half in
the ocean. By Allah, if Allah finds him in His grip, He would
torment him with a torment with which He did not afflict
anyone amongst the people of the world; and when the person
died, it was done to him as he had commanded (his family) to
do. Allah commanded the land to collect (the ashes scattered
on it) and He commanded the ocean and that collected (ashes)
contained in it. Allah questioned him why he had done. that He
said: My Lord, it is out of Thine fear that I have done it and
Thou art well aware of it, and Allah granted him pardon:.
Bk 37, Number 6638:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying that a person committed sin beyond measure and when
he was going to die, he left this will: (When I die), bum my
dead body and then cast them (the ashes) to the wind and in
the ocean. By Allah, if my Lord takes hold of me, He would
torment me as He has not tormented anyone else. They did as he
had asked them to do. He (the Lord) said to the earth: Return
what you have taken. And he was thus restored to his (original
form). He (Allah) said to him: What prompted you to do this?
He said: My Lord, it was Thine fear or Thine awe, and Allah
pardoned him because of this. Abu Huraira reported Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying that a woman was
thrown into Hell−Fire because of a cat whom she had tied and
did not provide it with food. nor did she set it free to cat
insects of the euth until it died inch by inch. Zuhri said:
(These two ahidith) show that a person rhould neither feel
confident (of getting into Paradise) because of his deeds, nor
should he lose (all hopes) of getting into Paradise.
Bk 37, Number 6639:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying that a servant transgressed the litnit in committing
sins. The rest of the hadith is the same but there is no
mention of the story of the cat in it and in the hadith
transmitted on the authority of Ziibaidl (the words are):"
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said to everything which had
taken a part of lies ashes to return what it had taken."
Bk 37, Number 6640:
Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said that a person amongst the earlier nations
before you was conferred property and children by Allah, He
said to his children: 'You must do as I command you to do,
otherwise I will make others besides you as my inheritors. As
I die, burn my body and blow my ashes in the wind as I do not
find any merit of mine which would please Allah, and if Allah
were to take hold of me, He would punish me. He took a pledge
from them and they did as he commanded thein to do. Allah
said: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord. Thine
fear, and Allah did not punish him at all.
Bk 37, Number 6641:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with
the chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of
wording and Qatada explained the word" lam yasiru" as:" I find
no good in store for rxie in the eye of Allah."
Chapter 5: REPENTANCE IS ACCEPTED SO LONG AS ONE REPENTS AFTER
COMMITTING SINS
Bk 37, Number 6642:
Abu Huraira reported from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) that his Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, thus said. A
servant committed a sin and he said: O Allah, forgive me my
sins, and Allah (the Exalted and Glorious) said: My servant
commited a sin and then he came to realise that he has a Lord
Who forgives the sins and takes to account (the sinner) for
the sin. He then again committed a sin and said: My Lord,
forgive me my sin, and Allah, the Exalted and High, said: My
servant committed a sin and then came to realise that he has a
Lord Who would forgive his sin or would take (him) to account
for the sin. He again committed a sin and said: My Lord,
forgive me for my sin, and Allah (the Exalted and High) said:
My servant sas committed a sin and then came to realise that
he has a Lord Who forgives the sins or takes (him) to account
for sin. 0 servant, do what you like. I have granted you
forgiveness. 'Abd al−A'la said: I do not know whether he said
thrice or four times to do" what you desire". The hadlth has
been narrated on the authority of 'Abd al−A'la b. Hammad with
the same chain of transmitters.
Bk 37, Number 6643:
Abu Huraira reported lie heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that a servant committed a sin. The rest
of the hadith is the same, but there is a slight variation of
wording.
Bk 37, Number 6644:
Abu Mu'sa reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Stretches out
His Hand during the night so that the people repent for the
fault committed from dawn till dusk and He stretches out His
Hand daring the day so that the people may reprint for the
fault committed from dusk to dawn. (He would accept
repentance) before the sun rises in the west (before the Day
of Resurrection). A hadith like this has been narrated on the
authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.
Chapter 6: ALLAH'S SENSE OF HONOUR, AND HIS PROHIBITION OF THE
ABOMINABLE ACTS
Bk 37, Number 6645:
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Nothing is more loveable to Allah than His praise
as He has praised Himself and no one is more self−respecting
than Allah Himself and it As because of this that He has
prohibited abominable acts.
Bk 37, Number 6646:
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: None is more self−respectidg than Allah and it is
because of this that He has prohibited abominable acts−both
visible and invisible−and none loves His praise more than
Allah Himself.
Bk 37, Number 6647:
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported it directly from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) that he said: None is more
self−respecting than Allah and it is because of this that He
has prohibited abominable acts−both visible and invisible and
nothing is loved by Allah more than the praise of His Ownself
and it is because of this that He has praised Himself.
Bk 37, Number 6648:
Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) said: None loves one's own praise more than
Allah, the Exalted and Glurious, does. It is because of this
that He has praised Himself, and none is more self−respecting
than Allah and it is because of this that He has prohibited
abominable acts and there is none who is more anxious to
accept the apologies of the people than Allah Himself and it
is because of this that He has revealed the Book and sent the
Messengers.
Bk 37, Number 6649:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: Allah is self−respecting and a believer is also
self−respecting and the respect of Allah is injured if a
believer does what He has forbidden him to do.
Bk 37, Number 6650:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Asma'
daughter of Abu Bakr, through another chain of transmitters.
Bk 37, Number 6651:
Abu Salama reported from Abu Huraira that he narrated that
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon hin) said: There is none
more self−respecting than Allah, the Exalted and Glorious
There is no mention of the narration of Asma'.
Bk 37, Number 6652:
Asma' reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)
said: There is none more self−respecting than Allah, the
Exalted and Glorious.
Bk 37, Number 6653:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him
) as saying: A believer is self−respecting and Allah is
extremely self−respecting.
Bk 37, Number 6654:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba
through another chain of transmitters.
Chapter 7: THE WORDS OF ALLAH" THE GOOD DEEDS TAKE AWAY THE
EVIL DEEDS"
Bk 37, Number 6655:
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that a person kissed a woman and
he came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and made a
mention of that to him. It was (on this occasion) that this
verse was revealed:" And observe prayer at the (two) ends of
the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good
deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the
mindful" (xi. 115). That person said: Allah's Messenger, does
it concern me only? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It concerns
every one of my Unimah, who acts according to it.
Bk 37, Number 6656:
Ibn Mas'ud reported that a person came to Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) and told him that he had kissed a
woman or touched her with his hand or did something like this.
He inquired of him about its expiation. It was (on this
occasion) that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this
verse (as mentioned above).
Bk 37, Number 6657:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman
Taimi with the same chain of transmitters that a person had
taken liberty with a woman less than fomication. He came to
'Umar b. Khattab and he took it to be a serious offence. Then
he came to Abu Bakr and he also took it to be a serious
offence. Then he came the Allahs Apostle (may peace be upon
him) and he made a mention of this to him. The rest of the
hadith is the same.
Bk 37, Number 6658:
'Abdullah reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (may
peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, I sported with
a woman in the outskirts of Medina, and I have committed an
offence short of fornication. Here I am (before you), kindly
deliver verdict about me which you deem fit. Unar said: Allah
concealed your fault. You had better conceal it yourself also.
Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), however, gave no
reply to him. The man stood up and went away and Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) sent a person after him to
call him and be recited this verse:" And observe prayer at the
ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely,
good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the
mindful" (xi. 115). A person amongst the people said: Allah's
Apostle, does it concern this marn only? Thereupon he (the
Holy Prophet) said: No, but the people at large.
Bk 37, Number 6659:
This hadith has been transmitted by Abu al−Ahwas and in this
(these words are) also found: Mu'adh said: Allah's Messenger,
does it concern this particular case or to all of us? And he
(the Holy Prophet) said: Of course, to all of you.
Bk 37, Number 6660:
Anas reported that a person came to Allah's Apostle (may peace
be upon him) said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed an
offence which deserves imposition of haad, so impose it upon
me according to the Book of Allah. Thereupon he said: Were you
not present with us at the time of prayer? He said: Yes.
Thereupon he said: You have been granted pardon.
Bk 37, Number 6661:
Abu Umama reported: We were sitting in the mosque in the
company of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). A person
came there and said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed an
offence which deserves the imposition of hadd upon me, so
impose it upon me. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
kept silent. He repeated it and said: Allah's Messenger, I
have committed an offence which deserves the imposition of
hadd upon me, so impose it upon me. He (the Holy Prophet) kept
silent, and it was at this time that Iqama was pronounced for
prayer (and the prayer was observed). And when Allah's Apostle
(may peace be upon him) had concluded the payer that person
followed Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). Abu Umama
said: I too followed Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
after he had concluded the prayer, so that I should know what
answer he would give to that person. That person remained
attached to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and
said: Allah's Messenger, I have committed an offence which
deserves imposition of hadd upon me, so impose it upon me. Abu
Umama reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
said to him: Didn't you see that as you got out of the house,
you performed ablution perfectly well. He said: Allah's
Messenger, of course. I did it. He again said to him: Then you
observed prayer along with us. He said: Allah's Messenger,
yes, it is so. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) said to him: Verily, Allah has exempted you from the
imposition of hadd, or he said. From your sin.
Bk 37, Number 6662:
Abu Sa'id al−Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: There was a person before you who had
killed ninety−nine persons and then made an inquiry about the
learned persons of the world (who could show him the way to
salvation). He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told
him that he had killed ninety−nine persons and asked him
whether there was any scope for his repentance to be accepted.
He said: No. He killed him also and thus completed one
hundred. He then asked about the learned persons of the earth
and he was directed to a scholar, and he told him that he had
killed one hundred persons and asked him whether there was any
scope for his repentance to be accepted. He said: Yes; what
stands between you and the repentance? You better go to such
and such land; there are people devoted to prayer and worship
and you also worship along with them and do not come to the
land of yours since it was an evil land (for you). So he went
away and he had hardly covered half the distance when death
came to him and there was a dispute between the angels of
mercy and the angels of punishment. The angels of mercy said:
This man has come as a penitant and remorseful to Allah and
the angels of punishment said: He has done no good at all.
Then there came another angel in the form of a human being in
order to decide between them. He said: You measure the land to
which he has drawn near. They measured it and found him nearer
to the land where he intended to go (the land of piety), and
so the angels of mercy took possession of it. Qatada said that
Hasan told him that it was said to them that as death
approached him, he crawled upon his chest (and managed) to
slip in the land of mercy.
Bk 37, Number 6663:
Abu Sa'id al−Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying that a man killed ninety−nine persons and
then he began to make an inquiry whether there was any way
left for him for repentance. He came to a monk and asked him
about that, and he said: There is no chance for repentance for
you. He killed the monk also and then began to make an inquiry
and moved from one village to another village where there
lived pious persons, and as he had covered some distance, he
was overtaken by death, but he managed to crawl upon his chest
(to the side nearer to the place where the pious men lived).
He died and then there was a dispute between the angels of
mercy and the angels of punishment and (when it was measured)
he was found to be nearer to the village where pious persons
were living equal to the Space of a span and he was thus
included among them.
Bk 37, Number 6664:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Qatida with
the same chain of transmitters but (with this variation of
wording):" Allah commanded the earth (from where) he wanted to
come out to move itself away and to the other earth (where he
wanted to go) to draw nearer."
Chapter 8: THROWING OF NON−BELIEVERS IN HELL−FIRE FOR
BELIEVERS AS DIVINE GRACE AND MERCY
Bk 37, Number 6665:
Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would
deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is
your rescue from Hell−Fire.
Bk 37, Number 6666:
Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: No Muslim would die but
Allah would admit in his stead a Jew or a Christian in
Hell−Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al−'Aziz took an oath: By One besides
Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had
narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him).
Bk 37, Number 6667:
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of 'Aun b.
Utba.
Bk 37, Number 6668:
Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the
Day of Resurrection with as heavy sins as a mountain, and
Allah would forgive them and He would place in their stead the
Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I
do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated
it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al−'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your
father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle (may peace
be upon him)? I said: Yes.
Bk 37, Number 6669:
Safwan b. Muhriz reported that a person said to Ibn 'Umar: How
did you hear Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying something about intimate conversation? He said: I heard
him say: A believer will be brought to his Lord, the Exalted
and Glorious, on the Day of Resurrection and He would place
upon him His veil (of Light) and make him confess his faults
and say: Do you recognise (your faults)? He would say: My
Lord, I do recognise (them). He (the Lord) would say: I
concealed them for you in the world. And today I forgive them.
And he would then be given the Book containing (the account of
his) good deeds. And so far as the non−believers and
hypocrites are concerned, there would be general announcement
about them before all creation telling them that these
(people, i. e. non−believers and hypocrites) told a lie about
Allah.
Chapter 9: PERTAINING TO THE REPENTANCE OF KA'B B. MALIK AND
HIS COMPANIONS
Bk 37, Number 6670:
Ibn Shihab reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) made an expedition to Tabuk and he (the Holy Prophet) had
in his mind (the idea of threatening the) Christians of Arabia
in Syria and those of Rome. Ibn Shihab (further) reported that
'Abd al−Rahman b. 'Abdullah b. Ka'b informed him that Abdullah
b. Ka'b who served as the guide of Ka'b b. 'Malik as he became
blind that he heard Ka'b b. Malik narrate the story of his
remaining behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
from the Battle of Tabuk. Ka'b b. Malik said: I never remained
behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any
expedition which he undertook except the Battle of Tabuk and
that of the Battle of Badr. So far as the Battle of Badr is
concerned, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and the Muslims (did not set
out for attack but for waylaying) the caravan of the Quraish,
but it was Allah Who made them confront their enemies without
their intention (to do so). I had the honour to be with
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the night of
'Aqaba when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was more
dear to me than my participation in the Battle of Badr,
although Badr was more popular amongst people as compared with
that (Tabuk). And this is my story of remaining back from
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on the occasion of
the Battle of Tabuk. Never did I possess means enough and (my
circumstances) more favourable than at the occasion of this
expedition. And, by Allah, I had never before this expedition
simultaneously in my possession two rides. Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) set out for this expedition in
extremely hot season; the journey was long and the land (which
he and his army had to cover) was waterless and he had to
confront a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the
actual situation (they had to face), so that they should
adequately equip themselves for this expedition, and he also
told them the destination where he intended to go. And the
Muslims who accompanied Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) at that time were large in numbers but there was no
proper record of them. Ka'b (further) said: Few were the
persons who wanted to absent themselves, and were under the
impression that they could easily conceal themselves (and thus
remain undetected) until revelations from Allah, the Exalted
and Glorious (descended in connection with them). And Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out on an expedition
when the fruits were ripe and their shadows had been
lengthened. I had weakness for them and it was during this
season that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) made
preparations and the Muslims too along with them. I also set
out in the morning so that I should make preparations along
with them but I came back and did nothing and said to myself:
I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like.
And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) until
people were about to depart and it was in the morning that
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) set out and the
Muslims too along with him, but I made no preparations. I went
early in the morning and came back, but I made no decision. I
continued to do so until they (the Muslims) hastened and
covered a good deal of distance. I also made up my mind to
march on and to meet them. Would that I had done that but
perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as I went out
amongst people, I was shocked to find that I did not find
anyone like me but people who were labelled as hypocrites or
the people whom Allah granted exemption because of their
incapacity and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) took
no notice of me until he had reached Tabuk. (One day as he was
sitting amongst the people in Tabuk) he said: What has
happened to Ka'b b. Malik? A person from Banu' Salama said:
Allah's Messenger, the (beauty) of his cloak and his
appreciation of his sides have allured him and he was thus
detained. Mua'dh b. Jabal said: Woe be upon that what you
contend. Allah's Messenger, by Allah, we know nothing about
him but good. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him),
however, kept quiet. It was during that time that he (the Holy
Prophet) saw a person (dressed in all white (garment)
shattering the illusion of eye (mirage). Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: May he be Abu
Khaithama and, lo, it was Abu Khaithama al−Ansari and he was
that person who contributed a sa' of dates and was scoffed at
by the hypocrites. Ka'b b. Malik farther said: When this news
reached me that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was
on his way back from Tabuk I was greatly perturbed. I thought
of fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would save
myself from his anger on the following day. In this
connection, I sought the help of every prudent man from
amongst the members of my family and when it was said to me
that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was about to
arrive, all the false ideas banished (from my mind) and I came
to the conclusion that nothing could save me but the telling
of truth, so I decided to speak the truth and it was in the
morning that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) arrived
(in Medina). And it was his habit that as he came back from a
journey he first went to the mosque and observed two Rak'ahs
of nafl prayer (as a mark of gratitude) and then sat amongst
people. And as he did that, those who had remained behind him
began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him
and they were more than eighty persons. Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) accepted their excuses on the very face of
them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for
them and left their secret (intentions) to Allah, until I
presented myself to him. I greeted him and he smiled and there
was a tinge of anger in that. He (the Holy Prophet) then said
to me: Come forward. I went forward until I sat in front of
him. He said to me: What kept you back? Could you not afford
to go in for a ride? I said: Allah's Messenger, by Allah, if I
were to sit in the presence of anybody else from amongst the
worldly people I would have definitely saved myself from his
anger on one pretext (or the other) and I have also the knack
to fall into argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of
the fact that if I were to put forward before you a false
excuse to please you Allah would definitely provoke your wrath
upon me, and if I speak the truth you may be annoyed with me,
but I hope that Allah would make its end well and, by Allah,
there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed
so good means, and I never had such favourable conditions for
me as I had when I stayed behind you (failed to join the
expedition). Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) said: This man told the truth, so get up until Allah
gives a decision in your case. I stood up and some people of
Banu' Salama followed me in hot haste, and they said to me: By
Allah, we do not know about you that you committed a sin prior
to this. You, however, showed inability to put forward an
excuse before Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
those who stayed behind him have put forward excuses. It would
have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) would have sought
forgiveness for you. By Allah, they continued to incite me
until I thought of going back to Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) and contradict myself. Then I said to them: Has
anyone else also met the same fate? They said: Yes, two
persons have met the same fate as has fallen to you and they
have made the sane statement as you have made, and the same
verdict has been delivered in their case as it has been
delivered in your case. I said: Who are they? They said:
Murara b. ar−Rabi'a 'Amiri and Hilal b. Umayya al−Waqafi. They
made a mention of these two pious persons to me who had
participated in the Battle of Badr and there was an example
for me in them. I went away when they named these two persons.
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade the Nluslims
to talk with three of us from amongst those (persons) who had
stayed behind him. The people began to avoid us and their
attitude towards us underwent a change and it seemed as if the
whole atmosphere had turned (hostile) against us and it was in
fact the same atmosphere ot which I was fully aware and in
which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty
nights in this very state and my two friends confined
themselves withen their houses and spent (most of the) time in
weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them I got (out
of my house), participated in congregational prayers, moved
about in the bazar; but none spoke to me. I came to Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) as he sat amongst (people)
after the prayer, greeted him and asked myself whether his
lips stirred in response to my greetings (or not). Then I
observed prayer beside him and looked at him with stealing
glances and when I attended to my prayer, he looked at me and
when I cast a glance at him he turned away his eyes from me.
And when the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me
extended to a (considerable) length of time, I walked until I
climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada, and he was
my cousin, and I had the greatest love for him. I greeted him
but, by Allah, he did not respond to my greetings. I said to
him: Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah, arn't you well aware
of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger (may peace be
upon him) the most. He kept quiet. I again repeated saying: I
adjure you by Allah. arn't you well aware of the fact that I
love Allah and His Messenger (may peace be upon him) the most.
He kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said: Allah
and the Messenger (may peace be upon him) are best aware of
it. My eyes began to shed tears and I came back climbing down
from the wall and as I was walking in the bazar of Medina a
Nabatean from amongst the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to
sell foodgrains in Medina, asked people to direct him to Ka'b
b. Malik. People gave him the indication by pointing towards
me. He came to me and delivered to me a letter of the King of
Ghassan and as I was a scribe I read that letter and it was
written like this:" Coming to my point, it has been conveyed
to us that your friend (the Holy Prophet) is subjecting you to
cruelty and Allah has not created you for a place where you
are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place,
so you come to us that we should accord you honour. As I read
that letter I said: This is also a calamity, so I burnt it in
the oven. When out of the fifty days, forty days had passed
and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) received no
revelation, there came the messenger of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) to me and said: Verily, Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) has commanded you to remain separate
from your wife. I said: Should I divorce her or what (else)
should I do? He said: No, but only remain separate from her
and don't have sexual contact with her. The same message was
sent to my companions. So I said to my wife: You better go to
your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the
decision in my case. The wife of Hilal b. Umayya came to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's
Messenger, Hilal b. Umayya is a senile person, he has no
servant. Do you disapprove of my serving him? He said: No, but
don't go near him. She said: By Allah, he has no such instinct
in him. By Allah, he spends his time in weeping from that day
to this day. Some of the members of my family said to me: Were
you to seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) in regard to your wife as he has granted permission
to the wife of Hilal b. Umayya to serve him. I said: I would
not seek permission from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him), for I cannot say what Allah's Apostle may say in
response to seeking my permission. Moreover, I am a young man.
It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus
fifty nights had passed that (people) had observed boycott
with us. It was on the morning of the fiftieth night that I
observed my dawn prayer and was sitting on one of the roofs of
our houses. And I was in fact sitting in that very state which
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has described about us in
these words:" Life had become hard for myself and the earth
had compressed despite its vastness," that I heard the noise
of an announcer from the peak of the hill of Sal' saying at
the top of his voice: Ka'b b. Malik, there is glad tidings for
you. I fell down in prostration and came to realise that there
was (a message of) relief for me. Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) had informed the people of the acceptance of our
repentance by Allah as he offered the dawn prayer. So the
people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went
to my friends in order to give them the glad tidings and a
person galloped his horse and came from the tribe of Aslam and
his horse reached me more quickly than his voice. And when he
came to me whose sound I heard, he gave me the glad tidings. I
took off my clothes and clothed him with them because of his
bringing good news to me and, by Allah, I possessed nothing
else (in the form of clothes) than these two on that occasion,
and I asked one to lend me two clothes and dressed myself in
them. I came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and
on my way I met groups of people who greeted me because of
(the acceptance of) repentance and they said: Here is a
greeting for you for your repentance being accepted by Allah.
(I moved on) until I came to the mosque and Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) had been sitting there amongst
persons. So Talha b. 'Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me
and he shook hands with me and greeted me and, by Allah, no
person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the emigrants
except he. Ka'b said that he never forgot (this good gesture
of) Talha. Ka'b further said: I greeted Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) with Assalam−o−'Alaikam and his face was
glistening because of delight, and he said: Let there be glad
tidings and blessings for you, the like of which (you have
neither found nor you will find, as you find today) since your
mother gave your birth. I said: Allah's Messenger. is this
acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah? He said: No,
(it is not from ma), it is from Allah, and it was common with
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that as he was happy
his face brightened up and it looked like a part of the moon
and it was from this that we recognised it (his delight). As I
sat before him, I said: Allah's Messenger, am I allowed to
give in charity my wealth for Allah's sake and for the sake of
His Messenger (may peace be upon him)? Thereupon Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Keep some property
with you as it is better for you. I said: I shall keep with me
that part (of my property) which fell to my lot (on the
occasion of the expedition of) Khaibar. I said: Allah's
Messenger, verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of
truth and, therefore, (I think) that repentance implies that I
should not speak anything but truth as long as I live. He
said: By Allah, I do not know whether anyone amongst the
Muslims was put to more severe trial than I by Allah because
of telling the truth. And since I made a mention of this to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) up to this day I
have not told any lie and, by Allah, I have decided not to
tell a lie and I hope that Allah would save me (from trials)
for the rest of my life and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
revealed these verses:" Certainly, Allah has turned in Mercy
to the Prophet and the emigrants and the helpers who followed
him in the hour of hardship after the hearts of a part of them
were about to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy.
Surely, to them He is Compassionate, Merciful and (He turned
in Mercy) to the three who were left behind until the earth
despite its vastness became strait for them and their souls
were also straitened to them." And this revelation reached up
to the (words):" O you who believe, develop God consciousness,
and be with the truthful" (ix. 117−118). Ka'b said: By Allah,
since Allah directed me to Islam there has been no blessing
more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke
to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and if I were to
tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who
told lies, for in regard to those who told lies Allah used
harshest words used for anyone as He descended revelation (and
the words of Allah are):" They will swear by Allah to you when
you return to them so that you may leave them alone. So leave
them alone. Surely, they are unclean and their resort is Hell,
recompense for what they earned. They will swear to you that
you may be pleased with them but if you are pleased with them,
yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people"
(ix. 95−96). K'ab said that the matter of us three persons was
deferred as compared with those who took an oath in the
presence of Allahs Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he
accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and
Allah did not give any decision in regard to us. It was Allah,
the Exalted and Glorious, Who gave decisions in our case,
three who remained behind. (The words of the Qur'an)" the
three who were left behind" do not mean that we remained back
from Jihad but these imply that He kept our matter behind them
who took oath and presented excuse before Him. This hadith has
been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of
transmitters.
Bk 37, Number 6671:
'Abdullah b. K'ab, who was his (Ka'b's) guide as he became
blind, reported that he heard from Ka'b b. Malik the story of
his staying behind Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
from the expedition of Tabuk. The rest of the hadith is the
same (but with this variation) that in the narration
transmitted on the authority of Yunus (the words are): When
Allah's Messenger (may. peace be upon him) intended to set on
an expedition he kept It as a secret, but. be did not do so in
thic. expedition. And in the narration transmitted on the
authority of Muhammad b. Abdullah b. Muslim, there is no
mention of Abu Khaithana (Allah be pleased with him) and no
mention of his meeting with Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him).
Bk 37, Number 6672:
It is reported on the authority of Abdullah b. K'ab and he was
the guide of Ka'b as he lost his eyesight and he was the
greatest scholar amongst his people and he retained in his
mind many ahadith of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him). He said: I heard my father Ka'b b. Malik,
and he fas one of those three whose repentance was accepted
(by Allah). He transmitted that He never lagged behind Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) from any expedition that he
undertook except two expeditions; the rest of the hadith is
the same, and in the tradition narrated through another chain
of transmitters the words are:" That Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) set out on an expedition with a large
number of persons more than ten thousand and this could not be
recorded in the census register."
Chapter 10: HADITH PERTAINING TO THE LIE ABOUT (HADRAT)
'A'ISHA SIDDIQA (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HER) AND ACCEPTING OF
REPENTANCE OF THOSE WHO BROUGHT FALSE ALLEGATION ABOUT HER
Bk 37, Number 6673:
Sa'id b. Musayyib, 'Urwa b. Zubair, 'Alqama b. Waqqas and
'Ubaidullah b. Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Mas'ud−−all of them
reported the story of the false allegation against 'A'isha,
the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him). And they
(the slanderers) said what they had to say, but Allah
exonerated her of this charge and all of them reported a part
of the hadith and some of them who had better memories
reported more and with better retention, and I tried to retain
this hadith (listening) from every one of them that they
reported to me and some of them attested the other. (The
sumaried substance of the false allegation is this): 'A'isha
said: Whenever Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
intended to set out on a journey he cast lots amongst his
wives and he took one with him in whose favour the lot was
cast. It so happened that he cast lots amongst us while
setting out on a battle and it was cast in my favour, so I set
out along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This
relates to the period when the revelation concerning the
commands of veil had been made. I was carried in a haudaj and
I was brought down where we had to stay. In short, when we set
out for return journey from the expedition and our caravan was
near Medina, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
commanded one night to march forward. I also got up when the
command for the march was given and moved on until I went out
of the encampments of the army and after relieving myself I
came to my place. I touched my chest and found that my
necklace which had been made of the stones of zafar had been
broken. I retraced my steps and tried to search my necklace
and this detained me there. The group of people who saddled my
ride and placed my haudaj carrying me upon the camels marched
on. They were under the impression that I was in it. The women
in those days were light of weight and they did not wear much
flesh, as they ate less food; so they did not perceive the
weight of my haudaj as they placed it upon the camel as I was
a young girl at that time. So they drove the camel and Eet out
and I found my necklace after the army had marched. I came to
my place and there was none to call and none to respond (the
call). I waited at my place under the impression that when the
people would riot find me they would come back. So I kept
sitting at my place. I was overpowered by sleep and slept.
Safwan b. Mu'attal Sulami Dhakwini, who had lagged behind the
army because of taking rest came to my place walking in the
latter part of the night and he saw the body of a person who
was asleep. He came to me and recognised me as he had seen rue
before it was enjoined to observe purda. I got ap by his voice
as he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un [we are for
Allah and to Him we have to return. ] and I covered my head
with my headdress. By Allah, he did not speak to me a word and
I did not hear a word from him except Inna lillahi. He made
his camel kneel down and I amounted the camel as he pressed
tLe camel's foreleg and he moved on leaning the camel by the
nose string on which I was riding until we came to the army
where it had encamped for rest because of extreme heat. Woe be
upon those who harboured doubts about me and the most
notorious among them was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the great
hypocrite. We came to Medina and I fell sick for a month. The
people had been deliberating over the statements of those who
had brought these calumnies against me. I was absolutely
unaware of anything concerning that. This, however, caused
doubt in my mind that I did not see Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him.) treating me with such kindness with which
he treated me as I fell ill before this. The Holy Prophet (may
peace be upon him) would coome and greet me with
Assalam−o−'Alaikum and only ask me how I was. This caused
doubt in my mind, but I was unaware of the evil. I wept
outside despite my failing health and there went along with me
Umm Mistah and she said the daughter of Abu Rhm b. Muttalib b.
'Abd Manaf and his mother was the daughter of Sakhr b. 'Amir,
the sister of the mother of Abu Bakr Sidiq and his son was
Mistah b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. Muttalib. I and the daughter of
Abu Rahm set towards the direction of my house. Something got
into the head dress of Umm Mistah and she said: Woe be upon
Mistah. And I said. Woe be upon what you say. Do you curse
people who had participated in Badr? She said: Innocent woman,
have you not heard what he said? I said: What did he say? She
conveyed to me the statement of those who had brought false
allegations against me. So my illness was aggravated. I went
to my house and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came
to me and he greeted me and then said: How is that woman? I
said: Do you permit me to go to the (house) of my parents? She
(further) said: I had at that time made up my mind to confirm
this news from them. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
permitted me. So I came to (the house of) my parents and said
to my mother: Mother, do you know what the people are talking
about? She said: My daughter, you should not worry. By Allah,
if there is a handsome woman who is loved by her husband and
he has co−wives also they talk many a thing about her. I said:
Hallowed be Allah, what are the people talking about? I wept
during the whole night until it was morning and I did not have
a wink of sleep and I wept even in the morning. As the
revelation was delayed (in regard to this matter), so Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali ibn Abi 'Talib
and Usama b. Zaid in order to seek their advice in regard to
the separation of his wife. Usama b. Zaid told Allah's
Messenger (may peace be apen him) about the innocence of his
wives and what he knew about his love for them. He said:
Allah's Messenger, they are your wives and we know nothing
else about thembut goodness. And as for 'Ali b. Abu Talib, he
said: Allah has not put any unnecessary burden upon you (in
regard to your wives). There are a number of women besides her
and if you ask that maidservant (Barira) she will tell you the
truth. So, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called
Bailra and said: Barira, did you see anything in 'A'isha which
can cause doubt about her? Barira said: By Him Who sent thee
with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her but
only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep
while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that. Thereupon
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) mounted the pulpit
and sought vindication against 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul,
and he further said: Who would exonerate me from imputations
of that person who has troubled (me) in regard to my family?
By Allah, I find nothing in my wife but goodness and the
person whom the people have mentioned in this connection is,
according to my knowledge, a thoroughly pious person, and he
did never get into my house but along with me. Sa'd b. Mu'adh
stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, I defend your honour
against him. If he belong to the tribe of Aus we would strike
his neck and if he belongs to the tribe of our brother Khazraj
and you order us we would comply with your order. Then Sa'd b.
'Ubada stood up. He was chief of the Khazraj tribe. He was
otherwise a pioas man but he had some what tribal partisanship
in him and he said to Sa'd b. Mu'adh: By the everlasting
existence of Allah. you are not stating the fact, you will not
be able to kill him and you will not have the power to do so.
Thereupon, Usaid b. Hudair stood up, and he was the first
cousin of Sa'd b. Mu'adh and said to Sa'd b. 'Ubada: By the
everlasting existence of Allah, you are not stating the fact.
We would kill him. You are a hypocrite and so you argue in
defence of the hypocrites, and thus both the tribes Aus and
Khazraj were flared up, until they were about to fall upon one
another and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kept
standing upon the pulpit and Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) tried to subside their anger until they became
silent and thus there was silence. 'A'isha further reported: I
spent the whole day in weeping and even the night and could
not have a wink of sleep even next night. My parents thought
that this constant weeping of mine would break my heart. I
wept and they sat beside me. In the meanwhile a woman of the
Ansar came to see me. I permitted her to see me and she also
began to weep. And we were in this very state that Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) came and he greeted me and
then sat down. He had never sat with me since a month when
this rumour was afloat, and there was no revelation (to
clarity) my case. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
recited Tashahhud (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
His Apostle) and then said: Coming to the point, 'A'isha, this
is what has reached me about you and if you are innocent,
Allah would Himself vindicate your honour, and if accidentally
there has been a lapse on your part sock forgiveness of Allah;
He will pardon thee for when a servant makes a confession of
his fault and turns (to Him) penitently, Allah also turns to
him (mercifully) accepting his repentance. When Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) talked, my tears dried up
and not even a single drop of tear was perceived by me
(rolling out of my eyes). I said to my father: You give a
reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) on my
behalf. He said: By Allah, I do not know what I should say to
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I then said to my
mother: Give a reply to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) on my behalf, but she said: By Allah, I do not know what
I should say to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I
was a small girl at that time and I had not read much of the
Qur'an (but I said): By Allah, I perceive that you have heard
about this and it has settled down in your mind and you have
taken it to be true, so if I say to you that I am quite
innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would never
believe me to be true, and if I confess to (the alleged) lapse
before you, whereas Allah knows that I am completely innocent
(and I have not committed this sin at all), in that case You
will take me to be true and, by Allah, I, therefore, find no
other alternative for me and for you except that what the
father of Yousuf said:, (My course is) comely patience. And
Allah it is Whose help is to be sought for in that
(predicament) which ye describe" (xii 18). After this I turned
my face to the other side and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I
was fully aware of this fact that I was innocent but I did not
expect that Allah would descend Wahy Matlu (Qur'anic Wahy) in
my case as I did not think myself so much important that
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would speak in this matter in
words to be recited. I only hoped that Allah would in vision
give an indication of my innocence to Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) during his sleep. And, by Allah, Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) had not moved an inch from
where he had been sitting and none from the members of my
family had gone that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
descended revelation upon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) there and then and he felt the burden which he used to
feel at the time of receiving revelation. He began to perspire
because of the burden of words of Allah as they descended upon
him even during the winter season and there fell the drops of
his sweat like silvery beads. When this state of receiving
revelation was over, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) smiled and the first words which he spoke to me were that
he said: 'A'isha, there is glad tidings for you. Verily, Allah
has vindicated your honour, and my mother who had been
standing by me said: Get up (and thank him, i. e. the Holy
Prophet). I said: By Allah, I shall not thank him and laud him
but Allah Who has descended revelation vindicating my honour.
She ('A'isha) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious,
revealed:" 'Verily, those who spread the slander are a gang
among you" (and) ten (subsequent) verses in regard to my
innocence. She further said: Abu Bakr used to give to Mistah
(some stipend) as a token of kinship with him and for his
poverty and he (Abu Bakr) said: By Allah, now I would not
spend anything for him. 'A'isha said: It was upon this that
Allah the Exalted and Glorious revealed this verse:" And let
not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear to give
to the near of the kin" up to" Yearn ye not that Allah may
forgive you?" Hibban b. Musa' said that 'Abdullah b. Mubarak
used to say: It is a verse contained in the Book which most
(eminently) brightens the hope. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I
wish that Allah should pardon me. I shall never stop this
stipend. So he continued to give him the stipend which he had
withdrawn. 'A'isha said that Allah's Messenger (way peace be
upon him) asked Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, the wife of Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him), about me what she knew or
what she had seen in me, and she said: Allah's Messenger, I
shall not say anything without hearing (with my ears) and
seeing with my eyes. By Allah, I find nothing in her but
goodness. (And she stated this in spite of the fact) that she
was the only lady who amongst the wives of Allah's Apostle
(may peace be upon him) used to vie with me but Allah saved
her in bringing false allegation against me because of her
God−consciousness. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh, however,
opposed her and she was undone along with others.
Bk 37, Number 6674:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri
through other chains of transmitters but with a slight
variation of wording. In the hadith transmitters on the
authority of 'Urwa, there is an addition of these words:"
'A'isha did not like that Hassan should be rebuked in her
presence and she used to say: It was he who wrote this verse
also:" 'Verily, my father and my mother and my honour, those
are all meant for defending the honour of Muhammad against
you." And 'Urwa further reported that 'A'isha said: By Allah,
the person, about whom the allegation was trade used to say:
Hallowed be Allah, by One, in Whose hand is my life, I have
never unveiled any woman, and then he die, & as a martyr in
the cause of Allah, and in the narration transmitted on the
authority of Ya'qub b. Ibrahim., the word is Mu'irin and in
the narration transmitted on the'authority of 'Abd al−Razzaq
it is Mughirin. 'Abd b. Humaid said: I said to 'Abd al−Razzaq:
What does this word Mughirin mean? And he said: Al− waghra
means intense heat.
Bk 37, Number 6675:
'A'Isha reported: When I came under discussion what the people
had to say about me, Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
stood up for delivering an address and he recited tashahhud (I
bear witness to the fact that iheie is no god but Allah) and
praised Allah, lauded Him what He rightly deserves and then
said: Coming to the point. Give me an advice about them who
have brought false charge about my family. By Allah, I know no
evil in the members of my family and the person in connection
with whom the false charge is being levelled, I know no evil
in him too. And he never entered my house but in my presence
and when I was away on a journey, he remained with me even in
that. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this change
that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to my
house and asked my maidservant and she said: By Allah, I know
no fault in her but this that she sleeps, and goat comes and
eats the kneaded flour. Some of the Companions (of the Holy
Prophet) scolded her and said: State the fact before Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and they even made a pointed
reference (to this incident). She said: gallowed be Allah. By
Allah, I know about her as does the jeweller know about the
pure piece of gold. And when this news reached the person in
connection with whom the allegation was made he said: Hallowed
be Allah. By Allah, I have never unveiled any woman. 'A'isha
said: He fell as a martyr in the cause of Allah, and there is
this addition in this hadith that the people who had brought
false allegation amongst them were Mistah and Hamna and
Hassan. And so far as the hypocrite 'Abdullah b. Ubayy is
concerned, he was one who tried his best to gather the false
news and then gave them the wind. And he was in fact a
fabricator and there was Hamna, daughter of Jahsh with him.
Chapter 11: THE EXONERATION OF THE SLAVEGIRL OF ALLAH'S
APOSTLE (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) FROM A FALSE CHARGE
Bk 37, Number 6676:
Anas reported that a person was charged with fornication with
the slavegirl of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him).
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to
'Ali: Go and strike his neck. 'Ali came to him and he found
him in a well making his body cool. 'Ali said to him: Come
out, and as he took hold of his hand and brought him out, he
found that his sexual organ had been cut. Hadrat 'Ali
refrained from striking his neck. He came to Allah's Apostle
(may peace be upon him) and said: Allah's Messenger, he has
not even the sexual organ with him.
