41. Gestures

41. Gestures

chapter 431. Should anyone delouse someone else’s head

952. Anas ibn Malik said, “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to visit Umm Hiram, the daughter of Milhan who was married to ‘Ubada ibn as-Samit, and she would give him food and delouse his head. Then he slept and woke up laughing.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Imam an-Nawawee (الله رحمه (said, “the scholars are agreed that she is from those relations permanently prohibited in marriage to him – peace and blessings be upon, but differ on how. Ibn Abdil-Barr and others hold that she was one of his foster aunts. Others say she was an aunt to his father or grandfather since Abdul-Muttalib’s mother was from the Najjaar tribe.” 2. Hafidh Ibn Hajar (الله رحمه (explained that, “It does not imply that he had anything on his head. She was only teasing apart the hair of the Messenger of Allahﷺ to soothe him since teasing apart the hair makes one feel relaxed.” 3. He became cheerful when he woke up owing to the dream he had that, a group of people in his Ummah will sail on the sea as kings on their thrones. This is authentically related in another version in the two Saheehs.

953. Qays ibn ‘Asim as-Sa’idi said, “I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, ‘This is the master of the people of the desert.’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, how much property can I have without owning anything to someone who comes with a request or a guest?’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The best property is forty. A lot of property is sixty. Woe to those who have hundreds except for he who gives away something precious, lends an animal with abundant milk or sacrifices a fat animal to eat and feeds beggars and the poor.’ I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, which is the noblest of these qualities?’ The valley where I am does not support many flocks.’ The Prophet replied, ‘So what do you give as a gift?’ I replied, ‘I give virgin camels and she-camels.’ The Prophet asked, ‘How much do you give as a loan?’ I said, ‘I lend a hundred.’ He asked, ‘What do you do with she-camels that are ready to be mated?’ He replied, ‘People bring their ropes (to use as halters for the male camels) and no man is prevented from taking a camel on which he puts a halter. He takes the male camel he thinks is the proper one (for mating and keeps it) until he returns it.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Which do you love more ? your property or your mawali (i.e. your heirs).’ (‘My property,’ he replied.) The Prophet said, ‘Your share is what you eat of your property and consume or what you give away and spend. The rest of it belongs to your heirs.’ I said, ‘When I go back, I must lessen it.'” When he was neat death, his sons gathered around and he said, ‘My sons, listen to me. You will not listen to anyone who will give you better advice than me. Do not wail over me. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not wailed for. I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbid wailing. Shroud me in the garment in which I used to pray. Make the eldest of you your leader. If you make the eldest of you your leader, you will continue to have a successor from your father among you. If you make the youngest of you your leader, then the eldest of you will be debased in front of people. Be abstinent among yourselves. Have a good livelihood and you will be free of the need to ask from other people. Beware of begging. It is the lowest of a man’s earnings. When you bury me, flatten my grave. There was some bad feelings between me and the tribe of Bakr ibn Wa’il in this area because of wounds I inflicted. Do not trust a fool to bring something which might bring about disgrace in your deen (i.e. if he were to reveal the site of the grave.'”
Grade: Hasan (Sound)
Commentary: The narration shows: 1. That the pious predecessors were really concerned, even while dying, about the proper guidance of their children. So, they adjured them among others, to fear Allah, follow the lines of conduct of the Messengerﷺ and shun innovations. 2. That one should avoid whatever lowers the elders before their peers and the young. 3. That it is encouraged to legitimately seek wealth and also expend it prudently. 4. Discouragement for begging. 5. That wailing at the death of a person contradicts the Sunnah. 6. The need to be cautious of about one’s antagonists especially when they are non-Muslims

chapter 432. Shaking the head and biting the lip when surprised

954. ‘Abdullah ibn as-Samit said, “I questioned my close friend Abu Dharr who said, ‘I brought some water for wudu’ to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He shook his head and bit his lip. I said, “May my father and mother be your ransom, have I injured you?” “No,” he replied, “but you will meet amirs ? or imams ? who will delay the prayer until it is past its time.” “So what do you command me to do?” I asked. He replied, “Pray the prayer at the proper time. If you come across them, then pray with them and do not say, ‘I have already prayed, so I will not pray again.'”‘”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point in this hadeeth in relation to the chapter heading is the permissibility of striking a person’s thigh without any negative intention. As regards the Prophet’s statement in another version of the same hadeeth, (954): “…you will meet amirs who delay the prayer beyong its time”, Imam an-Nawawee (الله رحمه (explains, “That is, its preffered time; not completely beyond its prescribed time. This is because, what is reported from the amirs – both the earlier and later ones – is that they used to delay it beyond its preffered time. No one of them delayed it completely beyond its prescribed time. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand these narrations in the light of what really happened.” The hadeeth also exhorts towards observing the prayers at their preffered times, and avoiding difference and confrontation with the rulers.

chapter 433. A man striking his hand on his thigh when he is amazed or for some other reason

955. ‘Ali reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, knocked at the door of ‘Ali and Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “Don’t you pray?” ‘Ali said, “I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, our spirits are with Allah. When He wishes to wake us up, we will make up.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left without saying anything to me. Then I heard him strike him thigh after his back was turned. He said, ‘More than anything else, man is argumentative.’ (18:54)”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Apart from being evidence for the permissibility of a man’s striking his own thighs when he is astonished, the prophet’s use of this verse as proof against Alee’s response – even though the late-night prayer is not obligatory, and he only sought to give an excuse for not having stood up up till the time – disproves the view of those who give preordainment as excuse for their laxity in their religious obligations.

956. Abu Razin said about Abu Hurayra, “I saw him striking his brow with his hand whole saying, ‘People of Iraq, do you claim that I lie against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? Do you have enjoyment while I have the wrong action? I testify that I heard the , Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “When one of you breaks his sandal-strap, he should not walk in his other sandal until it is mended.”‘”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference is Abu Hurayrah’s striking his forehead with his hand. The hadeeth also highlights: 1. Disaproval for walking in a single sandal or leather socks or socks since it contradicts sedateness. 2. Islam exhorts towards paying serious attention to good manners in every aspect of life. 3. The companions of the Prophet – may Allah be pleased with them all – love and really believe in the Prophetﷺ. So, they report his words with great precision and conviction.

chapter 434. When a man strikes his brother’s thigh and does not intend anything bad by it

957. Abu’l-‘Aliyya al-Bara’ said, “‘Abdullah ibn as-Samit passed by me and I gave him a chair. He sat down. I told him, ‘Ibn Ziyad has delayed the prayer. What do you command?’ He hit my thigh (and I think he said, ‘So that it left a mark on me’) and then he said, ‘I asked Abu Dharr as you asked me and he hit my thigh as I have hit yours. He said, “Pray the prayer at the proper time, but if you come across some of them, pray with them and do not say, ‘I have already prayed,’ and then not pray.”‘”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point in this hadeeth in relation to the chapter heading is the permissibility of striking a person’s thigh without any negative intention. As regards the Prophet’s statement in another version of the same hadeeth, (954): “…you will meet amirs who delay the prayer beyong its time”, Imam an-Nawawee (الله رحمه (explains, “That is, its preffered time; not completely beyond its prescribed time. This is because, what is reported from the amirs – both the earlier and later ones – is that they used to delay it beyond its preffered time. No one of them delayed it completely beyond its prescribed time. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand these narrations in the light of what really happened.” The hadeeth also exhorts towards observing the prayers at their preffered times, and avoiding difference and confrontation with the rulers.

958. It is related that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar reported that ‘Umar went with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a group to visit Ibn Sayyad. They found him playing with some children in the hills of Banu Maghala. Ibn Sayyad, who was approaching puberty, did not notice them until the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, patted him with his hand and then said to him, ‘Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?’ Ibn Sayyad looked at him and said, ‘I testify that you are the Messenger of the unlettered.’ Ibn Sayyad said to the Prophet, ‘Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?’ He refuted it and said, ‘I have believed in Allah and His Messengers.’ Then he said to him, ‘What dreams do you have?’ Ibn Sayyad replied, ‘Both truthful people and liars come to me.’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘You are in a state of confusion.’ Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, ‘I am concealing something from you.’ Ibn Sayyad said, ‘It is just smoke.’ He said, ‘Shame on you! You will not go too far.’ ‘Umar said, ‘Messenger of Allah, let me cut his head off?’ The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘If it is him (i.e. the Dajjal), you will not be able to get the better of him. If it is not him, there is no point in killing him.'” Salim reported that he heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar say, “After that, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went with Ubayy ibn Ka’b al-Ansari to the palm-grove where Ibn Sayyad was staying. He wanted to hear something from Ibn Sayyad without Ibn Sayyad seeing him. The Prophet, Messenger of Allah entered and hid behind the palm trunks, trying to hear something from Ibn Sayyad before he saw him. Ibn Sayyad was lying on his bed, covered by a wrapper and there was a murmuring sound coming from him. The mother of Ibn Sayyad saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, hiding behind the palm trunk and she said to Ibn Sayyad, ‘Saf! (which was a name of Ibn Sayyad) Muhammad is here.’ So Ibn Sayyad got up. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘If she had left him, the business would have been clear.'” Salim reported that he heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar say, ” “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up among the people and praised Allah as He deserves and then he mentioned the Dajjal and said, ‘I warn you about him, and there is no Prophet who did not warn his people about him. Nuh warned his people about him, but I will say something to you which no Prophet has said to his people. You should know that he is one-eyed and that Allah is not one-eyed.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference in the hadeeth vis-à-vis the chapter heading is the expression, “…until he struck him on the back with his hand…” However, it contains other lessons including that: 1. The Dajjal cannot be overpowered by any single person – no matter how pious or powerful – except Nabiyy ‘Eesa – peace be upon him –, as contained in other authentic narrations, after his descent which is from the Major Signs of the Hour. 2. It is prohibited to kill a person without a just cause. Allah the Exalted says: “Do not kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause…” (Q 17 : 33). 3. We should only act based on clear knowledge and not illusions and suppositions. This informed the Prophet’s painstaking effort to verify the person of Ibn Sayyad. 4. The Authority has the responsibility of unraveling mysterious or complicated matters of interest to the general populace. It was widely feared then that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal about whose trial and tribulation the Prophets (alayhim as-Salam) have warned their people. 5. The Authority also has the duty of warning the people apprioprately about any impending danger as the Prophetﷺ warned about the coming of Dajjal and even gave additional information because his coming was no doubt in his Ummah. 6. It supports the fact that Allah the Mighty and Sublime has two Eyes.

959. Jabir said, “When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in janaba, he would pour three cupfuls of water over his head.” Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad [ibn al-Hanafiyya] said, “Abu ‘Abdullah, I have more hair than that.” Jabir struck his hand on al-Hasan’s thigh and said, “Nephew, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had more hair than you have and better hair as well.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah (الله رحمه (only sought to point out that, the Prophetﷺ perhaps, only used three handfuls because his hairs were not much and that for those with much hair, they would require more handfuls. However, the companion’s response is evidence that even though the Prophet’s hair was much more and better, which should, based on al-Hasan’s thought, require him to use many handfuls, he – peace and blessings be upon him – sufficed with three handfuls. “It demonstrates what the pious predecessors were upon, of giving evidence with the action of the Prophetﷺ and submitting to it.” Sharh Saheeh al-Adab al-Mufrad (3/101). In this narration also, the allowance of striking one’s hand on the thigh of another person when no evil is intended is established.

chapter 435. The person who dislikes people sitting and rising for him

960. Jabir said, “In Madina, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was thrown from a horse onto a palm trunk and dislocated his foot. We used to visit him in the room of ‘A’isha. We came upon him while he was praying sitting down and we prayed standing behind him. He indicates to us that we should sit down. When he finished the prayer, he said, ‘When the Imam prays sitting, then pray sitting. When he prays standing, then pray standing. Do not stand while the imam is sitting as the Persians do with their great men.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

961. He also said, “One of the slaves of the Ansar had a son whom he named Muhammad, The Ansar said, ‘We will not give you the kunya of the Messenger of Allah until we have sat in the road and asked the Prophet about the Final Hour.’ The Prophet said, ‘You have come to me to ask me about the Hour?’ ‘Yes,’ we replied. He said, ‘There is no one alive now who will see it, even if he lives a hundred years.’ We said, ‘A slave of the Ansar has had a son and named him Muhammad. The Ansar said, “We will not call you by the kunya of the Messenger of Allah.”‘ The Prophet said, ‘You have done well. Call yourselves with my name, but do not use my kunya.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The prophecy mentioned in this hadeeth was one of the miracles of the Prophetﷺ that no one who was alive at that time lived more than a hundred years after that. As to their question it is also an indirect answer, as in another hadīth, ‘whoever dies, his Hour has come’ , means he cannot do anything after that except to stand in front of his Lord so it is no use knowing the actual time of the Hour. See narrations in Chapter 373.

chapter 436. Chapter

962. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed through the market, entering from part of the high part of the city and the people were on both sides of him. He passed by a dead one-eared goat and reached out and took its ear. Then he said, “Who would like to buy this for a dirham?” They said, “Why would we want it when it is worthless? What would we do with it?” He said, “Would you like to have it?” “No,” they replied. He asked them that three times and they said, “No, by Allah! If it were alive, it would have a defect as it only has one ear. Why would we want it when it is dead?” The Prophet said, “By Allah, this world is less in the sight of Allah than this goat is to you.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

963. ‘Utayy ibn Damura said, “I saw a man with my father who was consoling another man in the way people used to console each other in the Jahiliyya. My father bit him and would not use his kunya. His companions looked at my father and he said, ‘It appears that you disapprove of that.’ He said, ‘I will never respect anyone who does this! I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “If someone consoles people in the way people consoled each other in the days of the Jahiliyya, then bite him, and do not use his kunya.”‘”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

chapter 437. What a man says when his foot goes to sleep

964. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ibn Sa’d said, “Ibn ‘Umar’s foot went to sleep and a man said to him, ‘Mention the person you love most.’ He said, ‘Muhammad.'”
Grade: Da’eef (Weak)