Book 29: Excellent Qualities and Description of the Prophet

Abu Huraira said: I used to invite my mother who was a polytheist to accept Islam, and one day when I had invited her and she caused me to hear something about God's messenger which I do not care to repeat[*] I went to him weeping and said, "Messenger of God, supplicate God to guide Abu Huraira's mother." He said, "O God, guide Abu Huraira's mother," so I came out cheered by the Prophet's supplication. When I came to the door, I found it shut, and when she heard the sound of my feet she said, "Stay where you are, Abu Huraira." I heard the splashing of water, and when she had bathed and put on her chemise, but was in too big a hurry to put on her head-covering, she opened the door and said, "I testify, Abu Huraira, that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." I then returned to God's messenger weeping for joy, and he praised God and said some good words. *Or, 'of which I disapproved' Muslim transmitted it.

He said: You say that Abu Huraira transmits much from the Prophet, but God is the One to whom account will have to be given. My brethren among the Emigrants were occupied by business in the markets and my brethren among the Helpers were occupied by looking after their property, but I was a poor man who kept near God's messenger and was satisfied with what would fill my stomach. One day the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No one among you who spreads out his garment till I finish this address of mine and then gathers it to his breast will ever forget anything I say." I therefore spread out a woollen garment which was all I was wearing till the Prophet (ﷺ) finished his address and afterwards gathered it to my breast, and I swear by Him who sent him with the truth that up to this day I have not forgotten any of that address of his. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jarir b. `Abdallah said: God's messenger said to me, "Why do you not give me rest from Dhul Khalasa?" I told him that I certainly would, but as I was not able to keep from falling off a horse's back, I mentioned the fact to the Prophet. He gave me such a blow with his hand on my breast that I could see the mark of his hand on it and said, "O God, make him sit firm, and make him a guide who is led aright." After that I never fell off my horse. He went with a hundred and fifty resolute horsemen of Ahmas[*] and burned it and broke it up. *Ahmas (brave) is said to have been applied to Quraish, Kinana and Jadila of Qais because of the hardships they imposed on themselves in their religious observances in pre-Islamic times. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said: A man, who had acted as secretary to the Prophet (ﷺ) apostatised from Islam and attached himself to the polytheists, so the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The earth will not accept him." Abu Talha told me he came to the land in which the man died and found him cast on the surface of the ground. He asked the reason and was told by the people that they had buried him several times, but that the earth would not accept him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Ayyub told that the Prophet (ﷺ) went out when the sun had set, and on hearing a sound said, "The Jews are being punished in their graves." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir told that when the Prophet (ﷺ) was near Medina on his return from a journey a wind arose which stirred up the sand to such an extent that it could almost bury a horseman.' God's messenger said, "This wind has been sent on account of the death of a hypocrite." When he came to Medina, he found that one of the leading hypocrites had died. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: We went out with the Prophet, and when we came to `Usfan he stayed there some nights. The people said, "We are serving no purpose here, our children have been left and we are not sure of their safety," and when the Prophet (ﷺ) heard of that he said, "I swear by Him in whose hand my soul is that there is no ravine or mountain road in Medina which does not have two angels guarding it till you return." He then gave the order to set out, and we did so and came to Medina. Then, by Him in whose name oaths are sworn, we had not unloaded our beasts after entering Medina before the B. 'Abdallah b. Ghatafan raided us, but nothing had roused them to do so before that. Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said: The people were afflicted by famine in the time of God's messenger, and while the Prophet (ﷺ) was preaching on a Friday a nomadic Arab got up and said, "The animals are perishing and the children are hungry, so make supplication to God for us." He then raised his hands, and we could not see a speck of cloud in the sky, but I swear by Him in whose hand my soul is that he had not lowered his hand before the clouds were appearing like mountains and before he descended from his pulpit, I saw the rain coming down on his beard. We had rain that day, the next, the following day, and on till the next Friday. Then that nomadic Arab or someone else got up and said, "Messenger of God, the buildings are being broken down and the animals are being drowned, so make supplication to God for us." He then raised his hands and said, "O God, round about us, but not on us." Then he did not point to any region in the clouds without their breaking up, and Medina became like a gap[*]. The wadi had a channel flowing in it for a month, and no one came from any region without speaking of plenty. In a version he said, "O God, round about us, but not on us; O God, on the mounds and knolls, in the basins of the wadis and in the plantations." He said: Then it stopped and we went out walking in the sun. *Meaning that Madina, unlike surrounding districts, had no clouds immediately above it or that it was like a wide, round hollow with the clouds round its edges. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) preached, he leaned on the trunk of a palm-tree which was one of the pillars of the mosque, then when the pulpit was made for him and he went up on it the palm-tree beside which he had preached shouted till it almost split. The Prophet (ﷺ) therefore descended, took it, and embraced it, and it began to moan like a boy who is being calmed down till it became quiet. 'He then said, "It wept for the mention of God which it had been accustomed to hear." Bukhari transmitted it.

Salama b. al-Akwa` told that when a man ate with his left hand in the presence of God's messenger he said, " Eat with your right hand." On his replying, "I am not able," he said, "May you not be able!" for it was simply pride which prevented him. He told that he did not raise it[*] to his mouth [after that]. *i.e., his right hand. Muslim transmitted it.

Anas told that, once when the people of Medina had an alarm the Prophet (ﷺ) mounted a slow horse belonging to Abu Talha which took short steps. When he returned, he said, "I found this horse of yours could run like a great river." After that it had none to compete with it. A version says it was never outstripped after that day. Bukhari transmitted it.

Jabir said: My father died in debt and I suggested, to his creditors that they should accept the dates we had in payment of his debt. When they refused, I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "You know that my father died a martyr at the battle of Uhud leaving a large debt, and I would like the creditors to see you." He told me to go and collect all the dates in separate groups, and when I had done so I called him. When they looked at him it seemed as though they were more persistent with me at that time, and when he saw what they were doing he went round the largest group three times, then sitting down beside it he said, "Call your creditors to me." He then kept measuring out to them till God paid on my father's behalf what he owed. I should have been pleased that God should pay my father's debt leaving me not a date to take back to my brothers; but God kept all the groups intact, and when I looked at the group beside which the Prophet (ﷺ) was, it seemed as if it had not been diminished by a single date. Bukhari transmitted it.

He told that Umm Malik used to present clarified butter to the Prophet (ﷺ) in a skin of hers. Her sons would come to her and ask for seasoning when they had nothing, and she would go to the skin from which she made presents to the Prophet (ﷺ) and find clarified butter in it. It kept providing her with seasoning for her household till she squeezed it, so she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who asked whether she had squeezed it, and when she replied that she had, he said, "If you had left it alone it would have kept on as it was." Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said: Abu Talha told Umm Sulaim[*] he had noticed God's messenger's voice was weak and realised that he was suffering from hunger, so he suggested she might have something. Replying that she had, she brought out some barley loaves, then took out a head-covering of hers in part of which she wrapped the bread, and when she had put it under my arm, she wound part of it round my head and sent me to God's messenger. When I went with it, I found God's messenger in the mosque accompanied by some people. I gave them a salutation and God's messenger asked me if Abu Talha had sent me. I replied that he had, and he asked if he had sent me with food. When I replied that that was so he told the people who were with him to get up. He set off and I went in front of them, and when I came to Abu Talha, I informed him. He said, "God's messenger has come with some people, Umm Sulaim, and we have nothing to give them to eat." When she replied that God and His messenger knew best, he went off till he met God's messenger, who then came accompanied by Abu Talha and said, "Bring what you have, Umm Sulaim." She brought that bread, and he then ordered that the bread be broken into small pieces, and when Umm Sulaim had squeezed a skin and put seasoning on its God's messenger said regarding it what God willed him to say. He then asked permission for ten to enter, and when that was granted, they ate till they had had enough'. When they had gone out, he asked permission for one group of ten after another to enter, and all the people ate and had enough. They numbered seventy or eighty men. *She had married Malik b. an-Nadr to whom she bore Anas. Miltk had gone to Syria, where he died, and she married Abu Talha. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim he said, "Permit ten to enter," and when they entered, he said, "Eat, mentioning God's name." They ate until he had done that with eighty men, after which the Prophet (ﷺ) and the members of the household ate, and he left something over. In a version by Bukhari he said, "Enter by tens," until he had counted forty. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) ate, and I began to look whether it had diminished at all. A version by Muslim says he then took what remained and collected it, then invoked a blessing on it, and when it returned to its original state he said, "Take this."

He told that the Prophet (ﷺ) was brought a vessel when he was in az-Zaura', and when he put his hand in the vessel the water began to spout between his fingers, and the people performed ablution. Qatada said he asked Anas how many were present, and he replied that there were three hundred, or, about three hundred. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Abdallah b. Mas'ud said: We used to reckon the signs[*] as a blessing, but you reckon them as something to cause fear. Once when we were on a journey with God's messenger and there was little water he said, "Look if there is any water left." They brought him a vessel containing a little water, and when he had put his hand into it, he said, "Come to the blessed cleansing medium and the blessing from God." I have seen the water spouting between God's messenger's fingers, and we have been hearing the glorifying of God over food when it was being eaten. *i.e., the miracles. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Qatada said: God's messenger addressed us saying, "You will travel all evening and all night and come to water to-morrow, if God wills.' The people then set off not turning round to one another. Abu Qatada said: While God's messenger was travelling, when the middle of the night came, he turned aside from the road, laid down his head and said, "Keep watch for us for our time of prayer." Now the first to awake was God's messenger when he felt the sun on his back, and he said "Mount." We did so and travelled till the sun had risen in the sky, when he dismounted, called for an ablution vessel. I had containing some water and performed ablution from it to a less extent than usual. Some water remained in it, and he said, `Keep your ablution vessel for us, for it will be something to talk about. Bilal then gave the call to prayer, and God's messenger prayed two rak`as, after which he prayed the morning prayer. He then mounted and we mounted along with him and reached the people when the day had advanced and everything was hot. They were saying, "Messenger of God, we are perishing from thirst," to which he replied, "You will not perish." He called for the ablution vessel, began to pour out water, and Abu Qatada[*] was supplying them with water. No sooner did the people see that there was water in the ablution vessel then they crowded around it, so God's messenger said, "Behave in an orderly manner, for every one of you will get a supply of water." They did so, and God's messenger began to pour and I to supply them with water till only he and I were left. He then poured and told me to drink, but I replied, "I shall not drink till you do so, messenger of God." He said, "The one who supplies water for people comes last," so I drank and then he drank. Then the people came to the watering-place in comfort, having had a supply of water. *I have retained the Arabic construction here. Abu Qatada is telling the story and elsewhere uses the first-person pronoun when making reference to himself, Muslim transmitted it thus in his Sahih, and it is told similarly in al-Humaidi's book and in Jami' al-usul. In al-Masabih the words "in drinking" are added after "comes last."

Abu Huraira said: On the day of the expedition of Tabuk the people were afflicted by hunger, and `Umar said, "Messenger of God, tell them to bring what is left over of their provisions and pray God for a blessing for them on them." He agreed, then called for a leather cloth and it was spread out. He then called for the provisions which were left, and one brought a handful of millet, another a handful of dates, another crumbs until a small quantity was collected on the leather cloth. God's messenger then prayed for a blessing, after which he said, "Take a supply in your receptacles." They did so until they did not leave a receptacle in the army which they did not fill. They then ate till they were satisfied, and there was something over. God's messenger then said, "I testify that there is no god but God and that I am God's messenger. No one who meets God and affirms the two testimonies without harbouring any doubts will not be kept away from paradise." Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said: When the Prophet (ﷺ) was newly married to Zainab, my mother Umm Sulaim took some dates, clarified butter and curd, and made hais[1]. When she had prepared it in a cooking-pot she said, "Take this to God's messenger, Anas, say your mother has sent this to him along with her good wishes, and tell him this is a small gift to him from us." When I had gone and repeated this, he told me to put it down, then said, "Go and invite so and so, so and so, and so and so (naming some men) to come to me, and invite those whom you meet to come to me." I invited those he named and those I met, and when I returned the house was crowded with people[2]. (Anas was asked how many there were and replied that there were about three hundred.) I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) put his hand on that bit of hais and say such words as God wished. He then began to invite them to eat in groups of ten, and he was saying to them, "Mention God's name, and let each man eat from the place nearest him." When they had eaten to their satisfaction one party went out and another entered till they had all eaten. He told me to remove the food and I did so, and I do not know whether there was more of it when I set it down or when I removed it. Hais (special dish prepared from dried yoghourt, butter and dates). This is what the Arabic says, but in view of what follows about the people being admitted in tens, it probably means that the house was surrounded by a great throng. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said: I went on an expedition with God's messenger on a camel used for drawing water which had grown weary and could scarcely go on. The Prophet (ﷺ) came up beside me and asked what was the matter with my camel, and when I told him it had grown weary, he went behind it and urged it on. He then made supplication for it and it kept going in front of the other camels. He asked me how I found my camel and I replied that it was fine, having received the benefit of his blessing. He asked if I would sell it to him for a wuqiya, and I agreed on condition that I might ride it till we came to Medina. When God's messenger came to Medina I took the camel to him in the morning, and he gave me its price, then returned the animal to me. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Humaid as-Sa`idi said : We went out with God's messenger on the expedition to Tabuk, and in the wadi al-Qura we came to a garden belonging to a woman. God's messenger told us to estimate its amount and we did so, and God's messenger estimated it at ten camel loads. He told the woman to calculate the amount and have it ready for our return should God will, and then we set off. When we came to Tabuk God's messenger said, "You will have a violent wind to-night, so no one must get up while it is blowing and those who have camels must hobble them firmly." A violent wind blew, and a man got up and was carried by the wind and thrown on the two mountains of Tayy[*]. We then went on till we came to the wadi al-Qura., and when God's messenger asked the woman how much the fruit in her garden had amounted to, she replied that it was ten camel loads. *Aia' and Salma. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Dharr reported God's messenger as saying, "You will conquer Egypt, which is a land in which the qirat is mentioned. When you conquer it treat its inhabitants well, for protection and blood-relationship apply to them (or he said, protection and marriage relationship)[1]. But when you see two men quarrelling in a brickwork leave[2] it." Abu Dharr said he saw `Abd ar-Rahman b. Shurahbil b. Hasana and his brother Rabi'a quarrelling in a brickwork, and so left it. 1. The reference is to Abraham's son Ishmael having Hagar as mother, and to Mariya the Copt who was sent to the Prophet. 2. 'You' in this sentence and the preceding one is plural, but `leave' is singular, addressed particularly to Abu Dharr. Muslim transmitted it.

Hudhaifa reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Among my companions (a version has, my people) there will be twelve hypocrites who will neither enter paradise nor experience its odour till a camel goes through a needle's eye. Eight of them will be repelled by an internal ulcer (a burning, fiery wick) which will appear on their shoulders and extend into their breasts." Muslim transmitted it.