Musnad Ahmad

You are the leader of the people and there has befallen you what you see, I am going to suggest to you three options, choose one of them. Either go out and fight them, because you have numbers and strength, and you are in the right and they are in the wrong; or we will make another door for you other than the door where they are, then you can mount your animal and go to Makkah, for they will not try to kill you there; or go to Syria, for the people of Syria are good people and among them is Mu`awiyah. `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: As for going out and fighting. I will never be the first successor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to shed blood among his ummah; as for going out to Makkah because they will never try to kill me there, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, “A man of Quraish will commit profanity in Makkah and half the punishment of the world will be upon him`, and I will never be that one; as for going to Syria, because they are the people of Syria and Mu`awiyah is among them, I shall never leave the land to which I migrated, where I am close to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) It was narrated from Ibn al-Mubarak... and he mentioned the same hadeeth, and said `will commit profanity.”

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever does wudoo` and does it properly, then goes and offers an obligatory prayer, his sins will be forgiven.`

I wanted to tell you a hadeeth that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then I decided not to tell it to you, al-Hakam bin al-`As said: O Ameer al-Mu`mineen, if it is enjoining us to do good we will do it and if it is warning us of a bad thing we will avoid it. He said: I will tell it to you the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did wudoo in this manner, then he said: `Whoever does wudoo’ in this manner and does it well, then goes and prays, bowing and prostrating properly, it (the prayer) will expiate his sins between that - prayer and the next, unless he does or something serious` i.e., major sin.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Allah admitted to Paradise a man who was easy-going in buying and selling, when paying off debt and when asking for a debt that was owed to him.”

a man from Madinah told me that the mu`adhdhin gave the call to `Asr prayer and ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) called for water and purified himself, then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `Whoever purifies himself as he has been enjoined and prays as he has been enjoined, his sins will be expiated.” Then he called four of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to testify to that, and they testified that the Prophet (ﷺ) had said that.

`Uthman (رضي الله عنه) came to al-Maqa`id and called for water for wudoo`. He rinsed his mouth and nose, then he washed his face three times, then he washed his hands three times each, then he wiped his head and (washed) his feet three times each. Then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing wudoo` like this, O people, isn`t that true? They said: Yes - i.e., a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who were with him.

Yes.

I saw `Uthman bin `Affan رضي الله عنه call for water at the door of the mosque. He washed his hands, then he rinsed his mouth, and took water into his nose and blew it out; then he washed his face three times, then he washed his hands up to the elbows three times, then he wiped his head. Then he passed his hands over the outside of his ears, then passed them over his beard, then he washed his feet up to the ankles three times. Then he stood and prayed two rak`ahs, Then he said: I have done wudoo’ for you as I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do wudoo’, then I prayed two rak`ahs as I saw him do. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had finished praying his two rak`ahs, he said: `Whoever does wudoo’ as I have done, then prays two rak`ahs in which he does not let his mind wander, will be forgiven whatever sins came between that and his previous prayer.`

`Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf met al-Waleed bin `Uqbah. Al-Waleed said to him: Why do i see you keeping away from Ameer al-Mu`mineen `Uthman (-رضي الله عنه-)? `AbdurRahman said to him:Tell him that I did not flee on the day of ‘Ainain -’Asim said: The day of Uhud - and I did not stay behind on the day of Badr, and I did not turn away from the way of ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه). So he went and told that to ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه), who said: As for his saying that he did not flee on the day of ‘Ainain, how could he shame me for a fault for which Allah has pardoned me and said: `Those of you who turned back on the day the two hosts met (i.e. the battle of Uhud), it was Shaitan (Satan) who caused them to backslide (run away from the battlefield) because of some (sins) they had earned. But Allah, indeed, has forgiven them` ? As for his saying that I stayed behind on the day of Badr, was tending Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , when she was dying, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) allocated to me a share (of the booty), and whoever was allocated a share by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was present. As for his saying that he did not turn away from the way of ‘Umar ( رضي الله عنه), I cannot bear it and not even he could bear it. Go and tell him that,

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Whoever prays `Isha` in congregation, it will be like spending half the night in prayer (qiyam) and whoever prays `Isha` and Fajr in congregation, it will be like spending the whole night in prayer.`

Ibn Ma`mar wanted to marry his son to the daughter of Shaibah bin Jubair. So he sent me to Aban bin `Uthman who was the Ameer of Hajj. I came to him and said to him: Your brother wants to arrange his son`s marriage and wants you to witness it. He said: I think you are no more than an ill-mannered Iraqi. The pilgrim in ihram should not get married or arrange a marriage. Then he narrated a similar report from `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) and attributed it to the Prophet (ﷺ)

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Whoever does wudoo’ as I have done then gets up to pray, his sins will fall away, i.e., from his face, his hands, his feet and his head.`

`Umar bin `Ubaidullah bin Ma`mar had a problem in his eyes. He sent word to Aban bin `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) - Sufyan said: He was the Ameer (of Hajj) - to ask what he should do. He said: Apply aloes to them, for I heard ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) narrate that from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

I saw Uthman (رضي الله عنه) do that and he told me that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) do that.

`The pilgrim in ihram should not get married or propose marriage.`

It was narrated from Aban bin `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) that he narrated from `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) granted a concession, or said concerning the pilgrim in ihram, if he has a problem in his eyes, that he may apply aloes to them.

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no God but Allah will enter Paradise.”

What made you take al-Anfal, which is one of the Mathani and Bara`ah, which is one of al-mi’een, and put them next to one another and not write - Ibn Ja`far said: A line between them saying Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem - and put it with the seven long ones? What made you do that? `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said. Sometimes many soorahs would be revealed (incomplete) to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , and when something was revealed he would call one of the scribes to write it down for him and say: `Put this in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned`; and verses would be revealed to him and he would say, `Put these verses in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned`; and a verse would be revealed to him and he would say: `Put this verse in the soorah in which such and such is mentioned.` Al-Anfal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madinah and Bara`ah was one of the last soorahs of the Qur`an, and the content of the two soorahs was similar. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away without having stated clearly to us that it was part of it, but we thought that it was, hence I put them together and I did not put between them the line Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem, and I put it with the seven long ones.

“The best of you are those who learn Qur`an and teach it.`

They thought it (his advice) was about that day.

My masters married me to a Roman slave girl of theirs. I was intimate with her and she bore me a boy who was black like me and I named him `Abdullah. Then I was intimate with her again and she bore me a boy who was black like me, and I named him ‘Ubaidullah. My masters had a Roman slave whose name was Yuhannas, who spoke to her in his language, i.e. the Roman language. Then he was intimate with her and she bore him a boy who was red like a lizard. I said to her: What is this? She said: He is the child of Yuhannas. So we referred the case to Ameer al Mu`mineen `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) and they both confessed. He said: Will you agree to me passing judgement between you according to the judgement of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ?He said:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ruled that the child be attributed to the (husband of the) woman. And he flogged them.

I heard Humran bin Aban telling Abu Burdah in the mosque that he heard `Uthman bin `Affan (رضي الله عنه) narrate from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said: “Whoever does wudoo’ properly as enjoined by Allah, the prescribed prayers will be expiations for whatever comes between them.`

I heard Abbad bin Zahir Abu Ruwa` say: I heard ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) delivering a khutbah in which he said: By Allah, l accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whilst travelling and not traveling; he used to visit our sick, attend our funerals, go out on campaign with us and comfort us with whatever means he could. Some people tell me about him and perhaps none of them ever saw him.

I saw `Uthman (رضي الله عنه ) sitting in al-Maqa`id. He called for food that had been touched by fire and ate it, then he got up to pray; he prayed, then `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) said: I sat where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat and ate the food that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ate and I offered the prayer that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered.

I heard the Messenger of Allah( ﷺ) say: `Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him a house like it in Paradise.`

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take up his abode in Hell.`

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Allah admitted to Paradise a man who was easygoing in buying and selling, when paying off debt and when asking for a debt that was owed to him.`

Why would they kill me? I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `It is not permissible (to shed) the blood of a Muslim except in three cases: If a man disbelieves after becoming Muslim, or commits zina after being married or kills someone and is executed in retaliation.`

l saw `Ali (رضي الله عنه) and `Uthman (رضي الله عنه) on the day of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha; they prayed, then when they finished they reminded the people. I heard them saying: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade fasting on these two days. He said: And I heard ‘Ali say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade anything of the sacrificial meat to be left after three days.

We set out for Hajj, and passed by Madinah. Whilst we were in our camp, someone came to us and said: The people are in a panic in the mosque. My companion and I set out, and we found some people gathered around a group in the mosque. I pushed through them until I got to (that group), where I found ` Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair, Talhah and Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas. Soon ‘Uthman came walking and said: Is `Ali here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Az-Zubair here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Talhah here? They said: Yes. He said: ls Sa`d here? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever buys the date-drying place of (the tribe of) Banu so- and-so, Allah will forgive him.” so I bought it and went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I have bought it; he said: `Add it to our mosque and the reward for that will be yours”? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Who will buy the well of Roomah?` so I bought it for such and such and went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I have bought it - meaning the well of Roomah, and he said: `Make it a water source for the Muslims and the reward for that will be yours`? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is no other god, do you know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at the faces of the people on the day of the army of hardship (Tabook) and said: “Whoever equips these men, Allah will forgive him,” so I equipped them until they were not without even reins or ropes? They said: By Allah, yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness; O Allah, bear witness. Then he left

Ya`la said:I circumambulated with ‘Uthman (رضي الله عنه) and he touched the corner. Ya`la said: I was next to the House and when I reached the western corner which is next to the Black Stone. I took his hand to touch it and he said: What is the matter with you? I said: Aren`t you going to touch it? He said: Did you not do tawaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ” I said: Yes indeed. He said: Did you see him touch these two western corners? I said, No. He said: Don`t you have a good example in him? I said: Yes indeed. He said. Then stop bothering about that.

`Uthman sat down one day and we sat down with him. The Mu’adhdhin came to him and `Uthman called for water in a vessel which I thought would contain one mudd. He did wudoo`, then he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing wudoo’ as I have just done it, then he said: `Whoever does wudoo` as I have just done, then gets up and prays Zuhr, will be forgiven for (whatever sins he committed) between it and Fajr; then if he prays `Asr. he will be forgiven so? (whatever sins he committed) between it and Zuhr, then if he prays Maghrib, he will be forgiven for (whatever sins he committed) between it and ‘Asr, then if he prays Isha‘, he will be forgiven for (whatever sins he committed) between it and Maghrib. Then he may spend the night indulging in physical pleasure, then if he gets up and does wudoo’ and prays Fajr, he will be forgiven for (whatever sins he committed) between it and `Isha`. These are the good deeds that remove the evil deeds (cf. 11:114).” They said: These are the good deeds, but what are the good righteous deeds that last (cf. 18:46), O` Uthman? He said: They are (the words)La Ilaha Illallah, wa subhanallah wal-hamdu Lillah wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah ( There is no god but Allah, praise be to Allah, Allah is most great and there is no power and no strength except with Allah)

Then I asked permission to enter and he set up and said to `A`ishah: `Cover yourself properly.` I fulfilled my need then I went away, `A`ishah said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), why did I not see you stirring for Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as you did for `Uthman? The Messenger of Allah (SWT) said: ``Uthman is a shy man, and I was afraid that if I gave him permission to enter when I was in that state, he would not tell me of his need.` Al-Laith said: Some people said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to `A`ishah (رضي الله عنه): `Should I not feel shy before a man before whom the angels feel shy?` Sa`eed bin al-`As narrated that `Uthman and `A`ishah narrated that Abu Bakr asked for permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he was lying down on his bed, wearing the cover of `A`ishah. And he narrated a hadeeth similar to that of ‘Uqail.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `Whoever does wudoo’ and does it properly, then goes to offer an obligatory prayer and offers it, his sins will be forgiven.”

`Uthman (رضي الله عنه) went to Makkah for Hajj. The wife of Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Abi Talib entered upon him (i.e., her husband) and he spent the night with her. Then the next morning, he (i.e., Muhammad bin Ja`far) came out smelling of perfume and wearing a wrapper saturated with safflower dye. He caught up with the people in weariness before they set out. When `Uthman saw him, he rebuked him and expressed disapproval, saying: Are you wearing something dyed with safflower when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade that? `Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said to him: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not forbid it to him or you; he only forbade it to me.

‘Uthman said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Do you think if there was a river in the courtyard of one of you and he washed himself in it five times each day, would any dirt remain on him? They said: Nothing [would remain on him). He said: `The (five daily) prayers take away sins as water takes away dirt.`

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever betrays the Arabs will never receive my intercession or attain my love.`

`The hornless animal will settle the score with the horned one on the day of Resurrection.`

I saw `Uthman enjoining, in his khutbah, the killing of dogs and the slaughter of pigeons.

`Uthman was the most handsome of people.

My father narrated that his father said: I was praying and a man passed in front of me; I tried to stop him but he insisted. I asked `Uthman bin `Affan (about that) and he said. It does not affect you, O son of my brother.

My father narrated; that his father said: Uthman said: If you find in the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, that you should put my feet in fetters, then do that.

`This is the place of standing, and all of `Arafah is a place of standing.` Then he moved on at an unhurried pace, and the people started rushing right and left. He turned to them and said: `Calmly, O people; calmly, O people.” Then he came to al-Muzdalifah and put two prayers together, then he stood in al-Muzdalifah in a place called Quzah, with al-Fadl bin al-`Abbas riding behind him, and he said: “This is the place of standing and all of Muzdalifah is a place of standing.” Then he moved on at an unhurried pace and the people started rushing right and left. He turned to them and said: `Calmly, O people; calmly, O people.” he quoted the hadeeth at length.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a dream last night, and I saw Abu Bakr and `Umar (رضي الله عنهما) and they said to me, Be patient, for you will break your fast with us tomorrow. Then he called for a Mushaf and opened it, and he was killed with it in front of him.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do wudoo’: he washed his face three times and his hands three times, and he washed his arms three times each, and wiped his head, and washed his feet thoroughly.

`Whoever says, `In the Name of Allah with Whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm, and he is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.` three times, will not be struck unawares by calamity until night comes, and whoever says it in the evening will not be struck unawares by calamity until morning comes, in sha` Allah.”

It was narrated from Aban bin `Uthman that He saw a funeral coming. When he saw it he stood up and said. I saw `Uthman doing that and he told me that he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) doing that.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Sleeping early in the day leads to withholding of provision.”

I saw `Uthman bin `Affan (رضي الله عنه) buried in his clothes soaked with his blood. he was not washed.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Allah will shade with His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His a person who gave more time to a debtor who was in difficulty or waived a debt for one who had a lot of debts.`