Musnad Ahmad

I am only doing what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.

On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at his companions and they were three hundred and some, then he looked at the mushrikeen and saw that they were one thousand or more. The Prophet of Allah(ﷺ) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands, wearing his upper and lower garment, and he said: “O Allah, where is Your promise to me? O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised me! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will never be worshipped on earth.” He kept beseeching his Lord, calling out to Him, until his upper garment fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his upper garment and put it on him. Then he embraced him from behind and said: O Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice, for He will accomplish for you what He has promised to you. Then Allah revealed the words: `(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in succession` [al Anfal 8:9). On that day when the armies met (in battle), Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, defeated the mushrikeen; seventy of their men were killed and seventy were taken captive. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) consulted Abu Bakr, 'Ali and 'Umar رضي الله عنهم (concerning the prisoners). Abu Bakr said: O Prophet of Allah, they are our cousins, kinsmen and brothers, I think that you should accept a ransom for them, which will strengthen us against the kuffar, and perhaps Allah will guide them to Islam and they will become a support to us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What do you think, O son of al-Khattab?` I said: No, by Allah. I do not think as Abu Bakr thinks. I think that you should hand. So and so ­ a relative of ʼUmar's- ­ over to me so that I may strike his neck. You should hand ‘Aqeel over to ‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and you should hand over So and so to Hamzah (his brother) so that he may strike his neck, so that Allah will know that we have no mercy in our hearts towards the mushrikeen; these are their prominent figures and leaders. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) inclined towards the view of Abu Bakr, and he did not incline towards what I said, and accepted ransoms from them. The next day, I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and found him with Abu Bakr, and they were both weeping I said: O Messenger of Allah , tell me why you and your companion are weeping. If I find it is a cause for weeping, I will weep too, and is it is not, then I will make myself weep with you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `I am weeping because of what your companions suggested about accepting a ransom for the prisoners. I have been shown your punishment as close as this tree` ­ a tree that was close to the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) Then Allah revealed the words:`It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is Almighty, All Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took ` ­ i.e., referring to the ransom. Then booty was permitted to them, and when the day of Uhud came the following year, they were punished for what they had done of taking the ransom on the day of Badr. Seventy of them were killed and the Companions of the Prophet deserted him, his front tooth was broken and the helmet on his head was broken, and blood flowed down his face, and Allah revealed the words: “When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: 'From where does this come to us?`Say (to them), ‘It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds).' And Allah has power over all things”

We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and I asked him about something three times but he did not answer me. I said to myself, May your mother be bereft of you. O son of al-Khattab, you spoke to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) three times and he did not answer you. So I got on my mount and went on ahead, fearing that something had been revealed concerning me. Then I heard someone calling out: O 'Umar! Where is ‘Umar? I went back, thinking that something had been revealed concerning me, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said: `Yesterday a soorah was revealed to me that is dearer to me than this world and everything in it: ‘Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad ﷺ) a manifest victory. That Atlah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future' (al­-Fath 48:1–2].

Some food was brought to 'Umar bin al-Khattab and he called a man to join him, but he said, I am fasting. said: I saw blood on it, but he (the Prophet (ﷺ) said: `Eat it.` (The Bedouin) said: I am fasting. (The Prophet (ﷺ) said: `What fast are you observing?” He said: The beginning and end of the month. He said: “If you want to fast, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth (of the month).`

I met 'Umar bin al­-Khattab and he said: Who are you? I said: Masrooq bin al­-Ajda'. 'Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, `Al- Ajda' is a devil ; rather you are Masrooq bin ‘Abdur-Rahman. 'Amir said: I saw his name written in the Deewan; Masrooq bin ‘Abdur-­Rahman. I said: What is this? He said. This is what ‘Umar رضي الله عنه called me.

It was narrated from ʼUmar bin al-Khattab that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade 'azl (coitus interruptus) with a free woman, except with her permission.

I heard ‘Umar say: If I live until next year, no city will be conquered but I shall divide it among them (the troops) as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) divided Khaibar.

I was with the Prophet (ﷺ) on a campaign, and I swore (an oath), No, by my father! A man called out from behind me: “Do not swear by your fathers.” And I saw that it was the Prophet (ﷺ).

If I live, in sha Allah, I shall certainly expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wiping over his leather slippers (when doing wudoo’).

I heard 'Umar giving a khutbah, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built this mosque and we, the Muhajireen and Ansar, were with him. If it gets too crowded, then let one of you prostrate on his brother's back. And he saw people (on one occasion) praying in the street and said: Pray in the mosque,

O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, we have acquired slaves and mounts, so take charity from our wealth in order to purify us thereby, and it will be zakah for us. He said: This is something that the two who came before me did not do; I shall wait until I ask the Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If I live, I shall certainly expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula, until I leave only Muslims there.”

My father attributed it to the Prophet (ﷺ) - that he said: `Whoever misses any part of his regular portion of Qur'an or prayer at night, and recites it between Fajr and Zuhr, it will be as if he recited it that night.”

On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at his companions and they were three hundred and some, then he looked at the mushrikeen and saw that they were one thousand or more. The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands, wearing his upper and lower garment, and he said: “O Allah, where is Your promise to me? O Allah, accomplish for me what You have promised me! O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed, You will never be worshiped on earth.” He kept beseeching his Lord, calling out to Him, until his upper garment fell from his shoulders. Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his upper garment and put it back on him. Then he embraced him from behind and said, “O Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice, for He will accomplish for you what He has promised to you.” Then Allah revealed the words: “(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in succession’” (al-Anfal 8:9). On that day when the armies met (in battle), Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, caused the mushrikeen to be defeated, seventy of their men were killed and seventy were taken captive. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) consulted Abu Bakr, ‘Ali and ʼUmar (concerning the prisoners). Abu Bakr said, “O Prophet of Allah, they are our cousins, kinsmen and brothers. I think that you should accept a ransom for them, which will strengthen us against the kuffar, and perhaps Allah will guide them to Islam and they will become a support to us.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “What do you think, O son of al-Khattab?” I said: No, by Allah. I do not think as Abu Bakr thinks. I think that you should hand so and so—a relative of ‘Umar's—to me so that I may strike his neck, You should hand ‘Aqeel over to ‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and you should hand over so and so to Hamzah (his brother) so that he may strike his neck, so that Allah will know that we have no mercy in our hearts towards the mushrikeen; these are their prominent figures and leaders. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) inclined towards the view of Abu Bakr, and he did not incline towards what I said, and accepted ransoms from them. The next day. I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and found him with Abu Bakr, and they were both weeping. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me why you and your companion are weeping. If I find it is a cause for weeping. I will weep too, and if it is not, then I will make myself weep with you.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “I am weeping because of what your companions suggested about accepting a ransom for the prisoners. I have been shown your punishment as close as this tree”—a tree that was close to the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ). Then Allah revealed the words: “It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter, And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. Were it not a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.”

I was eager to ask 'Umar about the two wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) concerning whom Allah said, “If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)” 'Umar said, “How strange of you, O Ibn 'Abbas”, (az-Zuhri said: By Allah, he did not like the question, but he did not conceal anything.) He said, “They were Hafsah and 'A'ishah.” Then he started to narrate the hadeeth and said: We people of Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. My house was among Banu Umayyah bin Zaid in al-'Awali. One day I got angry with my wife, and she argued with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes, I went and entered upon Hafsah, and I said: Do you argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? She said: Yes. I said: Does one of you forsake him all day until night comes? She said: Yes. I said: Any one of you who does that is doomed and lost. Does any one of you feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger (ﷺ), for then she will be doomed? Do not argue with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and do not ask him for anything. Ask me for whatever you want. And do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you – referring to 'A'ishah. And ‘Umar said: I had a neighbour among the Ansar. We used to take turns to go down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He would go down one day and I would go down the next. He would bring me the news of the Revelation and other things, and I would do likewise. We were saying that Ghassan were shoeing their horses to attack us. My friend went down, then he came to me at night and knocked on my door, then he called out to me. I went out to him and he said: Something terrible has happened! I said: What? Have Ghassan come? He said: No, it is more terrible than that and worse. The Prophet (ﷺ) has divorced his wives! I said: Hafsah is doomed and lost! I thought that this would happen. Then when I had prayed Fajr, I got dressed, then I went down and entered upon Hafsah, who was weeping. I said: Has the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)divorced you? She said: I do not know. He has secluded himself in this loft. I went to a black slave of his and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything, I went away and came to the minbar, where I sat down. By it was a group of people, some of whom were weeping. I sat for a little while, then I could not bear it any longer, so I went to the slave and said: Ask for permission for ‘Umar to enter. He went in, then he came out to me and said: I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything. I turned to leave, then the slave called me and said: Go in, he has given you permission. So I went in and greeted the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with salam. He was resting on a reed mat that had left marks on his side. I said: O Messenger of Allah, have you divorced your wives? He looked up at me and said, “No.” I said: Allah Akbar! if you had seen us, O Messenger of Allah, we Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. I got angry with my wife one day, and she started to argue with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes. I said: Any one of them who does that is doomed and lost. Does one of them feel assured that Allah will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger (ﷺ),then she will be doomed? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled. I said: O Messenger of Allah, I entered upon Hafsah and I said: Do not be misled by the fact that your neighbour (i.e. ‘Aa'ishah) is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) smiled again. I said: O Messenger of Allah, may I speak to you freely? He said: “Yes.” So I sat down and looked around the room, and by Allah, I did not see anything in it to please the eye except three hides. I said: Pray to Allah, O Messenger of Allah, to make life prosperous for your ummah, for He has made life prosperous for the Persians and Romans, but they do not worship Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. He sat up straight and said: “Are you doubting. O son of al-Khattab? They are people whose good things have been hastened for them in this world.” I said: Pray for forgiveness for me, O Messenger of Allah. He had sworn that he would not enter upon them for a month, because he was so annoyed with them until Allah rebuked him.

l heard 'Umar bin al-Khattab say: When the Revelation came down to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a sound could be heard near his face like the buzzing of bees. We waited a while, then he turned to face the qiblah and raised his hands, then he said: “O Allah, give us more (blessing) and do not give us less; honour us and do not humiliate us, give to us and do not deprive us, give precedence to us and do not give others precedence over us; be pleased with us and make us pleased.” Then he said: “Ten verses have been revealed to me; whoever adheres to thern will enter Paradise.” Then he recited to us: “Successful indeed are the believers” until he completed the ten verses.

O people, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade fasting on these two days (i.e., the two Eids). On the first of them you break your fast and celebrate your festival, and on the second you eat from the meat of your sacrifices. It was narrated that Sa'd Abu 'Ubaid, the freed slave of ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Azhar, said: I was present at Eid with 'Umar bin al Khattab... and he mentioned a similar hadeeth.

I know that you are only a stone. Were it not that I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kiss you, I would not have kissed you.

Start with Hajj. So he went to al-Ash'ari, who told him to enter ihram for Hajj and ‘Umrah together. So he did that, and whilst he was reciting the Talbiyah,Zaid bin Soohan and Salman bin Rabee'ah passed by him, and one of them said to the other. This one is more misguided than his family's camel. As-Subayy heard them and that upset him. When he arrived he went to 'Umar and told him about that, 'Umar رضي الله عنه said to him: You have been guided to the Sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ). He said: On another occasion I heard him say: You have been helped to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was staying up late one night with Abu Bakr, discussing some issue of the Muslims, and I was with him.

I saw the bald one, meaning 'Umar (رضي الله عنه), kiss the [Black) Stone and say: I am kissing you and I know that you are only a stone and cannot bring any benefit or ward off any harm, were it not that I saw the Messenger of Allah رضي الله عنه kiss you, I would not have kissed you,

] I said: O Messenger of Allah, can one of us go to sleep when he is junub? He said: “Yes, if he does wudoo'.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“When night comes and day departs, and the sun sets, then (it is time to) break your fast.`

Whom have you appointed as your deputy over the people of the valley? He said: I have appointed Ibn Abza over them, ‘Umar said: Who is Ibn Abza? Nafiʼ said: One of our freed slaves. ‘Umar said: Have you appointed a freed slave over them? Nafi’ said: He has great knowledge of the Book of Allah, is well versed in the rules of inheritance (al­-fara'id) and is a (good) qadi (judge). 'Umar said. Indeed your Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah raises some people (in status) by means of this Book and brings others low by means of it.”

‘Umar said to Abu ‘Ubaidah bin al­-Jarrah: Stretch out your hand so that I may give my allegiance to you, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “You are the trustee of this ummah.” Abu ‘Ubaidah said: I will not put myself ahead of someone whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told to lead us in prayer and he led us in prayer until he died.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) shared out (some wealth) and I said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, others deserved to have it more than these people." He said: "They gave me the choice of having them ask importunately or regard me as a miser, and I am not a miser."

Can one of us sleep if he is junub? He said: `Yes, if he does wudoo’ as for prayer.` It was narrated from Ibn `Umar that `Umar asked the Prophet (ﷺ)... a similar hadeeth.

Ibn `Umar saw Sa`d bin Malik wiping over his leather slippers. Ibn ʼUmar said: Is it you doing this? Sa`d said: Yes. They both went to ‘Umar and Sa`d said to ‘Umar, Give my brother`s son a fatwa with regard to wiping over leather slippers. `Umar said, When we were with our Prophet (ﷺ) we used to wipe over our leather slippers. Ibn `Umar said: Even if that is after one has defecated and urinated? He said: Yes, even if that is after one has defecated and urinated. Nafiʼ said: After that, Ibn ‘Umar would wipe over them and not take them off, and he did not give a time limit for that. I told that to Ma`mar and he said: Ayyoob told me something similar from Nafi`.

I exchanged some silver for gold with Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah, and he said: Wait for me until our storekeeper comes from al-Ghabah, `Umar bin al-Khattab heard that and said: No, by Allah! Do not leave him until you take your exchange from him, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `Gold for silver is riba unless it is `here, take this` and `here, take this` .”

When the apostates apostatised at the time of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar said: How can you fight the people, O Abu Bakr, when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they say La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), and whoever says La ilaha illallah, his wealth and his life are protected from me except in cases dictated by Islamic law, and his reckoning will be with Allah`? Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I will most certainly fight those who separate prayer and zakah, for zakah is what is due on wealth. By Allah, if they withhold from me a small she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I will certainly fight them for withholding it. `Umar bin al-Khattab said. By Allah, as soon as I saw that Allah had opened Abu Bakr`s heart to the idea of fighting, I knew that he was right.

I was walking with a group of people during a campaign I went on with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I swore an oath, saying, No, by my father. A man behind me rebuked me for that and said: “Do not swear by your fathers,” I turned around and saw that it was the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard me swearing an oath by my father and said: “Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers.” ‘Umar said: By Allah, I never swore by my father after that, whether saying it myself or narrating what someone else had said.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) granted a concession allowing silk the width of two fingers.

We were with `Utbah bin Farqad and `Umar رضي الله عنه wrote to him about things he narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ). Among the things he wrote was that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `No one wears silk in this world except one who will not wear it in the Hereafter, except this much,` and he gestured with his two fingers, the forefinger and the middle finger. Abu `Uthman said: I thought this referred to the edging of the tayalisah (a shawl-like garment) when we first saw the tayalisah.

I said to `Umar bin al-Khattab. People are shortening the prayer today, and Allah says: “If you fear that the disbelievers may put you in trial (attack you)` has gone, He said: I wondered the same thing as you are wondering, and I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about that. He said: `It is a charity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so accept His charity.” `Abdur-Razzaq told us, Ibn Juraij told us I heard `Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Abdullah bin Abi ‘Ammar narrate... and he mentioned .

The last thing to be revealed was the verse on riba, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away and did not discuss it with us. So give up riba and doubtful things.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: `The deceased is tormented in his grave because of the wailing for him.`

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The deceased is tormented because of his family`s crying for him.”

I heard Sa`eed bin al-Musayyab (say) that `Umar (رضي الله عنه ) said: Beware of neglecting the verse of stoning, lest someone say, We do not find two hadd punishments in the Book of Allah, for I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) stone too.

`Umar said: My opinion coincided with that of my Lord in three matters and my Lord confirmed my opinion in three matters. I said: O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), why don`t you take Maqam Ibraheem as a place of prayer? Then Allah revealed the words: “And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibraheem (Abraham)

I heard ‘Abdullah bin az-Zubair say: Do not let your women wear silk, for I heard `Umar narrate from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said: `Whoever wears silk in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter.` And `Abdullah bin az-Zubair added his own words: And whoever does not wear it in the Hereafter will not enter Paradise. Allah says: “and their garments therein will be of silk` .

`Umar passed by Talhah, and he narrated a similar report. He said: ‘Umar passed by Talhah and saw him looking worried. He said: Perhaps you are upset because your cousin was appointed (as caliph)? - referring to Abu Bakr. He said: No, but by Allah, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `I know a word which, if a man says it when he is dying, it will be light in the record of his deeds, or he will find comfort in it at the time of death.` ‘Umar said: I will tell you of it; it is the word that he wanted his paternal uncle to say, the testimony that there is no god but Allah. He said: It is as if a great burden has been lifted from me. He said: You are right. If he had known anything better that it, he would have instructed him to say it.

l did tawaf with `Umar bin al-Khattab, and when he was at the corner which is next to the door after the Stone, I took his hand in order to touch (the corner). He said. Didn`t you do tawaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? I said: Yes. He said: Did you see him touch it? I said: No. He said: Then forget about it, for in the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) you have a good example.

I was a Christian, then I became Muslim. I thought long and hard, and decided to enter ihram for Hajj and `Umrah. I passed by Salman bin Rabee`ah and Zaid bin Soohan in al-`Udhaib, and one of them said: Are you doing both of them? His companion said to him. Let him be; he is more misguided than his came! He . I went to ‘Umar and told him about that. ‘Umar said to me: They did not say anything (that matters); you have been guided to the Sunnah of your Prophet (ﷺ).

O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I vowed during the jahiliyyah to observe i’tikaf for one night in al-Masjid al-Haram. He said to him: “Fulfil your vow.”

I had recently converted from Christianity and I wanted to go for jihad or for Hajj, I went to a man of my people whose name was Hudaim, and asked him, and he told me to do Hajj, So I did qiran (Hajj and `Umrah together).

The prayer when travelling is two rak`ahs, the prayer of ul-Fitr is two rak`ahs and the prayer of Jumu`ah is two rak`ahs, complete not shortened, as stated by Muhammad (ﷺ), Sufyan said: On one occasion Zubaid said: I think he was narrating it from ʼUmar. ‘Abdur-Rahman said: Without a doubt. Yazeed - i.e., bin Haroon bin Abi Laila - said: l heard `Umar.

He found a horse that he had given to someone (for jihad) for the sake of Allah being offered for sale in the marketplace, and he wanted to buy it. He asked the Prophet (ﷺ) and he told him not to do that and said: “Do not take back your charity.`

I saw `Umar with a leafless palm branch in his hand, and he was telling the people to sit down, saying: Listen to the words of the successor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). A freed slave of Abu Bakr, whose name was Shadeed, brought the document and read it to the people, He said: Abu Bakr says: Listen to and obey what is in this document, for by Allah I am very sincere towards you, Qais said: And I saw `Umar after that on the minbar.