Gatherings

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Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri was informed of a funeral. He waited until people had taken their seats, then came. They made room and one man stood to offer him his seat. Abu Sa‘id declined, saying he heard the Messenger of Allah say, “The best gatherings are the most spacious.” He moved aside and sat in a spacious place.

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Sufyan ibn Munqidh’s father said that Ibn Umar usually sat facing the qibla. When Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Qusayt recited a prostration verse after sunrise, he prostrated and the others did too, except Ibn Umar. When the sun had risen, Ibn Umar loosened his seated posture and prostrated. He said, “Did you see your companions’ prostration? They prostrated at a time when prayer is not performed.”

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Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “When one of you gets up from his place and then returns to it, he has more right to it.”

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Anas said: The Messenger of Allah came to us when we were children, greeted us, and sent me on an errand. He sat by the road waiting until I returned. I was delayed with Umm Sulaym, who asked what had kept me. I said the Prophet had sent me on an errand. She asked what it was; I said it was a secret, and she told me to keep the Messenger of Allah’s secret.

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Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet said, “None of you should make a man rise from his seat and then sit in it. Instead, make room and spread out.”

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Jabir ibn Samura said: When we came to the Prophet, each of us sat wherever the gathering ended.

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Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet said, “A man may not separate two people without their permission.”

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Ibn Abbas said: When Umar was stabbed, I was among those who carried him into the house. He asked me to find who had wounded him and who else was wounded. I returned, but the house was full; being young, I sat rather than step over people. Umar’s usual instruction was to report back when sent on an errand. While he lay covered, Ka‘b came and spoke of Umar’s supplication and his future service to the community, naming hypocrites. I asked whether to convey his words; he said that was his intention. I gathered courage, crossed the gathering and reported that thirteen others had been wounded, including Kulayb the butcher while performing ablution at the cistern, and relayed Ka‘b’s oath. Umar summoned Ka‘b, heard his words, then said, “No, by Allah, I will not supplicate. Umar is ruined unless Allah forgives him.”

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Al-Sha‘bi said: A man came to Abdullah ibn Amr while people sat with him, stepping over them to reach him. They stopped him, but Abdullah said, “Let the man be.” When he sat down, he asked for something Abdullah had heard from the Messenger of Allah. Abdullah said: “A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe; an emigrant is one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.”

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Ibn Abbas said, “The most honored person to me is my sitting companion.”

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Ibn Abbas said, “The most honored person to me is my sitting companion—even if he has to step over people’s necks to sit with me.”

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Kathir ibn Murra said: On Friday I entered the mosque and found Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja‘i sitting in a circle, his legs stretched out before him. When he saw me, he drew them back and said, “Do you know why I stretched them out? So that a righteous man might come and sit down.”

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Abu Ma‘mar related to us: ‘Abd al-Warith related to us: ‘Utbah ibn ‘Abd al-Malik said: Zurarah ibn Karim ibn al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Sahmi reported to me that al-Harith ibn ‘Amr al-Sahmi told him: I came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was at Mina—or at ‘Arafat—and people had gathered around him. Bedouins would come, and when they saw his face they would say, ‘This is a blessed face.’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, ask forgiveness for me.’ He said, ‘O Allah, forgive us.’ I turned and said, ‘Ask forgiveness for me.’ He said, ‘O Allah, forgive us.’ I turned again and said, ‘Ask forgiveness for me.’ He said, ‘O Allah, forgive us.’ Then he was about to spit, so he held out his hand, caught his saliva in it, and wiped it on his sandal, disliking that it should touch anyone around him.

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‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abd Allah related to us: Sulayman ibn Bilal related to us, from al-‘Ala’, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade people from gathering in public thoroughfares. They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, it would be difficult for us to sit in our homes.’ He said, ‘If you do sit there, then give gatherings their due.’ They asked, ‘What is their due, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Showing the way to one who asks, returning the greeting, lowering the gaze, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.’

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Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd Allah related to us: al-Darawardi related to us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasar, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Beware of sitting in the roads.’ They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, we have no alternative to the places where we sit and talk.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Since you insist, then give the road its due.’ They asked, ‘What is the road’s due, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Lowering the gaze, refraining from causing harm, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.’

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Sa‘id ibn Abi Maryam related to us: Muhammad ibn Ja‘far related to us, from Sharik ibn ‘Abd Allah, from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, who said: One day the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to one of the walled gardens of Madinah to attend to a personal need, and I went out after him. When he entered the garden, I sat at its gate and said, ‘Today I will be the Prophet’s doorkeeper, though he has not told me to do so.’ The Prophet went away and attended to his need, then sat on the rim of the well, uncovered his shins, and lowered them into it. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came asking permission to enter. I said, ‘Wait here while I seek permission for you,’ and he stopped. I went to the Prophet and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr is asking permission to enter.’ He said, ‘Admit him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.’ Abu Bakr entered and came to the Prophet’s right, uncovered his shins, and lowered them into the well. Then ‘Umar came. I said, ‘Wait here while I seek permission for you.’ The Prophet said, ‘Admit him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise.’ ‘Umar came to the Prophet’s left, uncovered his shins, and lowered them into the well. The rim became crowded, and there was no room to sit. Then ‘Uthman came. I said, ‘Wait here while I seek permission for you.’ The Prophet said, ‘Admit him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise, along with a trial that will befall him.’ ‘Uthman entered but found no room with them. He moved until he came opposite them on the edge of the well, uncovered his shins, and lowered them into the well. I began to wish that one of my brothers would come, and I prayed to Allah to bring him, but he did not come before they stood up.

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‘Ali related to us: Sufyan related to us, from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Yazid, from Nafi‘ ibn Jubayr ibn Mut‘im, from Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out in the middle of the day. He did not speak to me, nor I to him, until he came to the market of Banu Qaynuqa‘. He sat in the courtyard of Fatimah’s house and called, ‘Is the little one there? Is the little one there?’ She kept him back for a while, and I thought she might be putting an ornament on him or washing him. Then he came running, embraced him, and kissed him. He said, ‘O Allah, love him, and love whoever loves him.’