Asking Permission

Yahya ibn Jafar narrated to us: Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, from Mamar, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: Allah created Adam in his form, sixty cubits tall. When He had created him, He said, ‘Go and greet that group of angels who are sitting, and listen to how they greet you, for it will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.’ He said, ‘Peace be upon you.’ They replied, ‘Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah.’ They added, ‘and the mercy of Allah.’ Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam. Creation continued to diminish thereafter until now.

Abu al-Yaman informed us: Shuayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Sulayman ibn Yasar informed me: Abdullah ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, informed me: On the Day of Sacrifice, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, seated al-Fadl ibn Abbas behind him on the rear of his mount. Al-Fadl was a handsome young man. The Prophet stopped to answer people’s questions. A beautiful woman from Khath’am came to ask the Messenger of Allah for a ruling. Al-Fadl began looking at her and was captivated by her beauty. The Prophet turned toward her, reached back with his hand, took al-Fadl by the chin, and turned his face away from looking at her. The woman said, ‘Messenger of Allah, Allah’s obligation of pilgrimage upon His servants became due when my father was an old man, unable to sit upright on a mount. Would it discharge his duty if I perform pilgrimage on his behalf?’ He said, ‘Yes.’

Abdullah ibn Muhammad informed us: Abu Amir informed us: Zuhayr narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Said al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Beware of sitting along the roads. They said, ‘Messenger of Allah, we have no alternative to our gathering places where we talk.’ He said, ‘If you insist on sitting there, then give the road its due.’ They asked, ‘What is its due, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Lowering the gaze, refraining from harm, returning greetings of peace, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong.’

Umar ibn Hafs narrated to us: My father narrated to us: al-Amash narrated to us, saying: Shaqiq told me, from Abdullah, who said: When we prayed with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, we used to say, ‘Peace be upon Allah before His servants; peace be upon Gabriel; peace be upon Michael; peace be upon so-and-so.’ When the Prophet finished, he turned to us and said, ‘Allah Himself is Peace. When one of you sits during the prayer, let him say: All greetings, prayers, and good words belong to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. When he says this, it reaches every righteous servant in heaven and earth. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.’ Then let him choose whatever words he wishes to say afterward.

Muhammad ibn Muqatil Abu al-Hasan narrated to us: Abdullah informed us: Mamar informed us, from Hammam ibn Munabbih, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: The young greet the old; the passerby greets the one sitting; and the smaller group greets the larger group.

Muhammad narrated to us: Makhlad informed us: Ibn Jurayj informed us, saying: Ziyad informed me that he heard Thabit, the freedman of Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd, say that he heard Abu Hurayrah say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The rider greets the walker, the walker greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger group.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us: Rawh ibn Ubadah informed us: Ibn Jurayj narrated to us, saying: Ziyad informed me that Thabit—the freedman of Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd—told him, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: The rider greets the walker, the walker greets the one sitting, and the smaller group greets the larger group.

Ibrahim said, from Musa ibn Uqbah, from Safwan ibn Sulaym, from Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The young greet the old; the passerby greets the one sitting; and the smaller group greets the larger group.

Qutaybah narrated to us: Jarir narrated to us, from al-Shaybani, from Ashath ibn Abi al-Shatha, from Muawiyah ibn Suwayd ibn Muqarrin, from al-Bara ibn Azib, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded us to do seven things: visit the sick, follow funeral processions, invoke mercy for the sneezer, support the weak, help the oppressed, spread greetings of peace, and fulfill an oath made in our name. He forbade drinking from silver vessels, wearing gold rings, riding on silk-covered saddles, and wearing silk, brocade, Qassiy fabric, or thick silk.

Abdullah ibn Yusuf narrated to us: al-Layth narrated to us: Yazid told me, from Abu al-Khayr, from Abdullah ibn Amr, that a man asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ‘Which aspect of Islam is best?’ He replied, ‘That you feed people and greet with peace those you know and those you do not know.’

Ali ibn Abdullah narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Ata ibn Yazid al-Laythi, from Abu Ayyub, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: It is not lawful for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three nights: they meet, and each turns away from the other. The better of the two is the one who begins with the greeting of peace. Sufyan mentioned that he heard it from him three times.

Yahya ibn Sulayman narrated to us: Ibn Wahb narrated to us: Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Anas ibn Malik informed me that he was ten years old when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina. I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years during his lifetime, and I knew more than anyone about the circumstances of the veil’s revelation. Ubayy ibn Kab used to ask me about it. The first revelation of the veil came when the Messenger of Allah married Zaynab bint Jahsh. The Prophet began the morning as her bridegroom and invited the people. They ate, then left, but a group remained with the Messenger of Allah and lingered. The Messenger of Allah got up and went out, and I went with him so that they might leave. He walked, and I walked with him, until he reached the threshold of Aishah’s room. The Messenger of Allah thought they had left, so he returned, and I returned with him. He entered Zaynab’s room and found them still sitting there, not having dispersed. The Messenger of Allah returned, and I returned with him, until he reached the threshold of Aishah’s room. He thought they had left, so he returned, and I returned with him. Then they had indeed left. The verse of the veil was revealed, and he drew a curtain between me and him.

Abu al-Numan narrated to us: Mutamir narrated to us: My father said: Abu Mijlaz narrated to us, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married Zaynab, the people came in and ate, then sat talking. He acted as though preparing to get up, but they did not rise. When he saw that, he stood up. Some of the people stood, while the rest remained seated. The Prophet came to enter and found them sitting. Then they got up and left. I informed the Prophet, and he came in. I went to enter, but he placed a curtain between me and him. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed: O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet… Abu Abdullah said: This report contains the legal point that he did not ask them for permission when he stood and left, and that he prepared to stand because he wanted them to stand.

Ishaq narrated to us: Yaqoub informed us: My father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed me that Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say to the Messenger of Allah, ‘Place a veil over your wives.’ She said: He did not do so. The wives of the Prophet used to go out at night toward al-Manasi. Sawdah bint Zamah went out. She was a tall woman, and Umar ibn al-Khattab saw her while he was sitting and said, ‘I recognize you, Sawdah!’ He was eager for the verse of the veil to be revealed. She said: Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed the verse of the veil.

Ali ibn Abdullah narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us. Al-Zuhri said: I remember it as clearly as I see you here, from Sahl ibn Sad, who said: A man peered through a hole into one of the Prophet’s rooms. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had an iron comb in his hand with which he was scratching his head. He said, ‘Had I known you were looking, I would have pierced your eye with it. Permission to enter was prescribed because of the gaze.’

Musaddad narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Bakr, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: A man peered into one of the Prophet’s rooms. The Prophet stood up and came toward him with an arrowhead—or arrowheads. I can almost see him stalking the man in order to stab him.

Al-Humaydi narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Ibn Tawus, from his father, from Ibn Abbas, who said: I have seen nothing more resembling minor lapses than what Abu Hurayrah said. Mahmud told me: Abd al-Razzaq informed us: Mamar informed us, from Ibn Tawus, from his father, from Ibn Abbas, who said: I have seen nothing more resembling minor lapses than what Abu Hurayrah reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: Allah has decreed for the son of Adam his share of fornication, which he will inevitably encounter. The fornication of the eye is looking; the fornication of the tongue is speaking. The soul wishes and desires, and the private parts either confirm all that or deny it.

Ishaq informed us: Abd al-Samad narrated to us: Abdullah ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us: Thumamah ibn Abdullah narrated to us, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, greeted someone, he greeted him three times; and when he said something, he repeated it three times.

Ali ibn Abdullah narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us: Yazid ibn Khusayfah narrated to us, from Busr ibn Said, from Abu Said al-Khudri, who said: I was in a gathering of the Ansar when Abu Musa came, seeming alarmed. He said, ‘I asked Umar for permission to enter three times, but I was not given permission, so I went back.’ Umar asked, ‘What prevented you?’ I said, ‘I asked permission three times, but was not given permission, so I went back. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: When one of you asks permission three times and is not given permission, let him go back.’ Umar said, ‘By Allah, you must bring evidence for this. Is there anyone among you who heard it from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him?’ Ubayy ibn Kab said, ‘By Allah, only the youngest among the people will stand with you.’ I was the youngest, so I stood with him and informed Umar that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had said that. Ibn al-Mubarak said: Ibn Uyaynah informed me: Yazid told me, from Busr, who said: I heard Abu Said relate this same report.