Beginning of Creation
كتاب بدء الخلق
Chapter 8: The characteristics of Paradise, and the fact that it has already been created
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The people of Paradise will look at the dwellers of the lofty mansions (i.e. a superior place in Paradise) in the same way as one looks at a brilliant star far away in the East or in the West on the horizon; all that is because of their superiority over one another (in rewards)." On that the people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Are these lofty mansions for the prophets which nobody else can reach? The Prophet (ﷺ) replied," No! "By Allah in whose Hands my life is, these are for the men who believed in Allah and also believed in the Apostles."
Chapter 10: The description of the (Hell) Fire and the fact that it has already been created
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The (Hell) Fire complained to its Lord saying, 'O my Lord! My different parts eat up each other.' So, He allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in summer, and this is the reason for the severe heat and the bitter cold you find (in weather).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fever is from the heat of the (Hell) Fire, so cool it with water."
That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) on the pulpit reciting:-- "They will cry: "O Malik!' (43.77) (Malik is the gate-keeper (angel) of the (Hell) Fire.)
Somebody said to Usama, "Will you go to so-and-so (i.e. `Uthman) and talk to him (i.e. advise him regarding ruling the country)?" He said, "You see that I don't talk to him. Really I talk to (advise) him secretly without opening a gate (of affliction), for neither do I want to be the first to open it (i.e. rebellion), nor will I say to a man who is my ruler that he is the best of all the people after I have heard something from Allah s Apostle ." They said, What have you heard him saying? He said, "I have heard him saying, "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of (Hell) Fire will gather around him and say: O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself."
Chapter 11: The characteristics of Iblis (Satan) and his soldiers
Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put me in charge of the Zakat of Ramadan (i.e. Zakat-ul-Fitr). Someone came to me and started scooping some of the foodstuff of (Zakat) with both hands. I caught him and told him that I would take him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Then Abu Huraira told the whole narration and added "He (i.e. the thief) said, 'Whenever you go to your bed, recite the Verse of "Al-Kursi" (2.255) for then a guardian from Allah will be guarding you, and Satan will not approach you till dawn.' " On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He told you the truth, though he is a liar, and he (the thief) himself was the Satan."
While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was in I`tikaf, I called on him at night and having had a talk with him, I got up to depart. He got up also to accompany me to my dwelling place, which was then in the house of Usama bin Zaid. Two Ansari men passed by, and when they saw the Prophet (ﷺ) they hastened away. The Prophet said (to them). "Don't hurry! It is Safiya, the daughter of Huyay (i.e. my wife)." They said, "Glorified be Allah! O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (How dare we suspect you?)" He said, "Satan circulates in the human mind as blood circulates in it, and I was afraid that Satan might throw an evil thought (or something) into your hearts."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When the call for the prayer is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels, passing wind with noise, When the call for the prayer is finished, he comes back. And when the Iqama is pronounced, he again takes to his heels, and after its completion, he returns again to interfere between the (praying) person and his heart, saying to him. 'Remember this or that thing.' till the person forgets whether he has offered three or four rak`at: so if one forgets whether he has prayed three or four rak`at, he should perform two prostrations of Sahu (i.e. forgetfulness).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When any human being is born. Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead."
Chapter 14: The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "... And the moving creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein..."
That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon on the pulpit saying, "Kill snakes and kill Dhu-at- Tufyatain (i.e. a snake with two white lines on its back) and Al-Abtar (i.e. a snake with short or mutilated tail) for they destroy the sight of one's eyes and bring about abortion." (`Abdullah bin `Umar further added): Once while I was chasing a snake in order, to kill it, Abu Lubaba called me saying: "Don't kill it," I said. "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to kill snakes." He said, "But later on he prohibited the killing of snakes living in the houses." (Az-Zuhri said. "Such snakes are called Al-Awamir.")
Chapter 15: The best property of a Muslim will be sheep
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There will come a time when the best property of a man will be sheep which he will graze on the tops of mountains and the places where rain falls (i.e. pastures) escaping to protect his religion from afflictions."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A group of Israelites were lost. Nobody knows what they did. But I do not see them except that they were cursed and changed into rats, for if you put the milk of a she-camel in front of a rat, it will not drink it, but if the milk of a sheep is put in front of it, it will drink it." I told this to Ka`b who asked me, "Did you hear it from the Prophet (ﷺ) ?" I said, "Yes." Ka`b asked me the same question several times.; I said to Ka`b. "Do I read the Torah? (i.e. I tell you this from the Prophet.)"
Chapter 16: Five kinds of animals are harmful and allowed to be killed in Haram
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth. "
Chapter 15: The best property of a Muslim will be sheep
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When night falls (or it is evening), keep your children close to you for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night elapses, you can let them free. Close the doors and mention the Name of Allah, for Satan does not open a closed door."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Kill the snake with two white lines on its back, for it blinds the on-looker and causes abortion."
Ibn `Umar used to kill snakes but when Abu Lubaba informed him that the Prophet (ﷺ) had forbidden the killing of snakes living in houses, he gave up killing them.
Chapter 16: Five kinds of animals are harmful and allowed to be killed in Haram
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Five kinds of animals are mischief-doers and can be killed even in the Sanctuary: They are the rat the scorpion, the kite (a type of predatory bird), the crow and the rabid dog."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is not sinful of a person in the state of Ihram to kill any of these five animals: The scorpion, the rat, the rabid dog, the crow and the kite."
Once we were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in a cave. Surat-al-Mursalat (77) was revealed there, and we were learning it from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . Suddenly a snake came out of its hole and we rushed towards it to kill it, but it hastened and entered its hole before we were able to catch it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said," It has been saved from your evil and you have been saved from its evil."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Once while a prophet amongst the prophets was taking a rest underneath a tree, an ant bit him. He, therefore, ordered that his luggage be taken away from underneath that tree and then ordered that the dwelling place of the ants should be set on fire. Allah sent him a revelation:-- "Wouldn't it have been sufficient to burn a single ant? (that bit you): (See Page 162, chapter No. 153).