Tricks

ʿAlqama ibn Waqqāṣ said: I heard ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb preach, saying, “I heard the Prophet say, ‘People, actions are only by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended. Whoever emigrates for God and His Messenger, his emigration is for God and His Messenger. But whoever emigrates to gain some worldly benefit or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that for which he emigrated.’”

Abū Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “God does not accept the prayer of any one of you after he has invalidated his state of purity until he performs ablution.”

Anas reported that Abū Bakr wrote down for him the obligatory alms schedule established by the Messenger of God, including: “Separate property must not be combined, nor jointly held property divided, for fear of the alms.”

Ṭalḥa ibn ʿUbayd Allāh reported: A Bedouin with disheveled hair came to the Messenger of God and said, “Messenger of God, tell me what prayers God has made obligatory for me.” He replied, “The five prayers, unless you offer something voluntarily.” The man said, “Tell me what fasting God has made obligatory for me.” He replied, “The month of Ramadan, unless you fast something voluntarily.” The man said, “Tell me what alms God has made obligatory for me.” The Messenger of God explained the prescriptions of Islam to him. The man said, “By Him who has honored you, I will neither do anything voluntarily nor fall short in anything God has made obligatory for me.” The Messenger of God said, “He will prosper if he is truthful”—or, “He will enter Paradise if he is truthful.” Some people said that for one hundred and twenty camels, two *ḥiqqas* are due. If someone deliberately destroys them, gives them away, or schemes to evade the alms, then nothing is due from him.

Abū Hurayra reported that the Messenger of God said, “On the Day of Resurrection, one of your treasures will become a bald serpent. Its owner will flee from it, but it will pursue him, saying, ‘I am your treasure.’ By God, it will keep pursuing him until he stretches out his hand, and it swallows it into its mouth.” The Messenger of God also said, “If an owner of livestock does not give what is due from it, then on the Day of Resurrection it will be set upon him, trampling his face with its hooves.” Some people said: If a man has camels and fears that alms will become due on them, then sells them a day before the due date for similar camels, sheep, cattle, or dirhams to evade the alms, there is no harm in that. They also say that if he pays alms on his camels a day—or a year—before the full year has passed, it is valid for him.

Ibn ʿAbbās reported: Saʿd ibn ʿUbāda al-Anṣārī asked the Messenger of God about a vow his mother had made. She died before fulfilling it. The Messenger of God said, “Fulfil it on her behalf.” Some people said: When a herd reaches twenty camels, four sheep are due. If the owner gives them away or sells them before the year is complete in order to evade the alms, nothing is due from him. Likewise, if he destroys them and then dies, nothing is due from his estate.

ʿAbd Allāh reported that the Messenger of God forbade *shighār*. I asked Nāfiʿ, “What is *shighār*?” He replied, “A man marries off his daughter to another man on the condition that the other marries his daughter to him, with neither marriage involving a dowry; or he marries off his sister to the other man on the condition that the other marries his sister to him, again with no dowry.” Some people said: “If someone uses a stratagem and contracts a marriage in the form of *shighār*, it is valid, but the condition is void.” They said of *mutʿa* marriage, “The marriage is invalid, and the condition is void.” Others said, “Both *mutʿa* and *shighār* are valid, but the condition is void.”

Al-Ḥasan and ʿAbd Allāh, the two sons of Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī, reported from their father: ʿAlī was told, “Ibn ʿAbbās sees no harm in temporary marriage with women.” He replied, “The Messenger of God forbade it on the day of Khaybar, along with the meat of domesticated donkeys.” Some people said: “If someone uses a stratagem to enter into a temporary marriage, the marriage is invalid.” Others said, “The marriage is valid, but the condition is void.”

Abū Hurayra reported that the Messenger of God said, “Do not withhold surplus water in order to prevent access to surplus pasture.”

Ibn ʿUmar reported that the Messenger of God forbade *najsh*.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar reported that a man told the Prophet he was being cheated in sales. The Prophet said, “When you enter a transaction, say, ‘There is to be no deceit.’”

Al-Zuhrī reported that ʿUrwa used to say: He asked ʿĀʾisha about the verse, “If you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphans, then marry women who seem good to you.” She replied, “It concerns an orphan girl in the care of her guardian. He desires her wealth and beauty and wants to marry her for less than the customary dowry given to women like her. They were forbidden to marry such girls unless they dealt fairly with them by giving them their full dowry.” Later, people asked the Messenger of God about women, and God revealed, “They ask you for a ruling concerning women.” The report then refers to the rest of the account.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar reported that the Prophet said, “Every betrayer will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection by which he will be recognized.”

Umm Salama reported that the Prophet said, “I am only a human being, and you bring your disputes to me. Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting your case than others, and I judge according to what I hear. If I award someone any part of his brother’s right, let him not take it, for I am only cutting off for him a portion of the Fire.”

Abū Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “A virgin must not be married until her permission is sought, and a previously married woman must not be married until she is consulted.” He was asked, “Messenger of God, how does she give permission?” He replied, “By remaining silent.” Some people said: “If a virgin has not been asked for permission and has not been married, but a man uses a stratagem and produces two false witnesses who testify that she married him willingly, and the judge confirms the marriage, then there is no harm in the husband consummating it even though he knows the testimony is false; the marriage is valid.”

Al-Qāsim reported: A woman from the descendants of Jaʿfar feared that her guardian would marry her off against her will. She sent word to two elders of the Anṣār, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and Mujammiʿ, the sons of Jāriya. They said, “Do not be afraid. Khansāʾ bint Khidhām was married off by her father against her will, and the Prophet annulled that marriage.” Sufyān said: “As for ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, I heard him relate from his father the report about Khansāʾ…”

Abū Hurayra reported that the Messenger of God said, “A previously married woman must not be married until she is consulted, and a virgin must not be married until her permission is sought.” They asked, “How does she give permission?” He replied, “By remaining silent.” Some people said: “If a man uses two false witnesses to claim that a previously married woman was married to him with her consent, and the judge confirms the marriage even though the husband knows that he never married her at all, then this marriage is permissible for him, and there is no harm in continuing to live with her.”

ʿĀʾisha reported that the Messenger of God said, “A virgin’s permission must be sought.” I said, “A virgin may feel shy.” He replied, “Her silence is her permission.” Some people said: “If a man desires an orphan girl or a virgin and she refuses him, then he uses a stratagem and produces two false witnesses to claim that he married her; when she comes of age, the orphan girl agrees, the judge accepts the false testimony, and the husband knows it is invalid, intercourse is lawful for him.”

ʿĀʾisha reported: The Messenger of God liked sweets and honey. After the afternoon prayer, he would visit his wives and draw near to them. He went in to Ḥafṣa and stayed with her longer than usual. I asked about it and was told, “A woman from her clan gave her a jar of honey, and she served the Messenger of God a drink from it.” I said, “By God, we will devise a plan for him.” I told Sawda, “When he comes to you, he will draw near to you. Say to him, ‘Messenger of God, have you eaten *maghāfīr*?’ He will say, ‘No.’ Then ask, ‘What is this smell?’ He will say, ‘Ḥafṣa gave me a drink of honey.’ Say, ‘Its bees must have fed on ʿurfut.’ I will say the same, and you say it too, Ṣafiyya.” When he went in to Sawda, she said, “By Him besides whom there is no god, I nearly told him what you told me to say, because I was afraid of you—and he was at the door.” When the Messenger of God drew near, I said, “Messenger of God, have you eaten *maghāfīr*?” He said, “No.” I asked, “Then what is this smell?” He replied, “Ḥafṣa gave me a drink of honey.” I said, “Its bees must have fed on ʿurfut.” When he came to me, I said the same to him. He went to Ṣafiyya, and she said the same to him. When he went in to Ḥafṣa, she said, “Messenger of God, shall I give you some of it to drink?” He replied, “I have no need of it.” Sawda said, “Glory be to God—we have deprived him of it!” I said to her, “Be quiet.”