Ghudaif b. al-Harith ath-Thumali reported God’s messenger as saying, “No people introduce an innovation without its equivalent being withdrawn from the sunna; so holding firmly to a sunna is better than introducing an innovation.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Hassan said that no people had produced an innovation in their religion without God removing an equivalent amount from their sunna, then not restoring it to them till the day of resurrection. Darimi transmitted it.

Ibrahim b. Maisara reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who honours an innovator has assisted in undermining Islam.” Baihaqi transmitted it in mursal form in Shu'ab al-iman.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that if anyone learns God’s Book and follows its contents, he will be guided by God away from error in this world and be guarded by Him on the day of resurrection from the strictest account. A version renders him as saying that one who models his life on God’s Book will not go astray in this world, or be miserable in the next. Then he recited this verse, “He who follows my guidance will not go astray or be miserable.” 1Razin transmitted it.1 Quran xx, `123.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has propounded as a parable a straight path on the sides of which are walls with open doors over which curtains are hanging down. At the top of the path there is one who calls, ‘Go straight on the path and do not follow an irregular course.’ Above that one is another who calls out as often as anyone tries to open any of those doors, ‘Woe to you! do not open it, for if you open it you will go through it.’” He then interpreted it telling that the path is Islam, the open doors are the things God has forbidden, the curtains hanging down are the limits God has set, the crier at the top of the path is the Qur’an, and the one above him is God’s monitor in every believer’s heart. Razin and Ahmad transmitted it. Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman from an-Nawwas b. Sim'an, as did Tirmidhi in a more concise form.

Ibn Mas'ud said, ‘If anyone follows someone’s custom let him follow the custom of one who is dead, for one cannot be sure of the living not being led astray. Those to follow are Muhammad’s Companions who were the most excellent among the people, purest in heart, most profound in knowledge, most unassuming, whom God chose for companionship with His Prophet and to establish His religion. So recognise their excellence, follow their traces, and hold as fast as you can to their character and way of life, for they followed right guidance.” Razin transmitted it.

Jabir told how ‘Umar b. al-Khattab brought God’s messenger a copy of the Torah saying, “Messenger of God, this is a copy of the Torah.” When he received no reply he began to read to the obvious displeasure of God’s messenger, so Abu Bakr said, “Confound you 1 do you not see how God’s messenger is looking?” So ‘Umar looked at God’s messenger’s face and said, “I seek refuge in God from the anger of God and His messenger. We are satisfied with God as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as Prophet.” Then God’s messenger said, “By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, were Moses to appear to you and you were to follow him and abandon me, you would err from the right way. Were he alive and came in touch with my prophetic mission he would follow me.” Darimi transmitted it.1 Literally, may the bereaved be bereaved of you.

He also reported God's messenger as saying, “My words do not abrogate God’s words, but God’s words abrogate mine, some of His words abrogate others.”Daraqutni transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Some of my traditions abrogate others just as some parts of the Qur’an abrogate others.”Daraqutni transmitted it.

Abu Tha'laba al-Khushani reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has made certain things binding, so do not cause them to be lost; He has prohibited certain things, so do not violate them; He has fixed certain limits, so do not transgress them; and He, without being forgetful, has said nothing about certain things, so do not search into them.” Daraqutni transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that God's messenger addressed them saying, “Pilgrimage (In what follows I have used the word "pilgrimage” where only the hajj is intended; but when reference is made to both hajj and ’umra the Arabic words are used without translation to avoid misunderstanding.) has been ordained for you people, so perform it.” A man asked whether it should be performed annually, but God’s messenger gave no reply till he had asked the question three times. Then he said, “If I were to say that it should, it would be obligatory and you would not be able to perform it,” after which he said, “Leave me alone as long as I have said nothing to you, for your predecessors perished simply on account of their much questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. But when I command you to do anything, obey it as much as you can; and when I forbid you to do anything, leave it alone.”Muslim transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger was asked what action was most excellent and replied that it was faith in God and His messenger. He was asked what came next and replied that it was jihad in God’s path. He was asked what came next and replied that it was a pilgrimage which was accepted. Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone performs the pilgrimage for God’s sake without talking immodestly or acting wickedly, he will return [free from sin] as on the day his mother bore him.” Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “An 'umra is an expiation for sins committed between it and the next, but a hajj which is accepted will receive no less a reward than paradise.” Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “An 'umra in Ramadan is equal to a hajja. ” (hajj is the word for the pilgrimage and hajja is a form indicating a single observance.)He told of the Prophet meeting some riders at ar-Rauha’ (A place between thirty and forty miles from Medina on the way to Mecca) and asking who they were. They replied that they were Muslims and asked who he was. When he said that he was God's messenger a woman lifted up a boy to him and asked whether the child could be credited with having performed the pilgrimage, to which he replied, “Yes, and you will have a reward.” Muslim transmitted it.

He told of a woman of Khath'am saying, “Messenger of God, God’s ordinance that His servants should perform the pilgrimage has come when my father is a very old man and is unable to sit firmly on a camel. May I perform the pilgrimage on his behalf?” He replied that she might. That was at the Farewell Pilgrimage. Bukhari and Muslim.

He told of a man coming to the Prophet and saying that his sister had taken a vow to make the pilgrimage, but had died. The Prophet asked whether he would pay a debt, supposing she owed one, and when he replied that he would, he said, “Well, pay the debt due to God, for it is the one which most deserves to be paid.” Bukhari and Muslim.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “A man must not be alone with a woman, and a woman must travel only when accompanied by a man who is within the prohibited degrees.” A man said, “I have been enrolled for such and such an expedition, and my wife intends to go out to perform the pilgrimage.” He therefore told him to go and perform the pilgrimage along with his wife. Bukhari and Muslim.

‘Aisha said she asked the Prophet’s permission to take part in jihad, and he replied, “The jihad of you women is the pilgrimage.” Bukhari and Muslim.