The Book of Fasting

كتاب الصيام

Chapter 37: Fasting at the end of Sha'ban

This hadith is narrated by 'Abdullah b. Hani b. Akhi Mutarrif with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 38: The virtue of fasting Muharram

Abu Haraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that he (the Messenger of Allah) was asked as to which prayer was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which fast was most excellent after the month of Ramadan. He said

Prayer offered in the middle of the night and the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in God's month al-Muharram.

A hadith like this has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) by 'Abd al-Malik with the same chain of transmitters in connection with fast.

Chapter 39: It is recommended to fast Six Days in Shawwal following Ramadan

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari reported (through another chain of transmitters)

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying like this.

Abu Ayyub reported a hadith like this (through another chain of transmitters).

Chapter 40: The virtue of Lailat Al-Qadr and the Exhortation to seek it; When it is and the most likely times to seek it

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that some persons among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) were shown Lailat- ul-Qadr while sleeping in the last week (of Ramadan). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

I see that your dreams agree regarding the last week; so he who wants to seek it should seek it in the last week (during the night).

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last week (of Ramadan).

Salim reported on the authority of his father that a person saw Lailat-ul- Qadr on the 27th (of Ramadan). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said

I see that your dreams agree regarding the last ten (nights of Ramadan). So seek it on an odd number (of these ten nights).

Salim b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that his father said

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: So far as Lailat-ul-Qadr is concerned. some persons among you have seen it (in a dream) in the first week and some persons among you have been shown that it is in the last week; so seek it in the last ten (nights).

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) in the last (ten nights). If one among you shows slackness and weakness (in the earlier part of Ramadan), it should not be allowed to prevail upon him in the last week.

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

He who is anxious to seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) should seek it in the last ten (nights of Ramadan).

'Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Seek the time of Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last (ten nights), or he said: in the last nine (nights).

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr; then some members of my family awoke me up, then I was caused to forget it. So seek it in the last week. Harmala said: (The Prophet did not say:" I was made to forget," but he stated):" But I forgot it."

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) spent in devotion (in i'tikaf) the middle ten nights of the month of Ramadan, and when twenty nights were over and it was the twenty-first night, he went back to his residence and those who were along with him also returned (to their respective residences). He spent one month in devotion. Then he addressed the people on the night he came back (to his residence) and commanded them as Allah desired (him to command) and then said

I used to devote myself (observe i'tikaf) during these ten (nights). Then I started devoting myself in the last ten (nights). And he who desires to observe i'tikaf along with me should spend the night) at his place of i'tikaf. And I saw this night (Lailat-ul-Qadr) but I forgot it (the exact night) ; so seek it;In the last ten nights on odd numbers. I saw (the glimpses of that dream) that I was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: It rained on the twenty-first night and the water dripped (from the roof) of the mosque at the place where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed prayer. I looked at him and as he completed the dawn prayer, (I found) his face was wet with mud and water.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) devoted (himself to prayer) in the middle (ten nights) of Ramadan. The rest of the hadith is the same except for these words

" That he adhered to his place of i'tikaf and his forehead was besmeared with mud and water."

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed i'tikaf (confined himself for devotion and prayer) in the first ten (days) of Ramadan; he then observed i'tikaf in the middle ten (days) in a Turkish tent with a mat hanging at its door. He (the Holy Prophet) took hold of that mat and placed it in the nook of the tent. He then put his head out and talked with people and they came near him, and he (the Holy Prophet) said

I observed i'tikaf in the first ten (nights and days) in order to seek that night (Lailat-ul-Qadr). I then observed i'tikaf in the middle ten days. Then (an angel) was sent to me and I was told that this (night) is among the last ten (nights). He who among you likes to observe i'tikaf should do so; and the people observed it along with him, and he (the Holy Prophet) said: That (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was shown to me on an odd (night) and I (saw in the dream) that I was prostrating in the morning in clay and water. So in the morning of the twenty-first night when he (the Holy Prophet) got up for dawn (prayer). there was a rainfall and the mosque dripped, and I saw clay and water. When he came out after completing the morning prayer (I saw) that his forehead and the tip of his nose had (traces) of clay and water, and that was the twenty-first night among the last ten (nights).

Abu Salama reported

'We discussed amongst ourselves Lailat-ul-Qadr. I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) who was a friend of mine and said to him: Would you not go with us to the garden of date trees? He went out with a cloak over him. I said to him: Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making mention of Lailat-ul-Qadr? He said: Yes, (and added) we were observing i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and came out on the morning of the twentieth and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and said: I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr, but I forgot (the exact night) or I was caused to forget it, so seek it in the last ten odd (nights), and I was shown that I was prostrating in water and clay. So he who wanted to observe i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) should return (to the place of i'tikaf). He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri) said: And we returned and did not find any patch of cloud in the sky. Then the cloud gathered and there was (so heavy) a downpour that the roof of the mosque which was made of the branches of date-palms began to drip. Then there was prayer and I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrating in water and clay till I saw the traces of clay on his forehead.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Yahya b. Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters (with a slight variation of these words)

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) after he had completed (the prayer) and there was a trace of clay on his forehead and tip (of the nose).