Hadith #567

Arabic Text

English Translation

ʿAbdullāh ibn Yazīd Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Muqriʾ narrated to us, ʿIkrimah — meaning Ibn ʿAmmār — narrated to us, Shaddād ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Dimashqī narrated to us — and he had met a number of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ — he said: Abū Umāmah said: "O ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah, the custodian of the charity enclosure, a man from Banū Sulaym — by what claim do you say you are the fourth of Islam?" He said: "When I was in the pre-Islamic period, I saw the people upon misguidance and I did not consider the idols to be anything. Then I heard about a man in Makkah reporting news and narrating accounts. So I mounted my riding camel until I came to Makkah, and there was the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, hiding, and his people were hostile toward him. I approached him discreetly and entered upon him. I said: 'What are you?' He said: 'I am the Prophet ﷺ of Allāh.' I said: 'And what is the Prophet ﷺ of Allāh?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allāh.' I said: 'Did Allāh send you?' He said: 'Yes.' I said: 'With what did He send you?' He said: 'With the command to worship Allāh alone without associating anything with Him, to break the idols, and to maintain kinship ties.' I said: 'Who is with you in this?' He said: 'A free man and a slave — or a slave and a free man.' And with him were Abū Bakr ibn Abī Quḥāfah and Bilāl, the freedman of Abū Bakr. I said: 'I will follow you.' He said: 'You cannot do that today. But return to your family, and when you hear that I have prevailed, come to me.' So I returned to my family, having already accepted Islam. Then the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ emigrated to Madinah, and I kept seeking news until riders came from Yathrib. I said: 'What about the Makkan man who came to you?' They said: 'His people tried to kill him but could not; they were prevented from reaching him, and we left the people rushing to him.' ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah said: So I mounted my camel until I came to him in Madinah. I entered upon him and said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, do you recognize me?' He said: 'Yes, are you not the one who came to me in Makkah?' I said: 'Indeed.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, teach me of what Allāh taught you and I am ignorant of.' He said: 'When you pray the morning prayer, refrain from prayer until the sun rises. When it rises, do not pray until it ascends, for it rises between the two horns of Shayṭān, and at that time the disbelievers prostrate to it. When it has risen the height of a spear or two spears, then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended — until the shadow of the spear stands upright. Then refrain from prayer, for at that time Jahannam is stoked. When the shadow returns, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended until you pray ʿAṣr. When you have prayed ʿAṣr, refrain from prayer until the sun sets, for it sets between the two horns of Shayṭān, and at that time the disbelievers prostrate to it.' I said: 'O Prophet of Allāh, tell me about wuḍūʾ.' He said: 'None of you draws near to his wuḍūʾ water and then rinses his mouth, sniffs water, and blows it out, except that the sins of his mouth and nostrils fall out with the water when he blows it. Then he washes his face as Allāh تعالى commanded — the sins of his face fall from the edges of his beard with the water. Then he washes his hands to the elbows — the sins of his hands fall from his fingertips. Then he wipes his head — the sins of his head fall from the tips of his hair with the water. Then he washes his feet to the ankles as Allāh عز وجل commanded — the sins of his feet fall from his toes with the water. Then he stands, praises Allāh عز وجل and extols Him as He deserves, then prays two rakʿahs — he comes out of his sins as the day his mother bore him.' Abū Umāmah said: 'O ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah, watch what you are saying! Is all of this given to a man in a single standing?' ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah said: 'O Abū Umāmah, I have grown old, my bones have become brittle, and my appointed time has drawn near. I have no need to lie about Allāh عز وجل or His Messenger. Had I not heard it from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ except once or twice or three times — but I heard it seven times or more than that.'"