The Book of Zuhd and Softening of Hearts

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The world is a prison-house for a believer and Paradise for a non-believer

Jabir b. Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) happened to walk through the bazar coming from the side of 'Aliya and the people were on both his sides. There he found a dead lamb with very short ears. He took hold of his ear and said:Who amongst you would like to have this for a dirham? They said: We do not like to have it even for less than that as it is of no use to us. He said: Do you wish to have it (free of any cost)? They said: By Allah, even if it were alive (we would not have liked to possess that), for there is defect in it as its ear is very short; now it is dead also. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Allah, this world is more insignificant in the eye of Allah than it (this dead lamb) is in your eye

Jabir reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) narrating a hadith like this with a slight variation of wording

Mutarrif reported on the authority of his father:I came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as he was reciting:" Abundance diverts you" (cii. 1). He said: The son of Adam claims: My wealth, my wealth. And he (the Holy Prophet) said: O son of Adam. is there anything as your belonging except that which you consumed, which you utilised, or which you wore and then it was worn out or you gave as charity and sent it forward?

Mutarrif reported on the authority of his father:I went to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). The rest of the hadith is the same

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:A servant says, My wealth. my wealth, but out of his wealth three things are only his: whatever he eats and makes use of or by means of which he dresses himself and it wears out or he gives as charity, and this is what he stored for himself (as a reward for the Hereafter), and what is beyond this (it is of no use to you) because you are to depart and leave it for other people

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of al-'Ala' b. 'Abd al-Rahman with the same chain of transmitters

Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Three things follow the bier of a dead man. Two of them come back and one is left with him: the members of his family, wealth and his good deeds. The members of his family and wealth come back and the deeds alone are left with him

Amr b. `Auf, who was an ally of Banu `Amir b. Luwayy (and he was one amongst them) who participated in Badr along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reported that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent Abu `Ubaida b. Al-Jarrah to Bahrain for collecting Jizya and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had made a truce with the people of Bahrain and had appointed `Ala' b. Hadrami and Abu `Ubaida (for this purpose). They came with wealth from Bahrain and the Ansar heard about the arrival of Abu `Ubaida and they had observed the dawn prayer along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had finished the prayer, they (the Ansar) came before him and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) smiled as he saw them and then said:I think you have heard about the arrival of Abu `Ubaida with goods from Bahrain. They said: Allah's Messenger, yes, it is so. Thereupon he said: Be happy and be hopeful of that which gives you delight. By Allah, it is not the poverty about which I fear in regard to you but I am afraid in your case that (the worldly) riches way be given to you as were given to those who had gone before you and you begin to vie with one another for them as they vied for them, and these may destroy you as these destroyed them

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri as reported by Yunus with a slight variation of wording

Abdullah b. `Amr b. al-`As reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:How would you be, O people, when Persia and Rome would be conquered for you? `Abd ar-Rahman b `Auf said: We would say as Allah has commanded us and we would express our gratitude to Allah. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Nothing else besides it? You would (in fact) vie with one another, then you would feel jealous, then your relations would be estranged and then you will bear enmity against one another, or something to the same effect. Then you would go to the poor emigrants and would make some the masters of the others

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:When one of you looks at one who stands at a higher level than you in regard to wealth and physical structure he should also see one who stands at a lower level than you in regard to these things (in which he stands) at a higher level (as compared to him)

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Look at those who stand at a lower level than you but don't look at those who stand at a higher level than you, for that is better-suited that you do not disparage Allah's favors. In the chain narrated by Abu Mu'awiya's he said: Upon you

It is reported on the authority of Amir b. Sa'd that Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas was in the fold of his camels that his son 'Umar came to him. When Sa'd saw him he said:I seek refuge with Allah from the mischief of this rider. And as he got down he said to him: You are busy with your camels and your sheep and you have abandoned people who are contending with one another for kingdom. Sa'd struck his chest and said: Keep quite. I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah loves the servant who is God-conscious and is free from want and is hidden (from the view of people)

Sa'd b. Abu Waqqas is reported to have, said:By Allah, I am the first person amongst the Arabs to throw an arrow in the cause of Allah and we used to go with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and there was no food for us to eat but only the leaves of hubla and samur trees (they are wild trees) and as a result thereof one amongst us would relieve himself as does the goat. (How strange it is) that now the people of Banu Asad (the progeny of Zubair) instruct me in religion and try to impose punishment upon me (in regard to it). If it is so (that I am so ignorant of religion), then indeed, I am undone and my deeds have been lost. Ibn Numair, however, did not make a mention of the word (idhan) thus? (in his narration)

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Isma'il b. Khalid with the same chain of transmitters and the words are:" One amongst us would relieve himself as the goats do without anything mixing with its excrement

Umair al-'Adawi reported:'Utba b. Ghazwan delivered us a sermon and he praised Allah and lauded Him, then said: Now coming to the point, verily the world has been given the news of its end and that too quite early. Nothing would be left out of it but only water left in the utensil which its owner leaves, and you are going to shift to an abode which knows no end, and you should shift with the good before you, for we have been told that a stone would be thrown at one side of the Hell and it would go down even for seventy years but would not be able to reach its bottom. By Allah, it would be fully packed. Do you find it something strange, and it has been mentioned that there yawns a distance which one would be able to cover in forty years from one end to another of Paradise, and a day would come when it would be fully packed and you must be knowing that I was the seventh amongst seven who had been with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and we had nothing to eat but the leaves of the tree until the corners of the mouth were injured. We found a sheet which we tore in two and divided between myself and Sa'd b. Malik. I made the lower garment with halt of it and so did Sa'd make the lower garment with half of it and today there is none amongst us who has not become the governor of a city from amongst the cities (of the Islamic Commonwealth) and I seek refuge with Allah that I should consider myself great whereas I am insignificant in the eye of Allah. Prophethood does not remain for ever and its impact fades with the result that it changes eventually into kingship, and you would soon come to know and experience those rulers who would come after us and see (how far they are from religion)

Khalid b. 'Umair reported and he had seen the pre-Islamic days also, that 'Uqba b. Ghazwan delivered this address and he was the governor of Basra. The rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by Shaiban

Khalid b. Umair reported:I heard Uqba b. Ghazwan as saving: I found myself as the seventh amongst the seven who had been along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). We had nothing to eat but the leaves of hubla (a wild tree) until the corners of our mouths were injured

Abu Huraira reported that they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said:Allah's Messenger, will we be able to see our Lord on the Day of Judgment? He said: Do you feel any difficulty in seeing the sun in the noon when there is no cloud over it? They said: No. He again said: Do you feel any difficulty in seeing the moon on the fourteenth night when there is no cloud over it? They said: No. Thereupon he said: By Allah Who is One in Whose Hand is my life. you will not face any difficulty in seeing your Lord but only so much as you feel in seeing one of them. Then Allah would sit in judgment upon the servant and would say: O, so and so, did I not honour you and make you the chief and provide you the spouse and subdue for you horses, camels, and afforded you an opportunity to rule over your subjects? He would say: Yes. And then it would be said: Did you not think that you would meet Us? And he would say: No. Thereupon He (Allah) would say: Well, We forget you as you forgot Us. Then the second person would be brought for judgment. (And Allah would) say: 0, so and so. did We not honour you and make you the chief and make you pair and subdue for you horses and camels and afford you an opportunity to rule over your subjects? He would say: Yes, my Lord. And He (the Lord) would say: Did you not think that you would be meeting Us? And he would say: No. And then He (Allah) would say: Well, I forget you today as you forgot Us. Then the third -one would be brought and He (Allah) would say to him as He said before. And he (the third person) would say: O, my Lord, I affirmed my faith in Thee and in Thy Book and in Thy Messenger and I observed prayer and fasts and gave charity, and he would speak in good terms like this as he would be able to do. And He (Allah) would say: Well, We will bring our witnesses to you. And the man would think in his mind who would bear witness upon him and then his mouth would be sealed and it would be said to his thighs, to his flesh and to his bones to speak and his thighs. flesh and bones would bear witness to his deeds and it would be done so that he should not be able to make any excuse for himself and he would be a hypocrite and Allah would be annoyed with him

Anas b. Malik reported:We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) when he smiled, and said: Do you know why I laughed? We said: Allah and His Messenger, know best. Thereupon he said: It was because (there came to my mind the) talk which the servant would have with his Lord (on the Day of judgment). He would say: My Lord, have you not guaranteed me protection against injustice? He would say: Yes. Then the servant would say: I do not deem valid any witness against me but my own self, and He would say: Well, enough would be the witness of your self against you and that of the two angels who had been appointed to record your deeds. Then the seal would be set upon his mouth and it would be said to his hands and feet to speak and they would speak of his deeds. Then the mouth would be made free to talk, he would say (to the hands and feet): Be away, let there be curse of Allah upon you. It was for your safety that I contended

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:O Allah, make for the family of Muhammad the provision which is a bare subsistence

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:0 Allah, provide for the, family of Muhammad their subsistence, and in the narration transmitted on the authority of 'Amr (the words are):" O Allah, provide us subsistence

Umara b. al-Qa'qa' reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters but instead of the word" qut" (bare subsistence) there has been used the word" Kafaf" (adequate means to meet the needs)

A'isha reported:Never had the family of Muhammad (ﷺ) eaten to the fill since their, arrival in Medina with the bread of wheat for three successive nights until his (Holy Prophet's) death

A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Never did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) eat to his fill the bread of wheat for three successive days until he had run the course of his life

A'isha reported:Never did the family of Muhammad (ﷺ) eat to the fill the bread of barley for two successive days until Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died

A'isha reported:Never could the family of Muhammad (ﷺ) (afford to eat to the fill) the bread of wheat beyond three days (successively)

Abdullah b. Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said in connection with the people of Hijr (Thamud):Do not enter but weepingly (the habitations) of these people who had been punished by (Allah), and in case you do not feel inclined to weep, then do not enter (these habitations) that you may not meet the same calamity as had fallen to their lot

Ibn Shihab reported, and he had been talking about the stony abodes of Thamud, and he said:Salim b. 'Abdullah reported that 'Abdullah b. Umar said: We were passing along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) through the habitations of Hijr, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Do not enter but weepingly the habitations of these persons who committed tyranny among themselves, lest the same calamity should fall upon you as it fell upon them. He then urged his mount to proceed quickly and pass through that valley hurriedly

Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that the people encamped along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the valley of Hijr, the habitations of Thamud, and they quenched their thirst from the wells thereof and kneaded the flour with it. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded that the water collected for drinking should be spilt and the flour should be given to the camels and commanded them that the water for drinking should be taken from that well where the she-camel (of Hadrat Salih) used to come

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:One who makes efforts (for earning to be spent) on a widow and the destitute is like a striver in the cause of Allah, and I think he also said: He is like one who constantly stands for prayer and observes fast without breaking it

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:One who looks after the orphan whether he is his relative or not, I and he would be together in Paradise like this, and Malik (explained it) with the gesture by drawing his index finger and middle finger close together

Abdullah al-Khaulani reported that when Uthman b. 'Affan tried to rebuild the mosque of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the people began to talk about this. Uthman b. 'Affan said:You discuss it very much whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who builds a mosque-- and the narrator Bukair said: I think he also said: (for) seeking the pleasure of Allah- Allah would build (a similar house for him in Paradise). and in the narration of Harun (the words are):" A house for him in Paradise

Mahmud b. Labid reported that 'Uthman b. 'Affan decided to rebuild the mosque (of Allah's Apostle in Medina) but the people did not like this idea and they wished that it should be preserved in the same (old) form. Thereupon he (Hadrat 'Uthman) said:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah would build for him (a house) in Paradise like it

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ja'far with the same chain of transmitters with this variation (that the words are):" Allah would build for him a house in Paradise

Abu Huraira reported:While a person was in the wilderness he heard a voice from the cloud (commanding it thus): Irrigate the garden of so and so. (After that the clouds slinked aside and poured water on a stony ground. It filled a channel amongst the channels of that land and that person followed that water and he found a person standing in the garden busy in changing the course of water with the help of a hatchet. He said to him: Servant of Allah, what is your name? he said: So and so. And it was that very name which he had heard from the clouds. and he said to him: Servant of Allah, why do you ask me my name? He said: I heard a voice from the clouds of which is the downpour, saying: Water the garden of so and so, like your name. What do you do (for the favour) shown to you by Allah in this matter? He said: Now as you state so. I look what yield I get from it, and I give one-third as charity out of it and I and my children eat one-third of it and one-third I return to it as investment

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Wahb b. Kaisan with the same chain of transmitters but with this change that he said:" I earmark one-third for the poor, the needy and the wayfarers

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as stating that Allah the Most High and Exalted said:I am the One, One Who does not stand in need of a partner. If anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah

Ibn Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:If anyone wants to have his deeds widely publicised, Allah will publicise (his humiliation). And if anyone makes a hypocritical display (of his deeds) Allah will make a display of him

Jundub reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who wants to publicise (his deeds), Allah will publicise (his humility), and he who makes a hypocritical display (of his deeds), Allah will make a display of him

Sufyan reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters and he made this addition:" I did not hear anyone saying besides him that it was Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who had said so

Salama b. Kuhail reported:I heard from Jundub, but I did not hear him say this: "I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying this

Abu Sufyan reported like that as as-Saduq al-Amin al-Walid b. Harb narrated with the same chain of transmitters

Abu Huraira reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The servant speaks words for which he is sent down to the Hell-Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The servant speaks words that he does not understand its repercussions but he sinks down in Hell-Fire farther than the distance between the east and the west

Shaqiq reported that it was said to Usama b. Zaid:Why don't you visit 'Uthman and talk to him? Thereupon he said: Do you think that I have not talked to him but that I have made you hear? By Allah. I have talked to him (about things) concerning me and him and I did not like to divulge those things about which I had to take the initiative and I do not say to my ruler: "You are the best among people," after I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in Hell-Fire and his intestines will pour forth in Hell and he will go round along with them, as an ass goes round the mill stone. The denizens of Hell would gather round him and say: O, so and so, what has happened to you? Were you not enjoining us to do what was reputable and forbid us to do what was disreputable? He will say: Of course, it is so; I used to enjoin (upon people) to do what was reputable but did not practise that myself. I had been forbidding people to do what was disreputable, but practised it myself

Abu Wa'il reported:I was in the company of Usama b. Zaid that a person said: What prevents you to visit Uthman and talk to him for what he does? The rest of the hadith is the same

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:All the people of my Ummah would get pardon for their sins except those who publicise them. And (it means) that a servant should do a deed during the night and tell the people in the morning that he has done so and so, whereas Allah has concealed it. And he does a deed during the day and when it is night he tells the people, whereas Allah has concealed it. Zuhair has used the word hijar for publicising

Anas b. Malik reported that two persons sneezed in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He (the Messenger of Allah) invoked mercy for one, and did not invoke for the other. The one for whom he had not prayed said:So and so sneezed and you said: May Allah have mercy upon you. I also sneezed but you did not utter these words for me. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: That person praised Allah, and you did not praise Allah

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas through another chain of transmitters

Abu Burda reported:I visited Abu Musa, as he was in the house of the daughter of Fadl b. 'Abbas. I sneezed but he did not respond to it (by saying): Allah may have mercy upon you. Then she sneezed and he (Fadl b. 'Abbas) said: May Allah have mercy upon you. I came back to my mother and informed her about it, and when he came to her she said: My son sneezed in your presence and you did not say:" Allah may have mercy upon you, and she sneezed and you said for her:" May Allah have mercy upon you." Thereupon he said: Your son sneezed but he did not praise Allah and I did not beg mercy of Allah for him and she sneezed and she praised Allah and so I said: May Allah have mercy upon you, as I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When any one of you sneezes he should praise Allah and the other should say: May Allah have mercy upon you, and if he does not praise Allah, no mercy should be begged for him

Iyas b. Salama b. al-Akwa reported that his father reported to him that he heard Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:A person sneezed in his presence and he said to him: May Allah have mercy upon you. And he then sneezed for the second time and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: He is suffering from cold (and no response is necessary)

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The yawning as from the devil. So when one of you yawns he should try to restrain it as far as it lies in his power

The son of Abu Said al-Khudri reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:When one of you yawns, he should keep his mouth shut with the help of his hand, for it is the devil that enters therein

The son of Abu Said al-Khudri reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:When one of you yawns, he should try to restrain it with cue help of his hand since it is the Satan that enters therein

The son of Abu Said al-Khudri reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. When one of you yawns while engaged in prayer, he should try to restrain so far as it lies in his power, since it is the Satan that enter therein

Abu Said al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a hadith like this through another chain of transmitters

A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:The Angels were born out of light and the Jinns were born out of the spark of fire and Adam was born as he has been defined (in the Qur'an) for you (i. e. he is fashioned out of clay)

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:A group of Bani Isra'il was lost. I do not know what happened to it, but I think (that it 'underwent a process of metamorphosis) and assumed the shape of rats. Don't you see when the milk of the camel is placed before them, these do not drink and when the milk of goat is placed before them, these do drink. Abu Huraira said: I narrated this very hadith to Ka'b and he said: Did you hear this from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? I (Abu Huraira) said: Yes. He said this again and again, and I said: Have I read Torah? This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ishaq with a slight variation of wording

Abu Huraira reported that the rat (is the result of) metamorphosis (of a group of Bani Isra'il) and the proof of this is that when the milk of goat is placed before it, it drinks it, and when the milk of the camel is placed before it, it would not taste it at all. Ka'b said:Did you hear it from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? Thereupon he said: Has Torah been revealed to me?

Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it

Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority of his father that a person praised another person in the presence of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), whereupon he said:Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, you have broken the neck of your friend-he said this twice. If one of you has to praise his friend at all, he should say: I think (him to be) so and Allah knows it well and I do not know the secret of the heart and Allah knows the destined end, and I cannot testify his purity against Allah but (he appears) to be so and so

Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority of his father that a person was mentioned in the presence of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and a person said:Allah's Messenger, no person is more excellent than he after Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, and he said this twice. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If anyone has to praise his brother at all, he should say: I think him to be so and so, and even on this he should say: I do not consider anyone purer than Allah (considers)

his hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba with a slight variation of wording

Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a person lauding another person or praising him too much. Thereupon he said:You killed him, or you sliced the back of a person

Abu Ma'mar reported that a person lauded a ruler amongst the rulers and Miqdad began to throw dust upon him and he said:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded us that we should throw dust upon the faces of those who shower too much praise

Hammam b. al-Harith reported that a person began to praise 'Uthman and Miqdad sat upon his knee; and he was a bulky person and began to throw pebbles upon his (flatterer's) face. Thereupon 'Uthman said:What is the matter with you? And he said: Verily, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When you see those who shower (undue) praise (upon others), throw dust upon their faces

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Miqdad through another chain of transmitters

Abdullah b. Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:It was shown in a vision that I was rinsing my mouth with miswak and two persons began to contend with one another for getting that miswak. One was older than the other. I gave the miswak to the younger one amongst them, but it was said to me: (Let it be given) to the older one. So I gave it to the older one

It was reported that Abu Huraira used to say:Listen to me, inmate of the apartment; listen to me, inmate of the apartment, while 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) had been busy in observing prayer. As she finished prayer, she said to" Urwa: Did you hear his words? And this is how Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to utter (so distinctly) that if one intended to count (the words uttered) he would be able to do so

Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Do not take down anything from me, and he who took down anything from me except the Qur'an, he should efface that and narrate from me, for there is no harm in it and he who attributed any falsehood to me-and Hammam said: I think he also said:" deliberately" -he should in fact find his abode in the Hell-Fire

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported that Abu Bakr Siddiq came to the residence of my father ('Azib) and bought a haudaj from him and said to 'Azib:Send your son to my residence (to carry this haudaj), and my father said to me: Carry it (for him). So I carried it and there went along with him (with Abu Bakr) my father in order to fetch its price and he ('Azib) said to Abu Bakr: Abu Bakr, narrate to me what you both did on the night when you set out on a journey along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He said: We set out during the night and went on walking until it was noon, and the path was vacant and so none passed by that (until) there appeared prominently before us a large rock. It had its shade and the rays of the sun did not reach that place. So we got down at that place. I then went to the rock and levelled the ground with my hands at the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) would take rest under its shade. I then set the bedding and said: Allah's Messenger, go to sleep and I shall keep a watch around you. I went out and watched around him. There we saw a shepherd moving towards that rock with his flock and he intended what we intended (i. e. taking rest). I met him and said to him: Young boy, to which place do you belong? He said: I am a person from Medina. I said, is there any milk in the udders of your sheep and goats? He said: Yes. He took hold of a goat, and I said to him: Clean the udder well so that it should be free from hair, dust and impurity. I saw al-Bara' striking his hand upon the other (to give an indication) how he did that. He milked the goat for me in a wooden cup which he had with him and I had with me a bucket in which I kept water for drinking and for performing ablution. I came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and did not like to awaken him from sleep but he was accidentally startled from the sleep. I poured water upon the milk (till It was cold) and I said: Allah's Messenger, take this milk. He then took It and I was delighted and he (the Holy Prophet) said: Is now not the time to march on? I said: Of course. So he marched on after the sun had passed the meridian and Suraqa b. Malik pursued us and we had been walking on soft, level ground. I said: Allah's Messenger, we are about to be overtaken by them. Thereupon he said: Be not grieved. Verily, Allah is with us. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) cursed him and his horse sank into the earth. I think he also said: I know you have hurled curse upon me. So supplicate Allah for me and I take an oath that I shall turn everyone away who would come in search of you. So he (Allah's Messenger) supplicated Allah and he was rescued and he came back and to everyone he met, he said: I have combed all this side. In short, he diverted everyone whom he met and he in fact fulfilled his promise

Al-Bara' reported:Abu Bakr purchased a saddle from me for thirteen dirhams; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the narration of Uthman b. 'Umar, the words are: He (Suraqa b. Malik) drew near Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and he (the Holy Prophet) cursed him and his camel sank in the earth up to the belly and he jumped from that and said: Muhammad, I am fully aware of It that it is your doing. Supplicate Allah that He should rescue me from it in which I am (pitchforked) and I give you a solemn pledge that I shall keep this as a secret from all those who are coming after me. Take hold of an arrow out of it (quiver) for you will find my camels and my slaves at such and such place and you can get whatever you need (on showing this arrow). He (the Holy Prophet) said: I don't need your camels. And we (the Prophet and Abu Bakr) came to Medina during the night and the people began to contend as to where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) should reside and he encamped in the tribe of Najjar who were related to 'Abd ul-Muttalib from the side of mother. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) honoured them, then people climbed upon house-top and women also and boys scattered in the way, and they were all crying: Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, Messenger of Allah