Beginning of the Musnad of Ibn Abbas

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "fasted (during a journey) until, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) reached Usfan, he (peace and blessings be upon him) broke the fast."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "On the day of the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) assigned (in the distribution of the spoils) three shares to the horseman and one share to the foot soldier."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "A Bedouin came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I have seen the new moon tonight. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: 'Do you bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and His Messenger?' He said: Yes! So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'O Bilal! Stand up and announce among the people that they should fast tomorrow.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) "used to recite 'Alif Lam Mim Tanzil' and 'Hal ata 'ala al-insan' in the Fajr prayer on Friday."

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) that one night Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) delayed the Maghrib prayer so much that a man called out: "The prayer!" But he remained silent. Then the man said (again): "The prayer!" So he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Mercy on you! Will you teach us the times of prayer? Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes combine these two prayers (Maghrib and Isha) even in Madinah."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people of the Zutt (people) were brought to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who had been found worshipping an idol, so he had them burned in fire (as punishment). When this news reached Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said (commenting on the method of punishment) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only said: "Whoever changes his religion (becomes an apostate), kill him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever builds a mosque for the pleasure of Allah Almighty, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will build a house for him in Paradise in return."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas and Sayyiduna Abu Habbah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When I was taken on the night journey (the night of the Mi'raj), I reached a high place where I could hear the scratching of the pens (writing the decree)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever asks you by the Face of Allah (for His sake or by His Being), give to him; and whoever seeks refuge with you by Allah, give him refuge."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is as if I am looking at him: he is black-skinned and bow-legged, pulling it, that is, the Ka'bah, apart stone by stone."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head from bowing (ruku'), he would say: "'Allahumma rabbana laka al-hamd, mil'a al-samawati wa mil'a al-ard, wa mil'a ma shi'ta min shay'in ba'd' (O Allah, our Lord, to You belongs all praise, filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You will besides them)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah Almighty curse the one who offers a slaughter in the name of other than Allah; may Allah Almighty curse the one who alters the boundaries (markers) of the land; may Allah Almighty curse the one who leads a blind person astray from the road; may Allah Almighty curse the one who reviles his parents; may Allah Almighty curse the one who leaves his (true) patrons and takes others as his patrons; and may Allah Almighty curse the one who does the (vile) deed of the people of Lut." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said the last part, that is, concerning the deed of the people of Lut, three times.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever attributes his lineage to someone other than his father, or leaves his real (freeing) patrons and takes someone else as his patron and guardian, upon him is the curse of Allah Almighty, His angels and all of mankind."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make this supplication in times of distress and severe anxiety: 'La ilaha illallahu al-'Azimu al-Halim, la ilaha illallahu rabbu al-'arshi al-'azim, la ilaha illallahu rabbu al-samawati al-sab'i wa rabbu al-'arshi al-'azim' (There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the Most Great, the Most Forbearing; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Mighty Throne).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the valley of al-Azraq and asked: "Which valley is this?" It was said: "This is the valley of al-Azraq." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is as if I am looking at Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) descending into this valley, calling out the talbiyah loudly and humbly beseeching his Lord." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by the mountain pass of Kada' and asked: "What is this?" It was said: "This is the pass of Kada'." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is as if I am looking at Sayyiduna Yunus bin Matta (peace be upon him) riding a sturdy red she-camel whose rein is made of palm fibre, and he is wearing a cloak of wool."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us, and we offered him (peace and blessings be upon him) this nabidh, that is, the nabidh of the Siqayah (the place where the pilgrims are given water to drink). He (peace and blessings be upon him) drank it and then said: "You have done very well; do it like this."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every person among the children of Adam is such that either a mistake has issued from him or he has intended a sin, except Yahya bin Zakariyya (peace be upon them both); and it is not at all proper for anyone to say: I am better than Yunus bin Matta."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "Spend the night with the household of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and memorise the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (by watching it carefully), and resolve beforehand that you will not sleep until you have fully memorised the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." He said: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the Isha prayer and left the mosque, until no one other than me remained there. He looked at me and said: "Who is this? Is it Abdullah?" I said: Yes. He asked: "What is the matter with you (why are you here)?" I said that Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) had ordered me to spend tonight with you. He said: "Then come along." Then he said: "Abdullah, spread it (the bed)." I brought a pillow of coarse hair-cloth stuffed with palm fibre. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went forward and prayed two rak'ahs that were neither very long nor very short. Then he came to his bed, until I heard the sound of his snoring or his breathing. Then he woke up and recited "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day" until the end of the surah. Then he wiped (his face) three times, then got up and relieved himself, then used the siwak and performed ablution. Then he stood and prayed two rak'ahs that were neither very long nor very short. Then he went back to his bed and slept, until I heard the sound of his snoring or his breathing. Then he woke up, sat up straight on his bed and did as he had done the first time. Then he wiped three times and recited the last verses of Surah Al Imran, "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day", until the end of the surah. Then he got up, used the siwak and performed ablution, then prayed two rak'ahs that were neither long nor short. Then he came back to his bed and slept, until I heard the sound of his snoring or breathing. Then he woke up and did as he had done the first two times. So he prayed six rak'ahs (of tahajjud), then prayed three rak'ahs of witr, then prayed the two rak'ahs (sunnah) before Fajr. When he finished his prayer, he made this supplication: 'Allahumma ij'al li fi basari nuran, wa fi sam'i nuran, wa fi qalbi nuran, wa min amami nuran, wa min khalfi nuran, wa min fawqi nuran, wa min tahti nuran, wa 'an yamini nuran, wa 'an yasari nuran, waj'al li yawm al-qiyamati nuran, wa a'zim li nuran' "O Allah, place light in my sight, place light in my hearing, place light in my heart, place light in front of me, place light behind me, place light above me, place light beneath me, place light on my right, place light on my left, make light for me on the Day of Resurrection, and make light great for me."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to prostrate after the bowing (ruku'), he would recite this supplication: 'Allahumma laka al-hamdu mil'a al-samawati wa mil'a al-ardi, wa mil'a ma shi'ta min shay'in ba'd' "O Allah, to You alone belongs all praise, as much as fills the heavens, as much as fills the earth, and as much as fills whatever else You will after them."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man's thigh uncovered, so he said: "Cover your thigh, for a man's thigh is part of his 'awrah (what must be covered)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying when two young girls of Quraysh came and took hold of his knees. (The narrator is unsure whether) he made peace between them or separated them from each other, and he continued his prayer. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Then I and a boy of Banu Hashim came riding on a donkey and passed in front of him; then we joined the prayer, and he did not break off his prayer (because of our passing)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out his armies, he would say (giving them these instructions): "Go out in the name of Allah and fight in the way of Allah those who disbelieve in Allah." (He further said:) "Do not act treacherously, do not mutilate (the bodies of the enemy's dead), do not steal from the spoils of war, and do not kill children or the worshippers who live in hermitages and monasteries."

It is narrated from Yazid bin Hurmuz (may Allah have mercy on him) that Najdah al-Haruri wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) asking him about the share of the near relatives (dhawi al-qurba): to whom does it belong? He also asked about killing children, and mentioned in his letter that the scholar who was the companion of Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) had killed a boy. And he asked about women: did they take part in battle with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and did he assign them a regular share of the spoils? Yazid bin Hurmuz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I was the one who wrote the reply letter on behalf of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). He had it written: "You have asked me about the share of the near relatives: to whom does it belong? It belongs to us, the People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt). Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) offered us that from this wealth he would arrange marriages for our unmarried women, provide servants for those of us with families, and pay off the debts of our debtors, but we insisted that he hand this share over to us (in full). He refused that, so we left it. You have asked me about killing children, and mentioned that the scholar who was the companion of Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) killed a boy. If you knew about children what that scholar knew, you would kill; but since you do not have that knowledge, avoid killing them, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing children. And you have asked me about women: did they attend battle with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and did he assign them a share? They certainly attended (the battles) with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but as for assigning them a regular share, he did not do that; however, he would give them something from the spoils."

It is narrated from Yazid bin Hurmuz (may Allah have mercy on him) that in a letter (to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both) it had been asked whether slaves took part in battles with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and whether he assigned them a regular share (of the spoils); and also when an orphan leaves the state of orphanhood and his right in the fay' wealth becomes established. The reply written to him was: "Slaves did attend battles with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but as for assigning them a regular share, that was not done; however, he would give them something (from the spoils as a gift). As for the orphan, when he reaches puberty (ihtilam) he leaves orphanhood and his right in the fay' wealth becomes established."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most generous of all people, and he was at his most generous in Ramadan when Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) met him. Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) used to meet him every night of Ramadan and review the Qur'an with him. So when Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) met him, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was more generous (in distributing good) than the swiftly blowing wind."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the toilet, so I placed water for his ablution. When he came out, he asked: "Who placed this (water)?" The people said: Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). So he prayed (for him): 'Allahumma faqqihhu' "O Allah, grant him understanding (of the religion)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (at first) used to let his hair hang down, while the polytheists used to part the hair of their heads and the People of the Book used to let their hair hang down. In matters about which no command had been revealed to him, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) liked to agree with the People of the Book. Then (later) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) began to part the hair of his head."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray three rak'ahs of witr, in which he would recite the surahs 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High', 'Say: O disbelievers' and 'Say: He is Allah, the One'."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that one day he was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "O boy, I will teach you some (important) words: Guard (the commands of) Allah, and Allah will guard you. Observe (the rights of) Allah, and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah alone, and when you seek help, seek help from Allah alone. Know for certain that if the whole Ummah were to gather together to benefit you with something, they could not benefit you except with what Allah has written for you; and if they all gathered together to harm you, they could not harm you except with what Allah has written against you (in destiny). The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a Bedouin came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and gave him the pledge of allegiance right there in the mosque. Then he turned away, stood in one spot, spread his legs and began to urinate. The people rushed towards him (to stop him), whereupon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not interrupt this man's urination." Then he called him and asked: "Are you not a Muslim?" He said: Of course (I am a Muslim). He asked: "Then what made you urinate in the mosque?" He replied: By the One who sent you with the truth, I only thought that it was just one of the ordinary patches of ground, so I urinated here. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered a large bucket of water to be brought, and it was poured over his urine.

Tawus al-Yamani (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated: I said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): People claim that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take a bath on Friday and wash your heads, unless one is in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity), and apply some perfume." Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "As for perfume, I do not know; but as for the bath, yes (this command is established)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs at night after the Isha prayer."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away without having made any will (regarding the caliphate and succession)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed two rak'ahs in which he recited Umm al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book, al-Fatihah) and did not add anything to it in them."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he asked: "Which of the two readings do you count as the first reading?" The people said: "The reading of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)." He said: "In fact, our reading is the first reading, while the reading of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) is the last (and final) reading. Indeed, the Qur'an used to be presented to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) once every Ramadan, but in the year in which he passed away it was presented to him twice. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was present on that occasion, so he witnessed what of it was abrogated and what was changed."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have been helped by the saba (the east wind), and the people of 'Ad were destroyed by the dabur (the west wind)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): "On the day of (the expedition of) Ta'if, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set free those slaves of the polytheists who came out (leaving their masters) and came to him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I saw (in a dream) a cloud dripping ghee and honey, and the people were gathering it in their hands: some took much, some took little, and some were in between. And it was as if a rope had been let down from the sky; then you came and took hold of it and rose up, and Allah Almighty raised you high. Then another man came after you, took hold of it as well, rose up, and Allah raised him. Then another man came after you two, took hold of it and rose up as well. Then another man came after all of you and took hold of it, and the rope broke; then it was joined for him, and he rose up as well, and Allah raised him high." At this Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, permit me to interpret it." He gave him permission, and he said: "The cloud is Islam; the ghee and honey are the sweetness and delight of the Qur'an; the rope is the truth and guidance on which you stand: you hold fast to it, so Allah will raise you. Then after you a man will follow your way, and he too will attain a high rank. Then after you two another man will come who will follow in the footsteps of you both, and he too will be raised. Then after all of you another man will come who will be on your way, but in his case the rope will break; then it will be joined for him, and he too will rise, and Allah will raise him high." Then he asked: "O Messenger of Allah, did I interpret it correctly?" He said: "You were right in part and wrong in part." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I adjure you to tell me (my mistake)." He said: "Do not swear."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not circumambulate anything (around the House) except that it was part of the House (of Allah)."