Musnad Ahmad

Abu Abd al-Rahman said: Ubaydullah al-Qawariri narrated to me, he said: Mu'adh ibn Hisham narrated to us, and he mentioned the like of it with his chain of narration.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that in the beginning, this verse of the Holy Qur’an was revealed: “Those among the Muslims who sit (without participating in jihad) and those who strive in the way of Allah are not equal.” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Hazrat Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) and instructed him, so he brought a shoulder bone and wrote this verse on it. Upon this, Hazrat Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) complained about his blindness, so the words “except those who are disabled” were further revealed in this verse.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man was reciting Surah Al-Kahf, and there was an animal (a horse) tied in the house. Suddenly, it started to become restless. The man looked and saw that there was a cloud or canopy that had covered him. He mentioned this to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O so-and-so! Keep reciting, for that was tranquility (sakinah) which descends at the time of the recitation of the Noble Qur’an."

Ubaid bin Firoz (may Allah have mercy on him) asked Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) which kinds of animals the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade for sacrifice and which he considered disliked? He replied that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Four kinds of animals are not sufficient for sacrifice: the one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, the sick animal whose sickness is obvious, the lame animal whose lameness is obvious, and the animal whose bone is broken and its marrow has come out. Ubaid said: I consider it disliked to sacrifice an animal with a defect in its horn, ear, or tooth. He replied: Leave what you consider disliked, but do not declare it forbidden for anyone else.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would remain standing until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration (sajdah), and then they would go into prostration after him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that among the companions of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the first to come to us were Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair (may Allah be pleased with him) and Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him). They used to teach people the Noble Qur’an. Then Hazrat ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) came. Then Hazrat ‘Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) came with twenty men. Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself also arrived. I have never seen the people of Madinah as happy as they were at that time; even the small children, I saw them saying joyfully that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has arrived. When the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, I had already learned Surah Al-A‘la and some other surahs from the Mufassalat.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that I saw the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the occasion of the digging of the trench, that he (peace be upon him) was carrying earth along with the people and reciting these verses of (Abdullah bin Rawaha, may Allah be pleased with him): O Allah, if it were not for You, we would not have been guided, nor given charity, nor prayed. So send down tranquility upon us, and make us steadfast when we meet the enemy. These people have rebelled against us, and when they intend to cause mischief, we refuse. At this last sentence, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his voice.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the manner of the prayer of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was such that when he (peace be upon him) prayed, bowed (in ruku‘), raised his head from ruku‘, prostrated (in sajdah), raised his head from sajdah, and between the two prostrations, at all these points, the duration was equal.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed an Ansari that when he comes to his bed, he should say: O Allah, I have submitted myself to You, turned my face towards You, entrusted my affairs to You, and relied on You alone for support. My desire is for You, and I fear You. There is no refuge or sanctuary except with You. I have believed in Your Book which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent. If the one who says these words dies that night, he will die upon the natural faith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever gives someone a gift, such as silver or gold, or gives someone milk to drink, or gives someone a water-skin, it is as if he has freed a slave. And whoever recites these words: La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer, it is like freeing a slave.

And the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to walk from one end of the row to the other, straightening the chests and shoulders of those praying, and he used to say: "Do not move forward or backward, otherwise differences will arise in your hearts." And he used to say: "Upon those in the first rows, Allah sends down mercy and the angels continue to supplicate for mercy for them." And he used to say: "Beautify the Qur'an with your voices."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would remain standing until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration (sajdah), and then they would go into prostration after him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever gives someone a gift, such as silver or gold, or gives someone milk to drink, or gives someone a water-skin, it is as if he has freed a slave. And whoever recites these words: La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer, it is like freeing a slave.

And the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to walk from one end of the row to the other, straightening the chests and shoulders of those praying, and he used to say: "Do not move forward or backward, otherwise differences will arise in your hearts." And he used to say: "Upon those in the first rows, Allah Almighty sends down mercy and the angels continue to supplicate for mercy for them."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever calls Madinah by the name of Yathrib should seek forgiveness from Allah; it is Taabah, Taabah (pure).

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite Qunoot Nazilah in the Fajr and Maghrib prayers.

It is narrated from Hukm, may Allah have mercy on him, that during the days of Ibn Ash'ath's rebellion, Mutarrif bin Najiyah appointed Abu Ubaidah bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead the prayer. When he would rise from bowing (ruku'), he would stand for as long as it would take me to say these words (the translation of which is: O Allah, O our Lord, all praise is for You, as much as would fill the heavens and fill the earth and fill whatever else You will. Whatever You give to someone, none can withhold, and whatever You withhold from someone, none can give, and the rank of any rank-holder is of no avail before You). It is narrated from Bara' bin Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, that the manner of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer was such that when he prayed, bowed, rose from bowing, prostrated, raised his head from prostration, and between the two prostrations, at all these points, the duration was equal.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his head from bowing (ruku‘), the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would remain standing until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went into prostration (sajdah), and then they would go into prostration after him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out with his companions (may Allah be pleased with them). We put on the Ihram for Hajj. When we reached Makkah Mukarramah, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Change the Ihram of your Hajj to that of Umrah.” The people began to say, “O Messenger of Allah! We have put on the Ihram for Hajj; how can we change it to Umrah?” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Act according to the command I am giving you.” Some people repeated the same thing, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became angry and left from there, and in that state of anger, he went to Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). She saw the signs of anger on the face of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “Who has made you angry? May Allah send His anger upon him.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Why should I not be angry when I am commanding something and my words are not being followed?”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we were sitting with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us: “Which rope of Islam is the strongest?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “Prayer.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Very good, and after that?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “Zakat.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Very good, and after that?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “Fasting in the month of Ramadan.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Very good, and after that?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “Hajj of the House of Allah.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Very good, and after that?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, “Jihad.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), after saying “Very good,” said: “The strongest rope of faith is that you love or hate someone for the sake of Allah’s pleasure.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that people passed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with a Jew whose face had been blackened and who had been flogged. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called one of their scholars (a priest) and said, “I ask you by Allah, Who revealed the Torah to Moses, do you find this as the punishment for adultery in your Book?” He swore and said, “No. If you had not made me swear such a great oath, I would never have informed you of this. In our Book, the punishment for adultery is stoning, but adultery became widespread among our nobles. So, when we caught a nobleman, we would let him go, and when we caught a weak person, we would carry out the punishment on him. Then we thought of setting a punishment that we could apply to both the noble and the weak, so we agreed on blackening the face and flogging.” Upon hearing this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O Allah! I am the first to revive Your command after they had made it dead.” Then, by the order of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Jew was stoned. On this occasion, Allah Almighty revealed this verse: “O Messenger! Let not those who hasten into disbelief grieve you, those who say, ‘If you are given this, take it’—meaning, go to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and if he gives you the verdict of blackening the face and flogging, accept it, but if he gives the verdict of stoning, then leave it.” Then, specifically regarding the Jews, it was said: “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are disbelievers.” Then, regarding all disbelievers, it was said: “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are wrongdoers.” “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are transgressors.” The narrator says that all three of these verses refer to the disbelievers.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Hazrat Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him): Satirize the polytheists, Gabriel is with you.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once he offered the Isha prayer behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In one rak‘ah of it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah Wat-Teen.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once he offered the Isha prayer behind the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In one rak‘ah of it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surah Wat-Teen.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: These verses of the Holy Qur’an, “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are disbelievers,” then regarding all the disbelievers it is said, “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are wrongdoers,” and “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such people are transgressors”—these three verses were revealed about the disbelievers.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara' (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Spread the greeting of peace, you will remain in safety, and arrogance is the worst thing.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever says these words: "La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer" — it is like freeing a slave. Whoever gives someone a gift, such as silver or gold, or gives someone milk to drink, or gives someone a water-skin, it is as if he has freed a slave.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us regarding seven things and forbade us from seven things. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from (using) silver vessels, gold rings, istabraq, harir, and dibaj (all three are types of silk), red tablecloths, and silk-linen. Then, mentioning the things he commanded, he mentioned visiting the sick, accompanying the funeral, responding to one who sneezes, replying to greetings, supporting one who swears an oath, accepting invitations, and helping the oppressed.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once (on the day of Eid al-Adha) the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and said: Today we will begin the day by offering the prayer, then return home and perform the sacrifice. Whoever does so has reached our way, and whoever performs the sacrifice before the Eid prayer, it is merely meat that he has given to his family earlier; it has nothing to do with the sacrifice. My uncle, Hazrat Abu Burdah bin Niyar (may Allah be pleased with him), had already slaughtered his animal before the Eid prayer. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! I have already slaughtered my animal, but now I have a six-month-old kid which is better than a year-old animal.” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Slaughter it in its place, but no one else besides you is permitted to do so.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we went out with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) for the funeral of an Ansari. When we reached near the grave, the lahd (niche) had not yet been prepared, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat down, and we also sat around him. It felt as if birds were sitting on our heads. In the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a stick with which he was scratching the ground. Then he raised his head and said, “Seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave,” and he said this two or three times. Then he said: “When a believing servant is about to depart from this world and move to the Hereafter, angels with bright faces come to him from the heavens. They bring with them a shroud from Paradise and perfume from Paradise, and they sit as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says, ‘O good soul! Come out to Allah’s forgiveness and pleasure.’ So his soul comes out flowing just as a drop of water flows from the mouth of a water-skin. The Angel of Death takes it, and the other angels do not leave it in his hand even for the blink of an eye; rather, they take it from him, wrap it in the shroud, and apply the perfume they have brought. From it comes a fragrance like the best musk that can be found on earth. Then the angels ascend with this soul, and whenever they pass by a group of angels, they ask, ‘Who is this pure soul?’ They reply with the best name by which he was known in the world, until they reach the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened. When it is opened, the angels of each heaven accompany him to the next, until they reach the seventh heaven. Then Allah Almighty says, ‘Record the book of My servant in Illiyyin and return him to the earth, for I created them from it, into it I shall return them, and from it I shall bring them forth again.’ So his soul is returned to his body. Then two angels come to him, make him sit up, and ask, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He replies, ‘My Lord is Allah.’ They ask, ‘What is your religion?’ He replies, ‘My religion is Islam.’ They ask, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He replies, ‘He is Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).’ They ask, ‘What is your knowledge?’ He replies, ‘I read Allah’s Book, believed in it, and affirmed it.’ Then a caller from the heavens proclaims, ‘My servant has spoken the truth. Spread out for him a bed from Paradise, clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise.’ So its breezes and fragrances come to him, and his grave is expanded for him as far as the eye can see. Then a man with a beautiful face and pleasant fragrance comes to him and says, ‘Rejoice in what you have been promised. This is the day you were promised.’ He asks, ‘Who are you? Your face brings good news.’ He replies, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’ Then he says, ‘O Lord! Establish the Hour so that I may return to my family and wealth.’

And when a disbelieving person is about to depart from this world and move to the Hereafter, angels with dark faces descend from the heavens, bringing with them rough cloth. They sit as far as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death comes and sits by his head and says, ‘O wicked soul! Come out to Allah’s wrath and anger.’ Hearing this, his soul disperses within his body, and the Angel of Death pulls it out as a skewer is pulled out from wet wool, and he seizes it. The angels do not leave it in his hand even for the blink of an eye; rather, they wrap it in the rough cloth, and from it comes a foul stench like the worst dead flesh found on earth. Then they ascend with it, and whenever they pass by a group of angels, they say, ‘What is this wicked soul?’ They reply with the worst name by which he was known in the world, until they reach the lowest heaven and ask for the gate to be opened, but it is not opened for him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: “For them, the gates of heaven will not be opened, nor will they enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.”

Ibn Numayr narrated to us, Al-A'mash narrated to us, Al-Minhāl ibn 'Amr narrated to us, from Abu 'Umar Zādhān, who said: I heard Al-Barā’ ibn 'Āzib say: We went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for the funeral of a man from the Ansar. We reached the grave and it had not yet been dug. He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sat down, and we sat with him. He mentioned something similar, and said: "So it is pulled out, and with it the veins and nerves are severed." My father said: And likewise Zā’ida said.

Muawiyah ibn Amr narrated to us, Za'idah narrated to us, Sulaiman al-A'mash narrated to us, al-Minhal ibn Amr narrated to us, Zadhan narrated to us, he said: Al-Bara' said: We went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the funeral of a man from the Ansar, and he mentioned its meaning except that he said: "And there appeared to him a man with good clothes, good face." And he said regarding the disbeliever: "And there appeared to him a man with an ugly face, ugly clothes."

It is narrated from Yazid bin Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the governor of Oman and an excellent governor, that one day my father, Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), said: “All of you gather in one place, I will show you how the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution and how he prayed, because there is no telling how long I will remain among you.” So he gathered his sons and family members and asked for water for ablution. He rinsed his mouth, put water in his nose, washed his face three times, washed his right hand three times, and then his left hand three times. Then he wiped his head and ears, inside and out. He washed his right foot three times and then his left foot three times, and said: “I have not left out anything in showing you the way the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution.” Then he entered his room and prayed, the reality of which we do not know (whether it was obligatory or voluntary prayer). Then he came out, gave the command for prayer, the iqamah was pronounced, and he led us in the Zuhr prayer. I think I heard some verses of Surah Yaseen from him (in this prayer). Then he led the Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers at their respective times and said: “I have not left out anything in showing you the way the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) performed ablution and prayer.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that a person asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about performing ablution after eating camel meat. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Perform ablution. Then he was asked about praying in the enclosures of camels. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not pray in them, because there is an influence of Satan among camels. Then he was asked about praying in the enclosures of goats. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Pray in them, because goats are a source of blessing.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, we prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis with him for sixteen (or seventeen) months. Afterwards, our direction was turned towards the Ka'bah.

A man from the tribe of Qais asked Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), “Did you people run away and leave the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time of the Battle of Hunain?” Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not run away. In fact, some hasty people fled, so the people of Banu Hawazin started showering arrows from the front. At that time, I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) riding a white mule, whose reins were held by Hazrat Abu Sufyan bin Harith (may Allah be pleased with him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was saying, ‘I am the true Prophet, there is no lie in this. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib.’”

It is narrated from Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) and Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the exchange of gold for silver on credit.

Ubaid bin Firoz (may Allah have mercy on him) asked Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) which kind of animal the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade for sacrifice and which he considered disliked? He replied that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Four kinds of animals are not sufficient for sacrifice: the one-eyed animal whose defect is obvious, the sick animal whose sickness is obvious, the lame animal whose lameness is obvious, and the animal whose bone is broken and its marrow has come out. Ubaid said: I consider it disliked to sacrifice an animal whose horn, ear, or tooth is defective. He replied: Leave what you consider disliked, but do not declare it forbidden for anyone else. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

Narrated to us Affan, narrated to us Shu'bah, informed me Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, he said: I heard Ubayd ibn Fayruz, a freed slave of Banu Shayban, that he asked al-Bara' about the sacrifices, and he mentioned the hadith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that a silk cloth was presented to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). People began to admire its beauty and softness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The handkerchiefs of Sa’d bin Mu’adh in Paradise are better and superior to this."