Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reciting this verse during the Battle of Hunain: "I am a true Prophet, there is no lie in this. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib."

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 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 Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out from Makkah Mukarramah towards Madinah Munawwarah, Suraqah bin Malik (who had not yet accepted Islam) started following the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed against him, upon which his horse sank into the ground. He said, "Pray to Allah for me, I will not harm you." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for him. During this journey, at one point the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt thirsty. They passed by a shepherd. Hazrat Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) says, "I took a bowl and milked a little milk in it for the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and presented it to him. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drank it, and I became happy."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to sleep, he would make his right hand a pillow and recite this supplication: O Allah! On the day You gather Your servants, protect me from Your punishment.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had slightly curly hair, medium height, a little distance between both shoulders, and hair reaching the earlobes. One day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was wearing a red suit of clothes. I have never seen anyone more handsome than him, peace and blessings be upon him.

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."

A man from the tribe of Qais asked Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), “Did you people flee 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 flee. In fact, the people of Banu Hawazin were very skilled archers. When we overpowered them and began collecting the spoils of war, they suddenly showered us with arrows. 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 a true Prophet, there is no lie in this. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib.’”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that whenever the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from a journey, he would recite this supplication: "We are returning in repentance, and we are worshippers of our Lord and praisers of Him."

Abu Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I asked Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) whether if a man attacks the polytheists on his own initiative, is he the person about whom it is said in the Quran that he has thrown himself into destruction? He replied, "No, because Allah Almighty sent His Prophet and commanded him to strive in the way of Allah. You are only responsible for your own self, whereas this verse is related to spending (in the way of Allah)."

Abu Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once someone asked Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) whether the blessed face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was shining like a sword. He replied, "No, rather it was shining like the moon."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we were on a journey with the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We camped at the place of "Ghadir Khumm." After a while, the call "As-Salat Jami'ah" was made. A place was prepared for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) under two trees. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the Zuhr prayer and, holding the hand of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), said twice: "Do you not know that I have more right over the believers than their own selves?" The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, "Why not!" Then the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pressing the hand of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "Whoever I am beloved to, Ali should also be beloved to him. O Allah, O Allah! Love the one who loves Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and be the enemy of the one who is hostile to him." Afterwards, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) met Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "O son of Abu Talib! Congratulations to you that you began the morning and evening in such a state that you became the beloved of every believing man and woman." The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

Affan narrated to us, Shu’bah narrated to us, he said: Zubayd informed me, and Mansur, and Dawud, and Ibn ‘Awn, and Mujalid, from al-Sha’bi, and this is the hadith of Zubayd, he said: I heard al-Sha’bi narrating, from al-Bara’, and he narrated to us near a pillar in the mosque, he said: And if I had been there, I would have informed you of its exact place. He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, addressed us and said: "The first thing we begin with on this day of ours is that we pray, then we return and slaughter. Whoever does that has followed our Sunnah, and whoever slaughters before that, it is only meat he has presented to his family, it is not part of the ritual sacrifice in any way."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once (on the day of Eid al-Adha) the Noble 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 beforehand; 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 (peace and blessings be upon him)! I have already slaughtered my animal, but now I have a six-month-old lamb which is better than a year-old animal. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Sacrifice this in its place, but this will not suffice for anyone other than you.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When a person is questioned in the grave and he recognizes his Lord, then this is the meaning of the verse that Allah Almighty keeps the believers firm on the “firm word” in this world and in the Hereafter.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some Ansari men and said: If you have no choice but to sit by the roadside, then spread greetings of peace, help the oppressed, and guide the way.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some Ansari men and said: If you have no choice but to sit by the roadside, then spread greetings of peace, help the oppressed, and guide the way.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that in the beginning, this verse of the Noble Qur’an was revealed: “Those among the Muslims who sit (at home) and those who strive in the way of Allah are not equal.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Hazrat Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) and instructed him, so he brought a shoulder blade (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.

A man said jokingly to Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him), “Even though you are the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), you people ran away leaving him?” He replied, “As for the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I bear witness that he did not turn to flee, and I saw the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time of the digging of the trench, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was carrying earth along with the people, and reciting the poetry of Hazrat Abdullah bin Rawaha (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘O Allah! If You were not (with us), we would not have found guidance, nor given charity, nor prayed. So send down tranquility upon us, and make us firm when we meet the enemy. These people have rebelled against us, and when they intend mischief, we refuse (to yield).’ At this last sentence, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would raise his voice.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that I saw the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raising his hands at the beginning of the prayer.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is the right of Muslims that each of them should perform ghusl (ritual bath) on Friday, apply perfume if it is available, and if there is no perfume, then water itself is very purifying.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that once (on the day of Eid al-Adha) the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed us and said: Today, we will begin the day by performing the prayer, then return home and offer the sacrifice. Whoever does so has reached our way, and whoever offers the sacrifice before the Eid prayer, it is merely meat that he has given to his family beforehand; 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 (peace and blessings be upon him)! I have already slaughtered my animal, but now I have a six-month-old kid which is better than a year-old animal.” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Slaughter it in its place, but this permission is not for anyone except you.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, we were sitting in the Eidgah when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted the people with salam and said, “The first act of worship today is the prayer.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) moved forward and led two rak‘ahs, and after completing the prayer, turned his blessed face towards the people. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was presented with a bow or a staff, upon which he leaned. He praised Allah and mentioned some commands and prohibitions, and said, “Whoever among you has slaughtered an animal before the prayer, it is only meat that he has given to his family to eat; the sacrifice is after the prayer.” Upon hearing this, my uncle Hazrat Abu Burdah bin Niyar (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I slaughtered my goat before the prayer so that when we return, the food would be ready and we could eat together. However, I have a six-month-old kid goat which is healthier than the goat I have already slaughtered. Will it suffice on my behalf?” The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Yes! But it will not suffice on behalf of anyone other than you.” Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), and he set out, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also walked behind him until he reached the women. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O group of women! Give charity, for giving charity is the best for you.” Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says, “I have never seen more anklets, necklaces, and earrings than I saw on that day.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you perform prostration, place your palms on the ground and keep your arms raised above.

It is narrated, most likely, from Hazrat Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Tell me, if a man sets out on a journey along a forest path, and along the way he takes a nap under a tree, and with him is his mount on which his food and drink are placed. When the man wakes up, he does not see his mount. He climbs a high hill to look, but does not see the mount. Then he climbs another hill, but still does not see the mount. Then he turns back and suddenly sees his mount, which is dragging its reins and coming towards him. How happy would he be! But his happiness is not greater than the happiness of Allah when a servant repents before Allah and Allah becomes pleased. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

Abu al-Walid and ‘Affan narrated to us, they said: ‘Ubaydullah ibn Iyad narrated to us, he said: Iyad narrated to us, from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "How do you think of the joy of a man whose mount escaped from him, dragging its rein in a barren land where there is no food or drink, and on it is food," ‘Affan said: "and drink," "so he sought it until it became hard for him, then it passed by the trunk of a tree," ‘Affan said: "by a trunk, and its rein got caught," "so he found it hanging on it," ‘Affan said: "attached to it." He said: We said: It is intense, O Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "By Allah, Allah is more joyful at the repentance of His servant than the man with his mount." Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman said: Ja‘far ibn Humayd narrated it to us, he said: ‘Ubaydullah ibn Iyad narrated to us, the same.

Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says that we did not hear all the hadiths directly from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); our companions would also narrate hadiths to us. Because of herding camels, we could not be present in the service of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) very often.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Adorn the Holy Qur’an with your voices.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is the right of Muslims upon each other that every one of them should perform ghusl (ritual bath) on Friday, apply perfume if it is available, and if perfume is not available, then water itself is very purifying.

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, he first stayed with his maternal relatives. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen (or seventeen) months, while he wished that the Qiblah be towards the Ka‘bah. The very first prayer he offered facing the Ka‘bah was the ‘Asr prayer, in which some people participated with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One of them went out and passed by a mosque where the worshippers were in the state of bowing, facing Bayt al-Maqdis. He said, “I bear witness by the name of Allah that I have prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) facing the Ka‘bah.” So those people turned towards the Ka‘bah while in that very state. In short, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) desire was that his direction be turned towards the Ka‘bah, because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis, the Jews and all the People of the Book were very pleased with this. But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his direction towards the Ka‘bah, it became displeasing to them.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the funeral prayer of his son Hazrat Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him), who passed away at the age of only sixteen months, and said: “A wet nurse has been appointed for him in Paradise who will complete his period of suckling, and he is among the truthful.”

Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says that we did not hear all the hadiths directly from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); our companions also narrated hadiths to us. Because of herding camels, we were not able to be present in the service of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) very often.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that an Ansari man brought Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) as a prisoner (on the occasion of the Battle of Badr). Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! This person did not capture me; rather, I was captured by another man, of whose appearance I remember such and such things." The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to that person, "Allah helped you through a noble angel."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Only a believer will love the Ansar, and only a hypocrite will bear enmity towards them. Whoever loves them, Allah will love him, and whoever harbors hatred against them, Allah will hate him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once picked up Hazrat Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "I love him, so you should also love him."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Arrangements have been made for a wet nurse for Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him) in Paradise.

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on a journey, and in one rak'ah of the Isha prayer, he (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) commanded us to do seven things and forbade us from seven things. Then, while mentioning the things he commanded, he mentioned visiting the sick, following the funeral, responding to a sneezer, replying to greetings, supporting the one who swears an oath, accepting invitations, and helping the oppressed. And the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from silver vessels, gold rings, istabraq, harir, dibaj (all three are types of silk), red tablecloths, and silk-linen. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us, from Al-Ash'ath ibn Sulaym, and he mentioned its meaning except that he said: "responding to the sneezer."

It is narrated from Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty sends down mercy upon those in the first row, and the angels continue to supplicate for mercy for them. Wherever the voice of the muezzin reaches, and whatever dry or wet thing hears it, it affirms it, and by its blessing, the muezzin is forgiven, and he also receives the reward of those who pray with him. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.