‘Umar b. al-Khattab said that the Prophet sent to Najd an expedition which took much booty and came back quickly. A man who had not gone out said, “We have never seen an expedition return more quickly or bring finer booty than this one," whereupon the Prophet said, “Shall I not indicate to you people who have most excellent booty and a most excellent return? They are people who have been present at the Morning Prayer, then sat making mention of God till the sun rose. Those have the quickest return and most excellent booty."
Tirmidhi transmitted it and said this is a gharib tradition and Hammad b. Abu Humaid the transmitter is weak in tradition.
‘Abd ar-Rahman b. Ghanm reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone says ten times before he departs and turns away his feet after the senset and the morning prayers, ‘There is no god but God alone who has no partner, to whom belongs the kingdom, to whom praise is due, in whose hand is good, who gives life, causes death, and is omnipotent,’ ten blessings will be recorded for him for every time he says it, ten evil deeds will be obliterated, he will be raised ten degrees, it will act as a charm for him from every unpleasantness and from the accursed devil, he will not be taken to account for any sin but polytheism, and he will be among those whose deeds are most excellent, except for one who may excel him by saying something more excellent than he did.”
Ahmad transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted something to the same effect from Abu Dharr up to “but polytheism”. He did not mention the sunset prayer, or “In whose hand is good", and he said this is a hasan sahih gharib tradition.
While I was praying along with God's Messenger a man in the campany sneezed, and I said, “God have mercy on you!” The people gave me disapproving looks, so I said, “Woe is me! What do you mean by looking at me?” They began to strike their hands on their thighs, and when I saw them urging me to be silent ”. I said, “Among us there are men who draw lines.”3 He replied, “There was a prophet who drew lines, so if any do it as he did, that is allowable.”
1. Some such phrase as that in brackets is required to complete the sense. It can be seen from the remarks at the end of the tradition that the text has been considered difficult.
2. Diviners, soothsayers.
3. The reference is to geomancy. The diviner draws many lines and obliterates them in pairs. If two are left it is a good sign, but if only one remains it indicates disappointment. The reference to the prophet may be a recollection of the statement in John 8:6 that Jesus wrote on the ground with his finger when the people asked what should be done with the woman caught in adultery; but this has no connection with geomancy.
Muslim transmitted it. I found the phrase “But I said nothing” given thus in Muslim’s Sahih and al-Humaidi’s book. In Jami' al-usul it is stated to be correct, the word “thus”* being written above “but I.”
*This corresponds to the use of (sic) to indicate an accurate quotation.
I heard God’s Messenger say on the timbers of this pulpit, “If anyone recites the Throne verse (Al-Qur’an; 2:255) at the end of every prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering paradise; and if he recites it when he goes to bed, God will grant security to his house, his neighbour’s house, and the inhabitants of the little dwellings around him.”
Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman, but said that its isnad is weak.
