It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shirk is more hidden than the sound of an ant creeping over a (black) rock on a dark night. Its lowest degree is that you love something of injustice or hate something of justice. And is the religion anything other than love and hatred for the sake of Allah? Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: 'Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you' [Surah Al Imran: 31] ." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, and the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) concerning the verse "except when you guard yourselves against them as a precaution (tuqah)" [Surah Al Imran: 28] ; he said: "Tuqah" (taqiyyah) means only saying (such a thing) with the tongue while the heart is fully at rest in faith. But he must not (even under compulsion) stretch out his hand to kill, nor go towards any sin, for in that no excuse is accepted. This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, and the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) concerning the recitation of the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, from "I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated (to Your service)" up to "he found with her provision" [Surah Al Imran: 35 - 37] ; he said: Sayyiduna Zakariyya (peace be upon him) took charge of Sayyidah Maryam (peace be upon her). Whenever he entered upon her in the place of worship (mihrab), he would find baskets of grapes out of season there. Sayyiduna Zakariyya (peace be upon him) asked: "(O Maryam!) From where have these come to you? She said: They are from Allah; indeed Allah provides for whom He wills without measure." He said (to himself): Surely the One who can give grapes out of season is also able to grant me a child despite my old age and my barren wife. Right there Zakariyya (peace be upon him) prayed to his Lord. When he was given the glad tidings of Sayyiduna Yahya (peace be upon him), he said: "My Lord, appoint for me a sign. He said: Your sign is that you will not be able to speak to the people for three nights, though you are sound" [Surah Maryam: 10] . He (Ibn Abbas) said: That is, your tongue will be held back from speech without any illness, while you are in good health. This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, and the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every prophet has guardians (wulah) from among the prophets, and my guardians among them are my father and my intimate friend, Ibrahim (peace be upon him)." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "Indeed, the people most worthy of Ibrahim are those who followed him, and this Prophet, and those who have believed; and Allah is the Ally of the believers." [Surah Al Imran: 68] This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Isra'il (Ya'qub, peace be upon him) was afflicted with sciatica ('irq al-nasa), because of which he would moan in pain through the nights. He vowed that if Allah cured him, he would not eat meat that had veins in it. So the Jews also declared it forbidden (for themselves), and then this verse was revealed: "All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Isra'il had made unlawful for himself before the Torah was revealed. Say: Bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful." [Surah Al Imran: 93] Indeed, this event took place before the revelation of the Torah. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning sciatica ('irq al-nasa): "The fat tail of an Arabian ram should be taken, neither the largest nor the smallest; it should be cut into small pieces and melted thoroughly, then divided into three portions, and one portion should be drunk each day on an empty stomach." Anas bin Sirin said: I advised many people to do this (he mentioned a large number), and by the permission of Allah they all recovered. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it.

It is narrated from Khalid bin Ar'arah that a man asked Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) about this verse, "Indeed, the first House established for mankind is the one at Bakkah, blessed" [Surah Al Imran: 96] : Is it the first house ever built on the earth? He said: "No, rather it is the first house established for blessing and guidance (for the worship of Allah), in which is the Station of Ibrahim, and whoever enters it is safe. If you wish, I will tell you how it was built. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to Ibrahim (peace be upon him): Build a house for Me on the earth. He was anxious about determining its location, so Allah sent to him the Sakinah, which is a swift wind that has a head (like a serpent). They followed one another until it reached the site of the Ka'bah, and there it coiled up like a serpent. Then Ibrahim (peace be upon him) began to build it; he would lay one course each day. When he reached the place of the Black Stone, he said to his son: Look for a stone for me. He searched for a stone and came back, and saw that the Black Stone had already been set in place. He asked: Where did this come from? Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said: It was brought by the one who did not rely on your building; Jibril (peace be upon him) brought it from the heavens." And thus he completed it. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Muslim, and the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

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) addressed us and said: "O people, Allah Almighty has made Hajj obligatory upon you." At this, al-Aqra' bin Habis stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah, is it (obligatory) every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had I said yes, it would have become obligatory (every year), and had it become obligatory, you would not have acted upon it (or: you would not have been able to act upon it). Hajj is (once in a lifetime) only once, and whoever does more than that, it is voluntary." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it; and Sufyan bin Husayn al-Wasiti also narrated it in the same way from al-Zuhri.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that al-Aqra' bin Habis (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): Is Hajj (obligatory) once every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather only once (in a lifetime); so whoever does more than that, it is voluntary." In this chapter, a detailed account is also narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that when this verse was revealed: "And (due) to Allah from the people is the pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to find a way to it" [Surah Al Imran: 97] , the people said: O Messenger of Allah, every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. They asked again: Every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) again remained silent. They asked a third time: Every year? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, and had I said yes, it would have become obligatory (every year)." Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "O you who believe, do not ask about things which, if they were made plain to you, would displease you." [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 101] Imam al-Hakim said: These three hadiths ought to have been recorded at the beginning of the Book of the Rites of Hajj, but that was not decreed for me (at the time), so I have recorded them here in the commentary on this verse.