Hilal bin Yisaf narrates: We were on a journey with Sayyiduna Salim bin Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him), and a man among them sneezed and said: 'As-salamu alaykum' (Peace be upon you). Salim (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "Upon you and upon your mother be peace." Then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When one of you sneezes, let him praise Allah; let those who are with him say 'Yarhamuk Allah' (May Allah have mercy on you); and let him (the sneezer) reply to them: 'Yaghfirullahu lana wa lakum' (May Allah forgive us and you)." The error in this narration of Jarir is evident, for Hilal bin Yisaf did not meet Salim bin Ubayd nor see him; between them is an unknown narrator. As for the wording that occurs in the words of some jurists who do not distinguish between authentic and weak reports, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the sneezer to say to the one who responded to him 'Yahdikumullahu wa yuslihu balakum' (May Allah guide you and set your affairs right), it gives the false impression that this supplication is for the People of the Book only and not for the Muslims.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Jews used to sneeze (deliberately) in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), hoping that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would say to them in reply 'Yarhamukumullah' (May Allah have mercy on you), but he (peace and blessings be upon him) would say to them (in reply): "'Yahdikumullahu wa yuslihu balakum' (May Allah guide you and set your affairs right)." This hadith has a connected chain of narration, and this report does not contradict the authentic reports agreed upon in the two Sahihs of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, because the authentic Sunnah is that a Muslim says to his brother 'Yarhamuk Allah' (May Allah have mercy on you), and he replies 'Yahdikumullahu wa yuslihu balakum' (May Allah guide you and set your affairs right); whereas he (peace and blessings be upon him) would supplicate for the Jews only for guidance and the setting right of their affairs, instead of 'Yarhamukumullah'. So the one who uses this as evidence does not distinguish between the sneezer and the one who responds to him. the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated for guidance for himself and for the Muslims in many reports whose explanation would take too long here, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded his close friend, his chosen one and his son-in-law, Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), to ask Allah for guidance.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ali, ask Allah for guidance and steadfastness (sadad); when asking for guidance, keep in mind being guided along the road, and when asking for steadfastness, keep in mind the straightening of an arrow." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave his son, Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), the same command that he had given his father; and the words of the Qunut supplication that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him, 'Allahumma ihdini fiman hadayt' (O Allah, include me among those whom You have guided), are too well known to need mention of their chain and routes.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade a man from placing one of his legs over the other while lying down. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade ishtimal al-samma' (wrapping the whole body in a single sheet in such a way that the hands cannot come out), and also forbade a man from lying flat on his back and raising one of his legs over the other.

Amr bin al-Sharid narrates from his father that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by him while he was sitting leaning on the palm of his (left) hand, which he had placed behind his back, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you sit the way those who have incurred (Allah's) anger sit?" This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best gatherings are those that are the most spacious and roomy." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Amrah that Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) was informed of a funeral among his people. He came when the people had already taken their seats; when the people saw him, they drew aside (to make room for him), and he sat in a corner. Then he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best gatherings are the most spacious." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi narrates: I met Sayyiduna Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) in Madinah in the days of his youth, handsomeness and freshness. Then when he became caliph, I came to him and asked permission to enter, and he permitted me. I began to look at him intently, and he asked me: O Ibn Ka'b, what is the matter, why are you looking at me so intently? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I am astonished at your changed complexion, your emaciated body and your dishevelled hair. He said: O Ibn Ka'b, how would you be if you saw me in my grave after three days had passed, when the ants will have pulled out my eyeballs and they will be flowing down my cheeks, and pus will be coming out of my nostrils and mouth?! Then you would refuse to recognize me altogether. Leave these matters aside; narrate to me again the hadith of Ibn Abbas which he narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So I said: Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, everything has a height (of honour), and the most honoured of gatherings is the one in which one sits facing the Qiblah. Your gatherings with one another should be held with trust. Kill the snake and the scorpion, even if you are in prayer. Do not cover your walls (with cloth and the like). None of you should look into his brother's writing without his permission. And none of you should pray behind one who is sleeping or one who is talking." The narrator said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the deeds most beloved to Allah Almighty, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever brings happiness to a believer, whether by feeding him when he is hungry, paying off his debt, or relieving him of one of the hardships of this world, Allah Almighty will relieve him of the hardships of the Hereafter. Whoever grants respite to one who is well-off, or overlooks (the debt of) one in hardship, Allah will shade him on the Day when there is no shade but His shade. Whoever walks with his brother to a corner of the town to fulfil his need, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will make his feet firm on the Day when feet will slip. And for one of you to walk with his brother to fulfil his need - and he (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed with his finger - is better than observing i'tikaf in this mosque of mine for two months." (Then he said): "Shall I not tell you about the worst among you?" The Companions said: Certainly, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! He said: "The one who camps alone, does not help anyone, and beats his slave." This hadith has another chain of narration, in which there are some additional words.

Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi narrates: I met Sayyiduna Umar bin Abd al-Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) when he was governor of Madinah on behalf of al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik; he was a sturdy, strongly built young man. Then when he became caliph, I came to him in Khunasirah, and his condition had changed completely from what it had been. Then he mentioned the hadith and added in it that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And whoever looks into his brother's book (writing) without his permission, it is as if he is looking into the Fire. Whoever wishes to be the strongest of people, let him place his trust in Allah. Whoever wishes to be the most honoured of people, let him fear Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. And whoever wishes to be the richest of people, let him rely more on what is in the Hand of Allah than on what is in his own hand." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you about one who is even worse than this?" The Companions said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! He said: "The one who does not overlook anyone's slip, does not accept anyone's excuse, and does not forgive anyone's sin. Shall I not inform you of one who is even worse than this?" The Companions said: Certainly, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! He said: "The one from whom no good is hoped and from whose evil no one is safe. Indeed, Isa ibn Maryam (Allah's blessings be upon him) stood among the Children of Israel and said: 'O Children of Israel, do not speak wisdom before the ignorant, lest you wrong the wisdom; do not withhold it from those worthy of it, lest you wrong them; do not wrong a wrongdoer by transgressing against him; and do not repay a wrongdoer with evil in such a way that your merit with your Lord is lost. O Children of Israel, matters are of three kinds: a matter whose error is clear, so avoid it; and a matter about which there is disagreement, so refer it to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.'" This hadith is sahih (authentic); Hisham bin Ziyad al-Basri and Musadif bin Ziyad al-Madini both agree in narrating it from Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi, and Allah knows best. I did not consider it proper to leave this place empty of this hadith, for it brings together many manners.