Reviving Neglected Land (Hadith No. 2025)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 39, Number 528 :
Narrated by ‘Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “He who cultivates land that does not belong to anybody is more rightful (to own it).” ‘Urwa said, “Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) gave the same verdict in his Caliphate.”

Land that has no owner and does not serve and purpose– such as watercourses, places where firewood is gathered, grazing land and public amenities – may be taken possession of by reviving it, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever revives disused land, it becomes his.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3073) and at-Tirmidhi (1378); classed as hasan by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Buloogh al-Maraam (897); he also mentioned other isnaads for this hadeeth in al-Fath (5/19), then he said: There is some weakness in its isnaads, but they strengthen one another. See also Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (5/553).

Reviving land may be done by building fences around it, digging a well in it and extracting water from it, or diverting a stream of water to it.

It says in Zaad al-Mustaqni‘: The one who encloses disused land, or digs a well in it and finds water, or brings water to it from a spring, and the like, or diverts water away from it in order to cultivate it, has revived it. End quote. See also ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (10/329).

Taken from IslamQA

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(Hadith No. 1991)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 37, Number 495 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
Whenever a dead man in debt was brought to Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) he would ask, “Has he left anything to repay his debt?” If he was informed that he had left something to repay his debts, he would offer his funeral prayer, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to offer their friend’s funeral prayer. When Allah made the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) wealthy through conquests, he said, “I am more rightful than other believers to be the guardian of the believers, so if a Muslim dies while in debt, I am responsible for the repayment of his debt, and whoever leaves wealth (after his death) it will belong to his heirs.”

The first part of this hadith has been covered before. Read it here.

So initially the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) would refuse to offer the funeral prayer of a person who hadn’t left anything to repay his debt(s) with.. but later on, when the Bayt-ul-Maal was sufficiently stocked, he would have their debts repaid from the state treasury, considering himself the guardian of the believers.

And that’s how it should be. If someone dies in debt leaving behind nothing, the state should repay their debts.

Book of Hiwalah [Debt Transfer] ends here.

Repaying Debt of a Dead Person (Hadith No. 1989)

Bismillah.

Hadith no. 1988 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 3, Book 37, Number 492 :
Narrated by Salama bin Al-Akwa (radiallaahu `anhu)
A dead person was brought to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) so that he might lead the funeral prayer for him. He asked, “Is he in debt?” When the people replied in the negative, he led the funeral prayer. Another dead person was brought and he asked, “Is he in debt?” They said, “Yes.” He (refused to lead the prayer and) said, “Lead the prayer of your friend.” Abu Qatada (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “O Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)! I undertake to pay his debt.” Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) then led his funeral prayer.

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 3, Book 37, Number 493 :
Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah (radiallaahu `anhu)
Once the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said (to me), “If the money of Bahrain comes, I will give you a certain amount of it.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) had breathed his last before the money of Bahrain arrived. When the money of Bahrain reached, Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) announced, “Whoever was promised by the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) should come to us.” I went to Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) and said, “The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) promised me so and so.” Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) gave me a handful of coins and when I counted them, they were five-hundred in number. Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) then said, “Take twice the amount you have taken (besides).”

One should hasten to repay debt of another person, especially if they take over the position of the one who died, like Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) became Khalifah after Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)’s death so now he was in charge of people’s affairs. Whatever Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) promised them, he had to make sure they got it.

Don’t Abuse the Dead (Hadith No. 1175)

Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 476:

Narrated ‘Aisha :

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Don’t abuse the dead, because they have reached the result of what they forwarded.”

Abusing here refers to verbal abuse, using harsh words against a person.

Most scholars say that this is for the believers, i.e. don’t abuse the dead believers. But anyhow, taking the hukm (commandment) of the Prophet (SAW), one must be careful as to not talk bad about any dead person, especially the believers.
This also implies not judging them, i.e. not deciding where they ended up. Because. We. Don’t. Know.

No matter how pious you knew the person to be, you are not allowed to say (even about a martyr) that he/she definitely went to Jannah, or in the case of a wicked one, that he/she definitely went to Hell.

Prophet (SAW) said:

والله ما أدرى وأنا رسول الله ما يفعل بى

[roughly translated:] By Allah, I do not know what will be done with me, even though I’m the Messenger of Allah.

If Prophet (SAW) wasn’t so sure, how can we claim to know about a person’s fate? Do we have angels coming to us as reporters? :)

Side question: is it okay to organize a gathering to remember the deceased? Find the answer here.

Ghusl for the Deceased (Ahadith 1043 – 1053)

Bismillah.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 344:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya al-Ansariya:

Allah’s Apostle came to us when his daughter died and said, “Wash her thrice or five times or more, if you see it necessary, with water and Sidr and then apply camphor or some camphor at the end; and when you finish, notify me.” So when we finished it, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud the dead body in it.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 345:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya

Allah’s Apostle came to us and we were giving a bath to his (dead) daughter and said, “Wash her three, five or more times with water and Sidr and sprinkle camphor on her at the end; and when you finish, notify me.” So when we finished, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and told us to shroud her in it. Aiyub said that Hafsa narrated to him a narration similar to that of Muhammad in which it was said that the bath was to be given for an odd number of times, and the numbers 3, 5 or 7 were mentioned. It was also said that they were to start with the right side and with the parts which were washed in ablution, and that Um ‘Atiyya also mentioned, “We combed her hair and divided them in three braids.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 346:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya:

Allah’s Apostle , concerning his (dead) daughter’s bath, said, “Start with the right side, and the parts which are washed in ablution.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 347:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya :

When we washed the deceased daughter of the Prophet, he said to us, while we were washing her, “Start the bath from the right side and from the parts which are washed in ablution.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 348:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya:

The daughter of the Prophet expired, and he said to us, “Wash her three or five times, or more if you see it necessary, and when you finish, notify me.” So, (when we finished) we informed him and he unfastened his waist-sheet and told us to shroud her in it.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 349:

Narrated Muhammad:

Um ‘Atiyya said, “One of the daughters of the Prophet died and he came out and said, ‘Wash her three or five times or more, if you think it necessary, with water and Sidr, and last of all put camphor (or some camphor) and when you finish, inform me.’ ” Um Atiyya added, “When we finished we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheet and said, ‘Shroud her in it.’ ” And Um ‘Atiyya (in another narration) added, “The Prophet said, ‘Wash her three, five or seven times or more, if you think it necessary.’ ” Hafsa said that Um ‘Atiyya had also said, “We entwined her hair into three braids.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 350:

Narrated Hafsa bint Sirin:

Um ‘Atiyya said that they had entwined the hair of the daughter of Allah’s Apostle in three braids. They first undid her hair, washed and then entwined it in three braids.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 351:

Narrated Ibn Sirin:

Um ‘Atiyya (an Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet ) came to Basra to visit her son, but she could not find him. She narrated to us, “The Prophet came to us while we were giving bath to his (dead) daughter, he said: ‘Wash her three times, five times or more, if you think it necessary, with water and Sidr, and last of all put camphor, and when you finish, notify me.’ ” Um ‘Atiyya added, “After finishing, we informed him and he gave us his waist sheet and told us to shroud her in it and did not say more than that.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 352:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya:

We entwined the hair of the dead daughter of the Prophet into three braids. Waki said that Sufyan said, “One braid was entwined in front and the other two were entwined on the sides of the head.”

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 353:

Narrated Um ‘Atiyya:

One of the daughters of the Prophet expired and he came to us and said, “Wash her with Sidr (water) for odd number of times, i.e. three, five or more, if you think it necessary, and in the last, put camphor or (some camphor on her), and when you finish, notify me.” So when we finished we informed him. He gave his waist-sheet to us (to shroud her). We entwined the hair (of the deceased girl) in three braids and made them fall at her back.

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 354:

Narrated ‘Aisha:

Allah’s Apostle was shrouded in three Yemenite white Suhuliya (pieces of cloth) of cotton, and in them there was neither a shirt nor a turban.”

• Dead body should be washed for an odd number of times.
• Wash with water. Any non-alcoholic perfume can be added to the water.
• Start from the right side and the parts which are washed in ablution.
• Camphor to be applied at the end.
• Women’s hair must be tied in three braids.
• Body to be wrapped in plain sheets, not sewn.

Detailed method to be found here.

Do go through this book (Urdu) for a lot more of details: mera-jeena-mera-marna

Wassalam.