254 – Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqbah ibn Abī Muʿayṭ, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “The person who seeks to reconcile people—by spreading (1) good words or by saying something good—is not a liar.” Agreed upon.

In the version recorded by Muslim there is an addition. She said, “I never heard him permit any deliberate misstatement people might make except in three cases”—meaning: during war, in reconciling people, and in what a man tells his wife or a wife tells her husband.

255 – ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard the voices of two litigants at the door, their voices raised. One of them was asking the other to reduce his debt and to treat him gently about something, while the other kept saying, “By Allah, I will not do it!” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to them and said, “Where is the one who has sworn by Allah that he will not do a good deed?” The man replied, “I am, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said, “Then let him choose whichever of the two courses he prefers.” Agreed upon.

The term “yastawḍiʿuhu” means: he asks him to waive part of his debt. “Yastarfiquhu” means: he asks him for leniency. “Al-mutaʾallī” is the one who has taken an oath.

256 – Abū al-ʿAbbās Sahl ibn Saʿd al-Sāʿidī, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that word reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that discord had arisen among the clan of Banū ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf. He went out with a number of companions to set matters right between them, and he was detained there. When the time for prayer arrived, Bilāl came to Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both, and said, “Abū Bakr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has been delayed and the time for prayer has come in; would you lead the people?” He replied, “Yes, if you wish.” Bilāl then established the prayer, and Abū Bakr stepped forward and pronounced the takbīr, and the people followed his takbīr. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived, walking through the rows until he stood in one of them. The people began to clap, but Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, did not turn around in prayer. When the clapping increased he turned and saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who signaled to him.