opposite it in the east. What is meant is seeking rain through these stellar phases, as will be mentioned in the hadith referred to—that is, asking for rain. Al-Nihayah states: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spoke so sternly regarding the stellar phases only because the Arabs used to attribute rain to them. But if someone holds that rain is the act of Allah Most High, and by saying, ‘We received rain by such-and-such stellar phase,’ means, ‘at such-and-such a time, namely the time of this particular stellar phase,’ then that is permissible; that is, Allah has established the customary occurrence of rain at these times.”

1800 — “Three things, all of which are a right incumbent upon every Muslim: visiting the sick, attending a funeral, and responding to one who sneezes when he praises Allah.”

Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (519) through ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

I say: This chain of transmission can be graded good. Its narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators of the two Shaykhs, except for this ‘Umar. Al-Hafiz said: “Truthful, but makes mistakes.” Muhammad ibn ‘Amr also corroborated him, from Abu Salamah, with the wording: “Five things are due from one Muslim to another.” Its documentation will follow under no. 1832. It also has a corroborating report from the hadith of Abu Mas‘ud, with the wording: “A Muslim owes another Muslim four duties ...” It will follow under no. 2154. Thus, the hadith is authentic, and all praise is due to Allah Most High.