The Prophet (saws) intended to do many things for calling (the people) to prayer, but he did not do any of them. Then Abdullah ibn Zayd was taught in a dream how to pronounce the call to prayer. He came to the Prophet (saws) and informed him. He said: Teach it to Bilal. He then taught him, and Bilal made a call to prayer. Abdullah said: I saw it in a dream and I wished to pronounce it, but he (the Prophet) said: You should pronounce iqamah.

I offered prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (saws). Rifa'ah sneezed. The narrator Qutaybah did not mention the name Rifa'ah (but he said: I sneezed). So I said: Praise be to Allah, praise much, good and blessed therein, blessed thereupon, as our Lord likes and is pleased. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he turned and said: Who was the speaker in prayer? He then narrated the rest of the tradition like that of Malik and completed it.

Ilyas ibn AbuRamlah ash-Shami said: I witnessed Mu'awiyah ibn AbuSufyan asking Zayd ibn Arqam: Did you offer along with the Messenger of Allah (saws) the Friday and 'Id prayers synchronised on the same day? He said: Yes. He asked: How did he do? He replied: He offered the 'Id prayer, then granted concession to offer the Friday prayer, and said: If anyone wants to offer it, he may offer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer is to be offered in two rak'ahs; and you should recite the tashahhud at the end of two rak'ahs, and express your distress and humility and raise your hands and say praying: O Allah, O Allah. He who does not do so does not offer a perfect prayer.

Abu Dawud was asked about offering prayer at night in two rak'ahs. He said: They may be two if you like and four if you like.

That the Prophet said (to her). "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." She replied," Abu Bakr is a soft-hearted person and when he stands at your place, he will weep (so he will not be able to lead the prayer)." The Prophet repeated the same order and she gave the same reply. The narrator, Shuba said that the Prophet said on the third or fourth time. "You are (like) the female companions of Joseph. Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer. "

Once Allah's Apostle went to Al-Batha' at noon, performed the ablution and offered' a two rak`at Zuhr prayer and a two-rak`at `Asr prayer while a spearheaded stick was planted before him and the passersby were passing in front of it. (After the prayer), the people got up and held the hands of the Prophet and passed them on their faces. I also took his hand and kept it on my face and noticed that it was colder than ice, and its smell was nicer than musk.

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to offer prayer at night while she lay in front of him, and when the Witr prayer was yet to be observed, he would awaken her and she observed Witr.

The Prophet said, "When I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's passions."

The Prophet, said, "Whenever I start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's passions."

My friend (the Prophet ) advised me to observe three things: (1) to fast three days a month; (2) to pray two rak`at of Duha prayer (forenoon prayer); and (3) to pray witr before sleeping.

The Prophet (saws) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful.

Jarir said "Allah's Apostle said to me, "Won't you relieve me from Dhul-Khalasa?" I replied, "Yes, (I will relieve you)." So I proceeded along with one-hundred and fifty cavalry from Ahmas tribe who were skillful in riding horses. I used not to sit firm over horses, so I informed the Prophet of that, and he stroke my chest with his hand till I saw the marks of his hand over my chest and he said, O Allah! Make him firm and one who guides others and is guided (on the right path).' Since then I have never fallen from a horse. Dhul-l--Khulasa was a house in Yemen belonging to the tribe of Khatham and Bajaila, and in it there were idols which were worshipped, and it was called Al-Ka`ba." Jarir went there, burnt it with fire and dismantled it. When Jarir reached Yemen, there was a man who used to foretell and give good omens by casting arrows of divination. Someone said to him. "The messenger of Allah's Apostle is present here and if he should get hold of you, he would chop off your neck." One day while he was using them (i.e. arrows of divination), Jarir stopped there and said to him, "Break them (i.e. the arrows) and testify that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, or else I will chop off your neck." So the man broke those arrows and testified that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Then Jarir sent a man called Abu Artata from the tribe of Ahmas to the Prophet to convey the good news (of destroying Dhu-l-Khalasa). So when the messenger reached the Prophet, he said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I did not leave it till it was like a scabby camel." Then the Prophet blessed the horses of Ahmas and their men five times.

A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Allah, I fail to attend the morning congregational prayer because so-and-so (i.e., Mu`adh bin Jabal) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it." I had never seen the Prophet more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. He then said, "O people! some of you make others dislike (good deeds, i.e. prayers etc). So whoever among you leads the people in prayer, he should shorten it because among them there are the old, the weak and the busy (needy having some jobs to do). (See Hadith No. 90, Vol. 1)

(freed slave of) Ziyad: I heard Abu Sa`id Al-khudri narrating four things from the Prophet and I appreciated them very much. He said, conveying the words of the Prophet. (1) "A woman should not go on a two day journey except with her husband or a Dhi-Mahram. (2) No fasting is permissible on two days: `Id-ul-Fitr and `Id-ul-Adha. (3) No prayer after two prayers, i.e. after the Fajr prayer till the sunrises and after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets. (4) Do not prepare yourself for a journey except to three Mosques, i.e. Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Mosque of Aqsa (Jerusalem) and my Mosque."

(who fought in twelve Ghazawat in the company of the Prophet). I heard four things from the Prophet and they won my admiration. He said; -1. "No lady should travel on a journey of two days except with her husband or a Dhi-Mahram; -2. "No fasting is permissible on the two days of Id-ul-Fitr and `Id-ul-Adha; -3. "No prayer (may be offered) after the morning compulsory prayer until the sun rises; and no prayer after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets; -4. "One should travel only for visiting three Masjid (Mosques): Masjid-al-Haram (Mecca), Masjid-al- Aqsa (Jerusalem), and this (my) Mosque (at Medina).

I heard `Urwa bin Az-Zubair talking to `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz during the latter's Governorship (at Medina), he said, "Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba delayed the `Asr prayer when he was the ruler of Al-Kufa. On that, Abu Mas`ud. `Uqba bin `Amr Al-Ansari, the grand-father of Zaid bin Hasan, who was one of the Badr warriors, came in and said, (to Al-Mughira), 'You know that Gabriel came down and offered the prayer and Allah's Apostle prayed five prescribed prayers, and Gabriel said (to the Prophet ), "I have been ordered to do so (i.e. offer these five prayers at these fixed stated hours of the day).

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Malik, Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, al-Awza'i, and 'Abd al-Razzaq from Ma'mar and Ibn Ishaq, none of them made a mention of the call for prayer (adman) in this version of the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri, and none of them attribute (this tradition) to him except al-Awza'i and Aban al-'Attar on the authority of Ma'mar.

Sa'd ibn Hisham said: I came to Medina and called upon Aisha, and said to her: Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

She said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to lead the people in the night prayer, and then go to his bed and sleep. When midnight came he got up, went to answer the call of nature and to perform ablution with water. Having performed ablution, he entered the mosque and prayed eight rak'ahs.

To my mind he performed the recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostrating equally. He then observed witr with one rak'ah and prayed two rak'ahs sitting. Then he lay down on the ground. Sometimes Bilal came to him and called him for prayer. He then dozed, and sometimes I doubted whether he dozed or not, till he (Bilal) called him for prayer.

This is the prayer he offered till he grew old or put on weight. She then mentioned how he put on weight as Allah wished.

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban asked Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Umar about the reason for Ibn Umar's performing ablution for every prayer, whether he was with or without ablution.

He replied: Asma', daughter of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, reported to me that Abdullah ibn Hanzalah ibn AbuAmir narrated to her that the Messenger of Allah (saws) was earlier commanded to perform ablution for every prayer whether or not he was with ablution.

When it became a burden for him, he was ordered to use tooth-stick for every prayer. As Ibn Umar thought that he had the strength (to perform the ablution for every prayer), he did not give up performing ablution for every prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Ibrahim b. Sa'd narrated this tradition on the authority of Muhammad b. Ishaq, and there he mentions the name of 'Ubaid Allah b. 'Abd Allah (instead of 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar)

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that when the last ten nights began Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion), wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe prayer (with more vigour).

The necklace of Asma' was lost, so the Prophet sent some men to look for it. The time for the prayer became due and they had not performed ablution and could not find water, so they offered the prayer without ablution. Then Allah revealed (the Verse of Tayammum).

I asked `Aisha what did the Prophet use to do at home. She replied. "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would get up for prayer."

I was with Buraida on a cloudy day and he said, "Offer the `Asr prayer earlier as the Prophet said, 'Whoever leaves the `Asr prayer will have all his (good) deeds annulled." (See Hadith No. 527 and 528)

Once the Prophet delayed the `Isha' prayer until midnight and then came to us. Having prayed he faced us and said, "The people had prayed and slept but you were in the prayer as long as you were waiting for it."

You should not give away a part of your prayer to Satan by thinking that it is necessary to depart (after finishing the prayer) from one's right side only; I have seen the Prophet often leave from the left side.

The Prophet (saws) saw a person offering prayer, and on the back of his foot a small part equal to the space of a dirham remained unwashed; the water did not reach it. The Prophet (saws) commanded him to repeat the ablution and prayer.

I saw that the Messenger of Allah (saws) raised his hands when he began prayer, but he did not raise them until he finished (prayer).

Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not sound.

Nafi' said: Ibn Umar used to lengthen his prayer before the Friday prayer and would offer two rak'ahs after it in his house. He used to say that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would do that.

A silken Farruj was presented to Allah's Apostle and he put it on and offered the prayer in it. When he finished the prayer, he took it off violently as if he disliked it and said, "This (garment) does not befit those who fear Allah!"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in congregation is better than the prayer of a man by himself by twenty-seven degrees."

We used to offer the Maghrib prayer with the Prophet and after finishing the prayer one of us may go away and could still see as Par as the spots where one's arrow might reach when shot by a bow.

Allah's Apostle said, "If anyone of you leads the people in the prayer, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among your prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes. "

Whenever the Prophet started a journey before noon, he used to delay the Zuhr prayer till the time of `Asr and then offer them together; and if the sun declined (at noon) he used to offer the Zuhr prayer and then ride (for the journey).