The Prophet was the best of all the people in character. I had a brother called Abu `Umar, who, I think, had been newly weaned. Whenever he (that child) was brought to the Prophet the Prophet used to say, "O Abu `Umar! What did Al-Nughair (nightingale) (do)?" It was a nightingale with which he used to play. Sometimes the time of the Prayer became due while he (the Prophet) was in our house. He would order that the carpet underneath him be swept and sprayed with water, and then he would stand up (for the prayer) and we would line up behind him, and he would lead us in prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." A'isha said, "Messenger of Allah, when Abu Bakr stands in your place his voice does not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, so tell Umar to lead the people in prayer." He said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." A'isha continued, "I told Hafsa to tell him that when Abu Bakr stood in his place his voice did not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, and that he should tell Umar to lead the people in prayer. Hafsa did so, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You are the companions of Yusuf! (referring to the women who cut their hands when they saw the beauty of Yusuf). Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer!' "

A'isha added that Hafsa said to her, "I have never had anything good from you!"

Hittan ibn Abdullah ar-Ruqashi said: AbuMusa al-Ash'ari led us in prayer.

When he sat at the end of his prayer, one of the people said: Prayer has been established by virtue and purity.

When AbuMusa returned (from his prayer or finished his prayer), he gave his attention to the people, and said: Which of you is the speaker of such and such words? The people remained silent. Which of you is the speaker of such and such words? The people remained silent. He said: You might have said them, Hittan. He replied: I did not say them. I was afraid you might punish me. One of the people said: I said them and I did not intend by them (anything) except good.

AbuMusa said: Do you not know how you utter (them) in your prayer? The Messenger of Allah (saws) addressed us, and taught us and explained to us our way of doing and taught us our prayer.

He said: When you pray a (congregational) prayer, straighten your rows, then one of you should lead you in prayer. When he says the takbir (Allah is Most Great), say the takbir, and when he recites verses "Not of those upon whom is Thy anger, nor of those who err" (i.e. the end of Surah i.), say Amin; Allah will favour you. When he says "Allah is most great," and bows, say "Allah is most great" and bow, for the imam will bow before you, and will raise (his head) before you.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: This is for that. When he says "Allah listens to the one who praises Him," say: "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be praise, Allah be praised," Allah will listen to you, for Allah, the Exalted, said by the tongue of His Prophet (saws): "Allah listens to the one who praises Him." When he says "Allah is most great" and prostrates, say: "Allah is most great" and prostrate, for the imam prostrates before you and raises his head before you.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: This is for that. When he sits, each one of you should say "The adorations of the tongue, all good things, and acts of worship are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah's upright servants. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle."

This version of Ahmad does not mention the words "and His blessings" nor the phrase "and I testify"; instead, it has the words "that Muhammad."

We asked Jabir bin `Abdullah about the prayers of the Prophet . He said, "He used to pray Zuhr prayer at midday, the `Asr when the sun was still hot, and the Maghrib after sunset (at its stated time). The `Isha was offered early if the people gathered, and used to be delayed if their number was less; and the morning prayer was offered when it was still dark. "

Only Um Hani narrated to me that she had seen the Prophet offering the Duha prayer. She said, "On the day of the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet entered my house, took a bath and offered eight rak`at (of Duha prayers. I had never seen the Prophet offering such a light prayer but he performed bowing and prostrations perfectly .

The Prophet became sick and did not get up (for Tahajjud prayer) for a night or two.

Once the Prophet entered the mosque, a man came in, offered the prayer and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet returned his greeting and said to him, "Go back and pray again for you have not prayed." The man offered the prayer again, came back and greeted the Prophet. He said to him thrice, "Go back and pray again for you have not prayed." The man said, "By Him Who has sent you with the truth! I do not know a better way of praying. Kindly teach Me how to pray." He said, "When you stand for the prayer, say Takbir and then recite from the Qur'an what you know and then bow with calmness till you feel at ease, then rise from bowing till you stand straight. Afterwards prostrate calmly till you feel at ease and then raise (your head) and sit with Calmness till you feel at ease and then prostrate with calmness till you feel at ease in prostration and do the same in the whole of your prayer."

Ziyadah al-Kindi reported on the authority of Bilal that he (Bilal) came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) to inform him about the dawn prayer. Aisha kept Bilal engaged in a matter which she asked him till the day was bright and it became fairly light. Bilal then stood up and called him to prayer and called him repeatedly. The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not yet come out. When he came out, he led the people in prayer and he (Bilal) informed him that Aisha had kept him engaged in a matter which she asked him till it became fairly light; hence he became late in reaching him (in time). He (Bilal) said: Messenger of Allah, the dawn became fairly bright. He said: If the dawn became brighter than it is now, I would pray them (the two rak'ahs of the sunnah prayer), offer them well and in a more beautiful manner.

The Prophet (saws) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.

The Prophet (saws) said: When a man comes to visit a sick person, he should say: O Allah, cure Thy servant, who may then wreak havoc on an enemy for your sake, or walk at a funeral for your sake.

Abu Dawud said: Ibn As-Sarh (one of the narrators) said: "Ilas-salat (To the Salat)".

Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever, after listening to the Adhan (for the prayer) says, 'O Allah, the Lord of this complete call and of this prayer, which is going to be established! Give Muhammad Al-Wasila and Al-Fadila and raise him to Al-Maqam-al-Mahmud which You have promised him,' will be granted my intercession for him on the Day of Resurrection."

I saw Bilal bringing a short spear (or stick) and fixing it in the ground, and then he proclaimed the Iqama of the prayer, and I saw Allah's Apostle coming out, wearing a cloak with its sleeves rolled up. He then offered a two-rak`at prayer while facing the stick, and I saw the people and animals passing in front of him beyond the stick.

Allah's Apostle once delayed the `Isha' prayer and that was during the days when Islam still had not spread. The Prophet did not come out till `Umar informed him that the women and children had slept. Then he came out and said to the people of the mosque: "None amongst the dwellers of the earth has been waiting for it (`Isha prayer) except you."

Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet and Zaid bin Thabit took the 'Suhur' together and after finishing the meal, the Prophet stood up and prayed (Fajr prayer)." I asked Anas, "How long was the interval between finishing their 'Suhur' and starting the prayer?" He replied, "The interval between the two was just sufficient to recite fifty 'Ayat." (Verses of the Qur'an).

"When the Mu'adh-dhin pronounced the Adhan, some of the companions of the Prophet would proceed to the pillars of the mosque (for the prayer) till the Prophet arrived and in this way they used to pray two rak`at before the Maghrib prayer. There used to be a little time between the Adhan and the Iqama." Shu`ba said, "There used to be a very short interval between the two (Adhan and Iqama).

"I saw the Prophet on the day when he went out to offer the Istisqa' prayer. He turned his back towards the people and faced the Qibla and asked Allah for rain. Then he turned his cloak inside out and led us in a two rak`at prayer and recited the Qur'an aloud in them."

When the sun eclipsed in the lifetime of Allah's Apostle and an announcement was made that the prayer was to be held in congregation. The Prophet performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he stood up and performed two bowing in one rak`a. Then he sat down and finished the prayer; and by then the (eclipse) had cleared `Aisha said, "I had never performed such a long prostration."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: When a man stands with the intention of saying prayer, or if any of you says prayer, he should not spit before him, nor at his right side; but he should do so at his left side, if there is a place for it; or he should spit under his left foot and then rub it off.

Abdullah (b. 'Umar) reported that whenever Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) entered Mecca, he got down at Dhi Tuwa and spend the night there until he observed the dawn prayer. And Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) observed this prayer on a rough hillock, and not in the mosque which had been then built there, but to the lower side of it (the mosque) on a hillock.

Allah's Apostle said, "When the (upper) edge of the sun appears (in the morning), don't perform a prayer till the sun appears in full, and when the lower edge of the sun sets, don't perform a prayer till it sets completely. And you should not seek to pray at sunrise or sunset for the sun rises between two sides of the head of the devil (or Satan).

We were in the company of the Prophet when he performed the `Umra. He performed the Tawaf and we did the same; he offered the prayer and we also offered the prayer with him. Then he performed the Sai between Safa and Marwa and we were guarding him against the people of Mecca so that nobody should harm him.

The Prophet used to pray the Zuhr at midday, and the `Asr at a time when the sun was still bright, the Maghrib after sunset (at its stated time) and the `Isha at a variable time. Whenever he saw the people assembled (for `Isha' prayer) he would pray earlier and if the people delayed, he would delay the prayer. And they or the Prophet used to offer the Fajr Prayers when it still dark.

My father said, "The Prophet uses to recite Al-Fatiha followed by another Sura in the first two rak`at of the prayer and used to recite only Al-Fatiha in the last two rak`at of the Zuhr prayer. Sometimes a verse or so was audible and he used to prolong the first rak`a more than the second and used to do the same in the `Asr and Fajr prayers."

During the ailment of the Prophet some people came to visits him. He led them in prayer while sitting. but they prayed standing, so he waved to them to sit down. When he had finished the prayer, he said, "An Imam is to be followed, so when he bows, you should bow. and when he raises his head, you should raise yours, and if he prays sitting. you should pray sitting." Abu `Abdullah said Al-Humaidi said, (The order of ) "This narration has been abrogated by the last action of the Prophet as he led the prayer sitting, while the people prayed standing behind him.'

Ibn `Abbas was asked, "Did you offer the Id prayer with the Prophet?" He said, "Yes, had it not been for my close relation to the Prophet, I would not have performed it (with him) because of my being too young The Prophet came to the mark which is near the home of Kathir bin As-Salt and offered the Id prayer and then delivered the sermon. I do not remember if any Adhan or Iqama were pronounced for the prayer. Then the Prophet ordered (the women) to give alms, and they started stretching out their hands towards their ears and throats (giving their ornaments in charity), and the Prophet ordered Bilal to go to them (to collect the alms), and then Bilal returned to the Prophet.

When the Prophet (saws) finished two rak'ahs of an obligatory prayer, a man asked him: Messenger of Allah, has the prayer been shortened, or have you forgotten? he replied: I did not do all that. The people said: Messenger of Allah, you did that. Therefore, he offered another two rak'ahs or prayer and did not make two prostrations due to forgetfulness.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Dawud al-Hussain from Abu Sufyan, freed slave of Ibn Abi Ahmad on the authority of Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (saws). This version goes: He then made two prostrations while he was sitting after the salutation.

By chance I went to the Prophet at noon while he was at Al-Abtah (resting) in a tent. Bilal came out (of the tent) and pronounced the Adhan for the prayer, and entering again, he brought out the water which was left after Allah's Apostle had performed the ablution. The people rushed to take some of the water. Bilal again went in and brought out a spear-headed stick, and then Allah's Apostle came out. As if I were now looking at the whiteness of his leg. Bilal fixed the stick and the Prophet offered a two-rak`at Zuhr prayer and a two-rak`at `Asr prayer, while women and donkeys were passing in front of the Prophet (beyond the stick) .

The Prophet used to face us on completion of the prayer.