Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Apostle led us in one of the two `Isha' prayers (Abu Huraira named that prayer but I forgot it)." Abu Huraira added, "He prayed two rak`at and then finished the prayer with Taslim. He stood up near a piece of wood Lying across the mosque and leaned on it in such a way as if he was angry. Then he put his right hand over the left and clasped his hands by interlacing his fingers and then put his J right cheek on the back of his left hand. The people who were in haste left the mosque through its gates. They wondered whether the prayer was reduced. And amongst them were Abu Bakr and `Umar but they hesitated to ask the Prophet. A long-handed man called Dhul- Yadain asked the Prophet, 'O Allah's Apostle! Have you forgotten or has the prayer been reduced?' The Prophet replied, 'I have neither forgotten nor has the prayer been reduced' The Prophet added, 'Is what Dhul Yadain has said true?' They (the people) said, 'Yes, it is true.' The Prophet stood up again and led the prayer, completing the remaining prayer, forgotten by him, and performed Taslim, and then said, 'Allahu Akbar.' And then he did a prostration as he used to prostrate or longer than that. He then raised his head saying, 'Allahu Akbar; he then again said, 'Allahu Akbar', and prostrated as he used to prostrate or longer than that. Then he raised his head and said, 'Allahu Akbar.' " (The subnarrator added, "I think that they asked (Ibn Seereen) whether the Prophet completed the prayer with Taslim. He replied, "I heard that `Imran bin Husain had said, 'Then he (the Prophet) did Taslim.")

The Prophet once stayed for nineteen days and prayed shortened prayers. So when we travel led (and stayed) for nineteen days, we used to shorten the prayer but if we traveled (and stayed) for a longer period we used to offer the full prayer.

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).

Muawiya said (to the people), "You offer a prayer which we, who were the companions of the Prophet never saw the Prophet offering, and he forbade its offering," i.e. the two rak`at after the compulsory `Asr prayer.

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!"

The Prophet said, "The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five times more superior (in reward) to the prayer offered alone in one's house or in a business center, because if one performs ablution and does it perfectly, and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for each step which he takes towards the mosque, Allah upgrades him a degree in reward and (forgives) crosses out one sin till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and the angels keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for him and they keep on saying: 'O Allah! Be Merciful to him, O Allah! Forgive him, as long as he keeps on sitting at his praying place and does not pass wind. (See Hadith No. 620).

The Prophet went towards Al-Baqi (the graveyard at Medina) on the day of Id-ul-Adha and offered a two-rak`at prayer (of `Id-ul-Adha) and then faced us and said, "On this day of ours, our first act of worship is the offering of prayer and then we will return and slaughter the sacrifice, and whoever does this concords with our Sunna; and whoever slaughtered his sacrifice before that (i.e. before the prayer) then that was a thing which he prepared earlier for his family and it would not be considered as a Nusuk (sacrifice.)" A man stood up and said, "O, Allah's Apostle! I slaughtered (the animal before the prayer) but I have a young she-goat which is better than an older sheep." The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said to him, "Slaughter it. But a similar sacrifice will not be sufficient for anybody else after you."

The Prophet said (on the day of Idal-Adha), "The first thing we will do on this day of ours, is to offer the (`Id) prayer and then return to slaughter the sacrifice. Whoever does so, he acted according to our Sunna (tradition), and whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) before the prayer, what he offered was just meat he presented to his family, and that will not be considered as Nusak (sacrifice)." (On hearing that) Abu Burda bin Niyar got up, for he had slaughtered the sacrifice before the prayer, and said, "I have got a six month old ram." The Prophet said, 'Slaughter it (as a sacrifice) but it will not be sufficient for any-one else (as a sacrifice after you). Al-Bara' added: The Prophet said, "Whoever slaughtered (the sacrifice) after the prayer, he slaughtered it at the right time and followed the tradition of the Muslims."

A man came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I keep away from the morning prayer because so-and-so (Imam) prolongs it too much." Allah's Apostle became furious and I had never seen him more furious than he was on that day. The Prophet said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike the prayer, so whoever becomes an Imam he should shorten the prayer, as behind him are the weak, the old and the needy.''

Once Allah's Apostle prayed two rak`at (instead of four) and finished his prayer. Dhul-Yadain asked him whether the prayer had been reduced or whether he had forgotten. Allah's Apostle asked the people whether Dhul-Yadain was telling the truth. The people replied in the affirmative. Then Allah's Apostle stood up, offered the remaining two rak`at and then finished his prayer with Taslim and then said, "Allahu Akbar." He followed it with two prostrations like ordinary prostrations or a bit longer.

Once the Prophet (p.b.u.h) led the fear prayer and the people stood behind him. He said Takbir (Allahu-Akbar) and the people said the same. He bowed and some of them bowed. Then he prostrated and they also prostrated. Then he stood for the second rak`a and those who had prayed the first rak`a left and guarded their brothers. The second party joined him and performed bowing and prostration with him. All the people were in prayer but they were guarding one another during the prayer.

One night Allah's Apostle offered the prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third and the fourth nights more people gathered, but Allah's Apostle did not come out to them. In the morning he said, "I saw what you were doing and nothing but the fear that it (i.e. the prayer) might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming to you." And that happened in the month of Ramadan.

(the ally of Bani `Abdul Muttalib) Allah's Apostle stood up for the Zuhr prayer and he should have sat (after the second rak`a but he stood up for the third rak`a without sitting for Tashah-hud) and when he finished the prayer he performed two prostrations and said Takbir on each prostration while sitting, before ending (the prayer) with Taslim; and the people too performed the two prostrations with him instead of the sitting he forgot.

On the day of Al-Khandaq (i.e. Trench), the Prophet said '(Let) Allah fill their (i.e. the infidels') houses and graves with fire just as they have prevented us from offering the Middle Prayer (i.e. `Asr prayer) till the sun had set."

I saw Allah's Apostle cutting part of the shoulder of mutton with a knife. He ate of it and then was called for prayer whereupon he got up and put down the knife and offered the prayer without performing new ablution.

Once `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz delayed the `Asr prayer a little. `Urwa said to him, "Gabriel descended and led the prayer in front of the Prophet " On that `Umar said, "O `Urwa! Be sure of what you say." "Urwa, "I heard Bashir bin Abi Masud narrating from Ibn Masud who heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'Gabriel descended and led me in prayer; and then prayed with him again, and then prayed with him again, and then prayed with him again, and then prayed with him again, counting with his fingers five prayers."

"Once the Prophet offered five rak`at in Zuhr prayer. He was asked, "Is there an increase in the prayer?" The Prophet said, "And what is it?" They said, "You have prayed five rak`at.' So he bent his legs and performed two prostrations (of Sahu).

I saw a person praying at Muqam-Ibrahim (the place of Abraham by the Ka`ba) and he was saying Takbir on every bowing, rising, standing and sitting. I asked Ibn `Abbas (about this prayer). He admonished me saying: "Isn't that the prayer of the Prophet?"

My father and I went to Abi Barza Al-Aslami and my father said to him, "Tell us how Allah's Apostle used to offer the compulsory congregational prayers." He said, "He used to pray the Zuhr prayer, which you call the first prayer, as the sun declined at noon, the `Asr at a time when one of US could go to his family at the farthest place in Medina while the sun was still hot. (The narrator forgot what Abu Barza had said about the Maghrib prayer), and the Prophet preferred to pray the `Isha' late and disliked to sleep before it or talk after it. And he used to return after finishing the morning prayer at such a time when it was possible for one to recognize the person sitting by his side and he (the Prophet) used to recite 60 to 100 'Ayat' (verses) of the Qur'an in it."

On the day of Al-Khandaq (the battle of trench.) `Umar bin Al-Khattab came cursing the disbelievers of Quraish after the sun had set and said, "O Allah's Apostle I could not offer the `Asr prayer till the sun had set." The Prophet said, "By Allah! I, too, have not prayed." So we turned towards Buthan, and the Prophet performed ablution and we too performed ablution and offered the `Asr prayer after the sun had set, and then he offered the Maghrib prayer.

Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "Mu`adh bin Jabal used to pray with the Prophet and then go to lead his people in prayer Once he led the `Isha' prayer and recited Surat "Al-Baqara." Somebody left the prayer and Mu`adh criticized him. The news reached the Prophet and he said to Mu`adh, 'You are putting the people to trial,' and repeated it thrice (or said something similar) and ordered him to recite two medium Suras of Mufassal." (`Amr said that he had forgotten the names of those Suras).

I went out in the company of the Prophet in the year of Khaibar, and when we reached As Sahba' which is the lower part of Khaibar, the Prophet offered the `Asr prayer and then asked the people to collect the journey food. Nothing was brought but Sawiq which the Prophet ordered to be moistened with water, and then he ate it and we also ate it. Then he got up to offer the Maghrib prayer. He washed his mouth, and we too washed our mouths, and then he offered the prayer without repeating his abulution.

The people mentioned the fire and the bell (they suggested those as signals to indicate the starting of prayers), and by that they mentioned the Jews and the Christians. Then Bilal was ordered to pronounce Adhan for the prayer by saying its wordings twice, and for the Iqama (the call for the actual standing for the prayers in rows) by saying its wordings once. (Iqama is pronounced when the people are ready for the prayer).

Ibn `Abbas said, "We stayed for 19 days with Prophet on a journey during which we used to offer shortened prayers." Ibn `Abbas added, "We offer the Qasr prayer (i.e. shortened prayer) If we stay up to 19 days as travelers, But if we stay longer, we offer complete prayers.

I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child's mother to trial.

that he saw the Prophet holding a shoulder piece of mutton in his hand and cutting part of it with a knife. Then he was called for the prayer whereupon he put down the shoulder piece and the knife with which he was cutting it, and then stood for prayer without performing ablution again.

"The Prophet offered a two-rak`at prayer on `Id day and he did not offer any (Nawafil prayer) before or after it. He then went towards the women, and Bilal was accompanying him, and ordered them to give alms. And so the women started giving their earrings (etc .).

My companions, who came with me in the boat and I landed at a place called Baqi [??] Buthan [??] . The Prophet was in Medina at that time. One of us used to go to the Prophet by turns every night at the time of the `Isha prayer. Once I along with my companions went to the Prophet and he was busy in some of his affairs, so the `Isha' prayer was delayed to the middle of the night He then came out and led the people (in prayer). After finishing from the prayer, he addressed the people present there saying, "Be patient! Don't go away. Have the glad tiding. It is from the blessing of Allah upon you that none amongst mankind has prayed at this time save you." Or said, "None except you has prayed at this time." Abu Musa added, 'So we returned happily after what we heard from Allah's Apostle ."

Once I passed the night in the house of Maimuna (his aunt). I slept across the bed while Allah's Apostle and his wife slept length-wise. The Prophet slept till midnight or nearly so and woke up rubbing his face and recited ten verses from Surat "Al-`Imran." Allah's Apostle went towards a leather skin and performed ablution in the most perfect way and then stood for the prayer. I did the same and stood beside him. The Prophet put his right hand on my head, twisted my ear and then prayed two rak`at five times and then ended his prayer with witr. He laid down till the Mu'adh-dhin came then he stood up and offered two rak`at (Sunnah of Fajr prayer) and then went out and offered the Fajr prayer. (See Hadith 183)

The Prophet said, "Your life in comparison to the lifetime of the past nations is like the period between the time of `Asr prayer and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of person who employed laborers and said to them, "Who will work for me till the middle of the day for one Qirat (a special weight)?' The Jews did. He then said, "Who will work for me from the middle of the day till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each?" The Christians worked accordingly. Then you (Muslims) are working from the `Asr prayer till the Maghrib prayer for two Qirats each. They (the Jews and the Christians) said, 'We did more labor but took less wages.' He (Allah) said, 'Have I wronged you in your rights?' They replied, 'No.' Then He said, 'This is My Blessing which I give to whom I wish."

The Prophet said, "Perform (an optional) prayer before Maghrib prayer." (He repeated it thrice) and the third time he said, "Whoever wants to offer it can do so," lest the people should take it as a Sunna (tradition). (See Hadith No. 277, Vol. 2)

I heard Anas bin Malik al-Ansari saying, "An Ansari man, who was very fat, said to the Prophet, 'I am unable to present myself for the prayer with you.' He prepared a meal for the Prophet and invited him to his house. He washed one side of a mat with water and the Prophet offered two Rakat on it." So and so, the son of so and so, the son of Al-Jarud asked Anas, "Did the Prophet use to offer the Duha prayer?" Anas replied, "I never saw him praying (the Duha prayer) except on that day."

Allah's Apostle finished his prayer after offerings two rak`at only. Dhul-Yaddain asked him whether the prayer had been reduced, or you had forgotten?" The Prophet said, "Is Dhul-Yaddain speaking the truth?" The people said, "Yes." Then Allah's Apostle stood up and performed another two rak`at and then finished prayer with Taslim, and then said the Takbir and performed a prostration similar to or longer than his ordinary prostrations; then he raised his head, said Takbir and prostrated and then raised his head (Sahu prostrations).

Once Allah's Apostle led us in the Zuhr prayer and got up (after the prostrations of the second rak`a) although he should have sat (for the Tashahhud). So at the end of the prayer, he prostrated twice while sitting (prostrations of Sahu).

Once Allah's Apostle delayed the `Isha' prayer till `Umar informed him that the women and children had slept. Then Allah's Apostle came out and said: "None from amongst the dwellers of earth have prayed this prayer except you." In those days none but the people of Medina prayed.

Once Allah's Apostle offered five rak`at in the Zuhr prayer, and somebody asked him whether there was some increase in the prayer. Allah's Apostle said, "What is that?" He said, "You have offered five rak`at." So Allah's Apostle performed two prostrations of Sahu after Taslim.

The Prophet said, "Today a pious man from Ethiopia (i.e. An Najashi) has expired, come on to offer the funeral prayer." (Jabir said): We lined up in rows and after that the Prophet led the prayer and we were in rows. Jabir added, I was in the second row."

That he came riding a donkey when Allah 's Apostle was standing at Mina during Hajjat-ul-Wada`, leading the people in prayer. The donkey passed in front of a part of the row (of the people offering the prayer). Then he dismounted from it and took his position in the row with the people.

Ibn Shubruma said, "I wanted to see how much of the Qur'an can be enough (to recite in prayer) and I could not find a Surah containing less than three Verses, therefore I said to myself), "One ought not to recite less than three (Quranic) Verses (in prayer)."

Once a man said to Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! I may not attend the (compulsory congregational) prayer because so and so (the Imam) prolongs the prayer when he leads us for it. The narrator added: "I never saw the Prophet more furious in giving advice than he was on that day. The Prophet said, "O people! Some of you make others dislike good deeds (the prayers). So whoever leads the people in prayer should shorten it because among them there are the sick the weak and the needy (having some jobs to do).

My father and I went to Abu Barza-al-Aslami to ask him about the stated times for the prayers. He replied, "The Prophet used to offer the Zuhr prayer when the sun just declined from its highest position at noon; the `Asr at a time when if a man went to the farthest place in Medina (after praying) he would find the sun still hot (bright). (The sub narrator said: I have forgotten what Abu Barza said about the Maghrib prayer). The Prophet never found any harm in delaying the `Isha' prayer to the first third of the night and he never liked to sleep before it and to talk after it. He used to offer the morning prayer at a time when after finishing it one could recognize the person sitting beside him and used to recite between 60 to 100 verses in one or both the rak`at."

Once in the middle of the night Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) went out and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed with him. The next morning the people spoke about it and so more people gathered and prayed with him (in the second night). They circulated the news in the morning, and so, on the third night the number of people increased greatly. Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came out and they prayed behind him. On the fourth night the mosque was overwhelmed by the people till it could not accommodate them. Allah's Apostle came out only for the Fajr prayer and when he finished the prayer, he faced the people and recited "Tashah-hud" (I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle), and then said, "Amma ba'du. Verily your presence (in the mosque at night) was not hidden from me, but I was afraid that this prayer (Prayer of Tahajjud) might be made compulsory and you might not be able to carry it out."

Allah's Apostle said, "A person is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer in the mosque as long as he does not do Hadath." A non-Arab man asked, "O Abu Huraira! What is Hadath?" I replied, "It is the passing of wind (from the anus) (that is one of the types of Hadath).

`Aisha had a Qiram (a thin marked woolen curtain) with which she had screened one side of her home. The Prophet said, "Take away this Qiram of yours, as its pictures are still displayed in front of me during my prayer (i.e. they divert my attention from the prayer).