I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Three men from among those who were before you, set out together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to the righteous deed which you have done (for Allah's sake only).' So, one of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and I never provided my family (wife, children etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I came late (at night) while they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I disliked to provide my family with the milk before them. I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from our critical situation caused by this rock.' So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out." The Prophet added, "The second man said, 'O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused. Later she had a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one-hundred-and-twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desire, she said: It is illegal for you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate marriage. So, I thought it a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her though she was the dearest of all the people to me, and also I left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.' So, the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there." The Prophet added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: O Allah's slave! Pay me my wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allah's slave! Don't mock at me. I said: I am not mocking at you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, ...

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi said, "There are two times when the gates of heaven are opened, and few who make supplication have it returned to them unanswered. They are at the timeof the adhan, and in a rank of people fighting in the way of Allah."

Malik was asked whether the adhan on the day of jumua was called before the time had come for the prayer and he said, "It is not called until after the sun has passed the meridian."

Malik was asked about doubling the adhan and the iqama, and at what point people had to stand when the iqama for the prayer was called. He said, "I have heard nothing about the adhan and iqama except what I have seen people do. As for the iqama, it is not doubled. That is what the people of knowledge in our region continue to do. As for people standing up when the iqama for the prayer is called, I have not heard of any definite point at which it is begun, and I consider it rather to be according to people's (individual) capacity, for some people are heavy and some are light, and they are not able to be as one man ."

Malik was asked about a gathering of people who wished to do the prescribed prayer calling the iqama and not the adhan, and he said, "lt is enough for them. The adhan is only obligatory in mosques where the prayer is said in congregation."

Malik was asked about the muadhdhin saying "Peace be upon you" to the imam and calling him to the prayer, and he was asked who was the first person to whom such a greeting was made. He replied, "I have not heard that this greeting occurred in the first community."

Yahya said that Malik was asked whether a muadhdhin who called the people to prayer and then waited to see if anyone would come and no one did, so he said the iqama and did the prayer by himself and then people came after he had finished, should repeat the prayer with them. Malik said, "He does not repeat the prayer, and whoever comes after he has finished should do the prayer by himself."

Yahya said that Malik was asked about a muadhdhin who called the adhan for a group of people, did voluntary prayers, and then the group of people wanted to do the prayer with some one else saying the iqama. He said, "There is no harm in that. His iqama or somebody else's are the same."

Yahya said that Malik said, "The subh prayer is still called before dawn. As for the other prayers, we believe that they should only be called ...

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar rode to Dhat an-Nusub and shortened the prayer on the journey.

Malik said, "There are four mail-stages between Dhat an-Nusub and Madina."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "I pray the prayerof a traveller as long as I am undecided whether to remain somewhere or not, even if I am detained for twelve nights."

Prophet said (to two persons), "Whenever the prayer time becomes due, you should pronounce Adhan and then Iqama and the older of you should lead the prayer."

The prayer of the Prophet used to be of thirteen rak`at, i.e. of the night prayer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Allah does not accept charity from goods acquired by embezzlement as He does not accept prayer without purification.

The Prophet (saws) used to make a sign during prayer.

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.

The Prophet (saws) prohibited to offer prayer after the afternoon prayer except at the time when the sun is high up in the sky.

'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe two (supererogatory) rak'ahs in between the call to prayer and the Iqama of the dawn prayer.

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered that the Sadaqat-ul-Fitr should be paid before the people go out for prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that he heard Said ibn al-Musayyab say, "Shall I tell you what is better than much prayer and sadaqa?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Mending discord. And beware of hatred - it strips you (of your deen)."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he asked Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Rabia whether a man who did wudu for prayer and then ate cooked food had to do wudu again. He said, "I saw my father do that without doing wudu ."

I used to recognize the completion of the prayer of the Prophet by hearing Takbir.

The Prophet (saws) said: Nothing interrupt prayer, but repulse as much as you can anyone who passes in front of you, for he is just a devil.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would offer two rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except the dawn and the 'Asr prayer.

Muhammad ibn Sirin said: Someone who prayed the morning prayer along with the Prophet (saws) narrated to me: When he raised his head after the second rak'ah, he remained standing for a short while.

The Prophet said, If supper is served and the Iqama for (Isha) prayer is proclaimed, start with you supper first."

I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for the following:

1. offer prayers perfectly

2. pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)

3. and be sincere and true to every Muslim.

I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Apostle for to offer prayers perfectly, to pay Zakat regularly, and to give good advice to every Muslim.

Allah's Apostle said thrice, "There is a prayer between the two Adhans (Adhan and Iqama)," and added, "For the one who wants to pray."

My father said. "Allah's Apostle said, 'If the Iqama is pronounced then do not stand for the prayer till you see me (in front of you).' "

The Prophet, Abu Bakr and `Umar used to start the prayer with "Al hamdu li l-lahi Rabbi l-`alamin (All praise is but to Allah, Lord of the Worlds).