We used to pray behind the Prophet and used to say: "As-Salamu 'Al-Allah. The Prophet said, "Allah himself is As-Salam (Name of Allah), so you should say: 'at-Tahiyatu lil-lahi was-sala-watu wattaiyibatu, as-salamu `alaika aiyyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-l-lahi wa barakatuhu, as-salamu `alaina wa `ala `ibadi-l-lahi as-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha il-lallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu."'

the Prophet prayed in a Khamisa (a square garment) having marks. During the prayer, he looked at its marks. So when he finished the prayer he said, "Take this Khamisa of mine to Abu Jahm and get me his Inbijaniya (a woolen garment without marks) as it (the Khamisa) has diverted my attention from the prayer."

Narrated `Aisha:

The Prophet said, 'I was looking at its (Khamisa's) marks during the prayers and I was afraid that it may put me in trial (by taking away my attention).

Yahya related to me from Malik from his uncle Abu Suhayl ibn Malik that his father said, "I used to see a carpet belonging to Aqil ibn Abi Talib spread out on the day of jumua up to the west wall of the mosque. When the shadow of the wall covered the whole carpet, Umar ibn al-Khattab would come out and pray the jumua prayer."

Malik, Abu Suhayl's father, added, "We would then return after the jumua prayer and take our midday sleep."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Salim ibn 'Abdullah said, "I was with Abdullah ibn Umar on a journey and after the sun had risen I saw him do wudu and then pray. So I said to him, 'This isn't a prayer that you normally do. 'He said, 'After I had done wudu for the subh prayer, I touched my genitals. Then I forgot to do wudu. So I did wudu again and repeated my prayer.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim from Sulayman ibn Yasar that Umar ibn al-Khattab went out early in the morning to his land in al-Juruf and found semen on his garment. He said, "I have been tried with wet dreams since I have been entrusted with governing the people." He did ghusl and washed his garment of what he saw of the semen, and then prayed after the sun had risen.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from whoever related it to him that Abu Hurayra used to say, "It is better for a man to pray on the surface of al Harra (a rocky area in Madina) than for him to wait until the imam stands to give the khutba and then come and step over people's necks."

Malik said, "The sunna with us is that the people face the imam on the day of jumua when he intends to give the khutba, whether they are near the qibla or elsewhere."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to pray as much as Allah willed in the night until at the end of the night he would wake his family for the prayer. He used to say to them, "The prayer, the prayer." Then he would recite the ayat, "Enjoin prayer on your family and be constant in it. We do not ask you for your provision. We provide for you. And the end result is for taqwa." (Sura 20 ayat 132)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az- Zubayr from Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi from Abu Qutada al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray carrying Umama, who was the daughter of his daughter Zaynab by Abu'l As ibn Rabia ibn Abd Shams. When he prostrated, he put her down, and when he got up he carried her.

Malik related to me from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar would spend the night between the two trails in the valley of Dhu Tuwa when he was approaching Makka. Then he would pray subh, and after that he would enter Makka by the trail which is at the highest part of Makka. He would never enter Makka, if he was coming for hajj or umra, without doing ghusl beforehand when he was near Makka at Dhu Tuwa, and he would tell whoever was with him to do likewise.

My aunt took me to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! This son of my sister has got a disease in his legs." So he passed his hands on my head and prayed for Allah's blessings for me; then he performed ablution and I drank from the remaining water. I stood behind him and saw the seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, and it was like the "Zir-al-Hijla" (means the button of a small tent, but some said 'egg of a partridge.' etc.)

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.

Allah's Apostle used to pray in his room at night. As the wall of the room was LOW, the people saw him and some of them stood up to follow him in the prayer. In the morning they spread the news. The following night the Prophet stood for the prayer and the people followed him. This went on for two or three nights. Thereupon Allah's Apostle did not stand for the prayer the following night, and did not come out. In the morning, the people asked him about it. He replied, that he way afraid that the night prayer might become compulsory.

Allah's Apostle fell from a horse and got injured so he led the prayer sitting and we also prayed sitting. When he completed the prayer he said, "The Imam is to be followed; if he says Takbir then say Takbir, bow if he bows; raise your heads when he raises his head, when he says, 'Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah say, 'Rabbana laka l-hamd', and prostrate when he prostrates."

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.

(the mother of the faithful believers) Allah's Apostle (in his last days) used to pray sitting. He would recite while sitting, and when thirty or forty verses remained from the recitation he would get up and recite them while standing and then he would bow and prostrate. He used to do the same in the second rak`a. After finishing the Prayer he used to look at me and if I was awake he would talk to me and if I was asleep, he would lie down.

One night Allah's Apostle came to me and Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and asked, "Won't you pray (at night)?" I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Our souls are in the hands of Allah and if He wants us to get up He will make us get up." When I said that, he left us without saying anything and I heard that he was hitting his thigh and saying, "But man is more quarrelsome than anything." (18.54)

I heard Abu Ash-sha'tha' Jabir saying, "I heard Ibn `Abbas saying, 'I offered with Allah's Apostle eight rak`at (of Zuhr and `Asr prayers) together and seven rak`at (the Maghrib and the `Isha' prayers) together.' " I said, "O Abu Ash-shatha! I think he must have prayed the Zuhr late and the `Asr early; the `Isha early and the Maghrib late." Abu Ash-sha'tha' said, "I also think so." (See Hadith No. 518 Vol. 1).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) sent Usayd ibn Hudayr and some people with him to search the necklace lost by Aisha. The time of prayer came and they prayed without ablution. When they returned to the Prophet (saws) and related the fact to him, the verse concerning tayammum was revealed.

Ibn Nufayl added: Usayd said to her: May Allah have mercy upon you! Never has there been an occasion when you were beset with an unpleasant matter but Allah made the Muslims and you come out of that.

We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah (saws), and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.

Messenger of Allah, there are many venomous creatures and wild beasts in Medina (so allow me to pray in my house because I am blind). The Prophet (saws) said: Do you hear the call, "Come to prayer," "Come to salvation"? (He said: Yes.) Then you must come.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Qasim al-Jarmi has narrated this tradition from Sufyan in a similar manner. But his version does not contain the words "Then you must come."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) had a stop of seventeen days in Mecca and he shortened the prayer (i.e. prayed two rak'ahs at each time of prayer). Ibn Abbas said: He who stays seventeen days should shorten the prayer; and who stays more than that should offer complete prayer.

Abu Dawud said: The other version transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas through a different chain adds: He (the Prophet) had a stop of nineteen days (in Mecca).

The Prophet (saws) as saying: If anyone fasts during Ramadan because of faith and in order to seek his reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven to him. If anyone prays in the night of the power (lailat al-qadr) because of faith and in order to seek his reward from Allah his previous sins will be forgiven for him.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted in a similar manner by Yahya b. Abi Kathir and Muhammad b. 'Amr from Abu Salamah.

Abu Dawud said: If two traditions of the prophet(saws) conflict, the practice of the Companions after him should be taken into consideration.

Abraham did not tell a lie except on three occasion. Twice for the Sake of Allah when he said, "I am sick," and he said, "(I have not done this but) the big idol has done it." The (third was) that while Abraham and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey) they passed by (the territory of) a tyrant. Someone said to the tyrant, "This man (i.e. Abraham) is accompanied by a very charming lady." So, he sent for Abraham and asked him about Sarah saying, "Who is this lady?" Abraham said, "She is my sister." Abraham went to Sarah and said, "O Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the earth except you and I. This man asked me about you and I have told him that you are my sister, so don't contradict my statement." The tyrant then called Sarah and when she went to him, he tried to take hold of her with his hand, but (his hand got stiff and) he was confounded. He asked Sarah. "Pray to Allah for me, and I shall not harm you." So Sarah asked Allah to cure him and he got cured. He tried to take hold of her for the second time, but (his hand got as stiff as or stiffer than before and) was more confounded. He again requested Sarah, "Pray to Allah for me, and I will not harm you." Sarah asked Allah again and he became alright. He then called one of his guards (who had brought her) and said, "You have not brought me a human being but have brought me a devil." The tyrant then gave Hajar as a girl-servant to Sarah. Sarah came back (to Abraham) while he was praying. Abraham, gesturing with his hand, asked, "What has happened?" She replied, "Allah has spoiled the evil plot of the infidel (or immoral person) and gave me Hajar for service." (Abu Huraira then addressed his listeners saying, "That (Hajar) was your mother, O Bani Ma-is-Sama (i.e. the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael, Hajar's son).

When the Prophet came to Medina, he stayed first with his grandfathers or maternal uncles from Ansar. He offered his prayers facing Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished that he could pray facing the Ka'ba (at Mecca). The first prayer which he offered facing the Ka'ba was the 'Asr prayer in the company of some people. Then one of those who had offered that prayer with him came out and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing during their prayers (facing Jerusalem). He said addressing them, "By Allah, I testify that I have prayed with Allah's Apostle facing Mecca (Ka'ba).' Hearing that, those people changed their direction towards the Ka'ba immediately. Jews and the people of the scriptures used to be pleased to see the Prophet facing Jerusalem in prayers but when he changed his direction towards the Ka'ba, during the prayers, they disapproved of it.

Al-Bara' added, "Before we changed our direction towards the Ka'ba (Mecca) in prayers, some Muslims had died or had been killed and we did not know what to say about them (regarding their prayers.) Allah then revealed: And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. the prayers of those Muslims were valid).' " (2:143).

"We were with `Aisha discussing the regularity of offering the prayer and dignifying it. She said, 'When Allah's Apostle fell sick with the fatal illness and when the time of prayer became due and Adhan was pronounced, he said, 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.' He was told that Abu Bakr was a softhearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in his place. The Prophet gave the same order again but he was given the same reply. He gave the order for the third time and said, 'You (women) are the companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer.' So Abu Bakr came out to lead the prayer. In the meantime the condition of the Prophet improved a bit and he came out with the help of two men one on each side. As if I was observing his legs dragging on the ground owing to the disease. Abu Bakr wanted to retreat but the Prophet beckoned him to remain at his place and the Prophet was brought till he sat beside Abu Bakr." Al-A`mash was asked, "Was the Prophet praying and Abu Bakr following him, and were the people following Abu Bakr in that prayer?" Al- A`mash replied in the affirmative with a nod of his head. Abu Muawiya said, "The Prophet was sitting on the left side of Abu Bakr who was praying while standing."

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) recited (the Qur'an) aloud during the eclipse prayer and when he had finished the eclipse prayer he said the Takbir and bowed. When he stood straight from bowing he would say "Sami 'allahu liman hamidah Rabbana wa laka l-hamd." And he would again start reciting. In the eclipse prayer there are four bowing and four prostrations in two rak`at. Al-Auza'i and others said that they had heard Az-Zuhri from 'Urwa from `Aisha saying, "In the lifetime of Allah's Apostle the sun eclipsed, and he made a person to announce: 'Prayer in congregation.' He led the prayer and performed four bowing and four prostrations in two rak`at." Narrated Al-Walid that `Abdur-Rahman bin Namir had informed him that he had heard the same. Ibn Shihab heard the same. Az-Zuhri said, "I asked ('Urwa), 'What did your brother `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair do? He prayed two rak`at (of the eclipse prayer) like the morning prayer, when he offered the (eclipse) prayer in Medina.' 'Urwa replied that he had missed (i.e. did not pray according to) the Prophet's tradition." Sulaiman bin Kathir and Sufyan bin Husain narrated from Az-Zuhri that the prayer for the eclipse used to be offered with loud recitation.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) heard a person supplicating during prayer. He did not mention the greatness of Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet (saws).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: He made haste.

He then called him and said either to him or to any other person: If any of you prays, he should mention the exaltation of his Lord in the beginning and praise Him; he should then invoke blessings on the Prophet (saws); thereafter he should supplicate Allah for anything he wishes.

Ma'iz ibn Malik came to the Prophet (saws) and said that he had committed fornication and he (the Prophet) turned away from him. He repeated it many times, but he (the Prophet) turned away from him. He asked his people: Is he mad? They replied: There is no defect in him. He asked: Have you done it with her? He replied: Yes. so he ordered that he should be stoned to death. He was taken out and stoned to death, and he (the Prophet) did not pray over him.

A desert Arab came and making his camel kneel and tethering it, entered the mosque and prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (saws). When The Messenger of Allah (saws) had given the salutation, he went to his riding beast and, after untethering and riding it, he called out: O Allah, show mercy to me and to Muhammad and associate no one else in Thy mercy to us. The Messenger of Allah (saws) then said: Do you think that he or his camel is farther astray? Did you not listen to what he said? They replied: Certainly.

Am effeminate man (mukhannath) who had dyed his hands and feet with henna was brought to the Prophet (saws). He asked: What is the matter with this man? He was told: "Messenger of Allah! He imitates the look of women." So he issued an order regarding him and he was banished to an-Naqi'. The people said: Messenger of Allah! Should we not kill him? He said: I have been prohibited from killing people who pray. AbuUsamah said: Naqi' is a region near Medina and not a Baqi'.

The Prophet used to construct a loom with a Hasir at night m order to pray therein, and during the day he used to spread it out and sit on it. The people started coming to the Prophet at night to offer the prayer behind him When their number increased, the Prophet faced them and said. O people! Do only those good deeds which you can do, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) till you get tired, and the best deeds to Allah are the incessant ones though they were few.

When the Prophet sent Mu`adh to Yemen, he said to him, "You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them, be the Tauhid of Allah. If they learn that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered in one day and one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor. And if they agree to that, then take from them Zakat but avoid the best property of the people."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Thalaba ibn Abi Malik al Quradhi informed him that in the time of Umar ibn al Khattab they used to pray on the day of jumua until Umar came out, and when Umar came out and sat on the mimbar and the muadhdhins called the adhan, they would sit and talk, and then when the muadhdhins were silent and Umar stood to give the khutba, they would pay attention and no-one would speak .

Ibn Shihab said, "The imam coming out stops prayer and his speaking stops conversation."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al As said, "When we arrived at Madina we were struck down by a severe epidemic which debilitated us greatly. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the people while they were praying nawafil prayers sitting down. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The prayer of the one sitting is equal to only half the prayer of the one standing.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn Ubaydullah that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered that the body of Sad ibn Abi Waqqas be brought past her in the mosque so that she could make dua for him. Some people disapproved of her doing that, and she said, "How hasty people are! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, only prayed over Suhayl ibn Bayda in the mosque."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Humayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari mentioned to him that he once did tawaf of the House with Umar ibn al-Khattab after subh and when Umar had finished his tawaf he looked and saw that the sun had not yet risen, so he rode on until he made his camel kneel at Dhu Tuwa, and he prayed two rakas.

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).

Allah's Apostle said, "Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, 'The night is long, so stay asleep.' When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart."

In the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws) there was a woman who had an issue of blood. So Umm Salamah asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) to give a decision about her. He said: She should consider the number of nights and days during which she used to menstruate each month before she was afflicted with this trouble and abandon prayer during that period each month. When those days and nights are over, she should take a bath, tie a cloth over her private parts and pray.

The Prophet (saws) said: When one of you prays facing a sutrah he should keep close to it, and not let the devil interrupt his prayer.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Waqid b. Muhammad from Safwan from Muhammad b. Sahl on the authority of his father, or on the authority of Muhammad b. Sahl from the Prophet (saws). Some have narrated it from Nafi' b. Jubair on the authority of Sahl b. Sa'd. There is a variation in the chain of its narrators.

We used to salute during prayer and talk about our needs. I came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and found him praying. I saluted him, but he did not respond to me. I recalled what happened to me in the past and in the present.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he said to me: Allah, the Almighty, creates new command as He wishes, and Allah, the Exalted, has sent a fresh command that you must not talk during prayer. He then returned my salutation.

On the day (of the battle) of Al-Ahzab (i.e. clans) I saw the Prophet carrying earth, and the earth was covering the whiteness of his `Abdomen. And he was saying, "Without You (O Allah!) we would have got no guidance, nor given in charity, nor prayed. So please bless us with tranquility and make firm our feet when we meet our enemies. Indeed (these) people have rebelled against (oppressed) us but never shall we yield if they try to bring affliction upon us."

Allah's Apostle said, "During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, 'The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,' If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and in good spirits, otherwise he gets up in low spirits and lethargic."

I asked Ibn `Amr bin Al-As, "Tell me of the worst thing which the pagans did to the Prophet." He said, "While the Prophet was praying in the Hijr of the Ka`ba; `Uqba bin Abi Mu'ait came and put his garment around the Prophet's neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away from the Prophet and said, "Do you want to kill a man just because he says, 'My Lord is Allah?' "

We used to greet the Prophet while he used to be in prayers, and he used to reply to our greetings. But when we came back from Najashi (the King of Ethiopia) we greeted him (while he was praying) and he did not reply to us. We said, "O Allah's Apostle! We used to greet you in the past and you used to reply to us." He said, "Verily The Mind is occupied and busy with more important matter during the prayer." (So one cannot return One's greetings.)

Abu Dawud said : Ahmad (b. Hanbal) said: It is pleasing to me that one should recite in the obligatory prayer those supplications which have occurred in the Quran.