Busr b. Mihjan reported his father as saying he had been at a meeting along with God’s Messenger when the adhan for prayer was called. God’s Messenger got up and prayed, and when he returned he found Mihjan sitting where he had been, so he asked him, “What prevented you from praying along with the people? Are you not a Muslim?” He replied, “Certainly, Messenger of God; but I had already prayed at home.” God’s Messenger then said to him, “When you come to the mosque having mready prayed and the time for prayer comes, pray along with the people even if you have already prayed.” Malik and Nasa’i transmitted it.

I* pray at home and then go to the mosque and the time to begin the prayer comes, so I pray along with the congregation, but I feel some uneasiness about that. Abu Ayyub replied, “We asked the Prophet about that and he said that such a person gets a portion of the reward for corporate prayer.” * The Arabic has “One of us prays . . . then goes . . .” After that the first person singular is used. While such a construction is quite usual in 'Arabic, it makes impossible English, so I have used the first person all through. Malik and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

I came to God’s Messenger when he was praying and sat down, but did not join the congregation in prayer. When he finished he saw me sitting and asked, “Have you not become a Muslim, Yazid?” I replied, “I certainly have become a Muslim, Messenger of God.” He asked, “What prevented you from joining the people in their prayer?” I replied, “I had already prayed at home, thinking you had prayed.” So he said, “When you come to prayer and find the people praying, pray along with them. If you have already prayed it will be a supererogatory prayer for you, though this is a prescribed prayer.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that a man questioned him saying, “When I pray in my house and then come to the mosque in time for prayer along with the imam, should I pray along with him?” He replied, “Yes.” The man asked which of them he should consider his obligatory prayer, and Ibn ‘Umar replied, “Is that your affair?* that is only to be left to God’s decision who will appoint whichever He wishes.” *The Arabic is in the form of a statement, but in view of the phrase immediately following it seems necessary to treat it as a question. Malik transmitted it.

We came to Ibn ‘Umar at al- Balat* when the people were praying, and I remarked on the fact that he was not praying along with the people. He replied that he had already prayed and that he had heard God’s Messenger say, “Do not pray a prayer twice on the same day.” * A square paved with stones between the Prophet's mosque and the market-place in Medina. Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Nafi‘ said that Ibn ‘Umar used to say, “If anyone prays the sunset or the morning prayer and then comes when the imam is praying them, he must not say them over again.” Malik transmitted it.

Umm Habiba reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A house will be built in paradise for anyone who prays in a day and a night twelve rak'as, four before and two after the noon prayer, two after the sunset prayer, two after the evening prayer, and two before the dawn prayer.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. In a version by Muslim she said she heard God’s Messenger say, “If any Muslim prays to God twelve voluntary rak'as daily, over and above the obligatory ones, God will build a house for him in paradise,” or, “a house will be built for him in paradise.”

Ibn ‘Umar said, “I prayed along with God’s Messenger two rak'as before and two rak'as after the noon prayer, two after the sunset prayer in his house, and two after the evening prayer in his house.” He said Hafsa told him that God’s Messenger used to pray two short rak'as at daybreak. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He said that God’s Messenger did not pray after the Friday noon prayer till he had departed. He would then pray two rak'as in his house. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Shaqiq said he asked ‘A'isha about the Messenger of God’s voluntary prayers and she replied, “Before the noon prayer he would pray four rak'as in my house, then go out and lead the people in prayer, then come in and pray two rak'as. He would lead the people in the sunset prayer, then come in and pray two rak'as. Then he would lead the people in the evening prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'as. He would pray nine rak'as during the night, including the witr.* At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and when he recited the Qur’an while standing he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position; and when dawn came he prayed two rak'as." *See Chap. 34 Muslim transmitted it, and Abu Dawud added, “Then he would go out and lead the people in the dawn prayer.”

‘A’isha said that the Prophet was more particular about observing the two supererogatory rak'as at dawn than about observing any of the other supererogatory prayers. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The two rak'as at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mughaffal reported the Prophet as saying, “Pray before the sunset prayer,” adding when saying it a third time, “This applies to those who wish to do so.” That was because he did not wish the people to treat it as a sunna. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you prays after the Friday noon prayer, he should pray four rak'as.” Muslim transmitted it. In another version by him he said, “When any of you prays the Friday noon prayer, he should pray four rak'as after it.”

Umm Habiba said she heard God’s Messenger say, “If anyone keeps on praying four rak'as before and four after the noon prayer, God will forbid that he be sent to hell.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The gates of heaven are opened for four rak'as containing no taslim before the noon prayer.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. as-Sa’ib said God’s Messenger used to pray four rak'as before the noon prayer, after the sun had passed the meridian, saying, “It is an hour at which the gates of heaven are opened, and I like a good deed of mine to ascend at that time.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God show mercy to a man who prays four rak'as before the afternoon prayer!” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ali said that God's Messenger used to pray four rak’as before the afternoon prayer, separating them with a salutation to the angels who are near God’s presence and the Muslims and believers who come after them. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He said that God's Messenger used to pray two rak'as before the afternoon prayer. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone prays six rak'as after the sunset prayer, not saying anything evil during them, they will be treated for him as equivalent to twelve years’ worship.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying, “This is a gharib tradition which I know only from the traditions of ‘Umar b. Abu Khath'am; and I heard Muhammad b. Isma'il (i.e. Bukhari) say that his traditions are rejected. He declared him to be very weak.”

‘A'isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone prays twenty rak'as after the sunset prayer, God will build for him a house in paradise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

She said that God’s Messenger never came into her house after praying the evening prayer without praying four or six rak'as. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the stars set two rak'as should be prayed before the dawn prayer, and after the prostration two rak'as should be prayed after the sunset prayer.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Umar said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “Four rak'as before the noon prayer after the sun has passed tne meridian are reckoned equivalent to a similar number at the dawn prayer.1 There is nothing which does not glorify God at that hour.” Then he recited, “Their shadows turn round from the right and the left prostrating themselves to God, and they are abject.”2 1. This is the literal translation, but commentators usually explain it as referring to night prayers at some time between midnight and dawn. 2. Al-Qur’an; 16:48 Tirmidhi and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al- iman, transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger never omitted to pray two rak'as after the afternoon prayer in her house. (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Bukhari she said, “By Him who took him away, he did not omit them till he met God.”

I asked Anas b. Malik about the voluntary prayers after the afternoon prayer and he replied, “Umar used to forbid prayer after the afternoon prayer, but in the time of God’s Messenger we used to pray two rak'as after the setting of the sun before the sunset prayer.” I asked him whether God’s Messenger prayed these two and he replied, “He used to see us praying them, but neither commanded us nor forbade us to do so.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said, “When we were in Medina, the moment the mu’adhdhin made the call to the sunset prayer the people hastened to the pillars of the mosque and prayed two rak'as, with the result that any stranger coming into the mosque would think that the obligatory prayer had been observed owing to the number who were praying them.” Muslim transmitted it.

I went to ‘Uqba al-Juhani and said, “I can tell you something about Abu Tamim which will make you wonder. He prays two rak'as before the sunset prayer.” ‘Uqba replied, “We used to do so in the time of God’s Messenger.” I asked, “What prevents you now?” and he replied, “Work.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Ka‘b b. ‘Ujra said that the Prophet came to the mosque of the B. ‘Abd al-Ashhal and prayed the sunset prayer in it. When the people finished their prayer he saw them performing tasbih after it and said, “This is the prayer to be observed at home.”* * This refers to supererogatory prayers. Tasbih is the utterance of 'Glory be to God!’ Abu Dawud transmitted it. In the version by Tirmidhi and Nasa’i it says that the people got up and offered supererogatory prayers, whereupon the Prophet said, “Observe this prayer at home.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger prolonged the recitation of the Qur’an in the two rak'as after the sunset prayer till the people in the mosque separated. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Makhul, tracing it back, told how God’s Messenger said, “If anyone before engaging in conversation after the sunset prayer prays two rak'as (four rak'as according to another version), his prayer will be taken up to ‘Illiyun.” It is given in mursal form. Hudhaifa has something similar, adding that he used to say, “Hasten the two rak'as after the sunset prayer, for they will be taken up along with the prescribed prayer.” Razin transmitted them both, and Baihaqi transmitted something to the same effect as the addition in Shu'ab al-iman.

‘Amr b. ‘Ata’ said that Nafi‘ b. Jubair sent him to as-Sa'ib to ask him about something Mu'awiya had seen him do in prayer. He said, “Yes, I prayed the Friday noon prayer along with him in the enclosure,* and when the imam uttered the salutation I stood up in my place and prayed. When he went in he sent me a message saying, ‘Never again do what you have done. When you pray the Friday noon prayer you must not join another prayer to it till you have engaged in conversation or gone out, for God’s Messenger gave us that precise command, not to join on a prayer till we had engaged in conversation or gone out’.” * The enclosure (maqsura) was a private part of the mosque reserved for the Caliph. Mu'awiya has been accused of being an innovator because he introduced this feature. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ata’ said that when Ibn ‘Umar prayed the Friday noon prayer in Mecca he would go forward and pray two rak'as, then go forward and pray four; but when he was in Medina he prayed the Friday noon prayer, then returned to his house and prayed two rak'as, not praying them in the mosque. Someone mentioned this to him and he replied that God’s Messenger used to do it. Abu Dawud transmitted it. In Tirmidhi’s version he said, “I saw Ibn ‘Umar pray two rak'as after the Friday noon prayer, then he prayed four after that.”

‘A’isha said that between the time when he finished the evening prayer and the dawn prayer the Prophet used to pray eleven rak'as, uttering the salutation at the end of every two and observing the witr,* with a single one, and during that he would make a prostration about as long as one of you would take to recite fifty verses before raising his head. When the mu’adhdhin finished making the call for the dawn prayer and he saw the dawn clearly, he stood up and prayed two short rak'as, then lay down on his right side till the mu’adhdhin came to him for the iqama, whereupon he would go out. *Cf. chap. 36 (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She said, “When the Prophet prayed the two rak'as of the dawn prayer, he would talk to me if I was awake, otherwise he would lie down.” Muslim transmitted it.

She said that when the Prophet prayed the two rak'as of the dawn prayer he lay down on his right side. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She said the Prophet used to pray thirteen rak'as during the night, including the witr and two rak'as of the dawn prayer. Muslim transmitted it.

Masruq said he asked ‘A’isha what prayers God’s Messenger said during the night and she replied, “Seven, nine, and eleven rak'as apart from the two rak'as of the dawn prayer.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet stood up at night to pray he began his prayer with two short rak'as. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you gets up at night; he should begin the prayer with two short rak'as.” Muslim transmitted it.

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimuna when the Prophet was with her. After talking to his family for a time he had a sleep, then when the last third of the night came, or a little later, he sat up, looked at the sky, and recited, “In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for people of understanding,"(Al-Qur’an; 3:190) to the end of the sura. Then getting up and going to the bucket, he loosened its cord and poured some water into a bowl, then performed a good ablution between the two extremes, not going to great length, and when he had done it fully he stood up and prayed. I got up, and when I had performed ablution I stood at his left side, whereupon he took me by the ear and made me go round to his right side. His prayer was altogether thirteen rak'as. Then he lay down and slept, and he snored as was his custom. When Bilal made the call to prayer for him he prayed without performing ablution, and his supplication included these words, “O God, place light in my heart, light in my eyesight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and grant me light." Some added, “and light in my tongue," and mentioned, “my joints, my flesh, my blood, my hair, my skin." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them he said, “Place light in my soul, and give me abundant light." In another by Muslim he said, “O God, give me light."

He said that once when he slept in the house of God’s Messenger, he awoke, cleaned his teeth and performed ablution, saying meanwhile, “In the creation of the heavens and the earth," to the end of the sura. He then stood up and prayed two rak'as, standing, bowing and prostrating himself at length in them. Then he finished, went to sleep and snored. He did that three times, six rak'as altogether, each time cleaning his teeth, performing ablution and reciting these verses. Then he performed a witr of three rak'as. Muslim transmitted it.

Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani decided to watch one night what prayers God’s Messenger said. He prayed two short rak'as, then two long, long, long rak'as, then he prayed two rak'as which were less than the two preceding, then he prayed two rak'as which were less then the two preceding, then he prayed two rak'as which were less than the two preceding, then he prayed two rak'as which were less than the two preceding, then he prayed a single one, making a total of thirteen. Muslim transmitted it. The words “then he prayed two rak'as which were less than the two preceding”, mentioned four times, occur thus in Muslim’s Sahih and among those peculiar or him in Humaidi’s book, also in Malik’s Muwatta’, Abu Dawud’s Sunan, and Jami’ al-Usul.

‘A’isha said, “When God’s Messenger grew old and was ill, he mostly prayed sitting.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

37, 45, 47, 48, 50, 61, 67, 87, and 93. The name is most appropriately explained ay meaning that this is the section of the Qur’an which contains many shorter suras. 2. Al-Qur’an; 94. As this is included as one of the suras in al Mufassal, it suggests that this section begins earlier than the first number mentioned in the note referred to above. 3. Al-Qur'an; 78. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Hudhaifa said he saw the Prophet praying at night, and he was saying, “God is most great (three times), Possessor of the kingdom, might, pomp and greatness.” Thereafter he began and recited al-Baqara (Al-Qur’an; 2) then bowed, his bowing lasting about the same length of time as his standing, and he was saying while bowing, “Glory be to my mighty Lord.” He then raised his head after bowing and stood about the same length of time as he bad spent in bowing, saying, “To my Lord be the praise.” Then he prostrated himself for about the same length of time as he had stood, and he was saying while prostrating himself, “Glory be to my Lord most high.” He then raised his head after the prostration and sat between the two prostrations about the same length of time as he had spent in his prostration, and he was saying, “My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me.” He then prayed four rak'as in which he recited al-Baqara, Al 'Imran, an-Nisa’, and al-Ma'idaor al-An‘am (Al-Qur’an; 2, 3, 4 and 5 and 6) Shu‘ba was doubtful which it was. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

and if anyone makes proper use of a thousand verses he will be recorded among those who receive huge rewards.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet’s recitation at night was partly in a loud voice and partly in a low voice. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said the Prophet’s recitation was loud enough for one who was in the inner chamber to hear it when he was in the house. Abu Dawud transmitted it.