Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim that Ata ibn Yasar told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the takbir in one of the prayers and then indicated to them with his hand to stay in place. He left and then returned with traces of water on his skin.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Dawud ibn al-Husayn from al- Araj from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari that Umar ibn al Khattab said, "Whoever misses reading his hizb at night and reads it from when the sun has passed the meridian until the dhuhr prayer has not missed it, or it is as if he has caught it."

"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).

The Prophet said, "Pray before the Maghrib (compulsory) prayer." He (said it thrice) and in the third time, he said, "Whoever wants to offer it can do so." He said so because he did not like the people to take it as a tradition.

Once `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz delayed the prayer and `Urwa bin Az-Zubair went to him and said, "Once in 'Iraq, Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba delayed his prayers and Abi Mas`ud Al-Ansari went to him and said, 'O Mughira! What is this? Don't you know that once Gabriel came and offered the prayer (Fajr prayer) and Allah's Apostle prayed too, then he prayed again (Zuhr prayer) and so did Allah's Apostle and again he prayed (`Asr prayers and Allah's Apostle did the same; again he prayed (Maghrib-prayer) and so did Allah's Apostle and again prayed (`Isha prayer) and so did Allah's Apostle and (Gabriel) said, 'I was ordered to do so (to demonstrate the prayers prescribed to you)?'" `Umar (bin `Abdul `Aziz) said to `Urwa, "Be sure of what you Say. Did Gabriel lead Allah's Apostle at the stated times of the prayers?" `Urwa replied, "Bashir bin Abi Mas`ud narrated like this on the authority of his father." `Urwa added, "Aisha told me that Allah's Apostle used to pray `Asr prayer when the sunshine was still inside her residence (during the early time of `Asr).

Hudhaifa said, "`Umar said, 'Who amongst you remembers the statement of Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) about afflictions'?' I said, 'I know it as the Prophet had said it.' `Umar said, 'No doubt, you are bold. How did he say it?' I said, 'A man's afflictions (wrong deeds) concerning his wife, children and neighbors are expiated by (his) prayers, charity, and enjoining good.' (The sub-narrator Sulaiman added that he said, 'The prayer, charity, enjoining good and forbidding evil.') `Umar said, 'I did not mean that, but I ask about that affliction which will spread like the waves of the sea.' I said, 'O chief of the believers! You need not be afraid of it as there is a closed door between you and it.' He asked, 'Will the door be broken or opened?' I replied, 'No, it will be broken.' He said, 'Then, if it is broken, it will never be closed again?' I replied, 'Yes.' " Then we were afraid to ask what that door was, so we asked Masruq to inquire, and he asked Hudhaifa regarding it. Hudhaifa said, "The door was `Umar. "We further asked Hudhaifa whether `Umar knew what that door meant. Hudhaifa replied in the affirmative and added, "He knew it as one knows that there will be a night before the tomorrow morning."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded me to recite Mu'awwidhatan (the last three surahs of the Qur'an) after every prayer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer should not be postponed for taking meals nor for any other thing.

Abu Salama reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that when Iqama was pronounced for the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), the people occupied their places in the rows before the Apostle of Allah (way peace be upon him) stood up at his place.

That Heraclius sent for him and said, "What did he, i.e. the Prophet order you?" I replied, "He orders us to offer prayers; to give alms; to be chaste; and to keep good relations with our relatives.

The Iqama for the prayer was announced while a man was talking to Allah's Apostle privately. He continued talking in that way till the Prophet's companions slept, and afterwards the Prophet got up and offered the prayer with them.

The Prophet led us in Zuhr prayer and prayer five rak`at. Somebody asked him whether the prayer had been increased." He (the Prophet ) said, "And what is that?" They (the people) replied, "You have prayed five rak`at." Then the Prophet offered two prostrations (of Sahu) after he had finished his prayer with the Taslim.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman that al-Qaqa ibn Hakim and Zayd ibn Aslam sent him to Said ibn al-Musayyab to ask how a woman who was bleeding as if menstruating should do ghusl. Said said, "She does a ghusl to cover from the end of one period to the end of the next, and does wudu for every prayer, and if bleeding overtakes her she should bind her private parts."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he asked Ibn Shihab and Nafi, the mawla of Ibn Umar, whether a man who joined an imam who had already done a raka should say the tashahhud with the imam in the second and fourth rakas, even though these were odd for him? They said, "He should say tashahhud with him."

Malik said, "That is the position with us."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "The maghrib prayer is the witr of the daytime prayers."

Malik said, "If someone prays witr at the beginning of the night, and goes to sleep, and then wakes up and it seems good to him to pray, let him pray, two rakas at a time. That is what I like most of what I have heard."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray two rakas before dhuhr and two rakas after it, two rakas after maghrib, in his house, and two rakas after isha. He did not pray after jumua until he had left, and then he prayed two rakas.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "The following ayat was sent down about dua - 'And do not be loud in your prayer and do not be silent in it, but seek a way between these.' " (Sura 17 ayat 110)

Yahya said that Malik was asked about making dua in obligatory prayers and he said, "There is no harm in making dua in them."

This hadith has been narrated by another chain of transmitters.

Fatima bint Abi Hubaish used to have bleeding in between the periods, so she asked the Prophet about it. He replied, "The bleeding is from a blood vessel and not the menses. So give up the prayers when the (real) menses begins and when it has finished, take a bath and start praying."

A person asked Allah's Apostle about the offering of the prayer in a single garment. Allah's Apostle replied, "Has every one of you got two garments?"