The last words which the Messenger of Allah (saws) spoke were: Prayer, prayer; fear Allah about those whom your right hands possess.

Abu Dawud said: It has been narrated by Ibn 'Umar and Anas b. Malik that she should take bath at the time of the Zuhr prayer (being valid) until the next Zuhr prayer. This tradition has also been transmuted by Dawud and 'Asim from al-Sha'bi from his wife from Qumair on the authority of 'Aishah, except that the version of Dawud has the words: "every day," and the version of 'Asim has the words: "at the time of Zuhr prayer". This is the view of Salim b. 'Abd Allah, al-Hassan, and 'Ata.

Abu Dawud said: Malik said: I think that the tradition narrated by Ibn a;-Musayyab must contain the words: "from one purification to another". But it was misunderstood and the people changed it to: "for one Zuhr prayer to another".

It has also been reported by Miswar b. 'Abd al-Malik b. Sa'id b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Yarbu', saying: "from one purification to another," but the people changed it to: "from one zuhr to another."

While a man was delivering a speech in the tribe of Kinda, he said, "Smoke will prevail on the Day of Resurrection and will deprive the hypocrites their faculties of hearing and seeing. The believers will be afflicted with something like cold only thereof." That news scared us, so I went to (Abdullah) Ibn Mas`ud while he was reclining (and told him the story) whereupon he became angry, sat up and said, "He who knows a thing can say, it, but if he does not know, he should say, 'Allah knows best,' for it is an aspect of knowledge to say, 'I do not know,' if you do not know a certain thing. Allah said to His prophet. 'Say (O Muhammad): No wage do I ask of you for this (Qur'an), nor I am one of the pretenders (a person who pretends things which do not exist.)' (38.86) The Qur'aish delayed in embracing Islam for a period, so the Prophet invoked evil on them, saying, 'O Allah! Help me against them by sending seven years of (famine) like those of Joseph.' So they were afflicted with such a severe year of famine that they were destroyed therein and ate dead animals and bones. They started seeing something like smoke between the sky and the earth (because of severe hunger). Abu Sufyan then came (to the Prophet) and said, "O Muhammad! You came to order us for to keep good relations with Kith and kin, and your kinsmen have now perished, so please invoke Allah (to relieve them).' Then Ibn Mas`ud recited:-- 'Then watch you for the day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible....but truly you will return! (to disbelief) (44.10-15) Ibn Mas`ud added, Then the punishment was stopped, but truly, they reverted to heathenism (their old way). So Allah (threatened them thus): 'On the day when we shall seize you with a mighty grasp.' (44.16) And that was the day of the Battle of Badr. Allah's saying- "Lizama" (the punishment) refers to the day of Badr Allah's Statement: Alif-Lam-Mim, the Romans have been defeated, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious,' (30.1- 3) (This verse): Indicates that the defeat of Byzantine has already passed.

When the illness of the Messenger of Allah (saws) became serious while I was with him among a group of people, Bilal called him for prayer. He said: Ask someone to lead the people in prayer. So Abdullah ibn Zam'ah went out and found that Umar was present among the people and AbuBakr was not there. I said: Umar, get up and lead the people in prayer. So he came forward and uttered "Allah is Most Great". When the Messenger of Allah (saws) heard his voice, as Umar had a loud voice, he said: Where is AbuBakr? Allah does not allow that, and the Muslims too; Allah does not allow that, and the Muslims too. So he sent for AbuBakr. He came after Umar had led the people in that prayer. He then led the people in prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) was asked about performing ablution after eating the flesh of the camel. He replied: Perform ablution, after eating it. He was asked about performing ablution after eating meat. He replied: Do not perform ablution after eating it. He was asked about saying prayer in places where the camels lie down. He replied: Do not offer prayer in places where the camels lie down. These are the places of Satan. He was asked about saying prayer in the sheepfolds. He replied: You may offer prayer in such places; these are the places of blessing.

One day the Messenger of Allah (saws) prayed and gave the salutation while a rak'ah of the prayer remained to be offered. A man went to him and said: You forgot to offer one rak'ah of prayer. Then he returned and entered the mosque and ordered Bilal (to utter the Iqamah). He uttered the Iqamah for prayer. He then led the people in one rak'ah of prayer. I stated it to the people. They asked me: Do you know who he was? I said: No, but I can recognise him if I see him. Then the man passed by me, I said: It is he. The people said: This is Talhah ibn Ubaydullah.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) offered the noon prayer on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah (Yawm at-Tarwiyah) and dawn prayer on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah (Yawm al-Arafah) in Mina.

Should I not tell you how the Messenger of Allah (saws) led the prayer? He said: He had the iqamah announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer. He then mentioned how he conducted it. and said: Thus is the prayer of......AbdulA'la said: I think he must have said: My people.

I was driving the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (saws) during a journey. He said to me: Uqbah, should I not teach you two best surahs ever recited? He then taught me: "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn," and "Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men." He did not see me much pleased (by these two surahs).

When he alighted for prayer, he led the people in the morning prayer and recited them in prayer. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he turned to me and said: O Uqbah, how did you see.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) took a bath and offered two rak'ahs of prayer and said the dawn prayer. I do not think he performed ablution afresh after taking a bath.

The Prophet (saws) said: Cannot any one of you (according to the version of the narrator AbdulWarith) step forward or backward or at his right or left. The version of Hammad added: during prayer; that is, in supererogatory prayer.

Abu Dawud said: The narrator Mufaddal was the judge of Egypt. His supplication was accepted by Allah; he was the son of Fudalah.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad did not mention the words fatihat al-kitab and surah.

The Prophet (saws) intended to do many things for calling (the people) to prayer, but he did not do any of them. Then Abdullah ibn Zayd was taught in a dream how to pronounce the call to prayer. He came to the Prophet (saws) and informed him. He said: Teach it to Bilal. He then taught him, and Bilal made a call to prayer. Abdullah said: I saw it in a dream and I wished to pronounce it, but he (the Prophet) said: You should pronounce iqamah.

I offered prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (saws). Rifa'ah sneezed. The narrator Qutaybah did not mention the name Rifa'ah (but he said: I sneezed). So I said: Praise be to Allah, praise much, good and blessed therein, blessed thereupon, as our Lord likes and is pleased. When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he turned and said: Who was the speaker in prayer? He then narrated the rest of the tradition like that of Malik and completed it.

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer is to be offered in two rak'ahs; and you should recite the tashahhud at the end of two rak'ahs, and express your distress and humility and raise your hands and say praying: O Allah, O Allah. He who does not do so does not offer a perfect prayer.

Abu Dawud was asked about offering prayer at night in two rak'ahs. He said: They may be two if you like and four if you like.

The Prophet (saws) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Malik, Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, al-Awza'i, and 'Abd al-Razzaq from Ma'mar and Ibn Ishaq, none of them made a mention of the call for prayer (adman) in this version of the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri, and none of them attribute (this tradition) to him except al-Awza'i and Aban al-'Attar on the authority of Ma'mar.

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban asked Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Umar about the reason for Ibn Umar's performing ablution for every prayer, whether he was with or without ablution.

He replied: Asma', daughter of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, reported to me that Abdullah ibn Hanzalah ibn AbuAmir narrated to her that the Messenger of Allah (saws) was earlier commanded to perform ablution for every prayer whether or not he was with ablution.

When it became a burden for him, he was ordered to use tooth-stick for every prayer. As Ibn Umar thought that he had the strength (to perform the ablution for every prayer), he did not give up performing ablution for every prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Ibrahim b. Sa'd narrated this tradition on the authority of Muhammad b. Ishaq, and there he mentions the name of 'Ubaid Allah b. 'Abd Allah (instead of 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar)

The Prophet (saws) saw a person offering prayer, and on the back of his foot a small part equal to the space of a dirham remained unwashed; the water did not reach it. The Prophet (saws) commanded him to repeat the ablution and prayer.

I saw that the Messenger of Allah (saws) raised his hands when he began prayer, but he did not raise them until he finished (prayer).

Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not sound.

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.

Allah's Apostle said to me, "O `Abdullah! Have I not been informed that you fast during the day and offer prayers all the night." `Abdullah replied, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said, "Don't do that; fast for few days and then give it up for few days, offer prayers and also sleep at night, as your body has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you. And it is sufficient for you to fast three days in a month, as the reward of a good deed is multiplied ten times, so it will be like fasting throughout the year." I insisted (on fasting) and so I was given a hard instruction. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have power." The Prophet said, "Fast like the fasting of the Prophet David and do not fast more than that." I said, "How was the fasting of the Prophet of Allah, David?" He said, "Half of the year," (i.e. he used to fast on every alternate day). Afterwards when `Abdullah became old, he used to say, "It would have been better for me if I had accepted the permission of the Prophet (which he gave me i.e. to fast only three days a month).

If anyone hears him who makes the call to prayer and is not prevented from joining the congregation by any excuse--he was asked what an excuse consisted of and replied that it was fear or illness--the prayer he offers will not be accepted from him.