We offered a four rak`at prayer at Mina behind Ibn `Affan . `Abdullah bin Mas`ud was informed about it. He said sadly, "Truly to Allah we belong and truly to Him we shall return." And added, "I prayed two rak`at with Allah's Apostle at Mina and similarly with Abu Bakr and with `Umar (during their caliphates)." He further said, "May I be lucky enough to have two of the four rak`at accepted (by Allah)."

During the last Hajj led by `Umar, `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf returned to his family at Mina and met me there. `AbdurRahman said (to `Umar), "O chief of the believers! The season of Hajj is the season when there comes the scum of the people (besides the good amongst them), so I recommend that you should wait till you go back to Medina, for it is the place of Migration and Sunna (i.e. the Prophet's tradition), and there you will be able to refer the matter to the religious scholars and the nobles and the people of wise opinions." `Umar said, "I will speak of it in Medina on my very first sermon I will deliver there."

That heard Allah's Apostle saying, "We are the last but will be the foremost to enter Paradise)." The Prophet added, "He who obeys me, obeys Allah, and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah. He who obeys the chief, obeys me, and he who disobeys the chief, disobeys me. The Imam is like a shelter for whose safety the Muslims should fight and where they should seek protection. If the Imam orders people with righteousness and rules justly, then he will be rewarded for that, and if he does the opposite, he will be responsible for that."

Allah's Apostle said, "When the Imam says, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah," you should say, "Allahumma Rabbana laka l-hamd." And if the saying of any one of you coincides with that of the angels, all his past sins will be forgiven."

I asked Ibn `Umar, "Can a person who has performed the Tawaf around the Ka`ba for `Umra but has not performed the (Sa`i) Tawaf of Safa and Marwa, have a sexual relation with his wife?" Ibn `Umar replied "When the Prophet reached Mecca he performed the Tawaf around the Ka`ba (circumambulated it seven times) and offered a two-rak`at prayer (at the place) behind the station (of Abraham) and then performed the Tawaf (Sa`i) of Safa and Marwa, and verily in Allah's Apostle you have a good example." Then we put the same question to Jabir bin `Abdullah and he too replied, "He should not go near his wife (for sexual relation) till he has finished the Tawaf of Safa and Marwa."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi and Abdullah ibn Umar that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about night prayers. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Night prayers are two by two, and when you are afraid that dawn is approaching, pray one raka to make what you have prayed odd."

I heard the apostle of Allah (saws) say: If anyone makes (his wife) wash and he washes himself on Friday, goes out early (for Friday prayer), attends the sermon from the beginning, walking, not riding, takes his seat near the imam, listens attentively, and does not indulge in idle talk, he will get the reward of a year's fasting and praying at night for every step he takes.

I heard Hudhaifa saying, "While we were sitting with `Umar, he said, 'Who among you remembers the statement of the Prophet about the afflictions?' Hudhaifa said, "The affliction of a man in his family, his property, his children and his neighbors are expiated by his prayers, Zakat (and alms) and enjoining good and forbidding evil." `Umar said, "I do not ask you about these afflictions, but about those afflictions which will move like the waves of the sea." Hudhaifa said, "Don't worry about it, O chief of the believers, for there is a closed door between you and them." `Umar said, "Will that door be broken or opened?" I said, "No. it will be broken." `Umar said, "Then it will never be closed," I said, "Yes." We asked Hudhaifa, "Did `Umar know what that door meant?" He replied, "Yes, as I know that there will be night before tomorrow morning, that is because I narrated to him a true narration free from errors." We dared not ask Hudhaifa as to whom the door represented so we ordered Masruq to ask him what does the door stand for? He replied, "`Umar."

Allah's Apostle said, "If it is very hot, then pray the Zuhr prayer when it becomes (a bit) cooler, as the severity of the heat is from the raging of the Hell-fire."

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, I was given a bowl full of milk (in a dream), and I drank of it to my fill until I noticed its wetness coming out of my nails, and then I gave the rest of it to `Umar." They (the people) asked, "What have you interpreted (about the dream)? O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "(It is Religious) knowledge."

We asked Ibn `Umar whether a man who, while performing `Umra, had performed Tawaf of the Ka`ba; and had not yet performed Tawaf between Safa and Marwa, could have sexual relation with his wife, Ibn `Umar replied "The Prophet (p.b.u.h) reached Mecca and performed the seven rounds (of Tawaf) of the Ka`ba and then offered a two-rak`at prayer behind Maqam Ibrahim and then performed the seven rounds (of Tawaf) between Safa and Marwa." He added, "Verily! In Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) you have a good example." We asked Jabir bin `Abdullah (the same question) and he said, "He (that man) should not come near (his wife) till he has completed Tawaf between Safa and Marwa."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that A'isha, umm al-muminin, used to fast on the day of Arafa .

Al-Qasim said, "I saw her, when the imam began moving away (after sunset) on the afternoon of Arafa, stay where she was until the ground between her and the people became clear. Then she asked for something to drink and broke her fast."

Some people asked the Prophet: "Who is the most honorable amongst the people?" He replied, "The most honorable among them is the one who is the most Allah-fearing." They said, "O Allah's Prophet! We do not ask about this." He said, "Then the most honorable person is Joseph, Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Khalil." They said, "We do not ask about this." He said, "Then you want to ask me about the Arabs' descent?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Those who were best in the pre-lslamic period, are the best in Islam, if they comprehend (the religious knowledge).

`Umar bin Al-Khattab came on the day of Al-Khandaq after the sun had set and he was abusing the infidels of Quraish saying, "O Allah's Apostle! I was unable to offer the (`Asr) prayer till the sun was about to set." The Prophet said, "By Allah, I have not offered this (i.e. `Asr) prayer." So we came down along with the Prophet to Buthan where he performed ablution for the prayer and then we performed the ablution for it. Then he offered the `Asr prayer after the sun had set, and after it he offered the Maghrib prayer.

I was going to Mecca in the company of `Abdullah bin `Umar and when I apprehended the approaching dawn, I dismounted and offered the witr prayer and then joined him. `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Where have you been?" I replied, "I apprehended the approaching dawn so I dismounted and prayed the witr prayer." `Abdullah said, "Isn't it sufficient for you to follow the good example of Allah's Apostle?" I replied, "Yes, by Allah." He said, "Allah's Apostle used to pray witr on the back of the camel (while on a journey)."

A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! How is the prayer of the night?" He said, "Two rak`at followed by two rak`at and so on, and when you apprehend the approaching dawn, offer one rak`a as witr."

The Prophet said, "The Imam is to be followed. Say the Takbir when he says it; bow if he bows; if he says 'Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah', say, ' Rabbana wa laka l-hamd', prostrate if he prostrates and pray sitting altogether if he prays sitting."