‘Ata b. Yasar said that Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you is in doubt aoout his prayer and does not know how much he has prayed, three or four rak'as, he should subtract what he is doubtful about and base his prayer on what he is sure of, then perform two prostrations before giving the salutation. If he has prayed five rak'as they will make his prayer an even number for him, and if he has prayed exactly four they will be a humbling for the devil.” Muslim transmitted it, and Malik transmitted it from ‘Ata’ in mursal form. In his version it says, “he will make it an even number by these two prostrations.”

‘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.)

Abu Huraira told how when God's Messenger encamped between Dajnan and ‘Usfan1 the polytheists said, “These people observe a prayer which is dearer to them than their fathers and their sons, and it is the afternoon prayer, so join together and attach them in a single rush.”2 But Gabriel came to the Prophet and ordered him to divide his companions into two divisions and lead one section in prayer while another stood behind them on guard and armed. They would pray one rak'a and God’s Messenger two. 1. Dajnan is a mountain near Mecca and ‘Usfan, a place two days’ journey from Mecca on the way to Medina. 2. Cf. Al-Qur'an; 4:102. Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ziyad ibn Ilaqah said: Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah led us in prayer and he stood up at the end of two rak'ahs. We said: Glory be to Allah; he also said: Glory be to Allah, and he proceeded. When he finished the prayer and gave the salutation, he made two prostrations of forgetfulness. When he turned (to us) he said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) doing so as I did.

Abu Dawud said: Ibn Abi Laila narrated this tradition in a similar manner from al-Shaibi from al-Mughirah b. Shu'bah. Abu 'Umais narrated it from Thabit b. 'Ubaid saying: "Al-Mughirah b. Shu'bah led us in prayer, like the tradition reported by Ziyad b. 'Illaqah.

Abu Dawud said: Abu 'Umais is the brother of al-Mas'udi. And Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas did the same as done by al-Mughirah, 'Imran b. Husain, Dahhak b. Qais and Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan. Ibn 'Abbas and 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz issued legel verdict to the same effect.

Abu Dawud said: This applies to a person who stands up at the end of two rak'ahs and males prostration after giving the salutation.

The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an should act as your imam. I knew the Qur’an better than most of them because I had memorized it. They, therefore, put me in front of them, and I would lead them in prayer. I wore a small yellow mantle which, when I prostrated myself, went up on me, and a woman of the clan said: Cover the back side of your leader from us. So they bought an ‘Ammani shirt for me, and I have never been so pleased about anything after embracing Islam as I was about that (shirt). I used to lead them in prayer and I was only seven or eight year old.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) was praying with his door bolted. I came and asked to have the door opened. He walked and opened the door for me. He then returned to his place for prayer. He (the narrator Urwah) mentioned that the door faced the qiblah.

I offered prayer along with the Prophet (saws). He would give the salutation to his right side (saying): Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; and to his left side (saying): Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came out from the privy and was presented to him. They (the people) asked: Should we bring you water for ablution? He replied: I have been commanded to perform ablution when I get up for prayer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Shall I not inform you of something more excellent in degree than fasting, prayer and almsgiving (sadaqah)? The people replied: Yes, Prophet of Allah! He said: It is putting things right between people, spoiling them is the shaver (destructive).

The Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) commanded us that the end of Ramadan when the fasting is closed sadaqah(alms) should be paid before the people went to prayer. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar used to pay it one or two days before.

The adhan (call to prayer) of Bilal should not prevent you from taking a meal shortly before dawn, not does the whiteness of horizon (before dawn) in this way (vertically) until it spreads out horizontally.

When one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief, for among them are the weak, the sick, and the aged. But when one of you prays by himself, he may pray as long as he likes.

The prophet (may peace be upon him) prostrated himself in the noon prayer; then he stood up and bowed, and we knew that he recited Tanzil al-sajdah(surah xxxii).

Ibn ‘Isa said: No one narrated this tradition to Umayyah except Mu’tamir.

Any one performs ablution and performs the ablution perfectly and then offers two rak’ahs of prayers concentrating on them with his heart and face but paradise will necessarily fall to his lot.

There is no loss in salutation and in prayer.

Abu Dawud said: According to the version of Ibn Mahdi, this tradition has been narrated by Ibn Fudail as a statement of Abu Hurairah and not as a saying of the Prophet(may peace be upon him)

When the menstruation begins, you should abandon prayer; when the period equal to its length of time passes, you should wash away the blood and pray.

She should abandon prayer during her menstrual period, then wash and pray ; then she should wash during her menstrual period.

the Prophet said: "Salatul-wusta is the Asr prayer."

"The Prophet liked to perform Salat in Al-Hitan."

"The Prophet would perform Salat in sheep pens."

"The Prophet (S) stood (in prayer) with an Ayah from the Qur'an at night"

that the Prophet (SAW) said: "Between disbelief and faith is abandoning the Salat."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sadaqa ibn Yasar that al- Mughira ibn Hakim saw Abdullah ibn Umar sit back from the two sajdas of the prayer onto the top of his feet. When he had finished, al- Mughira mentioned it to him, and Abdullah ibn Umar explained, "It is not a sunna of the prayer. I do it because I am ill."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibn Abi Waqqas used to pass in front of some of the rows while the prayer was in progress.

Malik said, "I consider that it is permissible to do that if the iqama for the prayer has been said and the imam has said the initial takbir and a man cannot find any way into the mosque except by going between the rows."

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."

"Allah's Messenger prayed the Subh prayer, and he had difficulty with the recitation. When turned (after finishing) he said: 'I think that you are reciting behind your Imam?'" He said: "We said: 'Yes, Messenger of Allah, by Allah!' He said: 'Do not do that, except for Umm Al-Kitab, for there is no Salat for one who does not recite it.'"

the Prophet said: "It is not allowed for a man to look into the interior of a man's house until he has been given permission, for if he looks, then he has entered. And one who leads people (in Salat) should not supplicate for himself alone with the exclusion of his congregation. If he does, then he has betrayed them. And one is not to stand for Salat while he has to urinate."

"The Prophet (S) stood for the Zuhr prayer, and he had a sitting to perform, so when he completed his Salat, he performed two prostrations, saying the Takbir for each prostration. So he was sitting before saying the Salam, and the people prostrated with him in place of the sitting he forgot."

"I said to Abu Sa'eed: 'One of us performs Salat and we do not know how (much) we prayed.' So he said: 'Allah's Messenger (S) said: "When one of you performs Salat and he does now know how (much) he prayed then let him perform two prostrations while he is sitting."

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Command your children to perform Salat (prayer) when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not offering) it when they are ten, and do not let (boys and girls) sleep together".

[Abu Dawud, who categorized it as Hadith Hasan with a Hasan Chain].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who apprehends that he may not get up in the later part of the night, should observe the Witr prayer in the first part of it; and he who is certain to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, because Salat at the end of the night is attended (by the angels), and that is better."

[Muslim].

‘A'isha told of Fatima daughter of Abu Hubaish coming to the Prophet and saying, “I am a woman whose blood keeps flowing, and I am never purified; Shall I therefore abandon prayer?” He replied, “No that is only a vein and is not menstruation; so when your menstrua­ tion comes on abandon prayer, and when it ends wash the blood from yourself and then pray.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Qatada said that in the first two rak'as of the noon prayer the Prophet used to recite Umm al-Kitab and two suras, and in the last two rak'as Umm al-Kitab, and he would sometimes recite loud enough for them to hear the verse. He would prolong the first rak'a more than the second; and he acted similarly in the afternoon and the Morning Prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “To sit with people who make mention of God after the morning prayer till sunrise is more pleasing to me than setting free four of the descendants of Ishmael, and to sit with people who make mention of God after the afternoon prayer till the sun sets is more pleasing to me than setting four free.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Salim b. Abul Ja'd told of a man of Khuza'a saying, “I wish I had prayed and been at rest.” When the people seemed to disapprove of his saying that, he replied that he had heard God’s Messenger say, “Declare that the time for prayer has come, Bilal, and give us rest by it.”* * This probably means that prayer brings peace of mind. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

They well know that prayer at another time than this is more excellent. God’s Messenger said, “The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when the young weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.”* * Young camels are said to feel the sand too hot when a quarter of the day has passed. Muslim transmitted it.

The Messenger of Allah said: "If you cannot find anywhere (for prayer) except sheep's resting-places and camels' resting-places, then perform prayer in the sheep's resting-places and do not perform prayer in the camels' resting-places."

"My father narrated to me that a paternal uncle of his, who had been at Badr, said: 'I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) in the masjid when a man came in and prayed two rak'ahs, then he came and greeted the Prophet (SAW) with salam. The Prophet (SAW) had been watching him as he prayed, so he returned his salam, then he said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." So he went back and prayed, then he came back and greeted the Prophet (SAW) with salam. He returned the salam, then he said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." The third or fourth time this happened, then the man said: "By the One Who revealed the Book to you, I have done my best and have tried hard; show me and teach me." He said: 'When you want to pray, perform wudu and do it well, then turn to face the Qiblah and say the takbir. Then recite the Quran, then bow until you are at ease in bowing. Then stand up until you are standing straight, then prostrate until you are at ease prostrating, then sit up until you are at ease sitting, then prostrate until you are at ease prostrating, then get up. If you complete the prayer in this manner you wil hve done it properly, and whatever you do less than this is lacking from you prayer.'"

"The Messenger of Allah entered my apartment and said: "I have been told that you stand all night (in prayer) and fast all day.' I said: 'Yes (I do).' He said: 'Do not do that. Sleep and stand (in prayer); fast and break your fast. For your eyes have a right over you, your body has a right over you, your body has a right over you, your wife has a right over you, your guest has a right over you, and your friend has a right over you. I hope that you will have a long life and that it will be sufficient for you to fast three days of each month. That is fasting for a lifetime, because a good deed is equal to ten like it.' I said : 'I feel able to do more.' I was strict, so I was dealt with strictly. He said: 'Fast three days each week.' I said: 'I am ableto do more thtn that; I was strict, so I was dealt with strictly. He said: 'Observe the fast of the Prophet of Allah, Dawud, peace be upon him. I said: 'What was the fast of Dawud?' he said: 'Half of a lifetime."' 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted."

"My father got me married to a woman and he came to visit her and said: 'What do you think of your husband?' She said: 'What a wonderful man he is. He does not sleep at night and he does not break his fast during the day.' He got upset with me and said: 'I got you married to a woman from among the Muslims and you have neglected her.' I did not pay attention to what he said because of my energy and love of worship. News of that reached the Prophet and he said: 'But I stand (in prayer) and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast. So stand (in prayer) and sleep, fast and break your fast.' He said: 'Fast three days of every month.' I said: 'I am able to do more than that.' He said: 'O bserve the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him: fast one day and break your fast one day.' I said: 'I am able to do more than that.' He said: 'Read the Quran (once) every month.' Then it ended up being every fifteen days, and I still said: 'I am able to do more than that."' 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted."

"We were with the Prophet (PBUH) on a journey, and he tapped me on the back with a stick he had with him, then he turned off (route) and I turned off with him until he came to such and such an area. Then he made his camel stop and went away until he disappeared from me, then he came back and said: 'Do you have water with you?' I had a water skin with me, so I brought it out and poured it for him. He washed his hands and face and began to wash his arms, but he was wearing a Syrian Jubbah[1] that had narrow sleeves, so he brought his arms out from beneath the Jubbah and washed his hands and arms, and wiped his forelock a little and his turban a little." - Ibn 'Awn said: "I cannot remember it well - then he wiped over his Khuffs." Then he said: 'What do you need?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not need anything.' Then we came and 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf was leading the people in Salah, and he had led them in one Rak'ah of the Subh (Fajr) prayer. I wanted to tell him that the Prophet (PBUH) had arrived but he did not let me, so we prayed what we had caught up with and made up what we had missed.'" [1] It is a type of cloak.

"When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to Al-Madinah, he alighted in the upper part of Al-Madinah among the tribe called Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf and he stayed with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and they came with their swords by their sides. It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on his she-camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him (on the same camel) and the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. The Prophet (PBUH) used to offer the prayer wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray even in sheepfolds. Then he ordered that the Masjid be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and when they came, he said: 'O Banu An-Najjar, name me a price for this grove of yours.' They said: 'By Allah, we will not ask for its price except from Allah.'" Anas said: "In (that grove) there were graves of idolators, ruins and date-palm trees. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered that the graves of the idolators be dug up, the ruins be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. The trunks of the trees were arranged so as to form the walls facing the Qiblah. The stone pillars were built at the sides of its gate. They started to move the stones, reciting some lines of verse, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was with them when they were saying: 'O Allah! There is no good except the good of the Hereafter. So bestow victory on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.'"

The Prophet (saws) said: The Friday prayer in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with four exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick person.

Abu Dawud said: Tariq b. Shihab had seen the Prophet (saws) but not heard anything from him.

was asked about a man who looks at the House (the Ka'bah) and raises his hands (for prayer). He replied: I did not find anyone doing this except the Jews. We performed hajj along with the Messenger of Allah (saws), but he did not do so.

I prayed along with the Messenger of Allah (saws) at Mina and the people gathered there in large numbers. He led us two rak'ahs in prayer in the Farewell Pilgrimage.

Abu Dawud said: Harithah belonged to the tribe of Khuza'ah, and they had their houses in Mecca.

"I heard Al-Qasim saying: "Abdullah bin 'Abdullah informed me that he heard 'Abdullah bin 'Umar saying: "From the Sunnah of the prayer is to lay your left foot on the ground, and raise your right foot."

“We set out until we came to the Prophet (saw). We gave him our oath of allegiance and performed prayer behind him. Then we offered another prayer behind him. He finished the prayer and saw a man on his own, praying behind the row.” He said: “The Prophet of Allah (saw) stood beside him and when he finished he said: ‘Repeat your prayer; there is no prayer for the one who is behind the row.’”

"I came to Al-Madinah and said: 'I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (SAW) pray. He said the takbir and raised his hands until I saw his thumbs near his ears. When he wanted to bow, he said the takbir and raised his hands. Then he raised his head and said: 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears the one who praises Him).' Then he said the takbir and prostrated, and his hands were in the same position in relation to his ears as when he started the prayer."

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) led us in prayer one day, then he turned to face us and said: 'I am now your imam, so do not hasten to bow or prostrate or stand or leave before I do. I can see you in front of me and behind me.' Then he said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you had seen what I have seen, you would laugh little and weep much.' We said: 'What have you seen, O Messenger of Allah (SAW)?' He said: 'Paradise and Hell.'"

"We were with Sa'eed bin Al-'Asi in Tabaristan, and Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman was with us. He said: 'Which of you offered the fear prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW)?' Hudhaifah said: 'I did.' So Hudhaifah stood and the people formed two rows behind him, one row behind him and one row facing the enemy. He led those who were behind him in praying one rak'ah, then they went and took the place of the others, and the others came and he led them in praying one rak'ah, and they did not make it up."