The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The first of man's deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection will be Salat. If it is found to be perfect, he will be safe and successful; but if it is incomplete, he will be unfortunate and a loser. If any shortcoming is found in the obligatory Salat, the Glorious and Exalted Rubb will command to see whether His slave has offered any voluntary Salat so that the obligatory Salat may be made up by it. Then the rest of his actions will be treated in the same manner."

[At- Tirmidhi].

The prayer when travelling is two rak`ahs, the prayer of [Eid] ul-Adha is two rak`ahs, the prayer of [Eid] ul-Fitr is two rak`ahs and the prayer of Jumu`ah is two rak`ahs, complete not shortened, as stated by Muhammad (ﷺ), Sufyan said: On one occasion Zubaid said: I think he was narrating it from ʼUmar. ‘Abdur-Rahman said: Without a doubt. Yazeed - i.e., bin Haroon bin Abi Laila - said: l heard `Umar.

We observed the prayer after nightfall with God’s Messenger, and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said, “Take your places,” and when we had done so he said, “The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and the sickness of the sick, I would delay the prayer till half the night had gone;” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i 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.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You are in prayer as long as the prayer detains you and there is nothing that prevents you from returning to your family except the prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik thatYahya ibn Said used to say, "Even if someone manages to pray before the time of the prayer has passed, the time that has passed him by is more important, or better, than his family and wealth."

Yahya said that Malik said, "If the time for a prayer comes and a traveller delays a prayer through neglect or forgetfulness until he reaches his family, he should do that prayer in full if he arrives within the time. But if he arrives when the time has past, he should do the travelling prayer. That way he only repays what he owes."

Malik said, "This is what I have found the people and men of knowledge doing in our community." Malik explained that shafaq was the redness in the sky after the sun had set, and said, "When the redness has gone then the isha prayer is due and you have left the time of maghrib."

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The reward for Salat performed by a person in congregation is more than 20 times greater than that of the Salat performed in one's house or shop. When one performs Wudu' perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of performing Salat, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one of his sins is eliminated until he enters the mosque, and when he enters the mosque, he is considered as performing Salat as long as it is the Salat which prevents him (from leaving the mosque); and the angels keep on supplicating Allah for him as long as he remains in his place of prayer. They say: 'O Allah! have mercy on him; O Allah! forgive his sins; O Allah! accept his repentance'. This will carry on as long as he does not pass wind".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

We came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when we were all young men of nearly equal age. We stayed with him for twenty days. He was extremely kind and considerate. He perceived that we missed our families so he asked us about those we left behind, and we informed him. Then he (PBUH) said, "Go back to your families, stay with them, teach them (about Islam) and exhort them to do good. Perform such Salat (prayer) at such a time and such Salat at such a time. When the time for Salat is due, one of you should announce Adhan (call for prayer) and the oldest among you should lead Salat."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Al-Bukhari added in a version of his "And pray as you have seen me pray."

Allah's Messenger said: "Indeed a man's Salat in the congregation is increased by twenty five rewards over his Salat alone."

Allah's Messenger said: "Salat is this Masjid of mine is better than a thousand Salat in another, except for Masjid Al-Haram."

Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever sends Salat upon me, Allah sends Salat upon him ten times."

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Between a man and disbelief and paganism is the abandonment of Salat (prayer)."

[Muslim].

We thought that it was Fajr, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `It is Asr prayer” - meaning the middle prayer.

Anas said that God’s Messenger prayed four rak'as at the noon prayer in Medina and two rak'as at the afternoon prayer in Dhul Hulaifa. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the iqama has been pronounced for prayer, do not go running to it, but go walking in tranquility, and pray what you are in time for and complete what you have missed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has, "for when one of you is making for prayer he is engaged in prayer.”

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.

Two men went out on a journey, and when the time for prayer came, having no water with them, they performed ablution with good earth and then prayed. Immediately afterwards they found water, and one of them repeated the prayer with ablution, but the other did not. When they came to God’s messenger sometime afterwards they mentioned that, and he said to the one who did not repeat the prayer, "You have observed the sunna and your prayer was enough for you." To the one who had performed ablution and repeated the prayer he said, "You will have a twofold reward.” Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it, and Nasa’i transmitted something similar. He and Abu Dawud also transmitted it from ‘Ata’ b. Yasar in mursal form.

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.

There was some quarrel among the members of Banu 'Amr bin 'Auf. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went with some of his Companions to bring about peace between them and he was detained. The time for Salat approached and Bilal (May Allah be pleased with them) went to Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has got late and it is the time for Salat. Will you lead Salat?" He said: "Yes, if you desire". Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him) proclaimed the Adhan and then pronounced Iqamah. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward and commenced As- Salat. (He recited Takbir and the people followed him). In the meantime, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) arrived and, passing through the rows, took his stand in the first row. The people started clapping. It was the habit of Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) that whenever he started praying, he would never look round. He paid no heed (to the clapping). When the clapping increased, he turned round and saw Messenger of Allah (PBUH). He (the Prophet (PBUH)) beckoned him to continue performing Salat. But Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) raised his hands and praised Allah. Then he retreated, taking his steps backwards. When Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saw that, he went ahead and led Salat. When he finished Salat, he faced the congregation and said, "Why do you clap when something happens during the Salat. Clapping is only for women. If something happens in the course of Salat you should say, Subhan Allah. It is bound to attract attention. And you, Abu Bakr, what prevented you from carrying on with Salat, after I beckoned to do so?" He said, "It was not becoming for the son of Abu Quhafah to lead Salat in the presence of Messenger of Allah (PBUH)".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

We are prohibited from placing the hand on the side during As-Salat (the prayer).

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger used to combine the noon and the afternoon prayer while travelling, and also to combine the sunset and the evening prayer. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone is in time for a rak‘a in the prayer along with the imam he has said the whole prayer.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Prophet (PBUH) used to perform two Rak'ah short prayer between the Adhan (call to prayer) and the Iqamah of the dawn (Fajr) prayers.

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim]

In another narration, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to perform two supererogatory Rak'ah prayer of Fajr and make them so short in duration that I used to think whether he (PBUH) had recited Surat Al-Fatihah (in it) or not.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

In the narration of Muslim, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to hear the Adhan (of Fajr prayer) he would perform two supererogatory Rak'ah prayer and would make them short.

"Allah's Messenger was on a journey and Bilal was with him. So he wanted to call for the prayer, but he (the Prophet) said: 'Let it get cooler.' Then he wanted to call for the prayer, so Allah's Messenger said: 'Let it get to the cooler time of Zuhr.'" He (i.e., Abu Dharr) said: "Until we saw the shadows of the hillocks, then he commanded that the Iqamah be called and then led the people in prayer. Allah's Messenger said: 'The severity of heat is from the raging of Hell, so wait until it becomes cooler for the (Zuhr) prayer.'"

I said to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "There are many poisonous insects and wild beasts in Al-Madinah, and I am blind. Please grant me permission to perform Salat at home." He (PBUH) enquired whether he could hear the call: Hayya 'alas-Salah; Hayya 'alal-Falah (Come to the prayer, come to the salvation). When he replied in affirmative, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) directed him to come (to mosque) for prayer."

[Abu Dawud].

A man led some people in prayer and spat in the direction of the qibla. Having seen this, God’s Messenger said to the people at the end of the prayer, “He must not lead you in prayer.” The man wanted to lead them in prayer some time afterwards, but they prevented him and told him what God's Messenger had said. He mentioned that to God’s Messenger, who replied, “Yes.” And I think he added, “You have harmed God and His Messenger.’’ Abu Dawud 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.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Salih ibn Kaysan from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The prayer was prescribed as two rakas, both when settled and when travelling. Then the travelling prayer was kept as it was, and an increase was made in the prayer when settled. "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Someone who only remembers that he has forgotten a prayer when he is praying the next prayer behind an imam, should pray the prayer he has forgotten after the imam has said the taslim, and then pray the other one again."

God is pleased with a shepherd on the top of a rock on a mountain who makes the call to prayer and prays. God says, “Look at this servant of Mine who makes the call to prayer, observes the prayer and fears Me. I forgive My servant and will cause him to enter paradise.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura said that the Prophet used to recite at the noon prayer, “By the night when it covers over”1 (a version says, “Glorify the name of thy most high Lord”, 2 at the afternoon prayer a similar amount, and at the Morning Prayer a longer passage than that. 1. Al-Qur'an; 92. 2. Al-Qur’an; 87. Muslim transmitted it.

Talq b. ‘Ali* reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When any of you breaks wind during prayer, he must withdraw, perform ablution, and repeat the prayer.” * This is a mistake in the text of the Mishkat. The name is ‘Ali b. Talq. Cf. Abu Dawud, Salat, 186. Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted it with something added and something omitted.

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.)

"One day Allah's Messenger was sitting in the Masjid" Rifa'ah said: "And we were with him. Then what appeared to be a Bedouin man entered to pray, but he performed his Salat in a very brief manner. He then got up and greeted the prophet with Salam. The Prophet said (returning the greeting): 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have no prayed.' So he returned to perform Salat then came and greeted the Prophet with Salam. So he (the Prophet) said (returning the greeting): 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have not prayed.' [He did that] two or three times, each time coming to the Prophet, greeted the Prophet with Salam and the Prophet saying: 'And upon you. Go back and perform Salat, for indeed you have not prayed.' - until the people got scared and became very worried that one whose prayer was so brief had not actually prayed. Then in the end the man said: 'Then show me, and teach me, for I am a human who has suffered and is mistaken.' So he said: 'Alright. When you stand for Salat then perform Wudu as Allah ordered you. Then say the Tashahhud, and the Iqamah as well. If you know any Quran then recite it, if not then praise Allah, mention His greatness, and the Tahlil. Then bow such that you are at rest in your bowing, then stand completely, then prostrate completely, then sit such that you are at rest while sitting them stand. When you have done that, then you have completed your Salat, and if you leave out something, then you have made your Salat deficient.' And this was easier on them than the first matter, because if some of this was deficient, It would only reduce the reward of his Salat, it would not have gone entirely. "

"We fasted with the Prophet, so he did not pray (the night prayer) with us until seven (nights) of the month remained. Then he (pbuh) led us in prayer until a third of the night had gone, then he did not lead us in prayer on the sixth. Then he led us in prayer on the fifth until half of the night had gone. We said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah! Wouldn't you lead us in prayer for the remainder of the night?' He said: 'Indeed, whoever stands (praying) with the Imam until he finished, then it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.; Then he did not lead us in prayer until three (nights) of the month remained. Then he led us in prayer on the third and he called his family and his women to pray with us until we feared missing the Falah" I (Jubair bin Nufair) said to him: "What is the Falah" He said: "The Suhur."

I prayed this prayer, or one like it, along with God’s Messenger. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were standing in the front row on his right, and there was a man who had been present at the first takbira in the prayer. God’s Prophet prayed the prayer, then gave the salutation to his right and his left so that we saw the whiteness of his cheeks, then turned away as Abu Rimtha (meaning himself) has done. The man who had been present with him at the first takbira in the prayer then got up to pray another prayer, whereupon ‘Umar leaped up, and seizing him by the shoulders, shook him and said, “Sit down, for the People of the Book will perish for no other reason than that there was no interval between their prayers.” The Prophet raised his eyes and said, “God has made you say what is right, son of al-Khattab.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

"I asked the Messenger of Allah about looking around during the Salat. He said: 'It is a portion which the Shaitan snatches during a man's prayer.'"

"The Prophet performed Salat in the interior of the Ka'bah." And Ibn Abbas said: "He did not perform Salat in it, but he said the Takbir."

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Make Witr prayer the last of your Salat at night."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "When the Iqamah is called, no prayer should be performed except the obligatory prayer."

[Muslim].

Zaid b. Thabit and ‘A’isha said that the middle prayer is the noon prayer. Malik transmitted it from Zaid and Tirmidhi from both of them without a full isnad.

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Straighten your rows, for the straightening of the rows is part of the iqama for prayer." (Bukhari and Muslim, but Muslim has “part of the perfection of prayer.’’)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A man's Salat in congregation is twenty-five times more rewarding than his Salat at home or in his shop, and that is because when he performs his Wudu' properly and proceeds towards the mosque with the purpose of performing Salat in congregation, he does not take a step without being raised a degree (in rank) for it and having a sin remitted for it, till he enters the mosque. When he is performing Salat, the angels continue to invoke Blessings of Allah on him as long as he is in his place of worship in a state of Wudu'. They say: 'O Allah! Have mercy on him! O Allah! Forgive him.' He is deemed to be engaged in Salat as long as he waits for it."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Bakkar ibn Yahya said that his grandmother narrated to him: I entered upon Umm Salamah. A woman from the Quraysh asked her about praying with the clothes which a woman wore while she menstruated.

Umm Salamah said: We would menstruate in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (saws). Then each one of us refrained (from prayer) during menstrual period. When she was purified, she would look at the clothe in which she menstruated. If it were smeared with blood, we would wash it and pray with it; if there were nothing in it, we would leave it and that would not prevent us from praying with it (the same clothe).

As regards the woman who had plaited hair - sometimes each of us had plaited hair - when she washed, she would not undo the hair. She would instead pour three handfuls of water upon her head. When she felt moisture in the roots of her hair, she would rub them. Then she would pour water upon her whole body.

Ikrimah reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas, saying: I think the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: When one of you prays without a sutrah, a dog, an ass, a pig, a Jew, a Magian, and a woman cut off his prayer, but it will suffice if they pass in front of him at a distance of over a stone's throw.

Abu Dawud said: There is something about this tradition in my heart. I used to discuss it with Ibrahim and others. I did not find anyone who narrated it from Hisham and knew it. I did not know anyone who reported it from Hisham and knew it. I did not know anyone who related it from Hisham. I think the confusion is on the part of Ibn Abi Saminah that is, Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Basri, the freed slave of Banu Hisham. In this tradition the mention of words "a Magian" is rejected; the mention of the words "at a stone's throw" and "a pig" is rejected.

Abu Dawud said: I did not hear this tradition except from Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Samurrah and I think he was mistaken because he used to narrate to us from his memory.

I purposely looked at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws), how he offered it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) stood up, faced the direction of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then placed his right hand on his left (catching each other).

When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead between his hands.

He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and made a circle (with the fingers).

I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.

I sat with a man who had been in the company of the Messenger of Allah (saws). He was called al-Hakam ibn Hazn al-Kulafi. He began to narrate a tradition to us saying: I came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) in a delegation consisting of seven or nine persons. We entered upon him and said: Messenger of Allah, we have visited you, so pray Allah what is good for us. He ordered to give us some dates. The Muslims in those days were weak. We stayed there for several days and offered the Friday prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (saws). He stood leaning on a staff or a bow. He praised Allah and exalted Him in light, pure and blessed words. Then he said: O people, you have no power to obey or you cannot obey what you are ordered. But be straight and give good tidings.

Abu 'Ali said: Did you hear Abu Dawud ? He said: Some of my companions reminded me of some words that were omitted from writing on the paper.

This tradition has been transmitted by 'Aishah through a different chain of narrators. She said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) uttered the takbir and the section that was in the same row with him also uttered the takbir. He then bowed and they also bowed, and he prostrated and they also prostrated. Then he raised his head and they also raised (their heads). The Messenger of Allah (saws) then remained seated. They prostrated alone and stood up and retraced their footsteps and stood behind them.

Then the other section came; they stood up and uttered the takbir and bowed by themselves. The Messenger of Allah (saws) prostrated himself and they also prostrated with him. Then the Messenger of Allah (saws) stood up and they performed the second prostration by themselves. Then both the sections stood up and prayed with the Messenger of Allah (saws). He bowed and they also bowed, and then he prostrated himself and they also prostrated themselves. Then he returned and performed the second prostration and they also prostrated with him as quickly as possible, showing no slackness in quick prostration. The Messenger of Allah (saws) then uttered the salutation. After that the Messenger of Allah (saws) stood up. Thus everyone participated in the entire prayer.

Ibn Umar was sent with a detachment of the Messenger of Allah (saws). The people wheeled round in flight. He said: I was one of those who wheeled round in flight. When we stopped, we said (i.e. thought): How should we do? We have run away from the battlefield and deserve Allah's wrath. Then we said (thought): Let us enter Medina, stay there, and go there while no one sees us. So we entered (Medina) and thought: If we present ourselves before the Messenger of Allah (saws), and if there is a change of repentance for us, we shall stay; if there is something else, we shall go away. So we sat down (waiting) for the Messenger of Allah (saws) before the dawn prayer. When he came out, we stood up to him and said: We are the ones who have fled. He turned to us and said: No, you are the ones who return to fight after wheeling away. We then approached and kissed his hand, and he said; I am the main body of the Muslims.

AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you."

We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you.

Al-Irbad said: One day the Messenger of Allah (saws) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid.

A man said: Messenger of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us?

He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.