The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade fasting on two days, al-Fitr (breaking the fast of Ramadan) and al-Adha (the day of sacrifice), and wearing a tight single garment the raising of which discloses private parts, and sitting with one's legs drawn up and wrapped in one's garment, and forbade praying at two hours, after the Fajr prayer and after the Asr prayer.

Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: I am a woman who has prolonged flow of blood; I am never purified ; should I abandon prayer ? He replied: This is (due to) a vein, and not menstruation. When the menstruation begins, you should abandon prayer ; when it is finished, you should wash away the blood and pray.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day.

Ibn ‘Umar stayed at Dajnan (a place between Mecca and Medina) on a cold night. He commanded an announcer (to announce). He announced that the people should offer prayer in their dwellings. Ayyub said: Nafi narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that whenever there was a cold or a rainy day night, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded the announcer (to announce). He announced to offer prayer in the dwellings.

That 'Abd Allah b. Abbas, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Azhar and al-Miswar b. Makhramah sent him to 'Aishah, wife of the Prophet (saws). They said: Convey our regards to her from all of us and ask her about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, and tell her that we have been informed that she prays them, and we are told that the Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibited them. I entered upon her and told her that for which they had sent me to her. She said: Ask Umm Salamah. I returned to them (Ibn 'Abbas and others) and informed them about her opinion. They sent me back to Umm Salamah with the same mission for which they had sent me to 'Aishah. Umm Salamah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) prohibiting them, but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the 'Asr prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from Banu Haram from the Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two rak'ahs. I sent a slave girl to him and I told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allah (saws), I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave girl did so. When he finished prayer, he said: O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, in fact, some people of 'Abd al-Qais has come to me with the news that their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two rak'ahs after Zuhr prayer. It is those two rak'ahs (which I offered after the 'Asr prayer)

He who likes to meet Allah tomorrow as Muslim, he should persevere in observing these prayers, when a call is announced for them, for Allah has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, and these (prayers) are among the paths of right guidance. If you were to pray in your houses as this man why stays away (from the mosque) prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet, you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of those mosques without Allah recording a blessing for him for every step he takes raising him a degree for it, and effacing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it, except a hypocrite, who was well known for his hypocrisy, whereas a man would be brought swaying (due to weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row.

Her bedding was in front of the place of prayer of the Prophet (saws).

The Prophet (saws) said: Do not curse the cock, for it awakens for prayer.

Make the last of your prayer at night a witr.

The Prophet (saws) recited the supplication for a month (in prayer) and then gave it up.

I spent a night with the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam). When he woke up from his sleep (in the latter part of the night for prayer) he came to his ablution water. He took the tooth-stick and used it. He then recited the verse: "Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are tokens (of His Sovereignty) for men of understanding" (iii-190). He recited these verses up to the end of the chapter or he finished the whole chapter. He then performed ablution and came to the place of prayer. He then said two rak'ahs of prayer. He then lay down on the bed and slept as much as Allaah wished. He then got up and did the same. He then lay down and slept. He then got up and did the same. Every time he used the tooth-stick and offered two rak'ah of prayer. He then offered the prayer known as witr.

Abu Dawud said: Fudail on the authority if Husain reported the wording: He then used the tooth-stick and performed ablution while he was reciting the verses: "Verily in the creation of the heaves and the earth..." until he finished the chapter.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Three things one is not allowed to do: supplicating Allah specifically for himself and ignoring others while leading people in prayer; if he did so, he deceived them; looking inside a house before taking permission: if he did so, it is as if he entered the house, saying prayer while one is feeling the call of nature until one eases oneself.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) led us in prayer praying two rak'ahs. When he stood up and did not sit (at the end of two rak'ahs) the people stood up along with him. When he finished the prayer and we expect him to give the salutation, he said: "Allah is most great." While sitting and made two prostrations before giving the salutation. Then he gave it.

When the deputation of Thaqif came to the Messenger of Allah (saws), he made them stay in the mosque, so that it might soften their hearts. They stipulated to him that they would not be called to participate in Jihad, to pay zakat and to offer prayer. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: You may have the concession that you will not be called to participate in jihad and pay zakat, but there is no good in a religion which has no bowing (i.e. prayer).

The Prophet (saws) said: That I sit in the company of the people who remember Allah the Exalted from morning prayer till the sun rises is dearer to me than that I emancipate four slaves from the children of Isma`il, and that I sit with the people who remember Allah from afternoon prayer till the sun sets is dearer to me than that I emancipate four slaves.

We were in the company of 'Aishah. When her food was brought in, al-Qasim stood up to say his prayer. Thereupon , 'Aishah said : I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) say: Prayer should not be offered in presence of meals, nor at the moment when one is struggling with two evils (e.g. when one is feeling the call of nature.)

I came while the Prophet (saws) was saying the prayer. I sat down and did not pray along with them. The Messenger of Allah (saws) turned towards us and saw that Yazid was sitting there. He said: Did you not embrace Islam, Yazid? He replied: Why not, Messenger of Allah; I have embraced Islam. He said: What prevented you from saying prayer along with the people? He replied: I have already prayed in my house, and I thought that you had prayed (in congregation). He said: When you come to pray (in the mosque) and find the people praying, then you should pray along with them, though you have already prayed. This will be a supererogatory prayer for you and that will be counted as obligatory.

Maymun al-Makki said: that he saw Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr leading in prayer. He pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands opposite to the shoulders) when he stood up, when he bowed and when he prostrated, and when he got up after prostration, he pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands).

The I went to Ibn Abbas and said (to him) I saw Ibn az-Zubayr praying that I never saw anyone praying. I then told him about the pointing with his hands (raising his hands). He said: If you like to see the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws) follower the prayer as offered by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) stood for offering the obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and he did like that when he finished recitation (of the Qur'an) and was about to bow; and he did like that when he rose after bowing; and he did not raise his hands in his prayer while he was in his sitting position.

When he stood up from his prostrations (at the end of two rak'ahs), he raised his hands likewise and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands so as to bring them up to his shoulders, as he uttered the takbir in the beginning of the prayer.

I said to the Messenger of Allah: I have a place in the desert where I live and in which I pray, with the praise of Allah; but give me command about a night when I come to this mosque.

He replied: Come on the twenty third night.

I (a sub-narrator, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim) said to his (Abdullah ibn Unays's) son: How would your father act?

He replied: He used to enter the mosque when he had offered the afternoon prayer, and did not leave it for any purpose till he prayed the morning prayer. Then when he had prayed the morning prayer, he found his riding beast at the door of the mosque, mounted it and got back to his desert.

I ate garlic and came to the place where the Prophet (saws) was praying; one rak'ah of prayer had been performed when I joined. When I entered the mosque, the Prophet (saws) noticed the odour of garlic.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) finished his prayer, he said: He who eats from this plant should not come near us until its odour has gone away.

When I finished the prayer, I came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: Messenger of Allah, do give me your hand. Then I put his hand in the sleeve of my shirt, carrying it to my chest to show that my chest was fastened with a belt. He said: You have a (valid) excuse.

‘Ammar came forward and stood on a shop (or a beach) and prayed while the people stood on a lower place than he. Hudaifah came forward and took him by the hands and Ammar followed him till Hudaifah brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer. Hudaifah said to him: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say: When a man leads the people in prayer, he must not stand in a position higher than theirs, or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied : that is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.

I witnessed Muhammed(may peace be upon him) –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him)-during his prayer. I found his standing like his bowing and prostration and his moderation in bowing was like that of his prostration, and his sitting between the two prostration and his prostration(and his sitting between the salutation) and going away( after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal to one another.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: His bowing and his moderation in bowing and prostration, and his prostration and his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between the salutation and going away (after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal.

The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbir and its end is taslim.

The Prophet (saws) said: Kill the two black things during prayer, the snake and scorpion.

Jabir b. Samurah reported that Bilal used to call for the noon prayer when the sun had declined.

Make haste to observe the witr prayer before morning.

Yasar, the client of Ibn Umar, said: Ibn Umar saw me praying after the break of dawn. He said: O Yasar, the Messenger of Allah (saws) came to us while we were offering this prayer. He (the Prophet) said: Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn except two rak'ahs.

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) paid attention to the people and said three times; straighten your rows (in prayer); by Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will certainly put your faces in contrary directions. I then saw that every person stood in prayer keeping his shoulder close to that of the other, and his knee close to that of the other, and his ankle close to that of the other.

Abu Hurairah would utter the takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or non-obligatory, He would utter the takbir when he stood, and he would utter the takbir when he bowed, then he would say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; he then would say before prostrating himself; “ Our Lord, to Thee be praise”; then he would say while falling in prostration: “Allah is most great”; he then would utter the takbir when he raised his head after prostration, and then utter the takbir when he prostrated, and then utter takbir the takbir when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs after sitting down. He used to do so in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. Then he would say at the end of the prayer: By Him in Whose hands lies my life, I am closer to the Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) in respect of his prayer. Such was the prayer he used to offer until he departed from the world.

Abu Dawud said: Malik, al-Zubaidi and others have narrated so that they form the last words from al-Zuhri on the authority of ‘Ali b, Husain. And this is supported by the version reported by ‘Abd al-A’la from Ma’mar and SHu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of Al-Zuhri.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) returned from the Battle of Khaibar, he travelled during the night. When we felt sleep, he halted for rest. Addressing Bilal he said: Keep vigilance at night for us. But Bilal who was leaning against the saddle of his mount was dominated by sleep. Neither the Prophet (saws) nor Bilal nor any of his Companions could get up till the sunshine struck them. The Messenger of Allah (saws) got up first of all. The Messenger of Allah (saws) was embarrassed and said: O Bilal ! He replied: He who detained your soul, detained my soul, Messenger of Allah, my parents be sacrificed for you. Then they drove their mounts to a little distance. The Prophet (saws) perfumed ablution and commanded Bilal who made announcement for the prayer. He (the Prophet) led them in the Fajr prayer. When he finished prayer, he said: If anyone forget saying prayer, he should observe it when he recalls it, for Allah has said (in the Qur'an): "Establish prayer for my remembrance". Yunus said: Ibn Shihab used to recite this verse in a similar way (i.e. instead of reciting the word li-dhikri - for the sake of My remembrance - he would recite li-dhikra - when you remember). Ahmad (one of the narrator) said: 'Anbasah (a reporter) reported on the authority of Yunus the word li-dhikri (for the sake of my remembrance). Ahmad said: The word nu'as (occurring in this tradition) means "drowsiness".

The Prophet (saws) said: The best of you are those whose shoulders are soft in prayer.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) began his prayer, he raised his hands extensively.

The Prophet (saws) said: Prayer by night and day should consist of pairs of rak'ahs.

Between a servant and unbelief there is the abandonment of prayer.

Anas said that the Prophet (saws) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum as substitute to lead the people in prayer, and he was blind.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) taught me and what he taught me is this: Observe the five prayers regularly. He said: I told (him): I have many works at these times; so give me a comprehensive advice which, if I follow, should be enough for me. He said: Observe the two afternoon prayers (al-asrayn). But the term al-asrayn (two afternoon prayers) was not used in our language. Hence I said: What is al-asrayn? He said: A prayer before the sunrise and a prayer before the sunset (i.e. the dawn and the afternoon prayers).

We fasted with the Messenger of Allah (saws) during Ramadan, but he did not make us get up at night for prayer at any time during the month till seven nights remained; then he made us get up for prayer till a third of the night had passed. When the sixth remaining night came, he did not make us get up for prayer. When the fifth remaining night came, he made us stand in prayer till a half of the night had gone.

So I said: Messenger of Allah, I wish you had led us in supererogatory prayers during the whole of tonight.

He said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer. On the fourth remaining night he did not make us get up. When the third remaining night came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people and prayed with us till we were afraid we should miss the falah (success).

I said: What is falah? He said: The meal before daybreak. Then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month.

We proceeded with the Messenger of Allah (saws) on the occasion of al-Hudaybiyyah. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Who will keep watch for us? Bilal said: I (shall do). The overslept till the sun arose. The Prophet (saws) awoke and said: Do as you used to do (i.e. offer prayer as usual). Then we did accordingly. He said: Anyone who oversleeps or forgets (prayer) should do similarly.

Al-Aswad ibn Yazid said that he entered upon Aisha and asked her about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws) during the night. She said: He used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night. Then he began to pray eleven rak'ahs and left two rak'ahs. When he died, he would pray nine rak'ahs during the night. His last prayer during the night was witr.

He (the Prophet) said: She should abandon prayer and take a bath at the beginning of the additional period, and tie a cloth over her private parts and offer prayer.

Abu Dawud said; Hammad b. Zaid on the authority of Ayyub has pointed out the name of the woman who had a prolonged flow of blood (referred to) in this tradition to be Fatimah daughter of Abu Hubaish.

The martyrs of Uhud were not washed, and they were buried with their blood. No prayer was offered over them.

The Prophet (saws) read the Qur'anic verse, "And take ye the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer.

The Prophet (saws) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night including the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) took (the meat of) a (goat's) shoulder and offered prayer and did not perform ablution.

The end of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was known by the takbir (pronounced aloud).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) offered the prayer in his apartment and people were following him behind apartment.

Salim al-Barrad said: We came to AbuMas'ud Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari and said to him: Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

He stood up before us in the mosque and said the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his hands upon his knees and put his fingers below, and kept his elbows (arms) away from his sides, so everything returned properly to its place. Then he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him"; then he stood up so that everything returned properly to its place; then he said the takbir and prostrated and put the palms of his hands on the ground; he kept his elbow (arms) away from his sides, so that everything returned to its proper place. Then he raised his head and sat so that everything returned to its place; he then repeated it in a similar way. Then he offered four rak'ahs of prayer like this rak'ah and completed his prayer.

Then he said: Thus we witnessed the Messenger of Allah (saws) offering his prayer.

The Prophet (saws) led (us) in the noon prayer, and a man came and recited behind him "Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High" (Surah 87). When he finished (the prayer), he said: Which of you recited? They (the people) said: A man (recited). He said: I knew that some one of you confused me in it (in the recitation of the Qur'an).

Abu Dawud said: Abu al-Walid said in his version: Shu'bah said: I asked Qatadah: Did Sa'id not say: Listen attentively to the Qur'an? He replied: (Yes), but that applies to prayer in which it (the Qur'an) is recited aloud. Ibn Kathir said in his version: I said to Qatadah: Perhaps he (the Prophet) disliked it (recitation). He said: If he had disliked it, he would have prohibited it.

I came to the prophet (may peace be upon him) at Mecca; he was sitting in a tent made of leather. Then Bilal came out and called to prayer. I looked at his mouth following him this side and that side (i.e., right and left). Later at his Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came out clad in a red suit, i.e, wearing the sheets of the Yemen, of the Qatri design. The version narrated by Musa has the word; “I saw Bilal going towards al-Abtah”.

He then made a call to prayer. When he reached the words “ come to prayer, come to salvation”. He turned his neck right and left, respectively; he did not turn himself (with his whole body). He then entered (his house) and came out with a lancet. The narrator then reported the rest of the tradition.