We waited one night in expectation of God’s Messenger for the last prayer of the evening, and he came out to us when a third of the night had passed, or later; we did not know whether he had been occupied with family business, or something else. When he came out he said, “You are waiting for a time of prayer for which the followers of no other religion wait, and were it not that it would impose a burden on my people, I would normally pray with them at this time.” He then gave orders to the mu'adhdhin who declared that the time for prayer had come, and then prayed. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, “We used to estimate how long God’s Messenger stood at the noon and the afternoon prayer, and we estimated that he stood in the first two rak'as as long as it takes to recite A.L.M. Tanzil, i.e. as-Sajda* (A version has, “In every rak'a as long as it takes to recite thirty verses.” We estimated that he stood half that time in the last two rak'as; that he stood in the first two of the afternoon prayer as long as he did in the last two at noon; and in the last two of the afternoon prayer about half that time.” * Al-Qur'an; 32. This sura has thirty verses. Muslim transmitted it.

During the days of the battle of the harra[*] neither the call to prayer nor the declaration that the time for prayer had come was made for three days at the Prophet's Mosque. Sa'id b. al-Musayyib did not leave the mosque, and the only means by which he knew the time for prayer was a whinnying he heard coming from the Prophet's grave. *When the people of Medina rebelled against the Umayyad Caliph Yazid he sent an army under Muslim b. 'Uqba al-Murri towards the end of 63 A.H. The Medina troops were defeated in a battle known by the name given above. Darimi transmitted it.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." A'isha said, "Messenger of Allah, when Abu Bakr stands in your place his voice does not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, so tell Umar to lead the people in prayer." He said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." A'isha continued, "I told Hafsa to tell him that when Abu Bakr stood in his place his voice did not reach the ears of the people because of his weeping, and that he should tell Umar to lead the people in prayer. Hafsa did so, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You are the companions of Yusuf! (referring to the women who cut their hands when they saw the beauty of Yusuf). Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer!' "

A'isha added that Hafsa said to her, "I have never had anything good from you!"

"Allah's Messenger (S) went out and the Iqamah was called for the Salat so I prayed As-Subh with him. Then the Prophet (S) turned and found me performing Salat so he said: 'Easy O Qais! Are there two prayers together?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I did not perform the two Rak'ah (before) Fajr.' He said: 'Then there is no harm.'"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of al-Ahzab: “They distracted us from the middle prayer, Asr prayer. May Allah fill their graves and houses with fire.” Then he prayed [`Asr] between the two evening prayers, between Maghrib and `Isha`. Abu Mu`awiyah said on one occasion: i.e., between Maghrib and ‘Isha`.

"Allah's Messenger said [to me]: 'Do not say the Tathwib for any prayer except the Fajr prayer.'" [He said:] There is something on this topic from Abu Mahdhurah. Abu `Eisa said: We do not know of the Hadith of Bilal except as a narration of Abu Isra'il Al-Mula'i. Abu Isra'il did not hear this Hadith from Al-Hakam bin `Utaibah. He said: He only reported it from Al-Hasan bin `Umarah, from Al-Hakam bin `Utaibah. Abu Isra'il's name is [Isma`il bin Abi Ishaq, and he is not strong according to the people of Hadith. The people of knowledge have differed over the interpretation of At-Tathwib. Some of them say that At-Tathwib is when one says "As-Salatu Khairummin An-Nawm, (prayer is better than sleep)" for the Adhan of Fajr. This is the saying of Ibn Al-Mubarak and Ahmad. Ishaq said something different about At-Tathwib, he said: "[The disliked Tathwib] is something that the people started after the Prophet; when the Mu'adh-dhin calls the Adhan and the people are slow in coming, so between the Adhan and the Iqamah he says: 'Qad Qamatis-Salat, Hayya `Alasalat, Hayya `AlalFalah. (Prayer is ready, come to prayer, come to success.)" [He said:] This Tathwib, which Ishaq mentioned, is the one that the people of knowledge dislike, which they innovated after the Prophet. But Ibn Al-Mubarak and Ahmad explained that At-Tathwib is when the Mu'adh-dhin says: "As-Salatu Khairum minan-Nawm, (prayer is better than sleep)" for the Adhan of Fajr. And this is the correct saying, and it is called At-Tathawwub as well, and this is the one chosen by the people of knowledge, and it is their opinion. It has been reported from `Abdullah bin `Umar that he would say: "As-Salatu Khairum-minan-Nawm, (prayer is better than sleep)" for Fajr. It has been reported from Mujahid that he said: "I entered a Masjid with `Abdullah bin `Umar in which the Adhan was called, and we wanted to pray in it. Then the Mu'adh-dhin said the Tathwib. So `Abdullah bin `Umar left the Masjid and said: 'Let us leave the place of this innovator' And he did not pray in it." [He said:] `Abdullah only disliked the Tathwib that the people invented later on.

"They were bowing during the Subh (Fajr) Prayer."

"Allah's Messenger (S) prohibited As-Sadl in the Salat."

"They were bowing during Salat Al-Fajr."

"When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) arrived in Al-Madinah, he performed Salat facing the direction of Bait Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) longed to face toward the Ka'bah, so Allah, Might and Sublime is He revealed: Verily, WE have seen the turning of your face towards the heave. Surely, We Shall turn your face in the direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haram (2:144). So he faced the direction of the Ka'bah and he longed for that. (One day) a man performed Salat Al-'Asr along with him." He said: "Then he passed by some people of the Ansar performing Salat Al-'Asr, while they were bowing toward Bait Al-Maqdis. He told them that he testifies that he performed Salat with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), and he had faced the direction of the Ka'bah." He said: "So they turned while they were bowing."

After the Prophet had gone to Medina I went there, and I visited him and said, “Tell me about the prayer.” He replied, “Observe the Morning Prayer, then stop praying when the sun is rising till it is fully up, for when it rises it comes up between the horns of the devil, and the infidels prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till the shadow becomes about the breadth of a lance; then cease prayer, for at that time jahannam is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the devil, and at that time the infidels prostrate themselves to it.” I then asked God’s prophet to tell me about ablution, and he said, “None of you will keep his water for ablution handy and rinse his mouth, snuff up water and blow it out without the sins of his face, his mouth and the inner parts of his nose falling out. When he then washes his face as God has commanded him the sins of his face will fall out at the ends of his beard along with the water; when he then washes his arms up to the elbows the sins of his arms will fall out at his finger-tips along with the water; when he then wipes his head the sins of his head will fall out at the ends of his hairs along with the water when he then washes his feet up to the ankles the sins of his feet will fall out at his toes along with the water. Then if he stands praying, and praises, lauds and glorifies God as is fitting and devotes his whole heart to God, his sin will depart leaving him as he was the day his mother bore him.” Muslim transmitted it.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Islam is based on five (pillars): testifying that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad (PBUH) is His slave and Messenger; performing of Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat); the payment of Zakat; performing Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House [of Allah (Ka'bah)]; and Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

God’s Messenger led us in prayer one day, and when he finished his prayer he faced us and said, "O people, I am your imam, so do not bow, prostrate yourselves, stand, or go away before I do, for I see you both in front of me and behind me." Muslim transmitted it.

Kharija b. Hudhafa told of God’s Messenger coming out to them and saying, “God has given you an extra prayer which is better for you than the high-bred camels,* the witr, which God has appointed for you between the evening prayer and the daybreak.” * Literally “the red ones of the camels.” These were considered to be the best quality. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

I saw some people performing Duha (prayers) in the early forenoon and warned them (saying): These people must know that performing Salat a little later is better. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The Salat of the penitent is to be observed when the young ones of camels feel the heat of the sun (i.e., when it becomes very hot)."

[Muslim].

"The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) performed Salat, making it long. They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! You have performed Salat (in a manner) which you do not ordinarily perform it.' He said: 'Yes, It was a prayer of hope and fear. In it I asked Allah for three things. He granted me two, and withheld one from me. I asked him that my Ummah not be destroyed by drought. He granted that. I asked him that they not be overcome by enemies from other then them. He granted that. And I asked him that some of them not suffer from the harm of others, and He withheld that."'

When the illness of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) became serious, he was asked about the leading of Salat and he said, "Ask Abu Bakr to lead Salat." Whereupon, 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said; "Abu Bakr is very tender hearted. He is bound to be overcome by weeping when he recites the Qur'an." Messenger of Allah (PBUH) repeated, "Ask him (Abu Bakr) to lead Salat".

In another narration: 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: "When Abu Bakr stands in your place, he will not be able to recite the Noble Qur'an to the people on account of weeping."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked: "What other good deed could be an equivalent of Jihad in the way of Allah?" He (PBUH) replied, "You do not have the strength to do it." (The narrator said:) The question was repeated twice or thrice, but every time he (PBUH) answered, "You do not have the strength to do it." Then he (PBUH) said, "One who goes out for Jihad in the Cause of Allah is like a person who observes Saum (fasting), stands in Salat (prayer) constantly, recites the Ayat of the Qur'an and does not exhibit any lassitude in fasting and prayer until the participant of Jihad in the way of Allah returns."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Mahdhura said that God's Messenger himself taught him how to make the call to prayer, telling him to say, “God is most great. God is most great. God is most great. God is most great. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger”; then to repeat, “I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. Come to prayer. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Come to salvation. God is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘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.

When a woman went out in the time of the Prophet (saws) for prayer, a man attacked her and overpowered (raped) her.

She shouted and he went off, and when a man came by, she said: That (man) did such and such to me. And when a company of the Emigrants came by, she said: That man did such and such to me. They went and seized the man whom they thought had had intercourse with her and brought him to her.

She said: Yes, this is he. Then they brought him to the Messenger of Allah (saws).

When he (the Prophet) was about to pass sentence, the man who (actually) had assaulted her stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, I am the man who did it to her.

He (the Prophet) said to her: Go away, for Allah has forgiven you. But he told the man some good words (AbuDawud said: meaning the man who was seized), and of the man who had had intercourse with her, he said: Stone him to death.

He also said: He has repented to such an extent that if the people of Medina had repented similarly, it would have been accepted from them.

Abu Dawud said: Asbat bin Nasr has also transmitted it from Simak.

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."

"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.

One night I joined the Prophet (PBUH) in his (optional) Salat. He (PBUH) prolonged the Qiyam (standing) so much that I made up my mind to commit an act of wrong. He was questioned: "What did you intend to do?" He replied: "I intended to sit down and stop following him (in Salat)."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Allah's Messenger said: "Salatul-Wusta is the Asr prayer."

"The Prophet would open his Salat with (Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim)."

the Prophet said: "The Salat during the night and the day is two and two."

"The Prophet recited Fatihatil-Kitab for a funeral (prayer)." (Da'if Jiddan)

She said that the Prophet recited the Qur’an in a loud voice in the prayer at an eclipse. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Abd ar- Rahman ibn Hurmuz that Abdullah ibn Buhayna said, "The Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed dhuhr with us and he stood straight up after two rakas without sitting. When he had finished the prayer, he did two sajdas and then said the taslim after that."

Malik said, concerning someone who forgot in his prayer and stood up after he had completed four rakas and recited and then went into ruku and then, when he raised his head from ruku, remembered that he had already completed (his prayer), "He returns to a sitting position and does not do any sajda. If he has already done one sajda I do not think he should do the other. Then when his prayer is finished he does two sajdas from the sitting position after saying the taslim."

Before the prohibition of khamr was revealed, ‘Umar said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on khamr. Then the verse which is in Soorat al Baqarah was revealed: `They ask you (O Muhammad (ﷺ) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin...” [al-Baqarah 2:219]. `Umar was summoned and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on khamr, and the verse which is in Soorat an-Nisa` was revealed: “O you who believe Approach not As-Salah (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state.` [an-Nisa 4:43). When the Iqamah for prayer was given, the caller of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would call out: Do not approach the prayer drunk, ‘Umar was summoned and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a clear ruling on khamr, and this verse was revealed then Umar was summoned and recited to hirn when he reached `So, will you not then abstain?` |al-Ma`idah 5:91]. Then `Umar said: We abstain, we abstain.