"I heard Mujahid narrating from Abu Ayyash Az-Zuraqi"- Shu'bah said: "He had written it for me, and I read it before him, and I heard him narrating it; rather, I even memorized it." Ibn Bashshar said: "I memorized it from the book"- "The Prophet (SAW) was drawing up ranks facing the enemy in 'Usfan when the idolaters were led by Khalid bin Al-Walid. The Prophet (SAW) led them in praying Zuhr. The idolaters said: 'They have a prayer after this that is dearer to them than their wealth and sons.' Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) led them in praying 'Asr. He divided them into two rows, behind him. He led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads he led the row that was closest to him in prostrating, while the others remained standing. When they raised their heads from prostration, the second row prostrated, as they had already bowed with the Messenger of Allah (SAW). Then the front row moved forward, so each of them took the place of his companion. Then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) led them all in bowing, then when they raised their heads from bowing, the row that was closest to him prostrated while the others remained standing, then when they had finished prostrating, the others prostrated, then the Prophet (SAW) said the taslim for all of them together.

AbuUmayr reported on the authority of his uncle who was from the Ansar (the helpers of the Prophet): The Prophet (saws) was anxious as to how to gather the people for prayer.

The people told him: Hoist a flag at the time of prayer; when they see it, they will inform one another. But he (the Prophet) did not like it. Then someone mentioned to him the horn.

Ziyad said: A horn of the Jews. He (the Prophet) did not like it. He said: This is the matter of the Jews. Then they mentioned to him the bell of the Christians. He said: This is the matter of the Christians. Abdullah ibn Zayd returned anxiously from there because of the anxiety of the Apostle (saws). He was then taught the call to prayer in his dream. Next day he came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and informed him about it.

He said: Messenger of Allah, I was between sleep and wakefulness; all of a sudden a newcomer came (to me) and taught me the call to prayer. Umar ibn al-Khattab had also seen it in his dream before, but he kept it hidden for twenty days.

The Prophet (saws) said to me (Umar): What did prevent you from saying it to me?

He said: Abdullah ibn Zayd had already told you about it before me: hence I was ashamed.

Then the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Bilal, stand up, see what Abdullah ibn Zayd tells you (to do), then do it. Bilal then called them to prayer.

AbuBishr reported on the authority of AbuUmayr: The Ansar thought that if Abdullah ibn Zayd had not been ill on that day, the Messenger of Allah (saws) would have made him mu'adhdhin.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "Someone who is held back from going to the House by illness can only come out of ihram after he has done tawaf of the House and say between Safa and Marwa. If it is absolutely necessary for him to wear any ordinary clothes, or undergo medical treatment, he should do that and pay compensation for it."

"during the prayer"

The Prophet (saws) ate a little meat from a (goat's) shoulder. He then offered prayer and did not perform ablution.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) would offer the Zuhr prayer while the sunlight was present in her apartment before it ascended (the walls).

I prayed the 'Id prayer with the Prophet (saws) not once or twice (but many times) without the adhan and the iqamah.

"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from a prayer that is of no benefit."

Straighten your rows for the straightening of the rows is part of perfecting the prayer.

The Prophet (saws) used to slaughter his sacrificial animal at the place of prayer. Ibn 'Umar used to do so.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) raising his thumbs in prayer up to the lobes of his ears.

I do not know whether the Messenger of Allah (saws) would recite the Qur'an at the noon and afternoon prayer or not.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) was more particular about observing the supererogatory rak'ahs before the dawn prayer than about observing any of the other supererogatory prayers.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) gave the salutation at the end of three rakahs in the afternoon prayer, then went into the apartment (according to the version of maslamah). A man called al-Khirbaq who had long arms got up and said ; has the prayer been shortened, Messenger of Allah ? He came out angrily trailing his cloak and said : Is he telling the truth ? they said; Yes. He then prayed that rakah, then gave the salutation, then made two prostrations, then gave the salutation.

A youth from the Quraish passed in front of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri who was praying. He repulsed him. He returned again. He then repulsed him for the third time. When he finished the prayer, he said: Nothing cuts off prayer; but the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Repulse as much as you can, for he is just a devil.

Abu Dawud said: If two traditions of the prophet(saws) conflict, the practice of the Companions after him should be taken into consideration.

That the Prophet (saws) once offered (tarawih) prayer in the mosque and the people also prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night, and the people gathered in large numbers. They gathered on the third night too, but the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not come out to them. When the morning came, he said: I witnessed what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared that this (prayer) might be prescribed to you. That was in Ramadan.

‘Abd Al ‘Aziz bin Rufai’ said I asked Anas bin Malik saying “Tell me something you knew about the Apostle of Allaah(saws) viz where he offered the noon prayer on Yawm Al Tarwiyah(8th of Dhu Al Hijjah). He replied, In Mina I asked Where did he pray the afternoon prayer on Yaum Al Nafr(12th or 13th of Dhu Al Hijjah). He replied In al-Abtah he then said “Do as your commanders do.”

Once the people doubted the appearance of the moon of Ramadan, and intended neither to offer the tarawih prayer nor to keep fast. A bedouin came from al-Harrah and testified that he had sighted the moon. He was brought to the Prophet (saws). He asked: Do you testify that there is no god but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah? He said: Yes; and he testified that he had sighted the moon. He commanded Bilal who announced to the people to offer the tarawih prayer and to keep fast.

Are you not surprised at AbuHurayrah? He came and sat beside my apartment, and began to narrate traditions from the Messenger of Allah (saws) making me hear them. I was saying supererogatory prayer. He got up (and went away) before I finished my prayer. Had I found him, I would have replied to him. The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not narrate traditions quickly one after another as you narrate quickly.

Al-Hasan (al-Basri) would recite fatihat al-kitab in the noon and afternoon prayers while he led in prayer or he was behind the imam and would glorify Allah, and would repeatedly say: “Allah is most great” and “ There is no god but Allah” (i.e takbir and tahlil) equal to the amount one recites al-Qaf (Surah 50) and al-Dhariyat(surah 51).

I went out (on a mercantile venture) during the period (of truce) between me and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). While I was in Syria, the letter of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was handed over to Hiraql (Ceasar), the Emperor of Rome (who was on a visit to Jerusalem at that time). The letter was brought by Dihya Kalbi who delivered it to the governor of Busra The governor passed it on to Hiraql, (On receiving the letter), he said: Is there anyone from the people of this man who thinks that he is a prophet. People said: Yes. So, I was called along with a few others from the Quraish. We were admitted to Hiraql and he seated usbefore him. He asked: Which of you has closer kinship with the man who thinks that he is a prophet? Abu Sufyan said: I. So they seated me in front of him and stated my companions behind me. Then, he called his interpreter and said to him: Tell them that I am going to ask this fellow (i. e. Abu Sufyan) about the man who thinks that he is a prophet. It he tells me a lie, then refute him. Abu Sufyan told (the narrator): By God, if there was not the fear that falsehood would be imputed to me I would have lied. (Then) Hiraqi said to his interpreter: Inquire from him about his ancestry, I said: He is of good ancestry among us. He asked: Has there been a king among his ancestors? I said: No. He asked: Did you accuse him of falsehood before he proclaimed his prophethood? I said: No. He asked: Who are his follower people of high status or low status? I said: (They are) of low status. He asked: Are they increasing in number or decreasing? I said. No. they are rather increasing. He asked: Does anyone give up his religion, being dissatisfied with it, after having embraced it? I said: No. He asked: Have you been at war with him? I said: Yes. He asked: How did you fare in that war? I said: The war between us and him has been wavering like a bucket, up at one turn and down at the other (i. e. the victory has been shared between us and him by turns). Sometimes he suffered loss at our hands and sometimes we suffered loss at his (hand). He asked: Has he (ever) violated his covenant? I said: No. but we have recently concluded a peace treaty with him for a petiod and we do not know what he is going to do about it. (Abu Sufyin said on oath that he could not interpolate in this dialogue anything from himself more than these words ) He asked: Did anyone make the proclamation (Of prophethood) before him? I said: No. He (now) said to his interpreter: Tell him, I asked him about his ancestry and he had replied that he had the best ancestry. This is the case with Prophets; they are the descendants of the noblest among their people (Addressing Abu Sufyan), he continued: I asked you if there had been a king among his ancestors. You said that there had been none. If there had been a king among his ancestors, I would have said that he was a man demanding his ancestral kingdom. I asked you about his followers whether they were people of high or low status, and you said that they were of rather low status. Such are the followers of the Prophets. I asked you whether you used to accuse him of falsehood before he proclaimed his prophethood, and you said that you did not. So I have understood that when he did not allow himself to tell a lie about the poeple, he would never go to the length of forging a falsehood about Allah. I asked you whether anyone renounced his religion being dissatisfied with it after he had embraced it, and you replied in the negative. Faith is like this when it enters the depth of the heart (it perpetuates them). I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You said they were increasing. Faith is like this until it reaches its consummation. I asked you whether you had been at war with him, and you replied that you had been and that the victory between you and him had been shared by turns, sometimes he suffering loss at your hand and sometimes you suffering lost at his. This is how the Prophets are tried before the final victory its theirs. I asked you whether he (ever) violated his covenant, and you said that he did not. This is how the Prophets behave. They never violate (their covenants). I asked you whether anyone before him had proclaimed the same thing, and you replied in the negative. I said: If anyone had made the same proclamation before, I would have thought that he was a man following what had been proclaimed before. (Then) he asked: What does he enjoin upon you? I said: He exhorts us to offer Salat, to pay Zakat, to show due regard to kinship and to practise chastity. He said: It what you have told about him is true, he is certainly a Prophet. I knew that he was to appear but I did not think that he would be from among you. If I knew that I would be able to reach him. I would love to meet him; and it I had been with him. I would have washed his feet (out of reverence). His dominion would certainly extend to this place which is under my feet. Then he called for the letter of the Messenger of Allah (may pface be upon him) and read it. The letter ran as follows:" In the name of Allah, Most Gracious and Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Hiraql, the Emperor of the Romans. Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. After this, I extend to you the invitation to accept Islam. Embrace Islam and you will be safe. Accept Islam, God will give you double the reward. And if you turn away, upon you will be the sin of your subjects." O People of the Book, come to the word that is common between us that we should worship none other than Allah, should not ascribe any partner to Him and some of us should not take their fellows as Lords other than Allah. If they turn away, you should say that we testify to our being Muslims [iii. 64]." When he hid finished the reading of the letter, noise and confused clamour was raise around him, and he ordered us to leave. Accordingly, we left. (Addressing my companions) while we were coming out (of the place). I said: Ibn Abu Kabsha (referring sarcastically to the Holy Prophet) has come to wield a great power. Lo! (even) the king of the Romans is afraid of him. I continued to believe that the authority of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would triumph until God imbued me with (the spirit of) Islam.

A man came panting to join the row of worshippers, and said: Allah is most great; praise be to Allah, much praise, good and blessed. When the Messenger of Allah(saws) finished his prayer, he asked: Which of you is the one who spoke the words? He said nothing wrong. Then the man said: I (said), Messenger of Allah (saws); I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them. He said: I saw twelve angels racing against one another to be the one to take them to Allah.

The narrator Humaid added: When any of you comes for praying, he should walk as usual (i.e. he should not hasten and run quickly); then he should pray as much as he finds it (along with the imam), and should offer the part of the prayer himself (when the prayer is finished) which the Imam had offered before him.

"A Sunnah of the prayer is that you should raise your right foot, and make your left foot lie (on the ground)."

I came to the Prophet(saws) during winter; I saw his companions raise their hands in their clothes in prayer.

She would wash herself for every prayer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Do not omit them (the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer) even if you are driven away by the horses.

The Prophet (saws) was asked: which is the best action? He replied: To stand in prayer for a long time.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) offered salutation in the witr prayer, he said: Glorify be to the king most holy.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded me to recite Mu'awwidhatan (the last three surahs of the Qur'an) after every prayer.

We bear witness that 'Aishah said: Not a day passed but the Prophet (saws) prayed two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer

Ibn 'Umar used to go out to al-Ghabah (jungle), but he neither broke his fast, nor shortened his prayer.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting al-Tur(surah lii) in the sunset prayer.

and the narrator Musa said: As far as Amr thinks, the Prophet (saws) said: The whole earth is a place of prayer except public baths and graveyards.

The Prophet (saws) said: Anyone who is in doubt in his prayer should make two prostrations after giving the salutation.

The Prophet (saws) led them in prayer and forgot something, so he made prostrations and uttered the tashahhud, then gave the salutation.

The Prophet (saws) said: May Allah show mercy to a man who prays four rak'ahs before the afternoon prayer.

The Prophet (saws) said: Allah does not accept charity from goods acquired by embezzlement as He does not accept prayer without purification.

I was a small boy and I did not understand the prayer of my father. So Wa’Il b. ‘Alqamah reported Wa’il b. Hujr as saying: I offered prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (saws). He used to raise his hands when he pronounced the takbir (Allah is most great), then pulled his garment around him, then placed his right hand on his left, and entered his hands in his garment. When he was about to bow he took his hands out of his garment, and then raised them. And when he raised his head after bowing, he raised his hands. He then prostrated himself and placed his face (forehead on the ground) between his hands. And when he raised his head after prostration, he also raised his hands until he finished his prayer. Muhammad (a narrator) said: I mentioned it to al-Hasan b. Abu al-Hasan who said: This is how the Messenger of Allah(saws) offered prayer; some did it and others abandoned it.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammam from ibn Juhadah, but he did not mention the raising of hands after he raised his head at the end of the prostration.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) led us in prayer, that was, we think, the dawn prayer, He further narrated this tradition up to the words “what is the matter with me that I have been contended with in (the recitation of ) the Qur’an.”

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad in his tradition said that Ma’mar said: The people ceased to recite (the Qur’an) at the prayer in which the Messenger of Allah (saws) recited aloud. Ibn al-Sarh said in his version that Ma’mar reported from al-Zuhri on the authority of Abu Hurairah. Then the people ceased (to recite behind the imam). Another version says: Sufyan said: Al-Zuhri spoke a word that I could not hear. Then Ma’mar said: He said: Then people ceased (to recite the Qur’an)

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by ‘Abd al-Raman b. Ishaq on the authority of al-Zuhri. This version ends at the words: “What is the matter with me that I am contended with in (the recitation of) the Qur’an. Al-Awza’i also narrated it on the authority of al-Zuhri. This version has: Al-Zuhri said: The Muslims took lesson from that and thenceforth they did not recite (the Qur’an) at the prayer in which he (the Prophet) recited aloud.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Muhammad b. Yaya b. Faris say: The words “the people ceased to recite (the Qur’an)” is a statement of al-zuhri.

what do you mean by looking at me with furtive glances. Then they glorified Allah. When the prophet (may peace be upon him) finished his prayer, he asked; who was the speaker? The Prophet told him; this Bedouin. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) called me and said to me: Prayer is meant for the recitation of the Quran, and making mention of Allah. When you are in it (prayer), this should be your work therein. I never saw an instructor more lenient than the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

A woman came to the Prophet (saws) while we were with him.

She said: Messenger of Allah, my husband, Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal, beats me when I pray, and makes me break my fast when I keep a fast, and he does not offer the dawn prayer until the sun rises.

He asked Safwan, who was present, about what she had said. He replied: Messenger of Allah, as for her statement "he beats me when I pray", she recites two surahs (during prayer) and I have prohibited her (to do so).

He (the Prophet) said: If one surah is recited (during prayer), that is sufficient for the people.

(Safwan continued:) As regards her saying "he makes me break my fast," she dotes on fasting; I am a young man, I cannot restrain myself.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said on that day: A woman should not fast except with the permission of her husband.

(Safwan said:) As for her statement that I do not pray until the sun rises, we are a people belonging to a class, and that (our profession of supplying water) is already known about us. We do not awake until the sun rises. He said: When you awake, offer your prayer.

Bilal would call the Adhan, then he used come to wait. When he would see that the prophet (may peace be upon him) had come out (of his house), he would pronounce the iqama.

The Prophet (saws) said: It is a duty of every Muslim (to provide hospitality) to a guest for a night. If anyone comes in the morning to his house, it is a debt due to him. If he wishes, he may fulfil it, and if he wishes he may leave it.

Jabir b.’Abd Allah reported the Prophet (may peace be upon him)as saying this version is not complete ‘’for the devil does not open a shut door, or loosen a water-skin, or uncover a vessel, for a mouse sets a house on fire over its inhabitants’’.

that his sister Furai'ah bint Malik said: "My husband went out to pursue some slaves of his. He caught up with them at the edge of Qadumttl and they killed him. News of his death reached me when I was in one of the houses of the Ansar, far away from the house of my family and my brothers. I went to the Prophet (SAW) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (SAW), there has come to me news of my husband's death and I am in a house far away from the house of my people and the house of my brothers. He did not leave any money that could be spent on me, or any inheritance, or any house I may take possession of. If you think that you could give me permission to join my family and my brothers, then that is what I prefer and is better for me in some ways.' He said: 'Do that if you wish.' Then I went out, feeling happy with the ruling of Allah given upon the lips of the Messenger of Allah (SAW), until, when I was in the mosque, or, in one of the apartments, he called me and said: 'What did you say?' I told him the story, and he said: 'Stay in the house in which the news of your husband's death came to you, until your waiting period is ever."' She said: "So I observed the waiting period there for four months and ten (days)."

He washed his armpits and other joints where dirt was found, and he performed ablution like that for prayer. Then he led them in prayer. He then narrated the tradition in a similar way but did not mention of tayammum.

Abu Dawud said: This incident has also been narrated by al-'Awza'i on the authority of Hassan b. 'Atiyyah. This version has the words: Then he performed tayammum.

"I heard 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair saying on the pulpit: When the Prophet (saws) finished the prayer, he used to say (at the end of the prayer): 'There is no God but Allah, Alone, Who has no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due, and He is Omnipotent. There is no God but Allah to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though the infidels should disapprove. To Him belongs wealth, to Him belongs grace and to Him is worthy accorded. There is no got but Allah to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though infidels should disapprove.

Sa'id ibn AbuSa'id al-Maqburi reported on the authority of his father that he saw AbuRafi' the freed slave of the Prophet (saws), passing by Hasan ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with them) when he was standing offering his prayer. He had tied the back knot of his hair. AbuRafi' untied it. Hasan turned to him with anger, AbuRafi' said to him: Concentrate on your prayer and do not be angry: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: This is the seat of the devil, referring to the back knot of the hair.

I came riding a donkey. Another version has: Ibn Abbas said: When I was near the age of the puberty I came riding a she-ass and found the Messenger of Allah (saws) leading the people in prayer at Mina. I passed in front of a part of the row (of worshippers), and dismounting left my she-ass for grazing in the pasture, and I joined the row, and no one objected to that.

Abu Dawud said: These are the words of al-Qa'nabi, and are complete. Malik said: I take it as permissible at the time when the iqamah for prayer is pronounced.

I asked the Messenger of Allah(may peace be upon him) about looking to the sides during prayer. He said: It is something which the devil snatches from a servant’s prayers.