I asked: Messenger of Allah, in which part of night the supplication is more likely to be accepted?

He replied: In the last part: Pray as much as you like, for the prayer is attended by the angels and it is recorded till you offer the dawn prayer; then stop praying when the sun is rising till it has reached the height of one or two lances, for it rises between the two horns of the Devil, and the infidels offer prayer for it (at that time). Then pray as much as you like, because the prayer is witnessed and recorded till the shadow of a lance be- comes equal to it. Then cease prayer, for at that time the Hell-fire is heated up and doors of Hell are opened.

When the sun declines, pray as much as you like, for the prayer is witnessed 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 offer prayer for it. He narrated a lengthy tradition.

Abbas said: AbuSalam narrated this tradition in a similar manner from AbuUmamah. If I have made a mistake unintentionally, I beg pardon of Allah and repent to Him.

When `Abdullah bin Salam heard the arrival of the Prophet at Medina, he came to him and said, "I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a prophet: What is the first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle" Allah's Apostle said, "Gabriel has just now told me of their answers." `Abdullah said, "He (i.e. Gabriel), from amongst all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews." Allah's Apostle said, "The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be Extra-lobe (caudate lobe) of fish-liver. As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her." On that `Abdullah bin Salam said, "I testify that you are the Apostle of Allah." `Abdullah bin Salam further said, "O Allah's Apostle! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they would tell a lie about me." The Jews came to Allah's Apostle and `Abdullah went inside the house. Allah's Apostle asked (the Jews), "What kind of man is `Abdullah bin Salam amongst you?" They replied, "He is the most learned person amongst us, and the best amongst us, and the son of the best amongst us." Allah's Apostle said, "What do you think if he embraces Islam (will you do as he does)?" The Jews said, "May Allah save him from it." Then `Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah." Thereupon they said, "He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest amongst us," and continued talking badly of him.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman that al Qasim ibn Muhammad said, "None of the companions that I met prayed dhuhr until well after noon,"(i.e.until when the sun had lost its fierceness).

Jarir said, "We were with the Prophet and he looked at the moon--full-moon--and said, 'Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So if you can avoid missing (through sleep or business, etc.) a prayer before the sunrise (Fajr) and a prayer before sunset (`Asr), you must do so.' He then recited Allah's Statement: And celebrate the praises Of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting." (50.39) Isma`il said, "Offer those prayers and do not miss them."

Abu Dawud said: Sulaiman b. Musa has narrated this tradition about the time of the Maghrib prayer from Musa from 'Ata on the authority of Jabir from the Prophet (saws). This version adds: He then offered the Isha prayer when a third of the night had passed, as narrated (he said the Isha prayer) when half the night had passed.

This tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Buraidah on the authority of his father from the Prophet (saws) in a similar way.

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) recited (the Qur'an) aloud during the eclipse prayer and when he had finished the eclipse prayer he said the Takbir and bowed. When he stood straight from bowing he would say "Sami 'allahu liman hamidah Rabbana wa laka l-hamd." And he would again start reciting. In the eclipse prayer there are four bowing and four prostrations in two rak`at. Al-Auza'i and others said that they had heard Az-Zuhri from 'Urwa from `Aisha saying, "In the lifetime of Allah's Apostle the sun eclipsed, and he made a person to announce: 'Prayer in congregation.' He led the prayer and performed four bowing and four prostrations in two rak`at." Narrated Al-Walid that `Abdur-Rahman bin Namir had informed him that he had heard the same. Ibn Shihab heard the same. Az-Zuhri said, "I asked ('Urwa), 'What did your brother `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair do? He prayed two rak`at (of the eclipse prayer) like the morning prayer, when he offered the (eclipse) prayer in Medina.' 'Urwa replied that he had missed (i.e. did not pray according to) the Prophet's tradition." Sulaiman bin Kathir and Sufyan bin Husain narrated from Az-Zuhri that the prayer for the eclipse used to be offered with loud recitation.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Da'ud ibn al-Husayn said that someone had told him Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say, "Duluk ash-shams begins from when the sun passes the meridian. Ghasaq al-layl is the gathering of the night and its darkness."

I remember Allah's Apostle and also the mouthful of water which he took from a bucket in our house and ejected (on me). I heard from `Itban bin Malik Al-Ansari, who was one from Bani Salim, saying, "I used to lead my tribe of Bani Salim in prayer. Once I went to the Prophet and said to him, 'I have weak eyesight and at times the rainwater flood intervenes between me and the mosque of my tribe and I wish that you would come to my house and pray at some place so that I could take that place as a place for praying (mosque). He said, "Allah willing, I shall do that." Next day Allah's Apostle along with Abu Bakr, came to my house after the sun had risen high and he asked permission to enter. I gave him permission, but he didn't sit till he said to me, "Where do you want me to pray in your house?" I pointed to a place in the house where I wanted him to pray. So he stood up for the prayer and we aligned behind him. He completed the prayer with Taslim and we did the same simultaneously."

The Prophet then took up Usamah behind him (on the camel), and drove the camel at a quick pace. The people were beating their camels right and left, but he did not pay attention to them; he was saying: O people, preserve a quiet demeanour. He proceeded (from Arafat) when the sun had set.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say, "Do not intend to do your prayer at either sunrise or sunset, for the horns of Shaytan rise with the rising of the sun and set with its setting."

Umar used to beat people for that kind of prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Dawud ibn al-Husayn from al- Araj from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari that Umar ibn al Khattab said, "Whoever misses reading his hizb at night and reads it from when the sun has passed the meridian until the dhuhr prayer has not missed it, or it is as if he has caught it."

A Jewess came to ask `Aisha (the wife of the Prophet) about something. She said to her, "May Allah give you refuge from the punishment of the grave." So `Aisha ' asked Allah's Apostle "Would the people be punished in their graves?" Allah's Apostle after seeking refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave (and thus replied in the affirmative). Then one day, Allah's Apostle rode to go to some place but the sun eclipsed. He returned in the forenoon and passed through the rear of the dwellings (of his wives) and stood for the (eclipse) prayer, and the people stood behind him. He stood up for a long period and then performed a prolonged bowing which was shorter than the first bowing. Then he raised his head and prostrated. Then he stood up (for the second rak`a) for a long while but the standing was shorter than that of the first rak`a. Then he performed a prolonged bowing which was shorter than the first one. Then he raised his head and prostrated. Then he stood up for a long time but shorter than the first. Then he performed a prolonged bowing but shorter than the first. Then he raised his head and prostrated and finished the prayer and (then delivered the sermon and) said as much as Allah wished. And then he ordered the people to seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the grave.