The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Before the Last Hour there will be commotions like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, or a believer in the evening and infidel in the morning. He who sits during them will be better than he who gets up and he who walks during them is better than he who runs. So break your bows, cut your bowstrings and strike your swords on stones. If people then come in to one of you, let him be like the better of Adam's two sons.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab used to say, "When a man catches the raka he says, 'Allah is greater' once, and that takbir is enough for him."

Malik added, "That is if he intended to begin the prayer by that takbir "

Malik was asked about a man who began with the imam but forgot the opening takbir and the takbir of the ruku until he had done one raka. Then he remembered that he had not said the takbir at the opening nor in the ruku,so he said the takbir in the second raka. He said, "I prefer that he start his prayer again, but if he forgets the opening takbir with the imam and says the takbir in the first ruku, I consider that enough for him if he intends by it the opening takbir."

Malik said, about some one who prayed by himself and forgot the opening takbir, "He begins his prayer afresh ."

Malik said, about an imam who forgot the opening takbir until he had finished his prayer, "I think that he should do the prayer again, and those behind him, even if they have said the takbir."

While the Prophet was distributing (war booty etc.) one day, Dhul Khawaisira, a man from the tribe of Bani Tamim, said, "O Allah's Apostle! Act justly." The Prophets said, "Woe to you! Who else would act justly if I did not act justly?" `Umar said (to the Prophet ), "Allow me to chop his neck off." The Prophet said, "No, for he has companions (who are apparently so pious that) if anyone of (you compares his prayer with) their prayer, he will consider his prayer inferior to theirs, and similarly his fasting inferior to theirs, but they will desert Islam (go out of religion) as an arrow goes through the victim's body (games etc.) in which case if its Nasl is examined nothing will be seen thereon, and if its Nady is examined, nothing will be seen thereon, and if its Qudhadh is examined, nothing will be seen thereon, for the arrow has gone out too fast even for the excretions and blood to smear over it. Such people will come out at the time of difference among the (Muslim) people and the sign by which they will be recognized, will be a man whose one of the two hands will look like the breast of a woman or a lump of flesh moving loosely." Abu Sa`id added, "I testify that I heard that from the Prophet and also testify that I was with `Ali when `Ali fought against those people. The man described by the Prophet was searched for among the killed, and was found, and he was exactly as the Prophet had described him." (See Hadith No. 807, Vol. 4)

A man entered the mosque while Allah's Apostle was sitting in one side of the mosque. The man prayed, came, and greeted the Prophet. Allah's Apostle said to him, "Wa 'Alaikas Salam (returned his greeting). Go back and pray as you have not prayed (properly)." The man returned, repeated his prayer, came back and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet said, "Wa alaika-s-Salam (returned his greeting). Go back and pray again as you have not prayed (properly)." The man said at the second or third time, "O Allah's Apostle! Kindly teach me how to pray". The Prophet said, "When you stand for prayer, perform ablution properly and then face the Qibla and say Takbir (Allahu-Akbar), and then recite what you know from the Qur'an, and then bow with calmness till you feel at ease then rise from bowing, till you stand straight, and then prostrate calmly (and remain in prostration) till you feel at ease, and then raise (your head) and sit with calmness till you feel at ease and then prostrate with calmness (and remain in prostration) till you feel at ease, and then raise (your head) and sit with calmness till you feel at ease in the sitting position, and do likewise in whole of your prayer." And Abu Usama added, "Till you stand straight." (See Hadith No. 759, Vol.1)

The Prophet , sent an army and appointed some man their commander The man made a fire and then said (to the soldiers), "Enter it." Some of them intended to enter it while some others said, 'We have run away from it (i.e., embraced Islam to save ourselves from the 'fire')." They mentioned that to the Prophet, and he said about people who had intended to enter the fire. ''If they had entered it, they would have remained In it till the Day of Resurrection.'' Then he said to others, "No obedience for evil deeds, obedience is required only in what is good ."

The Prophet heard a man (reciting Qur'an) in the Mosque, and he said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such Verses of such-and-such Sura which I dropped (from my memory). Narrated Aisha: The Prophet performed the Tahajjud prayer in my house, and then he heard the voice of `Abbad who was praying in the Mosque, and said, "O `Aisha! Is this `Abbad's voice?" I said, "Yes." He said, "O Allah! Be merciful to `Abbad!"

I asked Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, "Did you hear Allah's Apostle talking about the Night of Qadr?" He replied in the affirmative and said, "Once we were in I`tikaf with Allah's Apostle in the middle ten days of (Ramadan) and we came out of it in the morning of the twentieth, and Allah's Apostledelivered a sermon on the 20th (of Ramadan) and said, 'I was informed (of the date) of the Night of Qadr (in my dream) but had forgotten it. So, look for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. I saw myself prostrating in mud and water on that night (as a sign of the Night of Qadr). So, whoever had been in I`tikaf with Allah's Apostle should return for it.' The people returned to the mosque (for I`tikaf). There was no trace of clouds in the sky. But all of a sudden a cloud came and it rained. Then the prayer was established (they stood for the prayer) and Allah's Apostle prostrated in mud and water and I saw mud over the forehead and the nose of the Prophet.

The prayer was prescribed as consisting of two rak'ahs both when one was resident and when travelling. The prayer while travelling was left according to the original prescription and the prayer of one who was resident was enhanced.

The Prophet went out to one of the gardens of Medina for some business and I went out to follow him. When he entered the garden, I sat at its gate and said to myself, "To day I will be the gatekeeper of the Prophet though he has not ordered me." The Prophet went and finished his need and went to sit on the constructed edge of the well and uncovered his legs and hung them in the well. In the meantime Abu Bakr came and asked permission to enter. I said (to him), "Wait till I get you permission." Abu Bakr waited outside and I went to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Prophet! Abu Bakr asks your permission to enter." He said, "Admit him, and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." So Abu Bakr entered and sat on the right side of the Prophet and uncovered his legs and hung them in the well. Then `Umar came and I said (to him), "Wait till I get you permission." The Prophet said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise." So `Umar entered and sat on the left side of the Prophet and uncovered his legs and hung them in the well so that one side of the well became fully occupied and there remained no place for any-one to sit. Then `Uthman came and I said (to him), "Wait till I get permission for you." The Prophet said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise with a calamity which will befall him." When he entered, he could not find any place to sit with them so he went to the other edge of the well opposite them and uncovered his legs and hung them in the well. I wished that a brother of mine would come, so I invoked Allah for his coming. (Ibn Al-Musaiyab said, "I interpreted that (narration) as indicating their graves. The first three are together and the grave of `Uthman is separate from theirs.")

`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "O Allah's Apostle! I vowed to observe I`tikaf for one day during the Prelslamic period." The Prophet ordered him to fulfill his vow. `Umar gained two lady captives from the war prisoners of Hunain and he left them in some of the houses at Mecca. When Allah's Apostle freed the captives of Hunain without ransom, they came out walking in the streets. `Umar said (to his son), "O `Abdullah! See what is the matter." `Abdullah replied, "Allah's Apostle has freed the captives without ransom." He said (to him), "Go and set free those two slave girls." (Nafi` added:) Allah's Apostle did not perform the `Umra from Al-Jarana, and if he had performed the `Umra, it would not have been hidden from `Abdullah.

Abu Dawud said : This tradition has been narrated al-Zuhri from Abu Salamah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman on the authority of Abu Hurairah. It says: When he stood at the place of prayer, we waited for his utterance of takbir (Allah-u akbar).He went away and said : (remain) as you were.

Another version on the authority of Muhammad reporting from the Prophet (saws) says: He uttered takbir (Allah-u-Akbar) and then made a sign to the people, meaning "sit down". He then went away and took a bath. This tradition has also been narrated through a different chain. It says: The Messenger of Allah (saws) uttered takbir (Allah-u-akbar) in a prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Another version through a different chain says; The Prophet (May peace be upon him) uttered takbir (Allah-u akbar).

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad was asked about a man who bought goods for 10 dinars cash or fifteen dinars on credit. He disapproved of that and forbade it.

Malik said that if a man bought goods from a man for either 10 dinars or 15 dinars on credit, that one of the two prices was obliged on the buyer. It was not to be done because if he postponed paying the ten, it would be 15 on credit, and if he paid the ten, he would buy with it what was worth fifteen dinars on credit.

Malik said that it was disapproved of for a man to buy goods from someone for either a dinar cash or for a described sheep on credit and that one of the two prices was obliged on him. It was not to be done because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade two sales in one sale. This was part of two sales in the one sale.

Malik spoke about a man saying to another, "'I will either buy these fifteen sa of ajwa dates from you, or these ten sa of sayhani dates or I will buy these fifteen sa of inferior wheat or these ten sa of Syrian wheat for a dinar, and one of them is obliged to me.' Malik said that it was disapproved of and was not halal. That was because he obliged him ten sa of sayhani, and left them and took fifteen sa of ajwa, or he was obliged fifteen sa of inferior wheat and left them and took ten sa of Syrian wheat. This was also disapproved of, and was not halal. It resembled what was prohibited in the way of two sales in one sale. It was also included under the prohibition against buying two for one of the same sort of food."

The Prophet and Abu Bakr came on foot to pay me a visit (during my illness) at Banu Salama's (dwellings). The Prophet found me unconscious, so he asked for water and performed the ablution from it and sprinkled some water over it. I came to my senses and said, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you order me to do as regards my wealth?" So there was revealed:-- "Allah commands you as regards your children's (inheritance):" (4.11)

The people doubted whether Allah's Apostle was fasting or the Day of `Arafat or not. So I sent a cup containing milk to him and he drank it.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "Once Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban and I were sitting down, and Muhammad called a man over to him and said to him, 'Tell me what you have heard from your father.' The man replied that his father had told him that he went to Zayd ibn Thabit and asked him, 'What do you think of reciting the whole Qur'an in seven days?' Zayd said, 'That's good, but I prefer to recite it in two weeks, or ten days. Ask me why that is.' He said, 'I ask you then.' Zayd said, 'So that I can reflect on it and pause in it.' "

The Prophet used to teach us the Istikhara for each and every matter as he used to teach us the Suras from the Holy Qur'an. (He used to say), "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two-rak`at prayer other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: 'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika-l-'azim, fa innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wala a'lamu, wa anta'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati `Amri (or said, fi 'ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) fa-qdurhu li, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna ha-dha-l-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati `Amri (or said, fi ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu 'anni was-rifni 'anhu wa aqdur li alkhaira haithu kana, thumma Raddani bihi," Then he should mention his matter (need).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al- Hadi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that Abu Said al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do itikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan. One year he was doing itikaf and then, when it came to the night of the twenty-first, which was the night before the morning when he would normally have finished his itikaf, he said, 'Whoever has done i'tikaf with me should continue doing itikaf for the last ten days. I saw a certain night and then I was made to forget it. I saw myself prostrating the following morning in water and clay. Look for it in the last ten days, and look for it on the odd days.' "

Abu Said continued, "The sky poured with rain that night and the mosque had a roof (made of palm fronds) and the mosque was soaked. With my own eyes I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leave with traces of water and clay on his forehead and nose, in the morning after the night of the twenty- first."

Allah's Apostle used to practice I`tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan and once he stayed in I`tikaf till the night of the twenty-first and it was the night in the morning of which he used to come out of his I`tikaf. The Prophet said, "Whoever was in I`tikaf with me should stay in I`tikaf for the last ten days, for I was informed (of the date) of the Night (of Qadr) but I have been caused to forget it. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water in the morning of that night. So, look for it in the last ten nights and in the odd ones of them." It rained that night and the roof of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf stalks of date-palms. I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet (i.e. in the morning of the twenty-first).

The Messenger of Allah (saws) commissioned me as a collector of zakat. I visited a man. When he had collected his property of camels, I found that a she-camel in her second year was due from him.

I said to him: Pay a she-camel in her second year, for she is to be paid as sadaqah (zakat) by you.

He said: That one is not worthy of milking and riding. Here is another she-camel which is young, grand and fat. So take it.

I said to him: I shall not take an animal for which I have not been commanded. The Messenger of Allah (saws) is here near to you. If you like, go to him, and present to him what you presented to me. Do that; if he accepts it from you, I shall accept it; if he rejects it, I shall reject it.

He said: I shall do it. He accompanied me and took with him the she-camel which he had presented to me. We came to the Messenger of Allah (saws). He said to him: Prophet of Allah, your messenger came to me to collect zakat on my property. By Allah, neither the Messenger of Allah nor his messenger has ever seen my property before. I gathered my property (camels), and he estimated that a she-camel in her second year would be payable by me. But that has neither milk nor is it worth riding. So I presented to him a grand young she-camel for acceptance as zakat. But he has refused to take her. Look, she is here; I have brought her to you, Messenger of Allah. Take her.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: That is what is due from you. If you give voluntarily a better (animal) Allah will give a reward to you for it. We accept her from you.

She is here, Messenger of Allah; I have brought her to you. So take her. The Messenger of Allah (saws) then ordered me to take possession of it, and he prayed for a blessing on his property.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Mujabbar that he used to see Salim ibn Abdullah pull the cloth away fiercely from the mouth of any man he saw covering his mouth while praying.

Jarir bin `Abdullah said to me, "Allah's Apostle said to me, 'Won't you relieve me from Dhul- Khalasa?' Dhul-Khalasa was a house where the tribe of Khatham used to stay, and it used to be called Ka`bat-ul Yamaniya. So I proceeded with one hundred-and-fifty (men) from the tribe of Ahmas who were good cavalry. I informed the Prophet that I could not sit firm on horses, so he stroke me on the chest with his hand and I noticed his finger marks on my chest. He invoked, 'O Allah! Make him firm and a guiding and rightly-guided man." Jarir set out towards that place, dismantled and burnt it, and then sent the good news to Allah's Apostle . The messenger of Jarir said to Allah's Apostle. "O Allah's Apostle! By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I did not come to you till it (i.e. the house) had been turned (black) like a scabby camel (covered with tar)." So the Prophet invokes Allah to Bless the horses of the men of Ahmas five times.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) addressed us when we were at Mina. Our ears were open and we were listening to what he was saying, while we were in our dwellings. He began to teach them the rites of hajj till he reached the injunction of throwing pebbles at the Jamrahs (pillars at Mina). He put his forefingers in his ears and said: (Throw small pebbles. He then commanded the Emigrants (Muhajirun) to station themselves. They stationed themselves before the mosque. He then commanded the Helpers (Ansar) to encamp. They encamped behind the mosque. Thereafter the people encamped.

Once Allah's Apostle led us in prayer and then (after finishing it) ascended the pulpit and pointed with his hand towards the Qibla of the mosque and said, "While I was leading you in prayer, both Paradise and Hell were displayed in front of me in the direction of this wall. I had never seen a better thing (than Paradise) and a worse thing (than Hell) as I have seen today, I had never seen a better thing and a worse thing as I have seen today."

Once the meal of `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf was brought in front of him, and he said, "Mus`ab bin `Umair was martyred and he was better than I, and he had nothing except his Burd (a black square narrow dress) to be shrouded in. Hamza or another person was martyred and he was also better than I and he had nothing to be shrouded in except his Burd. No doubt, I fear that the rewards of my deeds might have been given early in this world." Then he started weeping.

Ibn Sa'd said: My father (Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas) heard me say: O Allah, I ask Thee for Paradise, its blessings, its pleasure and such-and-such, and such-and-such; I seek refuge in Thee from Hell, from its chains, from its collars, and from such-and-such, and from such-and-such. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: There will be people who will exaggerate in supplication. You should not be one of them. If you are granted Paradise, you will be granted all what is good therein; if you are protected from Hell, you will be protected from what is evil therein.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said "Whoever drinks wine in this world and does not turn from it in tawba, it is haram for him in the Next World."