"No prayer should be offered in the presence of food or when he is resisting the need to relieve himself of the two filths." "If you say to your companion 'listen' on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon, you have thus engaged in idle talk." "O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshiped.* Allah cursed the people who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." . "The five (daily) prayers, Friday prayer to the next Friday prayer, and Ramadan to the next Ramadan are expiation of the sins committed between them, so long as major sins are avoided." "Whoever performs Qiyām (night prayer) in the Night of Decree, out of faith and in pursuit of reward, his past sins will be forgiven." "Whoever performs the Fajr prayer is under the protection of Allah*; so, do not infringe upon Allah's protection in any respect, for whoever infringes upon Allah's protection in any respect, He will seize him and throw him on his face in Hellfire." Ibn az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say after every prayer after making taslīm: “Lā ilāha illa Allah wahdahu lā sharīka lahu, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kolli shay‘in qadīr; lā hawla wa lā quwwata illa billāh, lā ilāha illa Allah, wa lā na‘budu illa iyyāh, lahu an-ni‘mah wa al-fadl, wa lahu ath-thanā’ al-hasan; lā ilāha illa Allah, mukhlisīn lahu ad-dīn wa law kariha al-kāfirūn (There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. To Him belongs the dominion, and praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things. There is no power or strength except through Allah. There is no god but Allah, and we worship none but Him. To Him belongs the blessing, to Him belongs the grace, and to Him belongs all excellent praise. There is no god but Allah; we are sincerely devoted to Him, even if the disbelievers may dislike it)." And he said: "@The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to celebrate Allah’s oneness with these words after every prayer." Offer the ‘Asr prayer early, for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "@Whoever abandons the ‘Asr prayer, his deeds will be rendered worthless." "Do not sit on graves, and do not pray towards them." ’Umm Salamah mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that she had seen a church in Abyssinia called Māriyah, and she mentioned the images that she had seen therein. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "@Those are a people who, when a righteous slave or a righteous man from among them dies, they build a place of worship* over his grave and place those images therein. Those are the most evil people in the sight of Allah." "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones*: the forehead (and he pointed to his nose), the hands, the knees, and the extremities of the feet, and not to tuck up the clothes and hair." : When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished his prayer, he would seek Allah’s forgiveness three times and say: "@Allahumma anta as-salām wa minka as-salām, tabārakta yadha al-jalāl wa al-ikrām* (O Allah, You are As-Salām (peace, perfection), and as-salām comes from You. Blessed are You, O Possessor of Glory and Honor)". Al-Walīd said: I said to Al-Awzā‘i: "How is the seeking of forgiveness?" He said: "You say: Astaghfirullāh, astaghfirullāh (I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah)." "Pray while standing; if you cannot, then while sitting; and if you cannot, then while lying on your side." . : When one of you joins the prayer and finds the Imām in a certain position, he should do what the Imām is doing "Islam is built on five*: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, establishing prayer, giving Zakah, performing Hajj to the (Sacred) House, and fasting Ramadān." A man said to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "@Do you think that if I perform the obligatory payers, fast Ramadan, treat the lawful as lawful, and treat the unlawful as unlawful,* and do not do anything else beyond that, will I enter Paradise?" He said: 'Yes.' He said: "By Allah, I will not do anything more than that." "Purity is half of faith, al-hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah) fills the Scale, and subhān Allah wa al-hamdulillāh (glory and praise be to Allah) fills what is between the heavens and the earth.* Prayer is light, charity is proof, patience is radiance, and the Qur’an is an argument either for you or against you. Every person goes out in the morning and sells his soul; he either saves it from doom or throws it into destruction." "When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar*' (Allah is the Greatest), and one of you says 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah', and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala as-salāh' (Come to prayer), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh' (There is no power or strength except through Allah), and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala al-falāh' (Come to success), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh', and then he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'lā ilāh illa Allah', and he says 'lā ilāh illa Allah' from his heart, he will enter Paradise." "Whoever forgets a prayer should perform it as soon as he remembers it; there is no expiation for it except that*: {and establish prayer to remember me.} [Surat Tā-ha: 14]" "What stands between a man and polytheism and disbelief is the abandonment of the prayers." "The covenant between us and them is prayer; so, whoever abandons it has disbelieved." "When you hear the Adhan (call to prayer), repeat what the Muezzin says." "Straighten your rows, for indeed, straightening the row is from the perfection of the prayer." I memorized from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ten Rak‘ahs (units of prayer)*: two Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr and two Rak‘ahs after it, two Rak‘ahs after Maghrib at his home, two Rak‘ahs after ‘Ishā’ at his home, and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer, an hour when none was allowed to enter upon the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Hafsah told me that after the muezzin would make Adhān (call to prayer) and after the break of dawn, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer two Rak‘ahs. Another wording reads: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer two Rak‘ahs after the Friday prayer. A complaint was made to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) about the person who doubts that something has happened to him during his prayer. He said: He should not leave (his prayer) unless he hears a sound or perceives a smell If the Iqāmah for prayer is proclaimed, and the dinner is served, start with the dinner The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying after the Fajr prayer up until the sun rises, and after the ‘Asr prayer until the sun sets "Is he who raises his head before the Imam not afraid that Allah may transform his head into that of a donkey or his shape into that of a donkey?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands in line with his shoulders when commencing the prayer,* when saying Takbīr (proclaiming Allah's greatness) for Rukū‘ (bowing), and when raising his head from Rukū‘ he would raise them as well and say: "Sami‘allāhu liman hamidah, rabbana wa laka al-hamd" (Allah hears whoever praises Him, O our Lord, praise be to You). He did not use to do this in Sujūd (prostration). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught me the Tashahhud, with my hand between his two hands, as he would teach me a Surah from the Qur’an*: "At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibātu as-Salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh, as-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn, ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger)." Another wording reads: "Verily, Allah is the Giver of Peace, so when any of you sits in prayer, let him say: 'At-tahiyyātu lillāhi was-salawātu wat-tayyibātu as-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh, as-salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibādillāhi as-sālihīn (Greetings, prayers, and good things are due to Allah. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah).' If you say this, it will benefit every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth. (Then, say:) 'Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).' Then, let him choose whatever supplication he would like." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say the following supplication: "@Allāuhumma inni a‘ūdhu bika min ‘adhāb al-qabr, wa min ‘adhāb an-nār, wa min fitnat al-mahya wa al-mamāt, wa min fitnat al-masīh ad-dajjāl* (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, the punishment of the Fire, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the Dajjāl (Antichrist)." A wording of Muslim reads: "When any of you completes the last Tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allah from four things: the punishment of Hellfire, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evil of the Antichrist." When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made Takbīr in the prayer, he would remain silent a while before reciting. I said: O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother ransom you! Have you seen your silence between Takbīr and the recitation? What is it that you say? He said: "I say: @Allāhumma bā‘id bayni wa bayna khatāyāy kama bā‘dta bayna al-mashriqi wa al-maghrib*. Allāhumma naqqini min khatāyāy kama yunaqqa ath-thawbu al-abyadu min ad-danas. Allāhumma ighsilni min khatāyāy bith-thalji wa al-mā’i wa al-barad (O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the east from the west. O Allah, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash out my sins with water, snow, and hail)." Be moderate in prostration, and let none of you spread his forearms on the ground like a dog I asked Anas ibn Mālik: Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to pray with his shoes on? He said: Yes! Do not take my grave as a place of festivity (which you visit repeatedly), and do not take your houses as graves. Send blessings upon me, for your greeting will reach me no matter where you are : . : : . : : I gave the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) a pledge to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to pay Zakah, to hear and obey, and to give sincere advice to every Muslim. : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the ‘Ishā' prayer until part of the night had passed and it was dark. ‘Umar came to him saying: O Messenger of Allah, come to pray, the women and children have slept. He came out with his head dripping with water and said: Had it not been hard for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to perform that prayer at this hour Wake up ‘Āʾishah and pray Witr . The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: Which part of the prayer is the best? He replied: The long standing . I met Thawbān, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: Tell me about a deed to perform by virtue of which Allah admits me to Paradise - or he said: I said: about the deeds that Allah loves most - but he remained silent. Then I asked him, but he remained silent. Then I asked him for the third time, and he said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about this, and he said: @"Make frequent prostrations to Allah, for you do not make a single prostration to Allah except that Allah raises you one degree therewith and remits one sin from you therewith."* Ma‘dān said: Then I met Abu ad-Dardā’ and I asked him and he told me the same as Thawbān. We used to prepare for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) his tooth-stick and the water he used for making ablution. Then, Allah would awaken him whenever He willed during the night, and he would brush his teeth with the tooth-stick, make ablution, and perform prayer "Whoever prays the Bardayn (Fajr and ‘Asr prayers) will enter Paradise." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to sleep at the beginning of the night and rise at its end to pray "A man's prayer in congregation is twenty-something degrees higher than his prayer in his house and market*. When one performs ablution and perfects it, then goes out to the mosque, nothing motivates him except prayer and seeking nothing but prayer. For every step he takes, he is raised one degree and one sin is erased for him until he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he remains in prayer as long as prayer is what keeps him therein. The angels will keep invoking the blessings of Allah on you as long as you are in the place where you performed prayer, saying: 'O Allah, have mercy on him! O Allah, forgive him! O Allah, accept his repentance!' as long as you do not harm anyone therein and do not break your ablution." When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) missed prayer at night because of sickness or otherwise, he would pray twelve Rak‘ahs during the daytime : . "What if there was a river at the door of any of you wherein he takes a bath five times a day? Would there remain any of his filth?*" They said: Nothing of his filth would remain. He said: "This is similar to the five prayers by means of which Allah erases sins." We used to speak during prayer; a man would talk with his companion at his side in the prayer until [this verse] was revealed: {...And stand before Allah in devout obedience.} So we were commanded to keep silent, such that we were forbidden to talk A solar eclipse occurred during the Prophet's lifetime and he sent someone to summon people for a congregational prayer. They gathered and he came forward and began the prayer by making Takbīr. He bowed four times and prostrated four times in two Rak‘ahs At every part of the night, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Witr: at its beginning, middle, and end. Finally he settled on performing Witr just before dawn "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for (not offering) it when they are ten, and separate them (boys and girls) in beds." : "The prayer of the one who did not recite the Opening of the Book (Surat al-Fātihah) is invalid." "Whoever takes a bath on Friday, like the bath taken from sexual impurity, and then goes (to the mosque) is like the one who offers a camel as a sacrifice*; whoever goes at the second hour is like the one who offers a cow as a sacrifice; whoever goes at the third hour is like the one who offers a horned ram as a sacrifice; whoever goes at the fourth hour is like the one who offers a chicken as a sacrifice; and whoever goes at the fifth hour is like one who offers an egg as a sacrifice. When the Imām comes out, the angels come to listen to the Dhikr." 'Whoever of you comes to attend the Friday prayer, let him take a shower." "He who performs ablution properly and then comes to the Friday prayer and listens to it attentively and keeps silent, his sins between that Friday and the following Friday will be forgiven, with the addition of three more days*; but he who touches a pebble has engaged in idle activity." "Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or the evening, Allah has prepared an abode for him in Paradise every time he goes in the morning or the evening." Whoever passes through any of our mosques or markets with arrows with him, he should hold them by their heads lest he injures any of the Muslims with them "O people, spread the greeting of peace, feed others, maintain kinship ties, and pray at night when people are asleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace." When the Imām says amen, you too say amen, for whoever says amen at the same time the angels say amen will have his previous sins forgiven If any of you leads the people in prayer, let him shorten it, because among them are the weak, the sick, and the busy. If any of you prays alone, then let him prolong (his prayer) as much as he wishes The Imām is appointed so that he should be followed; so, do not act differently from him. When he makes Takbīr all of you should say it after him; bow when he bows; say "O our Lord, all praise be to You" when he says: Allah hears the one who praises Him; prostrate when he prostates; and all of you should pray sitting when he prays sitting "He who prays before sunrise and before sunset will not enter Hellfire." "No Muslim person who, when an obligatory prayer becomes due, perfects its ablution, humility, and bowing except that it becomes an expiation for the sins that preceded it as long as he has not committed a major sin, and this applies to all times." : : . If you had been from this city, I would have inflicted pain on you. You raise your voices in the Prophet's Mosque O people, you eat two plants that I only find offensive: onion and garlic Whoever performs ablution on Friday, that is good, and whoever takes a bath has done what is better "Taking a bath on Friday is obligatory for every pubescent male Muslim, and cleaning the teeth with the tooth-stick and applying perfume if available." When it is Friday, the angels stand at the door of the mosque and keep on writing the names of those coming in order of their arrival When the son of Adam recites a verse of prostration and then falls down in prostration, the devil retreats, weeps, and says: Woe unto him, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated, so Paradise is for him. However, I was commanded to prostrate, but I refused to, so the Fire is for me Three hours the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to forbid us from praying or burying our deceased ones in them*: when the sun begins to rise until it has fully risen; when the sun is at its zenith until it begins to decline; and when the sun starts setting until it has fully set. : Allah does not accept the prayer of any woman who has reached the age of menstruation unless [she is] veiled "None of you should pray in a single garment with nothing on his shoulders." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray on his riding animal, regardless of the direction it was facing. When he wanted to perform an obligatory prayer, he would dismount and face the Qiblah When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was on a journey and wished to offer voluntary prayers, he made his she-camel face the Qiblah, said Takbīr, and then prayed towards whatever direction his mount would face All of the earth is a mosque (prayer place) except the graveyard and the bathroom Tasbīh is for the men, and clapping is for the women If anyone of you is praying behind something that conceals him from people and somebody tries to pass in front of him, he should push him away; if he refuses, the praying person should use force against him for he is a devil The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying with one's hands on one's waist When one of you stands to pray, he is privately conversing with his Lord, or his Lord is between him and the prayer direction. So let no one of you spit in the direction of prayer, but only to his left or under his feet Take this curtain of yours away, for its images come to my mind while I'm praying "What is the matter with some people who raise their eyes towards the sky during their prayer?" He went on, using strict words, until he said, "They must stop that, or their eyesight will be snatched away." Yawning inside the prayer is from the devil, so if anyone of you yawns, let him suppress it as much as he can Spitting in the mosque is a sin and its expiation is to bury it I have not been ordered to build lofty mosques Perhaps you recite behind your Imām? We said: Yes, that is so, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Do not do so except with Sūrat al-Fātihah, since the prayer is invalid for the one who does not recite it "When you prostrate, place your palms and raise your elbows." I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) praying while sitting cross-legged When any of you prostrates, he should not kneel down like a camel; rather, he should put down his hands before his knees Ibn ‘Umar used to put his hands down before his knees, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do that : : : . . "Whoever recites the Verse of the Kursi right after each obligatory prayer will have nothing preventing him from entering Paradise except that he dies." They spoke the truth. They are tormented, and their torment can be heard by all animals "When anyone of you is in doubt about his prayer, not knowing how much he prayed, three or four, let him dispel the doubt and build upon what he is certain about, then perform two prostrations before making Taslīm*. If he has prayed five, they will make his prayer even-numbered, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two light Rak‘ahs after the break of dawn The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not ever leave four before Zhuhr and two Rak‘ahs before morning. "Whoever regularly observes four Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr and four after it, Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire." May Allah have mercy on whoever offers four Rak‘ahs before the ‘Asr prayer : : (Voluntary) prayer in both the day and night is performed two by two The most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah's month, Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night O ‘Ā'ishah, indeed, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ah in the night prayer including Witr, plus two (voluntary) Rak‘ahs of the Fajr prayer Perform Witr prayer before the morning If anyone fears that he will not wake up at the end of the night, let him offer Witr prayer at the beginning of the night; and anyone expects to wake up at the end of the night, let him offer Witr prayer at the end of the night. Indeed, prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better . Whoever hears the prayer call and does not attend the congregational prayer, then his prayer is not valid (deficient), except if he has an excuse O people, pray at your homes, for a person’s best prayer is the one he performs at his home except the obligatory prayer "The best of the men's rows is the first, and the worst is the last, and the best of the women's rows is the last, and the worst is the first." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man praying alone behind the row, so he commanded him to repeat his prayer. . : While we were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel in the mosque, tied its foreleg, and said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting amongst us, leaning on his arm. We replied: "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him: "O son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib!" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am here to answer you." The man said to the Prophet: "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask whatever you want." The man said: "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who came before you. Has Allah sent you as a messenger to all mankind?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take this charity from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." Thereupon, that man said: "I have believed in all that you have been sent with, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger. @ I am Dimām ibn Tha‘labah, from the brothers of Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr." "When you hear the Muezzin, say what he says and then invoke Allah's blessings upon me*, for whoever invokes Allah's blessings upon me once, Allah will bestow His blessings upon him ten times. Then, ask Allah to grant me the Wasīlah, a high rank in Paradise that befits only one of Allah's servants, and I hope that I will be him. If anyone asks for Wasīlah for me , intercession will be permitted for him.” 'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: '@He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'" "A prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers anywhere else, except for the Sacred Mosque." "When anyone of you enters the mosque, let him offer two Rak‘ahs before he sits down." : . : 'O Bilāl, call the Iqāmah for the prayer; give us comfort by it.'" Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sā‘idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Pulpit was made of. So, they asked him about it, and he said: "By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up, and the first day the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to so-and-so - a woman from the Ansār whose name was mentioned by Sahl - telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make for me some pieces of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So, she told him, and he made it from Tamarisk wood from Al-Ghābah (a place near Madīnah). Then, he brought it, and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be set up here. Then, I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray on it and say the takbīr while he was on it, and then he bowed while he was on it, and then he came down backwards and prostrated at the base of the Pulpit; and then he went back. When he finished, he turned to the people and said: '@O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.'" 'When you pray, straighten your rows and let one of you lead in prayer, and when he says takbīr, say takbīr*; when he recites {Not of those who incurred Your Wrath, or of those who went astray} [Surat al-Fātihah: 7], say 'amen'; and Allah will respond to you. And when he says takbīr, you also say takbīr, for the Imām bows and rises before you.' Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'This is equivalent to that. And when he says, 'Sami'a Allāhu liman hamidah' (Allah hears he who praises Him), you should say: 'Allahumma rabbanā laka al-hamd' (O Allah, our Lord, praise be to You), and Allah will hear you, for Allah Almighty said through the tongue of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): Allah hears he who praises Him. And when he says takbīr and prostrates, you should also say takbīr and prostrate, for the Imām prostrates before you and rises before you.' Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'This is equivalent to that. And when he sits for tashahhud, the first words of everyone amongst you should be: 'Attaḥiyyāt at-ṭayyibāt aṣ-ṣalawātu lillāhi, assalāmu 'alayka 'ayyuh an-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, assalāmu' alayna wa 'alā 'ibadillāhi aṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ash'hadu an lā 'ilāha illā Allah wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh.' (All greetings, good things, and prayers are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger)." . . : : : The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say after every obligatory prayer*: "Lā ilāh illa Allah, wahdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala koll shay’in qadīr, allahumma lā māni‘a lima a‘tayt wa lā mu‘tiya lima mana‘ta wa la banfa‘u dha al-jaddi minka al-jadd" (There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner with Him. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him praise is due, and He is Able to do all things. O Allah, none can withhold what You give and none can give what You withhold, and riches cannot avail a wealthy person against You). : . While the people were performing the Fajr prayer in Qubā' Mosque, someone came saying: Tonight, (a portion of the) Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and he was ordered to face the Qiblah, so face it. Bilāl calls the Adhān at night; so, eat and drink until you hear the Adhān called by Ibn Umm Maktūm A Bedouin came and urinated in a corner of the mosque I saw you pray towards a direction other than the Qiblah! He said: Had I not seen the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) doing so, I would not have done it The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a person sitting aloof and not praying with the people. He asked him: “O so-and-so, what prevented you from offering the prayer with the people?” He replied: “O Messenger of Allah, I am ritually impure and there is no water.” In response, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “You should use clean earth, and that will be sufficient for you.” Straighten your rows, or Allah will cause dissension amongst you The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led them in the Zhuhr prayer and continued after the first two Rak‘ahs without sitting for Tashahhud, and people stood with him. When he finished the prayer and people were waiting for his making Taslīm, he said Takbīr while sitting and prostrated twice before Taslīm, then he concluded his prayer with Taslīm. Once I came riding a female donkey when I had almost attained the age of puberty. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was leading people in prayer at Mina with no wall in front of him When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up for prayer, he would say Takbīr when he stands. Then he would say Takbīr when he bows. Then he would say: "Allah hears the one who praised Him" when he raises his back from bowing When the heat is intense, delay the prayer until it becomes fairly cool, for intense heat is from the boiling and breathing of Hellfire The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer voluntary prayer on the back of his riding beast (camel), whatever direction it went. He would nod his head. Ibn ‘Umar would do so as well The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the House along with Usāma ibn Zayd, Bilāl, and ‘Uthmān ibn Talha A person entered the mosque on a Friday through the gate facing Dar al-Qadā’ while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was standing delivering the sermon I watched the prayer of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and found his standing, his bowing, standing after bowing, prostration, sitting between the two prostrations, prostration, and sitting between Taslīm (end of the prayer) and going away nearly equal to one another The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray while carrying Umāmah the daughter of Zaynab, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Bilāl was ordered to pronounce the Adhān in pairs and the Iqāmah in singles Get up and I will lead you in prayer If your wife asks your permission to go to the mosque, do not prevent her I prayed with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān and I did not hear any one of them recite "In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful" The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not observe a voluntary prayer more regularly than the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr. Praying in congregation is twenty-seven degrees better than praying alone The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Zhuhr prayer at the time of intense heat, and the ‘Asr prayer at the time when the sun was clear, and the Maghrib prayer when its time was due I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he was in a red leather tent. Bilāl stepped out with ablution water (that was left over from the Prophet's ablution. There were some people who managed to get some of it (seeking its blessing), whereas others just received a sprinkle of it The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Fajr prayer while some women from among the believers, wrapped in their garments, would attend the prayer with him. Then they would return to their homes, and no one would recognize them because of the darkness Make haste to perform the Witr prayer before the morning O Banu Salimah, stay in your neighborhood, your footsteps are recorded for you; stay in your neighborhood, your footsteps are recorded for you When one of you stands up for offering voluntary prayer at night and finds it difficult to recite the Qur'an accurately, and he is unaware of what he is reciting, he should lie down What an excellent man ‘Abdullāh is if only he observes the night prayer The deeds of my Ummah, the good and the bad thereof, were presented to me. I found the removal of harm from the road among their good deeds, and the spittle in a mosque that was not buried among their bad deeds The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to stand in prayer at night until the skin of his feet would crack "The places that are dearest to Allah are the mosques, and the places that are most hateful to Allah are the marketplaces." A man came while the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was giving the Friday sermon. So he said to him: O So and so, have you prayed? He said: No. The Prophet said: Then get up and pray two Rak‘ahs I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on his journeys, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān used to do the same The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) appointed a man in charge of an army unit who led them in prayer; he always concluded his recitation with Sūrat al-Ikhlās The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see that, supplicate to Allah, say Takbīr, pray, and give charity I used to sleep in front of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with my legs in his prayer direction. When he wanted to prostrate, he would prod me so that I withdraw my feet, and when he stood up, I would stretch them. In those days, houses had no lamps The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to invoke Allah for rain. He faced the direction of Qiblah as he was invoking Allah, and turned his upper garment inside out. Then he prayed two Rak‘ahs and recited the Qur'an out loud in both of them I prayed with ‘Imrān ibn Husayn behind ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib. When he prostrated, he made Takbīr, when he raised his head he made Takbīr, and when he stood up after two Rak‘ahs, he made Takbīr I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reciting Sūrat At-Tūr in the Maghrib prayer The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar used to offer the Eid prayers before delivering the sermon When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was on a journey, he used to combine the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers, as long as he was continuing with his journey, and also used to combine the Maghrib and ‘Ishā' prayers I have never prayed behind an Imām who was more brief and more perfect in prayer than the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) I will lead you in prayer; although I do not intend to pray, it is just to show you how I witnessed the Messenger of Allah pray It would have been better if you had recited Sūrat al-A‘la, Sūrat Ash-Shams, or Sūrat al-Layl, for the old, the weak, and the needy pray behind you We used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and leave at a time when the walls had no shadow that we could take as shelter The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to deliver two sermons while standing, and he would separate them by sitting Whoever sleeps and fails to recite his nightly portion, or part of it, and then recites it between the Fajr prayer and the Zhuhr prayer, it will be recorded for him as if he recited it during the night As for this man, he has disobeyed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) I see that you like sheep and wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep - or in the wilderness - and you want to call the Adhān, raise your voice When one of you feels drowsy during prayer, let him lie down till drowsiness goes away from him I used to pray with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his prayer was moderate in length and his sermon was moderate in length You should pray as long as you have the energy to do so. If you feel tired, then lie down Do (good) deeds according to your capacity, for by Allah, Allah never grows weary (of giving rewards) unless you grow weary (of doing good deeds), and the best deed in His sight is that which is done regularly Whenever we stopped somewhere (during a journey) for rest, we would not offer (voluntary) prayer until we have unloaded the luggage from the mounts' backs You are the Most Glorious, the Most Holy, and the Lord of the angels and of the Spirit The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed in his house during his illness When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ''Allah hears the one who praises Him,'' none of us would bend his back until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had fallen in prostration. We would then fall in prostration right after him News about the dispute among the people of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf reached the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and so he went to them, along with some of his Companions, to effect reconciliation between them The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Maghrib and ‘Ishā' prayers (at Muzdalifah) with one Iqāmah. He did not offer any voluntary prayers in between or after either of them "If the person passing in front of someone praying knew the extent of the guilt he is incurring, he would prefer to stand for forty rather than pass in front him."* Abu an-Nadr said: I am not sure if he said forty days, months, or years. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to bring out the young girls and the girls who stay home on the two Eid days, and ordered the menstruating women to distance themselves from the praying area of the Muslims O Allah, forgive my past and future sins, my hidden and apparent sins, my transgression, and the sins that You know of more than I do. You are the One who puts forward and the One who holds back. There is no god but You I stood in prayer one night with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He stood up and recited Sūrat al-Baqarah. Whenever he came across a verse mentioning mercy, he stopped and asked (Allah for mercy); and whenever he came across a verse mentioning punishment, he stopped and sought refuge (with Allah from it) O Allah, to You I submit, in You I believe, upon You I rely, by Your help I contend with my foes, and to You I refer for judgment. So, forgive me the sins I committed in the past and those I may commit in the future, those I did secretly and those I did openly, and all that which You know of better than I do. There is no god but You O Allah, Lord of Jibrīl, Mikha'īl, and Israfil, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that in which they used to differ. Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth about which people differ. Verily, You guide whom You will to the straight path Whenever we stopped at a place for rest, we would not offer any (voluntary) prayer until we unloaded the luggage from the riding animals . A man announced (the loss of his camel) in the mosque, saying out loud: Has any one seen the red camel? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: May you not find it! The mosques are only built for the purpose they are built The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade Hibwah (a sitting position) on Friday while the Imām is delivering the sermon When the call to prayer is announced, the devil takes to his heels and breaks wind with noise so as not to hear the call "The muezzins will have the longest necks among the people on the Day of Judgment." When the edge of the sun rises, avoid prayer until it becomes prominent; and if the edge of the sun disappears, avoid prayer until it sets. And do not offer your prayer at the time of sunrise or sunset, for it rises between two horns of a devil – or the devil The time for the Zhuhr prayer starts when the sun has passed its zenith and a man's shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time for the ‘Asr prayer comes. The time for the ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow. The time for the Maghrib prayer lasts so long as the dusk is not gone. The time for the ‘Ishā' prayer lasts until midnight. The time for the Fajr prayer lasts from the break of dawn so long as the sun has not risen We used to perform the Maghrib prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and when one of us left he could still see where his arrow landed Whoever catches one Rak‘ah before sunrise, he has caught the Fajr prayer, and whoever catches one Rak‘ah of the ‘Asr prayer before sunset, he has caught the ‘Asr prayer Do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House and from praying at any time of the day or night as they wish There are two 'Fajrs'. As for the 'Fajr' that resembles the tale of a wolf, it is not a sign that prayer has become due or food has become forbidden to consume. And as for the 'Fajr' that takes a rectangular shape in the horizon, it is a sign that prayer has become due and food forbidden to consume Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after dawn except for two Rak‘ahs Indeed, it is a true dream, Allah Willing! Go and teach these words to Bilāl, and let him make the call to prayer with them, as his voice is more melodious than yours : : The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Maghrib and Ishā' prayers. He prayed three Rak‘ahs for Maghrib then two Rak‘ahs for Ishā' with one Iqāmah You are their leader; be considerate to their weak ones, and choose a Muezzin who does not take wages for his Adhān The Muezzin of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to delay the Iqāmah until he would see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) coming out. On seeing him, he would pronounce the Iqāmah We were with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey on a very dark night and we didn't know the direction of the Qiblah. So each man among us prayed in his own direction. In the morning, when we mentioned that to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) the following verse was revealed: {So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah} [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 115] What is between the east and the west is Qiblah When anyone of you comes to the mosque, he should look (at his sandals). If he sees any filth or dirt on his sandals, he should wipe it off and pray in them I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) praying and making a sound like the rumbling of a mill because of weeping The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to Qubā' Mosque to pray in it I saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leading people in prayer and carrying Umāmah bint Abu al-‘Ās, the daughter of the Prophet's daughter Zaynab, on his shoulder. He put her down when he wanted to bow, and he picked her up again when he got up after prostration Kill the two blacks during prayer: the snake and the scorpion We used to pray and animals would pass in front of us. We mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) so he said: If anything, like the back of the saddle, is placed in front of anyone of you, then nothing that passes in front of him (but behind that thing) can harm him When anyone of you prays, let him do so behind a barrier, even if an arrow When one of you stands up to pray, he should put a screen in front of him as tall as the height of the back of a saddle. If he does not have something the height of the back of a saddle in front of him, his prayer would be invalidated if a donkey, a woman, or a black dog passed in front of him ‘Ā'ishah used to hate that one keeps his hands on his flanks (while praying). She said that the Jew used to do so If the supper is served, then start eating it before performing the Maghrib prayer, and do not be hasty in finishing it I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about looking around during prayer. He replied: It is a way of stealing by which the devil steals a portion of a slave's prayer Take this garment of mine to Abu Jahm and bring me his plain garment, because this one has distracted me from my prayer The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to build mosques in different localities and that they should be kept clean I implore you by Allah (to tell me) if you heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saying: Answer on my behalf. O Allah, aid him with the Holy Spirit. He said: By Allah, yes Whoever hears a man inquiring in the mosque about something he has lost should say: "May Allah not restore it to you," for indeed mosques are not built for this The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see someone buying or selling in the mosque, say to him: 'May Allah not make your sale profitable!' And when you see someone announcing a lost item in the mosque, then say: 'May Allah not return it to you!'" Leave them, for these are the days of Eid. Those were the days of Mina "The Hour will not be established until people boast about mosques." The Hadīth of the one harming his prayer as reported by Rifā‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him) Abu Humayd As-Sā‘idi, while he was sitting with ten of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) including Abu Qatādah, said: I am the most knowledgeable among you about the Prophet's prayer When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got up to pray at night, he would make Takbīr and then say: Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your greatness, and there is nothing worthy of worship but You The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to start the prayer with the Takbīr and then read: {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds} When he bowed, he neither raised his head nor lowered it, but kept it in between I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and he placed his right hand above his left hand on his chest The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as well as Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, used to begin the prayer with {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds} As for this man, he has filled his hand with good The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite Al-Fātihah followed by another Sūrah in the first two Rak‘āhs of the Zhuhr prayer and used to recite only Al-Fātihah in the last two Rak‘āhs of it. Sometimes a verse or so was audible We used to estimate the time that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would stand when performing the Zhuhr and the ‘Asr prayers. We estimated that the time he stood in the first two Rak‘ahs of the Zhuhr prayer as the being the time taken to recite Sūrat As-Sajdah and it would be half of that time in the last two Rak‘ahs I have never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembles that of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) than so-and-so. We prayed behind him and he would lengthen the first two Rak‘ahs of the Zhuhr and shorten the last two I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recite Sūrah At-Tūr during the Maghrib prayer. When he reached this verse: {Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain. Or have they the depositories [containing the provision] of your Lord? Or are they the controllers [of them]?}, it was as if my heart was about to take flight O people, there is nothing remaining of the glad tidings of prophet-hood except a good vision that a Muslim sees or someone else sees it for him. Verily, I have been forbidden to recite the Qur'an while bowing or prostrating In the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) the bowing, rising from bowing, prostration, and sitting between the two prostrations were all roughly the same (in length) Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, he would spread out his fingers, and whenever he prostrated, he would join them together When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing an odd-numbered Rak‘ah, he would not get up until he had been settled in the sitting position The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) invoked evil on the tribe of Banu Sulaym for one month after rising from Rukū‘ in prayer The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not say the Qunūt but he would pray for welfare of a people or doom of others O father, you prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān, and ‘Ali here in Kufah for about five years. Did they use to recite the Qunūt in the Fajr prayer? He said: O son, this is an innovation in religion When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat for supplication, he would put his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, point with his index finger, place his thumb on his middle finger, and cover his knee with the palm of his left hand The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us the Tashahhud just as he teaches us a Sūrah from the Qur’an Pray on the ground if you are able to; and if not, then use gestures and make your prostration lower than your bowing One night, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed Qiyām while reciting a single verse from the Qur'an Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah led us in prayer, and he stood up directly after offering the second Rak‘ah (without sitting for Tashahhud), so we said: "Glory be to Allah" whereupon he said: "Glory be to Allah" and continued with the prayer. When he completed his prayer and ended it with Taslīm, he made two prostrations of forgetfulness. When he left the prayer, he said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) do as I did. Abu Hurayrah recited Sūrat al-Inshiqāq and then prostrated. After he finished the prostration, he told them that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had prostrated when he recited it I recited before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Sūrat An-Najm and he did not prostrate in it I said to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): Are there two prostrations in Sūrat al-Hajj? He said: Yes, and whoever does not perform them should not read them Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received good news, he would fall down in prostration out of gratitude to Allah Offer two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib While the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was standing on the pulpit, a man asked him: What do you say about prayer in the night? He replied: Two and two; and if one is afraid that the Fajr is coming, then one should offer one Rak‘ah, which will be the Witr for whatever one has prayed The Witr is due, so whoever wants to pray the Witr as seven (units of prayer), let him do so; whoever wants to pray the Witr as five, let him do so; whoever wants to pray the Witr as three, let him do so; and whoever wants to pray the Witr as one, let him do so The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) led us in prayer during the month of Ramadan, offering eight Rak‘ahs as well as the Witr. The next night, we gathered in the mosque and hoped that he would come out to us. However, we remained in the mosque until the morning O ‘Abdullāh, do not be like so-and-so. He used to offer Qiyām al-Layl and then abandoned it O people of the Qur'an, perform the Witr Prayer for, verily, Allah is Witr (single) and loves what is Witr (single, odd) There should not be two Witr prayers during one night If anyone sleeps before praying Witr or forgets it, let him pray it once he remembers it The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give up a deed, even though he liked to perform it, for fear that people would follow him and perform it, and it would thus become obligatory for them The prayer of the oft-returning to Allah is when weaned camels are bitten by excessive heat Do not do so. If any of you prays in his house and finds that the Imām has not prayed, he should pray along with him; and that will be a supererogatory prayer for him The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was once riding a horse and fell down from it, injuring his right side Come forward and be close to me and let those who come after you, follow your lead. If people continue to fall behind, Allah puts them behind O people, you cause aversion to others. Whoever leads people in prayer should make it brief, for among them are the sick, the weak, and those with needs to be fulfilled Offer this prayer at this time and that prayer at that time. When the time for a prayer is due, let one of you call the Adhān, and let the one who knows the Qur’an most lead the prayer The one who is the most versed in Allah's Book should lead the people in prayer O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight, light in my hearing, light on my right, light on my left, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, make light for me An orphan and I prayed behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in our house, and my mother Umm Sulaym was standing behind us May Allah increase your keenness, but do not do that again Umm Waraqah bint ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Hārith al-Ansāri reported that she had memorized the Qur'an, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her to lead her household in prayers. There was a Muezzin for her, and she used to lead her household in prayer The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Ibn Umm Maktūm as his successor to lead the people in prayer, and he was blind . : "Either some people stop abandoning the Friday prayers, or Allah will, indeed, seal their hearts, and then they will be among the heedless." "Whoever abandons three Fridays out of negligence, Allah seals his heart." Go back to your families and stay with them. Teach them (religion) and command them (to adhere to it), perform so-and-so prayer at so-and-so time, and when prayer becomes due, let one of you call the Adhān and let the oldest among you lead you in prayer These are the signs which Allah sends, not on account of the death of anyone or life of any one, but Allah sends them to frighten His servants thereby. So when you see any such thing, hasten to remember Him, supplicate Him, and beg pardon from Him O Messenger of Allah, I could not offer the ‘Asr prayer till the sun had set. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: By Allah! I have not yet prayed it either. So we went to But-hān, and he performed ablution and so did we, and then he offered the ‘Asr prayer after the sun had set and then followed it with the Maghrib prayer I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maymūnah. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stood to perform Prayer at night, I joined him and stood on his left. He, then, took me by the head and made me stand on his right May Allah fill their graves and houses with fire, as they distracted us from the middle prayer until the sun set Hadīth of Dhu al-Yadayn concerning the prostration of forgetfulness The prayer of fear in the expedition of Dhāt Ar-Riqā‘ The people of Kufa complained to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb about their governor Sa‘d. He dismissed him and appointed ‘Ammār as their governor On raising his head from bowing in the final Rak‘ah of the Fajr prayer, he would say: O Allah, curse so-and-so and so-and-so, after saying: "Allah hears those who praise Him, our Lord, all praise belongs to You." So, Allah revealed: {Not for you is the decision} The prayer of fear in Jābir's report I went with my father to Abu Barzah al-Aslami, and my father asked him: How did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform the obligatory prayers? Story of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah's conversion to Islam and how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) taught him prayer and ablution The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the prayer of fear during some of his battles. One group stood with him, while the other group faced the enemy. He led those with him in one Rak‘ah. This group left, and the other group came. So he led them in the other Rak‘ah. Each performed the Rak‘ah which they missed O Allah, save ʿAyyāsh ibn Abu Rabīʿah. O Allah, save Salamah ibn Hishām. O Allah, save Al-Walīd ibn al-Walīd. O Allah, save the oppressed believers. O Allah, be hard on [the tribe of] Mudar. O Allah, afflict them with years of famine and drought like the years of Yūsuf (Joseph) Jibrīl came down and led me in prayer, and I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him This is the best time to perform it, had it not been difficult for my Ummah Offer the Fajr prayer at dawn, for this earns you greater rewards – or brings greater rewards I saw Bilāl going out to Al-Abtah to make Adhān. When he reached: "Come to prayer! Come to success!" He turned his neck right and left and did not turn around The Muezzin is responsible for the Adhān, and the leader of the congregation is responsible for the Iqāmah If it is wide, cross its ends; and if it is tight, pull it around your waist In prayer, nothing of people's ordinary speech is allowed. Only Tasbīh, Takbīr, and recitation of the Qur'an are allowed Bilāl made a call to prayer before the break of dawn. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) therefore commanded him to return and make a call: Lo! The slave of Allah slept. Lo! The slave of Allah slept When anyone of you stands in prayer, indeed mercy is facing him. So, let him not smooth the pebbles The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent some cavalry towards Najd. They captured a man from the tribe of Banu Hanīfah called Thumāmah ibn Uthāl, and tied him to one of the pillars of the mosque The prescribed corporal punishments are not to be carried out in mosques; nor should retribution be carried out in them Sa‘d was injured on the Day of the Trench by the arrow of man from Quraysh She used to visit me, and every time she came, she would say the following: The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord, for He rescued me from the disbelievers' town Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed one of the afternoon prayers (the sub-narrator Muhammad said: "I think that it was most probably the ‘Asr prayer") and he finished it after offering two Rak‘ahs only. He then stood near a piece of wood in front of the mosque and put his hand on it. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were amongst those who were present, but they dared not talk to him about it (because of being awed by him), and those who were in a hurry went out. They said: "Has the prayer been reduced?" A man who was called Dhu al-Yadayn by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said (to the Prophet): "Has the prayer been reduced or have you forgotten?" He said: "Neither have I forgotten, nor has the prayer been reduced." He said: "Certainly you have forgotten." So the Prophet offered two more Rak‘ahs and ended the prayer with Taslīm. Then he said Takbīr and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer. Then he raised his head and said Takbīr. Then he put his head down and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer. Then he raised his head and said Takbīr.' [Al-Bukhāri] If there was any change to the prayer, I would surely inform you; but I am a human being like you and liable to forget like you. So if I do forget, remind me, and if anyone of you is doubtful about his prayer, he should follow what he thinks to be correct and complete his prayer accordingly, make Taslīm, and then offer two prostrations For each forgetfulness (in prayer) there are two prostrations after making Taslīm The prostration of Sūrah Sād is not a compulsory one but I saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrating while reciting it ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Sūrat An-Nahl on the pulpit during the Friday sermon, and when he reached the verse of prostration, he got down and prostrated, and so did the people Jibrīl (peace be upon him) came to me and gave me glad tidings saying: “Allah, the Almighty, says: ’Whoever sends blessings on you, I will send blessings on him, and whoever sends greetings of peace to you, I will send greetings of peace to him.'" So I prostrated in thankfulness to Allah The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Khālid ibn al-Walīd to the people of Yemen to invite them to Islam, but they did not respond to him. Then, the Prophet sent ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two light Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer, after the Muezzin would finish calling the Adhān and after the break of dawn. Then, he used to lie on his right side until the Muezzin would come to him for the Iqāmah When anyone of you prays two Rak‘ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie on his right side Witr is not incumbent like the status of the obligatory prayers, but it is a Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) started practicing Indeed, Allah, the Almighty,, has added a prayer for you, so offer it in the period between ‘Ishā' prayer and Fajr prayer; (it is) the Witr, (it is) the Witr The one who has not prayed the Witr prayer before dawn, then there is no Witr for him The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha Prayer as four Rak‘ahs and sometimes as much more as Allah willed Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray the Duha prayer? She said: No, unless he came back from being away If the one passing in front of a person who is praying would know the gravity of his sin, it would have been better for him to stand for forty than to pass in front him When anyone of you prays towards an object that acts as a barrier between him and the people and then someone tries to pass in front of him, he should push him away; and if he insists, he should fight him, for indeed he is a devil The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah, by which Allah frightens His slaves. They do not eclipse on account of the death of anyone. So, when there is an eclipse, observe prayer and supplication till it (the eclipse) is over The reward of a man's prayer in congregation is twenty five times greater than that of the prayer he offers in his house or market The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to start the prayer with Takbīr and then read: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. When he bowed, he neither raised his head nor lowered it, but kept it in between Whoever performs the Fajr prayer will be under the protection of Allah None of you should offer prayer in a single garment that does not cover the shoulders When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made Takbīr, he would raise his hands up to the level of his ears. When he bowed, he would raise his hands up to the level of his ears, and when he raised his head from bowing and said: "Allah hears those who praise Him," he would do the same The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque, and then a man came in and prayed. He greeted the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who responded and said: @"Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."* He went back and prayed as he had prayed, then, he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted him. He said: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed," three times. So, he said: By the One Who sent you with the truth, I cannot do better than that. So teach me. He said: "When you stand to pray, say Takbīr (Allāhu Akbar), then recite whatever you can of the Qur’an; then bow until you are at ease in bowing; then rise until you are standing up straight; then prostrate until you are at ease in prostration; and then sit up until you are at ease in sitting. Do that throughout your prayer." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us Istikhārah (guidance-seeking prayer) in all matters, as he would teach us a Surah from the Qur’an*. He would say: "When one of you intends to do something, let him perform two Rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer and then say: Allāhumma inni astakhīruka bi‘ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlik al-‘azhīm, fa ’innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lamu, wa anta ‘allāmu al-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra khayrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma bārik li fīh. Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra sharrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) wa ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, fasrifhu ‘anni, wasrifni ‘anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haythu kāna, thumma ardini. (O Allah, I consult You for Your knowledge, and I seek strength from You for Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. Indeed, You are capable and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the All-Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, (or he said), my immediate and future affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know this matter is evil concerning my religion, my livelihood or the outcome of my affairs, (or he said) my immediate and future affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content).'' He said: ''And let him name his need.'' : : . "Were people to know what is in the call and the first row and then they could do nothing but to draw lots for it, they would draw lots*. Were they to know what is in performing the prayer early, they would race to it. Were they to know what is in the darkness and the morning, they would come to them even if they had to crawl." "There are seven whom Allah Almighty will shade in His Shade on a Day when there will be no shade but His Shade*: a just ruler; a young man who grew up in the worship of Allah; a man whose heart is attached to mosques; two men who love each other for the sake of Allah so they meet and depart from each other for His sake; a man whom a woman of status and beauty invites, but he says: Indeed, I fear Allah; a man who gives charity and conceals it, so his left does not know what his right gave; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude, so his eyes overflow with tears." The main advice of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when death approached him was: "@The prayer and what your right hands possess*, the prayer and what your right hands possess." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued to repeat it until his chest was gurgling with it, and his tongue could barely utter it.