Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

This tradition has been narrated by Sufyan through a different chain of transmitters. This version does not have the words “then he did not repeat”. Sufyan said: The words “then he did not repeat“ were narrated to us later on at Kufah by him (Yazid).Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by Hushaim, Khalid, and Ibn Idris from Yazid. They did not mention the words “then he did not repeat”

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: I saw that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his hands when he began prayer, but he did not raise them until he finished (prayer).Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not sound.

Narrated AbuHurayrah: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began his prayer, he raised his hands extensively.

Zur’ah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman said: I heard Ibn al-Zubair say: Setting the feet right and placing one hand on the other is a sunnah.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: AbuUthman an-Nahdi said: When Ibn Mas'ud prayed he placed his left hand on the right. The Prophet (ﷺ) saw him and placed his right hand on his left one.

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: AbuJuhayfah said: Ali said that it is a sunnah to place one hand on the other in prayer below the navel.

Jarir ad-Dabbi reported: I saw Ali (Allah be pleased with him) catching hold of his left hand) by his right hand on the wrist above the navel.Abu Dawud said: Sa'id b. Jubair narrated the words: "above the navel". Abu Mijlaz reported the words: "below the navel". This has also been narrated by Abu Hurairah. But that is not strong.

Narrated AbuHurayrah: (The established way of folding hands is) to hold the hands by the hands in prayer below the navel.Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: The narrator 'Abd al-Rahman b. Ishaq al-Kufi is weak (i.e. not reliable).

Narrated Tawus: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to place his right hand on his left hand, then he folded them strictly on his chest in prayer.

‘Ali b. Ali Talib said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up for prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), then said: I have turned my face, breaking with all others, towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist. My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to Allah, the Lord of the Universe, Who has no partner. That is what I have been commanded, and I am first of Muslims (those who surrender themselves). O Allah, Thou art the King. There is no God but Thee. Thou art my Lord and I am Thy servant. I have wronged myself, but I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me all my sins; Thou Who alone canst forgive sins; and guide me to the best qualities. Thou Who alone canst guide to the best of them; and turn me from evil ones. Thou who alone canst turn from evil qualities. I come to serve and please Thee. All good is in Thy Hands, and evil does not pertain to Thee. I seek refuge in Thee and turn to Thee, Who art blessed and exalted. I ask Thy forgiveness and turn to thee in repentance. When he bowed, he said: O Allah, to Thee I bow, in Thee I trust, and to Thee I submit myself. My hearing, my sight, my brain, my bone and my sinews humble themselves before Thee. When he raised his head, he said: Allah listens to him who praises Him. O our lord, and all praises be to Thee in the whole of the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, and in whatever Thou creates afterwards. When he prostrated himself, he said: O Allah, to Thee I prostrate myself, to Thee I trust, and to Thee I submit myself. My face prostrated itself before Him Who created it, fashioned it, and fashioned it in the best shape, and brought forth its hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of creators. When he saluted at the end of the prayer, he said: O Allah, forgive me my former and my latter sins, my open and secret sins, my sins in exceeding the limits, and what Thou knowest better than I. Thou art He Who puts forward and puts back. There is deity but Thee.

‘Ali b. Ali Talib said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up for (offering) obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders, and he did so when he finished the recitation (of the Qur’an) and when he was about to bow; and he did like that when he raised (his head) after bowing. He did not raise his hands in prayer when he was sitting. When he stood at the end of two rak’ahs, he raised his hands in a similar way and uttered the takbir and supplicated in a more or less the same manner as narrated by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz in his version. This version does not mention the words “All good is in Thy Hands and evil does not pertain to Thee.” And this adds: He said when he finished the prayer: “O Allah, forgive me my former and latter sins, my open and secret sins; Thou art my deity; there is no God but Thee.

Shu’aib b. Abi Hamzah said: Ibn al-Munkadir, Ibn Abi Farwah and a number of jurists of Madina said to me: When you recite the supplication “I am first of the Muslims,” say instead; “I am one of the Muslims”.

Anas b. Malik said: A man came panting to join the row of worshippers, and said: Allah is most great; praise be to Allah, much praise, good and blessed. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) finished his prayer, he asked: Which of you is the one who spoke the words? He said nothing wrong. Then the man said: I (said), Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them. He said: I saw twelve angels racing against one another to be the one to take them to Allah.The narrator Humaid added: When any of you comes for praying, he should walk as usual (i.e. he should not hasten and run quickly); then he should pray as much as he finds it (along with the imam), and should offer the part of the prayer himself (when the prayer is finished) which the Imam had offered before him.

Narrated Jubayr ibn Mut'im: Jabir saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observing prayer. (The narrator Amr said: I do not know which prayer he was offering.) He (the Prophet) said: Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; and praise be to Allah in abundance; and praise be to Allah is abundance; and praise be to Allah in abundance. Glory be to Allah in the morning and after (saying it three times). I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (nafkh), his spitting (nafth) and his evil suggestion (hamz). He (Amr) said: His nafth it poetry, his nafkh is pride, and his hamz is madness.

The above mentioned tradition has also been reported by Jubair b. Mut’im through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: I head the Prophet(ﷺ) uttering (all these supplications) in a supererogatory prayer; he narrated the tradition in a similar manner.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Asim ibn Humayd said: I asked Aisha: By what words the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would begin his supererogatory prayer at night? She replied: You ask me about a thing of which no one asked me before you. When he stood up, be uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) ten times, and uttered "Praise be to Allah" ten times, and uttered "Glory be to Allah " ten times, and uttered "There is no god but Allah" ten times, and sought forgiveness ten times, and said: O Allah, forgive me, and guide me, and give me sustenance, and keep me well, and he sought refuge in Allah from the hardship of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment.Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Khalid b. Ma'dan from Rab'iah al-Jarashi on the authority of 'Aishah.

Abu Salamah b. ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awf said: I asked ‘A’ishah: By what words the Prophet(ﷺ) used to begin his prayer when he stood up at night (to offer tahajjud prayer). She said: When he stood up at night, he began his prayer by saying: O Allah, Lord of Jibra’il, Lord of Mik’ail, and Lord of Israfil, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the Knower of what is seen and of what is unseen; Thou decides between Thy servants in which they used to differ. Guide me to the truth where there is a difference of opinion by Thy permission. Thou guidest anyone Thou wishes to the right path.

The above mentioned tradition has been reported by ‘Ikramah with a different chain of narrators. This version adds: When he stood up, he said the takbir (Allah is most great) and said. . . .

Malik said: There is no harm in uttering supplication in prayer, in its beginning, in its middle, and in the end, in obligatory prayer or other.

Rifa’ah b. Rafi’ said: One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his head after bowing, he said: Allah listened to him who praised Him. A man behind the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: O Allah, Our Lord, and to Thee be praise, much praise, good and blessed. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he asked: Which of you if the one who spoke (the words) just now. The man said: I (uttered) these words, Prophet of Allah. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: I saw more than thirty angels racing against one another to be the one to write them first.

Ibn ‘Abbas said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up for praying at midnight, he said: o Allah, be praise to Thee, Thou art the light of the heavens and the earth; and to Thee be praise; Thou are the maintainer of the heavens and the earth; and to Thee be praise, Thou art the heavens and the earth and what is between them; Thou art the truth, and Thy statement is truth; and Thy promise is the truth; and the visitation with Thee is true; and the Paradise is true and the Hell-fire is true and the Hour is true; O Allah, to Thee I turned my attention, and by Thee I disputed, and to Thee I brought forth my case, so forgive me my former and latter sins, and my secret and open sins, Thou art my deity, there is no deity but Thou.

Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say in his tahajjud prayer(i.e. supererogatory prayer offered in or after the midnight) after he said the takbir; he then narrated the tradition to the same effect.

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi': I offered prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Rifa'ah sneezed. The narrator Qutaybah did not mention the name Rifa'ah (but he said: I sneezed). So I said: Praise be to Allah, praise much, good and blessed therein, blessed thereupon, as our Lord likes and is pleased. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he turned and said: Who was the speaker in prayer? He then narrated the rest of the tradition like that of Malik and completed it.

Rabi’ah said: A young man from the Ansar sneezed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was praying. He then said: Praise be to Allah, much, good, blessed, till our Lord is pleased (with us) in the affairs relating to this world and to the other world. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said: Who was the speaker of these words (in prayer)? The young man kept silence. He again asked: Who was the speaker of these words? He did not say wrong. He said: Messenger of Allah, I said these (words). I did not intend by them but good. He said: These words did not stay below the Throne of the Compassionate (Allah).

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up to pray at night (for tahajjud prayer) he uttered the takbir and then said: "Glory be to Thee, O Allah," and "Praise be to Thee" and "Blessed is Thy name," and Exalted is Thy greatness." and "There is no god but Thee." He then said: "There is no god but Allah" three times; he then said: "Allah is altogether great" three times: "I seek refuge in Allah, All-Hearing and All-Knowing from the accursed devil, from his evil suggestion (hamz), from his puffing up (nafkh), and from his spitting (nafth)" He then recited (the Qur'an).Abu Dawud said: It is said that this tradition has been narrated by 'Ali b. 'Ali from al-Hasan omitting the name of the Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ). The misunderstanding occurred on the part of Ja'far.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began his prayer, he said: "Glory be to Thee, O Allah," and "Praise be to Thee" and "Blessed is Thy name, and Exalted is Thy greatness, sand there is no god but Allah."Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not well known from 'Abd al-Salam b. Harb. No one narrated this except Talq b. Ghannam. A group of narrators reported the description of prayer from (the narrator) Budail; they did not mention therein this supplication.

Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub: I remember two period of silence in prayer, one when the imam said the takbir; and one when he finished reciting the Fatihah and the surah when he was about to bow. But Imran ibn Husayn took it as something strange. So they wrote about it to Ubayy (ibn Ka'b) in Medina. He verified the statement of Samurah.Abu Dawud said: Humaid also narrated in this tradition the words "and one period silence when he finished the recitation (of the Qur'an)"

Samurah b. Jundub said: The Prophet(ﷺ) had two periods of silence; when he began his prayer and when he finished the recitation (of the Qur’an). He then narrated the tradition like the version of Yunus.

Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub; Ubayy ibn Ka'b: Samurah ibn Jundub and Imran ibn Husayn had a discussion (about the periods of silence in prayer). Samurah then said that he remembered two periods of silence from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); one when he uttered the takbir and the other when he finished reciting: "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray" (i.7). Samurah remembered that, but Imran ibn Husayn rejected it. Then they wrote about it to Ubayy ibn Ka'b. He wrote a letter to them and gave a reply to them that Samurah remembered correctly.

Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub: I remember from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) two periods of silence. Sa'id said: We asked Qatadah: What are those two periods of silence? He said: (one) when he began his prayer, and (one) when he finished the recitation. Then he added: When he finished reciting (the closing verse of the Fatihah): "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of who go astray."