Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal: We waited for the Prophet (ﷺ) to offer the night prayer. He delayed until people thought that he would not come out and some of us said that he had offered the prayer. At the moment when we were in this condition the Prophet (ﷺ) came out. People said to him as they were already saying. He said: Observe this prayer when it is dark, for by it you have been made superior to all the peoples, no people having observed it before you.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.

'Aishah reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say the Fajr prayer after which the women would depart wrapped up their woolen garments, being unrecognizable because of the darkness before dawn.

Rafi' b. Khadij reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Offer Fajr prayer at dawn, for it is most productive of rewards to you or most productive of reward.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Sunabihi: AbuMuhammad fancies that witr prayer is essential. (Hearing this) Ubadah ibn as-Samit said: AbuMuhammad was wrong. I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Allah, the Exalted, has made five prayers obligatory. If anyone performs ablution for them well, offers them at their (right) time, and observes perfectly their bowing and submissiveness in them, it is the guarantee of Allah that He will pardon him; if anyone does not do so, there is no guarantee for him on the part of Allah; He may pardon him if He wills, and punish him if He wills.

Narrated Umm Farwah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: Which of the actions is best? He replied: Observing prayer early in its period. Al-Khuza'i narrated in his version from his aunt named Umm Farwah who took the oath of allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ): He was questioned.

Narrated Umarah ibn Ruwaybah: A man from Basrah said: Tell me what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: No one will enter Hell who has prayed before the rising of the sun and before its setting (meaning the dawn and the afternoon prayers). He said three times: Have you heard it from him? He replied: Yes, each time saying: My ears heard it and my heart memorised it. The man then said: And I heard him (the Prophet) say that.

Narrated Fudalah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me and what he taught me is this: Observe the five prayers regularly. He said: I told (him): I have many works at these times; so give me a comprehensive advice which, if I follow, should be enough for me. He said: Observe the two afternoon prayers (al-asrayn). But the term al-asrayn (two afternoon prayers) was not used in our language. Hence I said: What is al-asrayn? He said: A prayer before the sunrise and a prayer before the sunset (i.e. the dawn and the afternoon prayers).

Abu al-Darda' reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There are five thing, if anyone observe them with faith, he will enter Paradise. He who prays the five times prayer regularly, with the ablution for them, with their bowing, with their prostration and their (right) times ; keeps fast during Ramadan ; performs Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (Ka'bah), provided he has the ability for its passage; pays Zakat happily ; and fulfills the trust (he will enter Paradise). People said: Abu al-Darda', what is fulfilling the trust ? He replied: Washing because of sexual defilement.

Narrated Abu Qatadah ibn Rib'iyy: Allah , the Exalted said: I made five times' prayers obligatory on your people, and I took a guarantee that if anyone observes them regularly at their times, I shall admit him to Paradise; if anyone does not offer them regularly, there is no such guarantee of Mine for him.

Abu Dharr said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked me: 'How will you act, Abu Dharr, when you are under rulers who kill prayer or delay it (beyond its proper time) ?' I said: 'Messenger of Allah, what do you command me ?' He replied: 'Offer the prayer at its proper time, and if you say it along with them, say it, for it will be a supererogatory prayer for you.'"

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi said: Mu'adh ibn Jabal, the Messenger of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us in Yemen, I heard his takbir (utterance of AllahuAkbar) in the dawn prayer. He was a man with loud voice. I began to love him. I did depart from him until I buried him dead in Syria (i.e. until his death). Then I searched for a person who had deep understanding in religion amongst the people after him. So I came to Ibn Mas'ud and remained in his company until his death. He (Ibn Mas'ud) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: How will you act when you are ruled by rulers who say prayer beyond its proper time? I said: What do you command me, Messenger of Allah, if I witness such a time? He replied: Offer the prayer at its proper time and also say your prayer along with them as a supererogatory prayer.

Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit: After me you will come under rulers who will be detained from saying prayer at its proper time by (their) works until its time has run out, so offer prayer at its proper time. A man asked him: Messenger of Allah, may I offer prayer with them? He replied: Yes, if you wish (to do so). Sufyan (another narrator through a different chain)said: May I offer prayer with them if I get it with them? He said: Yes, if you wish to do so.

Narrated Qabisah ibn Waqqas: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: After me you will be ruled by rulers who will delay the prayer and it will be to your credit but to their discredit. So pray with them so long as they pray facing the qiblah.

Abu Hurairah reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) returned from the Battle of Khaibar, he travelled during the night. When we felt sleep, he halted for rest. Addressing Bilal he said: Keep vigilance at night for us. But Bilal who was leaning against the saddle of his mount was dominated by sleep. Neither the Prophet (ﷺ) nor Bilal nor any of his Companions could get up till the sunshine struck them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up first of all. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was embarrassed and said: O Bilal ! He replied: He who detained your soul, detained my soul, Messenger of Allah, my parents be sacrificed for you. Then they drove their mounts to a little distance. The Prophet (ﷺ) perfumed ablution and commanded Bilal who made announcement for the prayer. He (the Prophet) led them in the Fajr prayer. When he finished prayer, he said: If anyone forget saying prayer, he should observe it when he recalls it, for Allah has said (in the Qur'an): "Establish prayer for my remembrance". Yunus said: Ibn Shihab used to recite this verse in a similar way (i.e. instead of reciting the word li-dhikri - for the sake of My remembrance - he would recite li-dhikra - when you remember). Ahmad (one of the narrator) said: 'Anbasah (a reporter) reported on the authority of Yunus the word li-dhikri (for the sake of my remembrance). Ahmad said: The word nu'as (occurring in this tradition) means "drowsiness".

Abu Hurairah reported: Another version of the above tradition adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Go away from this place of yours where inadvertence took hold of you. He then commanded Bilal who called for prayer and announced that the prayer in congregation was ready (i.e. he uttered the iqamah) and he observed prayer.Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Malik, Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, al-Awza'i, and 'Abd al-Razzaq from Ma'mar and Ibn Ishaq, none of them made a mention of the call for prayer (adman) in this version of the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri, and none of them attribute (this tradition) to him except al-Awza'i and Aban al-'Attar on the authority of Ma'mar.

Abu Qatadah reported: "The Prophet (ﷺ) was on a journey. The Prophet (ﷺ) took a turn and I also took a turn with him. He said: 'Look!' I said: 'This is a rider; these are two riders; and these are three' until we became seven. He then said: Guard for us our prayer, i.e. the Fajr prayer. But sleep dominated them and none could awaken them except the heat of the sun. They stood up and drove away a little. Then they got down (from their mounts) and performed ablution. Bilal called for prayer and they offered two rak'ahs of (Sunnah) of Fajr and then offered the Fajr prayer and mounted (their mounts). Some of them said to others: We showed negligence in prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no negligence in sleep. The negligence is in wakefulness. If any of you forget saying prayer, he should offer it when he remembers it and next day (he should say it) at its proper time.

Khalid b. Sumair said: 'Abd Allah b. Rabah al-Ansari, whom the Ansar called faqih (juries), came to us from Medina, and reported us on the authority of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari, the horseman of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent a military expedition consisting of the chief Companions. He then narrated the same story, saying Nothing awakened us except the rising sun. We stoop up in bewilderment, for our prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Wait a little, wait a little. When the sun rose high, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Those who sued to observer the two rak'ahs of Fajr prayer (sunnah prayer before obligatory prayer) should observe them. Then those who used to observe and those who would not observe stood up and said prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded to call for prayer; the call for prayer was made accordingly. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood and led us in prayer. When he turned away (from the prayer) he said: We thank Allah for the fact that we were not engaged in any wordily affairs which detained us from our prayer. Instead our souls were in the hands of Allah. He released them whenever He wished. If any one of you gets morning prayer tomorrow at its proper time, he should offer a similar prayer as an atonement.

This tradition has also been reported by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. He said: Allah detained your should how He wished and returned when He wished. Stand up and call for prayer. They (the Companions) stood and performed ablution. When the sun rose high, the Prophet (ﷺ) stood and led the people in prayer.

This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain by Abu Qatadah to the same effect. This version adds: "He performed ablution when the sun had arisen high and led them in prayer."

Abu Qatadah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is no remissness in sleep, it is only when one is awake that there is remissness when you delay saying the prayer till the time for the next prayer comes.

Anas b. Malik reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If any one forgets a prayer or oversleeps, he should observe it when he remembers it ; there is no expiation for it except that.

'Imran b. Husain said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on his journey. They (the people) slept abandoning the Fajr prayer. They awoke by the heat of the sun. Then they travelled a little until the sun rose high. He (the Prophet) commanded the mu'adhdhin (one who called for prayer) to call for prayer. He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer (sunnah prayer) before the (obligatory) fajr prayer. Then he (the mu'adhdhin) announced for saying the prayer in congregation (i.e. he uttered iqamah). Then he led them in the morning prayer.

Narrated Amr ibn Umayyah ad-Damri: We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during one of his journeys. He overslept abandoning the morning prayer until the sun had arisen. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) awoke and said: Go away from this place. He then commanded Bilal to call for prayer. He called for prayer. They (the people) performed ablution and offered two rak'ahs of the morning prayer (sunnah prayer). He then commanded Bilal (to utter the iqamah, i.e. to summon the people to attend the prayer). He announced the prayer (i.e. uttered the iqamah) and he led them in the morning prayer.

Dhu Mikhbar al-Habashi, who used to serve the Prophet (ﷺ), reported a version of the previous tradition. The Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution in such a way that there is no mud on the earth. He then commanded Bilal (to call for prayer). He called for prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) stood and offered two rak'ahs of prayer unhurriedly.This is narrated by Hajjaj on the authority of Yazid b. Sulaih from Dhu Mikhbar from a person of al-Habashah (Ethiopia). 'Ubaid (a narrator) said: Yazid b. Salih (instead of Yazid b. Sulaih).

This tradition has also been transmitted through another chain of narrators by Dhu Mikhbar, the nephew of the Negus. This version adds: "He (Bilal) called for prayer unhurriedly."

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: We proceeded with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the occasion of al-Hudaybiyyah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Who will keep watch for us? Bilal said: I (shall do). The overslept till the sun arose. The Prophet (ﷺ) awoke and said: Do as you used to do (i.e. offer prayer as usual). Then we did accordingly. He said: Anyone who oversleeps or forgets (prayer) should do similarly.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: I was not commanded to build high mosques. Ibn Abbas said: You will certainly adorn them as the Jews and Christians did.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Last Hour will not come until people vie with one another about mosques.

Narrated Uthman ibn Abul'As: The Prophet (nay peace be upon him) commanded him to build a mosque at Ta'if where the idols were placed.