The Book of Prayers

This hadith is narrated by Jabir b. Samura but with the addition of these words: " (Sa'd said): These bedouins presume to teach me prayer."

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported: The noon prayer would start and one would go to al-Baqi' and after having relieved himself he would perform ablution and then come, while the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would be in the first rak'ah, because he would prolong it so much.

Qaz'a reported: I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and he was surrounded by people. When the people departed from him I said: I am not going to ask you what these people have been asking you. I want to ask you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He (Abu Sa'id) said: There is no good for you in this. He (Qaz'a), however, repeated (his demand). He then said: The noon prayer would start and one of us would go to Baqi' and, having relieved himself, would come to his home, then perform ablution and go to the mosque, and (he would find) The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) in the first rak'ah.

Abdullah b. Sa'id reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) led us in the morning prayer in Mecca and began Sarat al-Mu'minin (xxiii ) but when he came to the mention of Moses and Aaron (verse. 45) or to the mention of Jesus (verse 50), a cough got the better of him, and he bowed. 'Abdullah b. Sa'ib was present there, and in the hadith narrated by Abd al-Razzaq (the words are): He cut short (the recitation) and bowed.

'Amr b. Huwairith reported: I heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) recite in the morning prayer" Wa'l-lail-i-idhd 'As'asa" (ixxxi. 17).

Qutba b. Malik reported: I said prayer and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) led it and he recited" Qaf. (I.). By the Glorious Qur'an," till he recited" and the tall palm trees" (l. 10). I wanted to repeat it but I could not follow its significance.

Qutba b. Malik reported that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting in the morning prayer this: " And the tall palm trees having flower spikes piled one above another" (l. 10).

Ziyad b. 'Ilaqa reported it on the authority of his uncle that he said the morning prayer with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he recited in the first rak'ah: " And the tall palm trees having flower spikes piled one above another (l. 10) or perhaps Sarah Qaf.

Jabir b. Samura reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the morning prayer" Qaf. By the Glorious Quran." and his prayer afterward shortened.

Simak asked Jabir b. Samura about the prayer of the Apostle (may peace be upon him). He said: He (the Holy Prophet) shortened the prayer and he did not pray like these people then, and he informed me that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite" Qaf. By the (Glorious) Qur'an," and a passage of similar length.

Jabir b. Samura reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the noon prayer:" By the night when it envelopes" (xcii.), and in the afternoon like this, but he prolonged the morning prayer as compared to that (noon and afternoon prayers).

Jabir b. Samura reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the noon prayer:" Glorify the name of thy Most High Lord in the morning prayer longer than this" (lxxxvii.)

Abu Barza reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the morning prayer from sixty to one hundred verses.

Abu Barza Aslami reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite from sixty to one hundred verses in the morning prayer.

Ibn Abbas reported: Umm al-Fadl daughter of al-Harith heard him reciting:" By those sent forth to spread goodness" (lxxvii.). (Upon this) she remarked: O my son, you reminded me by the recitation of this surah (the fact) that it was the last surah that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he recited it in the evening prayer.

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with this addition: " And he did not lead the player after this till his death."

Jubair b. Mut'im reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting Surat al-Tur (Mountain) (lii) in the evening prayer.

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

'Adi reported: I heard al-Bara' narrating it from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) that while in a journey he said the night prayer and recited in one of the two rak'ahs:" By the Fig and the Olive" (Su'rah xcv.).

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported that he said prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he recited: " By the Fig and the Olive."

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported: I heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting in the night prayer:" By the Fig and the Olive," and I have never heard anyone with a sweeter voice than he.

Jabir reported that Mu'adh b. jabal used to pray with the Apostle (may peace be upon him), then came and led his people in prayer. One night he said the night prayer with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He then came to his people and led them in prayer beginning with Surat al-Baqara. A man turned aside, pronounced the taslim (salutation for concluding the prayer), then prayed alone and departed. The people said to him: Have you become a hypocrite, so and so? He said: I swear by Allah that I have not, but I will certainly go to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and will inform (him) about this. He then came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, we look after camels used for watering and work by day. Mu'idh said the night prayer with you. He then came and began with Surat al-Baqara. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) then turned to Mu'adh and said: Are you there to (put the people) to trial? Recite such and recite such (and such a surah). It is transmitted on the authority of Jabir, as told by Sufyan, that he (the Holy Prophet) had said:" By the Sun and its morning brightness" (Sarah xci.)," By brightness" (Surah xciii)" By the night when it spreads" (Surah xcii.), and" Glorify the name of thy most high Lord" (Surah lxxxii.).

Jabir reported: 'Mu'adh b jabal al-Ansari led his companions in the night prayer and prolonged it for them. A person amongst us said prayer (after having separated himself from the congregation). Mu'adh was informed of this, and he remarked that he wasa hypocrite. When it (the remark) was conveyed to the man, he went to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and informed him of what Mu'adh had said. Upon this the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to him: Mu'adh, do you want to become a person putting (people) to trial? When you lead people in prayer, recite:" By the Sun and its morning brightness" (Surah xci.)," Glorify the name of thy most high Lord" (Surah lxxxvi.) and" Read in the name of Lord" (Surah xcvi.), and" By the night when it spreads" (Surah xcii.).

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: Mu'adh b. Jabal said the night prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and then returned to his people and then led them in this prayer.

Jabir b. Abdullah reported: Mu'adh said the night prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He then came to the mosque of his people and led them in prayer.

Abu Mas'ud al-Ainsari reported: A person came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: I keep away from the morning prayer on account of such and such (a man), because; he keeps us so long. I never saw God's Messenger (may peace be upon him) more angry when giving an exhortation than he was that day. He said: 0 people, some of you are scaring people away. So whoever of you leads the people in prayer he must be brief, for behind him are the weak, the aged, and the people who have (argent) business to attend.

This hadith like one narrated by Hashalm has been narrated from Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief for among them are the young and the aged, the weak and the sick. But when one of you prays by himself, he may (prolong) as he likes.

Hammam b. Munabbih reported: This is what Abu Huraira transmitted to us from Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), and he narrated (some) ahadith out of (these narrations and one of them is this): The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you stands to lead people In prayer, he should shorten it, for amongst them are the aged, and amongst them are the weak, but when he prays by himself, he may prolong his prayer as he likes.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you leads people in prayer, he must shorten it for among them are the weak, the infirm and those who have business to attend.