Sunan Abi Dawud

Talhah b. 'Ubaid Allah said: A man from among the people of Najd with disheveled hair came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The humming sound of his voice could be heard but what he was saying could not be understood. He came closer and it was then known that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Five times of prayer each day and night: He asked: Must I observe any more than them? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. He (Talhah) said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned fasting during the month of Ramadan. He asked: Must I observe anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Zakat to him. He asked: Must I pay anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. The man then turned away saying: I swear by Allah, I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The man will be successful if he speaks truth.

This tradition has also been reported by Abu Suhail Nafi' b. Malik b. Abi 'Amir through a different chain of narrators. It adds: He will be successful, by his father, if he speaks the truth; he will enter Paradise, by his father, if he speaks the truth.

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Gabriel (ﷺ) led me in prayer at the House (i.e. the Ka'bah). He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when the shadow of everything was as long as itself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had ended; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when food and drink become forbidden to one who is keeping the fast.

On the following day he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was as long as himself; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself; he prayed the sunset prayer at the time when one who is fasting breaks the fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when about the third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when there was a fair amount of light.

Then turning to me he said: Muhammad, this is the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between two times.

Ibn Shihab said: 'Umar b. 'Abdul 'Aziz was sitting on the pulpit and he somewhat postponed the afternoon prayer. 'Urwah b. al-Zubair said to him: "Gabriel informed Muhammed (ﷺ) of the time of prayer". So 'Umar said to him: "Be sure of what you are saying". 'Urwah then replied: "I heard Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud say that he heard Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari say that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Gabriel came down and informed me of the time of prayer, and I prayed along with him, then prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, reckoning with his fingers five times of the prayer.' I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering the Duhr prayer when the sun had passed the meridian. Sometimes he would delay it when it was sever heat ; and I witnessed that he prayer the 'Asr prayer when the sun was high and bright before the yellowness had overcome it; then a man could go off after the prayer and reach Dhu'l-Hulaifah before the sunset, and he would pray Maghrib when the sun had set ; and he would pray the 'Isha prayer when darkness prevailed over the horizon; sometime he would delay it until the people assembled; and once he prayer the fair prayer in the darkness of dawn and at another time he prayed it when it became fairly light; but later on he continued to pray in the darkness of dawn until his death; he never prayed it again in the light of the dawn."

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted from al-Zuhri by Ma'mar, Malik, Ibn 'Uyainah, Shu'aib b. Abi Hamzah, and al-Laith b. Sa'd and others; but they did not mention the time in which he (the Prophet) had prayer, nor did they explain it. And similarly it has been narrated by Hisham b. 'Urwah and Habib b. Abu Mazruq from 'Urwah like the report of Ma'mar and his companions. But Habib did not make a mention of Bashir. And Wahb b. Kaisan reported on the authority of Jabir from the Prophet (ﷺ) the time of the Maghrib prayer. He said: "Next day he (Gabriel) came to him at the time of the Maghrib prayer when the sun had already set. (He came both days) at the same time."

Abu Dawud said: Similarly, this tradition has been transmitted by Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: "Then he (Gabriel) led me in the sunset prayer next day at the same time."

Similarly, this tradition has been narrated through a different chain by 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr b. al-'As, through a chain from Hassan b. 'Atiyyah, from 'Amr b. Shu'aib, from his father, on the authority from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Abu Musa reported: A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) [about the prayer times] but he did reply to him but he commanded Bilal, who made the announcement for the beginning of the time of the the fair prayer prayer when the dawn broke. He offered (the fair prayer) when a man (due to darkness) could not recognize the face of his companion ; or a man could not know the person who stood by his side. He then commanded Bilal who made announcement for the beginning of the time of the Zuhr prayer when the sun had passed the meridian until some said: Has the noon come ? While he (the Prophet) knew (the time) well. He the commanded Bilal who announced the beginning of the time of the 'Asr prayer when the sun was white and high. When the sunset he commanded Bilal who announced beginning of the time of the Maghrib prayer. When the twilight disappeared he commanded Bilal who announced the beginning of the Isha prayer. Next day he offered the Fajr prayer and returned until we said: Has the sun rise ? He observed the Zuhr prayer at the time he has previously observed the 'Asr prayer. He offered the 'Asr prayer at the time when the sun had become yellow or the evening had come. He offered the Maghrib prayer before the twilight had ended. He observed the Isha prayer when a third of the night had passed. He then asked: Where is the man who was asking me about the time of prayer. (Then replying to him he said): The time (of your prayer) lies within these two limits.

Abu Dawud said: Sulaiman b. Musa has narrated this tradition about the time of the Maghrib prayer from Musa from 'Ata on the authority of Jabir from the Prophet (ﷺ). This version adds: He then offered the Isha prayer when a third of the night had passed, as narrated (he said the Isha prayer) when half the night had passed.

This tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Buraidah on the authority of his father from the Prophet (ﷺ) in a similar way.

'Abd Allah b. 'Amr reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: The time of the Zuhr prayer is as along as the time of the 'Asr prayer has not come; the time of the Asr prayer is as long as the sun has not become yellow ; the time of the Maghrib prayer is as long as the twilight has not ended; the time of the Isha prayer is up to midnight; and the time of the Fajr prayer is as long as the sun has not risen.

Muhammad b. 'Amr b. al-Hasan reported: We asked Jabir about the time of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: He used to offer the Zuhr prayer in the midday heat, the 'Asr prayer when the sun was bright, the Maghrib prayer when the sun had completely set, the Isha prayer early when many people were present, but late if there were few, and the Fajr prayer in the darkness (of the dawn).

Abu Barzah reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would offer the Zuhr prayer when the sun had passed the meridian; he would offer 'Asr prayer after which one of us would visit the skirts of Medina and return him while the sun was still bright; I forgot what he said about the Maghrib prayer; he did not fear postponing the Isha prayer until a third of night had passed, or he said: until the midnight had passed. He would dislike sleeping before it or talking after it. And he would offer the Fajr prayer when a man could recognize his neighbor whom he recognized well; and he would recite from sixty to a hundred verses during it.

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

I would offer my noon prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and took a handful of gravels so that they might become cold in my hand and I placed them (before me) so that I may put my forehead on them at the time when I would prostrate. I did this due to the intensity of heat.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

The extent of the shadow when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed (the noon prayer) was three to five feet in summer and five to seven feet in winter.

Abu Dharr said: We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ). The mu'adhdhin intended to call for the Zuhr prayer. He said: Make it cooler. He then intended to call for prayer. He said twice or thrice: Make it cooler. We then witnessed the shadow of the mounds. He then said: The intensity of heat comes from the bubbling over of the Hell ; so when the heat is violent, offer (the Zuhr) prayer when it becomes cooler.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When the heat is violent, offer (the Zuhr) prayer when it becomes fairly cool, for the violent heat comes from the bubbling over the Hell.

Jabir b. Samurah reported that Bilal used to call for the noon prayer when the sun had declined.

Anas b. Malik said the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say the 'Asr prayer when the sun was high and bright and living, then one would go off to al-'Awali and get there while the sun was still high.

Al-Zuhri said: Al-'Awali is situated at a distance of two miles or three (from Medina). He (the narrator) said: I think he said: or four miles.

Khaythamah said: By the life of the sun is meant that you may find heat in it.

'Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would offer the Zuhr prayer while the sunlight was present in her apartment before it ascended (the walls).

Narrated Ali ibn Shayban:

We came upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Medina. He would postpone the afternoon prayer as long as the sun remained white and clear.

'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying on the day of Battle of Khandaq (Trench). They (the unbelievers) prevented us from offering the middle prayer i.e. 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their houses and their graves with Hell-fire.

Abu Yunus, the freed slave of 'Aishah said: 'Aishah commanded me to write for her come passage from the Qur'an. She also added: When you reach the following verse, inform me: "Be guardian of your prayers and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). When I reached it, I informed her. She asked me to write: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer, and of the 'Asr prayer, and stand up with devotion of Allah" (2:238). 'Aishah then said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Zaid b. Thabit said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer the Zuhr prayer in midday heat; and no prayer was harder on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that this one. Hence the revelation came down: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer" (2:238). He (the narrator) said: There are two prayers before it and two prayers after it.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone says a rak'ah of the 'Asr prayer before sunset, he has observed (the 'Asr prayer), and if anyone performs a rak'ah of the Fajr prayer, he has observed (the Fajr prayer).

'Ala b. 'Abd al-Rahman said: We came upon Anas b. Malik after the Zuhr prayer. He stood for saying the 'Asr prayer. When he became free from praying, we mentioned to him about observing prayer in its early period or he himself mentioned it. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: This is how hypocrites pray, this is how hypocrites pray, this is how hypocrites pray: He sits (watching the sun), and when it becomes yellow and is between the horns of the devil, or is on the horns of the devil, he rises and prays for rak'ahs quickly, remembering Allah only seldom during them.

Ibn 'Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Anyone who loses his 'Asr prayer is like a person whose family has perished and whose property has been plundered.

Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar narrated the word utira (instead of wutira, meaning perished). The dispute on this point goes back to Ayyub. Al-Zuhri reported from Salim on the authority of this father from the Prophet (ﷺ) the word 'wutira'.

Al-Awza'i said: Delaying the 'Asr prayer means that the sunshine becomes yellow on the earth.

Anas b. Malik said: We used to offer the Maghrib prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then shoot arrows, one of us could see the place where arrow would fall.

Salamah b. al-Akwa' said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say the Maghrib prayer immediately after the sun had set when its upper side would disappear.

Narrated AbuAyyub:

Marthad ibn Abdullah said: When AbuAyyub came upon us to fight the infidels and in those days Uqbah ibn Amir was the Governor of Egypt, he (Uqbah) delayed the sunset prayer. Hence AbuAyyub stood and said: What kind of prayer is this, Uqbah? He said: We were busy. He said: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: My community will remain well, or he said: will remain on its natural condition, so long as it would not delay the evening prayer until the stars shine brightly just like a network.

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir:

I am the one who is best informed of the time of this prayer, i.e. the night prayer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer it at the hour when the moon went down on its third night.

'Abd Allah b. 'Umar said: We remained one night waiting for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to offer the Isha prayer. He came out to us when one-third of the night has passed or even after it. We did not know whether anything kept him occupied or there was some other matter. When he came out, he said: Are you waiting for this prayer ? Were it not that it would impose a burden on my people, I would normally pray with them at this time. He then gave orders to the mu'adhdhin who declared that the time of the prayer had come.

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 (that the Prophet (ﷺ) said): "Allah takes your souls as He wishes, and returns them as He wishes. Stand up and call the Adhan to 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.

'Abd Allah b. 'Umar reported: The mosque (of the Prophet) during his lifetime was built with bricks, its roof with branches of the palm-tree, and its pillars with palm-wood, as Mujahid said: Abu Bakr did not add anything to it. But 'Umar added to it; he built as it was built during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with bricks and branches, and he changed its pillars. Mujahid said: Its pillars were made of wood. 'Uthman changed it altogether with increasing addition. He built its walls with decorated stone and lime. And he built the pillars with decorated stone and its roof with teak. Mujahid said: Its roof was made of teak.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Qassah means lime used as mortar.

Ibn 'Umar reported: The pillars of the mosque of the Prophet (ﷺ) during the life time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) were made of the trunks of the palm-tree; they covered from the above by twigs of the palm-tree; they decayed during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. He built it afresh with trunks and twigs of the palm-tree. But they again decayed during the caliphate of 'Uthman. He, therefore, built it with bricks. That survives until today.

Anas b. Malik reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came over to Medina and encamped at the upper side of Medina among the tribe known as Banu 'Amr b. 'Awf. He stayed among them for fourteen days. He then sent someone to call Banu al-Najjar. They came to him hanging their swords from the necks. Anas then said: As if I am looking at the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sitting on his mount and Abu Bakr seated behind him, and Banu al-Najjar standing around him. He descended in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say his prayer in the folds of the sheep and goats. He commanded us to build a mosque. He then sent for Banu al-Najjar and said to them: Banu al-Najjar, sell this land of yours to me for some price. They replied: By Allah, we do not want any price (from you) except from Allah. Anas said: I tell what this land contained. It contained the graves of the disbelievers, dung-hills, and some trees of date-palm. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded and the graves of the disbelievers were dug open, and the trees of the date-palm were cut off. The wood of the date-palm were erected in front of the mosque ; the door-steps wre built of stone. They were reciting verses carrying the stones. The Prophet (ﷺ) also joined them (in reciting verses) saying: O Allah, there is no good except the good of the Hereafter. So grant you aid to the Ansar and the Muhajirah.

Anas b. Malik said: The Mosque (of the Prophet) was built in the land of Banu al-Najjar which contained crops, palm trees and graves of the disbelievers. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Sell it to me for some price. They (Banu al-Najjar) replied: We do not want (any price). The palm-trees were cut off, and the crops removed and the graves of the disbelievers dug opened. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. But this version has the word "forgive" in the verse, instead of the word "help". Musa said: 'Abd al-Warith also narrated this tradition in a like manner. The version of 'Abd al-Warith has the word "dung-hill" (instead of crop), and he asserted that he narrated this tradition to Hammad.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to build mosques in different localities (i.e. in the locality of each tribe separately) and that they should be kept clean and be perfumed.

Samurah reported that he wrote (a letter) to his sons: After (praising Allah and blessing the Prophet) that: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to command us to build mosques in our localities and keep them well and clean.

Narrated Maymunah ibn Sa'd:

I said: Messenger of Allah, tell us the legal injunction about (visiting) Bayt al-Muqaddas (the dome of the Rock at Jerusalem). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: go and pray there. All the cities at that time were effected by war. If you cannot visit it and pray there, then send some oil to be used in the lamps.

Abu al-Walid said: I asked Ibn 'Umar about the gravel spread pin the mosque. He replied: One night the rain fell and the earth was moistened. A man was bringing the gravel (broken stones) in his cloth and spreading it beneath him. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said: How fine it is !

Abu Salih said: It was said that when a man removed gravels from the mosque, they adjured him.

Abu Hurairah reported (Abu Bakr said that in his opinion he narrated this tradition from the Prophet): The gravels adjure the person when removes them from the mosque.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The rewards of my people were presented before me, so much so that even the reward for removing a mote by a person from the mosque was presented to me. The sins of my people were also presented before me. I did not find a sin greater than that of a person forgetting the Qur'anic chapter or verse memorised by him.

Ibn 'Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If we left this door for women (it would have been better). Nafi' said: Ibn 'Umar did not enter (the door) until his death. The other except 'Abd al-Warith said: This was said by 'Umar (and not by Ibn 'Umar) and that is more correct.

This tradition has been reported by 'Umar b. al-Khattab through a different chain of narrators. He narrated it to the same effect and that is more correct.

Nafi said : ‘Umar b. al-Khattab used to prohibit (men) to enter through the door reserved for women.

Abu Usaid al-Ansari reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: when any of you enters the mosque he should invoke blessing on the prophet (ﷺ) and then he should say: O Allah, open to me the gates of thy mercy. And when he goes out, he should say: O Allah, I ask thee out of Thine abundance.

Haiwah b. Shuraih reported : I met ‘Uqbah b. Muslim and said to him: it has been reported to me that someone has narrated to you from the prophet (ﷺ) that when he entered the mosque, he would say: I seek refuge in Allah, the Magnificent, and in His noble face, and in his eternal domain, from the accursed Devil. He asked : is it so much only? I said: Yes. He said: when anyone says so. The devil says: he is protected from me all the day long.

Abu Qatadah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; when any one of you enters the mosque, he should pray two RAKAHS before sitting down.

This tradition has been narrated by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of transmitters to the same effect from the prophet (ﷺ). This version adds: then he may remain sitting (after praying two RAKAHS) or may go for his work.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; The angels invoke blessings on any of you who remains sitting at the place where he says his prayers so long as he is defiled (needs ablution) or stands up, saying: O Allah, forgives him; O Allah, have mercy on him.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; one is considered to be at prayer so long as one is detained by prayer: Nothing prevents one from going home to one’s family except prayer.

Abu Hurairah reported the apostle of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; The servant (of Allah) is considered to he at prayer so long as he remains at the place of prayer waiting for prayer. The angels say: O Allah, forgive him? O Allah, take mercy on him, until he turns away, or he is defiled. He was asked: what is meant by defilement? He replied: he breaks wind gently or loudly.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; one shall have the thing the for which one comes to the mosque.

Abu Hurairah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; if anyone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say: May Allah not restore it to you, for the mosque were not built for this.

Anas b. Malik reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying: Spitting in the mosque is a sin and it is expiated by burying the spittle.

Anas reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Spitting in the mosque is a sin and it is expiated by burying the spittle.

Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: Spitting phlegm in the mosque... The narrator then transmitted the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: if anyone enters the mosque, and spits in it, or ejects phlegm, he should remove some earth and bury it there. If he does not do so, then he should spit in his clothes and not come out with it.

Narrated Abdullah al-Muharibi:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When a man stands with the intention of saying prayer, or if any of you says prayer, he should not spit before him, nor at his right side; but he should do so at his left side, if there is a place for it; or he should spit under his left foot and then rub it off.

Ibn ‘Umar reported: One day while the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)was giving sermon he suddenly saw phlegm on the wall towards the qiblah(the direction to which Muslims turn in prayer) of the mosque. So he became angry at people. He then scraped it and sent for saffron and stained with it. He then said: When any one of you prays, Allah, the Exalted, faces him: he, therefore, should not spit before him.

Abu Sa’id al-khudri said: The Prophet(ﷺ) liked the twigs of the date-palm, and he often had one of them in his hand. He entered the mosque and saw phlegm in the wall towards qiblah and he scraped it. He then turned towards people in anger and said: Is any one of you is pleased to spit in his face? When any of you faces qiblah, he indeed faces his Lord, the Majestic the Glorious: the angels are at right side. Therefore, he should not spit on his right side or before him towards qiblah. He should spit towards his left side or beneath his foot. If he is in a hurry, he should do so-and-so. Describing it Ibn ‘Ajlan said: He should spit in his cloth and fold a part of it over the other.

Narrated AbuSahlah as-Sa'ib ibn Khallad:

A man led the people in prayer. He spat towards qiblah while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was looking at him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the people when he finished his prayer: He should not lead you in prayer (henceforth).

Thenceforth he intended to lead them in prayer, but they forbade him and informed him of the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who said to him: Yes.

The narrator said: I think he (the Prophet) said: You did harm to Allah and His Apostle.

Abu al-‘Ala’ reported on the authority of his father: I came to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) who was saying prayer. He spat beneath his left foot.

Abu al-‘Ala’ reported this tradition on the authority of his father to the same effect with a different chain of narrators. This version adds: “He then rubbed it with his shoe."

Narrated Wathilah ibn al-Asqa':

AbuSa'id said: I saw Wathilah ibn al-Asqa' in the mosque of Damascus. He spat at the mat and then rubbed it with his foot. He was asked: Why did you do so? He said: Because I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing so.

Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit:

We came to Jabir ibn Abdullah who was sitting in his mosque. He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us in this mosque and he had a twig of date-palm of the kind of Ibn Tab. He looked and saw phlegm on the wall towards qiblah. He turned to it and scraped it with the twig.

He then said: Who of you likes that Allah turns His face from him? He further said: When any of you stands for praying, Allah faces him. So he should not spit before him, nor on his right side. He should spit on his left side under his left foot. If he is in a hurry (i.e. forced to spit immediately), he should do with his cloth in this manner. He then placed the cloth on his mouth and rubbed it off.

He then said: Bring perfume. A young man of the tribe stood and hurried to his house and returned with perfume in his palm. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took it and put it at the end of the twig. He then stained the mark of phlegm with it.

Jabir said: This is the reason you use perfume in your mosques.

Anas b. Malik reported : A man entered the mosque on camel and made it kneel down, and then tied his leg with rope. He then asked: Who among you is Muhammad? The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) was sitting leaning upon something among them. We said to him: This white (man) who is leaning. The man said: O son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said; I already responded to you. The man (again) said: O Muhammad. I am asking you. The narrator then narrated the rest of the tradition.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported : Banu Sa’d b. Bakr sent Qamam b. Tha’labah to the apostle of Allah (May peace be upon him). He came to him and made his camel kneel down near the gate of the mosque. He then tied its leg and entered the mosque. The narrator then reported in a similar way. He then said: Who among you is the son of Abd al-Muttalib? The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) replied: I am the son of Ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He said: O son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The narrator then reported the rest of the tradition.

Abu Hurairah said: The Jews came to the Prophet (May peace be upon him) and he was sitting in the mosque among his Companions. They said: O Abu al-Qasim, a man and a woman have committed adultery.

Narrated AbuDharr:

The earth has been made for me purifying and as a mosque (place for prayer).

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

AbuSalih al-Ghifari reported: Ali (once) passed by Babylon during his travels. The mu'adhdhin (the person who calls for prayer) came to him to call for the afternoon prayer. When he passed by that place, he commanded to announce for the prayer. After finishing the prayer he said: My affectionate friend (i.e. the Prophet) prohibited me to say prayer in the graveyard. He also forbade me to offer prayer in Babylon because it is accursed.

Abu Salih narrated this tradition with a different chain of transmitters to the same effect as reported by Sulaiman b. Dawud. But this version has the word KHARAJA (he went out) instead of BARAZA (proceeded).

Narrated Sa'id:

and the narrator Musa said: As far as Amr thinks, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: The whole earth is a place of prayer except public baths and graveyards.

Bara’ b. Azib reported : The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) was asked about saying prayer at places where the camels kneel down. He replied; Do not say prayer at places where the camels kneel down because they are the places of devils. And he was asked about saying prayer in the fold of sheep. He replied: pray there because they are the places of blessing.

Narrated As-Saburah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Command a boy to pray when he reaches the age of seven years. When he becomes ten years old, then beat him for prayer.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.

This tradition has been narrated by Dawud b. Sawar al-Muzani through a different chain of transmitters and to the same effect. This version adds; if any of you marries his slave-girl to his male-slave or his servant, he should not look at her private part below her navel and above her knees.

Abu Dawud said: Waki' misunderstood the name of Dawud b. Sawar. Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi has narrated this tradition from him. He said: Anu Hamzah Sawar al-Sairafi.

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Abdullah ibn Khubayb al-Juhani:

Hisham ibn Sa'd reported: We entered upon Mu'adh ibn Abdullah ibn Khubayb al-Juhani. He said to his wife: When (at what age) should a boy pray? She replied: Some person of us reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about it; he said: When a boy distinguishes right hand from the left hand, then command him to pray.

Narrated AbuUmayr ibn Anas:

AbuUmayr reported on the authority of his uncle who was from the Ansar (the helpers of the Prophet): The Prophet (ﷺ) was anxious as to how to gather the people for prayer.

The people told him: Hoist a flag at the time of prayer; when they see it, they will inform one another. But he (the Prophet) did not like it. Then someone mentioned to him the horn.

Ziyad said: A horn of the Jews. He (the Prophet) did not like it. He said: This is the matter of the Jews. Then they mentioned to him the bell of the Christians. He said: This is the matter of the Christians. Abdullah ibn Zayd returned anxiously from there because of the anxiety of the Apostle (ﷺ). He was then taught the call to prayer in his dream. Next day he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him about it.

He said: Messenger of Allah, I was between sleep and wakefulness; all of a sudden a newcomer came (to me) and taught me the call to prayer. Umar ibn al-Khattab had also seen it in his dream before, but he kept it hidden for twenty days.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me (Umar): What did prevent you from saying it to me?

He said: Abdullah ibn Zayd had already told you about it before me: hence I was ashamed.

Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Bilal, stand up, see what Abdullah ibn Zayd tells you (to do), then do it. Bilal then called them to prayer.

AbuBishr reported on the authority of AbuUmayr: The Ansar thought that if Abdullah ibn Zayd had not been ill on that day, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would have made him mu'adhdhin.

‘Abd Allah b. Zaid reported : when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered a bell to be made so that it might be struck to gather the people for prayer, a man carrying a bell in his hand appeared to me while I was asleep, and I said; servant of ‘abd Allah, will you sell the bell? He asked; what will you do with it? I replied; we shall use it to call the people to prayer. He said; should I not suggest you something better than that. I replied: certainly. Then he told me to say: Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to pray, come to pray; come to salvation; come to salvation. Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. He then moved backward a few steps and said: when you utter the IQAMAH, you should say: Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to salvation. The time for prayer has come, the time for prayer has come: Allah is most great, Allah is most great. There is no god but Allah. When the morning came, I came to the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) and informed him of what I had seen in the dream. He said: it is a genuine vision, and he then should use it to call people to prayer, for he has a louder voice than you have. So I got up along with Bilal and began to teach it to him and he used it in making the call to prayer. ‘Umar b. al-khattab (Allah be pleased with him) heard it while he was in his house and came out trailing his cloak and said: Messenger of Allah. By him who has sent you with the truth, I have also seen the kind of thing as has been shown to him. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: To Allah be the praise. Abu Dawud said; Al-Zuhri narrated this tradition in a similar way from Sa’id b. al-Musayyib on the authority of ‘Abd Allah b. Zaid. In this version Ibn Ishaq narrated from al-Zuhri: Allah is most great. Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great. Ma;mar and yunus narrated from al-Zuhri; Allah is most great, Allah is most great. They did not report it twice again.

Abu Mahdhurah reported; I said; Messenger of Allah, teach me the method of ADHAN (how to pronounce the call to prayer). He wiped my forehead (with his hand) and asked me to pronounce; Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great, raising your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Lowering your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify there is no god but Allah; I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to salvation, come to salvation. If it is the morning prayer, you must pronounce; prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep, Allah is most great; there is no god but Allah.

Abu Mahdhurah also narrated this tradition from the prophet (May peace be upon him) to the same effect through a different chain of transmitters. This version has the additional wordings. The phrases “prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep” are to be pronounced in the first ADHAN (i.e., not in Iqamah) of the morning prayer.

Abu Dawud said; The version narrated by Musaddad is more clear. It reads: He (the prophet) taught me IQAMAH (to pronounce each phrase) twice: Allah is most great. Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah: come to prayer, come to prayer: come to salvation, come to salvation: Allah is most great. Allah is great; there is no god but Allah.

Abu Dawud said: The narrator ‘Abd al-Razzaq said; You pronounce IQAMAH for announcing the prayer; you must say twice: the time for prayer has come, the time for prayer has come. (The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu Mahdhurah): did you listen (to me)? Abu Mahdhurah would not have the hair of his forehead cut, nor would he separate them (from him) because the Prophet (ﷺ) wiped over them.

Abu Mahdhurah reported ; The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) taught him nineteen phrases in ADHAN and seventeen phrases in IQAMAH. ADHAN runs; Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great; I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is Messenger of Allah: come to prayer, come to prayer, come to salvation; Allah is most great, Allah is most great: there is no god but Allah. IQAMAH runs: Allah is most great, Allah is most great. Allah is most great, Allah is most great: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; come to prayer; come to prayer: come to salvation. Come to salvation; the time for prayer has come the time for prayer has come: Allah is most great, Allah is most great: there is no god but Allah. This is recorded in his collection (i.e., in the collection of the narrator Hammam b. Yahya) according to the tradition reported by Abu Mahdhurah (i.e., IQAMAH contains seventeen phrases)

Abu Mahdurah reported : The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) himself taught me the call to prayer (adhan). He asked me to pronounce: Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great: I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is Messenger of Allah. Then repeat and raise your voice; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah ; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; come to prayer, come to prayer; come to salvation, come to salvation; Allah is most great. Allah is most great; there is no god but Allah.

Abu Mahdhurah reported: The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) taught me the call to prayer (adhan) verbatim; Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I testify that there is no god but Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; come to prayer, come to prayer; come to salvation, come to salvation. He used to pronounce “prayer is better than sleep” in the dawn prayer.

Abu Mahdhurah said that the apostle of Allah (May peace be upon him) taught him the call to prayer (adhan), saying: Allah is most great, Allah is most great; I testify that there is no god but Allah. He then narrated adhan like the one contained in the tradition transmitted by Ibn Juraij from ‘Abd al-aziz b. ‘abd al-Malik to the same effect. The version Malik b. Dinar has. I asked the son of Abu Mahdhurah, saying: Narrate to me the adhan of your father narrated from the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him). He said: Allah is most great, Allah is most great, that is all. Similar is the version narrated by Ja’far b. Sulaiman from the son of Abd Muhdhurah from his uncle on the authority of his grandfather, excepting that he said; Then repeat and raise your voice. Allah is most great. Allah is most great.

Ibn Abi Laila said: Prayer passed through three stages. And out people narrated to us that Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said; it is to my liking that the prayer of Muslims or believers should be united (i.e., in congregation), so much so that I intended to send people to the houses to announce the time of prayer; and I also resolved that I should order people to stand at (the tops of) the forts and announce the time of the prayer for Muslims; and they struck the bell or were about to strike the bell (to announce the time for prayer). Then came a person from among the Ansar who said: Messenger of Allah, when I returned from you, as I saw your anxiety. I saw (in sleep) a person with two green clothes on him; he stood on the mosque and called (people) to prayer. He then sat down for a short while and stood up and pronounced in a like manner, except that he added: “The time for prayer has come”. If the people did not call me (a liar), and according to the version of Ibn al-Muthanna, if you did not call me (a liar). I would say that I was awake; I was awake; I was not asleep. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: According to the version of Ibn al-Muthanna, Allah has shown you a good (dream). But the version of ‘Amr does not have the words: Allah has shown you a good (dream). Then ask Bilal to pronounce the ADHAN (to call to the prayer). ‘Umar (in the meantime) said: I also had a dream like the one he had. But as he informed earlier. I was ashamed (to inform). Our people have narrated to us: when a person came (to the mosque during the prayer in congregation), he would ask (about the RAKAHS of prayer), and he would be informed about the number of RAKAHS already performed. They would stand (in prayer) along with the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him): some in standing position; others bowing; some sitting and some praying along with the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him).

Ibn al-Muthanna reported from ‘Amr from Hussain b. Abi Laila, saying ; Until Mu’adh came. Shu’bah said ; I heard it from Hussain who said : I shall follow the position (in the prayer in which I find him (the prophet)). . . you should do in a similar way.

Abu Dawud said: I then turned to the tradition reported by ‘Amr b. Marzuq he said; then Ma’adh came and they (the people) hinted at him. Shu’bah said; I heard it from hussain who said: Mu’adh then said; I shall follow the position (in the prayer when I join it) in which I find him (the prophet). He then said: Mu’adh has prayer when I join it in which I find him (the prophet). He then said: MU’adh has introduced for you a SUNNAH (a model behaviour), so you should do in a like manner. He said; our people have narrated to us; when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Madina, he commanded them (the people) to keep fast for three days. Thereafter the Quranic verses with regard to the fasts during Ramadan were revealed. But they were people who were not accustomed to keep fast ; hence the keeping of the fasts was hard for them; so those who could not keep fast would feed an indigent; then the month”. The concession was granted to the patient and the traveler; all were commanded to keep fast.

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal:

Prayer passed through three stages and fasting also passed through three stages. The narrator Nasr reported the rest of the tradition completely. The narrator, Ibn al-Muthanna, narrated the story of saying prayer facing in the direction of Jerusalem.

He said: The third stage is that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Medina and prayed, i.e. facing Jerusalem, for thirteen months.

Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed the verse: "We have seen thee turning thy face to Heaven (for guidance, O Muhammad). And now verily We shall make thee turn (in prayer) toward a qiblah which is dear to thee. So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wherever ye may be, turn your face (when ye pray) toward it" (ii.144). And Allah, the Reverend and the Majestic, turned (them) towards the Ka'bah. He (the narrator) completed his tradition.

The narrator, Nasr, mentioned the name of the person who had the dream, saying: And Abdullah ibn Zayd, a man from the Ansar, came. The same version reads: And he turned his face towards the qiblah and said: Allah is most great, Allah is most great; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; come to prayer (he pronounced it twice), come to salvation (he pronounced it twice); Allah is Most Great, Allah is most great. He then paused for a while, and then got up and pronounced in a similar way, except that after the phrase "Come to salvation" he added. "The time for prayer has come, the time for prayer has come."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Teach it to Bilal, then pronounce the adhan (call to prayer) with the same words. As regards fasting, he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to fast for three days every month, and would fast on the tenth of Muharram. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed the verse: ".......Fasting was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil)......and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need (ii.183-84). If someone wished to keep the fast, he would keep the fast; if someone wished to abandon the fast, he would feed an indigent every day; it would do for him. But this was changed. Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an ..........(let him fast the same) number of other days" (ii.185).

Hence the fast was prescribed for the one who was present in the month (of Ramadan) and the traveller was required to atone (for them); feeding (the indigent) was prescribed for the old man and woman who were unable to fast. (The narrator, Nasr, further reported): The companion Sirmah, came after finishing his day's work......and he narrated the rest of the tradition.

Anas reported; Bilal was commanded to pronounce Adhan in double pairs and IQAMAH in single pairs.

Hammam added in his version; “except IQAMAH”.

Anas reported the tradition like that of Wuhaib. Ismail said: I narrated this tradition to Ayyub who said: “Except IQAMAH”.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The words of adhan were pronounced from the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) twice in pairs (i.e. four times) each, and the words of iqamah were pronounced once in pairs (twice each), except that the phrase "The time for prayer has come" would be pronounced twice. When we heard iqamah, we would perform ablution, and go out for prayer. Shu'bah said: I did not hear AbuJa'far narrating any other tradition except this one.

This tradition has been narrated by Abu Ja’far, the mu’adhdhin of ‘Uryan mosque (at Kufah), from Abu al-Muthanna, the mu’adhdhin of masjid al-akbar (at kufah) on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar. The rest of the tradition was transmitted in a like manner.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Zayd:

The Prophet (ﷺ) intended to do many things for calling (the people) to prayer, but he did not do any of them. Then Abdullah ibn Zayd was taught in a dream how to pronounce the call to prayer. He came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and informed him. He said: Teach it to Bilal. He then taught him, and Bilal made a call to prayer. Abdullah said: I saw it in a dream and I wished to pronounce it, but he (the Prophet) said: You should pronounce iqamah.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by ‘abd Allah b. Zaid. He said: My grandfather pronounced the Iqamah.

Narrated Ziyad ibn al-Harith as-Suda'i:

When the adhan for the dawn prayer was initially introduced, the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded me to call the adhan and I did so. Then I began to ask: Should I utter iqamah, Messenger of Allah? But he began to look at the direction of the east, (waiting) for the break of dawn, and said: No.

When the dawn broke, he came down and performed ablution and he then turned to me. In the meantime his Companions joined him. Then Bilal wanted to utter the iqamah, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: The man of Suda' has called the adhan, and he who calls the adhan utters the iqamah.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The mu'adhdhin will receive forgiveness to the extent to which his voice reaches, and every moist and dry place will testify on his behalf; and he who attends (the congregation of) prayer will have twenty-five prayers recorded for him and will have expiation for sins committed between every two times of prayer.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: when the call to prayer is made; the devil turns his back and breaks wind so as not to hear the call being made; but when the call is finished, he turns round. When the second call to prayer (iqamah) is made, he turns his back, and when the second call is finished, he turns round and suggest notions in the mind of the man (at prayer) to distract his attention, saying: remember such and such, referring to something the man did not have n mind, with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The imam is responsible and the mu'adhdhin is trusted, O Allah, guide the imams and forgive the mu'adhdhins.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Abu Hurairah who reported it in a similar manner from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Narrated A woman from Banu an-Najjar:

Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reported on the authority of a woman from Banu an-Najjar. She said: My house was the loftiest of all the houses around the mosque (of the Prophet (ﷺ) at Medina). Bilal used to make a call to the morning prayer from it. He would come there before the break of dawn and wait for it. When he saw it, he would yawn and say: O Allah, I praise you and seek Your assistance for the Quraysh so that they might establish Thine religion. He then would make the call to prayer.

She (the narrator) said: By Allah, I do not know whether he ever left saying these words on any night.

Abu Juhaifah reported: I came to the prophet (ﷺ) at Mecca; he was sitting in a tent made of leather. Then Bilal came out and called to prayer. I looked at his mouth following him this side and that side (i.e., right and left). Later at his Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out clad in a red suit, i.e, wearing the sheets of the Yemen, of the Qatri design. The version narrated by Musa has the word; “I saw Bilal going towards al-Abtah”.

He then made a call to prayer. When he reached the words “ come to prayer, come to salvation”. He turned his neck right and left, respectively; he did not turn himself (with his whole body). He then entered (his house) and came out with a lancet. The narrator then reported the rest of the tradition.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The supplication made between the adhan and the iqamah is not rejected.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying : When you hear the Adhan, you should repeat the same words as the mu’adhdhin pronounces.

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr b. al-As reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: when you hear the mu'adhdhin repeat what he says, invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invoke one blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah. Then ask Allah to give me the wasilah, which is a rank in paradise fitting for only one of Allah’s servants, and I hope that I may be the one. If anyone asks Allah that I be given the wasilah, he will be assured of my intercession.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

A man said: Messenger of Allah, the mu'adhdhins excel us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Say (the same words) as they say, and when you come to the end, make a petition and that will be granted to you.

Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying : If anyone says when he hears the MU’ADHDHIN : “And I testify that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle: I am satisfied with Allah as lord, with Muhammad as apostle and with Islam as religion”, he will be forgiven.

‘A’ishah said that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard the MU’ADHDHIN uttering the testimony, he would say: “And I too, and I too”.

‘Umar b. al-khattab reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; When the MU’ADHDHIN says: “Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and one of you says in response: “Allah is most great”, Allah is most great; then says: “ I testify tht there is no god but Allah”, and he says in response: “I testify that there is no god but Allah”, then say:” I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, and he makes the response: “ I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, then says: “Come to prayer”, and he makes the response: “There is no might and no power except in Allah”: then says: “ Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and he makes the response: “Allah is most great”, then says: “There is no god but Allah”, if he says this from his heart, he enter Paradise.

Narrated AbuUmamah, or one of the Companion of the Prophet:

Bilal began the Iqamah, and when he said: "The time for prayer has come," the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "May Allah establish it and cause it to continue."

Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: if anyone says when he hears the call to prayer : “O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and of the prayer which is established for all time, grant Muhammad the wasilah and excellency, and raise him up in a praiseworthy position which Thou hast promised, he will be assured of my intercession.

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me to say when the adhan for the sunset prayer was called; "O Allah, this is the time when Thy night comes on, Thy day retires, and the voices of Thy summoners are heard, so forgive me."

Narrated Uthman ibn Abul'As:

Messenger of Allah, appoint me the leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a mu'adhdhin who does not charge for the calling of adhan.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Bilal made a call to prayer before the break of dawn; the Prophet (ﷺ), therefore, commanded him to return and make a call: Lo! the servant of Allah (i.e. I) had slept (hence this mistake).

The version of Musa has the addition: He returned and made a call: Lo! the servant of Allah had slept.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Darawardi from 'Ubaid Allah on the authority of Ibn 'Umar saying: There was a mu'adhdhin of 'Umar, named Mas'ud. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. This version is more correct than that one.

Nafi' reported : A mu'adhdhin of ‘Umar, named Masruh, called the Adhan for the morning prayer before the break of dawn; ‘Umar commanded him (to repeat). The narrator reported the tradition in a similar way.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by al-Darawardi from ‘Ubaid Allah on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, saying: there was a mu'adhdhin of ‘Umar, named Mas’ud. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. This version is more correct than one.

Narrated Bilal:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Bilal: Do not call adhan until the dawn appears clearly to you in this way, stretching his hand in latitude.

Abu Dawud said: Shaddad did not see Bilal.

‘A’ishah reported: Ibn Umm Maktum was the mu'adhdhin of the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) and he was blind.

Abu al-Sha’tha said : we were sitting with Abu Hurairah in the mosque. A man went out of the mosque after the ADHAN for the afternoon prayer had been called. Abu Hurairah said: As regards this (man), he disobeyed Abu al-Qasim, the prophet (ﷺ).

Jabir b. Samurah said: Bilal would call the Adhan, then he used come to wait. When he would see that the prophet (ﷺ) had come out (of his house), he would pronounce the iqama.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Mujahid reported: I was in the company of Ibn Umar. A person invited the people for the noon or afternoon prayer (after the adhan had been called). He said: Go out with us (from this mosque) because this is an innovation (in religion).

Abu Qatadah reported on the authority of his father : the prophet (ﷺ) said; When the Iqamah for prayer is pronounced, do not stand until you see me.

Abu Dawud said: this has been narrated by Ayyub and Hajjaj al-Sawwaf from Yahya and Hisham al-Duatawa’i in a similar way, saying : Yahya wrote to me (in this way). And this has been narrated by Mu’awiyah b. Sallam and ‘Ali b. al-Mubarak from Yahya: “Until you see me and show tranquility”.

This tradition has also been reported through a different chain of narrators in a similar way. This version says: “Until you see me that I have come out”.

Abu dawud said: No one except Ma’mar has narrated the words “that I have come out”. And the version transmitted by Ibn ‘Uyainah from Ma’mar does not mention the words “that I have come out”.

Abu Hurairah reported: when the Iqamah was pronounced for prayer during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), the people would take their seats before the prophet (ﷺ) came to his seat.

Humaid reported : I asked Thabit al-Bunani whether it was permissible for a man to talk after the qamah had been pronounced. He narrated a tradition on the authority of Anas: (once) the Iqamah was pronounced, and a person came to the apostle of Allah (ﷺ) and detained him after the Iqamah had been pronounced.

‘Awn b. Kahmas reported on the authority of his father Kahmas : we stood for praying at Mina when the Imam had not come out. Some of us sat down (and I too). An old man from Kufah said to me: Why did you down? I said : Ibn Buraidah, this is Sumud (i.e., waiting for the Imam in the standing condition). The old man then narrated a tradition from ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awaajah on the authority of al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib: We would stand in rows during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a long time before he pronounced Takbir. He further said; Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, sends blessings and the angles invoke blessings for those who are nearer to the front rows. No step is more liking to Allah than a step which one takes to join the row (of the prayer).

Anas reported : the Iqamah was pronounced (for the night prayer) and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remained engaged in talking (to a person) in the corner of the mosque. He did not begin prayer until the people slept.

Abu al-Nadr said: when the Iqamah was pronounced and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw that they (the people) were small in number, he would sit down, nd would not pray; but when he saw them (the people) large in number, he would pray.

This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain of narrators in a similar way by ‘Ali b. Abi Talib.

Narrated AbudDarda':

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered (in congregation), the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe (prayer) in congregation), for the wolf eats only the straggling animal. Sa'ib said: By the word Jama'ah he meant saying prayer in company or in congregation.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; I thought to give orders for arranging prayer in congregation, and then to have the Iqamah called for it, then to order a man to lead the people in prayer, then to go off in company of the people who have bundles of firewood to those people who are not present at the prayer and then to burn down their houses with fire.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: I thought about giving orders to some youths for gathering a bundle of firewood, then going off to some people who their prayers in their homes without any excuse, and burning down their houses over them.

I (Yazid b. Yazid) said: I asked Yazid b. al-Asamm: Abu ‘Awf did he mean Friday (prayer) or any other? He replied: may my ears become deaf if I have not heard Abu Hurairah narrating it from the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him); He did not mention Friday (prayer) or any other.

Abd Allah b. Mas’ud said: Persevere in observing these five times of prayer where the announcement for them is made, because they are from the paths of right guidance. And Allah, the Might, the Majestic, has laid down for his prophet (ﷺ) the paths of right guidance. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite whose hypocrite was well known. I witnessed the time when a man would be brought swaying between two men till he was set up in the row (of the prayer). Every one of us has a mosque of his in his house. If you were to pray in your houses and stay from your mosques. You would abandon the Sunnah (practice) of your prophet, and if you were Abandon the Sunnah (Practice) of your Prophet, you would become an unbeliever.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

If anyone hears him who makes the call to prayer and is not prevented from joining the congregation by any excuse--he was asked what an excuse consisted of and replied that it was fear or illness--the prayer he offers will not be accepted from him.

Narrated Amr ibn Za'dah, Ibn Umm Maktum:

Ibn Umm Maktum asked the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: Messenger of Allah, I am a blind man, my house is far away (from the mosque), and I have a guide who does not follow me. Is it possible that permission be granted to me for saying prayer in my house? He asked: Do you hear summons (adhan)? He said: Yes. He said: I do not find any permission for you.

Narrated Ibn Umm Maktum:

Messenger of Allah, there are many venomous creatures and wild beasts in Medina (so allow me to pray in my house because I am blind). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do you hear the call, "Come to prayer," "Come to salvation"? (He said: Yes.) Then you must come.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Qasim al-Jarmi has narrated this tradition from Sufyan in a similar manner. But his version does not contain the words "Then you must come."

Narrated Ubayy ibn Ka'b:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in the dawn prayer one day. And he said: Is so and so present? They said: No. He (again) asked: Is so and so present? They replied: No. He then said: These two prayers are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew what they contain (i.e. blessings), you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence, you would race to join it.

A man's prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic.

‘Uthman b. ‘Affan reported the Messenger of Allah (may peace be him) as saying; if anyone says the night prayer in congregation, he is like one who keeps vigil (in prayer) till midnight; and he who says both the night and dawn prayer in congregation is like one who keeps vigil (in prayer) the whole night.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The further one is from the mosque , the greater will be one's reward.

Ubayy b. Ka’b said: There was a certain person, out of all people of Medina, who used to pray in the mosque. I do not know that any one of them lived at a farther distance than that man. Still he never missed the prayer in congregation in the mosque. I said: it would be better if you buy a donkey and ride it in heat and darkness. He said: I do not like that my house be by the side of the mosque. The discourse reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said him about it. He said: I did it so that my walking to the mosque and return to my home when I return be recorded. He said: Allah has granted all this to you; Allah has granted all that you reckoned.

Narrated AbuUmamah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone goes out from his house after performing ablution for saying the prescribed prayer in congregation (in the mosque), his reward will be like that of one who goes for hajj pilgrimage after wearing ihram (robe worn by the hajj pilgrims).

And he who goes out to say the mid-morning (duha) prayer, and takes the trouble for this purpose, will take the reward like that of a person who performs umrah. And a prayer followed by a prayer with no worldly talk during the gap between them will be recorded in Illiyyun.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Prayer said by a man in congregation is twenty five degrees more excellent than prayer said by him alone in his house or in the market. This is because when any of you performs ablution and does it perfectly, and goes out to the mosque having no intention except praying, and nothing moves him except prayer, then at every step which he takes his rank is elevated by one degree on account of this (walking), and one sin is remitted from him for this (walking), till he enters the mosque. When he enters the mosque, he will be reckoned as praying as long as he will be detained by the prayer. The angels keep on invoking blessing on any of you so long as he remains seated in the place he prayer, saying: O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him; O Allah, accept his repentance so long as he does not harm anyone, or breaks his ablution.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

Prayer in congregation is equivalent to twenty-five prayers (offered alone). If he prays in a jungle, and performs its bowing and prostrations perfectly, it becomes equivalent to fifty prayers (in respect of reward).

Abu Dawud said: 'Abd al-Walid b. Ziyad narrated in his version of this tradition: "Prayer said by a single person in a jungle is more excellent by multiplied degrees than prayer said in congregation."

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Give good tidings to those who walk to the mosques in darkness for having a perfect light on the Day of Judgment.

Narrated Ka'b ibn Ujrah:

AbuThumamah al-Hannat said that Ka'b ibn Ujrah met him while he was going to the mosque; one of the two (companions) met his companion (on his way to the mosque) And he met crossing the fingers of my both hands. He prohibited me to do so, and said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has said: If any of you performs ablution, and performs his ablution perfectly, and then goes out intending for the mosque, he should not cross the fingers of his hand because he is already in prayer.

Narrated A person from the Ansar:

Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: An Ansari was breathing his last. He said: I narrate to you a tradition, and I narrate it with the intention of getting a reward from Allah.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If any one of you performs ablution and performs it very well, and goes out for prayer, he does not take his right step but Allah records a good work (or blessing) for him, and he does not take his left step but Allah remits one sin from him. Any one of you may reside near the mosque or far from it; if he comes to the mosque and prays in congregation, he will be forgiven (by Allah).

If he comes to the mosque while the people had prayed in part, and the prayer remained in part, and he prays in congregation the part he joined, and completed the part he had missed, he will enjoy similarly (i.e. he will be forgiven). If he comes to the mosque when the people had finished prayer, he will enjoy the same.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: whoever performs ablution, and performs his ablution perfectly, and then goes to the mosque and finds that the people had finished the prayer (in congregation), Allah will give him a reward like one who prayed in congregation and attended it; The reward of those who prayed in congregation will not be curtailed.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from visiting the mosques of Allah, but they may go out (to the mosque) having no perfumed themselves.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; Do not prevent the female servant your women from visiting the mosques of Allah.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Do not prevent your women from visiting the mosque; but their houses are better for them (for praying).

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying; Allow women to visit the mosque at night. A son of his (Bilal) said; I swear by Allah, we shall certainly not allow them because they will defraud. I swear by Allah, we shall not allow them. He (Ibn ‘Umar) abused him and became angry at him and said : I tell you that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: Allow them; yet you say; we shall not allow them.

‘A’ishah (Allah be pleased with her), wife of the prophet (ﷺ), said ; if the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had seen what the women have invented, he would have prevented them from visiting the mosque (for praying), as the women of the children of the Israel were prevented. Yahya (the narrator) said; I asked ‘Umrah ; were the women of Israel prevented? She said: yes.

‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying; it is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying : if we reserve this door for women (it would be better). Nafi' said: Ibn ‘Umar did not enter through it( the door) till he died.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated though a different chain of transmitters by 'Umar. And this is more correct.

Abu Hurairah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah( may peace be upon him) say: When the iqamah is pronounced for prayer, do not come to it running, but come walking(slowly). You should observe tranquility. The part of the prayer you get(along with the imam) offer it, and the part you miss complete it(afterwards).

Abu Dawud said: The version narrated by al-Zubaidi, Ibn Abi Dhi’b, Ibrahim b. Sa’d, Ma’mar, Shu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of al-Zuhri has the words: “the part you miss then complete it”. Ibn ‘Uyainah alone narrated from al-Zuhri the words “then offer it afterwards”. And Muhammad b. ‘Amr narrated from Abu Salamah on the authority of Abu Hurairah, and Ja’far b. Rabi’ah narrated from al-A’raj on the authority of Abu Hurairah the words “then complete it”. And Ibn Mas’ud narrated from the Prophet(ﷺ) and Abu Qatadah and Anas reported from the Prophet( may peace be upon him) the words” then complete it”.

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying: Come to prayer with calmness and tranquility. Then pray the part you get (long with the imam) and complete afterwards the part you miss.

Abu Dawud said: Ibn Sirin narrated from Abu Hurairah the words: "he should complete it afterwards." Similarly, Abu Rafi' narrated from Abu Hurairah and Abu Dharr narrated from him the words "then complete it, and complete it afterwards." There is a variation of words in the narration from him.

Narrated Sa'id al-Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a person praying alone. He said: Is there any man who may do good with this (man) and pray along with him.

Narrated Yazid ibn al-Aswad:

Yazid prayed along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he was a young boy. When he (the Prophet) had prayed there were two persons (sitting) in the corner of the mosque; they did not pray (along with the Prophet). He called for them. They were brought trembling (before him). He asked: What prevented you from praying along with us? They replied: We have already prayed in our houses. He said: Do not do so. If any of you prays in his house and finds that the imam has not prayed, he should pray along with him; and that will be a supererogatory prayer for him.

Jabir b. Yazid reported on the authority of his father: I said the morning prayer along with the prophet (ﷺ) at Mina. He narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect.

Narrated Yazid ibn Amir:

I came while the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying the prayer. I sat down and did not pray along with them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) turned towards us and saw that Yazid was sitting there. He said: Did you not embrace Islam, Yazid? He replied: Why not, Messenger of Allah; I have embraced Islam. He said: What prevented you from saying prayer along with the people? He replied: I have already prayed in my house, and I thought that you had prayed (in congregation). He said: When you come to pray (in the mosque) and find the people praying, then you should pray along with them, though you have already prayed. This will be a supererogatory prayer for you and that will be counted as obligatory.

A man from Banu Asad b. Khuzaimah asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: if one of us prays in his house, then comes to the mosque and finds that the iqamah is being called, and if I pray along with them ( in congregation), I feel something inside about it. Abu Ayyub replied: We asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. He said: That is a share from the spoils received by the warriors (i.e. he will receive double the reward of the prayer).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Sulayman, the freed slave of Maymunah, said: I came to Ibn Umar at Bilat (a place in Medina) while the people were praying. I said: Do you not pray along with them? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Do not say a prayer twice in a day.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who leads the people in prayer, and he does so at the right time, will receive, as well as those who are led (in prayer) will get (the reward). He who delays (prayer) from the appointed time will be responsible (for this delay) and not those who are led in prayer.

Narrated Sulamah daughter of al-Hurr:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: One of the signs of the Last Hour will be that people in a mosque will refuse to act as imam and will not find an imam to lead them in prayer.

Abu Mas’ud al-Badri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The one of you who is most versed in the Books of Allah should act as imam for the people; and the one who is the earliest of them in reciting (the Qur’an); if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the earliest of them to emigrate (to Medina); if they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest of them. No man must lead another in prayer in his house (i.e. in the house of a latter) or where the latter has authority, or sit in his place of honor without his permission. Shu’bah said: I asked Isma’il: what is the meaning of his place of honor? He replied: his throne.

The version of this tradition narrated through a different chain by Shu’bah has the words: “A man should not lead the another man in prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Yahya al-Qattan narrated from Shu’bah in a similar way, i.e. the earliest of them in recitation.

This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain by Abu Mas’ud This version has words ; “If they are equally versed in recitation, then the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah ; if they are equal with regard to (the knowledge of) the Sunnah, then the earliest of them to emigrate (to medina)”. He did not narrate the words; “ The earliest of them in recitation”.

Abu Dawud said: Hajjaj b. Artata reported from Isma’il: Do not sit in the place of honour of anyone except with his permission.

‘Amr b. Salamah said ; we lived at a place where the people would pass by us when they came to the prophet (ﷺ). When they returned they would again pass by us. And they used to inform us that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said so –and-so. I was a boy with a good memory. From the( process) I memorized a large portion of the Qur’an. Then my father went to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) along with a group of his clan. He (the Prophet) taught them prayer. And he said: The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an should act as your imam. I knew the Qur’an better than most of them because I had memorized it. They, therefore, put me in front of them, and I would lead them in prayer. I wore a small yellow mantle which, when I prostrated myself, went up on me, and a woman of the clan said: Cover the back side of your leader from us. So they bought an ‘Ammani shirt for me, and I have never been so pleased about anything after embracing Islam as I was about that (shirt). I used to lead them in prayer and I was only seven or eight year old.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain by ‘Amr b. Salamah. This version says: “I used to lead them in prayer with a sheet of cloth on me that was patched and torn. When I prostrated myself, my buttocks were disclosed.

‘Amr b. Salamah reported on the authority of his father (Salamah) that they visited the Prophet (ﷺ). When they intended to return, they said: Messenger of Allah, who will lead us in prayer? He said: The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an, or memorizes most of the Qur’an, (should act as your imam). There was none in the clan who knew more of the Qur’an than I did. They, therefore, put me in front of them and I was only a boy. And I wore a mantle, Whenever I was present in the gathering of Jarm (name of his clan), I would act as their Imam, and lead them in their funeral prayer until today.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by ‘Amr b. Salamah through a different chain of transmitter. This version has: “When my clan visited the Prophet( may peace be upon him) ....” He did not report it on the authority of his father.

Ibn ‘Umar said: when the first emigrants came (to Madina), they stayed at al-‘Asbah (a place near Madina) before the advent of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Salim, the client of Abu Hudhaifah, acted as their imam, as he knew the Qur’an better than all of them, al-Haitham(the narrator) added: and ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and Abu Salamah b. ‘Abd al-Asad were among them.

Malik b. al-Huwairith said that the Prophet( may peace be upon him) told him or some of his companions: When the time of prayer comes, call the Adhan, then call the iqamah, then the one who is oldest of you should act as your imam.

The version narrated by Maslamah goes : He said: On that day we were almost equal in knowledge.

The version narrated by Isma’il says: Khalid said: I said to Abu Qilabah: where is the Qur’an(i.e. why did the Prophet(ﷺ) not say: The one who knows the Qur’an most should act as imam)? He replied: Both of them were equal in the knowledge of the Qur’an.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Let the best among you call the adhan for you, and the Qur'an-readers act as your imams.

Narrated Umm Waraqah daughter of Nawfal:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Messenger of Allah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible that Allah might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home. Allah, the Almighty , will bestow martyrdom upon you.

The narrator said: Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission from the Prophet (ﷺ) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He, therefore, permitted her (to do so).

She announced that her slave and slave-girl would be free after her death. One night they went to her and strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died, and they ran away.

Next day Umar announced among the people, "Anyone who has knowledge about them, or has seen them, should bring them (to him)."

Umar (after their arrest) ordered (to crucify them) and they were crucified. This was the first crucifixion at Medina.

This tradition has also been narrated through a different chain of transmitters by Umm Waraqah daughter of ‘Abd Allah b. al-Harith. The first version is complete. This version goes: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) used to visit her at her house. He appointed a mu’adhdhin to call adhan for her; and he commanded her to lead the inmates of her house in prayer. ‘Abd al-Rahman said: I saw her mu’adhdhin who was an old man.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There are three types of people whose prayer is not accepted by Allah: One who goes in front of people when they do not like him; a man who comes dibaran, which means that he comes to it too late; and a man who takes into slavery an emancipated male or female slave.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying: The obligatory prayer is essential behind every Muslim, pious or impious, even if he has committed a sins.

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum as substitute to lead the people in prayer, and he was blind.

Abu ‘Atiyyah, a freed slave of us, said: Malik b. al-Huwairith came to this place of prayer of ours, and the iqamah for prayer was called. We said to him: Come forward and lead the prayer. He said to us: Put one of your own men forward to lead you in prayer. I heard the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) say: If anyone visits people, he should not lead them in prayer, but some person of them should lead the prayer.

Hammam said: Hudhaifah led the people in prayer in al-Mada’in standing on the shop(or a bench). Abu Mas’ud took him by his shirt, and brought him down. When he( Abu Mas’ud) finished his prayer, he said: Do you not know that they(the people) were prohibited to do so. He said: Yes, I remembered when you pulled me down.

‘Adi b. Thabit al-Ansari said; A man related to me that (once) he was in the company of ‘Ammar b. yasir in al-Mada’in (a city near Ku’fah). The IQAMAH was called for prayer: ‘Ammar came forward and stood on a shop (or a beach) and prayed while the people stood on a lower place than he. Hudaifah came forward and took him by the hands and Ammar followed him till Hudaifah brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer. Hudaifah said to him: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say: When a man leads the people in prayer, he must not stand in a position higher than theirs, or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied : that is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.

Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah said : Mu’adh b. Jabal would pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)in the night prayer, then go and lead his people and lead them in the same prayer.

Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah said : Mu’adh b. Jabal would pray along the prophet (ﷺ), then go and lead his people in prayer.

Anas b. Malik said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rode a horse and was thrown off it and his right was grazed. He then prayed one of the prayers sitting and we prayed one of the prayers sitting, and when he finished he said: the Imam is appointed only to be followed ; so when he prays standing, pray standing, and when he bows, bow; when he raises himself, raise yourselves; when he says “Allah listen to him who praises Him”, “Our Lord ! to Thee be the praise”: and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting.

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rode a horse in Medina. It threw him off at the root of a date-palm. His foot was injured. We visited him to inquire about his illness. We found him praying sitting in the apartment of Aisha. We, therefore, stood, (praying) behind him. He kept silent.

We again visited him to inquire about his illness. He offered the obligatory prayer sitting. We, therefore, stood (praying) behind him; he made a sign to us and we sat down. When he finished the prayer, he said: When the imam prays sitting, pray sitting; and when the imam prays standing, pray standing, and do not act as the people of Persia used to act with their chiefs (i.e. the people stood and they were sitting).

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed; when he says "Allah is most great," say "Allah is most great" and do not say "Allah is most great" until he says "Allah is most great." When he bows; bow; and do not bow until he bows. And when he says "Allah listens to him who praise Him," say "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be the praise."

The version recorded by Muslim goes: "And to Thee be the praise: And when he prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. When he prays standing, pray standing, and when he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting.

Abu Dawud said: The words "O Allah, our Lord, to You be the praise" reported by Sulaiman were explained to me by some of our companions.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed. This version adds: When he recites (the Qur'an), keep silent."

Abu Dawud said: The addition of the words "When he recites, keep silent" in this version are not guarded. The misunderstanding, according to us, is on the part of Abu Khalid (a narrator).

‘A’ishah said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed in his house sitting and the people prayed behind him standing. He made a sign to them (asking them) to sit down. When he finished the prayer, he said : The IMAM is appointed only to be followed; so when he prays standing. Pray standing ; and when he raises himself, raise yourself: and when he prays sitting. Pray sitting.

Jabir said : when the prophet (ﷺ) became seriously ill, we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was calling “Allah is most great “ to cause the people to hear the TAKBIR. Then he (the narrators) narrated the rest of the tradition.

Husain reported on the authority of the children of Sa’d b. Mu’adh that Usaid b. Hudair used to act as their Imam. (when he fell ill) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to him inquiring about his illness. They said: Messenger of Allah, our Imam is ill. He said : When he prays sitting, pray sitting.

Abu Dawud said : The chain of this tradition is not continuous (muttasil)

Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Umm Haram. The people (in her house) brought some cooking oil dates to him. He said; Put it (dates) back in its container and return it (cooking oil) to its bag, because I am keeping fast. He then stood and led us in prayer two Rak’ahs of supererogatory prayer. Then Umm Sulaim and Umm Haram stood behind us (i.e., the men). Thabit (the narrator) said: I understand that Anas said; he (the prophet) made me stand on his right side.

Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led him and one of their women in prayer. He (the prophet) put him on his right side and the woman behind him (Anas)

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abbas said : when I was spending a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimunah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up at night, opened the mouth of the water skin and performed ablution. He then closed the mouth of the water-skin and stood for prayer. Then I got up and performed ablution as he did ; then I came and stood on his left side. He took my hand, turned me round behind his back and set me on his right side; and I prayed along with him.

Another version of this tradition transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Ibn ‘Abbas says: “He took my head or the hair of my head and made me stand on his right side”.

Anas b. Malik said that his grandmother Mulaikah the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to take meals which she prepared for him. He took some of it and prayed. He said : Get up, I shall lead you in prayer. Anas said: I got up and took a mat which had become black on account of long use. I then washed it with water. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood upon it. I and the orphan (Ibn Abi Dumairah, the freed slave of the prophet) stood in a row behind him. The old women stood behind us. He then led us in two raka'at of prayer and left.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

Alqamah and al-Aswad sought permission from Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud) for admission, and we remained sitting at his door for a long time. A slave-girl came out and gave them permission (to enter). He (Ibn Mas'ud) then got up and prayed (standing) between me (al-Aswad) and him (Alqamah). He then said: I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing similarly.

Narrated Yazid ibn al-Aswad:

Jabir ibn Yazid ibn al-Aswad reported on the authority of his father: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When he finished the prayer, he would turn (his face from the direction of the Ka'bah).

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib:

When we would pray behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we liked to be on his right side. He (the Prophet) would sit turning his face towards us (and back towards the Ka'bah) (ﷺ).

Narrated Mughirah ibn Shu'bah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Imam should not pray at the place where he led the prayer until he removes (from there).

Abu Dawud said: 'Ata' al-Khurasani did not see Mughirah b. Shu'bah (This tradition is, therefore munqati', i.e. a link is missing in the chain).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When the Imam completes the prayer and sits (for reciting tashahhud), and then becomes defiled (i.e. his ablution becomes void) before he speaks (to someone), his prayer becomes complete. And those who prayed behind him also complete the prayer.

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful.

Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn AbuSufyan:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not try to outstrip me in bowing and prostrating because however earlier I bow you will join me when I raise (my head from bowing); I have become bulky.

Al-Bara who is not a liar said; when they (the companions) raised their heads from bowing along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they would stand up, and when they saw him that he went down in prostration, they would prostrate (following the prophet).

Al-Bara b.‘Azib said ; we used to pray along with the prophet (ﷺ); none of us bowed his back until he saw that the prophet (ﷺ) bowed (his back).

Al-Bara (b. Azib)said; They (the Companions) used to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When he bowed, they bowed; and when he said, “Allah listens to him who praises him”, they remained standing until they saw that he placed his placed his forehead on the ground: then they would follow him (ﷺ)

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Does he who raises his head while the Imam is prostrating not fear that Allah may change his head into a donkey’s or his face into a donkey’s face.

Anas said: The prophet (ﷺ) persuaded them to say prayer in congregation and prohibited them to leave before he goes away from the prayer.

Abu Hurairah said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked shout the validity of prayer in a single garment. The prophet (ﷺ) said: Does every one of you has two garment?

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: None of you should pray in a single garment of which no part comes over the shoulders.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: if anyone prays in a single piece of cloth, he should cross the two ends.

‘Umar b. Abu Salamah said : I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying girded with a single (piece of) cloth, place its two ends over his shoulders.

Narrated Talq ibn Ali al-Hanafi:

We came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and a man came and said: Prophet of Allah, what do you say if one prays in a single garment? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then took off his wrapper and combined it with his sheet, and put it on them. He got up and the Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said: Does every one of you have two garments?

Sahl b. Sa’d said: I saw the people tying their wrappers over their necks like children due to the narrowness of the wrappers behind the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) during prayer. Someone said: Body of women, do not raise your heads until the men raise (their heads).

‘A’ishah said; the prophet (ﷺ) prayed in a single (piece of) cloth whose one part was upon me.

Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':

I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a man who goes out hunting; may I pray in a single shirt? He replied: Yes, but fasten it even if it should be with a thorn.

‘Abd al-rahman b. Abu Bakr reported on the authority of his father Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah led us in prayer in a single shirt, having no sheet upon him. When he finished the prayer he said: I witnesses the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying in a shirt.

‘Ubadah b. al-Samit said: we came to Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah. He said : I (Jabir) accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a battle. He got up to pray. I had a sheet of cloth upon me, and I began to cross both the ends, but they did not reach (my shoulders). It had fringes which I turned over and crossed the two ends, and bowed down retaining it with my neck lest it should fall down. Then I came and stood on the left side of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He then took and brought me around him and set me on his right side. Then Ibn Sakhr came and stood on his left side. he then took us with his both hands and made us stand behind him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to look at me furtive glances, but I could not understand. When I understood, he hinted at me tie the wrapper. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished the prayer, he said (to me): O Jabir. I said; Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said; if it (the sheet) is wide, cross both its ends (over the shoulders); if it is tight, tie it over your loins.

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying, or reported ‘Umar as saying (the narrator is doubtful): if one of you has two (piece of) cloth, he should pray in them; if he has a single (piece of) cloth, he should use it as a wrapper, and should not hang it upon the shoulder like the Jews.

Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited us to pray in a sheet of cloth without crossing both its ends, and he also prohibited us to pray in a wrapper without putting on a sheet.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who lets his garment trail during prayer out of pride, Allah, the Almighty, has nothing to do with pardoning him and protecting him from Hell.

Abu Hurairah said : while a man was praying letting his lower garment trail, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: Go and perform ablution. He, therefore, went and performed ablution and then returned. He (the prophet) again said: Go and perform ablution. He again went, performed ablution and returned. A man said to him (the prophet): Messenger of Allah, why did you order him to perform ablution? He said: he was praying with lower garment trailing, and does not accept the prayer of a man who lets his lower garment trail.

Zaid b. Qunfudh said that his mother asked Umm Salamah : In how many clothes should a woman pray? She replied; she would pray wearing a veil and a long shirt which covers the surface of her feet.

Umm Salamah said that she asked the prophet (ﷺ); Can a woman pray in a shirt and veil without wearing a lower garment? He replied: if the shirt is ample and covers the surface of her feet.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Malik b. Anas, Bakr b. Mudar, Hafs b. Ghiyaht, Isma'il b. Ja'far, Ibn Abu Dhi'b, and Ibn Ishaq from Muhammad b. Zaid on the authority of his mother who narrated from Umm Salamah. None of these narrators mention the name of the Prophet (ﷺ). They reported it directly from Umm Salamah.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah does not accept the prayer of a woman who has reached puberty unless she wears a veil.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Sa;id b. Abi 'Arubah from Qatadah on the authority of al-Hasan from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Muhammad said: ‘A’ishah came to Safiyyah Umm Talha al-Talhat and seeing her daughter she said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered (into the house) and there was a girl in my apartment. He gave his lower garment (wrapper) to me and said; tear it into two pieces and give one-half to this (girl) and the other half to the girl with Umm Salamah. I think she has reached puberty, or (he said) I think they have reached puberty.

Abu Dawud said: Hisham has narrated it similarly from Muhammad b. Sirin.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade trailing garments during prayer and that a man should cover his mouth.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by 'Isi on the authority of 'Ata' from Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade trailing garments during prayer.

Ibn Juraij said; I often saw ‘Ata praying while letting his garment trail.

Abu Dawud said: This (practice of ‘Ata’) weakens the tradition (narrated by Abu Hurairah).

‘A’ishah said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would not pray on our sheets of cloth or on our quits. ‘Ubaid allah said: My father doubted.

Narrated AbuRafi':

Sa'id ibn AbuSa'id al-Maqburi reported on the authority of his father that he saw AbuRafi' the freed slave of the Prophet (ﷺ), passing by Hasan ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with them) when he was standing offering his prayer. He had tied the back knot of his hair. AbuRafi' untied it. Hasan turned to him with anger, AbuRafi' said to him: Concentrate on your prayer and do not be angry: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: This is the seat of the devil, referring to the back knot of the hair.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Kurayb the freed slave of Ibn Abbas reported: Abdullah ibn Abbas saw Abdullah ibn al-Harith praying having the back knot of the hair. He stood behind him and began to untie it. He remained standing unmoved (stationary). When he finished his prayer he came to Ibn Abbas and said to him: What were you doing with my head? He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: A man who prays with the black knot of hair tied is the one praying pinioned.

Narrated Abdullah ibn as-Sa'ib:

I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) praying on the day of the conquest of Mecca and he had placed his shoe at his left side.

‘Abd Allah b. al-Sa’ib said; the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in the morning prayer at Mecca. He began to recite Surah al-Mu;minin and while he came to description of Moses and Aaron or the description of Moses and Jesus the narrator Ibn ‘Abbad doubts or other narrators differed amongst themselves on this word the prophet (ﷺ) coughed and gave up (recitation) and then bowed ‘Abd Allah b. al-Sa’ib was present seeing all this incident.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading his Companions in prayer, he took off his sandals and laid them on his left side; so when the people saw this, they removed their sandals. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he asked: What made you remove your sandals? The replied: We saw you remove your sandals, so we removed our sandals.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Gabriel came to me and informed me that there was filth in them. When any of you comes to the mosque, he should see; if he finds filth on his sandals, he should wipe it off and pray in them.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a chain by Bakr b. ‘Abd Allah. This version has the word Khubuth (filth) and in two places the word Khubuthan (filth).

Narrated Aws ibn Thabit al-Ansari:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Act differently from the Jews, for they do not pray in their sandals or their shoes.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying both barefooted and wearing sandals.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When any of you prays, he should not place his sandals on his right side or on his left so as to be on the right side of someone else, unless no one is at his left, but should place them between his feet.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: when any of you prays and takes off his sandals, he should not harm anyone by them. He should place them between his feet or pray with them on

Maimunah bint al-Harith reported : the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray while. I was by his side in the state of menstruation. Sometime his cloth would touch me when he prostrated. He would pray on a small mat.

Anas b. Malik reported: A man from the Ansar said: I am a corpulent man-and he was (actually) a fat man; I cannot pray along with you. He prepared food for him and invited him to his house. (he said) (please) pray (here) so that I may see how you pray, and then I would follow you. They (the people) washed one side of their mat. He (the prophet) then got up and prayed two Rak’ahs. Ibn al-Jarud asked Anas b. Malik: would he (the prophet) say the forenoon prayer? He replied: I did not see him offering this prayer except that day.

Anas b. Malik said; the prophet (ﷺ) used to visit Umm Sulaim. Sometimes the time for prayer would come and he would pray on out carpet that was really a mat. She (Umm Sulaim) used to wash it with water.

Narrated Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray on a mat and on a tanned skin.

Anas b. Malik said: we used to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in intense heat. When any of us could not rest his face on bare ground while prostrating due to intense heat he spread his cloth and would prostrate on it.

jabir b. Samurah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Why do you stand in rows as the angels do in the presence of their Lord? We asked: how do the angles stand in rows in the presence of their Lord? He replied: they make the first row complete and keep close together in the row.

Al-Nu’man b. Bashir said: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) paid attention to the people and said three times; straighten your rows (in prayer); by Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will certainly put your faces in contrary directions. I then saw that every person stood in prayer keeping his shoulder close to that of the other, and his knee close to that of the other, and his ankle close to that of the other.

Al-Nu’man b. Bashir said: the prophet (ﷺ) used to straighten us in the rows of prayer as the arrow is straightened, until he thought that we had learned it from him and understood it. One day he turned towards us, and shoulders in order, and say; Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and his Angels bless those who near the first rows.

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass through the row from one side to the other; he used to set out chests and shoulders in order, and say: Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and His angels bless those who are near the first rows.

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to straighten our rows when we stood up to pray, and when we were straight, he said: Allah is most great (takbir).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, Allah will cut him off.

Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Shjrah is Kathir b. Murrah.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Stand close together in your rows, bring them near one another, and stand neck to neck, for by Him in Whose hand my soul is, I see the devil coming in through openings in the row just like a small black sheep.

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying : Straighten your rows for the straightening of the rows is part of perfecting the prayer.

Muhammad b. Muslim b. al-Sa’ib said: one day I prayed by the side of Anas b. Malik. He said ; Do you know why this stick is placed here ? I said : No, by Allah. He said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to put his hand upon it and say: Keep straight and straighten your rows.

This tradition has also ben transmitted by Anas through a different chain of transmitters. This version goes: when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood for prayer, he took it (the stick) in his right hand and turning (to the right side) said; keep straight and straighten your rows. He then took it in his left hand and said; keep straight and straighten your rows.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Complete the front row, then the one that comes next, and if there is any incompleteness, let it be in the last row.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best of you are those whose shoulders are soft in prayer.

Narrated AbdulHamid ibn Mahmud:

I offered the Friday prayer along with Anas ibn Malik. We were pushed to the pillars (due to the crowd of people). We, therefore, stopped forward and backward. Anas then said: We used to avoid it (setting a row between the pillars) during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Abu Ma’sud reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: let those of your who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them.

This tradition has also been transmitted by ‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: “Do not be irregular, so have your hearts irregular, and beware of tumult such as found in market”.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah and His angels bless those who are on the right flanks of the rows.

Narrated AbuMalik al-Ash'ari:

Should I not tell you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led the prayer? He said: He had the iqamah announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer. He then mentioned how he conducted it. and said: Thus is the prayer of......AbdulA'la said: I think he must have said: My people.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first.

‘A’ishah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying the people will continue to keep themselves away from the front row until Allah will keep them away (from the front) in the Hell-fire.

Abu Sa’Id al-Khudri said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a tendency among his companions to go to the back. He said to them; come forward and follow my lead, and let those who come after you follow your lead people will continue to keep to the back till Allah would put them at the back.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Have the imam in the centre and close up the gaps.

Narrated Wabisah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a man praying alone behind the row. He ordered him to repeat. Sulayman ibn Harb said: The prayer.

Abu Bakrah said that he came to the mosque when the prophet (ﷺ) was bowing. So I bowed outside the row (before joining it). The prophet (ﷺ) said; May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not do it again.

Al-Hasan reported : Abu Bakrah came when the apostle of Allah (ﷺ) was bowing. So he bowed without the row (before joining it). He then went to the row. When the prophet (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said: which of your bowed without the row, and then went to the row? Abu Bakrah said; it was i. the prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah increase your eagerness ! but do not do it again.

Talhah b. 'Ubaid Allah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When you place in front of you something such as the back of a saddle, then there is no harm if someone passes in front of you (i.e. the other side of it).

'Ata said: The back of the saddle is (about) one cubit (in height) or more than that.

Ibn 'Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would go out (for prayer) on the day of 'Id, he ordered to bring a lance, it was then setup in front of him and he would pray in its direction, and the people (stood) behind him. He used to do so during journey ; hence the rulers would take it (lance with them).

Abu Juhaifah said: The Prophet (ﷺ) led them in prayer at al-Batha', with a staff set up in front of him. (He prayed) two rak'ahs of the Zuhr prayer and two rak'ahs of the 'Asr prayer. The women and the donkeys would pass in front of the staff.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays, he should put something in front of his face, and if he can find nothing , he should set up his staff; but if he has no staff, he should draw a line; then what passes in front of him will not harm him.

This tradition has also been reported by Abu Hurairah through a different chain of narrators.

Abu Hurairah reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ...... He then narrated the tradition about drawing the line.

Sufyan said: We did not find anything by which we could reinforce this tradition, and this has been narrated only through this chain.

He ('Ali b. al-Madini, a narrator) said: I said to Sufyan: There is a difference of opinion of the name (Abu Muhammad b. 'Amr). He pondered for a moment and then said: I do not remember except Abu Muhammad b. 'Amr Sufyan said: A man had come to Kufah after the death of Isma'il b. Umayyah ; he was seeking Abu Muhammad until he found him. He asked him (about this tradition) but he became confused. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal who was questioned many times how the line should be drawn. He replied: In this way. horizontally like crescent.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Musaddad say: Ibn Dawud said: The line should be drawn perpendicularly.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal describing many times how the line should be drawn. He said: In this way horizontally in the round semi-circular form like the crescent, that is (the line should be) a curve.

Sufyan b. 'Uyainah said: I saw Sharik who led us in the 'Asr prayer during a funeral ceremony. He placed his cap in front of him, that is, for saying the obligatory prayer the time of which had come.

Ibn 'Umar said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray facing his camel.

Narrated Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad:

I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying in front of a stick, a pillar, or a tree, without having it opposite his right or left eyebrow, and not facing it directly.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not pray behind a sleeping or a talking person.

Narrated Sahl ibn AbuHathmah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays facing a sutrah he should keep close to it, and not let the devil interrupt his prayer.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been narrated by Waqid b. Muhammad from Safwan from Muhammad b. Sahl on the authority of his father, or on the authority of Muhammad b. Sahl from the Prophet (ﷺ). Some have narrated it from Nafi' b. Jubair on the authority of Sahl b. Sa'd. There is a variation in the chain of its narrators.

Sahl said: The distance between the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) stood and the qiblah (i.e. the sutrah or the wall of the mosque) was as much as to allow a goat to pass.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When one of you prays, he should not let anyone pass in front of him; he should turn him away as far as possible; but if he refuses (to go), he should fight him, for he is only a devil.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When one of you prays, he should pray facing the sutrah (screen or covering) and he should keep himself close to it. He then narrated the tradition to the same effect.

Abu 'Ubaid said: I saw 'Ata b. Yazid al-Laithi praying in a standing posture. So I went to him passing in front of him; he, therefore, turned me away. He then said to me: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone of you can do that he should not let anyone pass between him and the qiblah, he should do it.

Abu Salih said: I narrate what I witnesses from Abu Sa'id and heard from him. Abu Sa'id entered upon Marwan and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: When one of you prays facing any object which conceals him from people, and someone wishes to pass in front of him, he should strike him at his chest; if he refuses (to go), he should fight him; he is only a devil.

Abu Dawud said: Sufyan Ath-Thawri said: "A person arrogantly walks in front of me while I am praying, so I stop him, and a weak person passes, so I dont stop him."

Narrated Abu Juhaim :

The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying: "If one who passes in front of a man who is praying knew the responsibility he incurs, he would prefer to stand still for forty. . . rather than pass in front of him. Abu al-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said forty days, or months, or years."

Abu Dawud: Sufyan al-Thawri said: If a man passes proudly in front of me while I am praying, I shall stop him, and if a weak man passes, I shall not stop him.

Hafs reported that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying, and the other version of this tradition transmitted through a different chain has: Abu Dharr said (and not the Prophet): If there is not anything like the back of a saddle in front of a man who is praying, then a donkey, a black dog, and a woman cut off his prayer. I asked him: Why has the black dog been specified, distinguishing it from a red, a yellow and a white dog? He replied: My nephew, I also asked the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the same question as you asked me. He said: The black dog is a devil.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Qatadah said: I heard Jabir ibn Zayd who reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas; and Shu'bah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: A menstruating woman and a dog cut off the prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Sa'id, Hisham and Hammam narrated this tradition from Qatadah on the authority of Jabir b. Zaid as a statement of Ibn 'Abbas.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Ikrimah reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas, saying: I think the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays without a sutrah, a dog, an ass, a pig, a Jew, a Magian, and a woman cut off his prayer, but it will suffice if they pass in front of him at a distance of over a stone's throw.

Abu Dawud said: There is something about this tradition in my heart. I used to discuss it with Ibrahim and others. I did not find anyone who narrated it from Hisham and knew it. I did not know anyone who reported it from Hisham and knew it. I did not know anyone who related it from Hisham. I think the confusion is on the part of Ibn Abi Saminah that is, Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Basri, the freed slave of Banu Hisham. In this tradition the mention of words "a Magian" is rejected; the mention of the words "at a stone's throw" and "a pig" is rejected.

Abu Dawud said: I did not hear this tradition except from Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Samurrah and I think he was mistaken because he used to narrate to us from his memory.

Yazid b. Namran said: I saw a crippled man at Tabuk. He (the man) said: I passed riding a donkey in front of the Prophet(ﷺ) who was praying. He said (cursing him): O Allah, cut off his walking. Thenceforth I could not walk.

This tradition as also been reported by Sa’id through the same chain of narrators and to the same effect. He added: He cut off our prayer, may Allah cut off his walking.

Abu Dawud said: This version narrated by Mushir on the authority of Sa’id has: He cut off our prayer.

Sa’id b. Ghazwan reported on the authority of his father that he made his stay at Tabuk(during his journey) for performing Hajj. All of a sudden he saw a crippled man and asked him about his condition. He said: I relate to you a tradition, but do not narrate it to anyone so long as I am alive: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encamped at Tabuk near a date-palm and he said: This is our qiblah (direction for praying). He then offered prayer facing it. I came running, when I was a boy, until I passed the place between him and the tree. He said (cursing): He cut off our prayer, may Allah cut off his walking. I could not, therefore, stand upon them(feet) till today.

‘Amr b. Shu’aib reported from his father on the authority of his grand-father: We came down from the mountain pass of Adhaakhir in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The time of prayer came and he prayed facing a direction of prayer, and we were (standing) behind him. Then a kid came and passed in front of him. He kept on stopping it until he brought his stomach near the wall (to detain it), and at last it passed behind him, or as Musaddad said.

Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet (ﷺ) was (once) praying. A kid went passing in front of him and he kept on stopping it.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

I was sleeping in front of the Prophet (ﷺ) with my legs between him and the qiblah. Shu'bah said: I think she said: I was menstruating.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Zuhri, 'Ata, Abu Bakr b. Hafs, Hisham b. 'Urwah, 'Irak b. Malik, Abu al-Aswad and Tamim b. Salamah; all transmitted from 'Urwah on the authority of 'Aishah. Ibrahim narrated from al-Aswad on the authority of 'Aishah. Abu al-Duha narrated from Masruq on the authority of 'Aishah. Al-Qasim b. Muhammad and Abu Salamah narrated it from 'Aisha. All these narrators did not mention the words "And I was menstruating."

‘Urwah reported on the authority of ‘A’ishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray at night and she (‘A’ishah) would lie between him and the qiblah, sleeping on the bed on which he would sleep. When he wanted to offer the witr prayer, he awakened her and she offered the witr prayer.

‘A’ishah said: I used to sleep with my legs in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he would offer his prayer at night (i.e. tahajjud prayer offered towards the end of the night.). When he prostrated himself he struck my legs, and I drew them up and he then prostrated.

It was reported from Abu An-Nadr, from Abu Salama bin 'Abdur Rahman, from 'Aishah, that she said: "I used to be asleep while my legs would be in the front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was praying during the night. When he wanted to prostrate, he would prod my feet, so I would pull them up, and he would prostrate.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

I used to sleep lying between the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the qiblah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray when I (was lying) in front of him. When he wanted to offer the witr prayer - added by the narrator Uthman - he pinched me - then the narrators are agreed - and said: Set aside.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

I came riding a donkey. Another version has: Ibn Abbas said: When I was near the age of the puberty I came riding a she-ass and found the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) leading the people in prayer at Mina. I passed in front of a part of the row (of worshippers), and dismounting left my she-ass for grazing in the pasture, and I joined the row, and no one objected to that.

Abu Dawud said: These are the words of al-Qa'nabi, and are complete. Malik said: I take it as permissible at the time when the iqamah for prayer is pronounced.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

AbusSahba' said: We discussed the things that cut off the prayer according to Ibn Abbas. He said: I and a boy from Banu AbdulMuttalib came riding a donkey, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer. He dismounted and I also dismounted. I left the donkey in front of the row (of the worshippers). He (the Prophet) did not pay attention to that. Then two girls from Banu AbdulMuttalib came and joined the row in the middle, but he paid no attention to that.

The above mentioned narration has also been narrated by Mansur through a different chain of narrators. This version has: Then two girls from Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib came fighting together. He caught them. ‘Uthman (a narrator) said: He separated them. And Dawud (another narrator) said: He pulled away from the other, but he paid no attention to that.

Narrated Al-Fadl ibn Abbas:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us accompanied by Abbas when we were in open country belonging to us. He prayed in a desert with no sutrah in front of him, and a she-ass and a bitch of ours were playing in front of him, but he paid no attention to that.

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Nothing interrupt prayer, but repulse as much as you can anyone who passes in front of you, for he is just a devil.

Abu al-Waddak said: A youth from the Quraish passed in front of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri who was praying. He repulsed him. He returned again. He then repulsed him for the third time. When he finished the prayer, he said: Nothing cuts off prayer; but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Repulse as much as you can, for he is just a devil.

Abu Dawud said: If two traditions of the prophet(ﷺ) conflict, the practice of the Companions after him should be taken into consideration.

Salim reported on the authority of his father (Ibn ‘Umar): I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) that when he began prayer, he used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders, and he did so when he bowed, and raised his head after bowing. Sufyan(a narrator) once said: “When he raised his head:; and after he used to say: “When he raised his head after bowing. He would not raise (his hands) between the two prostrations."

‘Abd Allah b. Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders when he began prayer, then he uttered takbir (Allah is most great) in the same condition, and then he bowed. And when he raised his back (head) after bowing he raised them opposite his shoulders, and said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” But he did not raise his hand when he prostrated himself; he rather raised them when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) before bowing until his prayer is finished.

‘Abd al-Jabbar b. Wa’il (b.Hujr) said: I was a small boy and I did not understand the prayer of my father. So Wa’Il b. ‘Alqamah reported Wa’il b. Hujr as saying: I offered prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He used to raise his hands when he pronounced the takbir (Allah is most great), then pulled his garment around him, then placed his right hand on his left, and entered his hands in his garment. When he was about to bow he took his hands out of his garment, and then raised them. And when he raised his head after bowing, he raised his hands. He then prostrated himself and placed his face (forehead on the ground) between his hands. And when he raised his head after prostration, he also raised his hands until he finished his prayer. Muhammad (a narrator) said: I mentioned it to al-Hasan b. Abu al-Hasan who said: This is how the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) offered prayer; some did it and others abandoned it.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammam from ibn Juhadah, but he did not mention the raising of hands after he raised his head at the end of the prostration.

Wa’il b.Hujr said: He saw that when the Prophet(ﷺ) stood up to pray he raised his hands till they were in front of his shoulders and placed his thumbs opposite his ears; then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great).

Wa’il b.Hujr said that he saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) raise his hands when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great).

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

I purposely looked at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), how he offered it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up, faced the direction of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then placed his right hand on his left (catching each other).

When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead between his hands.

He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and made a circle (with the fingers).

I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.

The above tradition has been transmitted by ‘Asim b. Kulaib through a different chain of narrators and to the same effect. This version has: “He then placed his right hand on the back of his left palm and his wrist and forearm.” This also adds: “I then came back afterwards in a season when it was severe cold. I saw the people putting on heavy clothes moving their hands under the clothes (i.e. raised their hands before and after bowing).”

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

I witnessed the Prophet (ﷺ) raise his hands in front of his ears when he began to pray. I then came back and saw them (the people) raising their hands up to their chest when they began to pray. They wore long caps and blankets.

Wa’il b. Hujr said: I came to the Prophet(ﷺ) during winter; I saw his companions raise their hands in their clothes in prayer.

Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi once told a company of ten of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ; Abu Qatadah was one of them: I am one among you who is more informed of the way the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed. They said: Why, By Allah, you did not follow him more than us, nor did you remain in his company longer than us? He said: Yes. They said: Then describe (how the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed). He said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up to pray, he raised his hands so as to bring them opposite his shoulders, and uttered the takbir (Allah is the most great), until every bone rested in its place properly: then re recited (some verses from the Quran); then he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite his shoulders; then he bowed; placing the palms of his hands on his knees and keeping himself straight, neither raising nor lowering his head; then raised his head saying: “Allah listens to him who praise Him”; then raised his hands so as to bring them exactly opposite to his shoulders; then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then lowered himself to the ground (in prostration), keeping his arms away from his sides; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it, and opened the toes when he prostrated: then he uttered: “Allah is most great”; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it so that every bone returned to its place properly; then he did the same in the second (rak’ah). At the end of the two Rak’ahs he stood up and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite to his shoulders; then he bowed, placing the palms of his hands on his knees and keeping himself straight, neither raising or lowering his head: then raised his head saying: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; then raised his hands so as to bring them exactly opposite his shoulders; then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then lowered himself to the ground (in prostration), keeping his arms away from his sides; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it, and opened the toes when he prostrated himself; then he prostrated; then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then raised his head, bent his left foot and sat on it so that every bone returned to its place properly; then he did the same in the second (rak’ah). At the end of two rak’ahs he stood up and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), raising his hands so as to bring them opposite to his shoulders in the way he had uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great) at the beginning of the prayer; then he did that in the remainder of his prayer; and after prostration which if followed by the taslim (salutation) he out his left foot and sat on his left hip. They said: You have spoken the truth. This is how he(peace be upon him) used to pray.

‘Amr al-Amiri said: I (once) attended the meeting of the companions of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). They began to discuss his prayer. Abu Humaid then narrated a part of the same tradition and said: When he bowed he clutched his knees with his palms, and he opened his fingers; then he bent his back without raising his upwards, and did not turn his face (on any side). When he sat at the end of two rak’ahs he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised the right, and after the fourth he placed his left hip on the ground and spread out both his feet one side.

The above mentioned tradition has also been reported by Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. ‘Ata’ through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: “When he prostrated himself he neither placed his arms on the ground nor closed them; putting forward his fingers towards the qiblah.”

Abbas or ‘Ayyash b. Sahl as-Sa’idi said that he was present in a meeting which was attended by his father who was one of the companions of the Prophet(ﷺ), Abu Hurairah, Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi and Abu Usaid. He narrated the same tradition with a slight addition or deletion. He said: He then raised his head after bowing and uttered:”Allah listens to him who praises Him, to Thee, our Lord, be the praise,” and raised his hands. He then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then he prostrated himself and rested on his palms, knees, and the end of his toes while prostrating: then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great), and sat down on his hips and raised his other foot; then he uttered the takbir and prostrated himself; then he uttered takbir and stood up, but did not sit on his hips. He (the narrator) then narrated the rest of the tradition. He further said: Then he sat down at the end of two rak’ahs; when he was about to stand after two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir; then he offered the last two rak’ahs of the prayer. The narrator did not mention about his sitting on the hips spreading out his feet.

‘Abbas b. Sahl. Said: Abu Humaid, Abu Usaid, Sahl. B Sa’d and Muhammad b. Maslamah (once) got together and discussed how the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) used to offer his prayer. Abu Humaid said: I am more informed than any of you regarding the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he mentioned a part of it, and said: He then bowed and placed his hands upon his knees as if he caught hold of them; and bent them, keeping (his arms) away from his sides. He them prostrated himself and placed his nose and forehead (on the ground); and kept his arms away from his side, and placed his palms (on the ground opposite his shoulders; he then raised his head that every bone returned to its proper place; (he then prostrated twice) until he finished this prostrations). Then he sat down and spread out his left foot, putting forward the front of his right foot towards the qiblah placing the palm of his right hand on his right knee, and the palm of his left hand on his left knee, and he pointed with his finger.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Ibn al-Mubarak from Fulaih who heard ‘Abbas . Sahl narrating it; but I do not remember it. I think he made the mention of ‘Isa b. ‘Abd Allah who heard ‘Abbas b. Sahl saying: I accompanied Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi.

Abu Humaid reported to the same effect. He said: When he (the Prophet) prostrated he kept his thighs wide and did not let his belly touch the thighs.

Abu Dawud says that Ibn Mubarak narrated this hadith from ‘Abbas b. Sahl, which he did not remember well. It is thought that he has mentioned ‘Isa b. ‘Abd Allah, ‘Abbas b. Sahl and Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi.

Wa’il b. Hujr reported in this tradition from the Prophet(ﷺ): When he prostrated, his knees touched the ground before his palms touched it; when he prostrated himself, he placed his forehead on the ground between his palms, and kept his armpits away from his sides.

Hajjaj reported from Hammam and Shaqiq narrated a similar tradition to us from ‘Asim b. Kulaib on the authority of his father from the Prophet(ﷺ).

And another version narrated by one of them has-and I think in all probability that this version has been narrated by Muhammad b. Juhadah-when he got up (after prostration), he got up with his knees and gave his weight on his thighs.

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raising his thumbs in prayer up to the lobes of his ears.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) for prayer (in the beginning), he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and when he bowed, he did like that; and when he raised his head to prostrate, he did like that; and when he got up at the end of two rak'ahs, he did like that.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Maymun al-Makki said: that he saw Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr leading in prayer. He pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands opposite to the shoulders) when he stood up, when he bowed and when he prostrated, and when he got up after prostration, he pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands).

The I went to Ibn Abbas and said (to him) I saw Ibn az-Zubayr praying that I never saw anyone praying. I then told him about the pointing with his hands (raising his hands). He said: If you like to see the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) follower the prayer as offered by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Nadr ibn Kathir as-Sa'di said: Abdullah ibn Tawus prayed at my side in the mosque of al-Khayf. When he made the first prostration, he raised his head after it and raised his hands opposite to his face. This came as something strange for me. I, therefore, said it to Wuhayb ibn Khalid.

Then Wuhayb ibn Khalid said to him: You are doing a thing that I did not see anyone do. Ibn Tawus then replied: I saw my father doing it, and my father said: I saw Ibn Abbas doing it. I do not know but he said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do it.

Nafi’ said on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that when he began prayer, he uttered the takbir( Allah is most great) and raised his hands; and when he bowed( he raised his hands); and when he said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him,” (he raised his hands); and when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs, he raised his hands. He (Ibn ‘Umar) traced that back to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Abu Dawud said: What is correct is that the tradition reported by Ibn ‘Umar does not go back to the Prophet (may peace beupon him). Abu Dawud said: The narrator Baqiyyah reported the first part of this tradition from ‘Ubaid Allah and traced it back to the Prophet (ﷺ); and the narrator al-Thaqafi reported it from ‘Ubaid Allah as a statement of Ibn ‘Umar himself(not from the Porphet). In this version he said: When he stood at the end of two rak’ahs he raised them up to his breasts. And this is the correct version.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted as a statement of Ibn ‘Umar (and not of the Prophet) by al-Laith b. Sa’d, Malik, Ayyub, and Ibn Juraij; and this has been narrated as a statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) by Hammad b. Salamah alone on the authority of Ayyub. Ayyub and Malik did not mention his raising of hands when he stood after two prostrations, but al-Laith mentioned it in his version. Ibn Juraij said in this version: I asked Nafi’: Did Ibn ‘Umar raise (his hands) higher for the first time? He said: No, I said: Point out to me. He then pointed to the breasts or lower than that.

Nafi’ said: When ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar began his prayer, he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and when he raised his head after bowing, he raised them lower than that.

Abu Dawud said: So as far as I know, no one narrated the words “he raised them lower that that” except Malik.

Ibn ‘Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the end of two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands.

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood for offering the obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and he did like that when he finished recitation (of the Qur'an) and was about to bow; and he did like that when he rose after bowing; and he did not raise his hands in his prayer while he was in his sitting position.

When he stood up from his prostrations (at the end of two rak'ahs), he raised his hands likewise and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands so as to bring them up to his shoulders, as he uttered the takbir in the beginning of the prayer.

Malik b. al-Huwairith said: I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) raise his hands when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), when he bowed and when he raised his head after bowing until he brought them to the lobes of his ears.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

If I were in front of the Prophet (ﷺ), I would see his armpits. Ibn Mu'adh added that Lahiq said: Do you not see, AbuHurayrah could not stand in front of the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was praying. Musa added: When he uttered the takbir, he raised his hands.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us how to pray. He then uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands; when he bowed, he joined his hands and placed them between his knees. When this (report) reached Sa'd, he said: My brother said truly. We used to do this; then we were later on commanded to do this, that is, to place the hands on the knees.

It was reported from Alqamah who said: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: Should I not pray for you the way the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed? So he prayed, raising his hands only once.

Abu Dawud said: This is a summarized version of a longer narration and it is not authentic with this wording.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Sufyan through a different chain of narrators. This version has: He raised his hands once in the beginning. Some narrated: (raised his hands) once only.

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began prayer, he raised his hands up to his ears, then he did not repeat.

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."

Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kept silence between the takbir and the recitation of Qur’an. So I asked him, for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom: What do you say during you period of silence between the takbir and the recitation? He replied (that he said): O Allah, purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth. O Allah, wash away my sings with snow, water and hail.

‘Anas said: The Prophet(peace be upon hm), Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman used to begin the recitation with “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe.”

‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) began prayer with the takbir (Allah is most great) and with reciting “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe”. And when he bowed, he neither raised up nor lowered down his head, but kept it between the two (conditions). And when he raised his head after bowing, he did not prostrate himself until he stood up straight; and when he raised his head after prostration, he did not prostrate (the second time) until he sat down properly; and he recited al-tahiyyat after every pair of rak’ahs; and when he sat, he spread out his left foot and raised his right. He forbade to sit like the sitting of the devil, and to spread out to hands (on the ground in prostration) like animals. He used to finish prayer with uttering the salutation.

Anas b. Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A surah has just been revealed to me. He then recited:”In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Lo! We have given thee Abundance” until he finished it. Then he asked: Do you know what Abundance (al-Kawthar) is? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know it better. He said: It is a river of which my Lord, the Exalted, the Majestic has promised me to give in Paradise.

‘Urwah reported on the authority of ‘A’ishah mentioning the incident of slander. She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat and unveiled his face and said: “I take refuge in Allah, All-Hearing, All-Knowing from the accursed devil. Lo! They who spread the slander are a gang among you.”

Abu Dawud said: This is a rejected (munkar) tradition. A group of narrators have reported this tradition from al-Zuhri; but did not mention this detail. I am afraid the phrase concerning “seeking refuge in Allah” is the statement of Humaid.

Narrated Uthman ibn Affan::

Yazid al-Farisi said: I heard Ibn Abbas say: I asked Uthman ibn Affan: What moved you to put the (Surah) al-Bara'ah which belongs to the mi'in (surahs) (containing one hundred verses) and the (Surah) al-Anfal which belongs to the mathani (Surahs) in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal (the first long surah or chapters of the Qur'an), and you did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" between them?

Uthman replied: When the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ), he called someone to write them down for him and said to him: Put this verse in the surah in which such and such has been mentioned; and when one or two verses were revealed, he used to say similarly (regarding them). (Surah) al-Anfal is the first surah that was revealed at Medina, and (Surah) al-Bara'ah was revealed last in the Qur'an, and its contents were similar to those of al-Anfal. I, therefore, thought that it was a part of al-Anfal. Hence I put them in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal (the seven lengthy surahs), and I did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" between them.

The above mentioned tradition has been reported by ibn abbas through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. This version adds: The apostle of Allah (ﷺ) died, but he did not mention to us that surah al baraah ins a part of al-anfal.

Abu Dawood said: Al-sha’bl, Abu Malik, Qatadah, and Thabit b. ‘Umarah said: The prophet( may peace be upon him) did not write”In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful” until Surah al-naml was revealed. This is the meaning of what they said. Further, this is a mursal traditional(omitting the name of the companion)

Ibn Abbas said: The prophet (ﷺ) did not distinguish between the two surahs until the words “In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the merciful” was revealed to him. These are the words of Ibn al-sarh.

Abu Qatadah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: I stand up to pray and intend to prolong it; but when I hear the cry of a boy I shorten if for fear that his mother might be distressed.

Jabir said: Mu’adh b. Jabal used to pray along with the Prophet (ﷺ); then he returned and led us in prayer. Sometimes he (the narrator) said: then he returned and led his people in prayer. One night the Prophet (ﷺ) delayed the prayer. Sometimes he (the narrator) mentioned the word “the night prayer”. Then Mu’adh prayed along with the Prophet (ﷺ), then returned to his people and led them in prayer, and recited Surat al-Baqarah. A man turned aside and prayed alone. The people said to him: Have you become a hypocrite, so and so? He replied: I did not become a hypocrite. He then came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said (to him): Messenger of Allah, Mu’adh prays along with you and then returns and leads us in prayers. We look after camels used for watering and work for by day. He came to us leading us in prayer, and he recited Surah al-Baqarah (in prayer). He (the Prophet) said: Mu’adh, are you a trouble maker? Recite such and such ; recite such and such (surahs) The narrator Abu al-Zubair said (recite) “Glorify the name of the most high lord” (surah lxxxvii) and “By the night when it covers over” (surah xcii). We mentioned this to ‘Amr. He said I think he mentioned it (the names of some surahs).

Hazm b. Ubayy b. Ka’b said that he came to mu’adh b. jabal who was leading the people in the sunset prayer. According to this version, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: O mu’adh, do not become a trouble , because the aged, the weak, the needy and the traveler pray behind you.

Narrated Some Companions of the Prophet:

AbuSalih reported on the authority of some Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ): The Prophet (ﷺ) said to a person: what do you say in prayer?

He replied: I first recite tashahhud (supplication recited in sitting position), and then I say: O Allah, I ask Thee for Paradise, and I seek refuge in Thee from Hell-Fire, but I do not understand your sound and the sound of Mu'adh (what you say or he says in prayer). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: We too go around it (paradise and Hell-fire).

Jabir narrated the story of mu’adh and said: The prophet (ﷺ) said to a youth: My nephew, what do you do in prayer? He replied: I recited fatihat al-katab and I ask Allah for paradise and seek his refuge from hell-fire I do not understand well your sound and the sound of mu’adh. The prophet (ﷺ) said: I and Mu’adh go around both (paradise and Hell-fire), or he said something similar.

Abu Hurairah reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying: When one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief, for among them are the weak, the sick, and the aged. But when one of you prays by himself, he may pray as long as he likes.

Abu Hurairah reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying: when one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief, for among them are the sick, the aged and the needy.

‘Ammar b. Yasir said: I heard the apostle of Allah (ﷺ) say: A man returns after saying his prayer while a tenth part of his prayer, or a ninth part, or an eight part, or a seventh part, or a sixth part, or a fifth part, or a third part, or half of it, is recorded for him.

Abu Hurairah said: In every prayer there is a recitation. We make you listen what the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) made us listen, and we keep hidden from you what he kept hidden from us.

Abu Qatadah said: The apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to lead us in prayer and recite in the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayers Fatihat al-kitab and two surahs, and he would sometimes recite loud enough for us to hear the verse. He would prolong the first rak’ah of the noon prayer and shorten the second; and he did so in the morning prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad did not mention the words fatihat al-kitab and surah.

The above mentioned tradition as been reported by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: He would recite Fatihat al-kitab in the last two surahs. Hammam added: He would prolong the first rak’ah but would not prolong the second so much; and he did so similarly in the afternoon prayer, and so in the morning prayer.

Abu Qatadah said: We thought that by this (prolonging the first rak’ah). He (the prophet) meant that the people might join the first rak’ah.

Abu Ma’mar said: We asked Khabbab: Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recit (the Quran) in the noon and afternoon prayers? He replied: Yes. We then asked: How did you know this? He said: By the shaking of his beard, may peace be upon him.

Abd Allah b. Abl Awfa said: The prophet (ﷺ) used to stand in the rak’ah of prayer so much so that no sound of steps heard.

Jabir b. Samurah reported: ’Umar said to Sa’d: people complain against you for everything, even for prayer. He replied: I prolong the first two rak’ahs of prayer and make the last two rak’ahs brief; I do not fall short of following the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah(May peace be upon him). He said: I think so about you.

Abu sa’id al Khudri said: We used to estimate how long the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood in the noon and the afternoon prayer, and we estimated that he stood in the first two rak’ahs of the noon prayer as long as it takes to recite thirty verses (of the Qur’an), such as A-L-M Tanzil al-Sajdah. And we estimated that he stood in the last two rak’ahs half the time he stood in the first two rak’ahs. We estimated that he stood in the first two rak’ahs of the afternoon prayer as long as he did in the last two at noon; and we estimated that he stood in the last two rak’ahs of the afternoon prayer half the time he did in first two.

Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in the noon and afternoon prayer: "By the Heaven and the Morning Star" (Surah 86) and "By the Heaven , holding mansions of the stars" (Surah 85) and similar surahs of equal length.

Jabir b. samurah said: When the sun declined, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the noon prayer and recited surahs lie "By the night when it covers over" (92) and (recited similar surahs) in the afternoon prayer, and in the other prayers except the dawn prayer which he used to prolong.

Ibn ‘Umr said: The prophet (ﷺ) prostrated himself in the noon prayer; then he stood up and bowed, and we knew that he recited Tanzil al-sajdah(surah xxxii).

Ibn ‘Isa said: No one narrated this tradition to Umayyah except Mu’tamir.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Abdullah ibn Ubaydullah said: I went to Ibn Abbas accompanying some youths of Banu Hashim. We said to one of them: Ask Ibn Abbas: Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite (the Qur'an) in the noon and afternoon prayers? He replied: No. People said to him: Perhaps he might recite the Qur'an quietly. He said: May your face be scratched (a kind of curse)! This (statement) is worse than the former.

He was only a servant (of Allah) receiving Commands from Him. He preached (the divine) message which he brought with him. He did not command anything to us (Banu Hashim) specially excluding other people except three points: he commanded us to perform ablution perfectly, and not to accept charity (sadaqah) and not to make pairing of donkey with horse.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

I do not know whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would recite the Qur'an at the noon and afternoon prayer or not.

Um al-fadl daughter of al-Harith said: I heard Ibn’Abbas reciting wa’l-mursalat urfan(surah lxxxvii). She said; sonny you have reminded me of this surah by your recitation. Thie is the last surah which I heard the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) reciting in the sunset prayer.

Jubair b. Mut’im said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting al-Tur(surah lii) in the sunset prayer.

Marwan b. a-hakkam said: Zaid b. Thabit asked me: Why do you recite short surahs in the sunset prayer? I saw the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) reciting two long surahs at the sunset prayers. I asked him: which are those two long surahs? He replied: Al-A’raf(surah vii) and al-an’am(surah vi). I ( the narrator Ibn Juraij) asked Ibn Mulaikah (about these surahs): He said on his own accord: Al-ma’idah (surah v.) and al-A’raf(furah vii.)

HIsham b . ‘Urwah said that his father (‘Umrah) used to recite the surahs as you recite like Wa’l-Adiyat(surah c).

Abu Dawud said: This indicates that those (traditions indicating long surahs) are abrogated, and this is more sound tradition.

‘Amr b. Shu’aib, on his father’s authority, quoted his grandfather as saying: There is no short or long surah in al-Mufassal which I have not heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) reciting when he led the people in the prescribed prayer.

Abu’Uthman al-Nahdl said that he offered the sunset prayer behind Ibn mas’ud, when he recited “Say: He is Allah, the One” (Surah 112).

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Abdullah al-Juhani:

A man of Juhaynah told him that he had heard the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting "When the earth is shaken" (Surah 99) in both rak'ahs of the morning prayer. But I do not know whether he had forgotten, or whether he recited it on purpose.

‘Amr b. Huraith said: As if I am hearing the voice of the prophet (may peace by upon him) who would recite at the morning prayer “Oh, but I call to witness the planets, the stars which rise and set”(surah 81:15-16)

Abu sa’id said: we were commanded to recite Fatihat al-kitab and whatever was convenient (from the Qur’an during the prayer).

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Go out and announce in medina that prayer is not valid but the recitation of the Qur’an even though it might be fatihat al-kitab and something more.

Abu hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded me to announce that prayer is not valid but with the recitation of Fatihat al-kitab and something more.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: If anyone observes a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an, it is incomplete, it is incomplete, it is incomplete, and deficient. (The narrator said) I said: Abu Hurairah, sometime I pray behind the imam(then what should I do)? Pressing my hand he replied: O Persian, recite it inwardly, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying that Allah, Most High, has said: I have Me and the Half for my servant and My servant will receive what he asks. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: Recite. When the servant says: “praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe,” Allah, Most High says: “My servant has praised me.” When the servant says: “ The Compassionate, the merciful, “Allah Most High says: “My servant has lauded me.” When the servant says: “Owner of the Day of Judgment,” Allah, Most High, says: “My servant has glorified Me” When the servant says: “ Thee do we worship and of thee we ask help. “ (Allah says) “This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks.” When the servant says: “ Guide us to the Straight Path, the path of those whom thou hast favoured, not ( the path) of those who earn thine anger nor of those who go astray,”(Allah says: ) “This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks.”

'Ubadah b. al-Samit reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying : the prayer is not valid I one does not recite fatihat al-kitab and something more, sufyan( the narrator) said: This applies to a man who prays alone.

Narrated Ubadah ibn as-Samit:

We were behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at the dawn prayer, and he recited (the passage), but the recitation became difficult for him. Then when he finished, he said: Perhaps you recite behind your imam? We replied: Yes, it is so, Messenger of Allah. He said: Do not do so except when it is Fatihat al-Kitab, for he who does not recite it is not credited with having prayed.

Nafi’b. Mahmudb. Al-Rabi’ Al-Ansari said: “Ubadah b. al-samit came to late to lead the morning prayer. Abu Nu’aim, the mu’adhdhin, pronounced the takbir and he led the people in prayer. Then Ubadah came and I was with him. We Joined the row behind Abu Nu’aim, while Abu Nu’aim was reciting the Qur’an loudly. Then ‘Ubadah began to recite the Umm al-Quran (I.e Surah al Fatihah). When he finished, I said to Ubadah: I heard you reciting the Umm al-Qur’an while Abu Nu’aim was reciting Qur’an loudly. He replied: yes> The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in a certain prayer in which the Qur’an is recited loudly, but he became confused in the recitation. When he finished he turned his face to us and said: Do you recite when I recite the Qur’an loudly? Some of us said: we do so; this is why I said to myself: What is that which confused me (in the recitation of ) the Qur’an. Do not recite anything from the Qur’an when I recite it loudly except the Umm al-Qur’an.

The above mentioned tradition has been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by 'Ubadah b. al-samit like the version of al-Rabi’b Sulaiman. This version adds: Makhul used to recite Surah al Fatihah al-kitab quietly in the prayer in which the imam recites the Qur’an loudly when he observes the period of silence. If he does not observe the period of silence, recite it before him(i.e before his recitation), or along with him or after him; do not give it up in any case.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished a prayer in which he had recited (the Qur'an) loudly, he asked: Did any of you recite along with me just now? A man replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: I am wondering what is the matter with me that I have been contended with reciting the Qur'an. He said: When the people heard that from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) they ceased reciting (the Qur'an) along with him at the prayers in which he recited aloud.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition reported by Ibn Ukaimah has also been narrated by Ma'mar, Yunus, and Usamah b. Zaid on the authority of al-Zuhri similar to the tradition of Malik.

Abu Hurairah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer, that was, we think, the dawn prayer, He further narrated this tradition up to the words “what is the matter with me that I have been contended with in (the recitation of ) the Qur’an.”

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad in his tradition said that Ma’mar said: The people ceased to recite (the Qur’an) at the prayer in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited aloud. Ibn al-Sarh said in his version that Ma’mar reported from al-Zuhri on the authority of Abu Hurairah. Then the people ceased (to recite behind the imam). Another version says: Sufyan said: Al-Zuhri spoke a word that I could not hear. Then Ma’mar said: He said: Then people ceased (to recite the Qur’an)

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by ‘Abd al-Raman b. Ishaq on the authority of al-Zuhri. This version ends at the words: “What is the matter with me that I am contended with in (the recitation of) the Qur’an. Al-Awza’i also narrated it on the authority of al-Zuhri. This version has: Al-Zuhri said: The Muslims took lesson from that and thenceforth they did not recite (the Qur’an) at the prayer in which he (the Prophet) recited aloud.

Abu Dawud said: I heard Muhammad b. Yaya b. Faris say: The words “the people ceased to recite (the Qur’an)” is a statement of al-zuhri.

Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:

The Prophet (ﷺ) led (us) in the noon prayer, and a man came and recited behind him "Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High" (Surah 87). When he finished (the prayer), he said: Which of you recited? They (the people) said: A man (recited). He said: I knew that some one of you confused me in it (in the recitation of the Qur'an).

Abu Dawud said: Abu al-Walid said in his version: Shu'bah said: I asked Qatadah: Did Sa'id not say: Listen attentively to the Qur'an? He replied: (Yes), but that applies to prayer in which it (the Qur'an) is recited aloud. Ibn Kathir said in his version: I said to Qatadah: Perhaps he (the Prophet) disliked it (recitation). He said: If he had disliked it, he would have prohibited it.

‘Imran b. Husain reported that the prophet of Allah (ﷺ) led them in the noon prayer. When he finished it, he said: Which of you did recite the surah “ Glorify the name of thy lord, the Most High”(Surah lxxxvii.) A man said: I . He said: I knew that some one of you confused me in it(i.e in the recitation of the Qur’an).

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us while we were reciting the Qur'an, and there were among us bedouins and the non-Arabs. He said: Recite, all is well. In the near future there will appear people who will straighten it (the Qur'an) as an arrow is straightened. They will recite it quickly and not slowly (or it means that they will get the reward in this world and not in the Hereafter).

Sahl b. Sa’d al-Sa’idi said: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) one day came out to us while we were reciting the Qur’an. He said: Praise be to Allah. The Book of Allah is one, and among you are the red, and among you are the white and among you are the black. Recite it before there appear people who will recite it and straighten it as an arrow is straightened. They will get their reward for it in this world and will not get it in the Hereafter.

Narrated Abdullah ibn AbuAwfa:

A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: I cannot memorise anything from the Qur'an: so teach me something which is sufficient for me. He said: Say Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is most great, and there is no might and no strength but in Allah.

:He said: Messenger of Allah, this is for Allah, but what is for me? He said: Say: O Allah have mercy on me, and sustain me, and keep me well, and guide me. When he stood up, he made a sign with his hand (indicating that he had earned a lot).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He filed up his hand with virtues.

Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah said: we used to offer supererogatory prayers and recite supplications while we were standing, and would glorify Allah while bowing and prostrating.

The above-mention tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Humaid, but he did not mention the word “Supererogatory prayer” This version has: Al-Hasan (al-Basri) would recite fatihat al-kitab in the noon and afternoon prayers while he led in prayer or he was behind the imam and would glorify Allah, and would repeatedly say: “Allah is most great” and “ There is no god but Allah” (i.e takbir and tahlil) equal to the amount one recites al-Qaf (Surah 50) and al-Dhariyat(surah 51).

Mutarrif said: I and ‘Imran b. Husain offered prayer behind ‘All b. AbI Talib(may Allah be pleased with him). When he prostrated, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and when he bowed, he uttered the takbir and when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir. When we finished our prayer, ‘Imran caught hold of my hand, and said: He has led us in prayer just now like the prayer offered by Muhammed(may peace by upon him).

Abu bakr b. ‘Abd al-Rahman and abu Salamah said: Abu Hurairah would utter the takbir in every prayer, whether obligatory or non-obligatory, He would utter the takbir when he stood, and he would utter the takbir when he bowed, then he would say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him”; he then would say before prostrating himself; “ Our Lord, to Thee be praise”; then he would say while falling in prostration: “Allah is most great”; he then would utter the takbir when he raised his head after prostration, and then utter the takbir when he prostrated, and then utter takbir the takbir when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs after sitting down. He used to do so in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. Then he would say at the end of the prayer: By Him in Whose hands lies my life, I am closer to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) in respect of his prayer. Such was the prayer he used to offer until he departed from the world.

Abu Dawud said: Malik, al-Zubaidi and others have narrated so that they form the last words from al-Zuhri on the authority of ‘Ali b, Husain. And this is supported by the version reported by ‘Abd al-A’la from Ma’mar and SHu’aib b. Abi Hamzah on the authority of Al-Zuhri.

‘Abd al Rahman b. Abza said that he offered prayer along with the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) but he did not complete the takbir.

Abu Dawud said: This means that when he raised his head after bowing and when he was about to prostrate, he did not utter the takbir, and when he stood up after prostration, he did not utter the takbir.

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

I saw that the Prophet (ﷺ) placed his knees (on the ground) before placing his hands when he prostrated himself. And when he stood up, he raised his hands before his knees.

The above-mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Wa’il b. Hujr through a different chain of narrators. This version has: When he prostrated himself, his knees fell on the ground before his hands had fallen. Hemmam said: This tradition has also been transmitted by ‘Asim b. Kulaib through a different chain of narrators to the same effect. And one of these two versions, and probably the version narrated by Muhammad b. Juhadah, has the words: When he stood up (after prostration), he stood up on his knees taking the support of his thighs.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: when one of you prostrates himself he must not kneel in the manner of camel, but should put down his hands before his knees.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: (Does) one of you kneel down in his prayer as a camel kneels down (i.e. put his knees before his hands).

Abu Qilabah said: Abu sulaiman malik b. al-Huwairith came to our mosque and said: By Allah, I Shall offer prayer; and I do not intend to pray, but I intend to show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering prayer. He (the narrator Ayyub) said: I asked Abu Qilabah: How did he pray? He replied: Like the prayer of this head after the last prostration in the first rak’ah, he used to sit, and then stand up.

Abu Qilabah said: Abu Sulaiman Malik b. al-Huwairth came to our mosque, and said: By Allah, I Shall offer prayer, though I do not intend to pray; I only intend to show you how I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) praying. The narrator said: ( He then prayed and ) he sat at the end of the first rak’ah when he raised his head after the last prostration.

Abu Qilabah said: Malik b. al-Huwairith saw that the prophet (may peace by upon him) would not stand at the end of the first or the third rak’ah until he sat down straight.

Tawus said: we asked Ibn ‘Abbas about sitting on heels between the two prostrations. He said: It is the sunnah. We said: We look upon it as a pressure on the foot. He said: This is the sunnah of your Prophet(ﷺ)

Abd Allah b. Abi Awfa said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raised his head after bowing, he said: Allah listens to him who praises Him. O Allah, our lord, to Thee be the praise in the heavens and in all the earth, and all that it please Thee to create afterwards.

Abu Dawud said: Sufyan al-Thawri and Shu’bah b. al-Hajjaj reported on authority of Ubaid b. al-Hasan: There is no mention of the words “after bowing” in this tradition. Sufyan said: we met al-shaikh ‘Ubaid b. al-Hasan; he did not say the words “bowing” in it.

Abu dawud said: Shu’bah narrated this from Abi ‘Ismah, from al-A’mash, on the authority of ‘Ubaid, saying: “after bowing”.

Abu sa’id al-Khuri said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “ Allah listens to him who praises Him,” he also said: O Allah, our Lord, to thee be the praise in all heavens. Mu’ammil said( in his version); “ In all the heavens, and in all the earth, and in all that it pleases Thee to create afterwards. O thou Who art worthy of praise and glory, most worthy of what a servant says, and we are all thy servants, no one can withhold what thou givest or give what Thou withholdest. “The narrators then were agreed on the words: “And riches cannot avail a wealthy person with Thee.”

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When the Imam says: “Allah listens to him who praised Him,” say: “O Allah, our lord, to Thee be the praise, “ for if what anyone says synchronises with what the angels say, he will be forgiven his past sins.

‘Amir said: The people behind the imam should not say: “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” But they should say: “ Our Lord, to Thee be the praise.”

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say between the two prostrations: "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, heal me, and provide for me."

Narrated Asma' daughter of AbuBakr:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: One of you who believes in Allah and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads (after prostration) lest they should see the private parts of men.

Al-Bara’ said: The prostration observed by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), his bowing, and his sitting between the two prostrations were nearly equal.

Anas b. Malik said: I did not offer prayer behind anyone more brief than the one offered by the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) and that was perfect. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him,” he stood long we thought that he had omitted something; then he say takbir(Allah is most great) and prostrate, and would sit between the two prostrations so long that we thought that he had omitted something.

Al-Barab. Azib said: I witnessed Muhammed(ﷺ) –Abu Kamil’s version has the wording: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)-during his prayer. I found his standing like his bowing and prostration and his moderation in bowing was like that of his prostration, and his sitting between the two prostration and his prostration(and his sitting between the salutation) and going away( after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal to one another.

Abu Dawud said: Musaddad said: His bowing and his moderation in bowing and prostration, and his prostration and his sitting between the two prostrations, and his prostration and sitting between the salutation and going away (after finishing the prayer) were nearly equal.

Narrated AbuMas'ud al-Badri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man's prayer does not avail him unless he keeps his back steady when bowing and prostrating.

Abu Hurairah said: When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque, a man also entered it and prayed. He then came and saluted the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) returned the salutation and said to him: Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. The man returned and prayed as he prayed before. He then came to prophet(ﷺ) and saluted him. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said to him: “ And upon you be peace. “ Go back and pray, for you have not prayed. He did so three times. Then the man said: By Him who has sent you(as a Prophet) with truth; I cannot do better than this; so teach me. He said: When you get up to pray, utter the takbir(Allah is most great); then recite a convenient portion of the Qur’an; then bow and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then raise yourself and stand erect: then prostrate yourself and remain quietly in that position; then sit and remain quietly in that position; then do that throughout all your prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Qa’nabi reported this tradition from Sa’id b. Abi Sa’Id on the authority of Abu Hurairah. This version has the wording in the last: When you do this, then your prayer is completed. If you omit anything form this, you omit that much from your prayer. This version also has the wording: when you get up for praying, perform the abulation perfectly.

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi':

A man entered the mosque...... He then narrated the tradition like the one narrated in (No.855).

This version is as follows: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The prayer of anyone is not perfect unless he performs ablution perfectly; he should then utter the takbir, and praise Allah, the Exalted, and admire Him; he should then recite the Qur'an as much as he desires. He should then say: "Allah is Most Great". Next he should bow so that all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should say: "Allah listens to the one who praises Him", and stand erect. He should then say:"Allah is most great," and should prostrate himself so that all his joints are completely at rest. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; he should raise his head (at the end of prostration) till he sits erect. Then he should say: "Allah is most great"; then he should prostrate himself till all his joints return to their proper places. Then he should raise his head and say the takbir. When he does so, then his prayer is completed.

Narrated Rifa'ah ibn Rafi':

This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The prayer of any of you is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and (wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Qur'an as much as it is convenient for him.

(Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's, No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and prostration himself so that his face is at rest.

Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints return to their places and are loosened. Then he should say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of any of you is not complete unless he does so.

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Rifa’ah b. Rafi. This version goes: When you get up and face the qiblah, what Allah wishes you to recite. And when you bow, put your palms on your knees and stretch out your back. When you prostrate yourself, do it completely( so that you are at the rest). When you raise yourself then sit on your left thigh.

This tradition has also been transmitted by Rifa’ah b Rafi through a different chain of narrators. This version has : When you get up to pray, say the takbir, exalting Allah; then recite the Qur’an as much as it is convenient for you. The version adds: When you sit in the middle of the prayer, do it completely(so that you are at rest) and spread your left thigh; then recite the tashahhud. Then if you get up (again), do in a similar way until you finish your prayer.

Rifa’ah b. Rafi has also narrated this tradition through a different chain from the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). This version goes: Then perform ablution in a way Allah, the exalted, has command you, then say the shahadah and get up and say the takbir. Then if you know any of the Qur’an, recite it; otherwise say: “Praise be to Allah”; “Allah is most great”; “ There is no god but Allah” He ( the narrator) also said in this version: If some defect remains in this, that detect will remain in your prayer.

Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Shibl:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited to peck like a crow, and to spread (the forearms) like a wild beast, and to fix a place in the mosque like a camel which fixes its place. These are the wordings of Qutaybah.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari:

Salim al-Barrad said: We came to AbuMas'ud Uqbah ibn Amr al-Ansari and said to him: Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

He stood up before us in the mosque and said the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his hands upon his knees and put his fingers below, and kept his elbows (arms) away from his sides, so everything returned properly to its place. Then he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him"; then he stood up so that everything returned properly to its place; then he said the takbir and prostrated and put the palms of his hands on the ground; he kept his elbow (arms) away from his sides, so that everything returned to its proper place. Then he raised his head and sat so that everything returned to its place; he then repeated it in a similar way. Then he offered four rak'ahs of prayer like this rak'ah and completed his prayer.

Then he said: Thus we witnessed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offering his prayer.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met AbuHurayrah. He attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his lineage.

AbuHurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy on you?

(Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the tradition) from the Prophet (ﷺ):) The first thing about which the people will be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels - though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfect.

If it is defective, He will say: See there are some optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly.

The above-mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Abu Hurairah through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

Narrated Tamim ad-Dari:

Tamim reported this tradition from the Prophet (ﷺ) as (Hadith No 863). This version adds: Then zakat will be considered in a similar way. Then all the actions will be considered accordingly.

Mus’ab b sa’d said: I prayed by the side of my father. I put both of my hands between my knees(in bowing condition). He prohibited me from it. I then repeated; so he said: Do not do so, because we used to do so. But we were prohibited to do that, and commanded to put our hands on the knees.

‘Abd Allah (b. Masud) said: When any of you bows, he should spread his arms on his thighs and clap both his palms (Placing them between the knees), as if I am seeing the variation of the fingers of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ).

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

When "Glorify the name of your mighty Lord" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Use it when bowing, and when "Glorify the name of your most high Lord" was revealed, he said: Use it when prostrating yourself.

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

The above (No 868) tradition has also been reported through a different chain of narrators by Uqbah ibn Amir to the same effect. This version adds: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bowed, he said: "Glory and praise be to my mighty Lord" three times, and when he prostrated himself, he said: "Glory and praise be to my most high Lord" three times.

Abu Dawud said: We are afraid the addition of the word "praise" is not guarded.

Hudhaifah said that he prayed along with the Prophet (ﷺ), and that he said when bowing, “Glory be to my mighty Lord, “ and when he prostrated himself, “Glory be to my most high Lord," when he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to a verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah.

‘Aishah said that the prophet (ﷺ) used to say when bowing and prostrating, “All-Glorious, All-Holy, Lord of the angels and spirit.

Narrated Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja'i:

I stood up to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ); he got up and recited Surat al-Baqarah (Surah 2).

When he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah, then he bowed and paused as long as he stood (reciting Surah al-Baqarah), and said while bowing, "Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, the Kingdom, grandeur and majesty."

:Then he prostrated himself and paused as long as he stood up and recited Surat Aal Imran (Surah 3) and then recited many surahs one after another.

Narrated Hudhayfah:

Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty."

He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me."

He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The nearest a servant come to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication often.

Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Prophet(ﷺ) lifted the curtain (and saw that) the people were standing in rows(of prayers) behind Abu Bakr. He said: O people, there remained nothing that gives good tidings from prophethood except a true dream which a Muslim has himself or which another Muslim has for him. I have been prohibited to recite the Qur’an while bowing or prostration. As regards owing, exalt the Lord in it, and as to prostration, make supplication with exertion in it, that is worthy of being accepted.

A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) often said while bowing and prostrating himself; “Glory be to Thee, O Allah, out Lord.” And “Praise be to Thee, O Allah, forgive me,” Thus interpreting the (command in the Qur’an).

Abu Hurairah said: The prophet (ﷺ) used to say when prostrating himself: “O Allah. Forgive me all my sins, small and great, first and last. “ the narrator Ibn al-sarh added: “open and secret.”

‘A’ishah said; one night I missed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when I sought him on the spot of prayer I found him in prostration with his feet raised, and he was saying:”(O Allah), I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your anger, and in Your Mercy from Your Punishment, and I seek refuge from You in You; I am not able to praise You (the way that You deserve to be praised), for You are as You have praised Yourself”.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to make supplication during the prayer saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of the Antichrist; I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of life and the trial of death; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sin and debt." Someone said to him: How often you seek refuge from debt! He replied: When a man is in debt, he talks and tells lies, makes promises and breaks them.

Narrated AbuLayla al-Ansari:

I prayed by the side of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the supererogatory prayer and I heard him say: "I refuge in Allah from the Hell-Fire; woe to the inmates of the Hell-fire!"

Abu Hurairah said; The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) got up for the prayer and we also stood up along with him. A Bedouin said said during prayer; O Allah, show mercy to me and to Muhammed and do not show mercy to anyone along with us. When the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) uttered the salutation, he said to the Bedouin; you narrowed down a vast (thing). By this he meant the mercy of Allah.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported; when the prophet (ﷺ) recited: “Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High.” He would say:”Glory be to Allah, the most High”.

Abu Dawud said; In this tradition the other narrators have differed from the narrator Wakl. This has been narrated by Wakl, and Shu’bah from Abu Ishaq, from Sa’ld b. Jubair, from Ibn ‘Abbas as his own statement (and not from the Prophet)

Musa b. Abi ‘A'ishah said: A man used to pray on the roof of his house. When he recited the verse “Is not He able to bring the dead to life?” [Surah al-Qiyamah:42] he would say: ”Glory be to You, then, why not?” They asked him about it, and he replied: "I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)".

Abu Dawud said : Ahmad (b. Hanbal) said: It is pleasing to me that one should recite in the obligatory prayer those supplications which have occurred in the Quran.

Sa’d reported that he heard his father or his uncle say ; I witnessed the Prophet (ﷺ) while offering prayer. He used to stay in his bowing and his prostration as long as one uttera the words “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him” three times.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you bows, he should say three time,:"Glory be to my mighty Lord," and when he prostrates, he should say: "Glory be to my most high Lord" three times. This is the minimum number.

Abu Dawud said: The chain of this tradition is broken. The narrator 'Awn did not see 'Abd Allah (b. Mas'ud).

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you recites "By the fig and the olive" (Surah 95) and comes to its end "Is not Allah the best judge?" (verse 8), he should say: "Certainly, and I am one of those who testify to that." When one recites "I swear by the Day of Resurrection" (Surah 75) and comes to "Is not that one able to raise the dead to life? (verse 40), he should say: "Certainly." And when one recites "By those that are sent" (Surah 77), and comes to "Then in what message after that will they believe? " (Surah 50), he should say: "We believe in Allah."

The narrator Isma'il (ibn Umayyah) said: I beg to repeat (this tradition) before the Bedouin (who reported this tradition) so that I might see whether he (was mistaken).

He said: My nephew, do you think that I did not remember it? I performed sixty hajj (pilgrimages); there is no hajj but I recognize the came on which I performed it.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

I did not offer behind anyone after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) a prayer like the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) than this youth, i.e. Umar ibn AbdulAziz. We estimated reciting glorification ten times in his bowing, and in his prostration ten times.

Abu Dawud said: Ahmad b. Salih said: I asked him ('Abd Allah) whether the name Manus is correct of Mabus. He replied: 'Abd al-Razzaq used to say Mabus, but I remember Manus (i.e. the narrator Wahb b. Manus). These are the words of Ibn Rafi'. It has also been narrated by Ahmad from Sa'id b. Jubair on the authority of Anas b. Malik.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Ibn Abbas reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: I have been commanded - according to the version of Hammad: Your Prophet (ﷺ) was commanded - to prostrate on seven (bones), and not to fold back the hair or the clothing.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying : I have been commanded, and sometimes the narrator said: Your prophet (ﷺ) was commanded to prostrate on seven limbs.

‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: when a servant (of Allah) prostrates himself, the seven limbs, i.e, his face, his palms, his knees and his feet prostrate along with him.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Both hands prostrate as the face prostrates. When one of you puts his face (on the ground) he should put his hands too (on the ground). And when he raises it, he should raise them too.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; when you come to pray while we are prostrating ourselves, you must prostrate yourselves, and do not reckon it anything (rak’ah) he has been present at the prayer.

Abu sa’ld al-Khudri said: The mark of earth was seen on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) due to the prayer in which he led the people.

The above mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Ma’mar through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib:

Al-Bara' described to us (the nature of prostration). He placed his hands (palms), reclined on his knees, and raised his hips; he said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to prostrate himself.

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying; Adopt a moderate position when prostrating yourselves, and see that none of you stretches out his forearms(on the ground) like a dog.

Maimunah said: When the Prophet(ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms so far away from his sides that if a lamb had wanted to pass under his arms, it could have done so.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) from behind. I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the ground).

Narrated Ahmar ibn Jaz':

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms far away from his sides so much so that we took pity on him.

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying: when one of you prostrates himself, he should not stretch out his forearms( on the ground) like a dog and he should join both of his thighs.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about the hardship when they kept their forearms far away from their sides while prostrating. He said: Take help with the elbows (by spreading them on the ground and sticking them to the sides).

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Sa'id ibn Ziyad ibn Subayh al-Hanafi said: I prayed by the side of Ibn Umar and I put my hands on my waist. When he finished his prayer, He said: This is a cross in prayer; the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to forbid it.

Narrated Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkhir:

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying and a sound came from his breast like the rumbling of a mill owing to weeping.

Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Anyone who performs ablution and performs his ablution well, and then he offers two rak’ahs of prayers in a way that he does not forget ( anything in it), will be forgiven all his past sins.

Uqbah. B Amir al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying: Any one performs ablution and performs the ablution perfectly and then offers two rak’ahs of prayers concentrating on them with his heart and face but paradise will necessarily fall to his lot.

Narrated Al-Miswar ibn Yazid al-Maliki:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited - Yahya (sub narrator) said: Sometimes al-Miswar said: I prayed along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and witnessed that he recited - the Qur'an during the prayer and omitted something (i.e. some verses inadvertently) which he did not recite.

A man said to him: Messenger of Allah, you omitted such-and-such verse. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Why did you not remind me of it?

The narrator Sulayman said in his version: He (the man) said: I thought that it (the verse) was repealed.

Ibn ‘Umar said : The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed and recited the Qur’an in it. He was then confused in it (in his recitation). When he finished (his prayer), he said to Ubayy (b. Ka’b): Did you pray along with us? He said: Yes. He said: What prevented you (from correcting me)?

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Ali, do not instruct the imam during the prayer.

Abu Dawud said: The narrator Abu Ishaq heard only for traditions from al-Harith, this tradition is not one of them.

Narrated AbuDharr:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah, the Most High, continues to turn favourably towards a servant while he is engaged in prayer as long as he does not look to the side (by turning the neck), but if he does so, He turns away from him.

‘A’ishah said: I asked the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) about looking to the sides during prayer. He said: It is something which the devil snatches from a servant’s prayers.

Abu sa’I al-Khudri said: The mark of earth was seen on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) who had led the people I prayer.

Abu Ali said: Abu Dawud did not recite this tradition when he recited his collection(of sunan) for the fourth time.

Jabir b. Samurah said(this is the version of the narrator ‘Uthman): The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque and saw there some people praying raising their hand towards the heaven. (This Is the common version: ) He said : People must stop raising their eyes to the heaven. The narrator Musaddad said: During prayer, otherwise their sight will be taken away.

Anas b. Malik reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) assaying : What is the matter that people raise their (Upwards) in prayer. He then said sternly: They should stop doing that, otherwise their sight will be snatched away.

Aishah said : the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) once prayed with a sheet of cloth upon him. It had prints and paintings. He said: The prints of this (sheet) distracted my attention; take it to Abu Jahm and bring a blanket to me.

The above-mentioned tradition has also been narrated by ‘A’ishah through a different chain of transmitters. This version adds: He (the prophet) took a kind of sheet of cloth known as kurdi which belongs to Abu Jahm. The people told him; Messenger of Allah, the (former) sheet of cloth was better than this kind of kurdi sheet.

Narrated Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah:

The iqamah for the morning prayer was pronounced and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to offer prayer while he was looking at the mountain-pass.

(AbuDawud elaborated that the Prophet (ﷺ) had sent a horseman to the mountain-pass at night in order to keep watch.)

Abu Qatadah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer with Umamah daughter of Zainab daughter of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) (in his lap). When he prostrated, he put her down and when he got up(after prostration) he lifted her up.

Narrated AbuQatadah:

We were sitting in the mosque when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came upon us carrying Umamah daughter of Abul'As ibn ar-Rabi'. Her mother was Zaynab daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She (Umamah) was a child and he (the Prophet) was carrying her on his shoulder.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led (the people) in prayer while she was on his shoulder. When he bowed he put her down and took her up when he got up. He kept on doing so until he finished his prayer.

Abu Qatadah al-Ansari said: I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) leading the people in prayer with Umamah daughter of Abu al-As on his neck (shoulder). When he prostrated, he put her down.

Abu Dawud said: The narrator Makhramah did not hear from his father except one tradition.

Abu Qatadah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), said: While we were waiting for the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) for the noon or afternoon prayer, and Bilal had already called him for prayer, he came upon us with Umamah daughter of Abu al-As and daughter of his daughter on his neck. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the place of prayer and we stood behind him and she(Umamah) (all this time) was in her place. He uttered the takbir and we also uttered. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) intended to bow, he took her and put her down, and then he bowed and prostrated till he finished his prostration. He then got up and took her and returned he to her place. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) kept on doing that in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. May peace be upon him.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Kill the two black things during prayer, the snake and scorpion.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was praying with his door bolted. I came and asked to have the door opened. He walked and opened the door for me. He then returned to his place for prayer. He (the narrator Urwah) mentioned that the door faced the qiblah.

‘Abd Allah(b. Mas’ud) said: We used to salute the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our salutation, but when we returned from the Negas, we saluted him and he did not respond to us. He said : Prayer demands one’s whole attention.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

We used to salute during prayer and talk about our needs. I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and found him praying. I saluted him, but he did not respond to me. I recalled what happened to me in the past and in the present.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said to me: Allah, the Almighty, creates new command as He wishes, and Allah, the Exalted, has sent a fresh command that you must not talk during prayer. He then returned my salutation.

Narrated Suhayb:

I passed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was praying. I saluted him and he returned it by making a sign.

The narrator said: I do not know but that he said: He made a sign with his finger. This is the version reported by Qutaybah.

jabir said: The prophet of Allah(ﷺ) sent me to Banu al-Mustaliq. When I returned to him, he was praying on his camel. I talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I again talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I was hearing him reciting the Qur’an and he was making a sign with his head. When he finished his prayer, he said; what did you do about the mission for which I had sent you; nothing prevented me from talking to you except that I was praying.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to Quba to offer prayer. Then the Ansar (the Helpers) came to him and gave him a salutation while he was engaged in prayer.

I asked Bilal: How did you find the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) responding to them when they gave him a salutation while he was engaged in prayer. He replied: In this way, and Ja'far ibn Awn demonstrated by spreading his palm, and keeping its inner side below and its back side above.

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: There is no loss in prayer nor in salutation. Ahmad(b. Hanbal) said: This means, I think, that you do not salute nor you are saluted by others. The loss of a man in his prayer is that a man remains doubtful about it when he finishes it.

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying : There is no loss in salutation and in prayer.

Abu Dawud said: According to the version of Ibn Mahdi, this tradition has been narrated by Ibn Fudail as a statement of Abu Hurairah and not as a saying of the Prophet(ﷺ)

Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami said: I was praying with the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). A man in the company sneezed, and I said: May Allah have mercy on you! The people gave me disapproving looks, so I said: Woe is to me! What do you mean by looking at me? They began to strike their hand on their thighs; then I realised that they were urging me to be silent. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer – for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom-he did not beat, scold or revile me, but said: No talk to people in lawful in this prayer, for it consists only in glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Qur'an or words to that effect said by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I said: Messenger of Allah, we were only recently pagans, but Allah has brought Islam to us, and among us there are men who have recourse to soothsayers (kahins). He replied: Do not have recourse to them. I said: Among us are there are men who take omens. He replied: That is something which they find, but let it not turn them away (from what they intended to do). I said: among us there are men who draw lines. He replied: There was a prophet who drew lines; so if the line of anyone tallies with this line, that might come true. I said: A slave-girl of mine used to tend goats before (the mountain) Uhud and al-Jawaniyyah. Once when I reached her (suddenly) I found that a wolf had taken away a goat of them. I am a human being; I feel grieved as others do. But I gave her a good knocking. This was unbearable for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I asked: Should I set her free ? He replied: Bring her to me. So I brought her to him. He asked (her): Where is Allah ? She said: In the heaven. He said: Who am I ? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is believer.

Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami said ; when I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I learnt many things about islam. One of the things that I was taught was that it was that it was pointed out me. When you sneeze, praise Allah (I,e, say “praise be to Allah”); and when someone sneezes and praises Allah, say “ May Allah have mercy on you. Meanwhile I was standing along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during prayer, all of a sudden a man sneezed, and he praised Allah. So I said, “may Allah have mercy on you”, in a loud voice. The people gave me disapproving looks so much so that I took ill of it. So I said : what do you mean by looking at me with furtive glances. Then they glorified Allah. When the prophet (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he asked; who was the speaker? The Prophet (ﷺ) told him; this Bedouin. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called me and said to me: Prayer is meant for the recitation of the Quran, and making mention of Allah. When you are in it (prayer), this should be your work therein. I never saw an instructor more lenient than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse "Nor of those who go astray" (Surah al-Fatihah, verse 7), he would say Amin; and raised his voice (while uttering this word).

Wail b, hujr said that he prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ),and he said Amin loudly and saluted at his right and left sides until I saw the whiteness of his cheek.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray," he would say Amin so loudly that those near him in the first row would hear it.

Abu Hurairah reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying; when the imam recites “ not of those with whom thou art angry, nor of those who go astray” (surah al-fatihah,verse 7) say Amin, for if one’s words (utterance of amin) synchronise with those of the angles, he will be forgiven his past sins.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; When the Imam says Amin, say Amin, for if anyone’s utterance of Amin synchronnises with that of the angles, he will be forgiven his past sins.

Ibn shihab (al Zuhrl) said; The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) used to say Amin (At the end of the Fatihah)

Bilal reported that he said : Messenger of Allah, do not say Amin before me.

Narrated AbuZuhayr an-Numayri:

AbuMisbah al-Muqra'i said: We used to sit in the company of AbuZuhayr an-Numayri. He was a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), and he used to narrate good traditions. Once a man from among us made a supplication. He said: End it with the utterance of Amin, for Amin is like a seal on the book.

AbuZuhayr said: I shall tell you about that. We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night and came upon a man who made supplication with persistence. The Prophet (ﷺ) waited to hear him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He will have done something which guarantees (Paradise for him) if he puts a seal to it. One of the people asked: What should he use as a seal? He replied: Amin, for if he ends it with Amin, he will do something which guarantees (Paradise for him).

Then the man who questioned the Prophet (ﷺ) came to the man who was supplicating, and said to him: So-and-so, end it with Amin and receive the good news. These are the words of Mahmud.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Muqra'i is a clan of Himyar.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Glorifying Allah applies to men and clapping applies only to women.

Sahl b. Sa’d said : The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to Banu ‘Amr b. ‘Awf to effect reconciliation between them . in the meantime the time of prayer came and the Mu’adhdhin came to Abu Bakr and asked : Will you lead the people in prayer? I pronounce the Iqamah. He said ; Yes. So Abiu Bakr led the prayer , and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back while the people were praying. He penetrated through the rows and stood in the first row. The people clapped but Abu Bakr did not pay any attention to it during prayer. When the people clapped increasingly, he paid attention. He saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a sign to him (saying); Stay at your place. Abu BAkr raised his hands and praised Allah for the commandment the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had given him (to lead the people in prayer). Abu Bakr then stepped back and stood in the row. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stepped forward and led the prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said; Abu Bakr, what prevented you staying (at your place) when I already commented you to do so? Abu Bakr said ; it was not befitting for the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said; What is the matter that I saw you clapping frequently during prayer? If anything happens to someone during prayer, he should say “Glory be to Allah,” for when he glorifies Allah. He pays attention to him. Clapping applies only to women.

Abu Dawud said: This is operative in the obligatory prayer.

sahl b. Sa’d said; Fighting took place amongst the tribe of Banu ‘Amr b. ‘Awf. This (the news) reached the prophet (May peace be upon him). He came to them for their reconciliation after the noon prayer . he said to Bilal; If the time of the afternoon prayer comes, and I do not return to you, then ask Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. When the time of the afternoon prayer came, Bilal called the Adhan and pronounced the Iqamah and then asked Abu Bakr (to lead the prayer). He stepped forward. The narrator reported this tradition to the same effect. In the end he (the prophet) said; if anything happens to you during prayer, the men should say” Glory be to Allah,” and the women should clap.

‘Isa b. Ayyub said: Clapping by women means that one should strike her left hand with the two fingers of her right hand.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to make a sign during prayer.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Saying Tasbih applies to men during prayer and clapping applies to women. Anyone who makes a sign during his prayer, a sign which is intelligible by implication, should repeat it (i.e. his prayer).

(AbuDawud commented on the Hadith saying, this is a result of confusion.)

Narrated AbuDharr:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you gets up to pray, he must not remove pebbles, for mercy is facing him.

Mu’aiqib reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying ; Do not remove pebbles while you are praying; if you do it out of sheer necessity, do it only once to smooth the pebbles.

Abu hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) forbade putting hands on the waist during prayer.

Abu Dawud said; The word Ikhtisar means to put one’s hands on one’s waist.

Narrated Umm Qays bint Mihsan:

Hilal ibn Yasaf said: I came to ar-Raqqah (a place in Syria). One of my companions said to me: Do you want to see any of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ)? I said: A good opportunity. So we went to Wabisah.

I said to my friend: Let us first see his mode of living. He had a cap with two ears stuck (to his head), and wearing a brown silken robe. He was resting on a staff during prayer. We asked him (about resting on the staff) after salutation; He said: Umm Qays daughter of Mihsan said to me that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became aged and the flesh grew increasingly on him, he took a prop at his place of prayer and rested on it.

Zaid b. Arqam said ; One of us used to speak to the man standing by his side during prayer. Then the Quranic verse “ And stand up with devotion to Allah”

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr said : It has been narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said : The Prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer (wins him half the reward of prayer). I came to him and found him prayer in sitting condition. I placed my hand on my head (in surprise). He said: what is the matter,’Abd Allah b. ‘Amr? I said; Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) you have been reported to me as saying : the prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer , but you are praying in sitting condition. He said: yes, but I am not like one of you.

‘Abd Allah b. Buraidah said : ‘Imran b. Hussain asked the prophet (ﷺ) about the prayer a man offers in sitting condition. He replied: his prayer in standing condition is better than his prayer in sitting condition, and his prayer in sitting condition is half the prayer he offers in standing condition, and his prayer in lying condition is half the prayer he offers in sitting condition.

‘Imran b. Husain said : I had a fistula; so I asked the prophet (ﷺ). He said: offer prayer in standing condition; if you are unable to do so, then in sitting condition: if you are then at your side(i.e, in lying condition).

‘A’ishah said : I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting the Quraan in his prayer at night in sitting condition until he became old. Then he used to sit in it (the prayer) and recite the Quran until forty or thirty verses remained, then he stood and recited them and prostrated himself.

‘A’ishah, wife of the prophet (ﷺ), said: when the prophet (ﷺ) prayed sitting, he recited the Quran in sitting condition. When the amount of his recitation remained about thirty or forty verses he stood up and recited them standing. He then bowed and prostrated and then did so in the second Rak’ah of the prayer.

Abu Dawud said: 'Alqamah b. Waqqas narrated this tradition on the authority of 'Aishah from the Prophet (ﷺ) to the same effect.

‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray standing at night for a long time, and used to pray sitting at night for a long time. When he prayed standing, he bowed standing, and when he prayed sitting, he bowed sitting.

‘Abd Allah b. Shaqiq said: I asked ‘A’ishah whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited a whole Surah (of the Quran) in one Rak’ah of the prayer. She replied : (He recited from among) the Mufassal surahs. I asked: Did he pray (at night) sitting? She replied : (he prayed sitting) when the people made him old.

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr:

I said that I should look at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) how he prays. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up and faced the qiblah (i.e. the direction of Ka'bah) and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great); then he raised his hands till he brought them in front of his ears; then he caught hold of his left hand with his right hand (i.e. folded his hands).

When he was about to bow, he raised them (his hands) in a like manner. Then he sat, stretched out his left foot (to sit on it), placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept away the tip of his right elbow from his right thigh, joined two fingers, formed a ring, to do so. And the narrator Bishr made a ring with the thumb and the middle finger.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "A Sunnah of the prayer is that you should raise your right foot, and make your left foot lie (on the ground)."

(There is another chain) reported from Yahya who said: "I heard Al-Qasim saying: "Abdullah bin 'Abdullah informed me that he heard 'Abdullah bin 'Umar saying: "From the Sunnah of the prayer is to lay your left foot on the ground, and raise your right foot."

(There is another chain) from Yahya with his chain and similar (to the previous hadith). Abu Dawud said: Hammad bin Zaid also said (the wording): "From the Sunnah" (narrating) from Yahya just as Jarir did.

(There is another chain) from Yahya bin Sa'eed that Al-Qasim bin Muhammad saw them sitting in Tashah-hud, so he mentioned the Hadith.

It was reported from Ibrahim that he said: "When the Prophet (ﷺ) would sit in the prayer, he would place his left foot horizontally - so much so that the upper-part of his foot became black."

Abu Humaid al-sa’idi said (in the presence of ten compansions of the prophet): I am more informed than any of you regarding the manner in which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered his prayer. They said: Present it. The narrator then reported the tradition, saying: he bent the toes of his feet turning them towards the Qiblah when he prostrated, then he uttered “ Allah is most great,” and raised (his head), and bent his left foot and sat on it, and he did the same in the second Rakah. The narrator then transmitted the tradition, and added: In the prostration (i.e., the Rakah) which ended at the salutation, he sat on the hips at the left side. ahmad (b. Hanbal) added: they said : You are right. This is how he used to pray. They (Ahmed and Musaddad) did not mention in their versions how he sat after offering two rak’ahs of prayer.

Muhammad b. ‘Amr b.’Ata’ was sitting in the company of a few Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He then narrated his tradition, but he did not mention the name of Abu Qatadah. He said: When he( the Prophet) sat up the two rak’ahs he sat on his left foot; and when sat up after the last rak’ah he put out his left foot and sat on his hip.

Muhammad b. ‘Amr al-Amir said: I was sitting in the company( of the Companions). He then narrated this tradition saying: When he(the Prophet) sat up after two rak’ahs, he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised his left foot. When he sat up after four rak’ahs, he placed his left hip on the ground and put out his both feet on one side.

’Abbas or ‘Ayyash b. Sahl al-Sa’id that he attended a company in which his father was also present. He then narrated this tradition saying: He(the Prophet) prostrated himself, he depended on his palms, knees and the toes of his feet. When he sat up, he sat on his hips, and raised his other foot. He then uttered the takbir(Allah is most great) and prostrated himself. He uttered the takbir and stood up and did not sit on his hips. Then he repeated(the same) and offered the second rak’ah; he uttered the takbir in the same manner, and sat up after two rak’ahs. When he was about to stand up, he stood up after saying the takbir. Then he offered the last two rak’ahs. When he saluted, he saluted on his right and left sides.

Abu Dawud said: in this tradition there is no mention of sitting on hips and raising hands when he stood after two rak’ahs as narrated by ‘Abu al-Hamid.

‘Abbas b. Sahl said: Abu Humaid, Abu usaid, Sahl b. Sa’d and Muhammad b. Maslamah got together. Then he narrated this tradition. He did not mention the raising of hands when he stood after two rak’ahs, nor did he mention sitting. He said: When he finished (his prostration), he spread his foot (on the ground) and turned the toes of his right feet towards the qiblah(and then he sat on his left foot).

‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud said: when we (prayed and) sat up during prayer along the Messenger of Allah (may peach be upon him), we said: “Peace be to Allah before it is supplicated for His servants; peace be to so and so. “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do not say “Peace be to Allah ,”for Allah Himself is peace. When one of you sits(during the prayer), he should say: The adoration of the tongue are due to Allah, and acts of worship and all good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s upright servants. When you say that, it reaches every upright servant in heavens and earth or between heavens and earth. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and apostle. Then he may choose any supplication which pleases him and offer it.