Prayer

Imran b. Husain said that God’s Messenger prayed the afternoon prayer and gave the salutation at the end of three rak'as, then went into his house. A man called al-Khirbaq who had long arms got up and went to him, and addressing him mentioned to him what he had done. He came out angrily trailing his cloak, and when he came to the people he asked, “Is this man telling the truth?” When they told him that he was, he prayed a <i>rak‘a</i>, then gave the salutation, then made two prostrations, then gave the salutation. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf said that he heard God’s Messenger say,“If any of you prays a prayer and is in doubt whether it is deficient, he should go on praying till he begins to wonder whether he has not prayed too much.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated himself when <i>an-Najm</i> (Al-Qur'an; 53) was revealed, and the Muslims, the ploytheists, jinn and men prostrated themselves along with him. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said:

We prostrated ourselves along with the Prophet (ﷺ) on account of “When the sky is rent asunder”, Al-Qur’an; 84) and “Recite in the name of your Lord” (Al-Qur’an; 96). Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said:

God’s Messenger was reciting <i>as-Sajda</i> (Al-Qur’an; 32) when we were with him. He was prostrating himself and we were doing so along with him, but we were so crowded that none of us could find a place for his forehead when prostrating himself. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Zaid b. Thabit said:

I recited to God’s Messenger “By the star” (Al-Qur’an; 53) but he did not prostrate himself when I did so. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Abbas said:

A prostration when reciting <i>Sad</i> (Al-Qur’an; 38) is not one of those which are divinely commanded, but I have seen the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrate himself when it was recited. In a version Mujahid said that he asked Ibn ‘Abbas whether he should prostrate himself when reciting <i>Sad</i>, whereupon he recited, “And among his progeny David and Solomon . . . so copy the guidance they received,” (Al-Qur’an; 6:84-90) and said, “Your prophet was one of those who were commanded to copy them.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Amr b. al-‘As said:

God’s Messenger taught me fifteen prostrations, while reciting the Qur’an, including three in <i>al-Mufassal</i>, 1 and two in <i>sura al-Hajj</i>2. 1. A title given to the <i>suras</i> from 49 to the end, but several other <i>suras</i> are also mentioned: 37, 45, 47, 48, 50, 61, 67, 87, and 93. The name is most appropriately explained ay meaning that this is the section of the Qur’an which contains many shorter suras. 2. Al-Qur’an; 22 Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir told that he said, “Messenger of God, <i>sura al-Hajj</i> has been given superior excellence through having two prostrations in it.” He replied, “Yes, and he who does not make the two prostrations should not recite the two verses.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and [Tirmidhi] said this is a tradition whose <i>isnad</i> is not strong. <i>Al-Masabih</i> has “should not recite it”, as occurs in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

Ibn ‘Umar said that the Prophet (ﷺ) made a prostration in the noon prayer, then stood up and bowed; and they thought he recite <i>Tanzil</i>, i.e. <i>sura as-Sajda</i> (Al-Qur’an; 32). Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He said:

God’s Messenger used to recite the Qur'an to us, and when he came to a place where a prostration should be made he said “God is most great” and prostrated himself, and we prostrated ourselves along with him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He said that in the year of the Conquest* God's Messenger recited a verse at which a prostration should be made and all the people prostrated themselves. Some were mounted, some were prostrating themselves on the ground, and those who were mounted prostrated themselves on their hands. * i.e. the Conquest of Mecca in 8 A.H. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not make a prostration at any verse in <i>al-Mufassal</i> from the time he removed to Medina. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger prostrated himself at night when reciting the Qur’an he said, “My face prostrates itself to Him who created it and brought forth its hearing and seeing by His might and power.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a <i>hasan sahih tradition</i>.

Ibn ‘Abbas told of a man coming to God’s Messenger and saying, “Messenger of God, it seemed to me last night when I was asleep as if I were praying behind a tree. I prostrated myself, the tree prostrating itself at the same time, and I heard it say, ‘O God, record a reward for me for it, remit from me a load for it, make it a treasure with You for me, and accept it from me as You didst accept it from Your servant David’.” Ibn ‘Abbas said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) thereupon recited a verse at which a prostration should be made, then prostrated himself, and I heard him saying the words the man told him the tree had said. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Ibn Majah did not mention, "and accept it from me as You didst accept it from Your servant David.” Tirmidhi said this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition.

Ibn Mas'ud said that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited "By the star”(Al-Qur’an; 53) prostrating himself when doing so, as did those who were with him with the exception of an old man of Quraish who took a handful of pebbles or dust and raised it to his forehead saying. "This is enough for me.” ‘Abdallah (i.e. Ibn Mas’ud) said that he later saw him killed as an infidel. (Bukhari and Muslim.) Bukhari added in a version that he was Umayya b. Khalaf.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated himself when reciting <i>Sad</i> (Al-Qur’an; 38) and said, "David made this prostration in repentance, but we do it out of gratitude.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “None of you must choose for himself and pray at the rising or setting of the sun.” In a version he said, “When the rim of the sun rises leave off prayer till it comes right up, when the rim of the sun goes below the horizon leave off prayer till it has set, and do not make the rising or setting of the sun your time of prayer, for it rises between the horns of the devil.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said:

There were three times at which God’s Messenger used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead—when the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting till it sets. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No prayer is to be said after the morning prayer until the sun rises, or after the afternoon prayer until the sun sets.”. (Bukhari and Muslim.)