Prayer

‘Amr b. ‘Abasa said:

After the Prophet (ﷺ) had gone to Medina I went there, and I visited him and said, “Tell me about the prayer.” He replied, “Observe the Morning Prayer, then stop praying when the sun is rising till it is fully up, for when it rises it comes up between the horns of the devil, and the infidels prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till the shadow becomes about the breadth of a lance; then cease prayer, for at that time jahannam is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the devil, and at that time the infidels prostrate themselves to it.” I then asked God’s prophet to tell me about ablution, and he said, “None of you will keep his water for ablution handy and rinse his mouth, snuff up water and blow it out without the sins of his face, his mouth and the inner parts of his nose falling out. When he then washes his face as God has commanded him the sins of his face will fall out at the ends of his beard along with the water; when he then washes his arms up to the elbows the sins of his arms will fall out at his finger-tips along with the water; when he then wipes his head the sins of his head will fall out at the ends of his hairs along with the water when he then washes his feet up to the ankles the sins of his feet will fall out at his toes along with the water. Then if he stands praying, and praises, lauds and glorifies God as is fitting and devotes his whole heart to God, his sin will depart leaving him as he was the day his mother bore him.” Muslim transmitted it.

Kuraib said that Ibn ‘Abbas, al-Miswar b. Makhrama and ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. al-Azhar sent him to ‘A’isha telling him to give her their greetings and ask her about the two <i>rak'as</i> after the afternoon prayer. He said that when he went to visit her and conveyed their message she told him to ask Umm Salama, so he came out to them and they sent him back to Umm Salama who said :

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibiting them and afterwards saw him praying them. When he came in I sent the slavegirl to him telling her to say that Umm Salama sent this query, “Messenger of God, I heard you prohibiting these two, and I see you praying them.” He replied, “Daughter of Abu Umayya,* you have asked about the two <i>rak'as</i> after the afternoon prayer. Some people of ‘Abd Qais came and hindered me from praying the two <i>rak'as</i> which come after the noon prayer, so those are the two I have been praying.” * Abu Umayya was Umm Salama’s father. Although the slavegirl conveyed the query, the reply is given as if addressed directly to Umm Salama. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Muhammad b. Ibrahim on the authority of Qais b. ‘Amr told how when the prophet saw a man praying two <i>rak'as</i> after the Morning Prayer he said, “At the Morning Prayer pray two <i>rak'as</i>." The man replied I had not prayed the two <i>rak'as</i> which precede them, so I prayed themjust now,” and God’s Messenger said nothing. Abu Dawud transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted something similar, saying, “The <i>isnad</i> of this tradition is not connected, because Muhammad b. Ibrahim did not hear from Qais b. ‘Amr.” There is something similar in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i> and in some texts of <i>al-Masabih</i> from Qais b. Qahd.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “You descendants of ‘Abd Manaf must not prevent anyone who goes round this House and prays at any hour of the night or day he wishes.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abfi Huraira said that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade prayer at the middle of the day until the sun declined from the meridian, with the exception of Friday. Shafi‘i transmitted it.

Abu Khalil said on the authority of Abu Qatada that the Prophet (ﷺ) disliked prayer in the middle of the day before the sun declined from the meridian, except on Friday, saying, “Jahannam is heated up except on Friday.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, adding that Abu Khalil did not meet Abu Qatada.

‘Abdallah as-Sunabihi reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The sun rises accompanied by the horn of the devil, but when it is fully risen it leaves it; then when it is at the meridian it joins it, but when it passes the meridian it leaves it; then when it comes near to setting it joins it, but when it sets it leaves it.” God’s Messenger prohibited prayer at those hours. Malik, Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Basra al-Ghifari said:

God’s Messenger led us in the afternoon prayer at al-Mukhammas and said, “This is a prayer which was proposed to your predecessors, but they neglected it. Everyone who keeps observing it will have a double reward, but there is no prayer after it till <i>ash-shahid</i> rises.” <i>Ash-shahid</i> is the star.* * No particular star is intended. The meaning is that the prayer should be observed when stars become visible. Muslim transmitted it.

Mu'awiya said, “You observe a prayer which we who were the companions of God's Messenger never saw him pray; indeed, he forbade them;”* meaning the two <i>rak'as</i> after the afternoon prayer. * The dual is used here, the reference being to the two <i>rak’as</i>. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Dharr who had gone up on the step of the Ka'ba said:

He who knows me knows me, and if anyone does not know me, I am Jundub* who heard God's Messenger say, “There is no prayer after the morning prayer till the sun rises, or after the afternoon prayer till the sun sets except in Mecca, except in Mecca, except in Mecca.” * Abu Dharr’s name was Jundub b- Janada. Ahmad and Razin transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “By Him in whose hand my soul is, I have thought about giving orders for fuel and having it gathered, then giving orders for prayer and having the <i>adhan</i> called for it, then ordering a man to lead the people, then going off to some people (who are not present at the prayer, as it says in a version) and burning down their houses over them. By Him in whose hand my soul is, if one of them knew he would find a fat meaty bone or two fine sheep’s hoofs, he would attend the evening prayer.” Bukhari transmitted it and Muslim has something similar.

He told of a blind man coming to the Prophet (ﷺ) and saying, “Messenger of God, I have no one to guide me to the mosque.” He therefore asked God’s Messenger for licence to pray at home, and he granted it; then when the man turned away he called him and asked, “Can you hear the call to prayer?” On receiving the reply that he could, he said, “Well, respond to it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar called the <i>adhan</i> for prayer on a cold, windy night, then added, “Pray in your dwellings.” Then he said:

When it was a cold, rainy night, God’s Messenger used to command the <i>mu’adhdhin</i> to say, “Pray in your dwellings.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you is served with his supper and the time for prayer comes, he should first have his supper and not hasten till he has finished it.” When Ibn ‘Umar’s food was served and the time for prayer came, he did not go to the prayer till he finished it; and he could hear the <i>imam’s</i> recitation. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said she heard God’s Messenger say, “Prayer is not to be said when food is served, or when the calls of nature prevent it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the time for prayer comes, only the prescribed prayer is to be said.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the wife of any of you asks permission to enter the mosque he must not prevent her.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Zainab the wife of ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told of God’s Messenger saying to them, “When one of you comes to the mosque she must not touch perfume.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No woman who has used incense maybe present with us at the last evening prayer.” Muslim transmitted it.