Prayer

Abu Huraira told how on an occasion when God’s Messenger led them in the noon prayer, there was a man at the back of the rows who performed the prayer badly. When he had said the <i>taslim</i> God’s Messenger called out to him, “So and so, do you not fear God? Do you not see how you should pray? You people think that part of what you are doing is hidden from me, but I swear by God that I see behind me just as I see in front of me." Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger used to observe a period of silence between the <i>takbir</i> and the recitation of the Qur an, so he addressed him thus, “Messenger of God, for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, what do you say during your period of silence between the <i>takbir</i> and the recitation?” He replied that he said, “O God, remove my sins far from me as You have removed the East far from the West. O God, purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth. O God, wash away my sins with water, snow and hail.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ali said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up for prayer (a version saying, when he began the prayer) he said the <i>takbir</i>, then said, “I have turned my face as a <i>hanif</i>* 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 God the Lord of the universe, who has no partner. That is what I have been commanded, and I am a Muslim. O God, You are the King. There is no god but You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant. I have wronged myself, but I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me all my sins, You who alone canst forgive sins; and guide me to the best qualities, You who alone canst guide to the best of them; and turn me from evil ones, You who alone canst turn from evil qualities. I come to serve and please You. All good is in Your hands and evil does not pertain to You. I seek refuge in You and turn to You, who are blessed and exalted. I ask Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.” When he bowed he said, “O God, to You I bow, in You I trust, and to You I submit myself. My hearing, my sight, my brain, my bone and my sinews humble themselves before You.” When he raised his head he said, “O God, to You belongs praise in the whole of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and in whatever You createst afterwards.” When he prostrated himself he said, “O God, to You I prostrate myself, in You I trust, and to You I submit myself. My face has prostrated itself before Him who created it, fashioned it, and brought forth its hearing and seeing. Blessed is God, the best of creators.” Then at the end of what he said between uttering the <i>tahiyat</i> and the <i>taslim</i> was, “O God, forgive me my former and latter sins, my open and my secret sins, my sins of negligence, and what You knowest better than I. You are He who puts forward and puts back. There is no god but You.” * A believer in one God. Cf. Al-Qur’an; 3:95; 22:31; 98:5. Muslim transmitted it. A version by Shafi‘i has, “Evil does not pertain to You, and the one who is guided is he whom You guidest. I seek refuge in You and turn to You. There is no shelter from You and no place of refuge except by having recourse to You who are blessed.”

Anas said that a man came panting and entered the row of worshippers and said, “God is most great. Praise be to God, much, good and blessed.” When God’s Messenger finished his prayer he asked, “Which of you is the one who spoke the words?” but the people remained silent. He asked again, and when they still kept silence, he said, “Which of you said them? He said nothing wrong.” Then a man said, “I came and had difficulty in breathing, so I said them.” He replied, “I saw twelve angels racing one another to be the one to take them up to God.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when God’s Messenger began to pray he said, “Glory be to You, O God, and with praise of You do I begin my worship. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Abu Sa'id. Tirmidhi said, “This is a tradition which I know only from Haritha, and critical remarks have been made about his memory.”

Jubair b. Mut'im said that he saw God’s Messenger observing a prayer in which he said, “God is altogether great; God is altogether great; God is altogether great. Praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance; praise be to God in abundance. Glory be to God in the morning and afternoon (saying it three times). I seek refuge in God from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (<i>nafkh</i>), his magic (<i>nafth</i>) 1, and his evil suggestion (<i>hamz</i>) 2.” 1. Literally ‘sputtering’, but used of working magic by sputtering on knots. Cf. Qur’an, 113:4. 2. For this meaning cf. Qur’an, 23:97. Abu Dawud transmitted it, as did Ibn Majah, but he did not mention, “Praise be to God in abundance,” and he mentioned at the end of it “from the accursed devil.” ‘Umar said that his <i>nafkh</i> is pride, his, <i>nafth</i> is poetry, and his <i>hamz</i> is madness.

Samura b. Jundub said that he remembered from God's Messenger two periods of silence, one when he said the <i>takbir</i>, and one when he finished reciting, “Not of those with whom You are angry, nor of those who go astray,”* and Ubayy b, Ka‘b corroborated him. *Al-Qur’an, 1:7 Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted something similar.

Abu Huraira said that when God's Messenger got up after the second <i>rak'a</i> he began the recitation with, “Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe,” without observing a period of silence. It is given thus in Muslim’s <i>Sahih</i>. Al-Humaidi mentioned it among those given by Muslim but not by Bukhari, as did the author of <i>al-Jami'</i> (Ibn Al-Athir) from Muslim alone.

Jabir said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) began prayer he said the <i>takbir</i>, then said, “My prayer and my devotion, my life and my death belong to God, the Lord of the universe, who has no partner. I have been so commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims. O God, guide me to the best deeds and the best qualities, You who alone canst guide to the best of them; and guard me from evil deeds and evil qualities, You who alone canst guard from their evil ones.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Maslama said that when God’s Messenger stood up to observe voluntary prayers he said, “God is most great. I have turned my face as a <i>hanif</i> towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not a polytheist.” And he mentioned the tradition like that of Jabir, except that he said, “l am of the Muslims.” Then he said, “O God, You are the King. There is no god but You. Glory be to You, and with praise of You [do I begin my worship].” Then he would recite [some verses]. Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who does not recite <i>Fatihat al-Kitab</i>* is not credited with having observed prayer.” *The first <i>sura</i>. (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has “He who does not recite <i>Umm al-Qur’an</i> (the first <i>sura</i> and something more.”

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone observes a prayer in which he does not recite <i>Umm al-Qur’an</i>, it is deficient (he said this three times) and incomplete.” When someone asked Abu Huraira [what he should do] if he were led by an <i>imam</i>, he told him to recite it inwardly, for he had heard God’s Messenger declare that God most high had said, “I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.” When the servant says, “Praise be to God the Lord of the universe,” God most high says, “My servant has praised me.” When he says, “The Compassionate the Merciful,” God most high says, “My servant has lauded me.” When he says, “Possessor of the day of judgment,” He says, “My servant has glorified me.” When he says, “You do we worship and of You do we ask help,” He says, “This is between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.” Then when he says, “Guide us in the straight path, the path of those to whom You are generous, not of those with whom You are angry nor of those who go astray,” He says. “This is for my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar used to begin the prayer with, “Praise be to God the Lord of the universe.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Say <i>Amen</i> when the <i>imam</i> says it, for if anyone’s utterance of <i>Amen</i> synchronises with that of the angels, he will be forgiven his past sins. ’ (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version he said, “When the <i>imam</i> says, ‘Not of those with whom You are angry nor of those who go astray’, say <i>Amen</i>, for if anyone’s words synchronise with those of the angels he will be forgiven his past sins.” This is Bukhari’s wording, and Muslim has something similar. In another version by Bukhari he said, “Say <i>Amen</i> when the reciter (i.e. the <i>imam</i>) says it, for the angels do so, and if anyone’s utterance of Amen synchronises with that of the angels, he will be forgiven his past sins.”

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported God’s Messenger as saying:

When you pray make your rows straight and let one of your number act as your <i>imam</i>. If you say the <i>takbir</i> when he says it and say <i>Amen</i> when he says “Not of those with whom You are angry nor of those who go astray”, God will accept your prayer. When he says the <i>takbir</i> and bows, say it and bow, for the <i>imam</i> bows before you and raises himself before you. Then God’s Messenger said, “The one is equivalent to the other.”* And he said: If you say, “O God our Lord, to You be the praise,” when he says, “God listens to him who praises him,” God will listen to you. * Although the <i>imam</i> begins and ends his bowing before you do, your bow lasts the same length of time as his. Muslim transmitted it. In a version by him from Abu Huraira and Qatada the words occur, “And when he recites listen silently.”

Abu Qatada said that in the first two <i>rak'as</i> of the noon prayer the Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite <i>Umm al-Kitab</i> and two <i>suras</i>, and in the last two <i>rak'as</i> <i>Umm al-Kitab</i>, and he would sometimes recite loud enough for them to hear the verse. He would prolong the first <i>rak'a</i> more than the second; and he acted similarly in the afternoon and the Morning Prayer. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said, “We used to estimate how long God’s Messenger stood at the noon and the afternoon prayer, and we estimated that he stood in the first two <i>rak'as</i> as long as it takes to recite <i>A.L.M. Tanzil</i>, i.e. <i>as-Sajda</i>* (A version has, “In every <i>rak'a</i> as long as it takes to recite thirty verses.” We estimated that he stood half that time in the last two <i>rak'as</i>; that he stood in the first two of the afternoon prayer as long as he did in the last two at noon; and in the last two of the afternoon prayer about half that time.” * Al-Qur'an; 32. This <i>sura</i> has thirty verses. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite at the noon prayer, “By the night when it covers over”1 (a version says, “Glorify the name of your most high Lord”, 2 at the afternoon prayer a similar amount, and at the Morning Prayer a longer passage than that. 1. Al-Qur'an; 92. 2. Al-Qur’an; 87. Muslim transmitted it.

Jubair b. Mut'im said that he heard God’s Messenger reciting <i>al-Tur</i>* at the sunset prayer. * Al-Qur’an; 52 (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm al-Fadl daughter of al-Harith said that she heard God’s Messenger reciting <i>al-Mursalat</i>* at the sunset prayer. * Al-Qur'an; 77. (Bukhari and Muslim.)