Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘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.

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.