Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

Muadh ibn Jabal said: We waited for the Prophet for the night prayer. He delayed until some thought he would not come out, while others among us said he had already prayed. While we were in that state, the Prophet came out. They said to him what they had been saying, and he replied: “Perform this prayer when it is dark; by it you have been favored over all other communities, for no community before you prayed it.”

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri said: We prayed the night prayer with the Messenger of Allah, but he did not come out until about half the night had passed. He said: “Take your places.” We did so. He said: “People have prayed and gone to bed, while you remain in prayer for as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and the illness of the sick, I would delay this prayer until half the night had passed.”

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah would pray dawn, then the women would leave wrapped in their mantles, unrecognizable in the darkness before daybreak.

Rafi ibn Khadij reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Pray dawn when it has grown light, for that brings you greater reward”—or, “brings greater reward.”

Abd Allah ibn al-Sunabihi said: Abu Muhammad claimed that the witr prayer is obligatory. Ubadah ibn al-Samit said: “Abu Muhammad has lied. I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Allah Most High has prescribed five prayers. Whoever performs ablution for them well, prays them at their proper times, and performs their bowing and humility completely has a covenant with Allah that He will forgive him. Whoever does not do so has no such covenant with Allah; if He wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him.’”

Umm Farwah said: The Messenger of Allah was asked, “Which deed is best?” He replied: “Prayer at the beginning of its time.” Al-Khuza‘i’s version says that his aunt, Umm Farwah, who had pledged allegiance to the Prophet, was the one who reported that the Prophet had been asked.

A man from Basra asked Umarah ibn Ruwaybah: “Tell me what you heard from the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘No one who prays before sunrise and before sunset will enter the Fire’”—meaning the dawn and afternoon prayers. The man asked him three times: “Did you hear this from him?” Each time he replied: “My ears heard it, and my heart retained it.” The man said: “I heard him say it too.”

Abd Allah ibn Fudalah said: The Messenger of Allah taught me, among other things: “Guard the five prayers.” I said: “These times are when I have many duties; give me a concise instruction that will suffice me if I follow it.” He said: “Guard the two ‘asr prayers.” This expression was not used in our dialect, so I asked: “What are the two ‘asrs?” He replied: “A prayer before sunrise and a prayer before sunset.”

Abu al-Darda reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “Five deeds, performed with faith, will admit a person to Paradise: maintaining the five prayers with their ablution, bowing, prostration, and appointed times; fasting Ramadan; making pilgrimage to the House if one is able; paying zakat willingly; and fulfilling the trust.” They asked: “Abu al-Darda, what is fulfilling the trust?” He replied: “Bathing after sexual impurity.”

Abu Qatadah ibn Rib‘i reported that Allah Most High said: “I have prescribed five prayers for your community and made a covenant with Myself: whoever comes maintaining them at their proper times, I will admit to Paradise; whoever does not maintain them has no covenant with Me.”

Abu Dharr said: The Messenger of Allah said to me: “Abu Dharr, what will you do when you are under rulers who cause prayer to die”—or he said, “delay prayer”? I said: “Messenger of Allah, what do you command me to do?” He replied: “Pray at its proper time. If you catch them praying it, pray it with them; it will be voluntary prayer for you.”

Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi said: Muadh ibn Jabal, the Messenger sent by the Messenger of Allah, came to us in Yemen. I heard his loud-voiced takbir at dawn, and I came to love him. I stayed with him until he died and I buried him in Syria. Then I sought the person with the greatest understanding after him, went to Ibn Masud, and stayed with him until he died. Ibn Masud said: The Messenger of Allah said to me: “How will you fare when rulers come who pray outside their proper times?” I asked: “What do you command me to do if I live to see that, Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “Pray at its proper time, and make your prayer with them voluntary.”

Ubadah ibn al-Samit reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “After me, rulers will come over you, distracted by other matters from praying at the proper time until its time has passed. Pray at the proper time.” A man asked: “Messenger of Allah, should I pray with them?” He replied: “Yes, if you wish.” In Sufyan’s version, he asked: “If I catch it with them, should I pray with them?” He replied: “Yes, if you wish.”

Qabisah ibn Waqqas reported that the Messenger of Allah said: “After me, rulers will come over you who delay the prayer. It will count for you and against them. Pray with them so long as they pray facing the qiblah.”

Abu Hurayrah reported: When the Messenger of Allah returned from the expedition of Khaybar, he traveled through the night. When sleep overtook us, he stopped to rest and told Bilal: “Keep watch for us through the night.” Bilal, leaning against his mount, was overcome by sleep. Neither the Prophet, Bilal, nor any of his Companions woke until the sun struck them. The Messenger of Allah was the first to wake. He called: “Bilal!” Bilal replied: “The same that overcame you overcame me, Messenger of Allah; may my father and mother be sacrificed for you.” They moved their mounts a short distance. The Prophet performed ablution and told Bilal to call and establish the prayer; he led them in dawn prayer. When he finished, he said: “Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers it, for Allah Most High said: ‘Establish prayer for My remembrance.’” Yunus said: Ibn Shihab used to recite the verse with the wording “for remembrance.” Ahmad said: Anbasah, reporting from Yunus, had the wording “for My remembrance.” Ahmad said: “Nu‘as” means drowsiness.

Abu Hurayrah reported another version of the account. The Messenger of Allah said: “Move away from the place where heedlessness overcame you.” He then ordered Bilal to call the adhan and iqamah, and they prayed. Abu Dawud said: Malik, Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, al-Awza‘i, Abd al-Razzaq from Ma‘mar, and Ibn Ishaq transmitted this report from al-Zuhri without mentioning the adhan. Of them, only al-Awza‘i and Aban al-Attar from Ma‘mar transmitted it with a connected chain.

Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet was on a journey, and he turned aside; I turned with him. He said: “Look.” I said: “Here is one rider; there are two; there are three…” until we numbered seven. He said: “Keep watch over our prayer”—meaning dawn prayer. Sleep overcame them, and only the sun’s heat woke them. They got up, traveled a short distance, then dismounted and performed ablution. Bilal called the adhan. They prayed the two sunnah rakahs of dawn, then the obligatory dawn prayer, and mounted. Some said to one another: “We were negligent about our prayer.” The Prophet said: “There is no negligence in sleep; negligence is in wakefulness. If one of you misses a prayer through forgetfulness, let him pray it when he remembers it, and pray the next day at its proper time.”

Khalid ibn Sumayr said: Abd Allah ibn Rabah al-Ansari came to us from Medina, where the Ansar had instructed him in religion. He reported to us from Abu Qatadah al-Ansari, the horseman of the Messenger of Allah: The Messenger of Allah sent out the commanders’ army—then he related the incident. He said: Nothing woke us except the rising sun. We got up, alarmed about our prayer. The Prophet said: “Take it easy, take it easy.” When the sun had risen higher, the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever normally prays the two dawn rakahs, let him pray them.” Those who used to pray them and those who did not stood and prayed them. Then the Messenger of Allah ordered the call to prayer. It was called, and he stood and led us in prayer. When he finished, he said: “We praise Allah that nothing of worldly affairs kept us from our prayer. Rather, our souls were in the hand of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He released them whenever He willed. Whoever among you catches tomorrow’s dawn prayer at its proper time should pray another like it along with it.”

Abu Qatadah reported a similar account through another chain. In this version the Prophet said: “Allah took your souls when He willed and returned them when He willed. Get up and call the adhan for prayer.” They got up and purified themselves. When the sun had risen higher, the Prophet stood and led the people in prayer.

Abu Qatadah reported this in a similar way through another chain. This version adds: He performed ablution when the sun had risen higher, then led them in prayer.