Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Medina, he gathered the women of Ansar in a house, and sent to us (to them) 'Umar b. al-Khattab. He stood at the door and gave the salutation to us and we returned it (the salutation) to him. Thereupon, he said: I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to you. He commanded us to bring out the menstruating women and the virgins for both the 'Id prayers, and that the Friday prayer is not obligatory on us. He prohibited us to accompany the funeral procession.

Marwan brought out the pulpit on 'Id. He began preaching before the prayer. A man stood and said: You opposed the sunnah, O Marwan. You brought out the pulpit on the 'Id, it was not brought out before: and you began preaching before the prayer. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: Wh is this (man) ? They (people) said: So-and so son of so-and-so. He has performed his duty. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who observes and evil deed should change it with his hand if he can do so; if he cannot do, (he should change it) then with his tongue; if he cannot do then (he should change it) with his heart, and that is the weakest degree of the faith.

The Prophet (ﷺ) stood on the day of the breaking of the fast ('Id) and offered prayer. He began the prayer before the sermon. He then addressed the people. When the Prophet (ﷺ) finished the sermon, he descended (from the pulpit) and went to women. He gave them an exhortation while he was leaning on the hand of Bilal. Bilal was spreading his garment in which women were putting alms; some women put their rings and others other things.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out on 'Id (the festival day). He first offered the prayer and then delivered the sermon . He then went to women, taking Bilal with him. The narrator Ibn Kathir said: The probable opinion of Shu'bah is that he commanded them to give alms. So they began to put (their jewellery).

He (the Prophet) thought that women could not hear (his sermon). So he went to them and Bilal was in his company. He gave them exhortation and commanded them to give alms. Some women put their ear-rings and other their rings in the garment of Bilal.

The women began to give their ear-rings and rings in alms. Bilal began to collect them in his garment. He (the Prophet) then distributed them among the poor Muslims.

Someone presented a bow to the Prophet (ﷺ) on the 'Id (festival). So he preached leaning on it.

A man asked Ibb 'Abbas: Have you been present along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ? He replied: Yes. Had there been no dignity for me in his eyes, I would not have been present with him due to my minority. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to the point that was near the house of Kathir b. al-Salt. He prayed and afterwards preached. He (Ibn 'Abbas) did not mention the adhan (call to prayer) and the iqamah. He then commanded to give alms. The women began to point to their ears and throats (to give their jewelry in alms).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the 'Id prayer without the adhan and the iqamah. AbuBakr and Umar or Uthman also did so. The narrator Yahya is doubtful about Uthman.

I prayed the 'Id prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) not once or twice (but many times) without the adhan and the iqamah.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would say the takbir (Allah is most great) seven times in the first rak'ah and five times in the second rak'ah on the day of the breaking of the fast and on the day of sacrifice (on the occasion of both the 'Id prayers, the two festivals).

"Except the two takers pronounced at the time of the bowing."

The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are seven takers in the first rak'ah and five in the second rak'ah of the prayer offered on the day of the breaking of the fast.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say on the day of the breaking of the fast seven takbirs in the first rak'ah and then recite the Qur'an, and utter the takbir (Allah is most great). Then he would stand, and utter the takbir four times. Thereafter he would recite the Qur'an and bow.

Abu Dawud said: This has been narrated by Waki' and Ibn al-Mubarak. Their version goes: "Seven (in the first rak'ah) and five (in the second)."

Sa'id b. al-'As asked Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Hudhaifah b. al-Yaman: How would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) utter the takbir (Allah is most great) in the prayer of the day of sacrifice and of the breaking of the fast. Abu Musa said: He uttered takbir four times as he did at funerals. Hudhaifah said: He is correct. Then Abu Musa said: I used to utter the takbir in a similar way when I was the governor of Basrah. Abu 'Aishah said: I was present there when Sa'id b. al-'As asked.

'Umar b. al-Khattab asked Abu Waqid al-Laithi: What did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite during the prayer on the day of sacrifice and on the breaking of the fast ? He replied: He recited at both of them Surah al-Qaf, "By the Glorious Quran" [50] and the Surah "The Hour is nigh" (54).

I attended the 'Id prayer along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When he finished the prayer, he said: We shall deliver the sermon; he who likes to sit for listening to it may sit and he who likes to go away may go away.

Abu Dawud said: this is a mursal tradition (i.e. the successor 'Ata directly reporting from the Prophet (ﷺ) and omitting the link of the Companions).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out by one road on the day of the 'Id (festival) and returned by another.

AbuUmayr reported on the authority of some of his paternal uncles who were Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ): Some men came riding to the Prophet (ﷺ) and testified that they had sighted the new moon the previous day. He (the Holy Prophet), therefore, commanded the people to break the fast and to go out to their place of prayer in the morning.

I used to go to the place of prayer on the day of the breaking of the fast, and on the day of sacrifice along with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). We would walk through a valley known as Batn Bathan till we came to the place of prayer. Then we would pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and return through Batn Bathan to our house.