Once on a very cold and stormy night, Ibn `Umar pronounced the Adhan for the prayer and then said, "Pray in your homes." He (Ibn `Umar) added. "On very cold and rainy nights Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to order the Mu'adh-dhin to say, 'Pray in your homes.' "

`Itban bin Malik used to lead his people (tribe) in prayer and was a blind man, he said to Allah's Apostle , "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! At times it is dark and flood water is flowing (in the valley) and I am blind man, so please pray at a place in my house so that I can take it as a Musalla (praying place)." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to his house and said, "Where do you like me to pray?" 'Itban pointed to a place in his house and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), offered the prayer there.

Ibn `Abbas addressed us on a (rainy and) muddy day and when the Mu'adh-dhin said, "Come for the prayer" Ibn `Abbas ordered him to say, "Pray in your homes." The people began to look at one another with surprise as if they did not like it. Ibn `Abbas said, "It seems that you thought ill of it but no doubt it was done by one who was better than I (i.e. the Prophet). It (the prayer) is a strict order and I disliked to bring you out." Ibn `Abbas narrated the same as above but he said, "I did not like you to make you sinful (in refraining from coming to the mosque) and to come (to the mosque) covered with mud up to the knees."

A cloud came and it rained till the roof started leaking and in those days the roof used to be of the branches of date-palms. Iqama was pronounced and I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)s prostrating in water and mud and even I saw the mark of mud on his forehead.

I heard Anas saying, "A man from Ansar said to the Prophet, 'I cannot pray with you (in congregation).' He was a very fat man and he prepared a meal for the Prophet (ﷺ) and invited him to his house. He spread out a mat for the Prophet, and washed one of its sides with water, and the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed two rak`at on it." A man from the family of Al-Jaruid [??] asked, "Did the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray the Duha (forenoon) prayer?" Anas said, "I did not see him praying the Duha prayer except on that day."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If supper is served, and Iqama is pronounced one should start with the supper."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If the supper is served start having it before praying the Maghrib prayer and do not be hasty in finishing it."

Ibn `Umar said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'If the supper is served for anyone of you and the Iqama is pronounced, start with the supper and don't be in haste (and carry on eating) till you finish it." If food was served for Ibn `Umar and Iqama was pronounced, he never came to the prayer till he finished it (i.e. food) in spite of the fact that he heard the recitation (of the Qur'an) by the Imam (in the prayer).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you is having his meals, he should not hurry up till he is; satisfied even if the prayer has been started."

My father said, "I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) eating a piece of meat from the shoulder of a sheep and he was called for the prayer. He stood up, put down the knife and prayed but did not perform ablution.''

That he asked `Aisha "What did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to do in his house?" She replied, "He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was the time for prayer he would go for it."

Abu Qilaba said, "Malik bin Huwairith came to this Mosque of ours and said, 'I pray in front of you and my aim is not to lead the prayer but to show you the way in which the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray.' " I asked Abu Qilaba, "How did he use to pray?' " He replied, "(The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray) like this Sheikh of ours and the Sheikh used to sit for a while after the prostration, before getting up after the first rak`a. "

"The Prophet (ﷺ) became sick and when his disease became aggravated, he said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the prayer." `Aisha said, "He is a softhearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in your place." The Prophet (ﷺ) said again, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." She repeated the same reply but he said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. You are the companions of Joseph." So the messenger went to Abu Bakr (with that order) and he led the people in prayer in the lifetime of the Prophet.

the mother of the believers: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in his illness said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." I said to him, "If Abu Bakr stands in your place, the people would not hear him owing to his (excessive) weeping. So please order `Umar to lead the prayer." `Aisha added I said to Hafsa, "Say to him: If Abu Bakr should lead the people in the prayer in your place, the people would not be able to hear him owing to his weeping; so please, order `Umar to lead the prayer." Hafsa did so but Allah's Apostle said, "Keep quiet! You are verily the Companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. " Hafsa said to `Aisha, "I never got anything good from you."

Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari, told me, "Abu Bakr used to lead the people in prayer during the fatal illness of the Prophet (ﷺ) till it was Monday. When the people aligned (in rows) for the prayer the Prophet (ﷺ) lifted the curtain of his house and started looking at us and was standing at that time. His face was (glittering) like a page of the Qur'an and he smiled cheerfully. We were about to be put to trial for the pleasure of seeing the Prophet, Abu Bakr retreated to join the row as he thought that the Prophet (ﷺ) would lead the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned us to complete the prayer and he let the curtain fall. On the same day he died."

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not come out for three days. The people stood for the prayer and Abu Bakr went ahead to lead the prayer. (In the meantime) the Prophet (ﷺ) caught hold of the curtain and lifted it. When the face of the Prophet (ﷺ) appeared we had never seen a scene more pleasing than the face of the Prophet (ﷺ) as it appeared then. The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer and then let the curtain fall. We did not see him (again) till he died.

My father said, "When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became seriously ill, he was told about the prayer. He said, 'Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer.' `Aisha said, 'Abu Bakr is a softhearted man and he would be overpowered by his weeping if he recited the Qur'an.' He said to them, 'Tell him (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer. The same reply was given to him. He said again, 'Tell him to lead the prayer. You (women) are the companions of Joseph."

`Aisha said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer during his illness and so he led them in prayer." `Urwa, a sub narrator, added, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) felt a bit relieved and came out and Abu Bakr was leading the people. When Abu Bakr saw the Prophet (ﷺ) he retreated but the Prophet beckoned him to remain there. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sat beside Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr was following the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to establish peace among Bani `Amr bin `Auf. In the meantime the time of prayer was due and the Mu'adh-dhin went to Abu Bakr and said, "Will you lead the prayer, so that I may pronounce the Iqama?" Abu Bakr replied in the affirmative and led the prayer. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came while the people were still praying and he entered the rows of the praying people till he stood in the (first row). The people clapped their hands. Abu Bakr never glanced sideways in his prayer but when the people continued clapping, Abu Bakr looked and saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) beckoned him to stay at his place. Abu Bakr raised his hands and thanked Allah for that order of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and then he retreated till he reached the first row. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went forward and led the prayer. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) finished the prayer, he said, "O Abu Bakr! What prevented you from staying when I ordered you to do so?" Abu Bakr replied, "How can Ibn Abi Quhafa (Abu Bakr) dare to lead the prayer in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Why did you clap so much? If something happens to anyone during his prayer he should say Subhan Allah. If he says so he will be attended to, for clapping is for women."

We went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and we were all young men and stayed with him for about twenty nights. The Prophet (ﷺ) was very merciful. He said, "When you return home, impart religious teachings to your families and tell them to offer perfectly such and such a prayer at such and such a time and such and such a prayer at such and such a time. And at the time of the prayer one of you should pronounce the Adhan and the oldest of you should lead the prayer."