Call to Prayers (Adhaan)

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."

I went to `Aisha and asked her to describe to me the illness of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). `Aisha said, "Yes. The Prophet became seriously ill and asked whether the people had prayed. We replied, 'No. O Allah's Apostle! They are waiting for you.' He added, 'Put water for me in a trough." `Aisha added, "We did so. He took a bath and tried to get up but fainted. When he recovered, he again asked whether the people had prayed. We said, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ),' He again said, 'Put water in a trough for me.' He sat down and took a bath and tried to get up but fainted again. Then he recovered and said, 'Have the people prayed?' We replied, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Allah's Apostle.' He said, 'Put water for me in the trough.' Then he sat down and washed himself and tried to get up but he fainted. When he recovered, he asked, 'Have the people prayed?' We said, 'No, they are waiting for you. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The people were in the mosque waiting for the Prophet (ﷺ) for the `Isha prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent for Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer. The messenger went to Abu Bakr and said, 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) orders you to lead the people in the prayer.' Abu Bakr was a softhearted man, so he asked `Umar to lead the prayer but `Umar replied, 'You are more rightful.' So Abu Bakr led the prayer in those days. When the Prophet (ﷺ) felt a bit better, he came out for the Zuhr prayer with the help of two persons one of whom was Al-`Abbas. while Abu Bakr was leading the people in the prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him he wanted to retreat but the Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned him not to do so and asked them to make him sit beside Abu Bakr and they did so. Abu Bakr was following the Prophet (in the prayer) and the people were following Abu Bakr. The Prophet (prayed) sitting." 'Ubaidullah added "I went to `Abdullah bin `Abbas and asked him, Shall I tell you what Aisha has told me about the fatal illness of the Prophet?' Ibn `Abbas said, 'Go ahead. I told him her narration and he did not deny anything of it but asked whether `Aisha told me the name of the second person (who helped the Prophet (ﷺ) ) along with Al-Abbas. I said. 'No.' He said, 'He was `Ali (Ibn Abi Talib).

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If the Imam leads the prayer correctly then he and you will receive the rewards but if he makes a mistake (in the prayer) then you will receive the reward for the prayer and the sin will be his."

One night I slept at the house of (my aunt) Maimuna and the Prophet (ﷺ) was there on that night. He performed ablution and stood up for the prayer. I joined him and stood on his left side but he drew me to his right and prayed thirteen rak`at and then slept till I heard his breath sounds. And whenever he slept, he used to breathe with audible sounds. The Mu'adh-dhin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he went out and prayed the morning prayer) without repeating the ablution.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you leads the people in the prayer, he should shorten it for amongst them are the weak, the sick and the old; and if anyone among your prays alone then he may prolong (the prayer) as much as he wishes. "

I never prayed behind any Imam a prayer lighter and more perfect than that behind the Prophet (ﷺ) and he used to cut short the prayer whenever he heard the cries of a child lest he should put the child's mother to trial.

Mu`adh used to pray with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then go and lead his people (tribe) in the prayer.

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became seriously ill, Bilal came to him for the prayer. He said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer." I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Abu Bakr is a softhearted man and if he stands in your place, he would not be able to make the people hear him. Will you order `Umar (to lead the prayer)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer." Then I said to Hafsa, "Tell him, Abu i Bakr is a softhearted man and if he stands in his place, he would not be able to make the people hear him. Would you order `Umar to lead the prayer?' " Hafsa did so. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Verily you are the companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer." So Abu- Bakr stood for the prayer. In the meantime Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) felt better and came out with the help of two persons and both of his legs were dragging on the ground till he entered the mosque. When Abu Bakr heard him coming, he tried to retreat but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) beckoned him to carry on. The Prophet (ﷺ) sat on his left side. Abu Bakr was praying while standing and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was leading the prayer while sitting. Abu Bakr was following the Prophet (ﷺ) and the people were following Abu Bakr (in the prayer).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Straighten your rows or Allah will alter your faces."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Straighten your rows, for I see you from behind my back.'

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Straighten your rows as the straightening of rows is essential for a perfect and correct prayer. "

I arrived at Medina and was asked whether I found any change since the days of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I said, "I have not found any change except that you do not stand in alignment in your prayers."

I prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) one night and stood on his left side. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) caught hold of my head from behind and drew me to his right and then offered the prayer and slept. Later the Mu'adh-dhin came and the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up for prayer without performing ablution.

The Prophet (ﷺ) had a mat which he used to spread during the day and use as a curtain at night. So a number of people gathered at night facing it and prayed behind him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Imam is to be followed. Say the Takbir when he says it; bow if he bows; if he says 'Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah', say, ' Rabbana wa laka l-hamd', prostrate if he prostrates and pray sitting altogether if he prays sitting."

I saw Malik bin Huwairith saying Takbir and raising both his hands (on starting the prayers and raising his hands on bowing and also on raising his head after bowing. Malik bin Huwairith said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did the same."

We asked Khabbab whether Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to recite (the Qur'an) in the Zuhr and the `Asr prayers. He replied in the affirmative. We said, "How did you come to know about it?" He said, "By the movement of his beard."

(And Al-Bara was not a liar) Whenever we offered prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he raised his head from the bowing, we used to remain standing till we saw him prostrating .

The People of Kufa complained against Sa`d to `Umar and the latter dismissed him and appointed `Ammar as their chief . They lodged many complaints against Sa`d and even they alleged that he did not pray properly. `Umar sent for him and said, "O Aba 'Is-haq! These people claim that you do not pray properly." Abu 'Is-haq said, "By Allah, I used to pray with them a prayer similar to that of Allah's Apostle and I never reduced anything of it. I used to prolong the first two rak`at of `Isha prayer and shorten the last two rak`at." `Umar said, "O Aba 'Is-haq, this was what I thought about you." And then he sent one or more persons with him to Kufa so as to ask the people about him. So they went there and did not leave any mosque without asking about him. All the people praised him till they came to the mosque of the tribe of Bani `Abs; one of the men called Usama bin Qatada with a surname of Aba Sa`da stood up and said, "As you have put us under an oath; I am bound to tell you that Sa`d never went himself with the army and never distributed (the war booty) equally and never did justice in legal verdicts." (On hearing it) Sa`d said, "I pray to Allah for three things: O Allah! If this slave of yours is a liar and got up for showing off, give him a long life, increase his poverty and put him to trials." (And so it happened). Later on when that person was asked how he was, he used to reply that he was an old man in trial as the result of Sa`d's curse. `Abdul Malik, the sub narrator, said that he had seen him afterwards and his eyebrows were overhanging his eyes owing to old age and he used to tease and assault the small girls in the way.

(My mother) Umu-l-Fadl heard me reciting "Wal Mursalati `Urfan" (77) and said, "O my son! By Allah, your recitation made me remember that it was the last Sura I heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He recited it in the Maghrib prayer. "