Call to Prayers (Adhaan)

Al-Bara reported: The Prophet was traveling and recited By the fig and the olive in one of the two rakas of the night prayer.

Abu Rafi reported: I prayed the night prayer with Abu Huraira. He recited When the sky is split open and prostrated. I asked him what that was, and he said, I prostrated while praying behind Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings be upon him, and I will continue to prostrate when reciting it until I meet him.

Al-Bara reported: I heard the Prophet recite By the fig and the olive during the night prayer. I never heard anyone with a more beautiful voice or recitation than his.

Jabir ibn Samura reported: Umar said to Sad, They have complained about you in everything, even about the prayer. Sad replied, As for me, I make the first two rakas long and the last two brief, and I spare no effort to follow the prayer of the Messenger of Allah. Umar said, You have spoken the truth. That is what I thought of you, or what I expected of you.

Abu Barza al-Aslami reported: My father and I visited Abu Barza and asked him about prayer times. He said: The Prophet used to pray the noon prayer when the sun began to decline. He prayed the afternoon prayer while the sun was still bright enough for a man to return to the farthest part of Medina. I have forgotten what he said about sunset. He did not mind delaying the night prayer until a third of the night, but he disliked sleeping before it or talking afterward. After the dawn prayer, a man could leave and recognize the person sitting beside him. He used to recite between sixty and one hundred verses in one or both of the first two rakas.

Abu Huraira reported: Recitation is part of every prayer. Whatever the Messenger of Allah recited aloud to us, we recite aloud to you, and whatever he recited quietly to us, we recite quietly to you. If you recite no more than the Opening of the Book, it is sufficient; if you recite more, that is better.

Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet set out with a group of his Companions toward the market of Ukaz. The devils had been prevented from hearing the news of heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. They returned to their people, who asked what had happened. They replied that they had been blocked from news of heaven and pelted with shooting stars. Their people said, Something must have happened to prevent you from hearing the news of heaven. Travel through the east and west of the earth and find out what has come between you and that news. Those who went toward Tihama returned to the Prophet at Nakhla. He was on his way to the market of Ukaz and was leading his Companions in the dawn prayer. When they heard the Quran, they listened and said, By Allah, this is what has come between you and the news of heaven. When they returned to their people, they said, Our people, we have heard a wondrous Quran. It guides to what is right, and we believe in it. We will never associate anyone with our Lord. Then Allah revealed to His Prophet, Say: It has been revealed to me, though what was revealed to him was the words of the jinn.

Ibn Abbas reported: The Prophet recited what he was commanded to recite and remained silent where he was commanded to remain silent. Your Lord is never forgetful. Indeed, you have a good example in the Messenger of Allah.

Anas reported: A man from the Ansar used to lead them in prayer at the mosque of Quba. Whenever he began a surah for them in prayer, he would first recite Say: He is Allah, the One until he finished it, then recite another surah alongside it. He did this in every raka. His companions spoke to him and said, You begin with this surah, then you do not consider it sufficient unless you recite another one as well. Either recite this surah alone or leave it and recite another. He replied, I will not leave it. If you wish, I will continue to lead you in this way; if you dislike it, I will stop leading you. They considered him among the best of them and disliked being led by anyone else. When the Prophet came, they told him what had happened. He said, So-and-so, what prevents you from doing what your companions ask, and what makes you keep reciting this surah in every raka? The man replied, I love it. The Prophet said, Your love for it will admit you to Paradise.

Abu Wail reported: A man came to Ibn Masud and said, I recited al-Mufassal in one raka last night. Ibn Masud said, You recited it rapidly, like poetry. I know the pairs of surahs that the Prophet used to recite together. He then mentioned twenty surahs from al-Mufassal, pairing two surahs in each raka.

Abu Qatada reported: The Prophet used to recite the Opening of the Book and two surahs in the first two rakas of the noon prayer, and the Opening of the Book in the last two rakas. He sometimes recited a verse aloud for us to hear. He made the first raka longer than the second. He did the same in the afternoon and dawn prayers.

Abu Mamar asked Khabbab whether the Messenger of Allah recited during the noon and afternoon prayers. He said, Yes. We asked how he knew, and he replied, From the movement of his beard.

Abu Qatada reported: The Prophet used to recite the Opening of the Book and another surah in each of the first two rakas of the noon and afternoon prayers. Sometimes he recited a verse aloud for us to hear, and he made the first raka long.

Abu Qatada reported: The Prophet used to make the first raka of the noon prayer long and the second shorter. He did the same in the dawn prayer.

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said: When the imam says Amin, say Amin. Whoever says Amin at the same time as the angels will have his previous sins forgiven. Ibn Shihab said: The Messenger of Allah used to say Amin.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah said: When one of you says Amin and the angels in heaven say Amin, and the two coincide, his previous sins will be forgiven.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah said: When the imam recites, Not those who have incurred anger, nor those who have gone astray, say Amin. Whoever says it at the same time as the angels will have his previous sins forgiven. Muhammad ibn Amr also related it from Abu Salama, from Abu Huraira, from the Prophet, and Nuaim al-Mujmir related it from Abu Huraira.

Abu Bakra reached the Prophet while he was bowing. He bowed before reaching the row, then told the Prophet about it. The Prophet said, May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not do that again.

Imran ibn Husayn reported: I prayed with Ali in Basra, and he reminded us of a prayer we used to perform with the Messenger of Allah. He said that the Prophet used to say the takbir every time he rose and every time he lowered himself.

Abu Huraira used to lead them in prayer, saying the takbir whenever he lowered or raised himself. When he finished, he said, My prayer most closely resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah.