Prayers (Salat)

Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us: Al-Layth narrated to us, from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: Abu Dharr used to relate that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The roof of my house in Makkah was opened, and Gabriel descended. He opened my chest, washed it with Zamzam water, then brought a golden basin filled with wisdom and faith and poured it into my chest. He closed it, took my hand, and ascended with me to the lowest heaven. When I reached it, Gabriel said to its gatekeeper, “Open.” He asked, “Who is this?” He replied, “Gabriel.” The gatekeeper asked, “Is anyone with you?” He said, “Muhammad is with me.” He asked, “Has he been sent for?” Gabriel replied, “Yes.” When it opened, we ascended into the lowest heaven. There was a man seated, with dark forms on his right and left. When he looked to his right, he smiled; when he looked to his left, he wept. He said, “Welcome to the righteous Prophet and righteous son.” I asked Gabriel, “Who is this?” He said, “This is Adam. The dark forms on his right and left are the souls of his descendants. Those on his right are the people of Paradise, and those on his left are the people of the Fire. When he looks right, he smiles; when he looks left, he weeps.”’ He then ascended with me to the second heaven and told its gatekeeper, ‘Open.’ The gatekeeper said the same as the first, and it opened. Anas said: He mentioned that he found Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus, and Abraham in the heavens—may Allah bless them—but did not specify their stations, except that he said Adam was in the lowest heaven and Abraham in the sixth. Anas said: When Gabriel passed by Idris with the Prophet, Idris said, ‘Welcome to the righteous Prophet and righteous brother.’ I asked, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Idris.’ Then I passed by Moses, who said, ‘Welcome to the righteous Prophet and righteous brother.’ I asked, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Moses.’ Then I passed by Jesus, who said, ‘Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous Prophet.’ I asked, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Jesus.’ Then I passed by Abraham, who said, ‘Welcome to the righteous Prophet and righteous son.’ I asked, ‘Who is this?’ He said, ‘This is Abraham, peace be upon him.’ Ibn Shihab said: Ibn Hazm informed me that Ibn Abbas and Abu Habbah al-Ansari used to say that the Prophet said: ‘Then I was taken up until I reached a level where I could hear the scratching of pens.’ Ibn Hazm and Anas ibn Malik said that the Prophet said: ‘Allah prescribed fifty prayers for my community. I returned with this until I passed by Moses, who asked, “What did Allah prescribe for your community?” I replied, “Fifty prayers.” He said, “Return to your Lord, for your community cannot bear that.” I went back, and He reduced half of them. I returned to Moses and told him, “He reduced half of them.” He said, “Go back to your Lord, for your community cannot bear it.” I went back, and He reduced half of them. I returned to him, and he said, “Go back to your Lord, for your community cannot bear that.” I went back to Him. He said, “They are five, but they are fifty; My decree will not be changed.” I returned to Moses, and he said, “Go back to your Lord.” I said, “I am too shy before my Lord.” Then He continued with me until I reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, which was covered with colors I cannot describe. Then I was admitted to Paradise, where I saw strings of pearls and its soil was musk.’

Abd Allah ibn Yusuf narrated to us: Malik informed us, from Salih ibn Kaysan, from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, from Aishah, Mother of the Believers, who said: ‘When Allah first prescribed the prayer, it was two units at a time, both at home and on a journey. The prayer while traveling remained as it was, while the prayer at home was increased.’

Musa ibn Ismail narrated to us: Yazid ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, from Muhammad, from Umm Atiyyah, who said: We were commanded to bring out the menstruating women and the secluded women on the two Eid days, so they could attend the Muslims’ gathering and supplication. The menstruating women were to keep apart from the prayer place. A woman said, ‘Messenger of Allah, one of us has no outer garment.’ He replied, ‘Let her companion lend her one of her outer garments.’ Abd Allah ibn Raja said: Imran narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Sirin narrated to us: Umm Atiyyah narrated to us: I heard the Prophet say this.

Ahmad ibn Yunus narrated to us: Asim ibn Muhammad narrated to us: Waqid ibn Muhammad told me, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, who said: Jabir prayed wearing a waist wrapper tied behind his neck, while his clothes lay on a clothes rack. Someone said to him, ‘You are praying in a single waist wrapper?’ He replied, ‘I did this so that a fool like you could see me. Which of us had two garments in the time of the Prophet?’

Mutarrif Abu Mus‘ab narrated to us: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Mawali narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, who said: I saw Jabir ibn Abd Allah praying in a single garment. He said, ‘I saw the Prophet praying in a garment.’

Ubayd Allah ibn Musa narrated to us: Hisham ibn Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from Umar ibn Abi Salamah, that the Prophet prayed in a single garment, wrapping its two ends across one another.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us: Hisham narrated to us: My father told me, from Umar ibn Abi Salamah, that he saw the Prophet praying in a single garment in Umm Salamah’s house, with its two ends draped over his shoulders.

Ubayd ibn Ismail narrated to us: Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Hisham, from his father, that Umar ibn Abi Salamah informed him: I saw the Messenger of Allah praying in a single garment, wrapped in it, in Umm Salamah’s house, with its two ends resting on his shoulders.

Ismail ibn Abi Uways narrated to us: Malik ibn Anas told me, from Abu al-Nadr, the freedman of Umar ibn Ubayd Allah, that Abu Murrah, the freedman of Umm Hani bint Abi Talib, informed him that he heard Umm Hani bint Abi Talib say: I went to the Messenger of Allah in the year of the Conquest and found him bathing, while his daughter Fatimah screened him. I greeted him, and he asked, ‘Who is this?’ I said, ‘I am Umm Hani bint Abi Talib.’ He said, ‘Welcome, Umm Hani.’ When he finished bathing, he stood and prayed eight rak‘ahs, wrapped in a single garment. When he finished, I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, my maternal half-brother claims he will kill a man I have granted protection to, so-and-so ibn Hubayrah.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘We grant protection to the one you have protected, Umm Hani.’ Umm Hani said: This was in the forenoon.

Abd Allah ibn Yusuf narrated to us: Malik informed us, from Ibn Shihab, from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, that a questioner asked the Messenger of Allah about praying in a single garment. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Does each of you have two garments?’

Abu Asim narrated to us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zinad, from Abd al-Rahman al-A‘raj, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Prophet said, ‘None of you should pray in a single garment with nothing over his shoulders.’

Abu Nuaym narrated to us: Shayban narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Ikrimah, who said: I heard him—or I had asked him, and he said: I heard Abu Hurayrah say: I testify that I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Whoever prays in a single garment should wrap its two ends across one another.’

Yahya ibn Salih narrated to us: Fulayh ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Sa‘id ibn al-Harith, who said: We asked Jabir ibn Abd Allah about praying in a single garment. He said: I went with the Prophet on one of his journeys. One night I came to him for something and found him praying, while I had only one garment. I wrapped myself in it and prayed beside him. When he finished, he said, ‘What brings you out at night, Jabir?’ I told him what I needed. When I had finished, he said, ‘What is this way of wrapping that I saw?’ I replied, ‘It was a single garment’—meaning it was narrow. He said, ‘If it is wide, wrap yourself in it; if it is narrow, wear it as a waist wrapper.’

Musaddad narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us, from Sufyan, who said: Abu Hazim told me, from Sahl, who said: Some men prayed with the Prophet with their waist wrappers tied around their necks, like children. He said to the women, ‘Do not raise your heads until the men are seated upright.’

Yahya narrated to us: Abu Mu‘awiyah narrated to us, from al-A‘mash, from Muslim, from Masruq, from al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah, who said: I was with the Prophet on a journey, and he said, ‘Mughirah, bring the water flask.’ I brought it. The Messenger of Allah went out of sight and relieved himself. He was wearing a Syrian cloak. He tried to take his hand out through its sleeve, but it was too tight, so he brought his hand out from beneath it. I poured water for him, and he performed ablution as for prayer and wiped over his leather socks, then prayed.

Matar ibn al-Fadl narrated to us: Rawh narrated to us: Zakariyya ibn Ishaq narrated to us: Amr ibn Dinar narrated to us: I heard Jabir ibn Abd Allah relate that the Messenger of Allah was carrying stones with them for the Ka‘bah, wearing his waist wrapper. His uncle al-Abbas said to him, ‘Son of my brother, if you untie your waist wrapper and place it on your shoulders beneath the stones, that would be better.’ He untied it and placed it on his shoulders, then fell unconscious. After that, he was never seen uncovered, peace and blessings be upon him.

Sulayman ibn Harb narrated to us: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Muhammad, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: A man stood before the Prophet and asked him about praying in a single garment. He said, ‘Does every one of you have two garments?’ Later, a man asked Umar, who said: ‘When Allah has given you ample means, then dress amply. A man may gather his clothes around himself: he may pray wearing a waist wrapper and a cloak; a waist wrapper and a shirt; a waist wrapper and an outer robe; trousers and a cloak; trousers and a shirt; trousers and an outer robe; short trousers and an outer robe; or short trousers and a shirt’—and I think he also said—‘short trousers and a cloak.’

Asim ibn Ali narrated to us: Ibn Abi Dhi’b narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Salim, from Ibn Umar, who said: A man asked the Messenger of Allah, ‘What may a person in ihram wear?’ He replied, ‘He must not wear a shirt, trousers, a hooded cloak, or any garment touched by saffron or wars. Whoever cannot find sandals may wear leather socks, but should cut them so they fall below the ankles.’ Nafi‘ also related the same from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet.

Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Layth narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah forbade wrapping oneself so tightly in a garment that the hands cannot be brought out, and forbade a man to sit with his knees drawn up under a single garment that covers nothing of his private parts.