The Times of Prayer

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umarused to say, "Duluk ash-shams begins from when the sun passes themeridian."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Da'ud ibn al-Husayn said thatsomeone had told him Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say, "Duluk ash-shamsbegins from when the sun passes the meridian. Ghasaq al-layl is thegathering of the night and its darkness."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umarthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "If someone misses the asr prayer it is as if he has suffered agreat misfortune in his family and wealth ."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that once Umaribn al-Khattab left after doing the asr prayer and met a man who hadnot been there. Umar asked him what had kept him from the prayer andeventhough the man gave a good reason, Umar said, "You have givenyourself short measure."

Yahya added that Malik commented,"It is said that everything has a short measure and a full measure."

Yahya related to me from Malik thatYahya ibn Said used to say,"Even if someone manages to pray before the time of the prayer haspassed, the time that has passed him by is more important, or better,than his family and wealth."

Yahya said that Malik said, "Ifthe time for a prayer comes and a traveller delays a prayer throughneglect or forgetfulness until he reaches his family, he should dothat prayer in full if he arrives within the time. But if he arriveswhen the time has past, he should do the travelling prayer. That wayhe only repays what he owes."

Malik said, "This is what Ihave found the people and men of knowledge doing in our community."Malik explained that shafaq was the redness in the sky after the sunhad set, and said, "When the redness has gone then the isha prayer isdue and you have left the time of maghrib."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that one time Abdullahibn Umar fainted and lost his senses and he did not make up theprayer.

Malik commented, "We consider that that was because,and Allah knows best, the time had passed. Someone who recovers withinthe time has to pray."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, travelled by night on the way back from Khaybar.Towards theend of the night he stopped for a rest and told Bilal to stay awake tokeep watch for the subh prayer. The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, and his companions slept. Bilal stayedon guard as long as was decreed for him and then he leant against hisriding camel facing the direction of the dawn and sleep overcame himand neither he nor the Messenger of Allah nor any of the party woke upuntil the sun's rays had struck them. The Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, was alarmed. Bilal excusedhimself, saying, "Messenger of Allah! The One who took your self wasthe One who took myself. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, ordered the party to move on and so they rousedthei r mounts and rode on a short distance. The Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered Bilal to give theiqama and then led them in the subh prayer. When he had finished hesaid, "Anyone who forgets a prayer should pray it when he remembers.Allah theBlessed and Exalted says in His book, 'Establish the prayerto remember Me.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik that Zayd ibn Aslam said, "TheMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stoppedfor a rest one night on the way to Makka and appointed Bilal to wakethem up for the prayer. Bilal slept and everyone else slept and noneof them woke up until the sun had risen. When they did wake up theywere all alarmed. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, ordered them to ride out of the valley, saying thatthere was a shaytan in it. So they rode out of the valley and theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, orderedthem to dismount and do wudu and he told Bilal either to call theprayer or to give the iqama. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, then led them in the prayer. Noticing theiruneasiness, he went to them and said, 'O people! Allah seized ourspirits (arwah) and if He had wished He would have returned them to usat a time other than this. So if you sleep through the time for aprayer or forget it and then are anxious about it, pray it as if youwere praying it in its time.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, turned to Abu Bakr and said, 'Shaytan came toBilal when he was standing in prayer and made him lie down and lulledhim to sleep like a small boy.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, then called Bilal and told him the sameas he had told Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr declared, 'I bear witness that youare the Messenger of Allah.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibnYasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, "Scorching heat is a part of the blast of Jahannam. So,when the heat is fierce, delay the prayer until it gets cooler."

He added in explanation, "The Fire complained to its Lord andsaid, 'My Lord, part of me has eaten another part,' so He allowed ittwo breaths in every year, a breath in winter and a breath in summer."

Malik related to us from Abdullah ibn Yazid the mawla of al-Aswadibn Sufyan, from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman from Muhammad ibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Thawban from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the heat isfierce delay the prayer until it gets cooler, for scorching heat is apart of the blast of Jahannam."

He added, "The Firecomplained to its Lord, so He allowed it two breaths in each year, abreath in winter and a breath in summer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj fromAbu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, "When the heat is fierce, wait until it gets coolerbefore you do the prayer, for scorching heat is from the blast ofJahannam."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the heat is fierce, wait until it gets cooler before you do the prayer, for scorching heat is from the blast of Jahannam."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al- Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who eats this plant should not come near our mosques. The smell of the garlic will offend us."