'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz deferred the afternoon prayer somewhat and 'Urwa said to him: Gabriel came down and he led the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in prayer. 'Umar said to him: O 'Urwa, are you aware of what you are saying? Upon this he ('Urwa) said: I heard Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud say that he heard Abu Mas'ud say that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Gabriel came down and acted as my Imam, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him. then I prayed with him. then I prayed with him. reckoning with his fingers five times of prayer.
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - Sahih Muslim 610a
This narration from the Sahih Muslim collection establishes the divine origin of the five daily prayers through the angel Gabriel's direct instruction to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Historical Context & Incident
When 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz delayed the 'Asr prayer, 'Urwa reminded him of the precise timings established through heavenly revelation.
The chain of narration traces back through Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud to his father Abu Mas'ud, who directly heard from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Scholarly Commentary
The repetition "then I prayed with him" five times signifies the five obligatory prayers: Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha.
Gabriel's role as Imam demonstrates that prayer times were divinely ordained, not humanly determined.
This hadith emphasizes maintaining prayers at their proper times, as 'Urwa cautioned against delaying 'Asr beyond its preferred time.
The counting on fingers symbolizes the fixed, unchangeable nature of the five daily obligations in Islamic worship.
Legal Implications
Establishes the obligation of five daily prayers at specific times as fundamental to Islamic practice.
Demonstrates the importance of praying each salat in its designated time period without undue delay.
Shows the permissibility of using established chains of transmission to verify religious obligations.