The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
Chapter 32: The recommendation to delay Zuhr (until it has cooled down) in severe heat for one who finds it too hot in route to join the congregation
The Mu'adhdbin (the announcer of the hour of prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called for the noon prayer. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let it cool down, let it cool down, or he said: Wait, wait for the intensity of heat is from the exhalation of Hell. When the heat is intense, delay the prayer till it becomes cooler. Abu Dharr said: (We waited) till we saw the shadow of the mounds.
The Fire said to the Lord: O Lord! some parts of mine have consumed the others, so allow me to exhale (in order to find some relief from this congestion). It was granted permission to take two exhalations, one exhalation during the winter and the other exhalation during the summer So whatever you perceive in the form of intense cold or hurting cold is from the exhalation of Hell. And whatever you perceive in the form of extreme heat or intense beat is from the exhalation of Hell.
Chapter 34: It is recommended to pray `Asr early
Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray the afternoon prayer when the sun was high and bright, then one would go off to al-'Awali and get there while the sun was still high. Ibn Qutaiba made no mention of" one would go off to al-'Awali".
This hadith that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer the afternoon prayer like the one narrated above has been transmitted by Anas b. Malik by another chain of transmitters.
Have you said the afternoon prayer? We said to him: It is just a few minutes before that we finished the noon prayer. He said: Offer the afternoon prayer. So we stood up and said our prayer. And when we completed it, he said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: This is how the hypocrite prays: he sits watching the sun, and when it is between the horns of devil, he rises and strikes the ground four times (in haste) mentioning Allah a little during it.
Chapter 35: Stern warning against missing the `Asr prayer
Abdullah relates on the authority of his father. He who missed his afternoon prayer it is as though he was deprived of his family and property.
When it was the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: May Allah fill their graves and houses with fire, as they detained us and diverted us from the middle prayer, till the sun set.
Chapter 36: The evidence for those who say that “the middle prayer” is the `Asr prayer
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day (of the Battle) of Ahzab: They diverted us from saying the middle prayer, i. e. the 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their houses and graves with fire; he then observed this prayer between the evening prayer and the night prayer.
'A'isha ordered me to transcribe a copy of the Qur'an for her and said: When you reach this verse:" Guard the prayers and the middle prayer" (ii. 238), inform me; so when I reached it, I informed her and she gave me dictation (like this): Guard the prayers and the middle prayer and the afternoon prayer, and stand up truly obedient to Allah. 'A'isha said: This is how I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Chapter 37: The virtue of the Subh and the `Asr prayers, and of maintaining them
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn and afternoon prayers. Those (of the angels) who spend the night among you, then, ascend, and their Lord asks them, though He is the best informed about them: How did you leave My servants? -they say: We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying.
Chapter 38: The beginning of the time for Maghrib when the sun sets
A hadith like this, i. e." We used to observe evening prayer...." so on and so forth, has been narrated by Rafi' b. Khadij by another chain of transmitters.
Chapter 39: The time of `Isha and delaying it
None among the people of the earth except you waits for prayer in the night.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe prayers like your prayers, but he would delay the prayer after nightfall to a little after the time you observed it, and he would shorten the prayer.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let the bedouin not gain upper band over you In regard to the name of your prayer, i. e. night prayer, for it is mentioned 'Isya' in the Book of Allah (i. e. the Qur'an). (The bedouin call it 'Atama because) they make delay in milling their she-camels.
Chapter 41: It is disliked to delay the prayers beyond their proper times, and what a person should do if the Imam delays the prayer
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: How would you act when you are under the rulers who would delay the prayer beyond its prescribed time, or they would make prayer a dead thing as far as its proper time is concerned? I said: What do you command? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe the prayer at Its proper time, and if you can say it along with them do so, for it would be a superetogatory prayer for you. Khalaf (one of the narrators in the above hadith) has not mentioned" beyond their (prescribed) time".
Ibn Ziyad delayed the prayer. 'Abdullah b. Samit came to me and I placed a chair for him and he sat in it and I made a mention of whit Ibn Ziyad had done. He bit hit lips (as a sign of extreme anger and annoyance) and struck at my thigh and said: I asked Abu Dharr as you have asked me, and he struck my thigh just as I have struck your thigh, and said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as you have asked me and he struck my thigh just as I have struck your thigh, and he (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe prayer at its prescribed time, and if you can say prayer along with them. do so, and do not say." I have observed prayer and so I shall not pray."
Chapter 42: The virtue of prayer in congregation, and clarifying the stern warning against staying away from it, and that it is fard kifayah
Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-five degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person. He (Abu Huraira further) said: The angels of the night and the angels of the day meet together. Abu Huraira said: Recite it you like:" Surely the recital of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed" (al-Qur'an, xvii. 78).
The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: Prayer along with the Imam is twenty-five times more excellent than prayer said by a single person.
Prayer said in a congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than prayer said by a single person.
The prayer of a person in congregation is twenty-seven times in excess to the prayer said alone.