The Book of Prayer - Travellers

كتاب صلاة المسافرين وقصرها

Chapter 36: The descent of tranquility (sakinah) when the Qur’an is recited

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of al-Bara' with a slight modification of words.

Chapter 39: It is recommended to recite the Qur’an to people of virtue who are skilled in its recitation, even if the reciter is better than the one to whom it is recited

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying to Ubayy b. Ka'b

Allah has commanded me to recite the Qur'an to you. He said: Did Allah mention me to you by name? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Allah made a mention of your name to me. (On hearing this) Ubayy b. Ka'b wept.

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying to Ubayy b. Ka`b

Allah has commanded me to recite to you:" Those who disbelieve were not..." (al-Qur'an, xcviii. 1). He said: Did He mention me by name? He (the Prophet said): Yes. Upon this he shed tears (of gratitude).

Chapter 40: The virtue of listening to the Qur’an, asking one who has memorized it to recite so that one may listen, weeping when reciting, and pondering the meanings

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported

I was in Hims when some of the people asked me to recite the Qur'an to them. So I recited Surah Yusuf to them. One of the persons among the people said: By Allah, this is not how it has been sent down. I said: Woe upon you! By Allah, I recited it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said to me: You have (recited) it well. I was talking with him (the man who objected to my recitation) that I sensed the smell of wine from him. So I said to him. Do you drink wine and belie the Book (of Allah)? You would not depart till I would whip you. So I lashed him according to the prescribed punishment (for the offence of drinking wine).

Chapter 28: Encouragement to pray at night even if it is little

Abu Huraira transmitted it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)

When any one of you goes to sleep, the devil ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing every knot with:" You have a long night, so sleep." So if one awakes and mentions Allah, a knot will be loosened; if he performs ablution two knots are loosened; and if he prays (all) knots will be loosened, and in the morning he will be active and in good spirits; otherwise we will be in bad spirits and sluggish in the morning.

Chapter 29: It is recommended to offer voluntary prayers in one’s house although it is permissible to offer them in the masjid

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

Observe some of your prayers in your houses and do not make them graves.

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

When any one of you observes prayer in the mosque he should reserve a part of his prayer for his house, for Allah would make the prayer as a means of betterment in his house.

Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying

The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead.

Zaid b. Thabit reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made an apartment with the help of the leaves of date trees or of mats. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to pray in it. People followed him and came to pray with him. Then they again came one night and waited (for him), but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delayed in coming out to them. And when he did not come out, they cried aloud and threw pebbles at the door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out in anger and said to them: By what you have been constantly doing, I was inclined to think that it (prayer) might not become obligatory for you. So you must observe prayer (optional) in your houses, for the prayer observed by a man in the house is better except an obligatory prayer.

Chapter 30: The virtue of a deed that is done persistently, whether it be Qiyam al-Lail or anything else. The command to be moderate in worship, which means adopting what one can persist in. The command to the one who gets tired or weary when praying to stop until that feeling passes

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a mat and he used it for making an apartment during the night and observed prayer in it, and the people began to pray with him, and he spread it (the mat) during the day time. The people crowded round him one night. He (the Holy Prophet) then said

O people, perform such acts as you are capable of doing, for Allah does not grow weary but you will get tired. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done continuously, even if they are small. And it was the habit of the members of Muhammad's (ﷺ) household that whenever they did an act they did it continuously.

Chapter 32: The book of the virtues of the Qur’an etc

Chapter 33: The command to keep refreshing one’s knowledge of the Qur’an and that it is disliked to say I have forgotten such-and-such a verse, but it is permissible to say I have been caused to forget

'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

What a wretched person is he amongst them who says: I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than a hobbled camel.

Chapter 34: It is recommended to make one’s voice beautiful when reciting Qur’an

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters with words

" As He listens to a Prophet reciting the Qur'an in a sweet voice."

This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by Ibn al-Had except this that Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying and he did not say

" He heard it."

Abu Burda narrated on the authority of Abu Musa that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said to Abu Musa

If you were to see me, as I was listening to your recitation (of the Qur'an) yester-night (you would have felt delighted). You are in fact endowed with a sweet voice like that of David himself.

Chapter 35: Mentioning the recitation of the Prophet (saws) of Surat al-Fath on the day of the conquest of Makkah

Mu'awiya b. Qurra reported 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal al-Muzani as saying

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) recited on his ride Surat al Fath during a journey in the year of the Conquest (of Mecca), and he repeated (the words) in his recitation. Mu'awiya said: If I were not afraid that the people would crowd around me, I would have given a demonstration of (the Prophet's) recitation before you.

Mu'awiya b. Qurra is reported to have heard 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal as saying

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting Surah Fath on his camel on the day of the Conquest of Mecca. He (the narrator) said: Ibn Mughaffal recited it and repeated it. Mu'awiya said: Had there been (no crowed of) people, I would have given a practical demonstration of that which Ibn Mughaffal had mentioned from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Chapter 36: The descent of tranquility (sakinah) when the Qur’an is recited

Ibn Ishaq reported

I heard al-Bara' as saying that a man recited al-Kahf when an animal was there in the house and it began to take fright. And as he looked around, he found a cloud overshadowing it. He mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Upon this he said: O so and so, recite on (the surah) as- Sakina descends at the (recitation of the Qur'an) or on account (of the recitation) of the Qur'an.

Chapter 37: The virtue of the one who memorizes the Qur’an

This hadith has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters but with one alteration that instead of the word

" hypocrite" (Munafiq), there it is" wicked" (fajir).

Chapter 38: The virtue of the one who is skilled in reciting Qur’an and the one who falters in reciting

`A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (as saying)

One who is proficient in the Qur'an is associated with the noble, upright, recording angels; and he who falters in it, and finds it difficult for him, will have two rewards.