The Book of Prayer - Travellers

كتاب صلاة المسافرين وقصرها

Chapter 13: It is recommended to pray Duha, the least of which is two rak`ah, the best of which is eight, and the average of which is four or six, and encouragement to do so regularly

Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Laila reported

No one has ever narrated to me that he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observing the forenoon prayer, except Umm Hani. She, however, narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and prayed eight rak'ahs (adding): I never saw a shorter prayer than it except that he performed the bowing and prostration completely. But (one of the narrators) Ibn Bashshar in his narration made no mention of the word:" Never".

'Abdullah b. Harith b. Naufal reported

I had been asking about, as I was desirous to find one among people who should inform me, whether the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the forenoon prayer, but I found none to narrate that to me except Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (the real sister of Hadrat 'Ali), who told me that on the day of the Conquest the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came (to our house) after the dawn had (sufficiently) arisen. A cloth was brought and privacy was provided for him (the Holy Prophet). He took a bath and then stood up and observed eight rak'ahs. I do not know whether his Qiyam (standing posture) was longer, or bending or prostration or all of them were of equal duration. She (Umm Hani) further said: I never saw him saying this Nafl prayer prior to it or subsequently. (Al-Muradi narrated on the authority of Yunus that he made no mention of the words:" He informed me." )

Abu Murra narrated on the authority of Umm Hani that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca observed in her house eight rak'ahs of prayer in one cloth, its opposite corners having been tied from the opposite sides.

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

In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is distreputable is an act of charity, and two rak'ahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira by another chain of transmitters.

Chapter 14: It is recommended to pray two rak`ah for the sunnah of Fajr. And encouragement to pray them regularly, and to make them brief, and to persist in offering them, and clarifying what is recommended to recite therein

This hadith has been transmitted by Nafi' with the same chain of narrators.

Hafsa reported that when it was dawn, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not observe (any other prayers) but two short rak'ahs.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in first of the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn

"Say: We believed in Allah and what was revealed to us..." verse 136 from Surah Baqara, and in the second of the two: "I believe in Allah and I bear testimony that we are Muslims" (iii. 52).

Chapter 15: The virtue of the regular sunnah prayers before and after the obligatory prayers, and their numbers

Nu'man b. Salim reported with the same chain of transmitters

He who observed twelve voluntary rak'ahs, a house will be built for him in Paradise.

Ibn 'Umar reported

I prayed along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) two rak'ahs before and two rak'ahs after the noon prayer, two rak'ahs after the sunset prayer and two rak'ahs after the 'Isha' prayer and two rak'ahs after the Friday prayer; and so far as the sunset, 'Isha' and Friday prayers are concerned, I observed (them) along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in his house.

Chapter 16: It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers standing or sitting, and to stand and sit in the same rak`ah

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq said

I asked 'A'isha about the Messenger of Allah's (ﷺ) voluntary prayers, and she replied: Before the noon prayer, he used to pray four rak'ahs in my house; then would go out and lead the people in prayer; then come in and pray two rak'ahs. He would then lead the people in the sunset prayer; then come in and pray two rak'ahs. Then he would lead the people in the 'Isha' prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would pray nine rak'ahs during the night, including Witr. At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and when he recited the Holy Qur'an while standing, he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position, and when it was dawn he would pray two rak'ahs.

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq al-'Uqaili reported

I asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) She replied: He used to pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting in the night, and when he recited the Qur'an while standing, he would bow himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow from the sitting position.

'A'isha reported

I did not see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting (the Qur'an) in the night prayer in a sitting position, till he grew old and then he recited (it) in a sitting position, but when thirty or forty verses were left out of the Surah, he would then stand up, recite them and then bowed.

Chapter 17: Night prayers and the number of rak`ah offered by the Prophet (saws) at night, and that Witr is one rak`ah, and a one-rak`ah prayer is correct

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak'ahs at night, observing the Witr with a single rak'ah, and when he had finished them, he lay down on his right side, till the Mu'adhdhin came to him and he (the Holy Prophet) then observed two short rak'ahs (of Sunan of the dawn prayer).

This hadith has been narrated by Hisham with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Salama is reported to have said. I came to 'A'isha. I said

O mother, inform me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: His (night prayer) in Ramadan and (during other months) was thirteen rak'ahs at night including two rak'ahs of fajr.

A hadith like this has been narrated by 'A'isha by another chain of transmitters.

'A'isha reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed the Witr prayer every night and he completed Witr at the time of dawn.

Masruq reported on the authority of 'A'isha that she said that the Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe the Witr prayer every night, maybe in the early part of night, at midnight and in the latter part, finishing his Witr at dawn.

Chapter 18: Night prayer, and the one who sleeps and misses it or is sick

Zurara b. Aufa reported that Sa'd b. Hisham was his neighbour and he informed him that he had divorced his wife and he narrated the hadith like the one transmitted by Sa'd. She ('A'isha) said

Who is Hisham? He said: The son of 'Amir. She said: What a fine man he was; he participated in the Battle of Uhud along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Hakim b. Aflah said: If I ever knew that you do not go to 'A'isha, I would not have informed you about her hadith (So that you would have gone to her and heard it from her orally).