The Book of Salah
كتاب الصلاة
Chapter 1: Enjoining As-Salah And Mentioning The Differences Reported by The Narrators In The Chain Of The Hadith Of Anas Bin Malik (May Allah Be Pleased With Him), And The Different Wordings In It
"While I was at the Ka'bah, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, three men came, and one of them who was in the middle came toward me. I was brought a basin of gold, filled with wisdom and faith, and he slit open from the throat to the lower abdomen, and washed the heart with Zamzam water, then - "it was filled with wisdom and faith. Then I was brought a riding-beast, smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey. I set off with Jibril, peace be upon him, and we came to the lowest heaven. It was said: 'Who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has (revelation) been sent to him? Welcome to him, what an excellent visit his is.' I came to Adam, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent son and Prophet.' Then we came to the second heaven and it was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibra'il.' [1] It was said: 'Who is with you?' he said: 'Muhammad.' And the same exchange took place. I came to Yahya and 'Eisa, peace be upon them both, and greeted them, and they said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent brother and Prophet.' Then we came to the third heaven and it was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibra'il.' It was said: 'Who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' And the same exchange took place. I came to Yusuf, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent brother and Prophet.' Then we came to the fourth heaven and the same exchange took place. I came to Idris, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent brother and Prophet.' Then we came to the fifth heaven and the same exchange took place. I came to Harun, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent brother and Prophet.' Then we came to the sixth heaven and the same exchange took place. I came to Musa, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent brother and Prophet.' What I passed him, he wept, and it was said: 'Why are you weeping?' He said: 'O Lord, this young man whom You have sent after me, more of his Ummah will enter Paradise than from my nation, and they will be more virtuous than them.' Then we came to the seventh heaven and a similar exchange took place. I came to Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and greeted him, and he said: 'Welcome to you! What an excellent son and Prophet.' Then I was taken up to the Oft-Frequented House (Al-Bait al-Ma'mur) and I asked Jibra'il about it, and he said: 'This is Al-Bait al-Ma'mur in which seventy thousand angels pray everyday, and when they leave it they never come back.' Then I was taken up to Sidrah Al-Muntaha (the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary). Its fruits were like Qilal [2] of Hajar and its leaves were like the ears of elephants. At its base were four rivers: Two hidden rivers and two manifest rivers. I asked Jibril (About them) and he said: 'The two hidden ones are in paradise, and the two manifest ones are the Euphrates and the Nile.' Then fifty prayers were enjoined upon me. I came to Musa and he said: 'What happened?' I said: 'Fifty prayers have been enjoined upon me.' He said: 'I know more about the people than you. I tried hard with the Children of Israel. Your Ummah will never be able to bear that. Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce it for you.' So I went back to my Lord and asked Him to reduce it, and He made it forty. Then I went back to Musa, peace be upon him, and he said: 'What happened?' I said: 'He made it forty.' He said to me something similar to what he said the first time, so I went back to my Lord and He made it thirty. I came to Musa, peace be upon him, and told him, and he said to me something similar to what he said the first time, so I went back to my Lord and he made it twenty, then ten, then five. I came to Musa, peace be upon him, and he said to me something like he had said the first time, but I said: 'I feel too shy before my Lord to go back to Him.' Then it was called out: 'I have decreed (the reward for) My obligation, and I have reduced the burden for My slaves and I will give a ten-fold reward for each good deed.'"[1] It is like this here, while it is Jibra'il the first time it appears in this narration, and Jibra'il is often used in the Hadith literature.[2] Plural of Qullah
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, enjoined fifty prayers upon my Ummah, and I came back with that until I passed by Musa, peace be upon him, who said: 'What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?' I said: 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Musa said to me: 'Go back to your Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, for your Ummah will not be able to do that.' So I went back to my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, and He reduced a portion of it. Then I came back to Musa and told him, and he said: 'Go back to you Lord, for your Ummah will not be able to do that.' So I went back to my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, and He said: 'They are five (prayers) but they are fifty (in reward), and the Word that comes from Me cannot be changed.' [1] I came back to Musa and he said: 'Go back to your Lord.' I said: 'I feel too shy before my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime.'"[1]See Surah Qaf 50:29.
"I was brought an animal that was larger than a donkey and smaller than a mule, whose stride could reach as far as it could see. I mounted it, and Jibril was with me, and I set off. Then he said: 'Dismount and pray,' so I did that. He said: 'Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Taibah, which will be the place of the emigration.' Then he said: 'Dismount and pray,' so I prayed. He said: 'Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Mount Sinai, where Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, spoke to Musa, peace be upon him.' So I dismounted and prayed, and he said: 'Do you know where you have prayed? You have prayed in Bethlehem, where 'Eisa, peace be upon him, was born.' Then I entered Bait Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) where the Prophets, peace be upon them, were assembled for me, and Jibril brought me forward to lead them in prayer. Then I was taken up to the first heaven, where I saw Adam, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up to the second heaven where I saw the maternal cousins 'Eisa and Yahya, peace be upon them. Then I was taken up to the third heaven where I saw Yusuf, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up to the fourth heaven where I saw Harun, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up to the fifth heaven where I saw Idris, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up to the sixth heaven where I saw Musa, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up to the seventh heaven where I saw Ibrahim, peace be upon him. Then I was taken up above seven heavens and we came to Sidrah Al-Muntaha and I was covered with fog. I fell down prostrate and it was said to me: '(Indeed) The day I created the heavens and the Earth, I enjoined upon you and your Ummah fifty prayers, so establish them, you and your Ummah.' I came back to Ibrahim and he did not ask me about anything, then I came to Musa and he said: 'How much did your Lord enjoin upon you and your Ummah?' I said: 'Fifty prayers.' He said: 'You will not be able to establish them, neither you nor your Ummah. Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce it.' So I went back to my Lord and He reduced it by ten. Then I came to Musa and he told me to go back, so I went back and He reduced it by ten. Then I came to Musa and he told me to go back, so I went back and He reduced it by ten. Then it was reduced it by ten. Then it was reduced to five prayers. He (Musa) said: 'Go back to you Lord and ask Him to reduce it, for two prayers were enjoined upon the Children of Israel but they did not establish them.' So I went back to my Lord and asked Him to reduce it, but He said: 'The day I created the heavens and the Earth, I enjoined fifty prayers upon you and your Ummah. Five is for fifty, so establish them, you and your Ummah.' I knew that this was what Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, had determined so I went back to Musa, peace be upon him, and he said: 'Go back.' But I knew that it was what Allah had determined, so I did not go back."
"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was taken on the Night Journey, he came to Sidrah Al-Muntaha, which is in the sixth heaven. That is where everything that comes up from below ends, and where everything that comes down from above, until it is taken from it. Allah says: When what covered the lote-tree did cover it! [1] He said: "It was moths of gold. And I was given three things: The five daily prayers, the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, and whoever of my Ummah dies without associating anything with Allah will be forgiven for Al-Muqhimat." [2][1] An-Najm 53:16.[2] "The sins of the worst magnitude that drag one into the Fire." (An-Nihayah)
Chapter 2: Where was The Salah Made Obligatory?
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the prayers were enjoined in Makkah, and that two angels came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and took him to Zamzam, where they split open his stomach and took out his innards in a basin of gold, and washed them with Zamzam water, then they filled his heart with wisdom and knowledge.
Chapter 3: How The Salah Was Made Obligatory
"The first time the Salah was enjoined it was two Rak'ahs, and it remained as such when traveling, but the Salah while resident was made complete."
"Urwah told me that 'Aishah said: 'Allah enjoined the salah upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and the first thing that He enjoined was two Rak'ahs at a time, then it was made complete four Rak'ahs while in the state of residence but the prayer when traveling remained two Rak'ahs, as it was first enjoined.'"
"The Salah was enjoined two Rak'ahs at a time, then the Salah when traveling remained like that, but the Salah while resident was increased."
"The Salah was enjoined on the lips of the Prophet (ﷺ), four Rak'ahs while resident, and two while traveling, and one Rak'ah during times of fear."
"How can the Salah be shortened as Allah says: There is no sin on you if you shorten As-Salah (the prayer) if you are in fear?" [1] Ibn 'Umar said: "O son of my brother! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us when we had gone astray and he taught us. One of the things that he taught us was that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has commanded us to pray two Rak'ahs when traveling."[1] An-Nisa' 4:101.
Chapter 4: How Many (Prayers) Are Enjoined Each Day And Night?
"A man from the people of Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with unkempt hair. We could hear him talking loudly but we could not understand what he was saying until he came closer. He was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'Five prayers each day and night.' He said: 'Do I have to do anything else' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' He said: 'And fasting the month of Ramadan.' He said: 'Do I have to do anything else?' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Zakah to him, and he said: 'Do I have to do anything else?' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' The man left saying: 'By Allah, I will not do any more than this or any less.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'He will achieve salvation, if he is speaking the truth.'"
"A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'O Messenger of Allah, how many prayers has Allah enjoined upon His slaves?' He said: 'Allah has enjoined upon His slaves (five) prayers.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is there anything before them or after them?' He said: 'Allah has enjoined upon His salves (five) prayers.' The man swore that he would not do anything more or less than that. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If he is speaking the truth he will most certainly enter Paradise.'"
Chapter 5: Making A Pledge To Offer The Five Daily Prayers
"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: 'Will you not pledge to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?' And he repeated it three times. So we stretched forth our hands to give our pledge. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are willing to give you our pledge, but on what?' He said: 'That you will worship Allah and not associate anything with him, and (offer) the five daily prayers.' And he said, very quietly: 'And you will not ask the people for anything.'"
Chapter 6: Observing The Five Daily Prayers
"In the morning I went to 'Ubadah bin As-Samit, and I met him while he was on his way to the Masjid. I told him what Abu Muhammad said, and 'Ubadah said: 'Abu Muhammad is wrong. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Five prayers are those that Allah has decreed for (His) slaves, whoever does them, and does not neglect any of them out of disregard toward them, will have a promise from Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. And whoever does not to them will have no such promise from Allah; if He wills he will punish him and if He wills He will admit him to Paradise.
Chapter 7: The Virtue Of The Five Daily Prayers
"Do you think that is there was a river by the door of any one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?" They said: "No trace of dirt would be left on him." He said: "That is the likeness of the five daily prayers. By means of them Allah erases sins."
Chapter 8: The Ruling On One Who Does Not Perform Salah
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The covenant that stands between us and them is the Salah; whoever abandons it, he has committed disbelief.'"
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'There is nothing between a person and disbelief except abandoning Salah.'"
Chapter 9: Being Brought To Account For The Salah
"I arrived in Al-Madinah and said: 'O Allah, make it easy for me to find a righteous companion.' Then I sat with Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: 'I prayed to Allah to help me find a righteous companion.' So tell me a Hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), so that Allah might benefit me from it. He said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is sound then he will have succeeded, be salvaged, but if it is not then he will have lost and be doomed." - (One of the narrators) Hammam said: "I do not know whether this was the words of Qatadah or part of the report." - "If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, He will say: 'Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary prayers to make up for what is deficient from his obligatory prayers.' Then all of his deeds will be dealt with in like manner."
"The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his Salah. If it is found to be complete then it will be recorded as complete, and if anything is lacking He will say: 'Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what he neglected of his obligatory prayers.' Then the rest of his deeds will be reckoned in like manner."