The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer

Ubaidullah ibn Said informed us: Muadh ibn Hisham narrated to us: My father narrated to me, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, who said: Abdullah ibn Abi Qatadah narrated to me that his father told him: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite for us in the first two units of the noon prayer and sometimes let us hear a verse. He would make the first unit longer and the second shorter. He did the same in the dawn prayer, making the first unit longer and the second shorter. He would recite for us in the first two units of the afternoon prayer, making the first longer and the second shorter.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna informed us: Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us: Aban ibn Yazid narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abdullah ibn Abi Qatadah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the Opening of the Book and two surahs in the first two units of the noon and afternoon prayers, and the Opening of the Book in the last two units. He would sometimes let us hear a verse, and would prolong the first unit of the noon prayer.

Qutaybah informed us: Ibn Abi Adi narrated to us, from Hajjaj al-Sawwaf, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abdullah ibn Abi Qatadah, from his father; and from Abu Salamah, from Abu Qatadah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the Opening of the Book and two surahs in the first two units of the noon and afternoon prayers, and sometimes let us hear a verse. He would prolong the first unit of the noon prayer and shorten the second, and he did the same in the dawn prayer.

Amr ibn Ali informed us: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Simak, from Jabir ibn Samurah, that the Prophet ﷺ would recite Surat al-Buruj, By the sky with its constellations, and Surat al-Tariq, By the sky and the night visitor, and similar surahs in the noon and afternoon prayers.

Ishaq ibn Mansur informed us: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from Shubah, from Simak, from Jabir ibn Samurah, who said: The Prophet ﷺ would recite Surat al-Layl in the noon prayer, something similar in the afternoon prayer, and something longer in the dawn prayer.

Qutaybah informed us: al-Attaf ibn Khalid narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, who said: We entered upon Anas ibn Malik, and he asked, Have you prayed? We said, Yes. He said, Girl, bring me water for ablution. I have never prayed behind an imam whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than your imam here. Zayd said: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz used to perform the bowing and prostration fully, while shortening the standing and sitting.

Harun ibn Abdullah informed us: Ibn Abi Fudayk narrated to us, from al-Dahhak ibn Uthman, from Bukayr ibn Abdullah, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from Abu Hurairah, who said: I have never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembled the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than so-and-so. Sulayman said: He used to prolong the first two units of the noon prayer and shorten the last two; he would keep the afternoon prayer brief. In the sunset prayer he recited the short surahs of al-Mufassal; in the night prayer, the middle-length surahs of al-Mufassal; and in the dawn prayer, the long surahs of al-Mufassal.

Ubaidullah ibn Said informed us: Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated to us, from al-Dahhak ibn Uthman, from Bukayr ibn Abdullah ibn al-Ashajj, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, from Abu Hurairah, who said: I have never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembled that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than so-and-so. We prayed behind that man. He would prolong the first two units of the noon prayer and shorten the last two; he would keep the afternoon prayer brief. In the sunset prayer he recited the short surahs of al-Mufassal. In the night prayer he recited By the sun and its brightness, and similar surahs. In the dawn prayer he recited two long surahs.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Muharib ibn Dithar, from Jabir, who said: A man from the Ansar passed by Muadh with two water-carrying camels while Muadh was leading the sunset prayer. He began reciting Surat al-Baqarah. The man prayed, then left. News of this reached the Prophet ﷺ, who said, Are you causing hardship, Muadh? Are you causing hardship, Muadh? Why did you not recite, Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, and By the sun and its brightness, or similar surahs?

Amr ibn Mansur informed us: Musa ibn Dawud narrated to us: Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Salamah al-Majishun narrated to us, from Humayd, from Anas, from Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in the sunset prayer at his house and recited Surat al-Mursalat. After that, he did not pray another prayer until he passed away.

Qutaybah informed us: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Ubaidullah, from Ibn Abbas, from his mother, that she heard the Prophet ﷺ recite Surat al-Mursalat in the sunset prayer.

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from al-Zuhri, from Muhammad ibn Jubair ibn Mutim, from his father, who said: I heard the Prophet ﷺ recite Surat al-Tur in the sunset prayer.

Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Muqri informed us: My father narrated to us: Haywah and another narrator—whose name is not given—narrated to us, from Jafar ibn Rabiah, that Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz related to him that Muawiyah ibn Abdullah ibn Jafar related to him that Abdullah ibn Utbah ibn Masud related to him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Surat al-Dukhan in the sunset prayer.

Muhammad ibn Salamah informed us: Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Amr ibn al-Harith, from Abu al-Aswad, who heard Urwah ibn al-Zubair relate from Zayd ibn Thabit that he said to Marwan: Abu Abd al-Malik, do you recite, Say: He is Allah, One, and, Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar, in the sunset prayer? He replied, Yes. Zayd said, I swear by Allah, I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite in it the longer of the two long surahs: Alif Lam Mim Sad.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala informed us: Khalid narrated to us: Ibn Jurayj narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, who said: Urwah ibn al-Zubair informed me that Marwan ibn al-Hakam told him that Zayd ibn Thabit said: Why do I see you reciting short surahs in the sunset prayer when I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting in it the longer of the two long surahs? He was asked, Abu Abd Allah, which is the longer of the two long surahs? He replied, Surat al-Araf.

Amr ibn Uthman informed us: Baqiyyah and Abu Haywah narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Hamzah, who said: Hisham ibn Urwah narrated to us, from his father, from Aishah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Surat al-Araf in the sunset prayer, dividing it between two units.

Al-Fadl ibn Sahl informed us: Abu al-Jawwab narrated to me: Ammar ibn Ruzayq narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Ibrahim ibn Muhajir, from Mujahid, from Ibn Umar, who said: I watched the Messenger of Allah ﷺ twenty times recite Surat al-Kafirun and Surat al-Ikhlas in the two units after the sunset prayer and in the two units before the dawn prayer.

Sulayman ibn Dawud reported to us, from Ibn Wahb, who said: Amr ibn al-Harith narrated to us, from Said ibn Abi Hilal, that Abu al-Rijal, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, related to him from his mother, Amrah, from Aishah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a man on an expedition. When he led his companions in prayer, he would conclude his recitation with, Say: He is Allah, One. When they returned, they told the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about this. He said, Ask him why he did that. They asked him, and he replied, Because it describes the Most Compassionate, Mighty and Majestic, and I love to recite it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, Tell him that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, loves him.

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Ubaidullah ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Ubaid ibn Hunayn, the freedman of the family of Zayd ibn al-Khattab, who said: I heard Abu Hurairah say: I was traveling with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he heard a man reciting, Say: He is Allah, One; Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, It is assured. I asked him, What is, Messenger of Allah? He replied, Paradise.

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Malik, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sasah, from his father, from Abu Said al-Khudri, that a man heard another man reciting, Say: He is Allah, One, repeatedly. In the morning, he went to the Prophet ﷺ and told him about it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, By the One in whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Quran.