The Book of Virtues

كتاب الفضائل

Chapter 15: The Excellence of Standing in the First Row (In Salat)

Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass between the rows from one end to the other, touching our chest and shoulders (i.e., arranging the rows) in line and saying, "Do not be out of line; otherwise your hearts will be in disagreement". He would add, "Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon the first rows."[Abu Dawud].

Al-Bara' (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Whenever we performed Salat behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we liked to be on his right side so that his face might turn towards us (at the end of the Salat). One day, I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating, "O my Rubb! Shield me from Your Torment on the Day when You will gather (or said, 'resurrect') Your slaves."[Muslim].

Chapter 16: The Excellence of Optional Prayers (Sunnah Mu'akkadah) along with the Obligatory Prayers

Umm Habibah (May Allah be pleased with her) the Mother of the Believers reported

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "A house will be built in Jannah for every Muslim who offers twelve Rak'ah of optional Salat other than the obligatory Salat in a day and a night (to seek the Pleasure of Allah)."[Muslim].

Chapter 18: Briefness to be Adopted in Performing the two Rak'ah Sunnah before Fajr Prayer, their time and the Surah to recite in them

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform his optional night prayers at night, two Rak'ah followed by two Rak'ah, and at the end he would conclude with an odd Rak'ah (Witr). Then he would perform two Rak'ah prayer before the dawn (Fajr) prayer after hearing the Adhan, and he would make them so brief as if he could hear the Iqamah being called.[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

I observed the Prophet (ﷺ) for one month reciting in the two supererogatory Rak'ah of the Fajr prayer Surat Al-Kafirun (No. 109) [in the first Rak'ah], and Surat Al-Ikhlas (No. 112) [in the second Rak'ah].[At-Tirmidhi].

Chapter 19: Desirability of Lying down on one's right side after the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

When the Prophet (ﷺ) had performed two Rak'ah before the Fajr prayer, he would lie down on his right side.[Al-Bukhari].

Chapter 20: Sunnah of Zuhr Prayer

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) never omitted four Rak'ah supererogatory prayer before Zuhr prayers.[Al-Bukhari].

'Abdullah bin As-Sa'ib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform four Rak'ah prayer after the declining of the sun before Zuhr prayer and would say, "This is an hour at which the gates of heaven are opened, and I like that my good deeds should rise to heaven at that time."[At- Tirmidhi].

Chapter 23: Sunnah of Friday Prayer

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him)reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone of you performs the Friday prayer, he should perform four Rak'ah (Sunnah) after it."[Muslim].

Chapter 26: Merit of the (Optional) Duha (Forenoon) Prayer

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him)reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "In the morning, charity is due on every joint bone of the body of everyone of you. Every utterance of Allah's Glorification (i.e., saying Subhan Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Praise (i.e., saying Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity and every utterance of declaration of His Greatness (i.e., saying La ilaha illAllah) is an act of charity; and enjoining M'aruf (good) is an act of charity, and forbidding Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two Rak'ah Duha prayers which one performs in the forenoon is equal to all this (in reward)."[Muslim].

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform four Rak'ah of Duha prayer (at the forenoon) and would add to them whatever Allah wished.[Muslim].

Chapter 30: The Excellence of Friday Prayer

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday. On that day Adam was created, he was admitted to Jannah, and he was expelled therefrom."[Muslim].

Samurah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It suffices to perform Wudu' properly for the Friday prayer; but it is better to take a bath."[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who takes a bath on Friday, like the bath for ceremonial purity, and then goes (to the mosque), he is like one who offers a camel as a sacrifice to seek the Pleasure of Allah; and he who comes at the second hour is like one who offers a cow to win the Pleasure of Allah; and he who comes at the third hour is like one who offers a ram with horns (in sacrifice); and he who comes at the fourth hour is like one who offers a hen; and he who comes at the fifth hour is like one who offers an egg. And when the Imam ascends the pulpit, the angels (who write the names of those who come to the mosque before the coming of the Imam) close (their record) in order to listen to the Khutbah."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Aus bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him)reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Among the best of your days is Friday. On that day pray to Allah to exalt my mention frequently, for your such supplications are presented to me."[Abu Dawud].

Chapter 31: The Desirability of Prostrating out of Gratitude

Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

We left Makkah with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for Al-Madinah, and when we were near 'Azwara,' he (ﷺ) alighted (from his riding-camel) raised his hands in supplication to Allah for a while and prostrated himself. He remained for a long time in prostration. Then he stood up and raised his hands for a while, after which he prostrated himself (again), and remained for a long time in prostration. Then he stood up and raised his hands for a while, after which he prostrated himself for the third time. Then he (ﷺ) said, "I supplicated my Rubb and made intercession for my Ummah, and He granted me one-third of them. So I again prostrated myself in gratitude to my Rubb. Then I raised my head and supplicated my Rubb for my Ummah, and He granted me another third of them. Again I raised my head and supplicated my Rubb for my Ummah and He granted me the last third of them. So I fell into prostration out of gratitude before my Rubb."[Abu Dawud].

Chapter 32: Excellence of Standing in Prayer at Night

Salim bin 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported, on the authority of his father, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "What an excellent man 'Abdullah is! If only he could perform optional prayers at night." Salim said that after this, (his father) 'Abdullah slept very little at night.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me, "Do not be like so-and-so O 'Abdullah! He used to pray during the night, then stopped the practice."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

'Abdullah bin Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

Mention was made before the Prophet (ﷺ) of a man who slept throughout the night till morning. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked, "He is a man in whose ears Satan urinated."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].n

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any one of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of his neck. He recites this incantation at every knot: 'You have a long night, so sleep.' If he awakes and remembers Allah, one knot is loosened. If he performs Wudu', the (second) knot is loosened; and if he performs prayer, (all) knots are loosened. He begins his morning in a happy and refreshed mood; otherwise, he gets up in bad spirits and sluggish state."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].