The Book on Salat (Prayer)

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 150 - Author: Jami' at-Tirmidhi

Hadith Text

Allah's Messenger said: "Jibril led me (in Salat)". He mentioned something similar to the Hadith of Ibn Abbas (no. 149) in meaning, but he did not mention: "At the time of Asr the day before."

Commentary on the Hadith

This narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) refers to the blessed occasion when the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) descended to teach the Messenger the proper times of the five daily prayers. The reference to Hadith no. 149 indicates this is part of the larger narrative where Jibril led the Prophet in prayer at the beginning and end of each prayer time over two consecutive days to demonstrate the earliest and latest acceptable times for each salat.

The omission of "at the time of Asr the day before" in this version indicates this is an abridged narration focusing on the essential teaching that the angelic instruction established the prayer times with divine precision. Scholars explain that Jibril's leadership in prayer served to confirm the validity of the prayer times revealed to Muhammad and to demonstrate the perfect manner of performing salat.

This hadith emphasizes that the prayer times were not left to human discretion but were divinely ordained and practically demonstrated by the highest of angels. The variation in wording between similar narrations is typical in hadith literature and reflects different companions reporting the same essential meaning with slight differences in detail.

Juridical Significance

This narration establishes the divine origin of prayer times and confirms that the times for each of the five daily prayers have specific ranges rather than fixed moments. The fact that Jibril led the prayer at different times over two days demonstrates the flexibility within each prayer's time window.

Scholars derive from this that while praying at the beginning of each time is superior (as demonstrated on the first day), praying later within the permissible time remains valid (as shown on the second day). This provides relief for Muslims who may need to delay prayers for valid reasons while maintaining the obligation to perform each prayer within its designated timeframe.