I purposely looked at the prayer of the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him), how he offered it. The Apostle
of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) stood up, faced the direction
of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great)
and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then
placed his right hand on his left (catching each other).
When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same
manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he
raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like
manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead
between his hands.
He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed
his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow
aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and
made a circle (with the fingers).
I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say
in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and
the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.
I witnessed the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) raise his
hands in front of his ears when he began to pray. I then
came back and saw them (the people) raising their hands up
to their chest when they began to pray. They wore long
caps and blankets.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) uttered
the takbir (Allah is most great) for prayer (in the
beginning), he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders;
and when he bowed, he did like that; and when he raised
his head to prostrate, he did like that; and when he got
up at the end of two rak'ahs, he did like that.
Maymun al-Makki said: that he saw Abdullah ibn
az-Zubayr leading in prayer. He pointed with his hands
(i.e. raised his hands opposite to the shoulders) when he
stood up, when he bowed and when he prostrated, and when
he got up after prostration, he pointed with his hands
(i.e. raised his hands).
The I went to Ibn Abbas and said (to him) I saw Ibn
az-Zubayr praying that I never saw anyone praying. I then
told him about the pointing with his hands (raising his
hands). He said: If you like to see the prayer of the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) follower the prayer
as offered by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr.
Nadr ibn Kathir as-Sa'di said: Abdullah ibn Tawus
prayed at my side in the mosque of al-Khayf. When he made
the first prostration, he raised his head after it and
raised his hands opposite to his face. This came as
something strange for me. I, therefore, said it to Wuhayb
ibn Khalid.
Then Wuhayb ibn Khalid said to him: You are doing a
thing that I did not see anyone do. Ibn Tawus then
replied: I saw my father doing it, and my father said: I
saw Ibn Abbas doing it. I do not know but he said: The
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) used to do it.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) stood for
offering the obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir
(Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his
shoulders; and he did like that when he finished
recitation (of the Qur'an) and was about to bow; and he
did like that when he rose after bowing; and he did not
raise his hands in his prayer while he was in his sitting
position.
When he stood up from his prostrations (at the end of
two rak'ahs), he raised his hands likewise and uttered the
takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands so as to
bring them up to his shoulders, as he uttered the takbir
in the beginning of the prayer.
If I were in front of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him),
I would see his armpits. Ibn Mu'adh added that Lahiq said:
Do you not see, AbuHurayrah could not stand in front of
the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) while he was praying. Musa
added: When he uttered the takbir, he raised his hands.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) taught us how
to pray. He then uttered the takbir (Allah is most great)
and raised his hands; when he bowed, he joined his hands
and placed them between his knees. When this (report)
reached Sa'd, he said: My brother said truly. We used to
do this; then we were later on commanded to do this, that
is, to place the hands on the knees.
Alqamah said: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: Should I pray
in the way the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) had
performed it? He said: He prayed, raising his hands only
once.
AbuUthman an-Nahdi said: When Ibn Mas'ud prayed he
placed his left hand on the right. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
saw him and placed his right hand on his left one.
Jabir saw the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
observing prayer. (The narrator Amr said: I do not know
which prayer he was offering.)
He (the Prophet) said: Allah is altogether great; Allah
is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; and praise
be to Allah in abundance; and praise be to Allah is
abundance; and praise be to Allah in abundance. Glory be
to Allah in the morning and after (saying it three times).
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil, from his
puffing up (nafkh), his spitting (nafth) and his evil
suggestion (hamz).
He (Amr) said: His nafth it poetry, his nafkh is pride,
and his hamz is madness.
Asim ibn Humayd said: I asked Aisha: By what words the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) would begin his
supererogatory prayer at night?
She replied: You ask me about a thing of which no one
asked me before you. When he stood up, be uttered the
takbir (Allah is most great) ten times, and uttered
"Praise be to Allah" ten times, and uttered "Glory be to
Allah " ten times, and uttered "There is no god but Allah"
ten times, and sought forgiveness ten times, and said: O
Allah, forgive me, and guide me, and give me sustenance,
and keep me well, and he sought refuge in Allah from the
hardship of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
I offered prayer behind the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
Rifa'ah sneezed. The narrator Qutaybah did not mention the
name Rifa'ah (but he said: I sneezed). So I said: Praise
be to Allah, praise much, good and blessed therein,
blessed thereupon, as our Lord likes and is pleased. When
the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) finished his
prayer, he turned and said: Who was the speaker in prayer?
He then narrated the rest of the tradition like that of
Malik and completed it.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) got up to
pray at night (for tahajjud prayer) he uttered the takbir
and then said: "Glory be to Thee, O Allah," and "Praise be
to Thee" and "Blessed is Thy name," and Exalted is Thy
greatness." and "There is no god but Thee." He then said:
"There is no god but Allah" three times; he then said:
"Allah is altogether great" three times: "I seek refuge in
Allah, All-Hearing and All-Knowing from the accursed
devil, from his evil suggestion (hamz), from his puffing
up (nafkh), and from his spitting (nafth)" He then recited
(the Qur'an).
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) began his
prayer, he said: "Glory be to Thee, O Allah," and "Praise
be to Thee" and "Blessed is Thy name, and Exalted is Thy
greatness, sand there is no god but Allah."
I remember two period of silence in prayer, one when
the imam said the takbir; and one when he finished
reciting the Fatihah and the surah when he was about to
bow. But Imran ibn Husayn took it as something strange. So
they wrote about it to Ubayy (ibn Ka'b) in Medina. He
verified the statement of Samurah.
Samurah ibn Jundub and Imran ibn Husayn had a
discussion (about the periods of silence in prayer).
Samurah then said that he remembered two periods of
silence from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him); one
when he uttered the takbir and the other when he finished
reciting: "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of
those who go astray" (i.7).
Samurah remembered that, but Imran ibn Husayn rejected
it.
Then they wrote about it to Ubayy ibn Ka'b. He wrote a
letter to them and gave a reply to them that Samurah
remembered correctly.
I remember from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
two periods of silence. Sa'id said: We asked Qatadah: What
are those two periods of silence? He said: (one) when he
began his prayer, and (one) when he finished the
recitation. Then he added: When he finished reciting (the
closing verse of the Fatihah): "Not of those with whom
Thou art angry, nor of who go astray."
Yazid al-Farisi said: I heard Ibn Abbas say: I asked
Uthman ibn Affan: What moved you to put the (Surah) al-Bara'ah
which belongs to the mi'in (surahs) (containing one
hundred verses) and the (Surah) al-Anfal which belongs to
the mathani (Surahs) in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal
(the first long surah or chapters of the Qur'an), and you
did not write "In the name of Allah, the Compassionate,
the Merciful" between them?
Uthman replied: When the verses of the Qur'an were
revealed to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him), he called
someone to write them down for him and said to him: Put
this verse in the surah in which such and such has been
mentioned; and when one or two verses were revealed, he
used to say similarly (regarding them). (Surah) al-Anfal
is the first surah that was revealed at Medina, and (Surah)
al-Bara'ah was revealed last in the Qur'an, and its
contents were similar to those of al-Anfal. I, therefore,
thought that it was a part of al-Anfal. Hence I put them
in the category of as-sab'u at-tiwal (the seven lengthy
surahs), and I did not write "In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate, the Merciful" between them.
AbuSalih reported on the authority of some Companions
of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
said to a person: what do you say in prayer?
He replied: I first recite tashahhud (supplication
recited in sitting position), and then I say: O Allah, I
ask Thee for Paradise, and I seek refuge in Thee from
Hell-Fire, but I do not understand your sound and the
sound of Mu'adh (what you say or he says in prayer). The
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: We too go around it
(paradise and Hell-fire).
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to recite
in the noon and afternoon prayer: "By the Heaven and the
Morning Star" (Surah 86) and "By the Heaven , holding
mansions of the stars" (Surah 85) and similar surahs of
equal length.
Abdullah ibn Ubaydullah said: I went to Ibn Abbas
accompanying some youths of Banu Hashim. We said to one of
them: Ask Ibn Abbas: Did the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
recite (the Qur'an) in the noon and afternoon prayers? He
replied: No. People said to him: Perhaps he might recite
the Qur'an quietly. He said: May your face be scratched (a
kind of curse)! This (statement) is worse than the former.
He was only a servant (of Allah) receiving Commands
from Him. He preached (the divine) message which he
brought with him. He did not command anything to us (Banu
Hashim) specially excluding other people except three
points: he commanded us to perform ablution perfectly, and
not to accept charity (sadaqah) and not to make pairing of
donkey with horse.
A man of Juhaynah told him that he had heard the
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) reciting "When the earth is
shaken" (Surah 99) in both rak'ahs of the morning prayer.
But I do not know whether he had forgotten, or whether he
recited it on purpose.
We were behind the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
at the dawn prayer, and he recited (the passage), but the
recitation became difficult for him. Then when he
finished, he said: Perhaps you recite behind your imam? We
replied: Yes, it is so, Apostle of Allah. He said: Do not
do so except when it is Fatihat al-Kitab, for he who does
not recite it is not credited with having prayed.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) finished
a prayer in which he had recited (the Qur'an) loudly, he
asked: Did any of you recite along with me just now? A man
replied: Yes, Apostle of Allah. He said: I am wondering
what is the matter with me that I have been contended with
reciting the Qur'an. He said: When the people heard that
from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) they ceased
reciting (the Qur'an) along with him at the prayers in
which he recited aloud.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) led (us) in the noon
prayer, and a man came and recited behind him "Glorify the
name of thy Lord, the Most High" (Surah 87). When he
finished (the prayer), he said: Which of you recited? They
(the people) said: A man (recited). He said: I knew that
some one of you confused me in it (in the recitation of
the Qur'an).
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came to us
while we were reciting the Qur'an, and there were among us
bedouins and the non-Arabs. He said: Recite, all is well.
In the near future there will appear people who will
straighten it (the Qur'an) as an arrow is straightened.
They will recite it quickly and not slowly (or it means
that they will get the reward in this world and not in the
Hereafter).
A man came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said:
I cannot memorise anything from the Qur'an: so teach me
something which is sufficient for me. He said: Say Glory
be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god
but Allah, and Allah is most great, and there is no might
and no strength but in Allah.
:He said: Apostle of Allah, this is for Allah, but what
is for me? He said: Say: O Allah have mercy on me, and
sustain me, and keep me well, and guide me. When he stood
up, he made a sign with his hand (indicating that he had
earned a lot).
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: He filed
up his hand with virtues.
I saw that the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) placed his
knees (on the ground) before placing his hands when he
prostrated himself. And when he stood up, he raised his
hands before his knees.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) used to say between the
two prostrations: "O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me,
guide me, heal me, and provide for me."
I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say:
One of you who believes in Allah and in the Last Day
should not raise her head until the men raise their heads
(after prostration) lest they should see the private parts
of men.
A man entered the mosque...... He then narrated the
tradition like the one narrated in (No.855).
This version is as follows: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
said: The prayer of anyone is not perfect unless he
performs ablution perfectly; he should then utter the
takbir, and praise Allah, the Exalted, and admire Him; he
should then recite the Qur'an as much as he desires. He
should then say: "Allah is Most Great". Next he should bow
so that all his joints return to their proper places. Then
he should say: "Allah listens to the one who praises Him",
and stand erect. He should then say:"Allah is most great,"
and should prostrate himself so that all his joints are
completely at rest. Then he should say: "Allah is most
great"; he should raise his head (at the end of
prostration) till he sits erect. Then he should say:
"Allah is most great"; then he should prostrate himself
till all his joints return to their proper places. Then he
should raise his head and say the takbir. When he does so,
then his prayer is completed.
This version (of Hadith No 856) adds: The Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: The prayer of any of you
is not complete until he performs ablution perfectly, as
Allah, the Exalted, has ordered you. He should wash his
face and hands up to the elbows, and wipe his head and
(wash) his feet up to the ankles. Then he should exalt
Allah and praise Him. Then he should recite the Qur'an as
much as it is convenient for him.
(Narrator then narrated the tradition like Hammad's,
No. 856). He said: He then utter the takbir and
prostration himself so that his face is at rest.
Hammam (sub-narrator) said: Sometimes he reported: So
that his forehead is at rest on the ground, and his joints
return to their places and are loosened. Then he should
say the takbir and then sit right on his hips and erect
his back. He described the nature of prayer in this way by
offering four rak'ahs until he finished it. The prayer of
any of you is not complete unless he does so.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited to
peck like a crow, and to spread (the forearms) like a wild
beast, and to fix a place in the mosque like a camel which
fixes its place. These are the wordings of Qutaybah.
Salim al-Barrad said: We came to AbuMas'ud Uqbah ibn
Amr al-Ansari and said to him: Tell us about the prayer of
the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
He stood up before us in the mosque and said the takbir.
When he bowed, he placed his hands upon his knees and put
his fingers below, and kept his elbows (arms) away from
his sides, so everything returned properly to its place.
Then he said: "Allah listens to him who praises Him"; then
he stood up so that everything returned properly to its
place; then he said the takbir and prostrated and put the
palms of his hands on the ground; he kept his elbow (arms)
away from his sides, so that everything returned to its
proper place. Then he raised his head and sat so that
everything returned to its place; he then repeated it in a
similar way. Then he offered four rak'ahs of prayer like
this rak'ah and completed his prayer.
Then he said: Thus we witnessed the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
offering his prayer.
Anas ibn Hakim ad-Dabbi said that he feared Ziyad or
Ibn Ziyad; so he came to Medina and met AbuHurayrah. He
attributed his lineage to me and I became a member of his
lineage.
AbuHurayrah said (to me): O youth, should I not narrate
a tradition to you? I said: Why not, may Allah have mercy
on you?
(Yunus (a narrator) said: I think he narrated it (the
tradition) from the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him):) The
first thing about which the people will be called to
account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is
prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels -
though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant
and see whether he has offered it perfectly or
imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded
perfect.
If it is defective, He will say: See there are some
optional prayers offered by My servant. If there are
optional prayer to his credit, He will say: Compensate the
obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant.
Then all the actions will be considered similarly.
Tamim reported this tradition from the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
as (Hadith No 863). This version adds: Then zakat will be
considered in a similar way. Then all the actions will be
considered accordingly.
When "Glorify the name of your mighty Lord" was
revealed, the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said:
Use it when bowing, and when "Glorify the name of your
most high Lord" was revealed, he said: Use it when
prostrating yourself.
The above (No 868) tradition has also been reported
through a different chain of narrators by Uqbah ibn Amir
to the same effect. This version adds: When the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him) bowed, he said: "Glory and
praise be to my mighty Lord" three times, and when he
prostrated himself, he said: "Glory and praise be to my
most high Lord" three times.
I stood up to pray along with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him);
he got up and recited Surat al-Baqarah (Surah 2).
When he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he
stopped and made supplication, and when he came to verse
which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in
Allah, then he bowed and paused as long as he stood
(reciting Surah al-Baqarah), and said while bowing, "Glory
be to the Possessor of greatness, the Kingdom, grandeur
and majesty."
:Then he prostrated himself and paused as long as he
stood up and recited Surat Aal Imran (Surah 3) and then
recited many surahs one after another.
Hudhayfah saw the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three
times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and
majesty."
He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah;
then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood
up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord,"
"Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head,
after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he
paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then
he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he
paused in the standing position; he said while
prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he
raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he
prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive
me."
He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them
Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am.
The narrator Shu'bah doubted.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to make
supplication during the prayer saying: "O Allah, I seek
refuge in Thee from the punishment of the grave; I seek
refuge in Thee from the trial of the Antichrist; I seek
refuge in Thee from the trial of life and the trial of
death; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sin and debt."
Someone said to him: How often you seek refuge from debt!
He replied: When a man is in debt, he talks and tells
lies, makes promises and breaks them.
I prayed by the side of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
in the supererogatory prayer and I heard him say: "I
refuge in Allah from the Hell-Fire; woe to the inmates of
the Hell-fire!"
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of you
bows, he should say three time,:"Glory be to my mighty
Lord," and when he prostrates, he should say: "Glory be to
my most high Lord" three times. This is the minimum
number.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one
of you recites "By the fig and the olive" (Surah 95) and
comes to its end "Is not Allah the best judge?" (verse 8),
he should say: "Certainly, and I am one of those who
testify to that." When one recites "I swear by the Day of
Resurrection" (Surah 75) and comes to "Is not that one
able to raise the dead to life? (verse 40), he should say:
"Certainly." And when one recites "By those that are sent"
(Surah 77), and comes to "Then in what message after that
will they believe? " (Surah 50), he should say: "We
believe in Allah."
The narrator Isma'il (ibn Umayyah) said: I beg to
repeat (this tradition) before the Bedouin (who reported
this tradition) so that I might see whether he (was
mistaken).
He said: My nephew, do you think that I did not
remember it? I performed sixty hajj (pilgrimages); there
is no hajj but I recognize the came on which I performed
it.
I did not offer behind anyone after the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him) a prayer like the prayer offered
by the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) than this
youth, i.e. Umar ibn AbdulAziz. We estimated reciting
glorification ten times in his bowing, and in his
prostration ten times.
Ibn Abbas reported the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) as
saying: I have been commanded - according to the version
of Hammad: Your Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) was commanded
- to prostrate on seven (bones), and not to fold back the
hair or the clothing.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Both hands
prostrate as the face prostrates. When one of you puts his
face (on the ground) he should put his hands too (on the
ground). And when he raises it, he should raise them too.
Al-Bara' described to us (the nature of prostration).
He placed his hands (palms), reclined on his knees, and
raised his hips; he said: This is how the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) used to prostrate himself.
I came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) from behind.
I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms
away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the
ground).
The Companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
complained to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) about the
hardship when they kept their forearms far away from their
sides while prostrating. He said: Take help with the
elbows (by spreading them on the ground and sticking them
to the sides).
Sa'id ibn Ziyad ibn Subayh al-Hanafi said: I prayed by
the side of Ibn Umar and I put my hands on my waist. When
he finished his prayer, He said: This is a cross in
prayer; the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to
forbid it.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) recited -
Yahya (sub narrator) said: Sometimes al-Miswar said: I
prayed along with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
and witnessed that he recited - the Qur'an during the
prayer and omitted something (i.e. some verses
inadvertently) which he did not recite.
A man said to him: Apostle of Allah, you omitted
such-and-such verse. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
said: Why did you not remind me of it?
The narrator Sulayman said in his version: He (the man)
said: I thought that it (the verse) was repealed.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah, the Most
High, continues to turn favourably towards a servant while
he is engaged in prayer as long as he does not look to the
side (by turning the neck), but if he does so, He turns
away from him.
The iqamah for the morning prayer was pronounced and
the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) began to offer
prayer while he was looking at the mountain-pass.
(AbuDawud elaborated that the Prophet had sent a
horseman to the mountain-pass at night in order to keep
watch.)
We were sitting in the mosque when the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) came upon us carrying Umamah daughter
of Abul'As ibn ar-Rabi'. Her mother was Zaynab daughter of
the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). She (Umamah) was
a child and he (the Prophet) was carrying her on his
shoulder.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) led (the
people) in prayer while she was on his shoulder. When he
bowed he put her down and took her up when he got up. He
kept on doing so until he finished his prayer.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was praying
with his door bolted. I came and asked to have the door
opened. He walked and opened the door for me. He then
returned to his place for prayer. He (the narrator Urwah)
mentioned that the door faced the qiblah.
We used to salute during prayer and talk about our
needs. I came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
and found him praying. I saluted him, but he did not
respond to me. I recalled what happened to me in the past
and in the present.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) finished
his prayer, he said to me: Allah, the Almighty, creates
new command as He wishes, and Allah, the Exalted, has sent
a fresh command that you must not talk during prayer. He
then returned my salutation.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) went to Quba
to offer prayer. Then the Ansar (the Helpers) came to him
and gave him a salutation while he was engaged in prayer.
I asked Bilal: How did you find the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
responding to them when they gave him a salutation while
he was engaged in prayer. He replied: In this way, and
Ja'far ibn Awn demonstrated by spreading his palm, and
keeping its inner side below and its back side above.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) recited
the verse "Nor of those who go astray" (Surah al-Fatihah,
verse 7), he would say Amin; and raised his voice (while
uttering this word).
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) recited
the verse "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of
those who go astray," he would say Amin so loudly that
those near him in the first row would hear it.
AbuMisbah al-Muqra'i said: We used to sit in the
company of AbuZuhayr an-Numayri. He was a companion of the
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him), and he used to narrate good
traditions. Once a man from among us made a supplication.
He said: End it with the utterance of Amin, for Amin is
like a seal on the book.
AbuZuhayr said: I shall tell you about that. We went
out with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) one
night and came upon a man who made supplication with
persistence. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) waited to
hear him. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: He will
have done something which guarantees (Paradise for him) if
he puts a seal to it. One of the people asked: What should
he use as a seal? He replied: Amin, for if he ends it with
Amin, he will do something which guarantees (Paradise for
him).
Then the man who questioned the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
came to the man who was supplicating, and said to him:
So-and-so, end it with Amin and receive the good news.
These are the words of Mahmud.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Saying Tasbih
applies to men during prayer and clapping applies to
women. Anyone who makes a sign during his prayer, a sign
which is intelligible by implication, should repeat it
(i.e. his prayer).
(AbuDawud commented on the Hadith saying, this is a
result of confusion.)
Hilal ibn Yasaf said: I came to ar-Raqqah (a place in
Syria). One of my companions said to me: Do you want to
see any of the Companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)?
I said: A good opportunity. So we went to Wabisah.
I said to my friend: Let us first see his mode of
living. He had a cap with two ears stuck (to his head),
and wearing a brown silken robe. He was resting on a staff
during prayer. We asked him (about resting on the staff)
after salutation; He said: Umm Qays daughter of Mihsan
said to me that when the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
became aged and the flesh grew increasingly on him, he
took a prop at his place of prayer and rested on it.
I said that I should look at the prayer of the Apostle
of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) how he prays. The Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him) stood up and faced the qiblah
(i.e. the direction of Ka'bah) and uttered the takbir
(Allah is most great); then he raised his hands till he
brought them in front of his ears; then he caught hold of
his left hand with his right hand (i.e. folded his hands).
When he was about to bow, he raised them (his hands) in
a like manner. Then he sat, stretched out his left foot
(to sit on it), placed his left hand on his left thigh,
and kept away the tip of his right elbow from his right
thigh, joined two fingers, formed a ring, to do so. And
the narrator Bishr made a ring with the thumb and the
middle finger.
We did not know what we should say when we sat during
prayer. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was
taught (by Allah). He then narrated the tradition to the
same effect. Sharik reported from Jami', from AbuWa'il on
the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud something similar.
He said: He used to teach us also some other words, but
he did not teach them as he taught us the tashahhud: O
Allah, join our hearts, mend our social relationship,
guide us to the path of peace, bring us from darkness to
light, save us from obscenities, outward or inward, and
bless our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our wives, our
children, and relent toward us; Thou art the Relenting,
the Merciful. And make us grateful for Thy blessing and
make us praise it while accepting it and give it to us in
full.
Alqamah said that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud caught hold of
his hand saying that the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
caught hold of his (Ibn Mas'ud's) hand and taught him the
tashahhud during prayer.
He then narrated the (well known ) tradition (of
tashahhud). This version adds: When you say this or finish
this, then you have completed your prayer. If you want to
stand up, then stand, and if you want to remain sitting,
then remain sitting.
Hittan ibn Abdullah ar-Ruqashi said: AbuMusa al-Ash'ari
led us in prayer.
When he sat at the end of his prayer, one of the people
said: Prayer has been established by virtue and purity.
When AbuMusa returned (from his prayer or finished his
prayer), he gave his attention to the people, and said:
Which of you is the speaker of such and such words? The
people remained silent. Which of you is the speaker of
such and such words? The people remained silent. He said:
You might have said them, Hittan. He replied: I did not
say them. I was afraid you might punish me. One of the
people said: I said them and I did not intend by them
(anything) except good.
AbuMusa said: Do you not know how you utter (them) in
your prayer? The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
addressed us, and taught us and explained to us our way of
doing and taught us our prayer.
He said: When you pray a (congregational) prayer,
straighten your rows, then one of you should lead you in
prayer. When he says the takbir (Allah is Most Great), say
the takbir, and when he recites verses "Not of those upon
whom is Thy anger, nor of those who err" (i.e. the end of
Surah i.), say Amin; Allah will favour you. When he says
"Allah is most great," and bows, say "Allah is most great"
and bow, for the imam will bow before you, and will raise
(his head) before you.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: This is
for that. When he says "Allah listens to the one who
praises Him," say: "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be praise,
Allah be praised," Allah will listen to you, for Allah,
the Exalted, said by the tongue of His Prophet (peace_be_upon_him):
"Allah listens to the one who praises Him." When he says
"Allah is most great" and prostrates, say: "Allah is most
great" and prostrate, for the imam prostrates before you
and raises his head before you.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: This is
for that. When he sits, each one of you should say "The
adorations of the tongue, all good things, and acts of
worship are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet,
and Allah's mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and
upon Allah's upright servants. I testify that there is no
god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant
and Apostle."
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) commanded us
(to recite) when we sit in the middle of the prayer or at
its end before the salutation: The adorations of the
tongue, all good things, acts of worship, and the Kingdom
are due to Allah. Then give salutation to the right side;
then salute your reciter (i.e. the imam) and yourselves.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) used to say after the
tashahhud: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the
punishment in Hell, and I seek refuge in Thee from the
punishment in the grave, and I seek refuge in Thee from
the trial of antichrist, and I seek refuge in Thee from
the trial of life and death."
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) entered the
mosque and saw a man who had finished his prayer, and was
reciting the tashahhud saying: O Allah, I ask you, O
Allah, the One, the eternally besought of all, He
begetteth not, nor was He begotten, and there is none
comparable unto Him, that you may forgive me my sins, you
are Most Forgiving, Merciful.
He (the Prophet) said: He was forgiven (repeating three
times.)
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited,
according to the version of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, that a
person should sit during prayer while he is leaning on his
hand.
According to the version of Ibn Shibwayh, he prohibited
that a man should lean on his hand during prayer.
According to the version of Ibn Rafi', he prohibited
that a man should pray while he is leaning on his hand,
and he mentioned this tradition in the chapter on "Raising
the head after prostration."
According to the version of Ibn AbdulMalik, he
prohibited that a man should lean on his hand when he
stands up after prostration.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) used to give the
salutation to his left and right sides until the whiteness
of his cheek was seen, (saying: "Peace be upon you, and
mercy of Allah" twice.
AbuDawud said: This is a version of the tradition
reported by AbuSufyan. The version of Isra'il did not
explain it. AbuDawud said: This tradition has been
narrated by Zubayr from AbuIshaq and Yahya ibn Adam from
Isra'il from AbuIshaq from AbdurRahman ibn al-Aswad from
his father from Alqamah on the authority of Abdullah ibn
Mas'ud. AbuDawud said: Shu'bah used to reject this
tradition, the tradition narrated by AbuIshaq as coming
from the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).
I offered prayer along with the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).
He would give the salutation to his right side (saying):
Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah; and to his left side
(saying): Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Cannot any one of
you (according to the version of the narrator AbdulWarith)
step forward or backward or at his right or left. The
version of Hammad added: during prayer; that is, in
supererogatory prayer.
An imam of ours, whose kunyah (surname) was AbuRimthah,
led us in prayer and said: I prayed this prayer, or one
like it, with the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). AbuBakr and
Umar were standing in the front row on his right and there
was a man who had been present at the first takbir in the
prayer. The Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) offered
the prayer, then gave the salutation to his right and his
left so that we saw the whiteness of his cheeks, then
turned away as AbuRimthah (meaning himself) had done.
The man who has been present with him at the first
takbir in the prayer then got up to pray another prayer,
whereupon Umar leaped up and, seizing him by the
shoulders, shook him and said: Sit down, for the People of
the Book perished for no other reason than that there was
no interval between their prayers.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) raised his eyes and
said: Allah has made you say what is right, son of al-Khattab.
When the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) finished two
rak'ahs of an obligatory prayer, a man asked him: Apostle
of Allah, has the prayer been shortened, or have you
forgotten? he replied: I did not do all that. The people
said: Apostle of Allah, you did that. Therefore, he
offered another two rak'ahs or prayer and did not make two
prostrations due to forgetfulness.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) offered
prayer. The version of the narrator Ibrahim goes: I do not
know whether he increased or decreased (the rak'ahs of
prayer).
When he gave the salutation, he was asked: Has
something new happened in the prayer, Apostle of Allah? He
said: What is it? They said: You prayed so many and so
many (rak'ahs). He then relented his foot and faced the
Qiblah and made two prostrations. He then gave the
salutation. When he turned away (finished the prayer), he
turned his face to us and said: Had anything new happened
in prayer, I would have informed you. I am only a human
being and I forget just as you do; so when I forget,
remind me, and when any of you is in doubt about his
prayer he should aim at what is correct, and complete his
prayer in that respect, then give the salutation and
afterwards made two prostrations.
One day the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prayed
and gave the salutation while a rak'ah of the prayer
remained to be offered. A man went to him and said: You
forgot to offer one rak'ah of prayer. Then he returned and
entered the mosque and ordered Bilal (to utter the Iqamah).
He uttered the Iqamah for prayer. He then led the people
in one rak'ah of prayer. I stated it to the people. They
asked me: Do you know who he was? I said: No, but I can
recognise him if I see him. Then the man passed by me, I
said: It is he. The people said: This is Talhah ibn
Ubaydullah.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of you
is in doubt about his prayer, and does not know how much
he has prayed, three or four rak'ahs, he should pray one
(additional) rak'ah and make two prostrations while
sitting before giving the salutation. If the (additional)
rak'ah which he prayed is the fifth one, he will make it
an even number by these two prostrations. If it is the
fourth one, the two prostrations will be a disgrace for
the devil.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If one of you is
in doubt about his prayer, and if he is sure that he has
prayed three rak'ahs, he should stand and complete one
rak'ah along with its prostrations. Then he should sit and
recite the tashahhud. When he finishes the prayer, and
there remains nothing except salutation, he should make
two prostrations while he is sitting and afterwards should
give the salutation.
AbuUbaydah reported, on the authority of his father
Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud), the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
as saying: When you offer the prayer, and you are in doubt
about the number of rak'ahs whether offered three or four,
and you have prayed four rak'ahs in all probability in
your opinion, you should recite tashahhud and make two
prostrations while you are sitting before giving the
salutation. afterwards you should recite the tashahhud and
give the salutation again.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of you
prays, and he does not know whether he prayed more or less
rak'ahs (than those prescribed by the Shari'ah), he should
perform two prostrations while he is sitting. If the devil
comes to him, and tells him (suggests him): "You have been
defiled," he should say: "You have told a lie," except
that he feels smell with his nose, or sound with his ears
(then his ablution will break). These are the wording; of
the tradition reported by Aban.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) led us in
prayer praying two rak'ahs. When he stood up and did not
sit (at the end of two rak'ahs) the people stood up along
with him. When he finished the prayer and we expect him to
give the salutation, he said: "Allah is most great." While
sitting and made two prostrations before giving the
salutation. Then he gave it.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: When an imam
stands up at the end of two rak'ahs , if he remembers
before standing straight up, he should sit down, but if he
stands straight up, he must not sit down, but perform the
two prostrations of forgetfulness.
Ziyad ibn Ilaqah said: Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah led us
in prayer and he stood up at the end of two rak'ahs. We
said: Glory be to Allah; he also said: Glory be to Allah,
and he proceeded. When he finished the prayer and gave the
salutation, he made two prostrations of forgetfulness.
When he turned (to us) he said: I saw the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) doing so as I did.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The prayer a man
offers in his house is more excellent than his prayer in
this mosque of mine except obligatory prayer.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: The best
day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was
created, on it he was expelled (from Paradise), on it his
contrition was accepted, on it he died, and on it the Last
Hour will take place. On Friday every beast is on the
lookout from dawn to sunrise in fear of the Last Hour, but
not jinn and men, and it contains a time at which no
Muslim prays and asks anything from Allah but He will give
it to him. Ka'b said: That is one day every year. So I
said: It is on every Friday. Ka'b read the Torah and said:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) has spoken the
truth. AbuHurayrah said: I met Abdullah ibn Salam and told
him of my meeting with Ka'b. Abdullah ibn Salam said: I
know what time it is. AbuHurayrah said: I asked him to
tell me about it. Abdullah ibn Salam said: It is at the
very end of Friday. I asked: How can it be when the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) has said: "No Muslim
finds it while he is praying...." and this is the moment
when no prayer is offered. Abdullah ibn Salam said: Has
the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) not said: "If
anyone is seated waiting for the prayer, he is engaged in
the prayer until he observes it." I said: Yes, it is so.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Among the most
excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created,
on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and
on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on
me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me.
The people asked: Apostle of Allah, how can it be that our
blessings will be submitted to you while your body is
decayed? He replied: Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited
the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Friday is divided
into twelve hours. Amongst them there is an hour in which
a Muslim does not ask Allah for anything but He gives it
to him. So seek it in the last hour after the afternoon
prayer.
Ali said on the pulpit in the mosque of Kufah: When
Friday comes, the devils go to the markets with their
flags, and involve people in their needs and prevent them
from the Friday prayer. The angels come early in the
morning, sit at the door of the mosque, and record that
so-and-so came at the first hour, and so-and-so came at
the second hour until the imam comes out (for preaching).
When a man sits in a place where he can listen (to the
sermon) and look (at the imam), where he remains silent
and does not interrupt, he will receive a double reward.
If he stays away, sits in a place where he cannot listen
(to the sermon), silent, and does not interrupt, he will
receive the reward only once. If he sits in a place where
he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), and
he does not remain silent, he will have the burden of it.
If anyone says to his companion sitting besides him to be
silent (while the imam is preaching), he is guilty of idle
talk. Anyone who interrupts (during the sermon) will
receive nothing (no reward) on that Friday.
Then he (the narrator) says in the end of this
tradition: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
say so.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who leaves the
Friday prayer (continuously) for three Friday on account
of slackness, Allah will print a stamp on his heart.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone omits
the Friday prayer without excuse, he must give a dinar in
alms, or if he does not have as much, then half a dinar.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone omits
the Friday prayer without excuse, he must give one dirham
or half a dirham, or one sa' or half a sa' of wheat, in
alms.
The rain was falling on the day when the Battle of
Hunayn took place. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him),
therefore, commanded that the people should offer their
prayer in their camps.
Usamah attended the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) on the
occasion of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah on Friday. The
rain fell as little as the soles of the shoes of the
people were not set. He (the Prophet) commanded them to
offer Friday prayer in their dwellings.
Nafi' reported: Ibn Umar made the call to prayer at
Dajnan (a place between Mecca and Medina). Then he
announced: "Offer prayer in your dwellings:" He then
narrated a tradition from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
He used to command an announcer who made the call to
prayer. He then announced: "Pray in your dwellings" on a
cold or rainy night during journey.
Nafi' said: Ibn Umar made the call to prayer at Dajnan
(a place between Mecca and Medina), on a cold and windy
night. He added the words at the end of the call: "Lo!
pray in your dwellings. Lo! pray in the dwellings." He
then said: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used
to command the mu'adhdhin to announce, "Lo! pray in your
dwellings." on a cold or rainy night during journey.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The Friday prayer
in congregation is a necessary duty for every Muslim, with
four exceptions; a slave, a woman, a boy, and a sick
person.
AbdurRahman ibn Ka'b ibn Malik said: When Ka'b ibn
Malik heard the call to prayer on Friday, he prayed for
As'ad ibn Zurarah. I asked him: What is the matter that
when you hear the call to prayer, you pray for As'ad ibn
Zurarah? He replied: This is because he held the Friday
prayer for the first time for us at Hazm an-Nabit of
Harrah belonging to Banu Bayadah in Naqi', called Naqi'
al-Khadumat.
Ilyas ibn AbuRamlah ash-Shami said: I witnessed
Mu'awiyah ibn AbuSufyan asking Zayd ibn Arqam: Did you
offer along with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
the Friday and 'Id prayers synchronised on the same day?
He said: Yes. He asked: How did he do? He replied: He
offered the 'Id prayer, then granted concession to offer
the Friday prayer, and said: If anyone wants to offer it,
he may offer.
Ata' ibn AbuRabah said: Ibn az-Zubayr led us in the 'Id
prayer on Friday early in the morning. When we went to
offer the Friday, he did not come out to us. So we prayed
ourselves alone. At that time Ibn Abbas was present in
at-Ta'if. When he came to us, we mentioned this (incident)
to him. He said: He followed the sunnah.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Two festivals
('Id and Friday) have synchronised on this day. If anyone
does not want to offer the Friday prayer, the 'Id prayer
is sufficient for him. But we shall offer the Friday
prayer.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: What is
the harm if any of you has two garments, if he can provide
them, for Friday (prayer) in addition to the two garments
for his daily work? Amr reported from Ibn Habib from Musa
ibn Sa'd from Ibn Habban from Ibn Salam who heard this
(tradition) from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
on the pulpit.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited
buying and selling in the mosque, announcing aloud about a
lost thing, the recitation of a poem in it, and prohibited
sitting in a circle (in the mosque) on Friday before the
prayer.
Shu'ayb ibn Zurayq at-Ta'ifi said: I sat with a man who
had been in the company of the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him). He was called al-Hakam ibn Hazn
al-Kulafi. He began to narrate a tradition to us saying: I
came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) in a
delegation consisting of seven or nine persons. We entered
upon him and said: Apostle of Allah, we have visited you,
so pray Allah what is good for us. He ordered to give us
some dates. The Muslims in those days were weak. We stayed
there for several days and offered the Friday prayer along
with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He stood
leaning on a staff or a bow. He praised Allah and exalted
Him in light, pure and blessed words. Then he said: O
people, you have no power to obey or you cannot obey what
you are ordered. But be straight and give good tidings.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
addressed, he would say: Praise be to Allah, from Whom we
seek help and pardon,and we seek refuge in Allah from the
evils of our souls. He whom Allah guide has no one who can
lead him astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to
guide him. And I bear witness that there is no god but
Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
apostle. He sent him before the coming of the last hour
with truth giving good tidings and warning. He who obeys
Allah and His Apostle follows the right path; and he who
disobeys them shall harm none except himself, and he will
not harm Allah in the least.
Yunus asked Ibn Shihab about the address of the Apostle
of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) on Friday. He mentioned it in
like manner. He added: Anyone who disobeys them (Allah and
His Apostle) goes astray. We beseech Allah, our Lord, to
make us from those who obey Him and obey His Apostle, and
follow what He likes, and abstain from His anger; we are
due to Him and we belong to Him.
I never saw the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him)
raising his hands and praying on the pulpit or otherwise.
But I saw him saying (doing) this way, and he would point
with his forefinger making a circle by joining the middle
finger with his thumb.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Attend the sermon
(on Friday) and sit near the imam, for a man keeps himself
away until he will be left behind at the time of entering
Paradise though he enters it.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) delivered a
speech to us; meanwhile al-Hasan and al-Husayn came upon
there stumbling, wearing red shirts. He came down from the
pulpit, took them and ascended it with them. He then said:
Allah truly said: "Your property and your children are
only trial" (Ixiv.15). I saw both of them, and I could not
wait. Afterwards he resumed the speech.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited to
sit on hips by erecting feet, sticking them to the stomach
and holding them with hands on Friday while the imam is
delivering the sermon.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Three types of
people attend Friday prayer; One is present in a frivolous
way and that is all he gets from it; another comes with a
supplication, Allah may grant or refuse his request as He
wishes; another is present silently and quietly with-out
stepping over a Muslim or annoying anyone, and that is an
atonement for his sins till the next Friday and three days
more, the reason being that Allah, the Exalted, says: "He
who does a good deed will have ten times as much"
(vi.160).
I saw the Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) would descend
from the pulpit and a man stop him for his need. He would
remain standing with him until his need was fulfilled.
Then he would stand and pray.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) used to recite
in the Friday prayer: "Glorify the name of your most high
Lord" (Surah 87) and Has the story of the overwhelming
event reached you? (Surah 88).
Nafi' said: Ibn Umar used to lengthen his prayer before
the Friday prayer and would offer two rak'ahs after it in
his house. He used to say that the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) would do that.
Ibn Jurayj said: Ata' told me that he saw Ibn Umar pray
after the Friday prayer. He moved a little from the place
where he offered the Friday prayer. Then he would pray two
rak'ahs. He then walked far away from that place and would
offer four rak'ahs. I asked Ata': How many times did you
see Ibn Umar do that? He replied: Many times. AbuDawud
said: This has been narrated by AbdulMalik ibn
AbuSulayman, but did not narrate it completely.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came to
Medina, the people had two days on which they engaged in
games. He asked: What are these two days (what is the
significance)? They said: We used to engage ourselves on
them in the pre-Islamic period. The Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah has substituted for them
something better than them, the day of sacrifice and the
day of the breaking of the fast.
Yazid ibn Khumayr ar-Rahbi said: Abdullah ibn Busr, the
Companion of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came
out along with the people on the day of the breaking of
the fast or on the day of sacrifice (to offer the prayer).
He disliked the delay of the imam, and said: We would
finish (our 'Id prayer) at this moment, that is, at the
time of forenoon.
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) stood on the day of the
breaking of the fast ('Id) and offered prayer. He began
the prayer before the sermon. He then addressed the
people. When the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) finished the
sermon, he descended (from the pulpit) and went to women.
He gave them an exhortation while he was leaning on the
hand of Bilal. Bilal was spreading his garment in which
women were putting alms; some women put their rings and
others other things.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came out on
'Id (the festival day). He first offered the prayer and
then delivered the sermon . He then went to women, taking
Bilal with him. The narrator Ibn Kathir said: The probable
opinion of Shu'bah is that he commanded them to give alms.
So they began to put (their jewellery).
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) offered the
'Id prayer without the adhan and the iqamah. AbuBakr and
Umar or Uthman also did so. The narrator Yahya is doubtful
about Uthman.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) would say the
takbir (Allah is most great) seven times in the first
rak'ah and five times in the second rak'ah on the day of
the breaking of the fast and on the day of sacrifice (on
the occasion of both the 'Id prayers, the two festivals).
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) used to say on the day
of the breaking of the fast seven takbirs in the first
rak'ah and then recite the Qur'an, and utter the takbir
(Allah is most great). Then he would stand, and utter the
takbir four times. Thereafter he would recite the Qur'an
and bow.
I attended the 'Id prayer along with the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him). When he finished the prayer, he
said: We shall deliver the sermon; he who likes to sit for
listening to it may sit and he who likes to go away may go
away.
AbuUmayr reported on the authority of some of his
paternal uncles who were Companions of the Prophet
(peace_be_upon_him): Some men came riding to the Prophet
(peace_be_upon_him) and testified that they had sighted
the new moon the previous day. He (the Holy Prophet),
therefore, commanded the people to break the fast and to
go out to their place of prayer in the morning.
I used to go to the place of prayer on the day of the
breaking of the fast, and on the day of sacrifice along
with the Companions of the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him). We would walk through a valley known
as Batn Bathan till we came to the place of prayer. Then
we would pray along with the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) and return through Batn Bathan to our
house.
Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Kinanah reported: Al-Walid ibn
Utbah or (according to the version of Uthman) al-Walid ibn
Uqbah, the then governor of Medina, sent me to Ibn Abbas
to ask him about the prayer for rain offered by the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He said: The Apostle
of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) went out wearing old clothes
in a humble and lowly manner until he reached the place of
prayer. He then ascended the pulpit, but he did not
deliver the sermon as you deliver (usually). He remained
engaged in making supplication, showing humbleness (to
Allah) and uttering the takbir (Allah is most great). He
then offered two rak'ahs of prayer as done on the 'Id
(festival).
Umayr saw the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) praying for
rain at Ahjar az-Zayt near az-Zawra', standing, making
supplication, praying for rain and raising his hands in
front of his face, but not lifting them above his head.
The people came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him)
weeping (due to drought). He said (making supplication): O
Allah! give us rain which will replenish us, abundant,
fertilising and profitable, not injurious, granting it now
without delay. He (the narrator) said: Thereupon the sky
became overcast.
The people complained to the Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) of the lack of rain, so he gave an
order for a pulpit. It was then set up for him in the
place of prayer. He fixed a day for the people on which
they should come out.
Aisha said: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him),
when the rim of the sun appeared, sat down on the pulpit,
and having pronounced the greatness of Allah and expressed
His praise, he said: You have complained of drought in
your homes, and of the delay in receiving rain at the
beginning of its season. Allah has ordered you to
supplicate Him has and promised that He will answer your
prayer.
Then he said: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the
Universe, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Master of
the Day of Judgment. There is no god but Allah Who does
what He wishes. O Allah, Thou art Allah, there is no deity
but Thou, the Rich, while we are the poor. Send down the
rain upon us and make what Thou sendest down a strength
and satisfaction for a time.
He then raised his hands, and kept raising them till
the whiteness under his armpits was visible. He then
turned his back to the people and inverted or turned round
his cloak while keeping his hands aloft. He then faced the
people, descended and prayed two rak'ahs.
Allah then produced a cloud, and the storm of thunder
and lightning came on. Then the rain fell by Allah's
permission, and before he reached his mosque streams were
flowing. When he saw the speed with which the people were
seeking shelter, he (peace_be_upon_him) laughed till his
back teeth were visible.
Then he said: I testify that Allah is Omnipotent and
that I am Allah's servant and apostle.
The people of Medina had a drought during the time of
the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).
While he was preaching on a Friday, a man stood up and
said: Apostle of Allah, the horses have perished, the
goats have perished, pray to Allah to give us water. He
spread his hands and prayed.
Anas said: The sky was like a mirror (there was no
cloud). Then the wind rose; a cloud appeared (in the sky)
and it spread : the sky poured down the water. We came out
(from the mosque after the prayer) passing through the
water till we reached our homes. The rain continued till
the following Friday. The same or some other person stood
up and said: Apostle of Allah, the houses have been
demolished, pray to Allah to stop it.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) smiled and
said: (O Allah), the rain may fall around us but not upon
us. Then I looked at the cloud which dispersed around
Medina just like a crown.
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prayed
for rain, he said: O Allah! Provide water for Thy servants
and Thy cattle, display Thy mercy and give life to Thy
dead land.
When, a boy from the Ansar and I were shooting (arrows)
towards two of our targets, the sun was sighted by the
people at the height of two or three lances above the
horizon. It became black like the black herb called
tannumah.
One of us said to his companion: Let us go to the
mosque; by Allah, this incident of the sun will surely
bring something new in the community of the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him).
As we reached it, we suddenly saw that he (the Prophet)
had already come out (of his house). He stepped forward
for a long time as much as he could do so in the prayer.
But we did not hear his voice. He then performed a bowing
and prolonged it as much as he could do in the prayer. But
we did not hear his voice. He then prostrated himself with
us and prolonged it which he never did in the prayer
before. But we did not hear his voice. He then did
similarly in the second rak'ah. The sun became bright when
he sat after the second rak'ah. Then he uttered the
salutation. He then stood up, praised Allah, and extolled
Him, and testified that there was no god but Allah and
testified that he was His servant and apostle. Ahmad ibn
Yunus then narrated the address of the Prophet
(peace_be_upon_him).
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He came out
bewildered pulling his garment, and I was in his company
at Medina. He prayed two rak'ahs and stood for a long time
in them. He then departed and the sun became bright. He
then said: There are the signs by means of which Allah,
the Exalted, produces dread (in His servants). When you
see anything of this nature, then pray as you are praying
a fresh obligatory prayer.
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the
Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). He began to pray a series of
pairs of rak'ahs enquiring about the sun (at the end of
them) till it became clear.
There was an eclipse of the sun in the time of the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). The Apostle of Allah
(peace_be_upon_him) stood up and he was not going to
perform bowing till he bowed; and he was not going to
raise his head till he raised (after bowing); and he was
not going to prostrate himself till he prostrated himself;
and he was not going to raise his head till he raised (at
the end of prostration); he did similarly in the second
rak'ah, he then puffed in the last prostration saying;
Fie, Fie! He then said: My Lord, didst Thou not promise me
that Thou wouldst not punish them so long as I will remain
among them? Didst Thou not promise me that Thou will not
punish them so long as they continue to beg pardon of
Thee. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) finished
the prayer, and the sun was clear. The narrator then
narrated the tradition (in full).
Ubaydullah ibn an-Nadr reported on the authority of his
father: Darkness prevailed in the time of Anas ibn Malik,
I came to Anas and said (to him): AbuHamzah, did anything
like this happen to you in the time of the Apostle of
Allah (peace_be_upon_him)? He replied: Take refuge in
Allah. If the wind blew violently, we would run quickly
towards the mosque for fear of the coming of the Day of
Judgment.
Ikrimah said: Ibn Abbas was informed that so-and-so, a
certain wife of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him), had died.
He fell down prostrating himself. He was questioned: Why
do you prostrate yourself this moment? He said: The
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: When you see a
portent (an accident), prostrate yourselves. And which
portent (accident) can be greater than the death of a wife
of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).