Book 4: Prayer

Ibn Shihab said that ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz postponed the afternoon prayer somewhat and 'Urwa said to him, “Gabriel has come down and prayed in front of God’s Messenger.” So ‘Umar said to him, “Be sure of what you are saying, ‘Urwa.” He replied: “I heard Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud say that he heard Abu Mas'ud say that he heard God’s Messenger say, 'Gabriel came down and acted as my imam and I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him,’ reckoning with his fingers five times of prayer." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

It is told of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that he wrote to his governors, “The most important matter which concerns you in my opinion is prayer; whoever observes it and is attentive to it will guard his religion, but whoever neglects it will be more neglectful of other things." Thereafter he wrote telling them to observe the moon prayer in the period when the shade was a cubit long up to the time when a man’s shadow was as long as himself; the afternoon prayer when the sun was high, white and clear, when there was still time for a rider to go two or three leagues before sunset: the sunset prayer after the sun had set; the night prayer between the ending of the twilight and the passing of a third of the night (adding three times “if one lies down to sleep may his eye not sleep”); and the morning prayer when the stars were still visible and out in abundance. Malik transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud said that the extent of the shadow when God’s Messenger prayed the noon prayer was three to five feet in summer and five to seven feet in winter. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.