Book 4: Prayer

Sayyar b. Salama said: My father and I visited Abu Barza al-Aslami and my father asked him how God’s Messenger used to observe the prescribed prayer. He replied, “He used to pray the noon prayer (al-hajir), which you call the first, when the sun was past the meridian; he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which one of us would return to his dwelling in the outskirts of Medina while the sun was still bright; (I forget what he said about the sunset prayer); he liked to postpone the night prayer, which you call al-atama, objecting to sleeping before it or talking after it and he would turn away from the morning prayer when a man could recognise his neighbour, and he would recite from sixty to a hundred verses during it.” A version has, “He did not mind postponing the night prayer till a third of the night had passed; and he did not like sleeping before it, or talking after it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said: We asked Jabir b. ‘Abdallah about the Prophet’s observance of prayer and he said, “He used to pray the noon prayer in the midday heat; the afternoon prayer when the sun was bright; the sunset prayer when the sun had completely set; the night prayer early if many were present, but late if there were few; and the dawn prayer just before daybreak.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Anas said, “When we prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) at midday in summer we prostrated ourselves on our clothing to protect ourselves from the heat.” (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Bukhari’s.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the heat is severe, postpone the prayer till it is cooler.” A version by Bukhari from Abu Sa‘id has, “at noonday, for the violent heat comes from the bubbling over of Jahannam, and hell complained to its Lord saying, ‘My Lord I am being devoured by myself,' so He allowed it two exhalations one in winter and one in summer, the most severe heat and the most severe cold you experience.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Bukhari has, “The most severe heat you experience comes from its hot wind, and the most severe cold you experience comes from its intense cold.”

Anas said that God’s Messenger used to pray the afternoon prayer when the sun was high and bright, then one would go off to al-'Awali (Villages on high ground outside Medina) and get there while the sun was still high. Parts of al-‘Awali were four miles or thereabouts from Medina. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God’s Messenger as saying, “This is how a hypocrite prays: he sits watching the sun, and when it becomes yellow and is between the horns of the devil, he rises and prays four rak'as quickly, mentioning God seldom during them.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone misses the afternoon prayer, it is as though he had been cut off from his family and his property.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Buraida reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone abandons the afternoon prayer, his deeds are of no avail.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Rafi‘ b. Khadij said, “We used to observe the sunset prayer with God’s Messenger, then one of us would go away when it was still possible to see the distance of a bowshot.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

‘A'isha said that they used to pray the night prayer at any time after the ending of the twilight until a third of the night had passed. (Bukhari and Muslim)

She also said that God’s Messenger would pray the Morning Prayer, and the women would depart wrapped up in their woolen garments, being unrecognizable because of the darkness before dawn. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Qatada said on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) and Zaid b Anas had a meal at daybreak, and when they finished their meal God’s prophet got up to pray and performed the prayer. On being asked how long it was between the end of their meal and their beginning to pray Anas replied that it was about os long as a man takes to recite fifty verses. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Dharr said: God’s Messenger asked me, “How will you act when you are under rulers who make prayer a dead thing, or delay it beyond its proper time?” When I asked what he commanded me to do he replied, “Observe the prayer at its proper time, and if you can say it along with them do so, for it will be a supererogatory prayer for you.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone performs a rak'a of the Morning Prayer before sunrise, he has observed the Morning Prayer; and if anyone performs a rak'a of the afternoon prayer before sunset, he has observed the afternoon prayer.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any of you performs a sajda of the afternoon prayer before sunset, he should complete his prayer; and if he is present at a sajda of the Morning Prayer before sunrise, he should complete his prayer.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas reported God's Messenger as saying, “If anyone forgets a stated prayer or oversleeps, expiation is made by observing it when he remembers it.” A version has “That is the only expiation for it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There is no remissness in sleep, it is only when one is awake that there is remissness; so when any of you forgets a stated prayer or oversleeps, he should observe it when he remembers it, for God has said, ‘And observe the prayer for remembrance of Me’” (Al-Qur’an, 20:14). Muslim transmitted it.