Book 4: Prayer

Busr b. Mihjan reported his father as saying he had been at a meeting along with God’s Messenger when the adhan for prayer was called. God’s Messenger got up and prayed, and when he returned he found Mihjan sitting where he had been, so he asked him, “What prevented you from praying along with the people? Are you not a Muslim?” He replied, “Certainly, Messenger of God; but I had already prayed at home.” God’s Messenger then said to him, “When you come to the mosque having mready prayed and the time for prayer comes, pray along with the people even if you have already prayed.” Malik and Nasa’i transmitted it.

A man of Asad b. Khuzaima said he put this question to Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: I* pray at home and then go to the mosque and the time to begin the prayer comes, so I pray along with the congregation, but I feel some uneasiness about that. Abu Ayyub replied, “We asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about that and he said that such a person gets a portion of the reward for corporate prayer.” * The Arabic has “One of us prays . . . then goes . . .” After that the first person singular is used. While such a construction is quite usual in 'Arabic, it makes impossible English, so I have used the first person all through. Malik and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Yazid b. ‘Amir said: I came to God’s Messenger when he was praying and sat down, but did not join the congregation in prayer. When he finished he saw me sitting and asked, “Have you not become a Muslim, Yazid?” I replied, “I certainly have become a Muslim, Messenger of God.” He asked, “What prevented you from joining the people in their prayer?” I replied, “I had already prayed at home, thinking you had prayed.” So he said, “When you come to prayer and find the people praying, pray along with them. If you have already prayed it will be a supererogatory prayer for you, though this is a prescribed prayer.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that a man questioned him saying, “When I pray in my house and then come to the mosque in time for prayer along with the imam, should I pray along with him?” He replied, “Yes.” The man asked which of them he should consider his obligatory prayer, and Ibn ‘Umar replied, “Is that your affair?* that is only to be left to God’s decision who will appoint whichever He wishes.” *The Arabic is in the form of a statement, but in view of the phrase immediately following it seems necessary to treat it as a question. Malik transmitted it.

Sulaiman, client of Maimuna said: We came to Ibn ‘Umar at al- Balat* when the people were praying, and I remarked on the fact that he was not praying along with the people. He replied that he had already prayed and that he had heard God’s Messenger say, “Do not pray a prayer twice on the same day.” * A square paved with stones between the Prophet's mosque and the market-place in Medina. Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Nafi‘ said that Ibn ‘Umar used to say, “If anyone prays the sunset or the morning prayer and then comes when the imam is praying them, he must not say them over again.” Malik transmitted it.