Book 4: Prayer

Zaid b. Thabit and ‘A’isha said that the middle prayer is the noon prayer. Malik transmitted it from Zaid and Tirmidhi from both of them without a full isnad.

Zaib b. Thabit said that God’s Messenger used to pray the noon prayer in the extreme heat, observing no prayer more severe to his companions than it. Then was revealed, “And observe carefully the prayers and the middle prayer”; (Al-Qur’an, 2:238) and he said, “Before it there are two times of prayer and after it there are two times of prayer.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Malik heard that ‘Ali b. Abu Talib and ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas used to say, “The middle prayer is the morning prayer.” He transmitted it in al-Muwatta’, and Tirmidhi transmitted it from Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn ‘Umar without a full isnad.

Salman said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “He who goes out early to Morning Prayer goes out with the standard of faith, but he who goes out early to the market goes out with the standard of Iblis.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.