Prayers : Kitab-al-Salat 5

Chapter 100: PERMISSIBILITY OF TURNING TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT

IN PRAYER

Bk 4, Number 1525:

Abdullah reported: None of you should give a share to Satan

out of your self. He should not deem that it is necessary for

him to turn but to the right only (after prayer). I saw the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) turning to the

left.

Bk 4, Number 1526:

A hadith like this has been narrated by A'mash, with the same

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1527:

Suddi reported: I asked Anas how I should turn−to the right or

to the left−when I say my prayers. He said: I have very often

seen the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) turning to

the right.

Bk 4, Number 1528:

Anas reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

used to turn to the right (at the end of the prayer).

Chapter 101: EXCELLENCE TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE IMAM

Bk 4, Number 1529:

Bara' reported: When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) we cherished to be on his right side

so that his face would turn towards us (at the end of the

prayer), and he (the narrator) said: I heard him say: O my

Lord! save me from Thy torment on the Day when Thoil, wouldst

raise or gather Thy servants.

Bk 4, Number 1530:

This hadith has been reported by Mis'ar with the same chain of

transmitters, but he made no mention of:" His face would turn

towards us."

Chapter 102: THE UNDESIRABILITY OF OBSERVING NAFL PRAYER, WHEN

THE MU'ADHDHIN BEGINS ADHAN

Bk 4, Number 1531:

Abu Huraira reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) as saying: When the prayer commences then there is no

prayer (valid), but the obligatory prayer. This hadith has

been narrated by Warqa' with the same chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1532:

Abu Huraira reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) as saying: When the prayer commences, there is no prayer

but the obligatory one.

Bk 4, Number 1533:

A hadith like this has been reported by Ishaq with the same

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1534:

This hadith has been narrated by Abu Huraira with another

chain of transmitters. Hammad (one of the narrators) said: I

then met 'Amr (the other narrator) and he narrated it to me,

but it was not transmitted directly from the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him).

Bk 4, Number 1535:

'Abdullah b. Malik b. Buhaina reported: The Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) happened to pass by a person who was

busy in praying while the (Fard of the) dawn prayer had

commenced. He said something to him, which we do not know what

it was. When we turned back we surrounded him and said: What

is it that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said

to you? He replied: He (the Holy Prophet) had said to me that

he perceived as if one of them was about to observe four

(rak'ahs) of the dawn prayer. Qa'nabi reported that 'Abdullah

b. Malik b. Buhaina narrated it on the authority of his

father. (Abu'l−Husain Muslim said): His assertion that he has

narrated this hadith on the authority of his father is not

correct.

Bk 4, Number 1536:

Ibn Buhaina reported: The dawn prayer had commenced when the

Messen− ger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw a person

observing prayer, whereas the Mu'adhdhin had pronounced the

Iqama. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Do you say

four (rak'ahs) of Fard in the dawn prayer?

Bk 4, Number 1537:

'Abdullah b. Sarjis reported: A person entered the mosque,

while the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was

leading the dawn prayer. He observed two rak'ahs in a corner

of the mosque, and then joined the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) in prayer. When the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) had pronounced salutations (he had

concluded the prayer), he said: O, so and so, which one out of

these two prayers did you count (as your Fard prayer), the one

that you observed alone or the prayer that you observed with

us?

Chapter 103: WHAT IS TO BE RECITED WHILE ENTERING THE MOSQUE

Bk 4, Number 1538:

Abu Usaid reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) said: When any one of you enters the mosque, he

should say:" O Allah! open for me the doors of Thy mercy" ;

and when he steps out he should say: 'O Allah! I beg of Thee

Thy Grace." (Imam Muslim said: I heard Yahya saying: I

transcribed this hadith from the compilation of Sulaiman b.

Bilal.)

Bk 4, Number 1539:

A hadith like this has been narrated from the Apostle of Allah

(may peace be upon him) by Abu Usaid.

Chapter 104: EXCELLENCE OF GREETING THE MOSQUE WITH TWO

RAK'AHS AND UNDESIRABILITY OF SITTING DOWN BEFORE OBSERVING

THEM

Bk 4, Number 1540:

Abu Qatada (a Companion of the Prophet) reported Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When any one of

you enters the mosque, he should observe two rak'ahs (of Nafl

prayer) before sitting.

Bk 4, Number 1541:

Abu Qatada, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him), said: I entered the mosque, when the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) had been sitting among

people, and I also sat down among them. Upon this the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: What

prevented you from offering two rak'ahs (of Nafl prayer)

before sitting down? I said: Messenger of Allah, I saw you

sitting and people sitting (around you and I, therefore, sat

in your company). He (the Holy Prophet) then said: When anyone

among you enters the mosque, he should not sit till he has

observed two rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1542:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace

be upon him) owed me a debt; he paid me back and made an

addition (of this). I entered the mosque and he (the Holy

Prophet) said to me: Observe two rak'ahs of prayer.

Chapter 105: EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING TWO RAK'AHS IN THE MOSQUE

FOR ONE WHO COMES BACK FROM A JOURNEY

Bk 4, Number 1543:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) bought a camel from me. When he came back to

Medina, he ordered me to come to the mosque and observed two

rak'ahs of prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1544:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: I went with the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) on an expedition and my camel

delayed me and I was exhausted. The Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) thus came earlier than I, whereas I came on

the next day and went to the mosque and found him (the Holy

Prophet) at the gate of the mosque. He said: It is now that

you have come. I said. Yes. He said: Leave your camel and

enter (the mosque) and observe two rak'ahs. He (the narrator)

said: So I entered and observed (two rak'ahs) of prayer and

then went back.

Bk 4, Number 1545:

Ka'b b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) did not come back from the journey but by day in the

forenoon, and when he arrived, he went first to the mosque,

and having prayed two rak'ahs in it he sat down in it.

Chapter 106: EXCELLENCE OF THE FORENOON PRAYER, TWO ARE ITS

MINIMUM RAK'AHS AND EIGHT ARE ITS MAXIMUM RAK'AHS. AND AVERAGE

RAK'AHS ARE FOUR OR SIX, AND EXHORTATION FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF

THE PRAYER

Bk 4, Number 1546:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I asked 'A'isha whether the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe the

forenoon prayer. She said: No, but when he came back from the

journey.

Bk 4, Number 1547:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I aksed 'A'isha whether the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe the

forenoon prayer. She said: No, except when he came back from a

journey.

Bk 4, Number 1548:

'Urwa reported 'A'isha to be sayidg: I have never seen the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observing the

supererogatory prayer of the forenoon, but I observed it. And

if the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) abandoned

any act which he in fact loved to do, it was out of fear that

if the people practised it constantly, it might become

obligatory for them.

Bk 4, Number 1549:

Mu'adha asked 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) how many

rak'ahs Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prayed at

the forenoon prayer. She replied: Four rak'ahs, but sometimes

more as he pleased.

Bk 4, Number 1550:

A hadith like this has been reported by the same chain of

transmitters, but with this alteration that the transmitter

said:" As Allah pleased."

Bk 4, Number 1551:

Mua'ada 'Adawiyya reported 'A'isha as saying: The Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe four rak'ahs in

the forenoon prayer and he sometimes observed more as Allah

pleased.

Bk 4, Number 1552:

A hadith like this has been narrated by Qatada with the same

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1553:

Abd al−Rahman b. Abu Laila reported: No one has ever narrated

to me that he saw the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

observing the forenoon prayer, except Umm Hani. She, however,

narrated that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and

prayed eight rak'ahs (adding): I never saw a shorter prayer

than it except that he performed the bowing and prostration

completely. But (one of the narrators) Ibn Bashshar in his

narration made no mention of the word:" Never".

Bk 4, Number 1554:

'Abdullah b. Harith b. Naufal reported: I had been asking

about, as I was desirous to find one among people who should

inform me, whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) observed the forenoon prayer, but I found none to narrate

that to me except Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (the real

sister of Hadrat 'Ali), who told me that on the day of the

Conquest the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came

(to our house) after the dawn had (sufficiently) arisen. A

cloth was brought and privacy was provided for him (the Holy

Prophet). He took a bath and then stood up and observed eight

rak'ahs. I do not know whether his Qiyam (standing posture)

was longer, or bending or prostration or all of them were of

equal duration. She (Umm Hani) further said: I never saw him

saying this Nafl prayer prior to it or subsequently.

(Al−Muradi narrated on the authority of Yunus that he made no

mention of the words:" He informed me." )

Bk 4, Number 1555:

Abu Murra, the freed slave of Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib,

reported Umm Hani to be saying: I went to the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the Conquest of

Mecca and found him taking bath, and Fatimah, his daughter,

had provided him privacy with the help of a cloth. I gave him

salutation and he said: Who is she? I said: It is Umm Hani,

daughter of Abu Talib. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Greeting

for Umm Hani. When he had completed the bath, he stood up and

observed eight rak'ahs wrapped up in one cloth. When he turned

back (after the prayer), I said to him: Messenger of Allah,

the son of my mother 'Ali b. Abu Talib is going to kill a

person, Fulan b. Hubaira whom I have given protection. Upon

this the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: We

too have given protection whom you have given protection, O

Umm Hani. Umm Hani said: It was the forenoon (prayer).

Bk 4, Number 1556:

Abu Murra narrated on the authority of Umm Hani that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the

Conquest of Mecca observed in her house eight rak'abs of

prayer in one cloth, its opposite corners having been tied

from the opposite sides.

Bk 4, Number 1557:

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: In the morning charity is due from every bone in the

body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's

glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise

of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of

His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of

profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining

good is an act of charity, forbidding what is distreputable is

an act of charity, and two rak'ahs which one prays in the

forenoon will suffice.

Bk 4, Number 1558:

Abu Huraira reported. My friend (the Holy Prophet, may peace

be upon him) has instructed me to do three things: three fasts

during every month, two rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer, and

observing Witr prayer before going to bed.

Bk 4, Number 1559:

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira by another

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1560:

Abu Huraira reported: My friend Abu'l−Qasim (may peace be upon

him) instructed me to do three things, and the rest of the

hadith is the same.

Bk 4, Number 1561:

Abu Murra, the freed slave of Umm Hani, narrated on the

authority of Abu Darda': My Friend (may peace be upon him)

instructed me in three (acts), and I would never abandon them

as long as I live. (And these three things are): Three fasts

during every month, the forenoon prayer, and this that I

should not sleep till I have observed the Witr prayer.

Chapter 107: EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING TWO RAK'AHS OF SUNNAH IN

THE DAWN PRAYER

Bk 4, Number 1562:

Ibn 'Umar reported that Hafsa, the Mother of the Believers,

informed him that when the Mu'adhdhin became silent after

calling (people) to the dawn prayer, the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) commenced the dawn (prayer) when it

dawned by observing two short rak'ahs before the commencement

of the (Fard) prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1563:

This hadith has been transmitted by Nafi' with the same chain

of narrators.

Bk 4, Number 1564:

Hafsa reported that when it was dawn, the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) did not observe (any other prayers)

but two short rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1565:

A hadith like this has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1566:

Hafsa reported: When the dawn appeared, the Apostle of Allah

(may peace be upon him) observed two rak'ahs (of Sunnah

prayers).

Bk 4, Number 1567:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to observe two rak'ahs of Sunnah (prayer) when he

heard the Adhin and shortened them. (This hadith has been

narrated by the same chain of transmitters and in the hadith

narrated by Usama the words are:" When it was dawn".)

Bk 4, Number 1568:

'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to observe two (supererogatory) rak'ahs in between

the call to prayer and the Iqama of the dawn prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1569:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) observed two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer and he

shortened them (to the extent) that I (out of surprise) said:

Did he recite in them Surah Fatiha (only)?

Bk 4, Number 1570:

'A'isha reported: When it was dawn, the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) observed two rak'ahs, and I would say:

Does he recite only the opening chapter of the Qur'an in it?

Bk 4, Number 1571:

'A'isha reported that the Apostle (may peace be upon him) was

not so much particular about observing supererogatory rak'ahs

as in case of the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1572:

'A'isha reported: I have never seen the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) hastening as much in observing

supererogatory as two rak'ahs before the (Fard) of the dawn

prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1573:

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger as saying: The two rak'ahs

at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.

Bk 4, Number 1574:

'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) said about the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn:

They are dearer to me than the whole world.

Bk 4, Number 1575:

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) recited in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the

dawn (prayer):" Say: O unbelievers," (Qur'an, cix.) and" Say:

Allah is one" (cxii.).

Bk 4, Number 1576:

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to recite in first of the two (supererogatory)

rak'ahs of the dawn:" Say: We believed in Allah and what was

revealed to us..." verses 285−286 from Surah Baqara, and in

the second of the two:" I believe in Allah and I bear

testimony that we are Muslims" (iii. 51).

Bk 4, Number 1577:

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to recite in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs

of the dawn prayer:" Say: We believed in Allah and what was

revealed to us" and that which is found in Surah Al−i−'lmran:"

Come to that word (creed) which is common between you and us"

(iii. 64).

Bk 4, Number 1578:

This hadith has been transmitted by another chain of

narrators.

Chapter 108: THE VIRTUE OF SUNAN PRAYERS BEfORE AND AFTER THE

FARD RAK'AHS AND THEIR NUMBER

Bk 4, Number 1579:

Umm Habiba (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A house will be

built in Paradise, for anyone who prays in a day and a night

twelve rak'ahs; and she added: I have never abandoned

(observing them) since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him). Some of the other narrators said the

same words: I have never abandoned (observing them) since I

heard (from so and so).

Bk 4, Number 1580:

Nu'man b. Salim reported with the same chain of transmitters:

He who observed twelve voluntary rak'ahs, a house will be

built for him in Paradise.

Bk 4, Number 1581:

Umm Habiba, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be

upon him), reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: If any Muslim servant (of Allah) prays for the sake

of Allah twelve rak'ahs (of Sun'an) every day, over and above

the obligatory ones, Allah will build for him a house in

Paradise, or a house will be built for him in Paradise; and I

have not abandoned to observe the in after (hearing it from

the Messenger of Allah). (So said also 'Amr and Nu'man.)

Bk 4, Number 1582:

Umm Habiba reported the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) having said: If any Muslim servant (of Allah) performed

ablution, and performed it well, and then observed every day,

the rest of the hadith is the same.

Bk 4, Number 1583:

Ibn 'Umar reported: I prayed along with Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) two rak'ahs before and two rak'ahs after

the noon prayer, two rak'ahs after the sunset prayer and two

rak'ahs after the 'Isha' prayer and two rak'ahs after the

Friday prayer; and so far as the sunset, 'Isha' and Friday

prayers are concerned, I observed (them) along with the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) in his house.

Chapter 109: PERMISSIBILITY OF OBSERVING NAFL (VOLUNTARY

PRAYER) STANDING OR SITTING AND OBSERVING SOME PART OF IT IN

SITTING OR STANDING POSTURES

Bk 4, Number 1584:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq said: I asked 'A'isha about the Messenger

of Allah's (may peace be upon him) voluntary prayers, and she

replied: Before the noon prayer, he used to pray four rak'abs

in my house; then would go out and lead the people in prayer;

then come in and pray two rak'ahs. He would then lead the

people in the sunset prayer; then come in and pray two

rak'abs. Then he would lead the people in the 'Isha' prayer,

and enter my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would pray nine

rak'ahs during the night, including Witr. At night he would

pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and

when he recited the Holy Qur'an while standing, he would bow

and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he

recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate himself from

the sitting position, and when it was dawn he would pray two

rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1585:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) would pray in the night for a long time, and when he

prayed standing be bowed in a standing posture, and when he

prayed sitting, he bowed in a sitting posture.

Bk 4, Number 1586:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I fell ill in Persia and

therefore, prayed in a sitting posture, and I asked 'A'isha

about it and she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) prayed for a long time in the night sitting.

Bk 4, Number 1587:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq al−'Uqaili reported: I asked 'A'isha about

the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

during the night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) She replied: He used

to pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting

in the night, and when he recited the Qur'an while standing,

he would bow himself from the standing position, and when he

recited while sitting, he would bow from the sitting position.

Bk 4, Number 1588:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq al−'Uqaili reported: I asked 'A'isha about

the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

She said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would

observe prayer (Nafl) in a standing position as well as in a

sitting position, and when he commenced the prayer in a

standing position, he bowed in this very position, and when he

commenced the prayer in a sitting position, he bowed in this

very position.

Bk 4, Number 1589:

'A'isha reported: I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) reciting (the Qur'an) in the night prayer

in a sitting position, till he grew old and then he recited

(it) in a sitting position, but when thirty or forty verses

were left out of the Surah, he would then stand up, recite

them and then bowed.

Bk 4, Number 1590:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to pray while sitting (when he grew old) and he

recited in this position and when the recitation equal to

thirty or forty verses was left, he would then stand up and

recite (for this duration) in a standing position and then

bowed himself and then prostrated himself and did the same in

the second rak'ah.

Bk 4, Number 1591:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to recite in sitting position (while observing the

Tahajjud prayer) and when he intended to bow, he would stand

up and recite (for the duration in which) a man (ordinarily)

recites forty verses.

Bk 4, Number 1592:

Alqama b. Waqqas reported: I asked 'A'isha how the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) did in the two rak'ahs as he

(observed them) sitting. She said: He would recite (the

Qur'an) in them, and when he intended to bow, he would stand

up and then bowed.

Bk 4, Number 1593:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I asked 'A'isha whether the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed (Nafl)

sitting. She said: Yes, when the people had made him old.

Bk 4, Number 1594:

'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to 'A'isha and she made a

mention of that (recorded above) about the Apostle of Allah

(may peace be upon him).

Bk 4, Number 1595:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) died (in this very state) that he observed most of

his (Nafl) prayers in a sitting position.

Bk 4, Number 1596:

'A'isha reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) grew bulky and heavy he would observe (most of his

Nafl) prayers sitting.

Bk 4, Number 1597:

Hafsa reported: Never did I see the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) observing supererogatory prayer sitting

till one year before his death when he would observe Nafl

prayer in a sitting position, and he would recite the Surah

(of the Qur'an) in such a slow−measured tone (that duration of

its recital) became more lengthy than the one longer than

this.

Bk 4, Number 1598:

Zuhri reported this hadith with the same chain of

transmitters, except this that he made a mention of one year

or two years.

Bk 4, Number 1599:

Jabir b. Samura reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace

be upon him) observed (Nafl) prayer sitting before his death.

Bk 4, Number 1600:

'Abdullah b. 'Amr reported: It was narrated to me that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: The

prayer observed by a person sitting is half of the prayer. I

came to him (may peace be upon him) and found him praying in a

sitting position. I placed my hand on his head. He said: O

'Abdullah b. 'Amr, what is the matter with you? I said:

Messenger of Allah, it has been narrated to me that you said:

The prayer of a man in a sitting position is half of the

prayer, whereas you are observing prayer sitting. He (the Holy

Prophet) said: Yes, it is so, but I am not like anyone amongst

you.

Bk 4, Number 1601:

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Yahya al−A'raj

with the same chain of transmitters.

Chapter 110: PRAYER DURING THE NIGHT AND THE NUMBER OF THE

RAK'AHS WHICH THE APOSTLE (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) OBSERVED IN

THE NIGHT AND OBSERVANCE OF ONE RAKIAH OF WITR

Bk 4, Number 1602:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to pray eleven rak'ahs at night, observing the

Witr with a single rak'ah, and when he had finished them, he

lay down on his right side, till the Mu'adhdhin came to him

and he (the Holy Prophet) then observed two short rak'ahs (of

Sunan of the dawn prayer).

Bk 4, Number 1603:

'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him), said that between the time when the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) finished the 'Isha' prayer which is

called 'Atama by the people, he used to pray eleven rak'ahs,

uttering the salutation at the end of every two rak'ahs, and

observing the Witr with a single one. And when the Mu'adhdhin

had finished the call (for the) dawn prayer and he saw the

dawn clearly and the Mu'adhdhin had come to him, he stood up

and prayed two short rak'ahs. Then he lay down on his right

side till the Mu'adhdhin came to him for lqama. (This hadith

has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by Ibn

Shihab, but in it no mention has been made of Iqama )

Bk 4, Number 1604:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to observe thirteen rak'ahs of the night prayer.

Five out of them consisted of Witr, and he did not sit, but at

the end (for salutation).

Bk 4, Number 1605:

This hadith has been narrated by Hisham with the same chain of

transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1606:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night

including the two rak'ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1607:

Abu Salama b. Abd al−Rahman asked 'A'isha about the (night)

prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

during the month of Ramadan. She said: The Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) did not observe either in Ramadan or

in other months more than eleven rak'ahs (of the night

prayer). He (in the first instance) observed four rak'ahs. Ask

not about their excellence and their length (i. e. these were

matchless in perfection and length). He again observed four

rak'ahs, and ask not about their excellence and their length.

He would then observe three rak'ahs (of the Witr prayer).

'A'isha again said: I said: Messenger of Allah, do you sleep

before observing the Witr prayer? He said: O 'A'isha, my eyes

sleep but my heart does not sleep.

Bk 4, Number 1608:

Abu Salama asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) She said: He observed thirteen

rak'ahs (in the night prayer). He observed eight rak'ahs and

would then observe Witr and then observe two rak'ahs sitting,

and when he wanted to bow he stood up and then bowed down, and

then observed two rak'ahs in between the Adhan and lqama of

the dawn prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1609:

Abu Salama reported that he asked 'A'isha about the prayer of

the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) (during the

night). The rest of the hadith is the same but with this

exception that he (the Holy Prophet) observed nine rak'ahs

including Witr.

Bk 4, Number 1610:

Abu Salama is reported to have said. I came to 'A'isha. I

said: O mother, inform me about the prayer of the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: His (night prayer) in

Ramadan and (during other months) was thirteen rak'ahs at

night including two rak'ahs of fajr.

Bk 4, Number 1611:

It is reported on the authority of 'A'isha that the prayer of

Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) in the night

consisted of ten rak'ahs. He observed a Witr and two rak'ahs

(of Sunan) of the dawn prayer, and thus the total comes to

thirteen rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1612:

'A'isha thus reported about the (night prayer) of the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him): He used to sleep

in the early part of the night, and woke up in the latter

part. If he then wished intercourse with his wife, he

satisfied his desire, and then went to sleep; and when the

first call to prayer was made he jumped up (by Allah, she, i.

e. 'A'isha, did not say" he stood up" ), and poured water over

him (by Allah she, i. e. 'A'isha, did not say that he took a

bath but I know what she meant) and if he did not have an

intercourse, he performed ablution, just as a man performs

ablution for prayer and then observed two rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1613:

'A'isha observed that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to observe prayer in the night and the last of

his (night) prayer was Witr.

Bk 4, Number 1614:

Masruq is reported to have asked 'A'isha about the action

(most pleasing to) the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him). She said: He (the Holy Prophet) loved (that action)

which one keeps on doing regularly. I said (to 'A'isha): When

did he pray (at night)? She replied: When he heard the cock

crow, he got up and observed prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1615:

'A'isha reported: Never did the earlier part of the dawn find

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) but sleeping in

my house or near me.

Bk 4, Number 1616:

'A'isha reported: When the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) had prayed the two rak'ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer, he

would talk to me if I was awake, otherwise he would lie down.

Bk 4, Number 1617:

A hadith like this has been narrated by 'A'isha by another

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1618:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) used to pray in the night and when he observed Witr, he

said to me: O 'A'isha, get up and observe Witr.

Bk 4, Number 1619:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to offer prayer at night while she lay in front

of him, and when the Witr prayer was yet to be observed, he

would awaken her and she observed Witr.

Bk 4, Number 1620:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) observed the Witr prayer every night and he completed

Witr at the time of dawn.

Bk 4, Number 1621:

Masruq reported on the authority of 'A'isha that she said that

the Messenger Of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe

the Witr prayer every night, maybe in the early part of night,

at midnight and in the latter part, finishing his Witr at

dawn.

Bk 4, Number 1622:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to observe Witr every night, and he would (at

times) complete his Witr at the end of the night.

Bk 4, Number 1623:

Sa'd b. Hisham b. 'Amir decided to participate in the

expedition for the sake of Allah, so he came to Medina and he

decided to dispose of his property there and buy arms and

horses instead and fight against the Romans to the end of his

life. When he came to Medina, he met the people of Medina.

They dissuaded him to do such a thing, and informed him that a

group of six men had decided to do so during the lifetime of

the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and the Apostle

of Allah (may peace be upon him) forbade them to do it, and

said: Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when

they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his

wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to

his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him

about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him). Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows

best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? He said: Who is

it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask

her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her

answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah

and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go

to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the

conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept

my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I

(requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we

went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She

granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim?

(She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there

with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which

Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him

('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada

said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the

Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: Don't you read the

Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) was the Qur'an. He

said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further)

till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me

about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: Did you not recite:"

O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted

and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at

the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Apostle of

Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him

observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the

concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the

Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the

concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of

this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory

prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the

Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him). She said: I used to prepare tooth

stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would

rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would

use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer

nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and

would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then

he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the

ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and

supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us

to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering

the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but

when the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) grew old and

put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two

rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son,

and when the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed

prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or

pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to

observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring

the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet (may peace be upon

him) having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night,

or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a

complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then

went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted

from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her

and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally

from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to

her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated

by her.

Bk 4, Number 1624:

Zurara b. Aufa said that Sa'd b. Hisham divorced his wife, and

then proceeded to Medina to sell his property, and the rest of

the hadith is the same.

Bk 4, Number 1625:

Sa'd b. Hisham reported: I went to 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas and

asked him about the Witr prayer, and the rest of the hadith is

the same as recorded in this event. She (Hadrat 'A'isha) said:

Who is that Hisham? I said: Son of 'Amir. She said: What a

fine man 'Amir was! He died as a martyr in the Battle of Uhud.

Bk 4, Number 1626:

Zurara b. Aufa reported that Sa'd b. Hisham was his neighbour

and he informed him that he had divorced his wife and he

narrated the hadith like the one transmitted by Sa'd. She

('A'isha) said: Who is Hisham? He said: The son of 'Amir. She

said: What a fine man he was; he participated in the Battle of

Uhud along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him). Hakim b. Aflah said: If I ever knew that you do not go

to 'A'isha, I would not have informed you about her hadith (So

that you would have gone to her and heard it from her orally).

Bk 4, Number 1627:

'A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) missed the night prayer due to pain or any other

reason, he observed twelve rak'ahs during the daytime.

Bk 4, Number 1628:

'A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) decided upon doing any act, he continued to do

it, and when he slept at night or fell sick he observed twelve

rak'ahs during the daytime. I am not aware of Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) observing prayer during the

whole of the night till morning, or observing fast for a whole

month continuously except that of Ramadan.

Bk 4, Number 1629:

'Umar b. Khattab reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon

him) as saying: Should anyone fall asleep and fail to recite

his portion of the Qur'an, or a part of it, if he recites it

between the dawn prayer and the noon prayer, it will be

recorded for him as though he had recited it during the night.

Chapter 111: FORENOON PRAYER SHOULD BE OFFERED WHEN IT IS

SUFFICIENTLY HOT

Bk 4, Number 1630:

Zaid b. Arqam, on seeing some people praying in the forenoon,

said: They well know that prayer at another time than this is

more excellent, for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

said: The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when

your weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.

Bk 4, Number 1631:

Zaid b. Arqam reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) went out to the people of Quba' and saw them

observing prayer; upon this he said: The prayer of the

penitent should be observed when the young weaned camels feel

heat of the sun.

Chapter 112: NIGHT PRAYER CONSISTS OF PAIRS OF RAK'AHS AND

WITR IS A RAK'AH AT THE END OF THE NIGHT

Bk 4, Number 1632:

Ibn 'Umar reported that a person asked the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) about the night prayer. The Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Prayer during the night

should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears

morning is near, he should pray one rak'ah which will make his

prayer an odd number for him.

Bk 4, Number 1633:

Salim reported on the authority of his father that a person

asked the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) about the

night prayer. He said: It consists of pairs of rak'ahs, but if

one fears morning is near, he should make it an odd number by

praying one rak'ah.

Bk 4, Number 1634:

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported: A man stood up and said.

Messenger of Allah, how is the night prayer? The Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) said: The night prayer consists

of pair, but if you apprehend the rise of dawn, make it odd

number by observing one rak'ah.

Bk 4, Number 1635:

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported: A person asked the Apostle of

Allah (may peace be upon him) as I stood between him (the Holy

Prophet) and the inquirer and he said: Messenger of Allah, how

is the night prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It consists

of pairs of rak'ahs, but if you apprehend morning, you should

pray one rak'ah and make the end of your prayer as Witr. Then

a person asked him (the Holy Prophet) at the end of the year

and I was at that place near the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) ; but I do not know whether he was the same

person or another person, but he (the Holy Prophet) gave him

the same reply.

Bk 4, Number 1636:

This hadith his been narrated by Ibn 'Umar by another chain of

trans− mitters but it does not have these words:" Then a

person asked him at the end of the year," and what follows

subsequently.

Bk 4, Number 1637:

Ibn 'Umar reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) as say− ing: Hasten to pray Witr before morning.

Bk 4, Number 1638:

Ibn 'Umar said: He who prayed at night should make Witr the

end of his prayer, for the Messenger of Allah (way peace be

upon him) ordered this.

Bk 4, Number 1639:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Make Witr the end of your night prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1640:

Nafi' reported Ibn 'Umar as saying: He who observed the night

prayer should make Witr the end of his prayer before dawn. The

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to order them

thus.

Bk 4, Number 1641:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him)

as saying: Witr is a rak'ah at the end of the prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1642:

Ibn Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: Witr is a rak'ah at the end of the night prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1643:

Abu Mijlaz reported: I asked Ibn 'Abbas about the Witr prayer.

He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) as saying: It is a rak'ah at the end of the night prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1644:

Ibn 'Umar reported: A person called (the attention) of the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as he was in the

mosque, and said: Messenger of Allah, how should I make the

rak'ahs of the night prayer an odd number? Upon this the

Messenger of Allah (way peace he upon him) said: He who prays

(night prayer) he should observe it in pairs, but if he

apprehends the rise of morning, he should observe one rak'ah;

that would make the number odd (for the rak'ahs) observed by

him. This was narrated by Abd Kuraib 'Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah

and Ibn 'Umar did not make mention of it.

Bk 4, Number 1645:

Anas b. Sirin reported: I asked Ibn 'Umar to tell me about the

practice of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) in regard

to two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer: Should I make lengthy

recitation in them? He said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) used to observe, the night prayer in pairs and

then made the number odd by observing one rak'ah. I said: I am

not asking you about it. He said: You are a bulky man, will

you not show me the patience to narrate to you the hadith

completely? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

used to observe the night prayer in pairs and then made the

number odd by observing one rak'ah, and then he observed two

rak'ahs before dawn quite close to the call for prayer (Khalaf

said:" Did you see [yourself the Holy Prophet observing] the

two rak'ahs before the dawn?" and he made no mention of

prayer.)

Bk 4, Number 1646:

Anas b. Sirin reported: I asked Ibn 'Umar like this (as

recorded in the previous hadith) and he made this addition:"

And he (the Holy Prophet) made the end of the night prayer as

odd number by one rak'ah." And there is also (this addition):"

Stop, stop, you are bulky."

Bk 4, Number 1647:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: The night prayer consists of pairs and when you see

the approach of dawn, make this number odd by one rak'ah. It

was said to Ibn 'Umar: What does the (word) pair imply? He

said: (It means) that salutation is uttered after every two

rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1648:

Abu Sa'id (al Khudri) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be

upon him) as saying: Observe Witr prayer before it is morning.

Abu Sa'id reported that they (the Prophet's Companions) asked

the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) about Witr

(prayer). (In reply to their inquiry) he said: Observe Witr

prayer before it is morning.

Bk 4, Number 1649:

Abu Sa'id reported that they (some of the Companions) of the

Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) asked the Apostle of

Allah (may peace be upon him) about Witr. He said: Observe

Witr before morning.

Chapter 113: HE WHO FEARS THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OBSERVE

(TAHAJJUD) PRAYER AT THE END OF NIGHT SHOULD OBSERVE WITR IN

THE FIRST PART OF IT

Bk 4, Number 1650:

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the

latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first

part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part

of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for

prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels)

and that is preferable.

Bk 4, Number 1651:

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: He who amongst you is afraid that he may not be able

to get up at the end of the night should observe Witr (in the

first part) and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting

up and praying at night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) should observe

it at the end of it, for the recitation at the end of the

night to visited (by angels), and that is excellent.

Chapter 114: THE MOST EXCELLENT PRAYER IS ONE IN WHICH ONE

STANDS FOR A LONGER TIME

Bk 4, Number 1652:

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: The most excellent prayer is that in which the

duration of standing is longer.

Bk 4, Number 1653:

Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

was asked about the prayer which was most excellent. He said:

That in which the standing is longer. (This hadith is narrated

by another chain of transmitters too.)

Bk 4, Number 1654:

Jabir said he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

say: There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim

individual will ask Allah for good in this world and the next

without His giving it to him; and that applies to every night.

Bk 4, Number 1655:

Jabir reported: I heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be

upon him) as saying: There is an hour during the night in

which no Muslim bondman will ask Allah for good in this world

and the next but He will grant it to him.

Chapter 115: EXHORTATION TO SUPPLICATE AND MAKE MENTION (OF

ALLAH) AT THE END OF THE NIGHT AND ITS ACCEPTANCE BY THE LORD

Bk 4, Number 1656:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends

every night to the lowest heaven when one−third of the latter

part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so

that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him?

Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?

Bk 4, Number 1657:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven

when one−third of the first part of the night is over and

says: I am the Lord; I am the Lord: who is there to supplicate

Me so that I answer him? Who is there to beg of Me so that I

grant him? Who is there to beg forgiveness from Me so that I

forgive him? He continues like this till the day breaks.

Bk 4, Number 1658:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: When half of the night or two−third of it is over.

Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends to the lowest

heaven and says: Is there any beggar, so that he be given? Is

there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any

beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah

continues it saying) till it is daybreak.

Bk 4, Number 1659:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Allah descends to the lowest heaven at half of the

night or at one−third of the latter part and says: Who is

there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to

ask Me so that I grant him? And then says: Who will lend to

One Who is neither indigent nor tyrant? (This hadith has been

narrated by Sa'd b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters

with this addition:" Then the Blessed and the Exalted (Lord)

stretches His Hands and says: Who will lend to One Who is

neither indigent nor tyrant? )

Bk 4, Number 1660:

Abu Sa'id and Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) as saying: Allah waits till when one−third

of the first part of the night is over; He descends to the

lowest heaven and says: It there any supplicator of

forgiveness? Is there any penitant? Is there any petitioner

(for mercy and favour)? Is there any solicitor? −till it is

daybreak.

Bk 4, Number 1661:

This hadith is narrated by Ishaq with the same chain uf

transmitters except this that the hadith transmitted by Mansur

(the above one) is more comprehensive and lengthy.

Chapter 116: ENCOURAGEMENT TO OBSERVE PRAYERS DURING RAMADAN

AND THAT IS TARAWIH

Bk 4, Number 1662:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: He who observed prayer at night during Ramadan,

because of faith and seeking his reward from Allah, his

previous sins would be forgiven.

Bk 4, Number 1663:

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night)

during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an

obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in

Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah),

all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) died, this was the practice,

and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and the

early part of 'Umar's caliphate.

Bk 4, Number 1664:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: He who observed the fasts of Ramadan with faith and

seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be

forgiven, and he who observed prayer on Lailat−ul− Qadr with

faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins

would be forgiven.

Bk 4, Number 1665:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)

as saying: He who prayed on the Lailat−ul−Qadr (the Majestic

Night) knowing that it is (the same night). I (believe) that

he (the Holy Prophet also) said: (He who does) it with faith

and seeking reward (from Allah), his sins would be forgiven.

Bk 4, Number 1666:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) prayed one night in the mosque and people also

prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night

and there were many persons. Then on the third or fourth night

(many people) gathered there, but the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) did not come out to them (for leading the

Tarawih prayer). When it was morning he said: I saw what you

were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the

prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory

for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan.

Bk 4, Number 1667:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) came out during the night and observed prayer in the

mosque and some of the people prayed along with him. When it

was morning the people talked about this and so a large number

of people gathered there. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) went out for the second night, and they (the people)

prayed along with him. When it was morning the people began to

talk about it. So the mosque thronged with people on the third

night. He (the Holy Prophet) came out and they prayed along

with him. When it was the fourth night, the mosque was filled

to its utmost capacity but the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) did not come out. Some persons among then cried:"

Prayer." But the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

did not come to them till he came out for the morning prayer.

When he had completed the morning prayer, he turned his face

to the people and recited Tashahhud (I bear testi− mony that

there is no god but Allah and I bear testimony that Muhammad

is His Messen− ger) and then said: Your affair was not hidden

from me in the night, but I was afraid that (my observing

prayer continuously) might make the night prayer obligatory

for you and you might be unable to perform it.

Bk 4, Number 1668:

Zirr (b. Hubaish) reported: I heard from Ubayy b. Ka'b a

statement made by 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud in which he said: He who

gets up for prayer (every night) during the year will hit upon

Lailat−ul−Qadr. Ubayy said: By Allah I there is no god but He,

that (Lailat−ul−Qadr) is in Ramadhan (He swore without

reservation: ) By Allah, I know the night; it is the night on

which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commanded

us to pray. It is that which precedes the morning of

twenty−seventy and its indication is that the sun rises bright

on that day without rays.

Bk 4, Number 1669:

Ubayy b Ka'b reported: By Allah, I know about Lailat−ul Qadr

and I know it fully well that it is the twenty−seventh night

(during Ramadan) on which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) commanded us to observe prayer. (Shu'ba was in doubt

about these words:" the night on which the Messenger of Allah

[may peace be upon him] commanded us to observe the prayer."

This has been transmitted to me by a friend of mine.)

Bk 4, Number 1670:

Shu'ba reported this hadith with the same chain of

transmitters, but he made no mention that Shu'ba was in doubt

and what follows subsequently.

Chapter 117: SUPPLICATION IN THE NIGHT PRAYER

Bk 4, Number 1671:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I spent a night with my material aunt

(sister of my mother) Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah (may peace

be upon him) got up during the night and relieved himself,

then washed his face and hands and went to sleep. He then got

up again, and came to the water skin and loosened its straps,

then performed good ablution between the two extremes. He then

stood up and observed prayer. I also stood up and stretched my

body fearing that he might be under the impression that I was

there to find out (what he did at night). So I also performed

ablution and stood up to pray, but I stood on his left. He

took hold of my hand and made me go round to his right side.

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) completed

thirteen rak'abs of his night prayer. He then lay down and

slept and snored (and it was his habit to snore while asleep).

Then Bilal came and he informed him about the prayer. He (the

Holy Prophet) then stood up for prayer and did not perform

ablution, and his supplication included there words:" O Allah,

place light in my heart, light in my sight, light in my

hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light

above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind

me, and enhance light for me." Kuraib (the narrator) said:

There are seven (words more) which are in my heart (but I

cannot recall them) and I met some of the descendants of

'Abbas and they narrated these words to me and mentioned in

them: (Light) in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my

hair, in my skin, and made a mention of two more things.

Bk 4, Number 1672:

Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, reported that Ibn

'Abbas narrated to him that he spent a night in the house of

Maimuna, the mother of the believers, who was his mother's

sister. I lay down across the cushion, whereas the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) and his wife lay down on it

length−wise. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

slept up till midnight, or a little before midnight of a

little after midnight, and then got up and began to cast off

the effects of sleep from his face by rubbing with his hand,

and then recited the ten concluding verses of Surah 'Imran. He

then stood up near a hanging water−skin and performed ablution

well, and then stood up and prayed, 'Ibn 'Abbas said: I also

stood up and did the same, as the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) had done, and then went to him and stood by

his side. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

placed his right hand upon my head and took hold of my right

ear and twistedit, and then observed a pair of rak'ahs, again

a pair of rak'ahs, again a pair of rak'ahs, again a pair of

rak'ahs, again a pair of rak'ahs, again a pair of rak'ahs, and

then observed Witr and then lay down till the Mu'adhdhin came

to him. He (the Holy Prophet) then stood up and observed two

short rak'ahs, and then went out (to the mosque) and observed

the dawn prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1673:

Makhrama b. Sulaiman narrated it with the same chain of

narrators and he made this addition:" He then went to the

water−skin and brushed his teeth and performed ablution well.

He did not pour water but a little. He then awakened me and I

stood up," and the rest of the hadith is the same.

Bk 4, Number 1674:

Ibn Abbas reported: I slept (one night) in the house of

Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him), and the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) was

with her that night. He (after sleeping for half of the night

got up and) then performed ablution and then stood up and

observed prayer. I too stood on his left side. He took hold of

me and made me stand on his right side. He (the Holy Prophet)

observed thirteen rak'ahs on that night. The Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) then slept and snored and it was

a habit with him to snore while sleeping. The Mu'adhdbin then

came to him (to inform him about the prayer). He then went out

and observed prayer without performing ablution. ('Amr said:

Bukair b. Ashajj had narrated it to me )

Bk 4, Number 1675:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I spent one night in the house of my

mother's sister Maimuna, daughter of Harith, and said to her:

Awake me when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

stands to pray (at night). (She woke me up when) the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood up for prayer. I stood

on his left side. He took hold of my hand and made me stand on

his right side, and whenever I dozed off he took hold of my

earlobe (and made me alert). He (the narrator) said: He (the

Holy Prophet) observed eleven rak'ahs. He then sat with his

legs drawn and wrapped in his garment and slept so that I

could bear his breathing while asleep. And when the dawn

appeared, he observed two short rak'ahs of (Sunnah) prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1676:

Ibn 'Abbas reported that he spent a night in the house of his

matenial aunt, Maimuna. The Messenger of Allah (may peace he

upon him) got up at night and performed short ablution (taking

water) from the water−skin hanging there. (Giving a

description of the ablution Ibn 'Abbas said: It was short and

performed with a little water.) I also got up and did the same

as the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) had done. I

then came (to him) and stood on his left. He then made me go

around to his right side. He then observed prayer and went to

sleep till he began to snore. Bilal came to him and informed

him about the prayer. He (the Holy Prophet) then went out and

observed the dawn prayer without performing ablution. Sufyan

said: It was a special (prerogative of the) Apostle of Allah

(may peace be upon him) for it has been conveyed to us that

the eyes of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

sleep, but his heart does not sleep.

Bk 4, Number 1677:

Ibn 'Abbas said: I spent the night in the house of my mother's

sister, Maimuna, and observed how the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) prayed (at night). He got up and relieved

himself. He then washed his face and hands and then went to

sleep. He again got up and went near the water−skin and

loosened its straps and then poured some water in a bowl and

inclined it with his hands (towards himself). He then

performed a good ablution between the two extremes and then

stood up to pray. I also came and stood by his left side. He

took hold of me and made me stand on his right side. It was in

thirteen rak'ahs that the (night) prayer of the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) was completed. He then slept

till he began to snore, and we knew that he had gone to sleep

by his snoring. He then went out (for the dawn prayer) and

then again slept, and said while praying or prostrating

himself:" O Allah! place light in my heart, light in my

hearing, light in my sight, light on my right, light on my

left, light in front of me, light behind me, light above me,

light below me, make light for me," or he said:" Make me

light."

Bk 4, Number 1678:

Salama said: I met Kuraib and he reported Ibn 'Abbas as

saying: I was with my mother's sister Maimuna that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came there, and

then he narrated the rest of the hadith as was narrated by

Ghundar and said these words:" Make me light," beyond any

doubt.

Bk 4, Number 1679:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I spent a night in the house of my

mother's sister, Maimuna, and then narrated (the rest of the)

haditb, but he made no mention of the washing of his face and

two hands but he only said: He then came to the water−skin and

loosened its straps and performed ablution between the two

extremes, and then came to his bed and slept. He then got up

for the second time and came to the waterskin and loosened its

straps and then performed ablution which was in fact an

ablution (it was performed well), and implored (the Lord)

thus:" Give me abundant light," and he made no raention of:"

Make me light."

Bk 4, Number 1680:

Kuraib reported that Ibn 'Abbas spent a night in the house of

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he said:

The Messenger of Allah may peace be upon him) stood near the

water−skin and poured water out of that and performed ablution

in which he neither used excess of water nor too little of it,

and the rest of the hadith is the same, and in this mention is

also made (of the fact) that on that night the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) made supplication before Allah

in nineteen words. Kuraib reported: I remember twelve words

out of these, bux have forgotten the rest. The Messenger of

Allah said:" Place light in my heart, light in my tongue,

light in my hearing, light in my sight, light above me, light

below me, light on my right, light on my left, light in front

of me, light behind me, place light in my soul, and make light

abundant for me."

Bk 4, Number 1681:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I slept one night in the house of Maimuna

when the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) was there,

with a view to seeing the prayer of the Apostle of Allah (may

peace be upon him) at night. The Apostle of Allah (may peace

be upon him) entered into conversation with his wife for a

short while, and then went to sleep, and the rest of the

hadith is the same and in it mention is made of:" He then got

up, performed ablution and brushed his teeth."

Bk 4, Number 1682:

'Abdullah b. 'Abbas reported: He spent (one night) in the

house of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He

(the Holy Prophet) got up, brushed his teeth and performed

ablution and said:" In the creation of the heavens and the

earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, there are

indeed signs for people of understanding" (al−Qur'an, iii.

190), to the end of the Surah. He then stood up and prayed two

rak'ahs, standing, bowing and prostrating himself at length in

them. Then he finished, went to sleep and snored. He did that

three times, six rak'ahs altogether, each time cleaning his

teeth, performing ablution, and reciting these verses. Then he

observed three rak'ahs of Witr. The Mu'adhdhin then pronounced

the Adhan and he went out for prayer and was saying,:" O Allah

I place light in my heart, light in my tongue, place light in

my hearing, place light in my eyesight, place light behind me,

and light in front of me, and place light above me, and light

below me. O Allah! grant me light."

Bk 4, Number 1683:

Ibn Abbas reported: I spent a night in the house of my

mother's sister Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah (way peace be

upon him) got up for observing voluntary prayer (Tahajjud) at

night. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood by

the water−skin and performed ablution and then stood up and

prayed. I also got up when I saw him doing that. I also

performed ablution from the water−skin and then stood at his

left side. He took hold of my hand from behind his back and

then turned me from his back to his right side. I ('Ata', one

of the narrators) said: Did it concern the voluntary prayer

(at night)? He ('Ibn 'Abbas) said: Yes.

Bk 4, Number 1684:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: (My father) Abbas sent me to the Apostle

of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he was in the house of my

mother's sister Maimuna and spent that night along with him.

He (the Holy Prophet) got up and prayed at night, and I stood

up on his left side. He caught hold of me from behind his back

and made me stand on his right side.

Bk 4, Number 1685:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I spent a night in the house of my

mother's sister Maimuna, and the rest of the hadith is the

same as narrated above.

Bk 4, Number 1686:

Abu Jamra reported: I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed thirteen

rak'ahs at night.

Bk 4, Number 1687:

Zaid b Khalid al−Juhani said: I would definitely watch at

night the prayer observed by the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him). He prayed two short rak'ahs, then two long,

long, long rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were

shorter than the two preceding rak'ahs, then he prayed two

rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding, then he

prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding,

then observed a single one (Witr), making a total of thirteen

rak'ahs

Bk 4, Number 1688:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported: I accompanied the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) in a journey and we reached a

watering place. He said: Jabir, are you going to enter it? I

said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) then

got down and I entered it. He (the Holy Prophet) then went

away to relieve himself and I placed for him water for

ablution. He then came back and performed ablution, and then

stood and prayed in one garment, having its ends tied from the

opposite sides. I stood. behind him and he caught hold of my

ear and made me stand on his right side.

Bk 4, Number 1689:

'A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) stood up at night to pray, he began his prayer

with two short rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1690:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)

as saying When any one of you gets up at night, he should

begin the prayer with two short rak'ahs.

Bk 4, Number 1691:

Ibn Abbas reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) got up during the night to pray, he used to say:

O Allah, to Thee be the praise Thou art the light of the

heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the

Supporter of the heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise;

Thou art the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is

therein. Thou art the Truth; Thy promise is True, the meeting

with Thee is True. Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Hour is

true. O Allah, I submit to Thee; affirm my faith in Thee;

repose my trust in Thee, and I reurn to Thee for repentance;

by Thy help I have disputed; and to Thee I have come for

decision, so forgive me my earlier and later sins, the sins

that I committed in secret and openly. Thou art my God. There

is no god but Thee.

Bk 4, Number 1692:

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas

through another chain of transmitters and with slight

alteration of two words. Instead of the word Qayyam

(Supporter, as used in the above hadith here the word) Qayyim

(the Custodian) has been used, and he (further said):" What I

did in secret." And in the hadith narrated by Ibn 'Uyaina

there is some addition.

Bk 4, Number 1693:

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn 'Abbas by another chain

of transmitters and the words are nearly the same (as recorded

in the above−mentioned hadith).

Bk 4, Number 1694:

'Abd al−Rahman b. 'Auf reported: I asked 'A'isha, the mother

of the believers, (to tell me) the words with which the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) commenced the prayer

when he got up at night. She said: When he got up at night he

would commence his prayer with these words: O Allah, Lord of

Gabriel, and Michael, and Israfil, the Creator of the heavens

and the earth, Who knowest the unseen and the seen; Thou

decidest amongst Thy servants concerning their differences.

Guide me with Thy permission in the divergent views (which the

people) hold about Truth, for it is Thou Who guidest whom Thou

wilt to the Straight Path.

Bk 4, Number 1695:

'Ali b. Abu Talib reported that when the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) got up at night for prayer he would

say: I turn my face in complete devotion to One Who is the

Originator of the heaven and the earth and I am not of the

polytheists. Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my

dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; There is no

partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to

profess and believe) and I am of the believers. O Allah, Thou

art the King, there is no god but Thee, Thou art my Lord, and

I am Thy bondman. I wronged myself and make a confession of my

Sin. Forgive all my sins, for no one forgives the sins but

Thee, and guide me in the best of conduct for none but Thee

guideth anyone (in) good conduct. Remove sins from me, for

none else but Thou can remove sins from me. Here I am at Thy

service, and Grace is to Thee and the whole of good is in

Thine hand, and one cannot get nearneststo Thee through evil.

My (power as well as existence) is due to Thee (Thine grace)

and I turn to Thee (for supplication). Thou art blessed and

Thou art exalted. I seek forgiveness from Thee and turn to

Thee in repentance: and when he would bow, he would say: O

Allah, it is for Thee that I bowed. I affirm my faith in Thee

and I submit to Thee, and submit humbly before Thee my

hearing, my eyesight, my marrow, my bone, my sinew; and when

he would raise his head, he would say: O Allah, our Lord,

praise is due to Thee, (the praise) with which is filled the

heavens and the earth, and with which is filled that (space)

which exists between them, and filled with anything that Thou

desireth afterward. And when he prostrated himself, he (the

Holy Prophet) would say: O Allah, it is to Thee that I

prostrate myself and it is in Thee that I affirm my faith, and

I submit to Thee. My face is submitted before One Who created

it, and shaped it, and opened his faculties of hearing and

seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators; and he would

then say between Tashahhud and the pronouncing of salutation:

Forgive me of the earlier and later open and secret (sins) and

that where I made transgression and that Thou knowest better

than I. Thou art the First and the Last. There is no god, but

Thee.

Bk 4, Number 1696:

A'raj reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) would start the prayer, he would pronounce takbir

(Allah−o−Akbar) and then say: I turn my face (up to Thee), I

am the first of the believers; and when he raised his head

from ruku' he said: Allah listened to him who praised Him; O

our Lord, praise be to Thee; and he said: He shaped (man) and

how fine is his shape? And he (the narrator) said: When he

pronounced salutation he said: O Allah, forgive me my ear−

lier (sins), to the end of the hadith; and he did not say it

between the Tashahhud and salutation (as mentioned above).

Chapter 118: PREFERENCE FOR PROLONGING RECITATION IN THE NIGHT

PRAYER

Bk 4, Number 1697:

Hudhaifa reported: I prayed with the Apostle of Allah (may

peace be upon him) one night and he started reciting

al−Baqara. I thought that he would bow at the end of one

hundred verses, but he proceeded on; I then thought that he

would perhaps recite the whole (surah) in a rak'ah, but he

proceeded and I thought he would perhaps bow on completing

(this surah). He then started al−Nisa', and recited it; he

then started Al−i−'Imran and recited leisurely. And when he

recited the verses which referred to the Glory of Allah, he

glorified (by saying Subhan Allah−Glory to my Lord the Great),

and when he recited the verses which tell (how the Lord) is to

be begged, he (the Holy Prophet) would then beg (from Him),

and when he recited the verses dealing with protection from

the Lord, he sought (His) protection and would then bow and

say: Glory be to my Mighty Lord; his bowing lasted about the

same length of time as his standing (and then on returning to

the standing posture after ruku') he would say: Allah listened

to him who praised Him, and he would then stand about the same

length of time as he had spent in bowing. He would then

prostrate himself and say: Glory be to my Lord most High, and

his prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his

standing. In the hadith transmitted by Jarir the words are:"

He (the Holy Prophet) would say:" Allah listened to him who

praised Him, our Lord, to Thee i the praise."

Bk 4, Number 1698:

'Abdullah reported: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) and he lengthened it till I entertained an

evil thought. It was said to him what that thought was. He

said: I thought that I should sit down and forsake him.

Bk 4, Number 1699:

A hadith like this has been narrated by A'mash with the same

chain of transmitters.

Chapter 119: WHAT HAS BEEN RELATED (FROM THE HOLY PROPHET)

ABOUT ONE WHO SLEEPS THE WHOLE NIGHT TILL MORNING

Bk 4, Number 1700:

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that a mention was made of a

man who slept the whole night till morning. He (the Holy

Prophet) remarked: That is a man in whose ears (or in whose

ear) the devil urinated.

Bk 4, Number 1701:

Husain b. 'Ali narrated on the authority of (his father) 'Ali

b. Abu Talib that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

came one night to see him ('Ali) and Fatimah (the daughter of

the Holy Prophet) and said: Don't you observe (Tahajjud)

prayer? I ('Ali) said: Messenger of Allah, verily our souls

are in the hands of Allah and when He wants to awaken us, He

awakens us. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

went back when I said this to him. He was striking his hand on

his thigh while returning, and I heard him say: Verily the man

disputes with many things.

Bk 4, Number 1702:

Abu Huraira transmitted it from the Apostle of Allah (may

peace be upon him): When any one of you goes to sleep, the

devil ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing every

knot with:" You have a long night, so sleep." So if one awakes

and mentions Allah, a knot will be loosened; if he performs

ablution two knots are loosened; and if he prays (all) knots

will be loosened, and in the morning he will be active and in

good spirits; otherwise we will be in bad spirits and sluggish

in the morning.

Chapter 120: PREFERENCE FOR OBSERVING NAFL PRAYER IN THE

HOUSE, AND PERMISSIBILITY OF OBSERVING iT IN THE MOSQUE ALSO

Bk 4, Number 1703:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: Observe some of your prayers in your houses and do not

make them graves.

Bk 4, Number 1704:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: Pray in your houses, and do not make them graves.

Bk 4, Number 1705:

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: When any one of you observes prayer in the mosque he

should reserve a part of his prayer for his house, for Allah

would make the prayer as a means of betterment in his house.

Bk 4, Number 1706:

Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and

the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living

and the dead.

Bk 4, Number 1707:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs

away from the house in which Surah Baqara is recited.

Bk 4, Number 1708:

Zaid b. Thabit reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) made an apartment with the help of the leaves of

date trees or of mats. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) went out to pray in it. People followed him and came

to pray with him. Then they again came one night and waited

(for him), but the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

delayed in coming out to them. And when he did not come out,

they cried aloud and threw pebbles at the door. The Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) came out in anger and said to

them: By what you have been constantly doing, I was inclined

to think that it (prayer) might not become obligatory for you.

So you must observe prayer (optional) in your houses, for the

prayer observed by a man in the house is better except an

obligatory prayer.

Bk 4, Number 1709:

Zaid b. Thabit reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace

be upon him) made an apartment in the mosque of mats, and he

observed in it prayers for many nights till people began to

gather around him, and the rest of the hadith is the same but

with this addition:" Had this (Nafl) prayer become obligatory

for you, you would not be able to observe it."

Chapter 121: EXCELLENCE OF AN ACT (I. E. OBSERVING OF THE

NIGHT PRAYER, ETC.) DONE CONSTANTLY

Bk 4, Number 1710:

'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) had a mat and he used it for making an apartment

during the night and observed prayer in it, and the people

began to pray with him, and he spread it (the mat) during the

day time. The people crowded round him one night. He (the Holy

Prophet) then Eaid: O people, perform such acts as you are

capable of doing, for Allah does not grow weary but you will

get tired. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are

done continuously, even if they are small. And it was the

habit of the members of Muhammad's (may peace be upon him)

household that whenever they did an act they did it

continuously.

Bk 4, Number 1711:

'A'isha is reported to have said that the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) was asked about the act most pleasing

to Allah. He replied: That which is done continuously, even if

it is small.

Bk 4, Number 1712:

Alqama reported: I asked 'A'isha, the mother of the believers,

saying O mother of the believers, how did the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) act? Did he choose a particular

act for a particular day? She said: No. He act was continuous,

and who amongst you is capable of doing what the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) did?

Bk 4, Number 1713:

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are

done continuously, even if they are small. and when 'A'isha

did any act she did it continuously.

Bk 4, Number 1714:

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) entered the mosque (and he found) a rope tied between the

two pillars; so he said: What is this? They said: It is for

Zainab. She prays and when she slackens or feels tired she

holds it. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: Untie it. Let

one pray as long as one feels fresh but when one slackens or

becomes tired one must stop it. (And in the hadith transmitted

by Zuhair it is:" He should sit down." )

Bk 4, Number 1715:

A hadith like this has been narrated from the Apostle of Allah

(may peace be upon him) on the authority of Anas by another

chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1716:

'Urwa b. Zubair reported that 'A'isha, the wife of the Apostle

of Allah (may peace be upon him), told him that (once) Haula'

dint Tuwait b. Habib b. Asad b. 'Abd al−'Uzzi passed by her

(at the time) when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) was with her. I ('A'Isha) said: It Is Haula' bint Tuwait

and they say that she does not sleep at night. Upon this the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: (Oh) she does

not sleep at night! Choose an act which you are capable of

doing (continuously). By Allah, Allah would not grow weary,

but you will grow weary.

Bk 4, Number 1717:

'A'isha said: The Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him)

came to me when a woman was sitting with me. He said: Who is

she? I said: She is a woman who does not sleep but prays. He

said: Do such acts which you are capable of doing. By Allah,

Allah does not grow weary but you will grow weary. The

religious act most pleasing to Him is one the doer of which

does it continuously. (And in the hadith transmitted by Abu

Usama [the words are]:" She was a woman from Banu Asad." )

Chapter 122: CONCERNING DOZING OFF IN PRAYER, OR FALTERING OF

ONE'S TONGUE IN THE RECITATION OF THE QUR'AN, OR IN MENTIONING

OF ALLAH, ONE SHOULD SLEEP, OR STOP lT TILL ONE BECOMES LIVELY

Bk 4, Number 1718:

'A'isha reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: When anyone amongst you dozes in prayer, he should

sleep, till sleep is gone, for when one of you prays while

dozing he does not know whether he may be asking pardon or

vilifying himself.

Bk 4, Number 1719:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: When any one of you gets up at night (for prayer)

and his tongue falters in (the recitation) of the Qar'an, and

he does not know what he is reciting, he should go to sleep.

Chapter 123: CONCERNING THE CAREFUL REMEMBERING OF THE QUR'AN

Bk 4, Number 1720:

'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) heard a person reciting the Qur'an at night. Upon this he

said: May Allah show mercy to him; he has reminded me of such

and such a verse which I had missed in such and such a surah.

Bk 4, Number 1721:

'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) listened to the recitation of the Qur'an by a man in the

mosque. Thereupon he said: May Allah have mercy upon him; be

reminded me of the verse which I had been made to forget.

Bk 4, Number 1722:

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be

upon him) as saying: The example of a man who has memorised

the Qur'an is like that of a hobbled camel. If he remained

vigilant, he would be able to retain it (with him), and if he

loosened the hobbled camel it would escape.

Bk 4, Number 1723:

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn 'Umar from the Apostle of

Allah (may peace be upon him), but in the hadith transmited by

Musa b. 'Uqba, this addition is made:" When one who had

committed the Qur'an to memory (or who is familiar with it)

gets up (for night prayer) and recites it night and day, it

remains fresh in his mind, but if he does not get up (for

prayer and thus does not recite it) he forgets it."

Bk 4, Number 1724:

'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: What a wretched person is he amongst them who says:

I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of

using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try

to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's

minds than a hobbled camel.

Bk 4, Number 1725:

'Abdullah is reported to have said: Keep refreshing your

knowledge of the sacred books (or always renew your knowledge

of these sacred books) and sometimes he would mention the

Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than

animals which are hobbled, and the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) said: None of you should say: I forgot such

and such a verse, but he has been made to forget.

Bk 4, Number 1726:

Ibn Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Wretched is the man who says: I forgot such and

such a sura, or I forget such and such a verse, but he has

been made to forget.

Bk 4, Number 1727:

Abu Musa al−Ash'ari reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be

upon him) as saying: Keep refreshing your knowledge of the

Qur'an, for I swear by Him in Whose Hand is the life of

Mahammad that it is more liable to escape than camels which

are hobbled.

Chapter 124: DESIRABILITY OF RECITING THE QUR'AN IN A SWEET

VOICE

Bk 4, Number 1728:

Abu Huraira reported this directly from the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him): God has not listened to anything as

He listens to a Prophet reciting the Qur'an in a sweet voice.

Bk 4, Number 1729:

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Shihab with the same

chain of transmitters with words:" As He listens to a Prophet

reciting the Qur'an in a sweet voice."

Bk 4, Number 1730:

Abu Huraira is reported to have heard Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) as saying: Allah does not listen to

anything, (more approvingly) as He listens to a Prophet

reciting loudly the Qur'an in a sweet voice.

Bk 4, Number 1731:

This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of

transmitters by Ibn al−Had except this that Abu Huraira

reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying

and he did not say:" He heard it."

Bk 4, Number 1732:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Allah has not heard anything (more pleasing) than

listening to the Prophet reciting the Qur'an in a sweet loud

voice.

Bk 4, Number 1733:

This hadith has been narrated by another chain of transmitters

but with a slight modification of words.

Bk 4, Number 1734:

Buraida reported on the authority of his father that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: 'Abdullah

b. Qais or al−Ash'ari has been gifted with a sweet melodious

voice out of the voices of the family of David.

Bk 4, Number 1735:

Abu Burda narrated on the authority of Abu Musa that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said to Abu

Musa: If you were to see me, as I was listening to your

recitation (of the Qur'an) yester−night (you would have felt

delighted). You are in fact endowed with a sweet voice like

that of David himself.

Chapter 125: THE RECITATION BY THE APOSTLE (MAY PEACE BE UPON

HIM) OF SURAT AL−FATH ON THE DAY OF THE CONQUEST OF MECCA

Bk 4, Number 1736:

Mu'awiya b. Qurra reported 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal al−Muzani as

saying: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited

on his ride Surat al Fath during a journey in the year of the

Conquest (of Mecca), and he repeated (the words) in his

recitation. Mu'awiya said: If I were not afraid that the

people would crowd around me, I would have given a

demonstration of (the Prophet's) recitation before you.

Bk 4, Number 1737:

Mu'awiya b. Qurra is reported to have heard 'Abdullah b.

Mughaffal as saying: I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) reciting Surah Fath on his camel on the day of

the Conquest of Mecca. He (the narrator) said: Ibn Mughaffal

recited it and repeated it. Mu'awiya said: Had there been (no

crowed of) people, I would have given a practical

demonstration of that which Ibn Mughaffal had mentioned from

the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him).

Bk 4, Number 1738:

This hadlth has been narrated by Khalid al−Harith with the

same chain of transmitters (with these words:) (The Holy

Prophet) was reciting Surat al−Fath as he was travelling on

his mount.

Chapter 126: DESCENDING OF TRANQUILLITY BY THE RECITATION OF

THE QUR'AN

Bk 4, Number 1739:

Al−Bara' reported that a person was reciting Surat al−Kahf and

there was a horse tied with two ropes at his side, a cloud

overshadowed him, and as it began to come nearer and nearer

his horse began to take fright from it. He went and mentioned

that to the Prophet (may peace be upon him) in the morning,

and he (the Holy Prophet) said: That was tranquillity which

came down at the recitation of the Qur'an.

Bk 4, Number 1740:

Ibn Ishaq reported: I heard al−Bara' as saying that a man

recited al−Kahf when an animal was there in the house and it

began to take fright. And as he looked around, he found a

cloud overshadowing it. He mentioned that to the Apostle of

Allah (may peace be upon him). Upon this he said: O so and so,

recite on (the surah) as− Sakina descends at the (recitation

of the Qur'an) or on account (of the recitation) of the

Qur'an.

Bk 4, Number 1741:

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of al−Bara'

with a slight modification of words.

Bk 4, Number 1742:

Abu Sa'id al−Khudri told of Usaid b. Hudair saying that one

night he recited the Qur'an in his enclosure, when the horse

began to jump about. He again recited and (the horse) again

jumped. He again recited and it jumped as before. Usaid said:

I was afraid lest it should trample (his son) Yahya. I stood

near it (the horse) and saw something like a canopy over my

head with what seemed to be lamps in it, rising up in the sky

till it disappeared. I went to the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) on the next day and said: Messenger of

Allah, I recited the Qur'an during the night in my enclosure

and my horse began to jump. Upon this the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) said: You should have kept on

reciting, Ibn Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: I recited. It

jumped (as before). Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) again said: You should have kept on

reciting, Ibn Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: I recited and it

again jumped (as before). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) again said: You should kave kept on reciting, Ibu

Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: (Messenger of Allah) I finished

(the recitation) for Yahya was near (the horse) and I was

afraid lest it should trample him. I saw something like a

canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it rising up in the sky

till it disappeared. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) said: Those were the angels who listened to

you; and if you had continued reciting, the people would have

seen them in the morning and they would not have concealed

themselves from them.

Chapter 127: EXCELLENCE OF THE HAFIZ (ONE WHO COMMITS THE

QUR'AN TO MEMORY) OF THE QUR'AN

Bk 4, Number 1743:

Abu Musa al−Ash'ari reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be

upon him) as saying: A believer who recites the Qur'an is like

an orange whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet; a

believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which

has no fragrance but has a sweet taste; and the hypocrite who

recites the Qur'an is like a basil whose fragrance is sweet,

but whose taste is bitter; and a hypocrite who does not recite

the Qur'an is like the colocynth which has no fragrance and

has a bitter taste.

Bk 4, Number 1744:

This hadith has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of

transmitters but with one alteration that instead of the

word:" hypocrite" (Munafiq), there it is" wicked" (fajir).

Chapter 128: EXCELLENCE OF THE ONE WHO IS PROFICIENT IN THE

QUR'AN AND ONE WHO FALTERS IN IT

Bk 4, Number 1745:

'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) (as

saying): One who is proficient in the Qur'an is associated

with the noble, upright, recording angels; and he who falters

in it, and finds it difficult for him, will have a double

reward.

Bk 4, Number 1746:

This hadith has been reported with the same chain of

transmitters by Qatada except with this change:" He who finds

it hard (to recite the Qur'an) will have a double reward."

Chapter 129: EXCELLENCE OF THE RECITING OF THE QUR'AN BY ONE

WHO IS MORE SKILLED AND PROFICIENT BEFORE ONE WHO IS INFERIOR

TO HIM

Bk 4, Number 1747:

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying to Ubayy b. Ka'b: Allah has commanded me to recite the

Qur'an to you. He said: Did Allah mention me to you by name?

He (the Holy Prophet) said: Allah made a mention of your name

to me. (On hearing this) Ubayy b. Ka'b wept.

Bk 4, Number 1748:

Anas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying to Ubayy b. Ka'b: Aliah has commanded me to recite to

you:" Those who disbelieve were not..." (al−Qur'an, xcviii.

1). He said: Did He mention me by name? He (the Holy Prophet

said): Yes. Upon this he shed tears (of gratitude).

Bk 4, Number 1749:

Qatada said: I heard Anas saying that the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) said to Ubayy the same thing.

Chapter 130: EXCELLENCE OF LISTENING TO THE QURAN AND ASKING

ONE WHO HAS MEMORISED IT AND TO RECITE IT FROM HIS MEMORY AND

SHEDDING TEARS WHILE LISTENING TO THE RECITATION, AND

DELIBERATING OVER IT

Bk 4, Number 1750:

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon (him) asked me to recite the Qur'an. He said:

Messenger of Allah, (how) should I recite to you whereas it

has been sent down to you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I

desire to hear it from someone else. So I recited Surat

al−Nisa' till I reached the verse: How then shall it be when

We shall bring from every people a witness and bring you

against them as a witness?" (verse 41). I lifted my head or a

person touched me in my side, and so I lifted my head and saw

his tears falling (from the Holy Prophet's eyes).

Bk 4, Number 1751:

This hadith has been narratted by A'mash with the same chain

of transmitters but with this addition:" The Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) was on the pulpit when he asked

me to recite to him."

Bk 4, Number 1752:

Ibrahim reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) asked 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud to recite to him (the Qur'an).

He said: Should I recite it to you while it has been sent down

or revealed to you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I love to hear

it from someone else. So he ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) recited to

him (from the beginning of Surat al Nisa' up to the verse:"

How shall then it be when We bring from every people a witness

and bring you as a witness against them?" He (the Holy

Prophet) wept (on listening to it). It is narrated on the

authority of Ibn Mas'ud through another chain of transmitters

that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) also said

that he had been a witness to his people as long as (said he):

I lived among them or I had been among them.

Bk 4, Number 1753:

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: I was in Hims when some of the

people asked me to recite the Qur'an to them. So I recited

Surah Yusuf to them. One of the persons among the people said:

By Allah, this is not how it has been sent down. I said: Woe

upon you! By Allah, I recited it to the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) and he said to me: You have (recited)

it well. I was talking with him (the man who objected to my

recitation) that I sensed the smell of wine from him. So I

said to him. Do you drink wine and belie the Book (of Allah)?

You would not depart till I would whip you. So I lashed him

according to the prescribed punishment (for the offence of

drinking wine).

Bk 4, Number 1754:

This hadith has been narrated by A'mash with the same chain of

transmitters but with an exception that it is not mentioned in

it:" He said to me: You recited (the Qur'an) well."

Chapter 131: EXCELLENCE OF THE RECITATION OF THE QURAN IN

PRAYER AND THAT OF ITS LEARNING

Bk 4, Number 1755:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Would any one of you like, when he returns to his

family, to find there three large, fat, pregnant she−camels?

We said: Yes. Upon this he said: Three verses that one of you

recites in his prayer are better for him than three large,

fat, pregnant she−camels.

Bk 4, Number 1756:

'Uqba b. 'Amir reported: When we were in Suffa, the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) came out and said: Which of

you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or al−'Aqiq

and bring two large she−camels without being guilty of sin or

without severing the ties of kinship? We said: Messenger of

Allah, we would like to do it. Upon this he said: Does not one

of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite

two verses from the Book of Allah. the Majestic and Glorious?

That is better for him than two she−camels, and three verses

are better (than three she−camels). and four verses are better

for him than four (she−camels), and to on their number in

camels.

Chapter 132: EXCELLENCE OF THE RECITATION OF THE QUR'AN AND

THAT OF SURAH AL−BAQARA

Bk 4, Number 1757:

Abu Umama said he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon

him) say: Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it

will come as an intercessor for those who recite It. Recite

the two bright ones, al−Baqara and Surah Al 'Imran, for on the

Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two

shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those

who recite them. Recite Surah al−Baqara, for to take recourse

to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and

the magicians cannot confront it. (Mu'awiya said: It has been

conveyed to me that here Batala means magicians.)

Bk 4, Number 1758:

This hadith has been narrated by Mu'awiya with the same chain

of transmitters but with this exception that in this the words

of Mu'awiya:" It has been conveyed to me..." have not been

mentioned.

Bk 4, Number 1759:

An−Nawwas b. Sam'an said he heard the Apostle (may peace be

upon him) say: On the Day of Resurrection the Qur'an and those

who acted according to it will be brought with Surah al−Baqara

and AI 'Imran preceding them. The Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) likened them to three things, which I did

not forget afterwards. He (the Holy Prophet) likened them to

two clouds, or two black canopies with light between them, or

like two flocks of birds in ranks pleading for one who recited

them.

Chapter 133: EXCELLENCE OF SURAH AL−FATIHA AND CONCLUDING

VERSES OF SURAH AL−BAQARA AND EXHORTATION TO RECITE THE LAST

TWO VERSES OF SURAH AL−BAQARA

Bk 4, Number 1760:

Ibn 'Abbas reported that while Gabriel was sitting with the

Apostle (may peace be upon him) he heard a creaking sound

above him. He lifted his head and said: This As a gate opened

in heaven today which had never been opened before. Then when

an angel descended through it, he said: This is an angel who

came down to the earth who had−never come down before. He

greeted and said: Rejoice in two lights given to you which

have not been given to any prophet before you: Falihat

al−Kitab and the concluding verses of Suarah al−Baqara. You

will never recite a letter from them for which you will not be

given (a reward).

Bk 4, Number 1761:

'Abd al−Rahman b. Yazid reported: I met Abu Mas'ud near the

House (Ka'ba) and said to him: A hadith has been conveyed to

me on your authority about the two (concluding verses of Surah

al−Baqara. He said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) (in fact) said: Anyone who recites the two verses at

the end of Surah al−Baqara at night, they would suffice for

him.

Bk 4, Number 1762:

This hadith has been narrated by Mansur with the same chain of

transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1763:

Abu Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: If anyone recites the two verses at the end of

Surah al−Baqara at night, they would suffice for him 'Abd

al−Rahman said: I met Abu Mas'ud and he was circumambulating

the House (of Allah) and asked him about this (tradition) and

he narrated it to me from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be

upon him).

Bk 4, Number 1764:

A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Mas'ud from the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) through another chain

of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1765:

It is through another chain of transmitters that this hadith

has been reported by Abu Mas'ud from the Apostle of Allah (may

peace be upon him).

Chapter 134: EXCELLENCE OF SURAH AL−KAHF AND AYAT AL−KURSI

Bk 4, Number 1766:

Abu Darda' reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the

Surah al−Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.

Bk 4, Number 1767:

This hadith has been transmitted by Qatada with the same chain

of transmitters. But Shu'ba (one of the narrators) said: At

the end of Surah al−Kahf, but Hammam said: At the beginning of

Surah al−Kahf.

Bk 4, Number 1768:

Ubayy b. Ka'b said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

said: O Abu' al−Mundhir, do you know the verse from the Book

of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest? I said:

Allah and His Apostle (may peace be upon him) know best. He

again said: Abu'l−Mundhir, do you know the verse from the Book

of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest? I said:

Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal.

Thereupon he struck me on my breast and said: May knowledge be

pleasant for you, O Abu'l−Mundhir!

Chapter 135: EXCELLENCE OF THE RECITATION OF" SAY: HE IS

ALLAH, THE ONE" (SURAH IKHLAS)

Bk 4, Number 1769:

Abu Darda' reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as

saying: Is any one of you incapable of reciting a third of the

Qur'an in a night? They (the Companions) asked: How could one

recite a third of the Qur'an (in a night)? Upon this he (the

Holy Prophet) said:" He is Allah, One" (Qur'An. cxii.) is

equivalent to a third of the Qur'an.

Bk 4, Number 1770:

This hadith has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of

transmitters in these words: He (the Apostle of Allah) said:

Allah divided the Qur'an into three parts, and he made:" Say:

He, Allah is One." one part out of the (three) parts of the

Qur'an.

Bk 4, Number 1771:

It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Get together.

for I am going to recite one−third of the Qur'an before you.

And those who could get together gathered there. Then the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) came out and

recited:" Say: He, Allah, is One." He then entered (his

house). Some of us said to the others: Perhaps there has been

some news from the heaven on account of which he has gone

Inside (the house). The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon

him) again came out and said: I told you that I was going to

recite one−third of the Qur'in; keep in mind, this (Surah

Ikhlas) is equivalent to one−third of the Qur'an.

Bk 4, Number 1772:

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) came out to us and said: I am going to recite before

you one−third of the Qur'an. He (the Holy Prophet) then

recited:" Say: He is Allah, One−−Allah, the Eternal," to the

end of the Surah.

Bk 4, Number 1773:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) sent a man in charge of an expedition and he would recite

for his Companions during their prayer, ending (recitation)

with:" Say, He is God, One." When they returned mention was

made of it to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).

He (the Holy Prophet) told them to ask him why he had done

like that. So they asked him and he said: Verily, it is an

attribute of the Compassionate One, and (for this reason) I

love to recite it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) thereupon said: Inform him that Allah loves him.

Chapter 136: EXCELLENCE OF THE RECITATION OF THE TWO SURAHS

CONCERNING THE TAKING OF REFUGE

Bk 4, Number 1774:

'Uqba b. 'Amir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon

him) as saying: What wonderful verses have been sent down

today. the like of which has never been seen! They are:" Say:

I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn," and" Say: I seek

refuge with the Lord of men."

Bk 4, Number 1775:

'Uqba b. 'Amir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) said to me: There have been sent down to me verses

the like of which had never been seen before. They are the

Mu'awwadhatain.

Bk 4, Number 1776:

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of

transmitters directly from the Companions of Muhammad (may

peace be upon him).

Chapter 137: EXCELLENCE OF ONE WHO ACTS UPON (THE TEACHINGS OF

THE) QUR'AN AND ONE WHO TEACHES IT

Bk 4, Number 1777:

Salim narrated on the authority of his father (Ibn 'Umar) that

the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Envy is not

justified but in case of two persons only: one who, having

been given (knowledge of) the Qur'an by Allah, recites it

during the night and day (and also acts upon it) and a man

who, having been given wealth by God, spends it during the

night and the day (for the welfare of others. seeking the

pleasure of the Lord).

Bk 4, Number 1778:

Salim son of Abdullah b. 'Umar is reported to have said on the

authority of his father that the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) observed: Envy is not justified but in case of

two persons only: one who, having been given (knowledge of)

the Qur'an by Allah, recites it during the night and during

the day (and acts upon it), and the person who, having been

given wealth by God, gives it in charity during the night and

the day.

Bk 4, Number 1779:

'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be

upon him) as saying: There should be no envy but only in case

of two persons: one having been endowed with wealth and power

to spend it in the cause of Truth, and (the other) who has

been endowed with wisdom and he decides cases with the help of

it and teaches it (to others).

Bk 4, Number 1780:

'Amir b. Wathila reported that Nafi' b. 'Abd al−Harith met

'Umar at 'Usfan and 'Umar had employed him as collector in

Mecca. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said to him (Nafi'): Whom have you

appointed as collector over the people of the valley? He said:

Ibn Abza. He said: Who is Ibn Abza? He said: He is one of our

freed slaves. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: So you have appointed a

freed slave over them. He said: He is well versed In the Book

of Allah. the Exalted and Great, and he is well versed In the

commandments and injunctions (of the Shari'ah). 'Umar said: So

the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: By this Book,

Allah would exalt some peoples and degrade others.

Bk 4, Number 1781:

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri through another chain

of transmitters.

Chapter 138:" THE QUR'AN HAS BEEN REVEALED IN SEVEN MODES OF

READING" AND ITS MEANING

Bk 4, Number 1782:

'Umar b. Khattab said: I heard Hisham b. Hakim b. Hizam

reciting Surah al−Furqan in a style different from that in

which I used to recite it, and in which Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) had taught me to recite it. I was about to

dispute with him (on this style) but I delayed till he had

finished that (the recitation). Then I caught hold of his

cloak and brought him to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I heard this man

reciting Surah al−Furqan in a style different from the one in

which you taught me to recite. Upon this the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) told (me) to leave him alone and

asked him to recite. He then recited in the style in which I

beard him recite it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) then said: Thus was it sent down. He then told me to

recite and I recited it, and he said: Thus was it sent down.

The Qur'an was sent down in seven dialects. So recite what

seems easy therefrom.

Bk 4, Number 1783:

This hadith has been transmitted thus by 'Umar b. Khattab

(with a slight change of words):" I heard Hisham b. Hakim

reciting Surah al−Furqan during the lifetime of Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him)." The rest is the same but

with this addition:" I was about to catch hold of him in

prayer, but I exercised patience till he pronounced

salutation.

Bk 4, Number 1784:

This hadith has been transmitted by Zuhri.

Bk 4, Number 1785:

Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Gabriel taught me to recite in one style. I replied

to him and kept asking him to give more (styles), till he

reached seven modes (of recitation). Ibn Shibab said: It has

reached me that these seven styles are essentially one, not

differing about what is permitted and what is forbidden.

Bk 4, Number 1786:

This hadith has been narrated by Zuhri with the same chain of

trans− mitters.

Bk 4, Number 1787:

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported: I was in the mosque when a man entered

and prayed and recited (the Qur'in) in a style to which I

objected. Then another man entered (the mosque) and recited in

a style different from that of his companion. When we had

finished the prayer, we all went to Allah's Messenger (may

peace be upon him) and said to him: This man recited in a

style to which I objected, and the other entered and recited

in a style different from that of his companion. The Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked them to recite and so

they recited, and the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)

expressed approval of their affairs (their modes of

recitation). and there occurred In my mind a sort of denial

which did not occur even during the Days of Ignorance. When

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saw how I was

affected (by a wrong idea), he struck my chest, whereupon I

broke into sweating and felt as though I were looking at Allah

with fear. He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: Ubayy. a message

was sent to me to recite the Qur'an in one dialect, and I

replied: Make (things) easy for my people. It was conveyed to

me for the second time that it should be recited in two

dialects. I again replied to him: Make affairs easy for my

people. It was again conveyed to me for the third time to

recite in seven dialects And (I was further told): You have

got a seeking for every reply that I sent you, which you

should seek from Me. I said: O Allah! forgive my people,

forgive my people, and I have deferred the third one for the

day on which the entire creation will turn to me, including

even Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (for intercession).

Bk 4, Number 1788:

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported that he was sitting in a mosque that a

person entered it and he observed prayer, and made recitation,

the rest of the hadith is the same.

Bk 4, Number 1789:

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be

upon him) was near the tank of Banu Ghifar that Gabriel came

to him and said: Allah has commanded you to recite to your

people the Qur'an in one dialect. Upon this he said: I ask

from Allah pardon and forgiveness. My people are not capable

of doing it. He then came for the second time and said: Allah

has commanded you that you should recite the Qur'an to your

people in two dialects. Upon this he (the Holy prophet) again

said: I seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah, my people

would not be able to do so. He (Gabriel) came for the third

time and said: Allah has commanded you to recite the Qur'an to

your people in three dialects. Upon this he said: I ask pardon

and forgiveness from Allah. My people would not be able to do

it. He then came to him for the fourth time and said: Allah

has commanded you to recite the Qur'an to your people in seven

dialects, and in whichever dialect they would recite, they

would be right.

Bk 4, Number 1790:

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of

transmitters.

Chapter 139: RECITING THE QUR'AN LEISURELY AND DISTINCTIVELY

AND ABSTAINING FROM RECITING IT VERY HURRIEDLY, AND

PERMISSIBILITY OF RECITING TWO SURAHS OR MORE THAN TWO IN A

RAK'AH

Bk 4, Number 1791:

Abu Wa'il reported that a person named Nabik b. Sinan came to

Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) and said: Abu 'Abd al−Rahman, how do you

recite this word (alif) or (ya)? Would you read It as: min

ma'in ghaira asin or au min ma'in ghaira ghaira yasin.

(al−Qur'an, xlvii. 15)? 'Abdullah said: You (seem to) have

memorised the whole of the Qur'an except this. He (again)

said: I recite all the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah. Upon

this 'Abdullah said: (You must have been reciting It) hastily

like the recitation of poetry. Verily. there are people who

recite the Qur'an, but it does not go down beyond their collar

bones. It is (a fact with the Qur'an) that it is beneficial

only when it settles in the heart and is rooted deeply in it.

The best of (the acts) in prayer are bowing and prostration. I

am quite aware of the occasions when the Messenger of Allah

(may peace be upon him) combined together two surahs in every

rak'ah. 'Abdullah then stood up and went out with 'Alqama

following in his footstep. He said Ibn Numair had told him

that the narration was like that:" A person belonging to Banu

Bajila came to 'Abdullah," and he did not mention (the name

of) Nahik b. Sinan.

Bk 4, Number 1792:

Abu Wa'il reported: A person came to 'Abdullah, who was called

Nahik b. Sinan, and the rest of the hadith is the same but for

this:" Alqama came to him ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) and we said to

him: Ask him about the manners in which he combined (two

surahs) in one rak'ah. So he went to him and asked him and

then came to us and said: Twenty are the mufassal surahs in

the compilation (of the Qur'an) made by 'Abdullah."

Bk 4, Number 1793:

This hadith has been narrated by A'mash with the same chain of

transmitters in which ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) said:" I know the

manners in which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) recited the two surahs in one rak'ah and then twenty

surahs in ten rak'ahs."

Bk 4, Number 1794:

Abu Wa'il reported: One day we went to 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud

after we had observed the dawn prayer and we paid salutation

at the door. He permitted us to enter, but we stayed for a

while at the door, when the slave−girl came out and said: Why

don't you come in? So we went in and (we found 'Abdullah b.

Mas'ud) sitting and glorifying Allah (i. e. he was busy in

dhikr) and he said: What obstructed you from coming in though

you had been granted permission for it? We said: There was

nothing (behind it) but we entertained the idea that some

inmate of the house might be sleeping. He said: Do you presume

any idleness on the part of the family of Ibn Umm 'Abd (the

mother of Abdullah b. Mas'ud)? He was again busy with the

glorification of Allah till he thought that the sun had risen.

He said: Girl, see whether (the sun) has arisen. She glanced

but it had not risen (by that time). He was again busy with

the glorification (of Allah) and he (again) thought that the

sun had arisen. She glanced (and confirmed) that, it had

risen. Upon this he ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) said: Praise be to

Allah Who did not call us to account for our sins today. Mahdi

said: I think that he said, He did not destroy us for our

sins. One among the people said: I recited all the mufassal

surahs during the night. 'Abdullah said: (You must have

recited them) like the (recitation) of poetry. I heard (the

Holy Prophet) combining (the sarahs) and I remember the

combinations which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) made In the recitation (of surahs). These were

constituted of eighteen mufassal surahs and two surahs

(commencing with) Ha−Mim.

Bk 4, Number 1795:

Shaqiq reported: A person from Banu Bajila who was called

Nabik b. Sinan came to Abdullah and said: I recite mufassal

surahs in one rak'ah. Upon this 'Abdullah said: (You recite)

like the recitation of poetry. I know the manner in which the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited two surahs

in one rak'ah.

Bk 4, Number 1796:

Abu Wa'il reported: A person came to 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud and

said: I recited all the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah during

the night. 'Abdullah said: You must have recited hastily like

the recitation of poetry. 'Abdullah said: I remember well the

manner in which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

used to combine them, and he then mentioned twenty of the

mufassal surahs, and (their combinations in) two in every

rak'ah.

Chapter 140: THAT WHICH CONCERNS RECITATION

Bk 4, Number 1797:

Abu Ishaq reported: I saw a man asking Aswad b. Yazid who

taught the Qur'an in the mosque: How do you recite the verse

(fahal min muddakir) whether (the word muddakir) Is with (d)

or (dh)? He (Aswad) said: It was with (d). I heard Abdullah b.

Mas'ud saying that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (may

peace be upon him) reciting (muddakir) with (d).

Bk 4, Number 1798:

Ishaq is reported to have said on the authority of Aswad who

quoted on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the

Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite these

words as (fahal min muddakir).

Bk 4, Number 1799:

'Alqama reported. We went to Syria and Abu Darda' came to us

and said: Is there anyone among you who recites according to

the recitation of Abdullah? I said: Yes, it is I. He again

said: How did you hear 'Abdullah reciting this verse:

(wa'l−lail−i−idha yaghsha = when the night covers)? He

('Alqama) said: I heard him reciting it (like this)

(wa'l−lail−i−idha yaghsha) wa−dhakar wal untha = when the

night covers and the males and the females). Upon this he

said: By Allah, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be

upon him) reciting in this way, but they (the Muslims of

Syria) desire us to recite: (wa ma khalaqa), but I do not

yield to their desire.

Bk 4, Number 1800:

Ibrahim reported: 'Alqama came to Syria and entered the mosque

and prayed there and then went to a (place where people were

sitting in a) circle and he sat therein. Then a person came

there and I perceived that the people were annoyed and

perturbed (on this arrival). and he sat on my side and then

said: Do you remember how 'Abdullah used to recite (the

Qur'an)? And then the rest of the hadith was narrated.

Bk 4, Number 1801:

'Alqama reported: I met Abu Darda', and he said to me: To

which country do you belong? I said: I am one of the people of

Iraq. He again said: To which city? I replied: City of Kufa.

He again said: Do you recite according to the recitation of

'Abdullah b. Mas'ud? I said: Yes. He said: Recite this verse

(By the night when it covers) So I recited it: (By the night

when it covers, and the day when it shines, and the creating

of the male and the female). He laughed and said: I have heard

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting like

this.

Bk 4, Number 1802:

This hadith has been narrated by another chain of

transmitters.

Chapter 141: TIMES WHEN PRAYER IS PROHIBITED

Bk 4, Number 1803:

Abu Huraira is reported to have said that the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) prohibited to observe prayer

after the 'Asr prayer till the sun is set, and after the dawn

till the sun rises.

Bk 4, Number 1804:

Ibn 'Abbas reported: I heard it from so many Companions of the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and one among them

is 'Umar b. Khattab, and he is most dear to me among them that

the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) prohibited

observing of prayer after the dawn prayer till the sun rose

and after the 'Asr till the sun set. This hadith has been

narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters with a

minor alteration of words.

Bk 4, Number 1805:

Abu Sa'id al−Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be

upon him) as saying: No prayer is valid after the 'Asr prayer

till the sun sets and no prayer is valid after the dawn prayer

till the sun rises.

Bk 4, Number 1806:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Let not any one of you intend to observe prayer at

the time of the rising of the sun or of the setting sun.

Bk 4, Number 1807:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: Do not intend to observe prayer at the time of the

rising of the sun nor at its setting, for it rises between the

horns of Satan.

Bk 4, Number 1808:

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as saying: When the rim of the sun starts appearing defer

prayer till it completely appears, and when the rim of the sun

disappears defer prayer till it completely disappears.

Bk 4, Number 1809:

Abu Basra Ghifari reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him) led us in the 'Asr prayer at (the place known as)

Mukhammas, and then said: This prayer was presented to those

gone before you, but they lost it, and he who guards it has

two rewards in store for him. And no prayer is valid after

till the onlooker appears (by onlooker is meant the evening

star).

Bk 4, Number 1810:

This hadith has been narrated by Abu Basra Ghifari through

another chain of transmitters.

Bk 4, Number 1811:

Uqba b. 'Amir said: There were the times at which Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade us to pray, or bury

our dead: When the sun begins to rise till it is fully up,

when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes over

the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting till it

sets.

Chapter 142: HOW 'AMR B. 'ABASA EMBRACED ISLAM

Bk 4, Number 1812:

'Amr b. 'Abasa Sulami reported: I in the state of the

Ignorance (before embracing Islam) used to think that the

people were in error and they were not on anything (which may

be called the right path) and worshipped the idols. In the

meanwhile I heard of a man in Mecca who was giving news (on

the basis of his prophetic knowledge) ; so I sat on my ride

and went to him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) was at that time hiding as his people had made life hard

for him. I adopted a friendly attitude (towards the Meccans

and thus managed) to enter Mecca and go to him (the Holy

Prophet) and I said to him: Who are you? He said: I am a

Prophet (of Allah). I again said: Who is a Prophet? He said:

(I am a Prophet in the sense that) I have been sent by Allah.

I said: What is that which you have been sent with? He said: I

have been sent to join ties of relationship (with kindness and

affection), to break the Idols, and to proclaim the oneness of

Allah (in a manner that) nothing is to be associated with Him.

I said: Who is with you in this (in these beliefs and

practices)? He said: A free man and a slave. He (the narrator)

said: Abu Bakr and Bilal were there with him among those who

had embraced Islam by that time. I said: I intend to follow

you. He said: During these days you would not be able to do

so. Don't you see the (hard) condition under which I and (my)

people are living? You better go back to your people and when

you hear that I have been granted victory, you come to me. So

I went to my family. I was in my home when the Messengerof

Allah (may peace be upon him) came to Medina. I was among my

people and used to seek news and ask people when he arrived in

Medina. Then a group of people belonging to Yathrib (Medina)

came. I said (to them): How is that person getting on who has

come to Medina? They said: The people are hastening to him,

while his people (the polytheists of Mecca) planned to kill

him, but they could not do so. I (on hearing It) came to

Medina and went to him and said: Messenger of Allah, do you

recognise me? He said: Yes, you are the same man who met me at

Mecca. I said: It is so. I again said: Prophet of Allah, tell

me that which Allah has taught you and which I do not know,

tell me about the prayer. He said: Observe the dawn prayer,

then stop praying when the sun is rising till it Is fully up,

for when it rises it comes up between the horns of Satan, and

the unbelievers prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then

pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended (by angels)

till the shadow becomes about the length of a lance; then

cease prayer, for at that time Hell is heated up. Then when

the shadow moves forward, pray, for the prayer is witnessed

and attended by angels, till you pray the afternoon prayer,

then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the

horns of devil, and at that time the unbelievers prostrate

themselves before it. I said: Apostle of Allah, tell me about

ablution also. He said: None of you who uses water for

ablution and rinses his mouth, snuffs up water and blows it,

but the sins of his face, and his mouth and his nostrils fall

out. When he washes his face, as Allah has commanded him, the

sins of his face fall out from the end of his beard with

water. Then (when) he washes his forearms up to the elbows,

the sins of his arms fall out along with water from his

finger−tips. And when he wipes his head, the sins of his head

fall out from the points of his hair along with water. And

(when) he washes his feet up to the ankles, the sins of his

feet fall out from his toes along with water. And if he stands

to pray and praises Allah, lauds Him and glorifies Him with

what becomes Him and shows wholehearted devotion to Allah, his

sins would depart leaving him (as innocent) as he was on the

day his mother bore him. 'Amr b. 'Abasa narrated this hadith

to Abu Umama, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him), and Abu Umama said to him: 'Amr b. 'Abasa, think

what you are saying that such (a great reward) is given to a

man at one place (only in the act of ablution and prayer).

Upon this 'Amr said: Abu Umama, I have grown old and my bones

have become weak and I am at the door of death; what impetus

is there for me to attribute a lie to Allah and the Messenger

of Allah (may peace be upon him)? Had I heard it from the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) once, twice, or

three times (even seven times), I would have never narrated

it, but I have heard it from him on occasions more than these.

Chapter 143: DO NOT GET INTO THE HABIT OF OBSERVING PRAYER AT

THE TIME OF THE RISING SUN AND AT THE TIME OF ITS SETTING

Bk 4, Number 1813:

'A'isha reported that 'Umar misconstrued the fact that the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had prohibited the

observance of prayer at the time of the rising sun and at the

time of its setting.

Bk 4, Number 1814:

'A'isha said that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) did not abandon observing two rak'ahs after 'Asr, but she

reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:

Do not get used to observe prayer at the time of the rising

sun and at the time of its setting and (exhorted the Muslims)

to pray at their times.

Bk 4, Number 1815:

Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, reported that 'Abdullah

b. 'Abbas, 'Abd al−Rahman b. Azhar, al−Miswar b. Makhrama sent

him to 'A'isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (may peace

be upon him), telling him to give her their greetings, and ask

her about the two rak'ahs after the afternoon prayer, (for)"

we have heard that you observe them whereas it has been

conveyed to us that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) prohibited their observance." Ibn 'Abbas said: I along

with 'Umar b. al−Khattab dissuaded people to do so (to observe

two rak'ahs of prayer). Kuraib said: I went to her ('A'isha)

and conveyed to her the message with which I was sent. She

said: (Better) ask Umm Salama. So I went to them (those who

had sent him to Hadrat 'A'isha) and informed them about what

she had said. They sent me back to Umm Salama with that with

which I was sent to 'A'isha. Umm Salama said: I beard the

Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) prohibiting them,

and then afterwards I saw him observing them. And when he

observed them (two rak'ahs) he had already observed the 'Asr

prayer. Then he (the Holy Prophet) came, while there were with

me ladies of Banu Haram, a tribe of the Ansar and he (the Holy

Prophet) observed them (the two rak'ahs). I sent a slave−girl

to him asking her to stand by his side and say to him that Umm

Salama says: Messenger of Allah, I heard you prohibiting these

two rak'ahs, whereas I saw you observing them; and if he (the

Holy Prophet) points with his hand (to wait), then do wait.

The slave−girl did like that. He (the Holy Prophet) pointed

out with his hand and she got aside and waited, and when he

had finished (the prayer) he said: Daughter of Abu Umayya. you

have asked about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer. Some

people of 'Abu al−Qais came to me for embracing Islam and

hindered me from observing the two rak'ahs which come after

the noon prayer. So those are the two I have been praying.

Bk 4, Number 1816:

Abu Salama asked 'A'isha about the two prostrations (i. e.

rak'ahs) which the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)

made after the 'Asr. She said: He (the Holy Prophet) observed

them before the 'Asr prayer, but then he was hindered to do

so, or he forgot them and then he observed them after the

'Asr, and then he continued observing them. (It was his habit)

that when he (the Holy Prophet) observed prayer, he then

continued observing it. Isma'il said: It implies that he

always did that.

Bk 4, Number 1817:

'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon

him) did not abandon at all observing two rak'ahs after the

'Asr in my house.

Bk 4, Number 1818:

'A'isha reported: Two are the prayers which the Messenger of

Allah (may peace be upon him) always observed in my

house−openly or secretly−two rak'ahs before the dawn and two

rak'ahs after the 'Asr.

Bk 4, Number 1819:

Aswad and Masruq reported: We bear testimony to the fact that

'A'isha said: Never was there a day that he (the Holy Prophet)

was with me and he did not observe two rak'ahs of prayer in my

house, i. e. two rak'ahs after the Asr.