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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
444
It was narrated from Abu Qatadah al-Salami that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you enters the mosque, let him pray two rak‘ahs before he sits down.”.

Commentary : The prayer to “greet the mosque” (tahiyyat al-masjid) is a Sunnah that was enjoined by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructs the one who comes and enters the mosque at any time – whether that is to pray, to await the prayer, to seek knowledge and so on – to pray two rak‘ahs before he sits down. These are the two rak‘ahs that are done to greet the mosque. This is a general ruling that applies when entering any mosque except al-Masjid al-Haram; in that case the greeting is done by circumambulating the Kaaba seven times. This hadith is specifically addressed to the one who enters the mosque when the call immediately preceding an obligatory prayer (iqamah) has not been given. If the iqamah has been given, then joining the prayer takes precedence over these two rak‘ahs.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to pray two rak‘ahs to greet the mosque before sitting down..

446
It was narrated from Nafi‘ that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told him that at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the mosque was built of bricks, its roof was made of palm branches, and its pillars were the trunks of palm trees. Abu Bakr did not add anything to it. ‘Umar expanded it, but he continued to build it as it had been built at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), with bricks and palm branches, although he replaced the wooden pillars. Then ‘Uthman changed it and expanded it greatly; he built its walls of engraved stones and plaster, and he made its pillars of engraved stones, and made its roof of teak..

Commentary : Islam enjoins us to avoid extravagance in all things, which includes the building of mosques. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar speaks of the stages that the construction of the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went through. He says that at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the mosque was built of bricks, which are used in construction and are made of soft clay that is dried in the sun. Its roof was made of palm branches, and its pillars were made of palm trunks that had been cut from the old garden on the site of which the mosque was built. The mosque remained as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had built it, in terms of its area and shape, and Abu Bakr did not add anything to it or take anything away from it during his caliphate. When ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed caliph, he added to its length and width, but he did not change the method of construction; rather he rebuilt it using the same construction methods as had been used at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), using bricks and palm branches, but he replaced the wooden pillars. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then ‘Uthman changed it and renovated it, and improved its construction. He built its walls of engraved stones and plaster, which is used in construction and to cover walls, and he made its roof of teak, which is a high quality and valuable Indian wood, black in colour.
It was said that the first one to adorn mosques was al-Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, at the end of the era of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), but many people of knowledge refrained from objecting to that for fear of causing friction and turmoil.
This hadith indicates that the Sunnah when building mosques is to be moderate and not to go to extremes in building them, so as to avoid fitnah and competing in the construction of mosques.
It indicates that it is permissible to expand mosques, and to demolish them in order to expand them and rebuild them in a better way than they were initially constructed..

447
It was narrated from ‘Ikrimah: Ibn ‘Abbas said to me and to his son ‘Ali: Go [both of you] to Abu Sa‘id and listen to what he tells you. So we went and found him in a garden, tending it. He took his rida’ and wrapped it around himself, then he began to talk to us, until he came to the story of the building of the mosque. He said: We were carrying bricks one at a time, and ‘Ammar was carrying two bricks at a time. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw him, then he brushed the dust off him and said: “Poor ‘Ammar! The transgressing group will kill him. He will be calling them to Paradise, but they will be calling him to Hell.” And ‘Ammar said: I seek refuge with Allah from tribulations..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to teach his ummah and warn them against tribulation (fitnah) and division. The true Muslim reflects on the words and teachings of the Prophet, and tries as much as he can to save himself and his Muslim community from falling into tribulations that could lead to confusion and misguidance.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Ikrimah – who was one of the students of Ibn ‘Abbas and a freed slave of his – narrates that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him and his son ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abbas: Go to Abu Sa‘id Sa‘d ibn Malik al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the companion of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and listen to him and learn from him. He only sent them to listen to his words so that they could hear what he could tell them about the Kharijis, as was mentioned in a report narrated by al-Hakim. They were one of the most extreme groups of innovators with whom Allah tested the people of Islam; they regarded Muslims as disbelievers and did not refrain from shedding their blood, even though they strove hard in worship, prayer and fasting. When they went to Abu Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him), they found him in a garden of his, working on it and tending it. He took his rida’ and wrapped himself in it, sitting upright with his knees drawn up to his chest, wrapping himself with his turban or with a garment or something else. He may also have done that using his arms. It was said that he sat on his posterior, drew up his legs and wrapped himself in a garment and the like.
Then he told them what he had of knowledge, until he came to the story of the building of the Prophet’s Mosque. He told them that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were carrying bricks for the construction of the mosque one by one. A brick is something made of soft clay that is dried in the sun, then is used for building like stones. But ‘Ammar was carrying two bricks at a time. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw him, so he began to brush dust from him, saying to him: “Poor ‘Ammar!” This is an expression of compassion and pity for a calamity that would befall him. Then he told him that the transgressing group would kill him – this refers to the group of wrongdoers who rebelled and refused to obey the just leader. They are the ones who killed him at the Battle of Siffin. “He will be calling them to Paradise”, that is, the way that leads to Paradise, which is obedience to the leader, just as what leads to Hell is disobedience to him. “but they will be calling him to Hell,” that is, they will think that they are calling him to Paradise, when in reality it is a call to Hell.
These words, “He will be calling them to Paradise, but they will be calling him to Hell,” were a foretelling that that would happen to him, hence when he heard that, ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) sought refuge with Allah from tribulations, because no one knows, when there are tribulations and internal strife, whether he is earning reward or incurring sin, except on the basis of conjecture. If ‘Ammar was certain that he was going to earn reward, he would not have sought refuge with Allah from reward. This indicates that ‘Ammar was following the right path, unlike those who opposed him.
This hadith indicates that the scholar who has abundant knowledge and is keen for his children to learn may send his children to other scholars so that they may also teach him, even if he himself has more knowledge and understanding, because of what he hopes they will learn from others of knowledge that he does not have.
It indicates that the scholar should prepare himself before he narrates hadith, and sit in a manner that is appropriate to narrating hadith, and that he should not narrate hadith if he is busy with something, until he has finished it, out of respect for hadith. This is how the early generations (salaf) conducted themselves.
In this hadith we see one of the signs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It clearly highlights the virtue of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him).
It indicates that one should seek refuge with Allah from tribulations.
It indicates that cooperating in building a mosque is one of the best of deeds, because it is something for which a person will continue to earn reward after he dies.
It indicates that we should honour one who is striving in Allah’s cause, and show kindness to him in word and deed.
It indicates that it is prescribed to take care of one’s worldly affairs, such as tending one’s garden oneself..

448
It was narrated that Sahl said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to a woman saying: “Tell your slave the carpenter to make something of wood for me to sit on.”.

Commentary : In the beginning, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would stand on a palm trunk in the mosque when addressing the people and delivering khutbahs, then he acquired a minbar. In this hadith, Sahl ibn Sa‘d al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to a woman – it was said that she was a woman of the Ansar – telling her to instruct her slave and servant, who was a carpenter, to make something of wood for him to sit on when addressing the people. This woman had previously made an offer to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to have something made for him to sit on when addressing the people and so on, because she had a slave who was a skilled carpenter and could make things out of wood. This slave made the minbar, which consisted of three steps and was not very high, as is mentioned in the reports.
This hadith indicates that one should stand and sit on an elevated surface when addressing people and delivering khutbahs, and that minbars may be used in mosques.
It indicates that one may seek the help of craftsmen and skilled people in anything that may be beneficial to the Muslims, and that the one who takes the initiative to do such things is to be appreciated and thanked..

449
It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah that a woman said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t I have something made for you to sit on, for I have a slave who is a carpenter? He said: “If you wish.” So she had the minbar made..

Commentary : In the beginning, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to stand on the trunk of a palm tree in the mosque when addressing the people and delivering khutbahs, then he acquired the minbar.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a woman came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, why don’t I have something made for you to sit on? Meaning, on which to sit and stand, instead of the palm trunk from which he addressed the people. I have a slave who is a carpenter – that is, a craftsmen who is skilled in working with wood. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted her offer, and left it up to her so as not to burden her; if she wished, she could do that, and if she wished, she could refrain from doing that, and there would be no sin on her. So the woman instructed her slave to make the minbar for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he did that. The minbar had three steps that were not very high, as is mentioned in the reports.
This hadith indicates that one should stand and sit on an elevated surface when addressing people and delivering khutbahs, and that minbars may be used in mosques.
It indicates that one may seek the help of craftsmen and skilled people in anything that may be beneficial to the Muslims, and that the one who takes the initiative to do such things is to be appreciated and thanked..

450
It was narrated from ‘Ubaydullah al-Khawlani that he heard ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan saying, when the people spoke about him when he went ahead and expanded the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): You are talking too much; I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever builds a mosque – Bukayr said: I think he said: seeking the pleasure of Allah thereby – Allah will build something similar to it for him in Paradise.”.

Commentary : The building of mosques for the worship of Allah is one of the noblest and greatest acts of worship and obedience. Islam urges people to build mosques and respect their sanctity.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah al-Khawlani narrates that when ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan wanted to demolish the Prophet’s Mosque and rebuild it with a better design and shape than it was originally, the people disapproved of that and talked a great deal, because of what he was planning to change in the structure of the mosque from how it had been built at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That was because the mosque had been built of bricks, with a roof of palm branches, then it had been renovated during the caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but it had the same layout and was built as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had built it. But ‘Uthman rebuilt it with engraved stones and plaster, as is explained in a report in Sahih al-Bukhari. Hence the people criticized ‘Uthman a great deal. ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was annoyed with them, and he rebuked them and told them that he had heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever builds a mosque, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah”, meaning that he did it for His sake alone, and not to show off or enhance his reputation, Allah would grant him the best reward that matched the nature of his deed: Allah would build something like it for him in Paradise. The phrase “like it” does not mean that it would be of the same size or of the same quality and design; rather what is meant is that it would be like it in name only. It was also said that what is meant – and Allah knows best – is that Allah would expand his house in Paradise commensurate with his expansion of the mosque in this world, and the structure of that house would be as solid and well-built as he made the mosque, and he would be caused to benefit from what was built for him in Paradise to the extent that the people benefitted from what he built for them in this world.
This hadith indicates that sincerity is a condition of attaining reward in all good deeds.
It also highlights the virtue of building mosques..

452
It was narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever passes through any of our mosques or marketplaces carrying arrows, let him hold them by the tip, so as not to injure any Muslim.”.

Commentary : Islam is keen to protect people’s lives and forbids harming them by any means, and it has set out some precautions that are needed for that purpose.
In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed that anyone who passes any crowded place, whether it is a mosque or a marketplace, and he is carrying arrows – which are sticks with sharp pointed heads; the ruling applies to any sharp weapon – should carry them by their heads, holding their sharp edges in his hand or by any other means. While passing through that place, he should be very cautious, so as to avoid injuring anyone with the arrows. This is an affirmation of the sanctity of the Muslims’ lives, and of the necessity of taking precautions not to transgress against them, because mosques are likely to have many people in them, especially at the times of prayer, and marketplaces are also likely to be crowded. This advice to take precautions came from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) because he feared that someone might be harmed by that.
This hadith highlights the noble character and compassion of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) towards the believers.
It highlights how sacred the Muslim’s blood is, and it must not be shed whether in small or large amounts.
It highlights the etiquette of carrying weapons; the one who carries a weapon must take precautions and be very careful to avoid causing injury to anyone.
It indicates that it is permissible to pass through mosques, even though they are originally built for the purpose of worship, because there is a need for that..

454
It was narrated from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that ‘A’ishah said: I remember the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) standing at the door of my apartment one day, when the Ethiopians were playing in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was screening me with his rida’, whilst I watched them playing..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) loved his wife ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers, and in the way in which he interacted with her, he set an example of kind treatment and taught us a great deal, paying attention to the age and maturity level of his wife, and letting her have some of what she needs of permissible things [such as entertainment].
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood at the door of her apartment one day, when the Ethiopians were playing with their spears in the mosque. The Ethiopians are a nation of black people; some of them were slaves and servants. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was screening ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with his garment so that she could watch them playing with their weapons as she stood beside him.
This hadith highlights the good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and his kind and gentle treatment of his wife.
It highlights the virtue of ‘A’ishah, and how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held her in high esteem.
It indicates that it is permissible to play with spears and the like – such as sticks – so long as it does not involve anything that is prohibited..

456
It was narrated from ‘Amrah that ‘A’ishah said that Barirah came to her for help with her contract of manumission. She said: If you wish, I will pay your masters, and the wala’ will be for me. But her masters said: If you wish, you can give her what remains (of the cost of her manumission) – on one occasion Sufyan [one of the narrators] said: If you wish, you can manumit her, but the wala’ will be for us. – When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came, she told him about that, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Buy her and set her free, and the wala’ belongs to the one who manumits the slave.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up on the minbar – on one occasion, Sufyan said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ascended the minbar – and said: “What is the matter with people who stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allah? Whoever stipulates a condition that is not in the Book of Allah, he has no right to it, even if he stipulates it one hundred times.”.

Commentary : Islam urges people to free slaves, and teaches that the reward for one who frees a slave purely for the sake of Allah is that Allah will ransom him from the Fire. Islamic teachings offer guidelines on issues surrounding the manumission of slaves and what results from that of the relationship of wala’ and inheritance that is established between the one who manumits the slave and the slave who is manumitted.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that Barirah bint Safwan (may Allah be pleased with her) – who was a freed slave of ‘A’ishah – came to her, seeking her help to pay off her contract of manumission with her master. The contract of manumission was when a slave made a deal with his master to pay a certain amount of money, and if he did that he would become free. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told her that she would help her with the money, on condition that the wala’ of Barirah after she was manumitted would belong to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Wala’ refers to mutual support, which dictates that the one who manumitted the slave would inherit from him, meaning that if this former slave died, and had no heir, then the one who manumitted him would inherit from him on the basis of wala’; thus wala’ is like blood ties. But Barirah’s masters said something to ‘A’ishah of which Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, one of the narrators of the hadith, was not sure. On one occasion he said that they said to her: If you wish, you can give her what remains (of the cost of her manumission), meaning that you can do Barirah the favour of paying off what she still owes of her contract of manumission. On another occasion he said: If you wish, you can manumit her, but the wala’ will be for us. When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told him what had happened with Barirah, and he told ‘A’ishah to buy Barirah from her masters and manumit her. He also told her that wala’ belongs to the one who manumits the slave; this is the ruling of Islam. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood on the minbar in his mosque and said: “What is the matter with people” – meaning, why do they do that? – “who stipulate conditions that are not in the Book of Allah” and are not in accordance with the laws of Allah (may He be exalted) and his rulings in the Qur’an or Sunnah. This was a hint of criticism on his part, so that the one who did that would not be embarrassed, and so that the people would realize that this matter was addressed to all of them, and would feel that many people did that. Thus the original doer would remain unknown and not feel embarrassed in front of other people; rather he would learn and come to know the correct ruling.
Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them that whoever stipulates a condition that is not in the Book of Allah has no right to what he stipulated and does not deserve it, “even if he stipulates it one hundred times.” The number one hundred was mentioned for emphasis, not that this particular number was meant.
This hadith highlights the good and gentle approach of a leader with his followers, because when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) addressed the matter, he did not confront the one who stipulated that condition himself, as the aim could be achieved in his case and in the case of others without exposing or condemning him.
It highlights the fact that the leader may address the people when an error is committed, to explain the rulings thereon to the people and to denounce the action.
It indicates that one should make a great effort to remove evil and emphasize how abhorrent it is.
It highlights the importance of teaching the Islamic rulings having to do with worldly matters – such as buying and selling in the mosque – and explaining those rulings to people..

458
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that a black man – or a black woman – used to take care of the mosque, and he died. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked about him, and they said: He died. He said: “Why did you not tell me? Show me his grave – or her grave.” He went to her grave and offered the funeral prayer for her..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was as his Lord described him in the Qur’an: {There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful} [al-Tawbah 9:128]. His offering the funeral prayer for the deceased was a mercy to him, and a light with which Allah would illuminate the grave of the deceased.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked about a black man or woman who used to clean and sweep the mosque, and they told him that she had died. So he said to his companions: “Why did you not tell me” and inform me that she had died? According to a report in al-Sahihayn, they thought little of the deceased and did not pay much attention to him. According to a report narrated by al-Nasa’i from Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him), they said: We did not want to wake you up at night. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked about his or her grave, and he offered the funeral prayer for the deceased at the graveside, after the burial had taken place.
This hadith highlights the virtue of cleaning the mosque, and of asking about a servant or friend when you do not see him for a while.
It indicates that one may reciprocate by offering supplication, and that it is encouraged to attend the funerals of good people.
It indicates that it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer at the grave of a deceased person in the same city, for one who did not attend his funeral, and that it is prescribed to announce deaths..

461
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “An ‘ifrit of the jinn came at me suddenly yesterday – or words to that effect – to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me the power to suppress him. I wanted to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that you could all see him this morning, then I remembered the words of my brother Sulayman, {He said, My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me} [Sad 38:35].” Rawh said: So he sent him away humiliated..

Commentary : The jinn are beings made of fire that can take different forms. They are creatures that are invisible to us, that Allah may show to whomever He wills of his creation. They are accountable like us; some of them are believers and disbelievers and sinners; some of them are good and some of them are evil.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that an ‘ifrit of the jinn attacked him the day before; in other words, he came to him suddenly and at speed whilst he was praying, to interrupt his prayer, distract him from it, and break his focus in the prayer by causing him to become confused and lose concentration, getting between him and his qiblah, and preventing him from conversing with his Lord. But Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) gave him power over that devil, so he was able to push him away. And then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque, so that on the following morning the people could see him tied up in the daylight. But then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) remembered what his brother Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon him) had said: {My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me} [Sad 38:35]. Control over the jinn was part of the dominion that Allah had granted to Sulayman (peace be upon him), so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refrained from doing that, and he let that jinni run away, defeated and humiliated, as he had failed to cause any harm to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or distract him from his prayer. This hadith does not contradict the verse, because what is meant by Sulayman’s dominion over the jinn is that he was able to subjugate them and make them serve him and obey him.
This hadith indicates that one may do some actions whilst praying, for the purpose of performing the prayer well, without intending to fidget or be heedless, and that one may ward off something harmful whilst praying, even if it cannot be warded off except with violence or forceful shoving.
It highlights the dignity and good attitude of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and how he showed respect to Allah’s Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him).
It indicates that it is permissible to tie up a prisoner in the mosque and leave him there..

465
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that two of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) left the Prophet’s house on a dark night, and each of them had something like a lamp lighting the way in front of them. When they parted, a light went with each one of them until he reached his family..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) singles out whomever He wills from among His righteous slaves for honour and karamahs (extraordinary events bestowed upon the close friends of Allah), and He may cause extraordinary feats to happen at their hands, by way of highlighting their honourable status and righteousness, as He supported His prophets with miracles.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of a karamah (extraordinary event) that happened to two of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They were ‘Abbad ibn Bishr and Usayd ibn Hudayr, as is narrated in Sahih Muslim. They were with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a dark night, and when they left him, Allah (may He be exalted) caused two lights to go in front of them, as an honour to them, and as a miracle for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as He granted to some of his companions karamahs such as this when they needed lights. It was said that the reason for that is what was narrated by Abu Dawud from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Give glad tidings to those who frequently walk in the dark to the mosques of perfect light on the Day of Resurrection.” Allah hastened for them some of that which He had stored up in the hereafter. This light moved with them like lamps, to illuminate the way for them. Then when they parted, for each of them to go to his house, a light went with each of them until he reached his home. According to a report narrated by Ahmad, each of them had a stick in his hand, and the stick of one of them lit up, so that they could walk in its light, then when they parted ways, the stick of the other one lit up too.
This hadith highlights the virtue of these two Sahabis.
It affirms that karamahs may happen to the close friends of the Most Gracious in all eras and times, until the onset of the Hour..

470
It was narrated that al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid said: I was standing in the mosques when a man threw a pebble at me. I looked and saw that it was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. He said: Go and bring these two men to me. So I brought them to him, and he said: Who are you – or where are you from? They said: We are from al-Ta’if. He said: If you were people of this land, I would have given you a painful punishment for raising your voices in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The mosques are houses of Allah on earth, and Islam urges us to respect their sanctity and protect them from all ills, including the raising of voices in them, by way of honouring them and out of respect for the worship that is done in them. The Prophet’s Mosque is especially sacred and is to be respected more than other mosques.
In this hadith, al-Sa’ib ibn Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he was standing in the mosque, and a man threw a pebble at him. When he looked to see who had thrown the pebble, he found that it was the caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). ‘Umar said to him: Go and bring these two men to me. They were two men who had raised their voices in the mosque. So al-Sa’ib went and brought them to him, then ‘Umar asked them: Who are you – or where are you from? They said: We are from al-Ta’if, which is a city approximately 500 km from Madinah. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you were inhabitants of Madinah, I would have punished you with a beating and flogging, because you are raising your voices in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah! ‘Umar only differentiated between the people of Madinah and others regarding this matter because the people of Madinah were not unaware of the sanctity and venerable status of the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), unlike those who were not local residents, who might be unaware that one should show such great respect to this mosque. Hence he let them off because of their lack of awareness.
This hadith indicates that people who are ignorant of rulings may be excused, if those rulings are matters of which they are unaware.
It indicates that it is forbidden to raise one’s voice in the Prophet’s Mosque.
It highlights the virtue of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his respect for the Prophet’s Mosque.
It indicates that the leader may discipline one who raises his voice in the mosque when talking and arguing..

472
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: A man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was on the minbar: What do you say about prayer at night? He said: “[One should pray] two [rak‘ahs] by two, then when he fears that dawn is approaching, he should pray one [rak‘ah], which will make what he has prayed odd-numbered.” He used to say: Make the last of your prayers odd-numbered, for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about prayer, both obligatory and supererogatory, which included voluntary prayers at night (qiyam al-layl), after Allah praised His Messenger and the believers for that in His Book: {Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you} [al-Muzzammil 73:20].
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) whilst he was addressing the people from his minbar in his mosque. Perhaps he was addressing the people on Friday (Jumu‘ah) or on some other occasion. The man asked him how the prayers at nights were to be done, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that they are to be done two by two; in other words: pray two rak‘ahs then say the taslim, then pray two more, and so on, and then when the worshipper fears that the time for Fajr prayer is about to begin – and the same applies to one who prays at the beginning of the night then sleeps until the time of Fajr – he should end his qiyam with a single rak‘ah, so as to make the even-numbered prayers that he has offered odd-numbered, then say the taslim after that. Then Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed his companions to make the last of their prayers before sleeping, or before the break of dawn, odd-numbered, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined that.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed Witr in different ways, with different numbers of rak‘ahs. By examining all of the reports, it becomes clear that it is permissible to pray Witr with three, five, seven, nine or eleven rak‘ahs. If a person prays Witr with three rak‘ahs, there are two ways of doing that which are both prescribed. The first is to offer three rak‘ahs one after another with one tashahhud; the second way is to say the taslim after two rak‘ahs then offer one rak‘ah on its own. But if he prays Witr with five or seven rak‘ahs, then they should be done continuously, with no tashahhud except one tashahhud at the end, followed by the taslim. If he prays Witr with nine rak‘ahs, they should be done continuously, and he should sit for the tashahhud in the eighth rak‘ah, then stand up without saying the taslim, and recite tashahhud in the ninth, followed by the taslim. If he prays Witr with eleven rak‘ahs, he should say the taslim after each two rak‘ahs, then pray one rak‘ah on its own at the end. The least perfect way of praying Witr is to pray two rak‘ahs and say the taslim, then to pray one rak‘ah on its own, then say the taslim. It is permissible to pray Witr with one taslim, but that should be with one tashahhud, not two..

475
It was narrated from ‘Abbad ibn Tamim, from his paternal uncle, that he saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lying down in the mosque, with one leg on top of the other. It was narrated from Ibn Shihab, that Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, said: ‘Umar and ‘Uthman also used to do that..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to observe how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lived, in order to learn his Sunnahs, as Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) instructed them to do in His Book: {There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern} [al-Ahzab 33:21].
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn ‘Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lying down – that is, sleeping – on his back in the mosque, with one of his legs on top of the other, and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with them both) also used to lie down in the mosque as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had done.
It is proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that it is prohibited to lie down placing one leg on top of the other, as it is narrated in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should lie down, then place one of his legs on top of the other.” This prohibition may be understood in the case of the ‘awrah becoming uncovered, because raising one leg on top of the other means bending one leg so that the knee of that leg is high, whilst the other leg is lifted to rest on the knee of the first leg. Even though it is possible that the ‘awrah may become uncovered in this position, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that in such a way that nothing of it could be seen. It was also said that this prohibition was abrogated by this hadith, and the action of the two caliphs ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan, who did that after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), is quoted as evidence for that abrogation, because it is not possible that they were unaware of what of his Sunnah abrogated or was abrogated.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to lie down in the mosque in any position, so long as there is no risk of the ‘awrah becoming uncovered..

413
Jaber narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ill so we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir to people. When he turned and saw us standing, he gestured for us to sit down so we prayed sitting behind him. After uttering salutation, he said, 'You just like did what Persians and Romans did. They used to stand before their sitting kings. Do not do it but follow your prayer leaders. If they pray standing, then pray standing and if they pray sitting, then pray sitting.'".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us the rules and etiquette of congregational prayer, including following and listening to the prayer leader's recitation while maintaining humility and regular rows. In this hadith, Jabir ibn Abdullah related that when the Prophet ﷺ was ill, he led them in prayer while sitting. At the same time, Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir (saying, 'Allahu Akbar) to people so they could follow his moves in prayer, due to the Prophet's weak voice during illness. While praying, he noticed that they were praying standing behind him. He gestured for them to sit and they did. After finishing, he showed them that it was the Persians and Romans' habit with their kings. They used to stand before their sitting kings. His statement indicated that it was similar to the acts of the polytheists and the People of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited them from doing so and instead guided them to follow their imam's case whether they were praying standing or sitting. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms the necessity of acting, unlike the non-Muslims' acts in all cases, (2) The Prophet ﷺ experienced what other people did such as illnesses, the issue that did not decrease his status. On the contrary, this increased his dignity and status, and (3) The imam can pray sitting when being unable to stand, and the people should follow his case and pray behind him while sitting as well..

426
Anas narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day led us in prayer. Upon completing the prayer, he turned his face towards us and said, ‘O People, I am your prayer leader, so neither precede me in bowing and prostration nor in standing and leaving, for I see you in front and behind me.’ Then, he said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if you had seen what I saw, you would have laughed little and wept much.’ They said, ‘What did you see, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ He replied, ‘I saw Paradise and Hell.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ commanded Muslims to follow the prayer leader (imam) in all of his moves and prohibited them from preceding him. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malek narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ guided them - after ending the congregational prayer - to avoid preceding him in bowing and prostration nor standing and leaving and showed that he saw them in front and behind him. He may have meant that Allah granted him this exceptional privilege or that Allah revealed to him their moves in prayer, for vision may have expressed knowledge. Then, he swore by Allah that if his companions had seen what I saw, they would have laughed little and wept much for the horrible matters Allah revealed to him. When they asked him about the reason, he answered them that he had seen Paradise and Hell. He wanted to tell them that if they had seen what he saw of Paradise’s bliss for the obedient ones and Hell’s torment for the disobedient ones, they would have been overwhelmed by worry and distress, for they would have hoped to get Paradise’s bliss and avoid Hell’s torment. They would have laughed a little and wept much, for none could know his fate. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It encourages Muslims to be submissive in prayer and complete its pillars, (2) The imam should teach people the conditions of prayer, especially if he sees something contradicts them, and (3) It clarifies the Prophet’s miracle that he can see in front and behind him alike..

429
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer. Otherwise, their sight will be taken away.".

Commentary : Prayer can be only learned from the Islamic texts whether it is obligatory or supererogatory. All Muslims have to perfectly perform its aspects, including humility, looking at the place of prostration, and avoiding turning around. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) says, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer..." This is an explicit prohibition of raising one's gaze to the sky when supplicating in prayer. It is the same if one does that at the beginning of a prayer or after standing up from bowing, for it means turning away from the prayer direction, neglecting the form of prayer, and having bad etiquette with Allah. All of these attributes contradict tranquility and humility in prayer. If one's heart is modest, his limbs will be tranquil. His saying, "Otherwise, their sight will be taken away," is the terrible result that Allah will suddenly and quickly take their sight. Finally, this hadith has the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to intentionally raise one's gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer, and (2) One of advice's etiquette in public is to not mean or direct it to a specific person, for this definitely will lead to be refused due to provocation..

430
Jaber ibn Samura narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and said, ‘Why I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer.’ He again came and saw us (sitting) in circles so he said, ‘Why I see you (setting) in separate groups?’ The, he again came to us and said, ‘Why do not you pray in rows as the angels stand in the presence of their God?’ We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how do the angels stand in rows in the presence of their God?’ He answered, ‘They complete the first rows and keep close together in the row.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was the best teacher and educator for his companions. He used to observe their situations and guided them to what was best for them. In this hadith, Jaber narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ observed that his companions were raising their hands when ending the prayer, so he prohibited them from lifting their hands like the tails of headstrong horses in prayer, for the horses sometimes move their tails and legs out of unrest. This is not commensurate with prayer’s prestige and the praying one’s solemnity, so he commanded them to be tranquil in prayer. In another narration of Imam Muslim, he said, “When the praying one wants to end his prayer, he should only turn his face towards his companion without gesturing with his hand.” He means that the praying one turns his face to his right and his left saying, “May Allah’s peace and mercy be upon you” without gesturing with his hand, which is prohibited. In another situation, the Prophet ﷺ saw his companions sitting in circles, so he guided them to gather and avoid sitting in separate circles. In another situation, he taught them to pray in rows as the angels stand in Allah’s presence. He showed that the angel stood in rows completing one by one. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows how the Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach and guide his companions, which is the issue that Muslim scholars should follow, (2) A Muslim should be submissive in prayer without imitating animals, (3) Muslims should gather and avoid disunity in assemblies, and (4) It commands Muslims to complete and straighten prayer’s rows..

432
Abdullah ibn Masoud said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Let people of understanding and reason be near to me in prayer, then those after them (thrice) and beware of the commotion of markets.”.

Commentary : Congregational prayer in mosques is of great importance and great reward. Thus, Islamic law cares about regulating its rows behind the imam so that people can feel psychological and physical discipline. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded people of understanding and reason to directly stand behind him in prayer for the following reasons: (1) They have the priority to pray behind him, (2) They are the best people to convey his acts of prayer to others, (3) Their ability to remind him of something he may forget regarding Quranic verses or prayer moves, or (4) They are the best people to represent him if something happens to him during prayer. The rest of the people pray next to and behind this type of people. Then, women pray behind men's rows. As for the imams (leaders in prayer), this is the order: (1) Those who are best in the Quran memorization and have more knowledge, (2) Those who are best in Quran memorization, know the prayer's rules, and the adults, (3) Those who are less in knowledge. This does not mean confining the front rows to them, but this Prophetic command is to urge them to hasten to perform congregation prayer, directly learn how he prays, and convey his guidance to those behind them. Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) warned, "Beware of the commotion of markets.” He meant loud voices, noise, disputes, and trials in markets. As a result, we have to avoid these behaviors in prayers and mosques, as happens in markets..

434
Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.'".

Commentary : Submissiveness is the spirit of prayer, through which a Muslim gets tranquility in prayer to be closer to Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach Muslims prayer etiquette so they could perform it as it should be. In this hadith, he commanded his companions to complete prayer rows. This is done by making it even without leaving any space in between. He added, "..., for I can see you behind my back." His seeing them from behind is either: (1) A miracle that Allah granted to him which was one of his characteristics, which neither a reason nor legislation may negate. As a result, a Muslim should believe in it, or (2) Due to Allah's revelation to him of his companions’ actions during prayer. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges Muslims to stick to submissiveness and complete the prayer pillars, (2) The prayer leader has to alert and correct people’s mistakes in prayer, and (3) It shows the Prophetic miracle that he can see his companions from behind..

438
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perceived a tendency among his companions to go to the back (in lines of prayer). He said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer. People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." In another narration, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw people at the back in his mosque ...".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was the best teacher and educator, so he used to precisely observe his companions’ conditions to guide them in worship, dealings, etc. In this hadith, he taught them and the entire nation to be keen on supreme issues and avoid causes of laziness. This hadith clarified that he perceived that some of his companions were not keen to early go to the mosque or some did not care for completing lines to the extent that some prayed in rear lines. As a result, he said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer." This is because those praying behind the first line may not see how he is praying. Afterward, he warned, "People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." He may mean that people continue praying in the rear lines until Allah keeps them back in the rear ranks of Paradise, or they continue leaving the first line in prayer until Allah deprives them of his great bounties. Finally, this hadith reminds that continuous negligence in acts of worship leads to staying away from Allah and getting His wrath..

440
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of the men's rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last. And the best of the women's row is the last and the worst is the first.".

Commentary : Islam calls its followers, men and women, to stick to virtues, avoid shortcomings, and hasten to acts of worship, based on the Islamic rules. Whoever performs righteous deeds based on their rules is better than whoever performs them without adhering to those rules although he can stick to them. This hadith clarifies that women have their special rules during attending prayers in mosques. These rules as staying away from men and cases of suspicion. The Prophet ﷺ shows that the best of the men's rows in prayer are the first rows behind the prayer leader (imam), for they are the farthest rows from the women. He adds, “The worst is the last,” for they do not hasten to the acts of worship and are close to women’s rows. On the contrary, Allah commands women to wear veils and stay away from men. As a result, the Prophet ﷺ confirms that the best of the women's rows are the last ones, for they are far from men’s rows and temptation. He adds, “And the worst is the first,” for they are close to men’s rows and temptation. This rule is applied when both genders attend the prayer in the mosque, but if it is a prayer that is only attended by women, the original rule of the virtue of the first rows is applied as in the case of men. The Prophetic word, “the worst” means the least rewarded and virtuous and the farthest from the Islamic rules. His word, “the best” means the opposite of the above-mentioned meaning. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of the acts of worship is linked to performing them based on the Islamic rules, (2) Islam urges men to hasten to the acts of worship and the first virtuous rows in prayers, (3) Islam urges women to pray in the rare virtuous rows away from men, (4) It explains the order of prayer rows in terms of virtue and reward, (5) It clarifies how Islam is keen to urge people to stay away from cases of temptation. It commands women to stay away from men to avoid any possibility of committing forbidden acts, (6) It shows the superiority of men over women, for they have priority in important matters like rows of prayer, fighting, etc..

443
Zainab Ath-Thaqafeyya used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If any one of you (women) wants to attend Isha prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.".

Commentary : Islam established ground rules on women's going out to attend congregational prayers in mosques. These rules related to clothes, manners, decency, adornment, and staying away from places of suspicion. Performing righteous acts while sticking to Islamic rules is better than doing these acts while neglecting those rules in spite of one's ability to abide by them. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Muslim women to abide by Islamic rules when they wanted to attend Isha (evening) prayer in the mosque. He confirmed that a woman was allowed to take care of her cleanliness, but not allowed to wear perfume before going out to prayer. Wearing perfume is a means to evoke men's whims and draw their attention. This prohibition is applied to all prayers and the Prophet (ﷺ) may have referred to Isha prayer for the following reasons: (1) Women may be subject to harassment at night more, or (2) Women used to put on perfume for their husbands at night. Muslim scholars mentioned some similar cases that may go under this prohibition such as: (1) Adorned clothes, (2) Wearing jewelry, and (3) All means that may arouse men’s whims. Thus, Islamic law placed restrictions that guarantee the safety and security of both women and societies while preserving her right to go to mosques to pray. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of worship is linked to performing it in accordance with Islamic rules, and (2) It is forbidden for women to wear perfume when going out to pray..

450
Aamer narrated, "I asked Alqama, 'Was Ibn Masoud present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Alqama answered, 'I asked Ibn Masoud, 'Were anyone of you present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Ibn Masoud answered, 'No, we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but we could not find him so we were searching for him in valleys and hills and said, 'He is either taken away (by Jinn) or secretly killed.' We spent the worst night that people could ever spend. In the morning, he came from the side of Hira' so we said to him, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we missed you so were searching for you but could not find you. We spent the worst night that people could ever spend.' The Prophet ﷺ answered, 'An inviter on behalf of the Jinn came to me so I went with him to recite the Quran to them.' The Prophet ﷺ went with us to show us the traces of them and their embers. The Jinn asked him about their provision so he said, 'Every bone on which the name of Allah is mentioned is yours. Once it falls in your hand, it will be thickly covered with flesh. Every dung (of the camels) is fodder for your animals.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us, 'So do not use any of them in removing your impurities, for they are the food of your brothers (the Jinn).'".

Commentary : Jinn is a creation of Allah, the Almighty. They are commanded to worship Him alone so they will be held accountable as mankind. Some believe in Allah while others disbelieve. In this hadith, Aamer Al-Sha’by asked Alqamah ibn Qais An-Nakh’i, one of the most famous students of Ibn Masoud, if Ibn Masoud was present the night of the Jinn with the Prophet ﷺ. Alqama told him that he asked Ibn Masoud the same question. Ibn Masoud said, "No" In the narration of Muslim, Ibn Masoud said, "I wished I had been with him" to see the miracles that the Prophet ﷺ told them about. Ibn Masoud narrated that they one day were with the Prophet ﷺ who stood to go somewhere but he did not come back. They were searching for him in valleys and hills. All our efforts were in vain. They thought he was taken by Jinn or secretly killed. It was the worst night they ever spent, out of sadness and sorrow. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ came from the direction of Hira Cave, five kilometers away from the Sacred Mosque, where the Prophet ﷺ used to worship Allah before his mission. Upon informing him about what happened to them, he related to them his story with the Jinn. One of them asked him to come to recite the Quran to them. The Prophet ﷺ went with his companions to show them the Jinn's tracks and their fire's traces. The Jinn asked the Prophet ﷺ to specify foods for them, so he allowed them to eat every bone on which Allah’s name was mentioned. He promised them that once they held it, it would be thickly covered with meat. Moreover, he specified dung as fodders for their animals. Thus, he prohibited his companions from using bones for removing impurities like urine or feces, for they were the food of their brothers of Jinn, out of respect. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The Prophet ﷺ was sent to both the Jinn and mankind, (2) It shows Allah’s mercy to mankind in choosing their foods, and (3) It clarifies the companions’ deep friendship with the Prophet ﷺ..

452
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite 30 verses in each of the first two rak'as of the noon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite 15 verses (or he said, "... half of the first two ones). He used to recite 15 verses in each of the first two rak'as of afternoon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite half of these verses.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed how they observed his recitation in the silent prayers. As for his recitation in the noon prayer, he showed that he used to recite Surat al-Fatihah and about thirty verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, he used to recite Surat Al-Fatihah and fifteen verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones, i.e. seven or eight verses. In a hadith narrated by An-Nasa'i and others, he used to recite surats like At-Taraq, Al-Burouj, and alike in each of the first two rak'as in the noon and afternoon prayers. Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Thus, this hadith shows the number of verses a Muslim should recite in silent prayers..

452
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said, “We used to estimate how long the Messenger ﷺ stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. At the noon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as if he recited "Alef Lam Meem. Tanzil," i.e. Surat As-Sajda and stood half of that time in the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as he did in the last two ones of noon prayer and stood half of that time in the last two ones.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed that they used to estimate how long he stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. As for the noon prayer, he stood in the first two rak'as as if he recited Surat As-Sajda (thirty verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones, i.e. fifteen verses. As for the afternoon prayer, they estimated that he stood in the first two rak'as as he did in the last two rak'as of the noon prayer (fifteen verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones (seven or eight verses). Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Finally, this hadith recommends lengthening the first and second rak'as and shortening the third and fourth ones in both noon and afternoon prayers..

454
Qaz’a ibn Yahya narrated, “I came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while he was surrounded by people. When the people left him, I said, ‘I do not want to ask you what these people asked you. I want to ask you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ Abu Saeed said, ‘There is no good for you in this.’” Qaz'a repeated his question. Abu Saeed said, “When the noon prayer started, one of us went to Baqi' to relieve himself, came to his home to perform ablution, and then went to the mosque to find the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the first rak'a.”.

Commentary : The companions’ students were keen to know everything about the Prophet ﷺ from his companions so they used to ask them about his deeds, especially his prayer. In this hadith, Qaza’a ibn Yahya narrated that he came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while the latter was being surrounded by people. When they left him, Qaza’a told him that he wanted to ask him about the Prophet’s prayer. Abu Saeed told him that knowing his prayer would benefit him none due to its length and perfection, for it would be difficult for him to imitate the Prophet’s prayer. Qaza’a repeated his request so Abu Saeed told him that when the Prophet ﷺ began the noon prayer, a person could go to Baqi' - cemeteries in Medina to the east of the Prophet’s Mosque where people used to relieve themselves in nearby places -, came to his home to perform ablution, and found the Prophet ﷺ in the first rak'a. This indicated the Prophet ﷺ used to lengthen the first rak’a of the noon prayer. One may say that there are some hadiths that the Prophet ﷺ used to shorten his prayer. To answer this opinion, it should be clarified that the Prophet ﷺ lengthened and shortened his prayers according to the people’s circumstances behind him. He sometimes wanted to lengthen the prayer then decided to shorten it after having a reasonable issue such as hearing a kid’s crying during the congregational prayer. Some scholars said that he sometimes lengthened it, which is the least, to clarify the permissibility, and sometimes shortened it, which is the most, to confirm its privilege..

455
Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Fajr (Dawn) prayer at Mecca. He began to recite Surat Al-Mu'minun. When he recited the verses about Prophets Moses and Aaron - or Prophet Jesus -, the prophet started to cough then bowed and Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb was present." In another narration, "He cut (his recitation) then bowed.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) led his companions in Fajr (Dawn) prayer in the eighth year after Hijra (the year of conquering Mecca). He was reciting Surat Al-Mu’minoun until he recited the verse (no. 45) that mentioned Prophets Musa and Haroun in which Allah said, "Then, We sent Musa (Moses) and his brother Haroun (Aaron), with Our proofs and manifest authority," or the verse (no. 50) that mentioned Prophet Jesus in which Allah says, "And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a sign, and We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams." This doubt is from Muhammad ibn Abbad or others of this hadith narrators. At that time, the Prophet (ﷺ) was coughing and then bowed without completing the surah. In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) "stopped reciting then bowed." Finally, this hadith confirms that a Muslim would bow without completing his recitation in prayer if something happened to him while reciting the Quran..

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Amr ibn Huraith narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting at Fajr (Dawn) prayer, “And by the night as it closes in." (At-Takwir: 17).

Commentary : The Prophet's companions used to observe and learn from all of his acts to follow his guidance, especially in the acts of worship. They also used to transmit all of his details to all people. In this hadith, Amr ibn Huraith said that the Prophet once recited short Quranic suras in Fajr prayer (Dawn prayer). Amr reported that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite Surah At-Takwir during Fajr prayer. It is the sura that contains this verse, “And by the night as it closes in.” (Al-Takwir: 17) This was explained by An-Nasa’i’s narration in which Amr reported, “I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite in Fajr prayer, "When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]." All of the hadiths that clarified the Prophet's recitation in Fajr prayer showed that he may have recited long, short, or medium suras..