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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
567
It was narrated that Abu Musa said: I and my companions who came with me on the ship were staying at a place called Baqi‘ But-han, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Madinah. Some of them would go by turns to attend ‘Isha’ prayer with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) every night. We went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), my companions and I, but he was busy with some of his affairs, so the prayer was delayed until the middle of the night. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and led them in prayer, and when he had finished his prayer, he said to those who were present: “Stay a while; be of good cheer, for by the blessing of Allah to you, none of humankind prays at this hour except you.” Or he said: “No one other than you has prayed at this hour.” I do not know which of the two phrases he used. Abu Musa said: We rejoiced at what we had heard from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : Giving glad tidings to the Muslim to make him happy is one of the deeds that Allah (may He be exalted) loves, because doing that brings joy to the believer’s heart and helps him to be steadfast in adhering to the truth. In this hadith, Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari narrates that he and his companions were among a group who had travelled by ship. They were the “migrants by sea”, as they were called by Ibn Majah. They were migrants who had travelled to Ethiopia, and they were the “people of the ship”, who travelled by sea to reach Ethiopia, then they came back to rejoin the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after he migrated to Madinah. They returned in 7 AH. As for Abu Musa, he had departed from Yemen to visit the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the wind blew him off course and he ended up in Ethiopia, where he remained for seven years, then he came with Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him). That was when the letter of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reached the Negus after al-Hudaybiyyah. Those who had migrated to Ethiopia came to Madinah in two ships, and Abu Musa and his companions were on board one of the ships. They came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) soon after the conquest of Khaybar. It was said that there were seventy of them, and they halted in a valley in Madinah that was called Baqi‘ But-han. The word baqi‘ refers to a broad, open space in which there are trees of different types. Every night at the time of ‘Isha’ prayer, a group among the people of the ship would come to the Prophet, taking turns to attend the prayer with him. The word translated here as a group refers to a group consisting of a number between three and ten people. When it was the turn of Abu Musa and his companions to sit with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), they came to him when he was busy with something. It was said that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was preparing an army. Concerning the phrase “so the prayer was delayed until the middle of the night”, it was said that what was meant is that it was delayed until halfway through the night, or that it was delayed until it became very dark. What is meant is that ‘Isha’ prayer was delayed from the beginning of its time until the night had become dark. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and lead them in praying ‘Isha’. Then when he had finished his prayer, he said to those who were present and had prayed with him: Do not rush; wait a while. And he said to them: “Be of good cheer,” and rejoice and be happy for news that has to do with you; this is glad tidings for you of an immense reward for your prayer. The glad tidings were that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to them: “By the blessing of Allah to you, none of humankind prays at this hour except you,” or he said: “No one other than you has prayed at this hour.” The meaning is the same in either case: that by Allah’s blessing to you, He has caused you to be the only ones doing this act of worship at this time, to the exclusion of others. The words “I do not know which of the two phrases he used” are those of the narrator, who did not know exactly which of them the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. When Abu Musa and those who were with him (may Allah be pleased with them) heard the glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to them, they went back to the place where they were staying, rejoicing at these glad tidings. The reason for their joy was that they knew that they had been singled out to do this act of worship, which was an immense blessing that would bring great reward, in addition to the fact that they had stood in prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who had come out and led them in prayer, despite the fact that he was preoccupied with preparing the army. Hence they rejoiced at that, and their joy increased with the glad tidings of this immense blessing.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to talk after ‘Isha’.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ if it is known that the people have the energy to wait, so that they may attain the virtue of waiting, because the one who is waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer.
It also indicates that one may give glad tidings that will make a person happy, and highlights the fact that this comes under the heading of bringing joy to the believer’s heart..

569
It was narrated from ‘Urwah that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed ‘Isha’ until it was very dark, until ‘Umar called out: Let us pray! The women and children have gone to sleep. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] came out and said: “No one on earth is waiting for it except you.” He said: No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah, and they used to pray between the disappearance of the dusk and the end of the first third of the night..

Commentary : Giving glad tidings to the Muslim to make him happy is one of the deeds that Allah (may He be exalted) loves, because doing that brings joy to the believer’s heart and helps him to be steadfast in adhering to the truth. 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) delayed ‘Isha’ until it became dark. One night, he delayed praying it until ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) called out: Let us pray, for the women and children who are in the mosque have fallen asleep. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out, and Muslim added in his narration of this hadith: Ibn Shihab said: I was told that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is not appropriate for you to urge the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to come and pray.” That was when ‘Umar called out.
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to them, he told them that no one else on earth was waiting for this prayer except them. This was glad tidings to them of immense reward, and that by the blessing of Allah to them, they were the only ones who were doing this act of worship at that time, to the exclusion of all others.
Then ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) – or al-Zuhri or ‘Urwah, who were among the narrators of the hadith – said: No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah, because those of the weak and oppressed who were in Makkah used to pray in secret, and Islam had not yet entered any place at that time except Makkah and Madinah. But prayer was offered in Madinah in places other than the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such as the Mosque of Quba’ and other mosques belonging to the tribes of the Ansar. According to a report of which the soundness is agreed upon, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: That was before Islam spread widely among the people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions used to pray ‘Isha’ between the time when the red afterglow disappeared, which is the beginning of the time for ‘Isha’, when darkness begins, and its time would last until one third of the night had passed. It was said that this highlights the chosen time for praying ‘Isha’, because the context gives the impression that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) persisted in offering this prayer at that time. This hadith is narrated by an-Nasa’i in a form that indicates a command, as it says: “Pray it between the time when the red afterglow disappears until one third of the night has passed.” There is no contradiction between this and the hadith of Anas which says that [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] delayed the (‘Isha’) prayer until halfway through the night, because the hadith of ‘A’ishah may be understood as referring to what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) usually did.
This hadith indicates that one may remind the imam about the prayer.
It also highlights the fact that the Muslim ummah has been given precedence over other nations.
It indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ if it is known that the people have the energy to wait for it, so that they may attain the virtue of waiting, for the one who is waiting for the prayer is in a state of prayer..

570
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was distracted from (‘Isha’ prayer) one night, so he delayed it until we fell asleep in the mosque, then we woke up, then we fell asleep, then we woke up again. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to us, then he said: “No one on earth is waiting for the prayer except you.” Ibn ‘Umar did not mind whether he brought it forward or delayed it, if he did not fear that he would be overcome by sleep and delay it beyond its time, and he used to nap before it.
Ibn Jurayj said: I said something to ‘Ata’ and he said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed praying ‘Isha’ one night until the people fell asleep, then woke up, then fell asleep, then woke up. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab stood up and said: Let us pray! ‘Ata’ said: Ibn ‘Abbas said: Then the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out, and it is as if I can see him now, his head dripping with water, putting his hand on his head, and he said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray it at this time.” I wanted him [‘Ata’] to verify how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put his hand on his head, as Ibn ‘Abbas had told him, so he held his fingers somewhat apart, then he placed his fingertips on the side of his head, then he brought his fingers together and passed them like that on his head, until his thumb touched the edge of his ear, which was next to his face on his temple, moving towards his beard, moving his fingers not too slow and not too fast, rather it was just like this. And he said: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray at this time.”.

Commentary : Allah has ordained specific times for the obligatory prayers during which they must be done, as He (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times} [an-Nisa’ 4:103].. By His mercy towards His slaves, Allah has allocated plenty of time (for each prayer), out of consideration for their circumstances and situations. But there are times at which it is better to offer the prayer than at other times, as in the case of the time for ‘Isha’ prayer.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was distracted from praying ‘Isha’ prayer one night, so he delayed it until the Sahabah fell asleep in the mosque. They slept sitting firmly on their buttocks, or lying down, but they did not sleep deeply, as they were still aware of the time and place, and what was happening around them. Then they woke up, then they fell asleep, then they woke up from a light sleep like drowsiness. This is indicative of the extent to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed the prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out of his apartment, and praised them and commanded them, saying: “No one on earth is waiting for the prayer except you.” According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: “No prayer was offered at that time except in Madinah,” because those of the weak and oppressed who were in Makkah used to pray in secret, and Islam had not yet entered any place at that time except Makkah and Madinah. According to a report narrated by Muslim, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: That was before Islam spread widely among the people.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not mind if ‘Isha’ prayer was brought forward or delayed, because he was not afraid that he would be overwhelmed by sleep and delay it beyond its time, and he used to nap before praying ‘Isha’.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to sleep before ‘Isha’ for one who is overwhelmed by sleep, and for one who has something that he needs to do.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer and highlights the virtue of doing that.
Then the Tabi‘i ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah narrates from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah delayed ‘Isha’ prayer from the beginning of its time until it got very dark and almost one third of the night had passed, when those who were in the mosque had fallen asleep, then woken up, then fallen asleep, then woken up, which indicates how long the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed it. Then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to alert the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and call him to come and pray, as he said: Let us pray, O Messenger of Allah! So the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out with his head dripping with water, which indicates that he had washed himself. This indicates that he had deliberately delayed the prayer, and he came out putting his hand on his head, in the manner described by Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held his fingers apart, then he put his fingertips on the side of his head, then he brought his fingers together and began moving them like that on his head, until his thumb touched the edge of his ear, near the face, on the temple, moving towards the beard, and he moved his fingers on the side of his head at a moderate pace, not too slow and not too fast. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Were it not that it would be too difficult for my ummah, I would have instructed them to pray at this late time, because of the virtue that there is in that. Based on that, then if someone has the energy to delay the prayer, and will not be overcome by sleep, and it will not be too difficult for any of those who are praying behind him, delaying is better in his case.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to sleep before ‘Isha’ for one who is overwhelmed by sleep, and for one who has something that he needs to do.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer and highlights the virtue of doing that..

574
It was narrated from Abu Musa that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever offer the prayers at the two cool times will enter Paradise.”.

Commentary : In His Wisdom, Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) has given precedence to some acts of worship over others, because of the unique features that they have, and He has made that a means of gaining admittance to Paradise. Among these deeds is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions in this hadith of the virtue of the prayers offered at the two cool times, namely Fajr and ‘Asr. He called them by this name because they occur at times when it is cooler and the weather is more mild, as the air becomes more moist and cool. At the time of ‘Asr, the heat of the day is reduced and it is the beginning of the time of moderate temperatures. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the one who offers these two prayers properly will enter Paradise.
Fajr and ‘Asr are singled out for mention because Fajr comes at a time when people are enjoying sleep, and ‘Asr comes at a time when a person is busy with his work. So the one who regularly offers these two prayers on time will be more likely to regularly offer the other prayers on time too. And it was said that these two prayers were singled out for mention and their importance was emphasized because they are the times when the angels of the night and the angels of the day meet, as the angels take turns to come and ascend to heaven, where they inform Allah of people’s situation, although He knows best about them. Therefore it is more appropriate that one should be in a state of worship at these two times, in order to attain paradise. Allah (may He be exalted) says, confirming that: {and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting} [Qaf 50:39].
This hadith highlights the virtue of regularly offering the prayers of Fajr and ‘Asr on time.
It also highlights the great reward for doing acts of worship at times when one may be busy or unaware..

576
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and Zayd ibn Thabit ate suhur, then when they had finished their suhur, the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up to pray, and he prayed. We said to Anas: How long was there between their finishing their suhur and their starting to pray? He said: As long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to follow in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in all his affairs. Hence they were keen to find out about the details of his actions, so that they could emulate his Sunnah. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ate suhur with Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). The word suhur refers to eating food before the time for Fajr begins, for one who intends to fast. After they had finished eating suhur, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) got up to pray Fajr. Those who were present asked Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) how long there was between the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finishing suhur and his praying Fajr. He replied that it was as long as it takes a man to recite fifty verses at a regular speed of recitation.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s kind treatment of his companions, as he used to eat with them.
It indicates that suhur may be delayed until just before Fajr.
It indicates that it is permissible to eat suhur together.
It indicates that their time was spent in worship.
It explains the beginning of the time for Fajr, which is when dawn breaks, because that is the time when it becomes prohibited to eat and drink for one who is fasting.
It indicates that one may estimate time by how long it takes to recite a number of verses or to do physical actions. The Arabs used to estimate time in terms of physical actions, so they would say: as long as it takes to milk a sheep, and the like..

577
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: I used to eat suhur with my family, then I would rush to catch up with Fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : Delaying suhur and hastening to pray Fajr was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and this was the practice of his companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). In this hadith, Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he used to eat suhur with his family, who belonged to the tribe of Banu Sa‘idah; their homes were located north of the Prophet’s Mosque, close to it.
The word suhur refers to eating food before the time for Fajr begins, for one who intends to fast. Then Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that after eating suhur, he would rush to go to the mosque, in order to catch up with Fajr prayer with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), in his mosque. What is intended here is to highlight the fact that Sahl would delay his suhur and that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would hasten to pray Fajr and that he would pray Fajr straight after dawn broke, because Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) could only catch up with Fajr prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque if he went quickly after suhur, even though he lived in the vicinity of the mosque and close to it..

579
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr before the sun rises has caught up with Fajr, and whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of ‘Asr before the sun sets has caught up with ‘Asr.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that is limited to the way it is prescribed in the religious texts. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) defined its times, and explained the beginning and end of each time, and how one may catch up with the prayer before its time ends.
This hadith highlights one way in which Islamic teachings make it easy to catch up with the time for the prayer, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that the one who catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr prayer before the sun rises – meaning that the worshipper starts to pray before the sun rises and catches up with one rak‘ah of it, then the sun rises – is regarded as having offered the entire prayer on time. Similarly, the one who catches up with one rak‘ah of ‘Asr prayer before the sun sets – meaning that the worshipper starts to pray before the sun sets and completes the other three rak‘ahs as the sun is setting – is regarded as having offered the prayer on time, and he is not to be regarded as having prayed too late. Thus he will attain the virtue and reward of having offered this prayer.
What is meant by “rak‘ah” here is one complete rak‘ah, with its ruku‘ (bowing) and sujud (prostration). The prayer may be called ruku‘ (bowing), just as it may also be called sujud (prostration). And it was said that what is meant by “rak‘ah” in the phrase “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr” is bowing in the real sense, not an entire rak‘ah. If catching up with the prayer has to do with the ruling on the prayer, it is the same whether one catches up with a complete rak‘ah or less than that. It is sufficient to catch up with the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) [before the time for the prayer ends], because this is the issue of catching up with the prayer (and avoiding falling into sin by missing the prayer), therefore catching up with the rak‘ah is the same as catching up with the takbirat al-ihram.
This applies to one who has a legitimate excuse for not having offered the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time. He may pray at the end of that time, and catch up with the prayer before sunrise and before sunset; otherwise, the best of deeds is offering prayer on time.
It was said that what is meant in this hadith is that if a person is among those who are accountable and required to pray, and is able to catch up with as much as one rak‘ah of the prayer before the sun rises, then he is regarded as having caught up with it and fulfilled the obligation of praying Fajr. This applies only to those with legitimate excuses; if a menstruating woman becomes pure (and rushes to do ghusl), or an insane person recovers his sanity, or a Christian becomes Muslim, or a boy reaches puberty, if any of these people catches up with one rak‘ah then he or she has fulfilled the obligation of praying.
This hadith indicates that if someone prays one rak‘ah of Fajr, then the sun rises before he completes his prayer, he has caught up with the time of the prayer and his prayer is valid. A similar ruling applies in the case of ‘Asr..

584
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two types of transaction, two ways of dressing and two prayers: he forbade praying after Fajr until the sun has risen and after ‘Asr until the sun has set; wrapping oneself up entirely in one’s garment with no room for the arms to emerge (ishtimal al-samma’), and wrapping oneself up in a single garment with the legs drawn up to the belly (ihtiba’), exposing the private parts to the sky; and munabadhah and mulamasah transactions..

Commentary : Adhering to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to commands and prohibitions, buying and selling, and all acts of worship and dealings with others is the way to attain goodness and salvation in this world and the hereafter.
This hadith highlights some of the prohibitions, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two types of transactions, which he referred to in the hadith. The first is munabadhah, from the root nabdh (throwing). This refers to the throwing of the item making the sale binding; thus if the vendor throws a garment or something else to the purchaser, the latter is obliged to buy it. He also forbade mulamasah, from the root lams (touching). This refers to the vendor selling something to the purchaser on the basis that if he touches it, the sale becomes binding. Both of these are sales transactions that are prohibited, because of what they involve of cheating.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two ways of dressing, which he referred to in the hadith. The first is ishtimal as-samma’, which refers to a person wrapping his entire body in a single garment, which does not allow him to raise his arms, so he is unable to bring his arms out except from below. It is so called because there is no room to move, so it is described as being like a solid [samma’] rock; it is also an imitation of the Jews who used to dress in this manner, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade imitating them. He also forbade ihtiba’, which refers to a person sitting on his buttocks, holding his legs upright, and bringing his legs close up to his belly with his garment, wrapping the garment around his back to keep the back, belly and legs together, then wrapping his garment tightly around himself in this manner, or wrapping his arms around his legs. That is prohibited because if he only has one garment, he may move or shift, thus uncovering his ‘awrah, as referred to in the words “exposing his private parts to the sky.” It was said that the type of ihtiba’ that is forbidden is sitting in this manner for a man who only has one garment; as for the one who does that whilst covering his ‘awrah properly with his garment, there is nothing wrong with that.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade two prayers, which are mentioned in the hadith: he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade praying after Fajr prayer until the sun has risen, meaning that it is not allowed to pray at this time, which begins when the edge of the sun’s disk first appears at sunrise, until its disk has fully risen above the horizon. “And after ‘Asr prayer, until the sun has set.” This is the second time when it is forbidden to pray. That is after praying ‘Asr at the beginning of its time, and is even more forbidden when the sun begins to set, until the disk of the sun has completely disappeared. What is meant by this prohibition in general is the time of sunrise and the time of sunset, and what is close to that, because this is the time when those who worshipped the sun used to pray, and because it is a time when the Shaytan gets near to the sun so that it is between the two sides of his head. This prohibition applies specifically to supererogatory and voluntary prayers, not the obligatory prayer, as in the case of one who delayed praying ‘Asr until this time; he may pray at the time when prayer is otherwise forbidden.
It was said that the prohibition on praying at this time only refers to the prohibition on delaying the obligatory prayer without any excuse, until it is very close to the time of sunset.
This hadith urges the Muslim to deal properly with others when buying and selling, and to avoid anything that involves cheating or ambiguity that could lead to dispute.
It also urges the Muslim to cover his ‘awrah and to present himself in a good and dignified manner.
And it indicates the times when it is prohibited to pray..

587
It was narrated that Mu‘awiyah said: You offer a prayer which, although we stayed close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we did not see him offer; rather he forbade it – meaning two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to teach those who came after them about acts of worship as they had learned them from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) denounces some of the people who used to pray two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr, and he explains that this is a prayer that is contrary to the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Mu‘awiyah told them that he and the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) stayed close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and offered many prayers with him, but they never saw him praying two supererogatory rak‘ahs after ‘Asr as these people did. “and he forbade it” means: he forbade offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr. This is a confirmation in word and deed of the Prophet’s prohibition on praying those two rak‘ahs or on offering supererogatory prayers after ‘Asr in general.
In Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said with regard to praying two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray them, but he did not pray them in the mosque, for fear of burdening his ummah, because he liked to make things easier for them. In order to reconcile between the two reports, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed these two rak‘ahs to make up for the sunnah prayer of Zuhr, because he had missed it, then he continued to do that, because when he did a good deed, he would persist in doing it; however, these two rak‘ahs were not regular Sunnah (Sunnah ratibah) prayers. The difference between a regular and a non-regular Sunnah prayer is that the regular prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) prayer that is connected to the obligatory prayers, whether it is done before or after the obligatory prayer, whereas the non-regular Sunnah prayer is a prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not enjoin or encourage people to do, but the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated it from him in word and deed, as in the case of two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr.
This hadith highlights the virtue of Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to follow the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

592
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: Two rak‘ahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never omitted in private or in public: two rak‘ahs before Fajr prayer and two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to offer supererogatory prayers, which he did regularly. That includes regularly offering the Sunnah prayers, both regular (ratibah) and non-regular, before and after the obligatory prayers.
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regularly offered two Sunnah prayers, which he did not omit “in private or in public.” This is a confirmation that he always did them. What is meant by that which was done in private is that they were prayers that he used to pray in his house, so no one saw him do them except one of his wives. And what is meant by that which was done in public is prayers that he used to offer in the mosque. Then she (may Allah be pleased with her) explained what these two rak‘ahs, or two prayers, were. The first was two Sunnah rak‘ahs of Fajr before the obligatory prayer, between the adhan and iqamah. The Sunnah prayer before Fajr is one of the regular Sunnah prayers. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to urge people to offer these two rak‘ahs because of the virtue and reward that there is in them, and they are better than this world and everything in it. He used to hasten to offer this prayer in an unparalleled manner, and it was the habit of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to make them brief, as it says in al-Sahihayn.
The second sunnah prayer is two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did these two rak‘ahs, as is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray them, but he did not pray them in the mosque, for fear of burdening his ummah.
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari from Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: You offer a prayer which, although we stayed close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), we did not see him offer; rather he forbade it – meaning two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr. In order to reconcile between the two reports, it was said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed these two rak‘ahs to make up for the sunnah prayer of Zuhr, because he had missed it, then he continued to do that, because when he did a good deed, he would persist in doing it; however, these two rak‘ahs were not regular Sunnah (Sunnah ratibah) prayers. The difference between a regular and a non-regular Sunnah prayer is that the regular prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah mu’akkadah) prayer that is connected to the obligatory prayers, whether it is done before or after the obligatory prayer, whereas the non-regular Sunnah prayer is a prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not enjoin or encourage people to do, but the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated it from him in word and deed, as in the case of two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr..

595
It was narrated that Abu Qatadah said: We travelled by night with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night, and some of the people said: Why don’t we halt at the end of the night, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer.” Bilal said: I will wake you up. So they lay down, and Bilal rested his back against his mount, but he was overtaken by sleep. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up when the sun had already begun to rise above the horizon, and he said: “O Bilal! What about what you said?” He said: I have never been so overwhelmed by the urge to sleep. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Allah took your souls when He willed, and returned them to you when He willed. O Bilal, get up and call the people to prayer.” Then he did wudu’, and when the sun had fully risen and grown bright, he got up and prayed..

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest practical pillar of Islam after the twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn), and is of specific importance in Islamic teachings. Allah (may He be exalted) has ordained certain times at which prayer is to be offered, and whoever misses that time must make up the prayer, and not neglect it.
In this hadith, Abu Qatadah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and they said to him: Why don’t we stop at the end of the night, O Messenger of Allah, so that we can rest? He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I am afraid that you will sleep and miss the prayer” – referring to Fajr prayer. This indicates that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to keep travelling until the time of Fajr; that was because he was concerned about the prayer and wanted to give it precedence over sleep and rest. Then Bilal suggested to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): I will wake you up – meaning that he (may Allah be pleased with him) would stay awake until the time for Fajr began, so that he could wake them up. So they lay down and went to sleep, which indicates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) accepted Bilal’s suggestion. Or Bilal said to them: Go and lie down. Bilal rested his back against his mount, then he fell asleep too. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up when the sun had started to peek over the horizon, which indicates that they had slept until the time for Fajr prayer had ended. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked Bilal by saying, “What about what you said?” In other words, what about your promise to wake us up when the time for prayer came? Bilal said: I have never been so overwhelmed by the urge to sleep – meaning that he had never slept before as he did on this occasion. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah took your souls when He willed, and returned them to you when He willed”; this was a confirmation of the word of Allah (may He be exalted): {Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term} [az-Zumar 39:42]. What is meant is that He takes their souls when they sleep, and returns them when they wake up.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Bilal to give the call to prayer, and he did wudu’, then he stood up and led the people in praying Fajr, after the sun had risen and become clear. According to a report narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray in the place where they had missed the prayer; rather they got on their mounts and rode on for a short distance, then they dismounted. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did wudu’ and made up the Fajr prayer.
This hadith highlights some of the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the event of sleeping or missing a prayer.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to give the adhan and pray in congregation in the case of a missed prayer..

596
It was narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab came on the day of the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq), after the sun had set, and started reviling the disbelievers of Quraysh. He said: O Messenger of Allah, I could not pray ‘Asr until the sun had almost set. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, I did not pray at all.” So we went to (the valley of) But-han and he did wudu’ for prayer, and so did we, then he prayed ‘Asr after the sun had set, then he prayed Maghrib after that..

Commentary : Prayer is the greatest practical pillar of Islam after the twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn), and is of specific importance in Islamic teachings. Allah (may He be exalted) has ordained certain times at which prayer is to be offered, and whoever misses any of the prayers for a legitimate reason must make up the prayer, and not neglect it.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us some of what happened on the day of the battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq). This battle took place in 5 AH or, it was said, in 4 AH. The battle is so called because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ordered that a trench (khandaq) be dug around Madinah, to fortify the city against the confederates (al-ahzab) of disbelief who had gathered with the aim of eradicating the Muslims. The Muslims, both Muhajirin and Ansar, worked together to dig the trench. The polytheists had distracted the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions from some of the prayers, then ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after the sun had set, reviling the disbelievers of Quraysh because of the fighting. He reviled the polytheists because they were the cause of his having delayed ‘Asr prayer until the sun was about to set, which is the time when one may pray ‘Asr if one has been compelled to delay it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allah, I did not pray at all.” In other words: if you, O ‘Umar, prayed ‘Asr at the end of its time, before sunset, I have not prayed it until now, when the sun has actually set. Then they went to But-han, which is a valley in the south of Madinah, where they did wudu’ for prayer and prayed ‘Asr in congregation after the sun had set. Then after that they prayed Maghrib.
This hadith indicates that it is prescribed to offer a missed prayer in congregation, and that the one who misses a prayer then remembers it at a later time should start with the prayer that he missed, then offer the prayer that is currently due.
It indicates that it is permissible to delay an obligatory prayer even if its time ends, until the state of fear or fighting comes to an end.
This hadith also highlights the virtue of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to uphold the obligatory duties of Islam and follow its teachings..

597
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray when he remembers it; there is no expiation for it except that. {and establish prayer when you remember it} [Ta-Ha 20:14].” Musa said: Hammam said: I heard him say afterwards: Establish prayer as soon as you remember..

Commentary : Prayer is of great significance in Islam, and its importance makes adhering to it one of the most binding of the obligatory duties in Islam, for it is the foundation of faith. The expiation for the one who forgets a prayer is to offer the prayer when he remembers it. This is because of its great importance, virtue and significance in Islamic teachings. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says: “Whoever forgets a prayer, let him pray when he remembers it.” In other words: whoever forgets to offer any prayer until the time for it ends, let him hasten to make it up as soon as he remembers it, for there is no expiation or pardon for the sin of missing it, even if that was due to forgetfulness, except offering the prayer when he remembers it, as Allah says in His holy Book: {and establish prayer when you remember it} [Ta-Ha 20:14]. That is, establish prayer when you remember a forgotten prayer and when you recall that you owe a prayer, whether that is still within the time for that prayer or not, so that you will remember Me in prayer by glorifying and venerating Me, and I will remember you by praising and commending you.
This hadith highlights the importance of prayer and emphasizes that one should not be heedless about doing it..

600
Anas ibn Malik said: We waited for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night, until almost halfway through the night. Then he came and led us in prayer, then he addressed us and said: “Indeed the people prayed and went to sleep, but you remained in a state of prayer so long as you were waiting for the prayer.” Al-Hasan said: The people will continue to be fine so long as they are waiting to do good. On one occasion he said: These are the words of Anas, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who had the greatest veneration and respect for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). One example of that is what is narrated in this hadith. This text is part of a hadith which describes an incident that took place when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) delayed ‘Isha’ prayer and deliberately did not come out to the people, so the people waited until almost halfway through the night. In this hadith, it says that al-Hasan al-Basri, one of the leading scholars of the Tabi‘in, delayed coming to his companions, who were his students and seekers of knowledge, who were waiting to take knowledge from him. He did not come out to them until it was almost time for them to leave, at the time when al-Hasan usually finished his lesson and left, or until the time when al-Hasan usually woke up to pray tahajjud. Then al-Hasan came to them before they left and said to them, apologizing to them and explaining the reason why he was late: These neighbours of ours invited us and we accepted their invitation, and we were delayed with them. Then he narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) waited for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night until almost half way through the night, without the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) coming to them. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came and led them in prayer at this time, which was not their usual time for that prayer. Then he addressed them and told them that other people had finished their prayer and gone to sleep, but they were still waiting to offer the prayer. He also told them that for the whole time that they had been waiting for the prayer in the mosque, it was as if they had been in a state of prayer, and that they would have a reward like the reward for offering the prayer. It was by the immense bounty that Allah bestows upon His believing slaves that the time of waiting was not wasted. This ruling also applies to remaining in the mosque and waiting for the obligatory prayers, if nothing prevents a person from waiting except some urgent need.
After narrating this hadith, al-Hasan said: The people will continue to be fine so long as they are waiting to do good. Thus he made the ruling general in meaning and applicable to waiting to do any good deed. This was by way of consoling his companions because they had waited for him so that they might acquire knowledge from him; therefore they had been in a good state, like the one who waits for the prayer.
This hadith highlights the virtue of waiting for the prayer in the mosque.
It also indicates that it is permissible to delay ‘Isha’ prayer..

602
It was narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr that the people of al-suffah were poor people. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever has food enough for two, let him take a third person with him; and if he has enough for four, let him take a fifth or sixth person with him.” Abu Bakr took three of them, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took ten. [‘Abd al-Rahman] said: So there was myself, my father and my mother – [the narrator said:] I do not know if he said: and my wife and a servant – between us and the household of Abu Bakr. But Abu Bakr ate supper with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he stayed until he prayed ‘Isha’, then he came back. So he stayed until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ate supper, and he came after as much of the night had passed as Allah willed. His wife said to him: What kept you from your guests – or your guest? He said: Did you not offer them supper? She said: They refused to eat until you came; they were offered food but they refused to eat. So I went and hid, and he said [to me]: O mean and ignorant one! and berated me. Then he said: Eat, may you not enjoy it! By Allah, I shall never eat it. But by Allah, we did not take a mouthful but more food appeared beneath it. [They ate] until they were full, and the food became more than it had been before. Abu Bakr looked at it, and it was as it had been, or more than that. He said to his wife: O sister of Banu Firas, what is this? She said: What an amazing thing! Now it is more than it was before. It was three times more. Then Abu Bakr ate some of it and said: That – meaning his oath – was from the Shaytan. He ate a mouthful of it, then he took it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the next morning. There was a peace deal between us and some other people that expired at that time, so [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] divided us into twelve detachments, each led by one man. Allah knows best how many men were in each detachment, but they all ate from that food – or words to that effect..

Commentary : The people of al-suffah were poor people among the Sahabah; they were strangers who had no houses or families or a place to stay. They had an allocated space at the back of the Prophet’s Mosque, where there was a shelter or veranda beneath which they stayed; hence they were known as ahl al-suffah.
In this hadith, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that whoever was well off and had enough food for two people should add a third person from among the people of al-suffah, and take him home to eat with him. If he had enough food for four people, he should add a fifth or sixth person from among them, because they were poor. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took ten of the people of al-suffah to eat with him. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) took three of them to his house, but he left them with his household members and instructed them to honour them and feed them, then he went back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and ate supper with him. Then he stayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until he prayed ‘Isha’ with him. Then he went back to his house after as much of the night had passed as Allah willed, and his wife Umm Ruman – who was the mother of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him the reason why he was late in coming to his three guests from among the people of al-suffah. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her, by way of rebuke: Did you not give them supper? She told him that the guests had been offered food, but they had not eaten, and they refused to eat until he came back to them.
‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I went and hid for fear that my father would berate me. Abu Bakr said: O mean and ignorant one! And he berated his son, thinking that he had neglected the rights of the guests.
Then when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) realized that the cause of the delay came from the guests themselves, he said: Eat, may you not enjoy it! This was a rebuke to them, because they had stipulated that the head of the household should be with them, and they had not been content with his son’s presence, even though he had admitted them to his house. Or it may be that what he meant was: eat now, because you did not enjoy the food at the right time. Then Abu Bakr swore that he would not eat that food, saying: By Allah, I shall never eat it.
Then ‘Abd al-Rahman [the narrator] swore an oath, saying: By Allah, we did not take a mouthful but more appeared beneath it; that is, no matter how much was taken from it, more food appeared in its place and it was not reduced until they had eaten their fill, and the food was more than it had been before that. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at it and saw that the food, or the vessel, was as it had been in the beginning, and nothing was gone from it, or it was more than it had been before. He said to his wife: O sister of Banu Firas – referring to the tribe descended from Firas ibn Ghanam ibn Malik ibn Kinanah – what is this? – asking what was happening with the food. Um Ruman said: What an amazing thing! Now it – meaning the food or the vessel – is three times more than it was before.
Then Abu Bakr ate some of the food, or ate from the vessel, and said that his previous oath, in which he swore not to eat, had been from the Shaytan. That was when he had said: By Allah, I shall never eat it. Thus he humiliated the Shaytan by breaking his oath and doing that which was better. Or it may be that what was meant was: I will not eat with you, or at this time, or when I am angry. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) ate another morsel of the food, to make his guests happy and to affirm that there was no intention to offend them. Then he took that vessel, with its contents, to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) also ate some of it.
Then ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: There was a peace treaty between us and some people, and it expired, meaning that the peace treaty came to an end. Then some armed men came to Madinah, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) divided them into twelve detachments, and appointed a man in command of each of them. Allah alone knows best the number of men in each detachment. In Sahih Muslim it says: He appointed us as chiefs over the people. Those people all ate from that food, and it sufficed them, because of the blessing (barakah) that Allah put in it.
This hadith highlights the virtue of giving precedence to others and helping others.
It highlights the great love that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and how he devoted his time to him and gave precedence to him, night and day, over his family and guests.
It also speaks of a clear miracle (karamah) that was granted to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).
It indicates that one may break an oath and offer expiation for it if he sees that something else is better than it.
It indicates that blessing (barakah) may multiply food when there is a large number of people and people come together.
It indicates that a man’s son and family must serve the guest as the head of the household would..

688
Mūsa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali reported: I asked Ibn ‘Abbās: "How should I pray if I am in Makkah and did not pray with the Imām?" He said: "Two Rak‘ahs; the Sunnah of Abu al-Qāsim (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were the most keen on following the Prophet's example in everything, because in the Prophet's Sunnah lies guidance and the right course; whoever follows it will be saved, and whoever deviates from it will be ruined.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Mūsa ibn Salamah al-Hudhali asks Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): "How should I pray if I am in Makkah and did not pray with the Imām?" This is because the Imām offers the prayer completely. So, if a traveler prays with him, he will also perform it completely. Yet, what should be the case if a traveler comes to Makkah and does not pray with the Imām? In response to him, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he should pray it as two Rak‘ahs, in the shortened form, not as a complete prayer. Clarifying the reason for that, he said that this is the Sunnah of Abu al-Qāsim, the nickname of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, the Sunnah as regards travelers is to shorten the prayers. Allah Almighty alleviated things for travelers and facilitated for them the Shar‘i rulings regarding prayer. So, he may shorten the four-Rak‘ah prayers (Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) to two Rak‘ahs..

689
Hafs ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb reported: I accompanied Ibn ‘Umar on the road to Makkah and he led us in the Zhuhr prayer with two Rak‘ahs. Then, he went forward, and we too went along with him to a place where he alighted, and he sat, and we sat along with him. He cast a glance at the side where he offered the prayer and he saw people standing. He asked: "What are they doing?" I said: "They are glorifying Allah." He said: "If I were to glorify Allah, I would have completed my prayer. O my nephew, I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. I accompanied Abu Bakr, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. And I accompanied ‘Umar, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. Then, I accompanied ‘Uthmān, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away. And Allah says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21]".

Commentary : Travel is a piece of torment, and it is most likely to involve tiredness and hardship. Hence, Allah Almighty alleviates things for travelers and facilitates Shar‘i rulings for them.
In this Hadīth, Hafs ibn ‘Āsim ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb informs that he accompanied his uncle ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) on the road to Makkah as they were traveling. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) performed the Zhuhr prayer as two Rak‘ahs, shortening it. This is because the four-Rak‘ah prayer is to be shortened to two Rak‘ahs during travel. After the prayer, he came back to his place of stay, where he alighted. Some of those with them on the journey sat with Ibn ‘Umar. He unintentionally looked back at the place where they had performed the obligatory prayer. There he saw people standing and offering prayer in addition to the prayer they had performed along with Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked about them and about what prayer they were offering as an addition. His question was asked as a way of disapproving of them. Answering his question, Hafs ibn ‘Āsim said that "they are glorifying Allah" i.e., they are performing the supererogatory prayer. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remarked: "If I were to glorify Allah, I would have completed my prayer." In other words, if he was given the choice between completing the obligatory prayer and performing the regular Sunnah prayer, completing the obligatory prayer would be dearer to him, for he understood that shortening the prayer is meant for facilitation. Hence, he would not perform the regular Sunnah prayer or complete the obligatory prayer.
The supererogatory prayer here refers to the regular Sunnah prayer along with the obligatory prayers, like the Sunnah of the Zhuhr prayer and other obligatory prayers. It is not prescribed to perform the regular Sunnah prayers during travel, except for the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer and the Witr prayer. As for the general supererogatory prayers, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to offer them during travel, and he reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer them, as authentically narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to glorify Allah on his riding animal in whatever direction it headed, and he would observe the Witr prayer thereon; yet, he would not perform the obligatory prayer upon it.
Then, Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed out the intent behind his disapproval, saying: "O my nephew, I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) during travel, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away." The shortening applies to the four-Rak‘ah prayers: the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’. One should not pray a supererogatory prayer before or after the obligatory prayer. And he said that he had accompanied Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with them) at the time of their respective caliphates and authority, and they would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs during travel, until they passed away. This is because they were keen on adhering to and acting upon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The rightly-guided Caliphs continued to do so after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), which indicates that this ruling was not subject to abrogation or opposition. And Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 21], i.e., you should imitate the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and follow his example.
And his following statement was confusing: "Then, I accompanied ‘Uthmān, and he would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs, until he passed away." This is because it is authentically reported in the Two Sahīh Collections, in a Hadīth reported by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) would complete the prayer after six or eight years. In reply to this, it was said that this version means that ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) would not perform more than two Rak‘ahs until he passed away anywhere other than Mina. Also, the famous narrations state that ‘Uthmān used to complete the prayer after the early stage of his caliphate was understood, as he would do so at Mina in particular. It was said: ‘Uthmān completed the prayer because he wanted to stay in Taif and he later had the opinion that it was not permissible for him to shorten the prayer in Mina, as shortening the prayer, in his view, applied to traveling pilgrims only, whereas residents may not shorten the prayer. And it was said: He completed the four-Rak‘ah prayers in consideration of public interest. This was since the people increased in number, and there would come for Hajj those who did not know the rulings of the religion. So, he feared the ignorant might think the basic rule regarding these prayers is that they consist of two Rak‘ahs; hence, he completed them.
In the Hadīth: Shortening the prayer during travel
And in it: Abandoning the performance of supererogatory prayers during travel
And in it: Demonstrating Ibn ‘Umar's proper understanding of the religion
And in it: The Companions adhered to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and followed in his footsteps..

691
Yahya ibn Yazīd al-Hunā’i reported: I asked Anas ibn Mālik about shortening the prayer, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would pray two Rak‘ahs when he went out on a journey of three miles or three leagues - Shu‘bah was doubtful..

Commentary : Travel is a piece of torment, and it is most likely to involve tiredness and hardship. Hence, Allah Almighty alleviates things for travelers and facilitates the Shar‘i rulings for them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Yahya ibn Yazīd relates: "I asked Anas ibn Mālik about shortening the prayer." He meant: the amount of distance with which prayer is to be shortened. In response, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left Madīnah for a journey of three miles, nearly five kilometers - Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjāj, one of the narrators of this Hadīth, doubted that he said: three leagues, which is 14 km or so - he would shorten the four-Rak‘ah prayers (the Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) and offer them as two Rak‘ahs only. This Hadīth was cited as a proof for shortening the prayer during short-distance travel..

692
Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported: I went out with Shurahbīl ibn as-Simt to a village situated 17 - or 18 - miles away, and he offered two Rak‘ahs. I talked to him (about that) and he said: I saw ‘Umar in Dhul-Hulayfah offer two Rak‘ahs. I talked to him (about that), and he said: "I only do what I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) do.".

Commentary : Travel is a piece of torment, and it is most likely to involve tiredness and hardship. Hence, Allah Almighty alleviates things for travelers and facilitates the Shar‘i rulings for them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Jubayr ibn Nufayr informs that he went out with the Tābi‘i Shurahbīl ibn as-Simt to a village located 17 or 18 miles away, i.e., 27km or 28km away. He shortened the four-Rak‘ah prayer (Zhuhr, ‘Asr, and ‘Ishā’) and performed it as two Rak‘ahs. So, Jubayr ibn Nufayr asked him about the reason for his shortening the prayer. He told him that he saw ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) shorten the prayer in Dhul-Hulayfah to two Rak‘ahs. He asked him about the reason for that, and ‘Umar informed him that he did as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had done, for he would shorten the prayer in Dhul-Hulayfah, while Dhul-Hulayfah is located 6 or 7 miles away from Madīnah, which is approximately nine kilometers.
The Hadīth indicates that prayer may be shortened during short-distance travel..

698
Jābir reported: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey, and rain fell upon us. Thereupon, he said: "Whoever of you wishes may pray in his dwelling.".

Commentary : The Shariah of Islam is tolerant and easy. Manifestations of that include the following: In spite of the significance of the congregational prayer in the mosque, it takes into consideration the circumstances of people at some critical times in which going to the congregational prayer becomes difficult, such as the existence of a storm, rain, fear, etc.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that while the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), rain fell upon them. Rain makes the ground untidy due to mud and other things. So, it was difficult for them to gather for prayer. Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Whoever of you wishes may pray in his Rahl (dwelling)." This was optional, not binding. So, whoever wished to pray in his dwelling did so, and whoever wished to go out for the congregational prayer did so. Rahl is the saddle of the camel. It here refers to the dwelling in which one passes the night during travel. This is part of the Shariah's making easy of things for the Muslims. This dispensation is not limited to travel only, but it also applies to the residents. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he said to his Muezzin on a rainy day: "When you say 'Ashhadu An Lā Ilāh illa Allah; Ashhadu Anna Muhammadan Rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), do not say: 'Hayy ‘ala as-Salāh' (come to prayer); rather, say: 'Pray in your houses.'" He said: The people seemed to have disapproved of that. So, he said: "Are you astonished at that?! Indeed, this was done by he who is better than me. Verily, the Friday prayer is obligatory, and I disliked to put you into hardship and you walk through mud and rain." Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
The Hadīth points out the legitimacy of praying at home and leaving the congregational prayer in case of necessity, because of rain, fear, cold, or the like..

705
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together in Madīnah without being in a state of fear or on a journey. Abu az-Zubayr said: I asked Sa‘īd: Why did he do so? He replied: I asked Ibn ‘Abbās as you asked me, and he said: He did not want to put restrictions upon anyone in his Ummah..

Commentary : Making things easy and lenient for the Muslims was the Prophet's approach, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to take his Ummah out of narrowness to broadness with regard to prayer.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, i.e., he prayed them at the same time, one after the other. His words "in Madīnah" mean that he combined them while being a resident. Then, he said, "without being in a state of fear or on a journey," to point out that combining the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers did not happen due to the dispensation related to fear or travel.
The Tābi‘i Abu az-Zubayr Muhammad ibn Muslim mentioned that he asked the Tābi‘i Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, who narrated the Hadīth from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), about why the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) combined the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together. Responding to him, Sa‘īd said that he posed the same question to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "He did not want to put restrictions upon anyone in his Ummah," i.e., he did so to avoid putting anyone in his Ummah in hardship, thus alleviating things and making them easy for them in case of need. The Hadīth was taken to apply to the case of illness as an excuse. So, if something happens and it requires and calls for that, in rare cases, there is nothing wrong with that, given this Hadīth. However, for this to be something familiar and habitual is not acceptable, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not known to have done so persistently.
There are two ways for combining every two prayers, according to what is conveniently possible: First: Combining the two prayers at the earlier time; i.e., to perform the ‘Asr prayer along with the Zhuhr prayer at the time of Zhuhr, and to perform the ‘Ishā' prayer along with the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib. Second: Combining the two prayers at the latter time; i.e., to perform the Zhuhr prayer along with the ‘Asr prayer at the time of ‘Asr, and to perform the Maghrib prayer along with the ‘Ishā' prayer at the time of ‘Ishā'..

705
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq al-‘Uqayli reported: A man said to Ibn ‘Abbās: "The prayer." He kept silent. He again said: "The prayer." He kept silent. He then said: "The prayer." He still kept silent. Then, he said: "May you be deprived of your mother! Are you teaching us about prayer, and we used to combine two prayers during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?!".

Commentary : The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were extremely keen to apply the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and teach it to those who came after them.
This Hadīth is associated with a certain reason, as related in another version by Muslim; the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reports that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people one day after ‘Asr, till the sun set and the stars became visible. So, a man began to say to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): "The prayer" i.e., he was reminding him of the Maghrib prayer lest its time might pass. Meanwhile, Ibn ‘Abbās kept silent and did not respond to him. The man repeated his reminder three times, and he did not respond to him in either of them. This continued till Ibn ‘Abbās said to him: "May you be deprived of your mother", a phrase the Arabs used to say by way of rebuke and criticism. Ibn ‘Abbās criticized him for his ignorance of the Sunnah of the Prophet and his frequent repetition. And he said: "Are you teaching us about prayer?!" He criticized him for reminding him while he did not forget it; rather, he intentionally delayed it, so as to teach them. Then, Ibn ‘Abbās clarified the reason for his delay of the prayer; that is the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to combine two prayers along with his Companions, performing both of them together. This apparently would happen in case of need. Perhaps Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) was speaking about some matter of concern to the Muslims, and if he had cut it off and prayed, the interest involved in that matter would have been missed. So, he delayed the prayer for a particular need he deemed important. It is related in a version by Muslim that he combined two prayers without being in a state of fear or on a journey. When he was asked about that, he said: "He wanted not to put anyone of his Ummah into hardship" i.e., he only did that to avoid putting anyone of his Ummah into difficulty; thus, he alleviated things and made things easy for them when needed. The Hadīth was taken to apply to the excuse of illness. So, if something happens and calls for that, as a rarity, there is nothing wrong with that, in accordance with this Hadīth. But, for this to be something familiar and usual, this is not permissible, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not known to have done so persistently.
There are two ways to combine two prayers, according to what is conveniently possible: First: Combining two prayers at the time of the earlier one; for example, performing the ‘Asr prayer along with the Zhuhr prayer at the time of Zhuhr, and performing the ‘Ishā’ prayer along with the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib. Second: Combining two prayers at the time of the latter one; for example, performing the Zhuhr prayer along with the ‘Asr prayer at the time of ‘Asr, and performing the Maghrib prayer along with the ‘Ishā’ prayer at the time of ‘Ishā’..

706
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal reported: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the battle of Tabūk, and he would combine the prayers. He performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. And somedays, he delayed the prayer and then came out and performed the Zhuhr and ‘Asr together. Then, he entered and thereafter went out and performed the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. He then said: "You will come to the spring of Tabūk tomorrow, Allah Willing, and you will not reach it until the forenoon. Whoever of you reaches it should not touch anything of its water until I come." We reached it and two men had come there ahead of us. The spring was like a shoelace, providing a thin flow of water. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them: "Did you touch anything of its water?" They said: 'Yes.' Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) scolded them and said to them what Allah willed him to say. Then, they (the people) took water from the spring in their palms little by little until it became somewhat significant. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) washed his hands and face in it and then brought the water back to the spring whereupon the spring gushed forth with streaming water - or he said: abundant water - until the people drank water. Then, he said: "If you live for long, O Mu‘ādh, you will soon see what is here abounding with gardens.".

Commentary : Making things easy and lenient for the Muslims was the Prophet's approach, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to take his Ummah out of narrowness to broadness with regard to all matters. This can only be achieved by following his guidance, obeying him, and complying with his teachings.
In this Hadīth, Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that they went out with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of the battle of Tabūk, which took place in the ninth year after Hijrah. Tabūk is in the northernmost part of the Arabian Peninsula, midway on the road to Damascus, and it lies around 1252 km away from Hejaz. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went out to invade the Romans. During this journey, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would combine every two prayers. He would perform the Zhuhr and ‘Asr prayers together, and the Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ prayers together. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform the ‘Asr prayer at the time of Zhuhr and perform the ‘Ishā’ prayer at the time of Maghrib, in what is called jam‘ taqdīm (combining two prayers at the earlier time). Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that one day the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delayed the Zhuhr prayer to the time of ‘Asr and delayed the Maghrib prayer to the time of ‘Ishā’. This is called jam‘ ta’khīr (combining two prayers at the latter time).
Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "You will come" in this travel and journey of yours; "tomorrow": the following morning; "Allah Willing", it is the Prophet's (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) compliance with the verse that reads: {And never say about anything: "I will surely do this tomorrow," without adding: "if Allah wills."} [Surat al-Kahf: 23-24] "The spring of Tabūk:" It is the well of water after which the area was named. There was a little water gathered in it. "and you will not reach it until the forenoon," i.e., the heat of the daytime grows intense with the coming of the forenoon. "Whoever of you reaches it" and moves faster and comes to it before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) arrives - this is because it was the Prophet's habit to move and travel at the rear of the army - "should not touch anything of its water," be it for drinking or other purposes, and whether it is little or much, until the Prophet's arrival. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) probably feared that if anyone touched the water before his arrival, it would cease to flow, given its little amount. So, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the blessing to appear in the water with his arrival and the water to suffice the entire army.
Then, Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We reached it and two men had arrived there ahead of us." Two Muslim men who were at the front of the army. "The spring:" that which contains water, "was like a shoelace:" the string used for fastening shoes. This indicates the severe shortage of water. "Providing a thin flow of water," i.e., it flows with little and thin water. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked the two men: "Did you touch anything of its water?" They replied in the affirmative. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) scolded them, which means he blamed and censured them. "And said to them what Allah willed him to say," i.e., he blamed them vehemently. And perhaps they were hypocrites and violated the command intentionally, and so their scolding was deserved. It is also probable they were not hypocrites, yet they did not know about the Prophet's prohibition. And it is likely that his scolding of them happened to be misplaced; thus, it constituted mercy and purification for them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said in a Hadīth narrated by Muslim: "O Allah, I have entered into a covenant with You which You will not break. I am only a human being; so, if I have injured, reviled, cursed, or flogged a believer, make that for him a mercy, a purification, and a means by which You will bring him close to You on the Day of Resurrection."
Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) collected some water for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in a vessel after they drew it in their palms. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) washed his hands and face in it and then commanded that the water be brought back to the spring. When they did so, the spring gushed forth with abundant and torrential water, and the people drank and quenched their thirst. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) to come close and hasten - O Mu‘ādh - If Allah Almighty prolongs your life, you will see what is here filled with gardens. 'Gardens:' orchards of palm trees and other plants. The intended meaning is that the place will have plenty of water and its land will become fertile; thus, gardens with a lot of trees and fruits will grow there. This is one of the Prophet's miracles and signs of his prophethood, as this place thereafter became filled with plants and fruits and abounded with life.
In this Hadth: Combining two prayers during travel, whether the traveler is traveling or dwelling
And in it: Two clear miracles for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): the multitude of water, and his foretelling of some incidents of the Unseen.
And in it: The verbal discipline and non-obscene and non-vulgar words or scolding..

708
As-Suddi reported: I asked Anas: "How should I leave after I pray? To my right or to my left?" He said: "As for me, I most often saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his right.".

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi act of worship which we should take and learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). This includes the manner of leaving after finishing the prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān as-Suddi says that he asked the Companion, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him): How should I leave after finishing the prayer, to go back to the place I need to go - to my right or to my left? Replying to him, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he mostly saw the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) turn to the right after finishing the prayer.
In a Hadīth narrated by Ahmad in his "Musnad Collection," ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I saw him leave to his right, and I saw him leave to his left," i.e., he would leave, after finishing the prayer, towards any of the two directions, without restricting departure to one particular direction, whether he turned towards those he led in prayer or headed to leave the mosque.
In the "Two Sahīh Collections", ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one of you should give the devil anything of his prayer, thinking that it is due on him to leave only to his right. Indeed, I often saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his left." So, this matter has much leeway and no restriction.
It was said: that leaving to the right is preferable, but not obligatory, and there is nothing wrong with leaving towards the left side, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did the both. It was also said: that it depends on the need and necessity. If a person, after finishing the prayer, needs to go in a certain direction, he can turn to it, be it right or left..

709
Al-Barā' ibn ‘Āzib reported: When we prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), we would like to be on his right side so that he would turn his face towards us. He said: I heard him say: "My Lord, save me from Your punishment on the day You will resurrect - or gather - Your servants.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge the performance of the congregational prayer in the mosque in the first rows, and the Companions were keen on observing his commands. Some of them were keen on being close to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to learn from him and hear what he had to say.
This Hadīth shows the Companions' keenness to know the Prophet's statements and deeds in every minute detail. Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him) mentions that whenever they prayed in the row behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), they were keen on being on his right side. He clarified the reason for this by saying that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would turn his face towards them, i.e., after making taslīm (the end of prayer), he would turn to the right, facing his Companions. Also, Al-Barā' (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicate after the prayer, saying: "My Lord, save me," i.e., protect me from Your punishment, "on the day You will resurrect - or gather - Your servants," i.e., the Day of Resurrection, for reckoning. This is one of the most sublime supplications that point to the Prophet's fear of Allah Almighty.
In another version by Muslim: "He did not mention: so that he would turn his face towards us." This version indicates the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not persistent in turning to the right side after ending the prayer. In the "Two Sahīh Collections", ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one of you should give the devil anything of his prayer, thinking that it is due on him to leave only to his right. Indeed, I often saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) leave to his left." He would leave, after finishing the prayer, towards any of the two directions, without restricting departure to any particular direction, whether he turned towards those he led in prayer or headed to leave the mosque.
In the Hadīth: Mentioning the Prophet's supplication after the prayer
And in it: Demonstrating the Prophet's fear of his Lord and his persistent supplication to Him.

710
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the iqāmah for prayer is made, there is no prayer but the obligatory one.".

Commentary : Prayer is the mainstay of religion, and its performance is obligatory for every Muslim. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the manner of praying and taught it to the Ummah, and he also taught us the order of prayers and what should be given precedence in case of conflict. The performance of the obligatory prayers takes precedence over offering the supererogatory ones.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) points out that when the muezzin proclaims the iqāmah (the commencement of prayer) in the mosque, no one should embark upon the supererogatory prayer; rather, one should leave it and perform the obligatory prayer. His words "there is no prayer" probably mean that there is no prayer with a complete reward, or that the supererogatory prayer is not valid altogether after the proclamation of the iqāmah for the obligatory prayer; so, one should cut off the supererogatory prayer and perform the obligatory one. It was said: If he was in the first Rak‘ah, he should cut off the prayer. Yet, if he is in the second Rak‘ah, he can complete the prayer in a quick manner. This all applies to those in the mosque, which is the main rule regarding prayer.
In the Hadīth: Prohibiting the performance of the supererogatory prayer if the iqāmah for the obligatory one is proclaimed in the mosque..

712
‘Abdullāh ibn Sarjis reported: A man entered the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in the Morning prayer. He offered two Rak‘ahs in a corner of the mosque and then joined the prayer with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), made taslīm, he said: "O so and so, which one of the two prayers have you counted? Your prayer alone or your prayer with us?!".

Commentary : Performing the prayer in congregation in the mosque is of great significance and subject to particular rulings. When the congregational prayer commences, no one should embark upon another prayer. Rather, the Muslim should join the prayer whose iqāmah has been proclaimed. This is the command and guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn Sarjis (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that a man entered the mosque while the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was leading his Companions in "the Morning prayer", which is the Fajr prayer. Before joining the congregational prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he offered two Rak‘ahs as the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer alone in a corner of the mosque. Then, he entered the congregational prayer along with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). After the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer, he called him - O so and so - and asked him: Which one of the two prayers have you counted as your obligatory prayer, "your prayer alone or your prayer with us?!" Which one have you counted as the obligatory prayer and which one the supererogatory prayer?! These are words of reprimand and rebuke from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for his performance of the supererogatory prayer while the Imām was offering the obligatory prayer. But this does not indicate that any of the two prayers is invalid.
In the Hadth: Evidence that after the iqmah is proclaimed, one should not embark upon a supererogatory prayer, even if he will be able to join the prayer with the Imam..

713
Abu Humayd, or Abu Usayd, reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you enters the mosque, let him say: 'Allahumma iftah li abwāba rahmatik' (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy). And when he leaves, let him say: 'Allahumma inni as’aluka min fadlik' (O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty).".

Commentary : Mosques are the houses of Allah Almighty. They are held sacred in the hearts of the believers, and they are the place where prayers, individual and congregational, are performed, dhikr is observed, and Allah bestows His favor upon His servants by giving them great rewards.
This Hadīth addresses two of the etiquettes related to the mosque, to which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave direction. First: An etiquette related to entering the mosque. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you enters the mosque," i.e., wants to enter it, when he arrives at its door, "let him say: O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy," which encompasses everything. This is an invocation to Allah to cover him with His vast mercy and enable him to perform the righteous deeds that will be a reason for entering through numerous gates of mercy.
Second: An etiquette related to leaving the mosque. He said: "And when he leaves, let him say, O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty" from Your lawful sustenance. This is an invocation to Allah and an acknowledgment that He is the Bestower of great favor upon His servants, the Provider, and the One Who gives out of His vast bounty without limit.
It was said: The reason for mentioning mercy with entering and bounty with leaving is that mercy in the Book of Allah is intended for the blessings related to people's souls and the Hereafter. Allah Almighty says: {But the mercy of your Lord is better than what they accumulate.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 32] Whereas bounty is intended for worldly blessings. Allah Almighty says: {There is no blame upon you for seeking the bounty of your Lord [by trading].} [Surat al-Baqarah: 198] Allah Almighty also says: {When the prayer is over, disperse in the land and seek from the bounty of Allah.} [Surat al-Jumu‘ah: 10] When a person enters the mosque, he seeks closeness to Allah and engages in deeds that bring him near Allah's rewards and Paradise; so, the mention of mercy suits that. And when he leaves the mosque, he seeks sustenance; so, the mention of bounty suits that.
The supplications reported in such situations are intended for giving guidance and taking into account occasions, and they aim at connecting the servant to his Lord in all his conditions and activities, and reminding that Allah Almighty has power over all things and that He likes that His servants ask of Him. Allah Almighty says: {Your Lord says: "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."} [Surat Ghāfir: 60]
In the Hadīth: Urging remembrance of Allah upon entering the mosque and upon leaving it..

715
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on an expedition. As we headed back, I urged my camel to move quickly as it was slow. A rider caught up with me from behind and he goaded my camel with an iron-tipped stick which he had with him. My camel moved forward like the best camel you have ever seen. I turned around and found him to be the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "What makes you in a hurry, O Jābir?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am newly wedded." He said: "Have you married a virgin or a previously married woman?" He said: I said: "A previously married woman." He said: "Why not a young girl so that you could play with her and she could play with you?" He said: Then, when we reached Madīnah and were about to enter, He said: "Wait so that we may enter by night - i.e., in the evening - in order for the one of unkempt hair to comb her hair and the one whose husband has been absent to shave her pubic hair." He said: And he said: "When you enter, then Al-Kays, Al-Kays (copulation; or discernment).".

Commentary : Marriage is part of Fitrah (natural disposition) and one of the immutable laws of Allah in this world, and it serves many Shar‘i interests. Our pure Shariah devoted attention to this Fitrah and urged and encouraged it. It directed us to the right way of choosing and the means for preserving this sublime blessing, through good manners and an amicable relationship between a man and his wife.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that they were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on an expedition outside Madīnah. It is said: This happened during the Conquest of Makkah, as they were returning from Makkah to Madīnah. On their way back to Madīnah, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) was in a hurry and quickened the pace of driving his camel, which was slow. Someone caught up with him from behind and goaded his camel, i.e., he struck it at the rear to hasten its pace, "with an iron-tipped stick which he had with him." That is a stick that resembles a spear. The camel hastened its pace and moved vigorously "like the best camels you have ever seen" i.e., like the best and fastest camels you ever see. Jābir turned his head around to see who goaded his camel and hastened its pace and found him to be the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about the reason for his being in haste and quickening his pace. In reply to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he said that he was "newly wedded" i.e., he got married a short while ago. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him whether he had married a virgin, who did not marry before, or a previously married woman. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he married a previously married woman, not a virgin. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Why not a young girl"; this means a virgin. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was encouraging him to marry virgins. "so that you could play with her and she could play with you?" i.e., you have fun with her, and she has fun with you, and you fondle her, and she fondles you. Indeed, a previously married woman may feel attached to her former husband, unlike a young girl who did not marry before; her heart usually gets attached to her first husband. So, she actively cares about him and seeks to make him happy - in addition to other traits for which virgins are known and by which they surpass previously married women. In the Two Sahīh Collections: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, my father died - or he was martyred - and I have small sisters. So, I disliked that I should marry someone like them and she would not be able to discipline them and look after them. Therefore, I have married a previously married woman so that she would be able to look after them and discipline them." The version by Muslim has this addition: "May Allah bless you; or he said something good to me."
Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that when they returned to Madīnah, they hastened to enter and go to their families. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wait" i.e., be patient and wait, and do not go to your families, "so that we may enter by night, i.e., in the evening" i.e., after the ‘Ishā’ prayer. He clarified the reason for the delay, saying: "in order for the one of unkempt hair to comb her hair" i.e., to prune and beautify the hair of her head. "the one of unkempt hair" is one whose hair became untidy and ugly in appearance. "and the one whose husband has been absent to shave her pubic hair"; using the razor blade to remove the pubic hair. "and the one whose husband has been absent" is called Al-Mughībah in Arabic. The intended meaning is that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prevented them from hastening to go to their families and commanded them to wait till the night, so as to give their women an opportunity to get prepared for them, tidy their appearances and hair, beautify themselves, and be ready to receive them. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: "When you enter" i.e., when you go to your wife; "then Al-Kays, Al-Kays." It is said: It means copulation. So, he seemed to have encouraged him to engage in copulation. And it is said: Rather, he meant something more specific than that, namely the child. So, he seemed to have encouraged him to have a child. It is also said: It refers to reason and forbearance. So, it is as if he was saying to him: Be rational and forbearing when you go to your wife and be considerate of her condition in terms of purity and menstruation.
The Hadīth highlights the Prophet's amicable relationship with his Companions and that he was interested in their affairs and used to check on them.
It points out the merit of marrying a virgin.
It also shows the merit of Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), as he went out for Jihad while he had been newly wedded.
The Hadīth demonstrates some of the etiquettes to be observed by one who returns from battle and travel..

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Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh reported: that he was traveling on a camel of his, which had become exhausted; so, he intended to let it go free. He said: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) followed me, made supplication for me, and struck it. Thereupon, it went in a way that it had never done before. He said: "Sell it to me for one ’Uqiya." I replied: 'No.' He again said: "Sell it to me." So, I sold it to him for one ’Uqiya. However, I stipulated that I should be allowed to ride it home. Then, when I reached (home), I took the camel to him, and he paid me its price in cash. Then, I went back, and he sent someone after me. He said: "Do you think that I bargained with you to take your camel? Take your camel and your money; it is yours.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to be aware of the conditions of his Companions in terms of richness and poverty and opulence and straits. He would probably make up some scenarios with them to give them without causing them to lose face.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that he was riding a camel of his, which had become exhausted and weak, during travel. It was said that this occurred during the Conquest of Makkah and that they were returning from Makkah to Madīnah. He wanted to release it in the desert. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) caught up with him, supplicated for him, and struck the camel. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the camel became strong and fast after the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) struck it, and it walked in a way like never before. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked Jābir to sell the camel to him for one ’Uqiya of silver, which is worth 40 Dirhams or approximately 201 grams. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) refused to sell it to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Yet, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) repeated his offer, to which Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) agreed, and he set a condition to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) that he should not take the camel before arriving in Madīnah and let Jābir ride it until he reached there. When they reached Madīnah, Jābir went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) with the camel. Upon receiving the camel, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him its price in cash. As Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) returned, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent someone after him to call him back. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Do you think that I bargained with you to take your camel?!" Bargaining: It is to negotiate a transaction with the aim of reducing the price. The meaning: Do you think that I negotiated with you about your camel so as to take it from you?! "Take your camel and your money; it is yours." It is as if the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to say to him: I only intended to find a reason to give you money. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) was taking care of his sisters after the death of his father in the battle of ’Uhud. This shows the Prophet's care about the conditions of his Companions.
In the Hadīth: It is legitimate to ask to buy some commodity even if its owner does not offer it for sale and to bargain about the price.
And in it: Stipulating a certain benefit related to the sold object
And in it: Cash payment of the price should be made upon receiving the commodity.
And in it: It is legitimate to sell a camel with the exception of its riding.
And in it: Demonstrating that if a sale is made with a condition that does not contradict the purpose of the contract, the sale and the condition are valid..