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Hadith
337
It was narrated that ‘Umayr, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, said: ‘Abdullah ibn Yasar, the freed slave of Maymunah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), went to visit Abu Juhaym ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari. Abul Juhaym al-Ansari said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came from the direction of Bi’r Jamal and was met by a man who greeted him with salaam, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not return the greeting until he turned to the wall and wiped his face and hands, then he returned the greeting..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship. So if a Muslim is not in a state of purity, and cannot find water, but he wants to mention the name of Allah (may He be exalted), then he may do tayammum before mentioning Him, as is indicated by this hadith. Abu Juhaym ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah al-Ansari narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came from the direction of Bi’r Jamal – which is a place near Madinah – he was met by a man who greeted him with salaam, but he did not return the greeting until he turned to a wall, patted it with his hands, and wiped his face and hands, then he returned the man’s greeting. That was because al-Salaam is one of the names of Allah (may He be exalted), so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to mention the name of Allah when he was in a state of purity. Hence he did tayammum, then he returned the man’s greeting.
This hadith indicates that tayammum may be done for supererogatory actions and virtuous deeds, and not only for obligatory deeds.
It indicates that tayammum may be done when not travelling, if there is no water available, or if one is not able to use it.
It indicates that tayammum consists of patting the dust once to wipe the face and hands..

338
It was narrated that ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abza said: A man came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and said: I became junub and could not find any water. ‘Ammar ibn Yasir said to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab: Do you not remember when we were on a journey, you and I? As for you, you did not pray; as for me, I rolled in the dust and prayed. I mentioned that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) patted the ground with his hands and blew onto them, then he wiped his face and hands with them..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it removes impurity (hadath) and makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abza narrates that a man from the desert – as mentioned in the report of ‘Abdul Razzaq – came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him that he had become junub, but he could not find any water with which to do ghusl to cleanse himself from janabah. The word janabah refers to anyone who emits maniy (semen) or has intercourse; it is so called because he must avoid (ijtinab) prayer and other acts of worship until he has purified himself from it.
The response of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), according to a report narrated by Muslim, was to say: Do not pray. He told him not to pray until he could find water. According to a version narrated by Abu Dawud, he said: As for me, I would not pray until I could find water. It is as if ‘Umar thought that he should not pray until he found water with which to purify himself, then he could pray. At this point, ‘Ammar ibn Yasir reminded ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them) of something that had happened to both of them, as he said: O Commander of the Faithful, do you not remember when you and I were on a journey? According to a report narrated by Muslim, he said: …and we became junub. They both became junub whilst they were on a journey, and they could not find any water. As for ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he refrained from praying, because he expected to reach water before the time for the prayer ended, or because he believed that tayammum was only valid in the case of minor impurity, not major impurity (janabah). As for ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), he drew an analogy between major impurity and minor impurity, and therefore he rolled in the dust in order to remove the major impurity. It is as if, because he believed that tayammum could be an alternative for wudu’ and it is done in a similar manner to it, he thought that tayammum could also be done in a manner similar to ghusl. Then he prayed after that. When he returned to Madinah, he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this,” then he patted the ground with his hands and blew onto them, to reduce the dust, then he wiped his face and hands with them. Thus he taught him how to do tayammum, and he taught him that it is valid for both major impurity (janabah) and minor impurity.
In this hadith, we see that the Sahabah strove to work out issues (ijtihad) at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that making analogies (qiyas) is valid..

347
It was narrated that Shaqiq said: I was sitting with ‘Abdullah and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, when Abu Musa said to him: What if a man becomes junub and cannot find water for a month; would he not do tayammum and pray? Then how do you understand this verse in Surat al-Ma’idah, {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth…} [al-Ma’idah 5:6]? ‘Abdullah said: If that concession was granted to them, then you would most likely see them, every time they found the water to be cold, seeking clean earth [to do tayammum]. I said: So you dislike it for that reason? He said: Yes. Abu Musa said: Did you not hear what ‘Ammar said to ‘Umar? [He said:] The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me on an errand, and I became junub but could not find any water, so I rolled in the dust as an animal does. I mentioned that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) patted the ground with his hands once, then he shook them [to remove excess dust], then he wiped the back of his [right] hand with the palm of his left hand, or the back of his left hand with the palm of his [right] left, then he wiped his face with them. ‘Abdullah said: Did you not see that ‘Umar was not convinced by what ‘Ammar said? Ya‘la added, narrating from al-A‘mash, from Shaqiq: I was with ‘Abdullah and Abu Musa, and Abu Musa said: Did you not hear what ‘Ammar said to ‘Umar? [He said:] The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent me and you, and I became junub and rolled in the dust. Then we came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and told him about that, and he said: “It would have been sufficient for you to do like this.” And he wiped his face and hands once..

Commentary : Tayammum is a concession that Allah (may He be exalted) has prescribed for His slaves when water is not available or it is not possible to use it, so as to make things easy for them, as it removes impurity (hadath) and makes it permissible to offer the prayer and do other acts of worship.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that in the beginning, tayammum was an alternative to wudu’ only, not to ghusl. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Shaqiq ibn Salamah reports the discussion that took place between ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud and Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with them both) about this matter, as Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said to ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him): What if a man becomes junub and cannot find water for a month; would he not do tayammum and pray? Abu Musa objected to the view of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) which said that tayammum cannot be done in the case of janabah, and a person in this situation cannot pray until he finds water. Then he [Abu Musa] quoted as evidence [to refute the view of Ibn Mas‘ud] the verse in which Allah (may He be exalted) says: {[But if you] do not find water, then seek clean earth…} [al-Ma’idah 5:6] ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to him by saying that if people were granted a concession allowing them to do tayammum in this case, then people would most likely, every time they found the water to be cold, seek clean earth [to do tayammum] and they would stop washing with water. Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) suggested that if we go along with the view that it is permissible for the one who is junub to do tayammum, that might open the door to being too heedless with regard to tayammum, so everyone who found the water cold would do tayammum [instead of ghusl]. Thus he wanted to prevent people from resorting to it for trivial reasons, by preventing them from doing tayammum to cleanse themselves from janabah instead of doing ghusl. But Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted the hadith of ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent him on an errand, and that during this journey he became junub, so he rolled in the dust like an animal. According to a report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was with ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he also became junub, but he refrained from doing tayammum and decided not to pray until he was able to find water. Then when ‘Ammar returned, he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about that, and that he had rolled in the dust with the intention of doing tayammum to cleanse himself of janabah. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him how to do tayammum, which is to pat the dust with both hands, then blow on them to reduce the dust, then wipe the hands and face with them. This proves that it is valid for one who is junub to do tayammum. Thus ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud disagreed with Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with them both), and said to him: Did you not see that ‘Umar was not convinced of what ‘Ammar said? Here he was referring to when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) did not remember that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said this to ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) when ‘Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him about this incident. It was as if ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) was using ‘Umar’s view as evidence to prove that tayammum was not valid in the case of janabah and major impurity.
This hadith highlights the fact that the Sahabah used to discuss issues of knowledge and quote as evidence the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and sound analogies to both. .

350
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah the Mother of the Believers said: When Allah first enjoined the prayer, each prayer was two rak’ahs, whether one was at home or travelling. Then the prayer when travelling was confirmed and remained as it was, and the prayer when not travelling was increased..

Commentary : The revelation came down to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gradually. By the wisdom of Allah (may He be exalted), some rulings were abrogated. This gradual approach was done to achieve some purposes, or to make things easy, or for other reasons.
In this report, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that in the beginning, before the Mi‘raj, all the prayers consisted of two rak‘ahs, whether one was at home or travelling. After that, the five daily prayers were enjoined, then obligatory prayers that were offered when not travelling were increased; Zuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Isha were increased to four rak‘ahs when not travelling, after having been two. Fajr, however, remained as two rak‘ahs because of the lengthy recitation in it; and Maghrib became three rak‘ahs, because it is the Witr of the day. Prayer offered when travelling remained two rak‘ahs, as it had been originally, except for Maghrib, which cannot be shortened.
It was said that after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reached Madinah and settled there, prayer offered when travelling was made lighter with the revelation of the verse, {And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you. Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy} [al-Nisa’ 4:101]. Thus we may say that when they said that prayer when travelling remained as it was, the Arabic phrase may be understood as meaning that the prayer when travelling ended up lighter and did not continue to be the same as it was initially enjoined..

355
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying in a single garment in the house of Umm Salamah, with the ends of it wrapped over his shoulders..

Commentary : One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Islamic religion is that it makes things easy for people. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has not enjoined anything but that which is easy to apply. One example of that is making it easy to do acts of worship. In this hadith, ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah – the stepson of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was the son of Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – narrates that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying in a single garment in the house of Umm Salamah, with the ends of it wrapped on his shoulders. The word translated here as shoulder refers to the place where the shoulder meets the side of the neck and it is the place where the garment is placed on both sides. What that means is that he put the right edge of his garment on his left shoulder and the left edge of his garment on his right shoulder, then he tied the two ends over his chest, which is known as ishtimal; it is done to prevent the garment from falling and uncovering the ‘awrah. This ruling applies to one who only owns one garment, if the garment is big enough for that and can cover the entire body. But if the garment is narrow or small, then the individual should pray with it wrapped around his waist to cover his ‘awrah and the lower half of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari..

357
It was narrated from Abul Nadr the freed slave of ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaydillah, that Abu Murrah, the freed slave of Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib told him that he heard Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib say: I went to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during the year of the conquest [of Makkah], and I found him doing ghusl, with his daughter Fatimah screening him. I greeted him with salaam, and he said: “Who is that?” I said: I am Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib. He said: “Welcome, Umm Hani’!” When he had finished his ghusl, he stood and prayed eight rak‘ahs, wrapped in a single garment. Then when he had finished, I said: O Messenger of Allah, The son of my mother is saying that he is going to kill a man to whom I have offered my protection, So-and-so the son of Hubayrah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “We grant protection to whomever you grant protection to, O Umm Hani’.” Umm Hani’ said: That happened at midmorning..

Commentary : Offering protection is a promise that one of the Muslims may give to a disbeliever, according to which that person becomes safe on the basis of that promise, and his life and property are protected.
In this hadith, Umm Hani’ bint Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with her) – who was a paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – narrates that she went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during the year of the conquest [of Makkah], which occurred in 8 AH. According to a report in Sahih al-Bukhari, that happened at midmorning; midmorning (duha) extends from the time when the sun has risen to the height of a spear until just before Zuhr. That happened in her house, as is stated in a report narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari. She found him doing ghusl, with his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) shielding him from view, so that he would not be seen. She greeted him with salaam, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, so she told him that she was Umm Hani’, whereupon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed her.
Then she narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had finished his ghusl, he prayed eight rak‘ahs, wrapped in a single garment. The way in which that garment was worn was that he placed the right edge of the garment on his left shoulder, and placed the left edge of it on his right shoulder, then tied the two ends over his chest. This is what is called ishtimal, and it is done to make the garment more secure in covering the ‘awrah.
When he finished his prayer, she said to him: The son of my mother – meaning ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib – is threatening that he is going to kill a man to whom I have granted protection. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “We grant protection to whomever you grant protection to.” Umm Hani’ said: That happened at midmorning.
This hadith indicates that a woman may grant protection to a polytheist (mushrik).
It highlights the good manners of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how he upheld the ties of kinship, how he spoke kind words, was of a gentle nature, and welcomed visitors warmly.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to offer the Duha prayer..

358
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not aim to offer your prayer when the sun is rising or setting.”.

Commentary : There are specific times for the five daily obligatory prayers. With regard to supererogatory and voluntary prayers, it is permissible to offer them at any time, apart from the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade praying at certain times, which include what is mentioned in this hadith, namely the time when the sun is rising and the time when it is setting. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not aim to offer your prayer when the sun is rising or setting.” In other words, do not seek out these two times to pray. The reason for that – as mentioned in other reports – is that the sun rises between the two sides of the head of a devil, or the side of the head of the Shaytan rises with it, and because some of the disbelievers used to prostrate to the sun and pray to it at these two times. Therefore it is prohibited to pray at these two times, in order to differ from these disbelievers.
This prohibition is understood to refer to voluntary prayers at these times. In the case of one who has an excuse for not having caught up with the obligatory prayer at the beginning of its time, he may pray at the end of its time and catch up with the prayer before the sun rises and before it sets, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “Whoever catches up with one rak‘ah of Fajr before the sun rises has caught up with Fajr.” Or it may be that the prohibition is on praying deliberately at the time of sunrise or sunset. However, if it is not done deliberately – as in the case of one who wakes up or remembers after having forgotten – he may pray (at those times) and there is no blame on him..

358
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that someone asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about praying in a single garment. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?”.

Commentary : One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Islamic religion is that it makes things easy for people. Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has not enjoined anything but that which is easy to apply.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah narrates that someone came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about the ruling on praying in a single garment: was that permissible and valid, or not? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave a response which implied the answer and gave a fatwa, as he said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” This was a question which indicated that he found the first question somewhat odd, for if not everyone among you can afford two garments, and the prayer is obligatory, then it should be valid to pray in a single garment so long as it covers the ‘awrah, because this is a religion of ease and Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear. At the beginning of Islam, the Sahabah were extremely poor, and perhaps they could only afford one garment, which they would use in various ways for various purposes, including prayer. When Allah enabled the Muslims to make conquests, they prayed in two garments, a rida’ (upper garment) and izar (lower garment), so that this would be more covering for the body and the ‘awrah, and it would be more appropriate for the one who was standing in prayer, in addition to improving his appearance when standing before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

359
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one of you should pray in a single garment of which nothing is on his shoulders.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible. This hadith includes the Prophet’s instructions not to pray in a single garment, leaving the shoulders bare, in such a manner that nothing is placed over them to cover them. The word translated here as shoulder refers to the place where the shoulder meets the neck. That is because, even though the shoulder is not ‘awrah, covering it will make the covering of the ‘awrah more secure, because if a man wraps his garment around his waist with nothing on his shoulders, there is no guarantee that his ‘awrah will not become uncovered. This is in contrast to the situation when he puts part of it on his shoulders. This is more respectful before Allah (may He be exalted).
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in a single garment, if the garment is loose and wide enough to do that. But if it is narrow or small, then the individual may pray with it wrapped around his waist, to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah in Sahih al-Bukhari..

360
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Whoever prays in a single garment, let him put each end of it on the opposite shoulder.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoins the one who prays and only has one garment to put each end of it on the opposite shoulder, by placing the right edge over his left shoulder and the left edge over his right shoulder, to make the garment cover his entire body and thus take the place of both the rida’ and izar. The benefit of putting the ends of the garment on opposite shoulders is that the worshipper will not be looking at his own ‘awrah when he bows, and his garment will not fall open when moving between the postures of the prayer.
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in a single garment, if the garment is loose and wide enough to do that. But if it is narrow or small, then the individual may pray with it wrapped around his waist, to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as is mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah in Sahih al-Bukhari..

361
It was narrated that Sa‘id ibn al-Harith said: We asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah about praying in a single garment, and he said: I went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys. I came to him at night for some reason, and I found him praying. I was wearing a single garment, so I wrapped myself in it and prayed beside him. When he finished he said: “What brought you here at night, O Jabir?” I told him what I needed, and when I had finished speaking, he said: “What is this wrapping that I see?” I said: The garment is narrow. He said: “If it is wide, then wrap yourself with it, and if it is narrow, then wrap it around your waist.”.

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Sa‘id ibn al-Harith narrates that they asked Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the ruling on praying in a single garment, and Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) responded by telling them what happened to him with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), when he went out with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on one of his journeys. That was the campaign of Buwat – as was specified in Sahih Muslim. Buwat is the mountains of Juhaynah; between Buwat and Madinah there is a distance of approximately 36 miles. This campaign was one of the first campaigns of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Jabir went by night for some purpose, and he found the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) standing in prayer. Jabir was wearing a single garment, so he wrapped it around himself because it was narrow, and he put its edges on his shoulders, and prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished praying, he asked Jabir why he had come at night; he only asked him that because he knew that what had made him come at night was a serious matter. So Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) told him what he needed, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What is this wrapping that I see?” This is a question which reflected disapproval; the reason why he did not approve was that the garment was narrow, and Jabir had put its ends on opposite shoulders; so it was as if when he put its ends on opposite shoulders, the garment was no longer covering him properly. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) replied by telling him that he was wearing a single garment that was narrow, so he had wrapped himself in it. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him that the time to wrap oneself in that manner was when the garment was wide enough, in which case he could wrap himself in it by using one end as an izar and the other end as a rida’. But if the garment was narrow, then it would be sufficient to wrap it around his waist, because the aim is to cover the ‘awrah, which may be achieved by wrapping it around the waist only, if it is small and narrow..

362
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: Some men were praying with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), with their izars tied on their shoulders, like children, and it was said to the women: Do not raise your heads [from prostration] until the men have sat up completely..

Commentary : Some of the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were so poor and needy that they did not own more than one garment with which to wrap themselves and cover both the upper and lower parts of their bodies whilst praying. The basic principle concerning the izar is that it is used to cover the lower part of the body, but they were wrapping it around their shoulders, to serve as both a rida’ and an izar, covering the entire body as small children used to do at that time.
This is indicative of how Islam makes it easy to pray in one garment when necessary, if the garment is large enough to do that. But if it is too narrow or small, then the individual should pray with it wrapped around his waist, so as to cover his ‘awrah and the lower part of his body, as mentioned in the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari.
It was said to the women: Do not raise your heads [from prostration] until you are certain that the men have sat up completely after rising from prostration. That was to prevent them seeing the ‘awrahs of the men, if they raised their heads from prostration before them. That was because the women stood behind the men, and the men’s ‘awrahs might become uncovered as they were standing up. Therefore the women were prohibited to raise their heads too soon, for that reason.
This hadith indicates that the garments of those men were short and might uncover their ‘awrahs.
It also highlights the fact that averting the gaze and avoiding looking at ‘awrahs is more emphasized in the case of prayer..

363
It was narrated that Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah said: I was with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and he said: “O Mughirah, pick up the vessel.” So I picked it up, then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out, until he disappeared from my view and relieved himself. He was wearing a Syrian jubbah, and he went to bring his arm out from its sleeve, but it was too narrow, so he brought his arm out from beneath the garment, and I poured water for him and he did wudu’ as for prayer and wiped over his khuffs, then he prayed..

Commentary : Al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) was with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during a journey on one of his campaigns, which was the campaign to Tabuk in 9 AH. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed him to pick up “the vessel” – the vessel in question was a small vessel that was used for carrying water for wudu’ and the like. So al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) picked it up, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out until he had moved away from al-Mughirah and disappeared from his sight. Then he relieved himself, urinating or defecating. He was wearing a jubbah that had been woven in Syria. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tried to bring his arm out of the sleeve, but he could not do that, because it was too narrow. So he brought his arm out from beneath the jubbah so that he would be able to wash it in wudu’, and he lifted the jubbah up onto his shoulders; the word translated here as shoulder refers to the point where the arm meets the shoulder. Al-Mughirah poured water for him, and he did wudu’ as prescribed for prayer, and wiped over his khuffs. The khuff is a kind of footwear made of leather, which covers the foot. It is usually worn for warmth. He wiped over his khuffs because he had put them on his feet when he was in a state of purity, so he availed himself of the concession allowing one to wipe over the khuffs without taking them off. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.
The Sunnah explains that wiping over the khuffs may be done for one day and night for one who is not travelling, and for three days and nights for one who is travelling.
This hadith indicates that one may pray in clothes that were made by the polytheists, because there were Christians in Syria.
It also indicates that it is valid to wipe over the khuffs..

364
It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn Dinar said: I heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah narrating that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was moving stones with them for [the rebuilding of] the Kaaba. He was wearing his izar, and his uncle al-‘Abbas said to him: O son of my brother, if you undo your izar and put it on your shoulders, it will protect you from the stones. So he undid it and placed it on his shoulders, then he fainted. And he was never seen in a state of undress after that, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him..

Commentary : Allah (may He be exalted) cared for His Prophet from childhood and before He sent him with His message; He protected him from anything shameful or inappropriate. One example of this divine care is mentioned in this hadith, in which Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was moving the stones to rebuild the Kaaba with his people, when Quraysh wanted to rebuild it. That was some time before his mission began. It was said that at that time he was fifteen years old. Whilst he was carrying the stones, he was wearing his izar, which is a garment that is worn to cover the lower part of the body. His uncle al-‘Abbas said to him: If you undo your izar and put it on your shoulders, making it a barrier between the skin and the rocks, it will be less painful and less tiring for you to carry the stones. The word translated here as shoulder refers to where the top of the arm meets the shoulder. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that. Then he fainted, because his ‘awrah had become uncovered, for he had a natural inclination towards the best of manners and attitudes, and was created with a complete sense of modesty and shyness, and fainting was more covering for him. This is an example of Allah’s care for His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and of His guiding him to follow the best manners and attitudes. From that time on, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was never seen in a state of undress with his ‘awrah uncovered.
It was also said that he fainted because of something he saw behind him, or because of a caller who called out to him to alert him to his being in a state of undress. In al-Sahihayn it says: He fell to the ground and his eyes rolled up, then he woke up and said: “My izar, my izar!” Then he tied his izar on firmly..

365
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A man went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about praying in a single garment. He said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” Then a man asked ‘Umar [a similar question] and he said: If Allah has enabled you to afford it, then cover yourselves properly; a man may wear whatever he has of garments. A man may pray in an izar and rida’, or in an izar and chemise, or in an izar and a qaba’, or in a sirwal and a rida’, or in a sirwal and a chemise, or in a sirwal and a qaba’, or in a short sirwal and a qaba’, or in a tubban and a chemise. And I think he said: in a tubban and a rida’..

Commentary : Prayer is an act of worship that nourishes the soul. In the prayer, the individual stands before his Lord, and he should cover his body and his ‘awrah, presenting himself in a manner that is appropriate to standing before Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained what is permissible when praying and what is not permissible.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him about praying in a single garment: was that permissible and valid, or not? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave a response which implied the answer and gave a fatwa, as he said: “Does everyone among you have two garments?” This was a question which indicated that he found the question somewhat odd, for if not everyone among you can afford two garments, and the prayer is obligatory, then it should be valid to pray in a single garment so long as it covers the ‘awrah, because this is a religion of ease and Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.
Then a man asked ‘Umar about praying in a single garment. That occurred during the caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). It seems that they differed concerning that matter, so they asked the caliph about it, and he said: If Allah has enabled you to afford it, then cover yourselves properly. Here he was urging people to let the blessings of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) be seen clearly. This indicates that a single garment is sufficient, but anything in addition to that is better. Then ‘Umar said: A man may wear whatever he has of garments. A man may pray in an izar and rida’… What is meant is: let him put on his garments and pray in them. So a man may pray in an izar and rida’; the izar is the garment that covers the lower part of the body, and the rida’ covers the upper part. Or he may pray in an izar and a chemise, which refers to a garment with sleeves and pockets that is shaped to fit the body, and is put on and taken off over the head. It is like the thobe that people wear nowadays. Or he may pray in an izar and qaba’; the qaba’ is a garment with narrow sleeves and a narrow middle, and a slit at the back. Or he may pray in a sirwal (loose trousers) and a rida’; or in a sirwal and a chemise; or in a sirwal and a qaba’; or in a tubban and a qaba’; or in a tubban and a chemise. Sirwal refers to trousers that cover the body from the navel to the knees, or to the feet. Tubban refers to something that is like the sirwal except that it has no legs; it covers the most private part of the ‘awrah only. These nine types of clothing are listed with a conjunction, because ‘Umar said that by way of listing options. It is as if he was saying: if a man puts on whatever he has of garments, that is good enough, then he explained what garments may go together.
This hadith indicates that praying in two garments is better, even though it is permissible to pray in one garment.
It indicates that the matter of what garments may be worn when praying is easy and broad in scope, and that it may vary according to what one is able to afford, without falling short with regard to covering the ‘awrah..

715
Jābir reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that a man should come to his wife by night doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses. [In another version]: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have disliked that a man should come to his wife by night; however, he did not mention doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set the most remarkable example of good manners and kind treatment between a man and his wife. He taught husbands how to treat their wives and build their marital relationship upon mutual trust and avoidance of lethal jealousy or mistrust that ruins their life.
In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that a man returning from a journey should come to his wife by night. He then clarified the reason for the prohibition, saying: "doubting her fidelity or trying to find her lapses," i.e., thinking she is unfaithful or exposing her secret as to whether she has committed infidelity or not. So, it is disliked for a man who has been on a long journey to unexpectedly return to his wife by night. Yet, if he is on a short journey and his wife expects his return by night, there is nothing wrong with that.
In [the Two Sahīh Collections]: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not come to his family by night. He used to come to them in the early morning or in the evening. He would not come to his family if he returned from travel by night. Rather, he would come to them in the early morning, which extends from the Fajr prayer to the sunrise, or in the evening, which extends from noon - the time of the Zhuhr prayer - to sunset. This is because when a man comes to his wife by night, he takes her by surprise and she may not be ready to receive her husband, who has been away from her for a period of time. So, it is appropriate for him not to come to her unexpectedly at night.
In the Hadīth: Forbidding that a man should spy on his wife or come to her unexpectedly by night after return from travel
And in it: Urging pursuit of the means that bring cordiality and love between the two spouses
And in it: Exhorting the avoidance of such things that entail mistrust of the Muslim.

717
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I said to ‘Ā'ishah: "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform the Duha (forenoon) prayer?" She said: "No, unless he came back from his absence.".

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi (determined) act of worship that must be taken from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He taught the Ummah the obligatory prayers as well as the regular and non-regular supererogatory prayers. He also taught the Ummah various kinds of prayers at certain times. One of these is the Duha (forenoon) prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq says that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Was it a habit of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to perform the Duha prayer? The Duha prayer, also called the Duha Subha, is to be performed after the sun rises and goes as high as the length of a spear - that is nearly 15 minutes after sunshine - and its time ends shortly before noon. In reply, she said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not use to offer the Duha prayer, except when he came from his absence, i.e., from travel. This is because he forbade that a man should come to his wife by night after returning from travel. So, he would come in the early morning and go first to the mosque, where he would pray at the time of Duha (forenoon).
In a version by Muslim, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs and add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed. The negation is probably intended as the negation of her knowledge of the matter, and the affirmation is made for a reason, namely the return from travel. So, there is no contradiction between the two Hadīths.
The minimum of the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs. In the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "My close friend (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to do three things: fast three days of every month, perform the two Rak‘ahs of Duha (forenoon), and perform the Witr prayer before I go to sleep." And he would add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed, as mentioned above..

719
Mu‘ādhah reported: that she asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "How many Rak‘ahs did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform in the Duha prayer?" She said: "Four Rak‘ahs, and he would add as many Rak‘ahs as he willed. [In a version]: He would add as many Rak‘ahs as Allah willed..

Commentary : Prayer is a tawqīfi (determined) act of worship that must be taken from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He taught the Ummah the obligatory prayers as well as the regular and non-regular supererogatory prayers. He also taught the Ummah various kinds of prayers at certain times. One of these is the Duha prayer.
In this Hadīth, Mu‘ādhah bint ‘Abdullāh al-‘Adawiyyah relates that she asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "How many Rak‘ahs did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to perform in the Duha prayer?" The Duha prayer, also called the Duha Subha, is one of the supererogatory prayers to be performed during daytime, and it is to be prayed after the sun rises and goes as high as the length of a spear - that is nearly 15 minutes after sunshine - and its time ends shortly before the noon. Answering her question, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs, i.e., he was persistent in offering it as four Rak‘ahs: in two Rak‘ahs, as it is well known with regard to the supererogatory prayers. "And he would add as many Rak‘ahs as Allah willed," i.e., without limit.
In another version by Muslim in his Sahīh Collection, ‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not use to perform the Duha prayer, unless he came back from his absence, i.e., from travel. The negation is probably intended as the negation of her knowledge of the matter, and the affirmation is made for a reason, namely the return from travel. So, there is no contradiction between the two Hadīths.
The minimum of the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs. In the Two Sahīh Collections, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My close friend (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to do three things: to fast three days each month, perform the two Rak‘ahs of Duha, and perform the Witr prayer before I sleep.".

720
Abu Dharr reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every morning charity is due for every joint bone in the body of every one of you. Every Tasbīh (glorification of Allah) is an act of charity; every Tahmīd (praise of Allah) is an act of charity; every Tahlīl (proclamation of Allah's oneness) is an act of charity; and every Takbīr is an act of charity; and enjoining Ma‘rūf (what is good) is an act of charity and forbidding Munkar (what is evil) is an act of charity; and two Rak‘ahs which one offers in the forenoon will suffice for all that.".

Commentary : Allah rendered all the types of goodness a person does to himself as an act of worship and to others of kindness - as part of the charities of the body and its good health and well-being.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Every morning charity is due for every joint bone" i.e., for all the organs and joints of the body. Sulāma, in Arabic, originally refers to the bones of fingers, hands, and legs, and then it was later used to refer to all the body parts. So, every morning, a person is required to give charity for every organ of his body, in gratitude to Allah Almighty for His great favors. Indeed, the structure of bones and their joints is one of the great favors Allah has bestowed upon His servants. Hence, each bone requires a charity to be given by the person for it, as gratitude for this blessing. Charity here is intended as something recommended and encouraged, not obligatory or binding, for it is sufficient as gratitude for these favors to perform the obligations and shun the prohibitions. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guides to some acts of piety which a person may perform as charity for his joints. "Every Tasbīh" (glorification of Allah) - saying: Subhān Allah (glory be to Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "every Tahmīd" (praise of Allah) - saying: Al-Hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "every Tahlīl" (proclamation of Allah's oneness) - saying: Lā Ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) - "is an act of charity"; "and every Takbīr" - saying: Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) - "is an act of charity"; "and enjoining Ma‘rūf (what is good) is an act of charity and forbidding Munkar (what is evil) is an act of charity." Likewise, all other forms of Dhikr and worship are charities for oneself. Ma‘rūf: It is a term that comprises all what is known to be a form of obedience to Allah Almighty and benevolence to people. Munkar: It refers to all offensive deeds and words that lead to disobedience to Allah Almighty; and it is a term that comprises all forms of evil. So, if anyone performs the mentioned acts of goodness and the like, it should be equal in number to the 360 joints.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that "two Rak‘ahs which one offers in the forenoon" are sufficient in place of all that, for prayer is an act that is done by all the body parts and it includes all the mentioned charities and others. This demonstrates the great merit of the Duha prayer. The time of the Duha prayer starts 15 minutes after sunrise and extends to also 15 minutes before soon. The minimum in the Duha prayer is two Rak‘ahs, and the maximum is eight Rak‘ahs, as related in a Hadīth in the Two Sahīh Collections, in which ’Umm Hāni’ (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took a bath in her house on the day of the Conquest of Makkah and prayed eight Rak‘ahs." It is said: There is no limit to its maximum, as indicated by a Hadīth by Muslim, in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Duha prayer as four Rak‘ahs and pray as much more as he wished.".

724
‘Ā’ishah reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not observe any of the supererogatory prayers more regularly than the two Rak‘ahs before Fajr..

Commentary : Islam encouraged and urged the performance of supererogatory prayers and made them greatly rewardable. One of these supererogatory prayers, whose performance was urged by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), is the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was not more persistent in observing any supererogatory prayer than he was in performing two Rak‘ahs before Fajr. In other words, he was not persistent and keen to perform any of the supererogatory prayers and regular Sunnah prayers as he was in offering two Rak‘ahs before the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr, which is the Sunnah before the Fajr prayer. They are counted among the regular supererogatory prayers associated with the obligatory prayers. The Prophet's keenness on them indicates the significance of their status and reward..

725
‘Ā’ishah reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The two Rak‘ahs of Fajr are better than the world and what is in it.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah the virtuous deeds and demonstrate their rewards to encourage the people to perform them.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The two Rak‘ahs of Fajr" - which refer to the Sunnah of Fajr, the two Rak‘ahs to be performed between the Adhan and the iqāmah - "are better than the world and what is in it," i.e., the reward to be obtained because of this prayer in the Hereafter is greater and better than all the blessings in this world. They are counted among the regular supererogatory prayers associated with the obligatory prayers, and the Prophet's keenness on them indicates the significance of their status and reward and urges Muslims to be keen on observing them.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform these two Rak‘ahs in a brief manner. In the Two Sahīh Collections, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would perform the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr and make them brief to the extent that I would say: "Did he recite the Mother of the Qur'an in them?" In a Hadīth by Muslim, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr.
In the Hadīth: The merit of the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr..

726
Abu Hurayrah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr..

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to prolong the Qur'an's recitation in supererogatory prayers and would sometimes make it brief depending on circumstances and occasions.
In this Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited Surat al-Kāfirūn and Surat al-Ikhlās in the regular two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after the recitation of Surat al-Fātihah. This is because they comprise negation of other gods and affirmation of Tawhīd (monotheism), and also, they are two light chapters that suited his brief performance of these two Rak‘ahs, as it was the Prophet's habit to lighten these two Rak‘ahs, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections.
In the Hadīth: Recitation in the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after Surat al-Fātihah.

727
Ibn ‘Abbās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite in the first of the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr: {Say [O believers]: "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us"} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136] the verse that is in Surat al-Baqarah, and in the second Rak‘ah: {We believe in Allah; so bear witness that we are Muslims.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 52].

Commentary : The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to prolong the Qur'an's recitation in supererogatory prayers and would sometimes make it brief depending on circumstances and occasions.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes recite after Surat al-Fātihah in the first Rak‘ah of the regular two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of the Fajr prayer the verse that reads: {Say [O believers]: "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us; and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the descendants [of Jacob]; and what was given to Moses and Jesus; and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 136] The verse that occurs in Surat al-Baqarah, which means: Say, O the believers, to the advocates of this false call, the Jews and Christians: We believe in Allah and in the Qur'an that has been sent down to us, and we believe in what was sent down to Abraham (Ibrāhīm) and his children, and we believe in what was sent down to the prophets among the children of Jacob (Ya‘qūb), and we believe in the Torah that Allah gave to Moses (Mūsa) and the Gospel that Allah gave to Jesus (‘Īsa), and we believe in the scriptures that Allah gave to all the prophets; we make no distinction between any of them, by believing in some and denying others; rather, we believe in all of them, and we are submissive and obedient to Him alone.
And in the second Rak‘ah, after Surat al-Fātihah, the verse that reads: {When Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said: "Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?" The disciples said: "We are helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah; so, bear witness that we are Muslims."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 52] And it means: When Jesus (peace be upon him) became aware of their persistence in disbelief, he addressed the Children of Israel, saying: Who will support me in the call to Allah? The best among his followers said: We are the supporters of the religion of Allah. We believe in Allah and follow you, and bear witness, O Jesus, that we submit to Allah by believing in His Oneness and obeying Him.
In light of the meanings in these two verses, it becomes clear that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite them for what they contain, of belief in Allah Almighty and submission to Him, and because they are two light verses that suited his brief performance of these two Rak‘ahs, as it was the Prophet's habit to lighten these two Rak‘ahs, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections.
In the Hadīth: The recitation in the Sunnah of the Fajr prayer after Surat al-Fātihah.

728
’Um Habībah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever prays twelve prostrations during a day on a voluntary basis, a house will be built for him in Paradise.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Ummah the virtuous deeds and clarify their rewards to encourage the people to perform them.
In this Hadīth, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Whoever prays twelve prostrations during a day on a voluntary basis," i.e., other than the obligatory prayers, or they are the regular supererogatory prayers, namely: four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs after it, two Rak‘ahs after the Maghrib prayer, two Rak‘ahs after the ‘Ishā’ prayer, and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer, as related in Sunan At-Tirmidhi. Whoever does so persistently, his reward will be that Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.
In the Hadīth: Urging the performance of supererogatory prayers
And in it: Demonstrating the merit of the regular supererogatory prayers.

730
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), concerning his voluntary prayers, and she said: He used to offer four Rak‘ahs in my house before the Zhuhr prayer. Then, he would go out and lead the people in prayer. Then, he would come in and offer two Rak‘ahs. He would lead the people in the Maghrib prayer and then come in and offer two Rak‘ahs, and he would lead the people in the ‘Ishā’ prayer and enter my house and offer two Rak‘ahs. And he would offer nine Rak‘ahs during the night, including the Witr. And he would pray for a long night while standing and for a long night while sitting. When he recited while standing, he would bow and prostrate while standing, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate while sitting. And when the dawn came, he would offer two Rak‘ahs..

Commentary : Our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those after them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq relates that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer supererogatory prayers. She informed him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer four Rak‘ahs as Sunnah before the Zhuhr prayer in his house. Then, he would go out to the mosque and lead the people in the Zhuhr prayer. Then, he would enter his house after finishing the Zhuhr prayer and offer two Rak‘ahs. She did not mention the ‘Asr prayer, probably because she was demonstrating the confirmed Sunnahs of the obligatory prayers, whether before or after them.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead the people in the Maghrib prayer without offering a supererogatory prayer before it. Then, when he finished the Maghrib prayer, he would return to his house and offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of the Maghrib prayer. And he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform the ‘Ishā’ prayer without offering a supererogatory prayer before it. Then, he would enter his house after finishing the ‘Ishā’ prayer and offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of the ‘Ishā’ prayer.
He would offer Qiyām al-Layl (late-night voluntary prayer) with nine Rak‘ahs, including the Witr, which is the last prayer a Muslim performs after the voluntary prayer in the night prayer. It is authentically reported that he used to pray eleven Rak‘ahs, and it is also authentically reported that he used to pray thirteen Rak‘ahs.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would sometimes offer his late-night prayer while standing and sometimes sitting. Her words "for a long night" mean: for a long time during the night.
Another trait of the Prophet's prayer is that if he commenced his prayer at night with recitation while standing, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would bow and prostrate in the well-known manner: going down for rukū‘ and then returning to the standing position and going down for prostration and then returning to the standing position, and so on. And if he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commenced his prayer at night with recitation while sitting, he would engage in rukū‘ and prostration without standing for them, neither before nor after observing them.
And when the time of the Fajr prayer came, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah of Fajr. In the version by Abu Dāwūd: "Then, he would go out and lead the people in the Fajr prayer."
In the Hadīth: Offering supererogatory prayers while sitting without an excuse
And in it: Offering the supererogatory prayers at home.

732
‘Ā’ishah reported: that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not die until most of his prayers were performed while sitting..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not die until he performed many of his prayers while sitting. This refers to the supererogatory prayers, not the obligatory ones. That was one or two years before his death, as related in Sahīh Muslim Collection from Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her), given that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was too weak to stand for long. In a version by Muslim: "When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) put on weight and became heavy" i.e., his body weakened due to his old age, "he would mostly pray while sitting."
The Hadīth mentions the performance of supererogatory prayers while sitting..

732
‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq reported: I said to ‘Ā’ishah: "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to pray while sitting?" She said: "Yes, after the people wore him out.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaqīq relates that he asked ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Did the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) use to pray while sitting?" The intended meaning here is the supererogatory prayer. She replied to him in the affirmative, meaning that he would pray while sitting; and this happened "after the people wore him out" i.e., after he became weak due to the burdens and interests of people he would bear and take care of. When we say that the people of so-and-so wore him out, this means he became weak and old among them.
The Hadīth indicates that one may pray while sitting in case of necessity and tiredness..

733
Hafsah reported: I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offer his Subhah (supererogatory prayer) in a sitting position till one year before his death, as he used to offer his Subhah while sitting, and he would recite a Surah in a way that is so measured that it became longer than longer Surahs. In a version: One or two years before his death..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the best among people in worshiping his Lord and standing before Him, Exalted be He. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), take his Sunnah, act upon it, and convey it to those who came after them.
In this Hadīth, the Mother of the Believers Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs that she did not see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offer his Subhah - i.e., his supererogatory prayer - while sitting, as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform supererogatory prayers while standing. Then, one year before his death - and in another version: one or two years - he would pray while sitting, that is because he put on weight and his body weakened due to old age, according to a Hadīth narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections and reported by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
She informed that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite a Surah of the Qur'an during his prayer, and he would recite in a so measured and deliberate manner "that it became longer than longer Surahs" i.e., due to his measured way of reciting, the duration of reciting a Surah would become longer than the duration of reciting another bigger Surah in terms of the length and the number of verses.
The Hadīth mentions the recitation of the Qur'an in a measured and deliberate manner.
It also includes the performance of supererogatory prayers while sitting..

735
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr reported: It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer of a man while sitting is half a prayer." He said: I came to him and found him praying while sitting. I placed my hand on his head. He said: "What is the matter with you, O ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr?" I said: "It was narrated to me - O Messenger of Allah - that you said: 'The prayer of a man while sitting is half a prayer'; and you pray while sitting." He said: "Yes, but I am not like any of you.".

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 performing prayer and taught it to the Ummah.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that it was narrated to him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that the prayer of a man while sitting is "half a prayer" i.e., it brings half of the reward of someone who performs it while standing. So, this makes it valid and detracts from its reward. This Hadīth is taken to refer to performing a supererogatory prayer while sitting despite being able to stand. However, if a person performs a supererogatory prayer while sitting because he is unable to stand, his reward does not decrease; rather, his reward is like praying while standing. As for the obligatory prayer, it is invalid to perform it while sitting despite being able to stand. Yet, if a person is unable to stand, then his sitting is tantamount to his standing.
Then, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) one day and found him praying while sitting. He placed his hand on the Prophet's head, wondering at his prayer while sitting and wanting the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to look towards him. This was after he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the prayer, for it is not thought that ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) would put his hand before that. This behavior is not deemed impolite among some Arabs, as they tend to behave naturally. Moreover, this shows the Prophet's modesty and good character, and that he used to deal and associate with his close Companions like being one of them and not exalting himself above them. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sensed the hand of ‘Abdullāh, he asked him: "What is the matter with you?" i.e., what is wrong with you?! So, he told him about the aforementioned Hadīth, by way of inquiry, not as an objection or disapproval. His words "and you pray while sitting" affirmed the point that was confusing and unclear to him, and how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would be content with half a reward for himself. In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) confirmed the Hadīth he cited and then said: "but I am not like any of you" i.e., what you have mentioned that the prayer of a man while sitting is half of his prayer while standing is a ruling that applies to people other than me in this Ummah and it pertains to them; as for me, I am not subject to this ruling, and my Lord accepts from me my prayer while sitting for a reward like that of my prayer while standing. This is one of the peculiar merits of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), as his performance of a supererogatory prayer while sitting, though he was able to stand, was made equivalent to his performance of it while standing, as an honor for him.
The Hadīth urges the performance of prayer in its complete form for those who are able to. So, if a person is able to stand, he should pray while standing, in both obligatory and supererogatory prayers.
It points out how Allah Almighty favors His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and distinguishes him from all the Ummah..

738
Abu Salamah reported: I asked ‘Ā’ishah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and she said: "He used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs; he would perform eight Rak‘ahs and then observe the Witr and then perform two Rak‘ahs while sitting; when he wanted to bow, he would stand up and bow. Then, he would offer two Rak‘ahs between the Adhān and iqāmah of the Fajr prayer..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray as much Qiyām al-Layl in his house as Allah willed him to pray. The Companions and the Tābi‘is after them were keen on knowing about his acts of worship in detail and ask about what they could not see of his worship at home.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān says that he asked the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), about the Qiyām al-Layl of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the number of its Rak‘ahs and the manner of its performance. She informed him that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform thirteen Rak‘ahs; he would perform eight Rak‘ahs, two Rak‘ahs each, as narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections, and he would then pray the Witr, i.e., with the ninth Rak‘ah. As narrated in a version by Muslim: "Nine Rak‘ahs while standing and he would perform one of them as the Witr," i.e., he would make the last Rak‘ah among them the Witr of his prayer. In another version by Muslim: "He would observe five Rak‘ahs of which was the Witr, not sitting except at the last of them," i.e., he used to offer four Rak‘ahs, two Rak‘ahs each, and then perform the fifth Rak‘ah as the Witr, not sitting for tashahhud except in the last Rak‘ah. In another version by Muslim: "The prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the night consisted of ten Rak‘ahs, and then he would observe the Witr with one Rak‘ah and offer the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr; those are thirteen Rak‘ahs." This denotes the diversity of the Prophet's Qiyām al-Layl in terms of duration and the number of Rak‘ahs, depending on his condition and energy.
Also, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform two Rak‘ahs while sitting. Apparently, these two Rak‘ahs were after the Witr and before the time of Fajr. When he wanted to perform rukū‘ while in this state of sitting, he would stand up and then bow down in the well-known manner. Then, when the time of Fajr came, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would offer the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr, after the Adhān and before the iqāmah of the Fajr prayer.
There are numerous other well-known Hadīths, in the Two Sahīh Collections and elsewhere, that enjoin making the last prayer in Qiyām al-Layl the Witr. An example is a Hadīth in which ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Make the last of your prayer at night the Witr." As for these two Rak‘ahs which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered after the Witr and before Fajr, this is to demonstrate the permissibility of praying after the Witr, and they were not performed on a persistent basis, for what the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did persistently was to conclude with the Witr, as mentioned above.
In the Hadīth: Praying at night while sitting.