Bulugh al-Maram

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, I have thought of giving orders for fuel wood to be gathered, then giving orders for Salat (prayer) and having the Adhan called, then ordering a man to lead the people (in prayer), then going off to some people (men) who are not present at the prayer and burning down their houses upon them. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, if one of them knew he would find a fat meaty bone or two fine sheep hooves he would attend the 'Isha' (evening prayer)." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The most burdensome prayers for hypocrites are the 'Isha' and the Fajr prayers and if they knew what (rewards) these (prayers) contain, they would have come to them (in the mosques), even though they had to crawl on their knees." .

A blind man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have no guide to take me to the mosque." He said, "Then respond to it." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever hears the call for prayer and and does not come (to the mosque for prayer), his prayer will not be accepted from him, unless he has a (legitimate) excuse." .

He offered the morning prayer with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he saw two men who had not prayed with him. He ordered them to be brought and they were brought trembling with fear. He asked them what had prevented you from praying with us?" They said, "We had already prayed at our homes." He said, "Don't do so! If you pray at your homes and then you come while the Imam has not yet performed the prayer, you must pray with him, and it will be a voluntary prayer for you." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The Imam has been appointed to be followed (in the congregational prayers). So, when he utters the Takbir, utter the Takbir too, and do not utter the Takbir until he utters it. When he bows, you should bow, and do not bow until he bows. When he says, "Allah listens to him who praises him," say, "O Allah, our Rabb, to you is the praise." When he prostrates, you prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. If he prays standing, pray standing, and if he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting." .

And its basic meaning is in the Sahihain (of al-Bukhari and Muslim)].

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a tendency among his Companions of going to the back he said, "Come forward and follow my lead and let those behind you follow you." .

Allah's (ﷺ) made a small room of a mat (i.e. he used it to designate a space for prayer) and prayed inside it. The people followed him, and they came to pray behind him. The narrator mentioned the rest of the Hadith, and it contains the words: "The most excellent prayer of a person is (that which he prays) in his house except that which is prescribed (the five congregational prayers)." .

Mu'adh bin Jabal (RA) led his companions in the al-'Isha (night prayer) and prolonged it for them. Upon this the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "O Mu'adh, do you want to become a Fattan? When you lead people in prayers, recite ash-Shamsi wa duhaha (Surat 91), Sabbihisma Rabbikal-A'la (Surat 87), Iqra' Bismi Rabbika (Surat 96) and Wal-Laili idha yaghsha (Surat 92)." [Agreed upon. And the wording is from Muslim].

Narrated 'Aishah (RA) regarding Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) leading the people in Salat (prayer) during his illness. She said, "He came and sat on the left side of Abu Bakr (RA). So he (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer while sitting and Abu Bakr standing. Abu Bakr was following the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr." .

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "When one of you leads the people in prayer he should be brief, for among them are the young and the old, the weak and those who have needs to attend to. But if he prays by himself he may pray as he wishes." .

My father said, "I have come from the true Prophet (ﷺ), so when the time of Salat (prayer) comes one of you should announce the Adhan and the one of you who knows the Qur'an most should be your Imam." He ('Amr) said: "They looked around and there was no one who knew the Qur'an more than I. So they put me forward in front of them and I was only six or seven years old." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The one who knows the Book of Allah most should be the Imam of the people. If they are equal in the recitation, then the one who knows the Sunnah most and if they are equal in the Sunnah then the earliest of them to emigrate (to al-Madinah) and if they are equal in the emigration then the oldest among them in Islam. In another narration it has "agewise". And no man should lead another in prayer in his domain or sit in his place of honor without his permission." .

Ibn Majah reported the following from Jabir's narration, "A woman is never to lead a man in prayer, neither a bedouin (desert Arab) to lead an emigrant, nor a sinner to lead a believer." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Stand close together in your rows, bring them (the rows) near one another, and stand neck to neck (in straight lines)." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "The best of the men's rows is the first and the worst is the last; and the best of the women's rows is the last and the worst is the first." .

"I prayed (the night Tahajjud prayer) with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one night and I stood on his left side, whereupon he took me by the back of my head and made me go round to his right side. .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prayed and an orphan and I prayed behind him and Umm Sulaim (RA) was behind us. .

He reached the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was bowing, so he (Abu Bakrah) bowed before reaching the row. He mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not repeat." .

"He bowed before reaching the row then walked and joined the row."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw a man praying alone behind the row so he ordered him to repeat the Salat (prayer). .

"The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the row is not accepted.

And at-Tabarani added to the narration of Wabisah, "Why did you not join them or pull back a man (to your position)?"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "If you hear the Iqamah, you must walk to the prayer (place) with tranquility and dignity, and do not hasten; and whatever portion of the prayer you get (along with the Imam) offer it, and complete afterwards whatever you missed. [Agreed upon, and the wording is al-Bukhari's).

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "A man's prayer offered with another man is purer than his prayer which he offers alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one and if they are more (in number), it is more beloved to Allah, the Mighty the Majestic." .

The Prophet (ﷺ) commanded her to lead the members of her household (in prayer). .

The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum (RA) to lead the people in prayer in his absence and he was blind. .

Ibn Hibban also reported something similar from 'Aishah (RA).

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Pray (funeral prayers) over him who said (believed): 'Nothing deserves to be worshiped except Allah'; and pray behind him who says: 'Nothing deserves to be worshiped except Allah'." .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "If one of you comes to Salat (prayer) and the Imam is at a certain position, he must do as the Imam is doing." .

Narrated 'Aishah (RA) that when the Salat (prayer) was first prescribed, it consisted of two Rak'at. Afterwards, the prayer during travelling was confirmed (as two Rak'at), while the prayer at the place of residence was completed (as four Rak'at). .

'Then emigrated and it was prescribed as four, but prayer while travelling was left according to the original prescription (of two Rak'at).'

Ahmad added, 'Except the Maghrib (prayer) for it is the Witr (prayer) of the day; and except the Fajr (prayer), since the recitation (of the Qur'an) is prolonged in it.'

While on a journey, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to shorten the prayer (sometimes) and offer it completely (sometimes). Similarly, he used to observe fast (sometimes) and break it (sometimes). .

'It is not hard for me.' .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Allah the Most High loves that His permissions be practiced, just as he dislikes that disobedience to Him be committed." .

A narration has, "As He loves that His... duties be observed."

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out on a journey of three miles or three Farasikh, he (ﷺ) used to pray two Rak'at. . Farasikh (plural of Farsakh) is Persian unit of distance. Farsakh is equal to about three miles.

We went from al-Madinah to Makkah with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he prayed two Rak'at at each time of prayer till we returned to al-Madinah. .

The Prophet (ﷺ) (made a journey during which) he had a stop of nineteen days, during which he shortened his prayers. And in a narration: "(he (ﷺ) stayed) nineteen days in Makkah."

"seventeen days."

"fifteen days."

"eighteen days."

Allah's Messenger (RA) stayed at Tabuk for twenty days, and he shortened the prayers (during his stay). .

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (while on a journey) proceeded before the sun had declined from the centre of the sky, he (ﷺ) delayed the Zuhr prayer till the time of the 'Asr prayer; he (ﷺ) would then alight and combine the two prayers. If the sun declined before he (ﷺ) moved off, he (ﷺ) would offer the Zuhr prayer and ride (i.e. travel). .

In the narration of al-Hakim quoted in the al-Arba'in with a Sahih Isnad, "He (ﷺ) prayed Zuhr and 'Asr then rode (his beast, to continue his journey.)"

Abu Nu'aim has in his Mustakhraj of Muslim, "While on a journey, if the sun declined he (ﷺ) used to pray Zuhr and 'Asr together and then continue his journey."

We went out with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the Tabuk expedition, and he would offer Zuhr and 'Asr prayers together and Magbrib and 'Isha' prayers together. .

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Do not shorten the prayer (while travelling) for a distance of less than four Burud; from Makkah to 'Usfan." . Burud: Plural of Barid, which means three Farsakh, and one Farsakh is equal to three miles.