It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the prayers were enjoined in Makkah, and that two angels came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and took him to Zamzam, where they split open his stomach and took out his innards in a basin of gold, and washed them with Zamzam water, then they filled his heart with wisdom and knowledge.
Chapter 3: How The Salah Was Made Obligatory - كتاب الصلاة
Abu 'Amr - meaning, Al-Awza'i - said that he asked Az-Zuhri about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Makkah before the Hijrah to Al-Madinah. He said:
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ الْبَعْلَبَكِّيُّ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي الأَوْزَاعِيَّ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ الزُّهْرِيَّ عَنْ صَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَكَّةَ قَبْلَ الْهِجْرَةِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَوَّلَ مَا فَرَضَهَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ أُتِمَّتْ فِي الْحَضَرِ أَرْبَعًا وَأُقِرَّتْ صَلاَةُ السَّفَرِ عَلَى الْفَرِيضَةِ الأُولَى .
"Urwah told me that 'Aishah said: 'Allah enjoined the salah upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and the first thing that He enjoined was two Rak'ahs at a time, then it was made complete four Rak'ahs while in the state of residence but the prayer when traveling remained two Rak'ahs, as it was first enjoined.'"
"How can the Salah be shortened as Allah says: There is no sin on you if you shorten As-Salah (the prayer) if you are in fear?" [1] Ibn 'Umar said: "O son of my brother! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us when we had gone astray and he taught us. One of the things that he taught us was that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has commanded us to pray two Rak'ahs when traveling."
[1] An-Nisa' 4:101.
Chapter 4: How Many (Prayers) Are Enjoined Each Day And Night? - كتاب الصلاة
It was narrated from Abu Suhail, from his fatehr, that he heard Talhah bin 'Ubaidullah say:
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ طَلْحَةَ بْنَ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْدٍ ثَائِرَ الرَّأْسِ نَسْمَعُ دَوِيَّ صَوْتِهِ وَلاَ نَفْهَمُ مَا يَقُولُ حَتَّى دَنَا فَإِذَا هُوَ يَسْأَلُ عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ " . قَالَ هَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهُنَّ قَالَ " لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ " . قَالَ " وَصِيَامُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ " . قَالَ هَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهُ قَالَ " لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ " . وَذَكَرَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الزَّكَاةَ قَالَ هَلْ عَلَىَّ غَيْرُهَا قَالَ " لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَطَّوَّعَ " . فَأَدْبَرَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَزِيدُ عَلَى هَذَا وَلاَ أَنْقُصُ مِنْهُ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَفْلَحَ إِنْ صَدَقَ " .
"A man from the people of Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with unkempt hair. We could hear him talking loudly but we could not understand what he was saying until he came closer. He was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: 'Five prayers each day and night.' He said: 'Do I have to do anything else' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' He said: 'And fasting the month of Ramadan.' He said: 'Do I have to do anything else?' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Zakah to him, and he said: 'Do I have to do anything else?' He said: 'No, unless you do it voluntarily.' The man left saying: 'By Allah, I will not do any more than this or any less.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'He will achieve salvation, if he is speaking the truth.'"
"A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'O Messenger of Allah, how many prayers has Allah enjoined upon His slaves?' He said: 'Allah has enjoined upon His slaves (five) prayers.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is there anything before them or after them?' He said: 'Allah has enjoined upon His salves (five) prayers.' The man swore that he would not do anything more or less than that. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'If he is speaking the truth he will most certainly enter Paradise.'"
"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: 'Will you not pledge to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?' And he repeated it three times. So we stretched forth our hands to give our pledge. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we are willing to give you our pledge, but on what?' He said: 'That you will worship Allah and not associate anything with him, and (offer) the five daily prayers.' And he said, very quietly: 'And you will not ask the people for anything.'"
Chapter 6: Observing The Five Daily Prayers - كتاب الصلاة
It was narrated from Ibn Muhairiz that a man from Banu Kinanah who was called Al-Mukhdaji heard a man in Ash-Sham, who was known as Abu Muhammad, saying that Witr was obligatory. Al-Mukhdaji said:
"In the morning I went to 'Ubadah bin As-Samit, and I met him while he was on his way to the Masjid. I told him what Abu Muhammad said, and 'Ubadah said: 'Abu Muhammad is wrong. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'Five prayers are those that Allah has decreed for (His) slaves, whoever does them, and does not neglect any of them out of disregard toward them, will have a promise from Allah that He will admit him to Paradise. And whoever does not to them will have no such promise from Allah; if He wills he will punish him and if He wills He will admit him to Paradise.
"Do you think that is there was a river by the door of any one of you, and he bathed in it five times each day, would there be any trace of dirt left on him?" They said: "No trace of dirt would be left on him." He said: "That is the likeness of the five daily prayers. By means of them Allah erases sins."
"I arrived in Al-Madinah and said: 'O Allah, make it easy for me to find a righteous companion.' Then I sat with Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, and said: 'I prayed to Allah to help me find a righteous companion.' So tell me a Hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), so that Allah might benefit me from it. He said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is sound then he will have succeeded, be salvaged, but if it is not then he will have lost and be doomed." - (One of the narrators) Hammam said: "I do not know whether this was the words of Qatadah or part of the report." - "If anything is lacking from his obligatory prayers, He will say: 'Look and see whether My slave has any voluntary prayers to make up for what is deficient from his obligatory prayers.' Then all of his deeds will be dealt with in like manner."
"The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his Salah. If it is found to be complete then it will be recorded as complete, and if anything is lacking He will say: 'Look and see if you can find any voluntary prayers with which to complete what he neglected of his obligatory prayers.' Then the rest of his deeds will be reckoned in like manner."
"The first thing for which a person will be brought to account will be his Salah. If it is complete (all well and good), otherwise Allah will say: 'Look and see if My slave did any voluntary prayer.' If he is found to have done voluntary prayers, his obligatory prayers will be completed therewith."
"O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will gain me admittance to Paradise." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish the Salah, pay the Zakah and uphold the ties of kinship. Let go!" - as if he was riding his camel. [1]
[1] As if he was riding his camel and the man had grabbed hold of its reins to ask this question.
"I heard Abu Juhaifah say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set off at midday, during the time of intense heat' - (One of the narrators) Ibn Al-Muthanna said, to Al-Batha' - and he performed Wudu', and prayed Zuhr, two Rak'ahs, and 'Asr, two Rak'ahs, with a short spear ('Anzah) in front of him.
Chapter 14: Maintaining The 'Asr Prayer - كتاب الصلاة
It was narrated that Abu Yunus, the freed slave of 'Aishah the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), said:
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي يُونُسَ، مَوْلَى عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ أَمَرَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ لَهَا مُصْحَفًا فَقَالَتْ إِذَا بَلَغْتَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ فَآذِنِّي { حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى } فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُهَا آذَنْتُهَا فَأَمْلَتْ عَلَىَّ حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى وَصَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ . ثُمَّ قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
"Aishah told me to copy a Mushaf for her, and she said: 'When you reach this verse, call my attention: Guard strictly the Salawat especially the middle (Al-Wusta) Salah. [1] When I reached it, I called her attention and she dictated to me: 'Guard strictly the Salawat expecially the middle (Al-Wusta) Salah and the 'Asr prayer, and stand before Allah with obedience.' Then she said: 'I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).'"
[1] Al-Baqarah 2:238.
"Abu Al-Malih narrated to me: 'We were with Buraidah on a cloudy day and he said: "Pray early, for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever abandons Salat Al-'Asr, his good deeds will perish.'"
"We used to estimate how long the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood when praying in Zuhr and 'Asr. We estimated that he stood in Zuhr for as long as it take to recite thirty verses, as long as Surat As-Sajadah in the fits two Rak'ahs, and half that in the last two. And we estimated that he stood for as long in the fits two Rak'ahs, and half that in the last two. And we estimated that he stood for as long in the first two Rak'ahs of 'Asr as he stood in the last two Rak'ahs of Zuhr, and we estimated that he stood half as long as that in the last two Rak'ahs of 'Asr."
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to stand in Zuhr and recite the equivalent of thirty verses in each Rak'ah, then in the first two Rak'ahs of 'Asr he would stand for the equivalent of fifteen verses."