5. Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

Sa’eed bin Musayyab said that Abu Qatadah bin Rib’i told him that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Allah said: ‘I have enjoined on your nation five prayers, and I have made a covenant with Myself that whoever maintains them, I will admit them to Paradise, and whoever does not maintain them, has no such covenant with Me.’”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“One prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers anywhere else, except The Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram).” (Another chain) from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar wording.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“One prayer in this mosque of mine is better than one thousand prayers in any other mosque except the Sacred Mosque.”

It was narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“One prayer in my mosque is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, except the Sacred Mosque, and one prayer in the Sacred Mosque is better than one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere.”

It was narrated that Maimunah the freed (female) slave of the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

I said: “O Messenger of Allah, tell us about Baitil- Maqdis.” He said: “It is the land of the Resurrection and the Gathering. Go and pray there, for one prayer there is like one thousand prayers elsewhere.” I said: “What if I cannot travel and go there?” He said: “Then send a gift of oil to light it…

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When Sulaiman bin Dawud finished building Baitil-Maqdis, he asked Allah for three things: judgment that was in harmony with His judgment, a dominion that no one after him would have, and that no one should come to this mosque, intending only to pray there, but he would emerge free of sin as the day…

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“No one should prepare a mount (travel) to visit any mosque except three: the Sacred Mosque, this mosque of mine, and Aqsa Mosque.”

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed and ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin ‘As that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Do not prepare a mount (travel) to visit any mosque except three: the Sacred Mosque, Aqsa Mosque, and this mosque of mine.”

Abul-Abrad, the freed slave of Banu Khatmah, said that he heard Usaid bin Zuhair Ansari who was one of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) narrating that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“One prayer in the Quba’ Mosque is like ‘Umrah.”

(Sahl) bin Hunaif said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the Quba’ Mosque and offers one prayer therein, will have a reward like that for ‘Umrah.”

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘A man’s prayer in his house is equal (in reward) to one prayer; his prayer in the mosque of the tribes is equal to twenty-five prayers; his prayer in the mosque in which Friday prayer is offered is equal to five-hundred prayers; his prayer in Aqsa Mosque is equal t…

It was narrated from Tufail bin Ubayy bin Ka’b that his father said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray facing the trunk of a date- palm tree when the mosque was still a hut, and he used to deliver the sermon leaning on that trunk. A man from among his Companions said: ‘Would you like us to make you something upon which you can stand on Fridays so that the peop…

It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to deliver the sermon leaning on a tree trunk. When he started to use the pulpit, he went to the pulpit, and the trunk made a sorrowful sound. So he came to it and embraced it, and it calmed down. He said:

“If I had not embraced it, it would have continued to grieve until the Day of Resurrection.”

It was narrated that Abu Hazim said:

“The people differed concerning the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and what it was made of. So they came to Sahl bin Sa’d and asked him. He said: ‘There is no one left who knows more about that than I. It is made of tamarisk (a type of tree) from Ghabah. It was made by so-and-so, the freed sla…

It was narrated that Jabir bin ‘Abdullah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to stand by the root of a tree, or by a tree trunk, then he started to use a pulpit. The tree trunk made a grieving sound.” Jabir said: “So that the people in the mosque could hear it. Until the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to it and rubbed it, and it calmed down. Som…

It was narrated from Abu Wa’il that ‘Abdullah said:

“I prayed one night with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he kept standing until I thought of doing something bad.” I said: “What was that?”He said: “I thought of sitting down and leaving him.”

It was narrated from Ziyad bin ‘Ilaqah that he heard Mughirah say:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood (in prayer) until his feet became swollen. It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins.’ He said: ‘Should I not be a thankful slave?’”

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray until his feet became swollen. It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins.’ He said: ‘Should I not be a thankful slave?’”

It was narrated that Jabir bin ‘Abdullah said:

“The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked: ‘Which prayer is best?’ He said: ‘That with the longer Qunut.’”

It was narrated from Kathir bin Murrah that Abu Fatimah told him:

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of a deed that I can adhere to and act upon.’ He said: “You should prostrate, for you will not prostrate to Allah but He will raise you in status one degree thereby and erase from you one sin.”

Ma’dan bin Abu Talhah Al-Ya’muri said:

“I met Thawban and said to him: ‘Tell me a Hadith that Allah may benefit me thereby.’ But he remained silent. Then I said the same and he remained silent. That happened three times. Then he said to me: ‘You should prostrate to Allah; for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “No one prostrates to …

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah bin Samit that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:

“No one prostrates to Allah but Allah will record one Hasanah (good reward) for him, and will erase thereby one bad deed and raise him in status one degree. So prostrate a great deal.”

It was narrated that Anas bin Hakim Dabbi said:

“Abu Hurairah said to me: ‘When you go to your country, tell them that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “The first thing for which the Muslim will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be the prescribed prayers. If they are complete, all well and good, otherwise it will be sai…

It was narrated from Tamim Dari that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is complete, then the voluntary (prayers) will also be recorded for him (as an increase). If it is not complete then Allah will say to His angels: ‘Look and see whether you find any vo…

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Is anyone of you incapable, when he prays, of stepping forwards or backwards, or to his right or left?” meaning in order to offer a voluntary prayer.

It was narrated from Al-Mughirah bin Shu’bah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“The Imam should not pray in the place where he offered the obligatory prayer, until he moves aside.” Another chain from Mughirah, from the Prophet (ﷺ) with similar wording.

It was narrated that ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Shibl said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade three things: Pecking like a crow, spreading (the forearms) like a beast of prey, and a man having a place in the mosque in which he usually offers the prayer, like a camel has a place to which it usually goes.”

It was narrated from Yazid bin Abu ‘Ubaid that Salamah bin Al-Akwa’ used to offer the Duha prayer, and he would come to the pillar that was near the Mushaf. I said to him:

“Why do you not pray over there?” And I pointed to some corner of the mosque. He said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seeking out this place.”

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Sa’ib said:

“I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on the Day of the Conquest, and he put his shoes on his left.”

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Keep your shoes on your feet. If you take them off then place them between your two feet; do not place them to your right, or to the right of your companions, or behind you, for they may annoy whoever is behind you.’”