Shortening the Prayer

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would give up a deed, even though he liked to perform it, for fear that people would follow him and perform it, and it would thus become obligatory for them. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) never prayed the Duha prayer, but I offer it.

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: My grandmother, Mulaykah, invited the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to come and eat some food she had prepared for him. He ate some of it and said: "Get up and I will lead you in prayer." So I got up and brought a reed mat of ours that had turned black from prolonged use, and sprinkled some water on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him) stood up and the orphan and I stood in a row behind him, and the elderly woman stood behind us. He led us praying two Rak‘ahs, then he left. In a narration by Muslim: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) led him and his mother in prayer; and he made me stand on his right side and the woman stand behind us."

Busr ibn Sa‘īd reported that Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to Abu Juhaym (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about what he heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the one who passes in front of the praying person. Abu Juhaym said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the person passing in front of someone praying knew the extent of the guilt he is incurring, he would prefer to stand for forty rather than pass in front him." Abu an-Nadr said: I am not sure if he said forty days, months, or years.

Busr ibn Sa‘īd reported that Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to Abu Juhaym (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about what he heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the one who passes in front of the praying person. Abu Juhaym said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the person passing in front of someone praying knew the extent of the guilt he is incurring, he would prefer to stand for forty rather than pass in front him." Abu an-Nadr said: I am not sure if he said forty days, months, or years.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Once I came riding a female donkey when I had almost attained the age of puberty. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was leading people in prayer at Mina with no wall in front of him, and I passed in front of part of the row. I dismounted and let the female donkey loose to graze and I joined the row and none objected to that.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not guide you to what Allah erases the sins and elevates the ranks with?" They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "Performing ablution thoroughly despite the hardships, frequent steps to mosques, and waiting for one prayer after another; such is the Ribāt (garrison)."

Abu Qatādah as-Salami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you enters the mosque, let him offer two Rak‘ahs before he sits down."

Sahl ibn Sa‘d As-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: News about the dispute among the people of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf reached the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and so he went to them, along with some of his Companions, to effect reconciliation between them. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not come back, and the time of the prayer was due. Bilāl went to Abu Bakr and said to him: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has not come yet and the time of prayer is due. Could you lead the people in prayer?" Abu Bakr said: "Yes, if you wish." Bilāl pronounced the Iqāmah and Abu Bakr went forward and said Takbīr and the people said it after him. In the meantime, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came in crossing the rows (of the praying people) and stood in the (first) row and the people started clapping. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would never glance side-ways in his prayer, but when the people clapped much he looked back and saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) beckoned to him to carry on with the prayer. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) raised his hands and praised Allah, and retreated till he reached the (first) row. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went forward and led the people in the prayer. When he completed the prayer, he faced the people and said: "O people, why did you start clapping when something unusual happened to you in the prayer? Clapping is only for women. So whoever among you comes across something in the prayer should say 'Subhān Allah' for there is none who will not turn around on hearing 'Subhān Allah'. O Abu Bakr, what prevented you from leading the people in the prayer when I beckoned to you to do so?" Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "How dare the son of Abu Quhāfah lead the prayer in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?"

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported: I came across Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah who said: Shall I offer you a present? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us, and we said: O Messenger of Allah, we have learned how to greet you, but how should we invoke the blessings of Allah upon you? He said: "Say: Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama sallayta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm innaka hamīdun majīd. Allāhumma bārik' ala Muhammad wa' ala āli Muhammad kama bārakta' ala āli Ibrāhīm innaka hamīdun majīd (O Allah, bestow Your grace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You bestowed Your grace upon the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You blessed the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy, All-Glorious)."

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported: I came across Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah who said: Shall I offer you a present? The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us, and we said: O Messenger of Allah, we have learned how to greet you, but how should we invoke the blessings of Allah upon you? He said: "Say: Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama sallayta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm innaka hamīdun majīd. Allāhumma bārik' ala Muhammad wa' ala āli Muhammad kama bārakta' ala āli Ibrāhīm innaka hamīdun majīd (O Allah, bestow Your grace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You bestowed Your grace upon the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You blessed the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy, All-Glorious)."

Abu Qatādah al-Ansāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray while carrying Umāmah the daughter of Zaynab, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Another narration reported by Abu al-‘Ās ibn Ar-Rabī‘ ibn ‘Abd Shams (may Allah be pleased with him) reads: “When he prostrated himself, he would put her on the ground, and when he stood up, he would carry her.”

Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man from the people of Najd, with disheveled hair, came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). We could hear his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying until he came close to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when it became clear that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Five prayers every day and night." He said: Do I have to perform any besides these? He said: "No, unless you do so voluntarily. And fasting the month of Ramadan." He said: Do I have to fast any beyond this? He said: "No, unless you do so voluntarily." The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned Zakah to him. He said: Do I have to pay any besides this? He said: "No, unless you do so voluntarily." He said: The man, then, turned away while saying: By Allah, I shall neither add to this nor omit from it. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He will succeed if he proves to be truthful."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you sleeps, the devil ties three knots at the back of his head, striking each knot: Ahead of you is a long night, so keep sleeping. When he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; when he performs ablution, one knot is undone; and when he prays, one knot is undone, and he gets up in the morning active and in good spirits; otherwise, he gets up in the morning low-spirited and sluggish."