The Book of Prayers

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ فِي الْعِشَاءِ بِالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ ‏.‏ فَمَا سَمِعْتُ أَحَدًا أَحْسَنَ صَوْتًا مِنْهُ ‏.‏

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting in the night prayer:" By the Fig and the Olive," and I have never heard anyone with a sweeter voice than he.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ مُعَاذٌ يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ يَأْتِي فَيَؤُمُّ قَوْمَهُ فَصَلَّى لَيْلَةً مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ أَتَى قَوْمَهُ فَأَمَّهُمْ فَافْتَتَحَ بِسُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فَانْحَرَفَ رَجُلٌ فَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى وَحْدَهُ وَانْصَرَفَ فَقَالُوا لَهُ أَنَافَقْتَ يَا فُلاَنُ قَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ وَلآتِيَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلأُخْبِرَنَّهُ ‏.‏ فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا أَصْحَابُ نَوَاضِحَ نَعْمَلُ بِالنَّهَارِ وَإِنَّ مُعَاذًا صَلَّى مَعَكَ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ أَتَى فَافْتَتَحَ بِسُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ ‏.‏ فَأَقْبَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا مُعَاذُ أَفَتَّانٌ أَنْتَ اقْرَأْ بِكَذَا وَاقْرَأْ بِكَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ فَقُلْتُ لِعَمْرٍو إِنَّ أَبَا الزُّبَيْرِ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْ جَابِرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ اقْرَأْ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا ‏.‏ وَالضُّحَى ‏.‏ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى ‏.‏ وَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عَمْرٌو نَحْوَ هَذَا ‏.‏

Have you become a hypocrite, so and so? He said: I swear by Allah that I have not, but I will certainly go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and will inform (him) about this. He then came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, we look after camels used for watering and work by day. Mu'adh said the night prayer with you. He then came and began with Surat al-Baqara. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then turned to Mu'adh and said: Are you there to (put the people) to trial? Recite such and recite such (and such a surah). It is transmitted on the authority of Jabir, as told by Sufyan, that he (the Holy Prophet) had said: "By the sun and its morning brightness" (Surah xci), "By brightness" (Surah xciii), "By the night when it spreads" (Surah xcii), and "Glorify the name of thy most high Lord" (Surah lxxxii).

"‏ أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فَتَّانًا يَا مُعَاذُ إِذَا أَمَمْتَ النَّاسَ فَاقْرَأْ بِالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا ‏.‏ وَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى ‏.‏ وَاقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ ‏.‏ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى ‏"

'Mu'adh b. Jabal al-Ansari led his companions in the night prayer and prolonged it for them. A person amongst us said prayer (after having separated himself from the congregation). Mu'adh was informed of this, and he remarked that he was a hypocrite. When it (the remark) was conveyed to the man, he went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him of what Mu'adh had said. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: Mu'adh, do you want to become a person putting (people) to trial? When you lead people in prayer, recite:" By the Sun and its morning brightness" (Surat ash-Shams)," Glorify the name of thy most high Lord" (Surat al-A`la) and" Read in the name of Lord" (Surat al-`Alaq), and" By the night when it spreads" (Surat al-Lail).

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ، كَانَ يُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْعِشَاءَ الآخِرَةَ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَيُصَلِّي بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الصَّلاَةَ ‏.‏

Mu'adh b. Jabal said the night prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and then returned to his people and then led them in this prayer.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ، قَالَ أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كَانَ مُعَاذٌ يُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مَسْجِدَ قَوْمِهِ فَيُصَلِّي بِهِمْ ‏.‏

Mu'adh said the night prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He then came to the mosque of his people and led them in prayer.

"‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُنَفِّرِينَ فَأَيُّكُمْ أَمَّ النَّاسَ فَلْيُوجِزْ فَإِنَّ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ الْكَبِيرَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ ‏"

A person came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I keep away from the morning prayer on account of such and such (a man), because; he keeps us so long. I never saw God's Messenger (ﷺ) more angry when giving an exhortation than he was that day. He said: 0 people, some of you are scaring people away. So whoever of you leads the people in prayer he must be brief, for behind him are the weak, the aged, and the people who have (argent) business to attend.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، وَوَكِيعٌ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، فِي هَذَا الإِسْنَادِ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ هُشَيْمٍ ‏.‏

This hadith like one narrated by Hashalm has been narrated from Isma'il with the same chain of transmitters.

"‏ إِذَا أَمَّ أَحَدُكُمُ النَّاسَ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الصَّغِيرَ وَالْكَبِيرَ وَالضَّعِيفَ وَالْمَرِيضَ فَإِذَا صَلَّى وَحْدَهُ فَلْيُصَلِّ كَيْفَ شَاءَ ‏"

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you leads the people in prayer, he should be brief for among them are the young and the aged, the weak and the sick. But when one of you prays by himself, he may (prolong) as he likes.

"‏ إِذَا مَا قَامَ أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفِ الصَّلاَةَ فَإِنَّ فِيهِمُ الْكَبِيرَ وَفِيهِمُ الضَّعِيفَ وَإِذَا قَامَ وَحْدَهُ فَلْيُطِلْ صَلاَتَهُ مَا شَاءَ ‏"

This is what Abu Huraira transmitted to us from Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he narrated (some) ahadith out of (these narrations and one of them is this): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you stands to lead people In prayer, he should shorten it, for amongst them are the aged, and amongst them are the weak, but when he prays by himself, he may prolong his prayer as he likes.

"‏ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ لِلنَّاسِ فَلْيُخَفِّفْ فَإِنَّ فِي النَّاسِ الضَّعِيفَ وَالسَّقِيمَ وَذَا الْحَاجَةِ ‏"

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you leads people in prayer, he must shorten it for among them are the weak, the infirm and those who have business to attend.