Sunan Abi Dawud

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) proceeded before the sun had declined, he delayed the noon prayer till the time of the afternoon prayer, he would then alight and combine the two prayers. If the sun declined before he moved off, he would offer the noon prayer and rode (the beast) - may peace be upon him. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Mufaddal was the judge of Egypt. His supplication was accepted by Allah; he was the son of Fudalah.

He would delay the evening prayer till he combined the evening and the night prayers when the twilight disappeared.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was engaged in the Battle of Tabuk. If he moved off before the sun had declined, he would delay the noon prayer till he would combine it with the afternoon prayer and would offer them together. If he moved off after the sun had declined, he would combine the noon and afternoon prayers, and then he proceeded; if he moved off before the evening prayer, he would delay the evening prayer; he would offer it along with the night prayer, he would delay the evening prayer; he would offer it along with the night prayer. If he moved off after the evening prayer, he would offer the night prayer earlier and offer it along with the evening prayer. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has not been narrated by anyone except by Qutaibah.

We went out on a journey along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He led us in the night prayer and he recited in one of the rak'ahs: "By the fig and the olive."

I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on eighteen journeys and I never saw him fail to pray two rak'ahs when the sun had passed the meridian before offering the noon prayer.

I accompanied Ibn 'Umar on the way (on a journey). He led us in two rak'ah's of (the noon) prayer. Then he proceeded and saw some people standing. He asked: What are they doing ? I replied: They are glorifying Allah (i.e. offering supererogatory prayer). He said: If I had offered the supererogatory prayer (while travelling), I would have completed prayer, my cousin. I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the journey, he did not pray more than two raka'at until his death. I also accompanied Abu Bakr, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Umar, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. I also accompanied 'Uthman, and he prayed two raka'at and nothing more until he died. Indeed Allah, the Exalted, said: "Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar"

While travelling the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would pray voluntary prayer on his riding beast in whatever direction it turned; and he would observe witr prayer, but he did not offer the obligatory prayers upon it.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on a journey and wished to say voluntary prayer, he made his she-camel face the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), then prayed in whatever direction his mount made his face.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on a donkey while he was facing Khaibar.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on some business, and when I came to him he was praying on (the back of) his riding beast (moving) towards the east and making the prostration lower than the bowing.

Ata' ibn AbuRabah asked Aisha: Can women offer prayer on a riding beast? She replied: They were not permitted to do so in hardship or comfort. Muhammad ibn Shu'ayb said: This (prohibition) applies to the obligatory prayers.

I went on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and I was present with him at the conquest. He stayed eighteen days in Mecca and prayed only two rak'ahs (at each time of prayer). And he said: You who live in the town must pray four; we are travellers.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a stop of seventeen days in Mecca and he shortened the prayer (i.e. prayed two rak'ahs at each time of prayer). Ibn Abbas said: He who stays seventeen days should shorten the prayer; and who stays more than that should offer complete prayer. Abu Dawud said: The other version transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas through a different chain adds: He (the Prophet) had a stop of nineteen days (in Mecca).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed fifteen days in Mecca in the year of Conquest. Shortening the prayer. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by 'Abdah b. Sulaiman, Ahmad b. Khalid al-Wahbi, and Salamah b. Fadli on the authority of Ibn Ishaq ; but they did not mention the name of Ibn 'Abbas.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed in Mecca seventeen days and prayed two rak'ahs (at each time of prayer).

We went out from Medina to Mecca with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he prayed two rak'ahs (at each time of prayer) till we returned to Medina. We (the people) said: Did you stay there for some time ? He replied: We stayed there ten days.

Muhammad reported from his father, Umar, on the authority of his grandfather, Ali ibn AbuTalib: When Ali travelled, he continued to travel till it became nearly dark. He then alighted and offered the sunset prayer. Then he would call for his dinner and eat it. Then he prayed the night prayer and then moved off. He would say: This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do. Usamah ibn Zayd reported from Hafs ibn Ubaydullah, the son of Anas ibn Malik: Anas would combine them (the evening and night prayer) when the twilight disappeared. He said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do so. Az-Zuhri also reported similarly on the authority of Anas from the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed at Tabuk twenty days; he shortened the prayer (during his stay). Abu Dawud said: No one narrates this tradition with continuous chain except Ma'mar.

We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Usfan, and Khalid ibn al-Walid was the chief of unbelievers. We offered the noon prayer. Thereupon, the unbelievers said: We suffered from negligence; we became careless. We should have attacked them while they were praying. Thereupon the verse was revealed, relating to the shortening of the prayer (in time of danger) between the noon and afternoon (prayer). When the time of the afternoon prayer came, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood facing the qiblah, and the unbelievers were standing in front of him. The people stood in a row behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and there was another row behind this row. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bowed and all of them bowed. He then prostrated and also the row near him prostrated. The other people in the second row remained standing and stood guard over them. When they performed two prostrations and stood up, those who were behind them prostrated. The people in the front row near him then stepped backward taking the place of the people in the second row and the second row took the place of the first row. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then bowed and all of them bowed together. Then he and the row near him prostrated themselves. The other people in the second row remained standing and stood guard over them. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the row near him (i.e. the front row) were seated, the people in the second row behind them prostrated themselves. Then all of them were seated. (He (the Prophet) then uttered the salutation upon all of them. He prayed in his manner at Usfan as well as at the territory of Banu Sulaym. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Ayyub and Hisham from Abu al-Zubair on the authority of Jabir to the same effect from the Prophet (ﷺ). Similarly, this has been transmitted by Dawud b. Husain from 'Ikrimah, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas. This has also been reported by 'Abd al-Malik, from 'Ata' from Jabir in like manner. This has also been narrated by Qatadah from al-Hasan from Hittan on the authority of Abu Musa in a similar way. Similarly, this has been reported by 'Ikrimah b. Khalid from Mujahid from the Prophet (ﷺ). This has also been reported by Hisham b. 'Urwah from his father from the Prophet (ﷺ). This is the opinion of al-Thawri.

The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed in time of danger and divided them (the people) behind him in two rows. He then led those who were near him in one rak'ah. Then he stood and remained standing till those who were in second row offered one rak'ah. Thereafter they came forward and those who were in front of them (in the first row) stepped backward. The Prophet (ﷺ) led them in one rak'ah of prayer. He sat down till those who were in the second row completed on rak'ah. He then uttered the salutation.