Sunan Abi Dawud

That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn: "Say: We believe in Allah, and in the revelation given to us" (3:84). This is in the first rak'ah. In the second rak'ah he recited this verse: "Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness." or he recited: "Surely, we have sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner. And you will not be asked about the inhabitants of the Blazing Fire" (2:119). Al-Darawardi doubted (which of the verse he recited).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If any of you prays two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie at his right side. Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to him: Is it not enough that one of us walks to the mosque until he lies at his right side? According to the version of Ubaydullah, he (AbuHurayrah) replied: No. This statement (of AbuHurayrah) reached Ibn Umar. He said: AbuHurayrah exceed limits on himself. He was asked: Do you look askance at what he says? He replied: No, but he dared and we showed cowardice. This (criticism of Ibn Umar) reached AbuHurayrah. He said: What is my sin if I remembered and they forgot?

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer late in the night, he would see. If I was awake, he would talk to me. If I was sleeping, he would awaken me, and pray two rak'ahs, then he would lie down as long as the mu'adhdhin came to him and call him for the dawn prayer. Then he would pray two rak'ahs lightly and come out for prayer.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer, he would lie down if I was asleep; in case I was awake, he would talk to me.

I came out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to offer the dawn prayer. When he passed by a sleeping man he called him for prayer or moved him with his foot. The narrator Ziyad said: This tradition has been reported to us by AbulFadl.

A man came while the Prophet (ﷺ) was leading the people in the dawn prayer. He prayed the two rak'ahs and then joined the congregational prayer led by the Prophet (ﷺ). When he finished the prayer, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: So-and-so, which was your real prayer, the one you prayed alone or the one offered with us ?

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)as saying: When the iqamah is pronounced for prayer, no prayer is valid except the obligatory prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a person praying after the congregational prayer at dawn was over. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer (i.e. the prescribed rak'ahs). The man replied: I did not pray the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer. Hence I offered them now. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kept silent.

'Abd Rabbihi and Yahya b. Sa'id also narrated this tradition from the Prophet (ﷺ) omitting the name of the Companion (mursal). Their grandfather Zaid prayed along with the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone keeps on praying regularly four rak'ahs before and four after the noon prayer, he will not enter the Hell-fire. Abu Dawud said: Al-'Ala' bin Al-Harith and Sulaiman bin Musa reported it from Makhul with his chain, similarly.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The gates of heaven are opened for four rak'ahs containing no taslim (salutation) before the noon prayer. Abu Dawud said: Yahya b. Sa'id al-Qattan said: If I were to narrate any tradition from 'Ubaidah, I would narrate this tradition. Abu Dawud said: 'Ubaidah is weak. Abu Dawud said: The name of the narrator Ibn Minjab is Sahm.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah show mercy to a man who prays four rak'ahs before the afternoon prayer.

That the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray two rak'ahs before the 'Asr prayer.

That 'Abd Allah b. Abbas, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Azhar and al-Miswar b. Makhramah sent him to 'Aishah, wife of the Prophet (ﷺ). They said: Convey our regards to her from all of us and ask her about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, and tell her that we have been informed that she prays them, and we are told that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited them. I entered upon her and told her that for which they had sent me to her. She said: Ask Umm Salamah. I returned to them (Ibn 'Abbas and others) and informed them about her opinion. They sent me back to Umm Salamah with the same mission for which they had sent me to 'Aishah. Umm Salamah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibiting them, but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the 'Asr prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from Banu Haram from the Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two rak'ahs. I sent a slave girl to him and I told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave girl did so. When he finished prayer, he said: O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, in fact, some people of 'Abd al-Qais has come to me with the news that their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two rak'ahs after Zuhr prayer. It is those two rak'ahs (which I offered after the 'Asr prayer)

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited to offer prayer after the afternoon prayer except at the time when the sun is high up in the sky.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would offer two rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except the dawn and the 'Asr prayer.

Some reliable people testified before me, and among them was Umar ibn al-Khattab, and most reliable in my eyes was Umar: The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said: There is no prayer after the dawn prayer until the sun rises; and there is no prayer after the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets.

I asked: Messenger of Allah, in which part of night the supplication is more likely to be accepted? He replied: In the last part: Pray as much as you like, for the prayer is attended by the angels and it is recorded till you offer the dawn prayer; then stop praying when the sun is rising till it has reached the height of one or two lances, for it rises between the two horns of the Devil, and the infidels offer prayer for it (at that time). Then pray as much as you like, because the prayer is witnessed and recorded till the shadow of a lance be- comes equal to it. Then cease prayer, for at that time the Hell-fire is heated up and doors of Hell are opened. When the sun declines, pray as much as you like, for the prayer is witnessed till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the Devil, and (at that time) the infidels offer prayer for it. He narrated a lengthy tradition. Abbas said: AbuSalam narrated this tradition in a similar manner from AbuUmamah. If I have made a mistake unintentionally, I beg pardon of Allah and repent to Him.

Yasar, the client of Ibn Umar, said: Ibn Umar saw me praying after the break of dawn. He said: O Yasar, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us while we were offering this prayer. He (the Prophet) said: Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn except two rak'ahs.

We bear witness that 'Aishah said: Not a day passed but the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer