Mishkat al-Masabih

Jabir b. Samura said that the. Prophet used to recite at the dawn prayer, "Qaf. By the glorious Qur'an"* and a passage of similar length, and his prayer afterwards was shortened. *Al-Qur’an; 50. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Amr b. Huraith said that he heard the Prophet reciting at the dawn prayer, “By the night when it dissipates."* *Al-Qur’an; 81:17 Muslim transmitted it.

God’s Messenger led us in the Morning Prayer in Mecca and began the Sura al-Mu’minun1, but when he came to the reference to Moses and Aaron2, or to the reference to Jesus3, a cough got the better of him and he bowed. 1. Al-Qur’an; 23. 2. Verse 45 3. Verse 50. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that the Prophet used to recite at the dawn prayer on Friday A.L.M. Tanzil1 in the first rak'a, and in the second, “Has there come upon man?"2 1. Al-Qur’an; 32. 2. Al-Qur’an; 76. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Marwan appointed Abu Huraira as governor of Medina and went to Mecca. Abu Huraira led us in the Friday prayer and recited sura al-Jumu'a1 in the first sajda and “When the hypocrites come to you"2 in the last, and said, “I heard God's Messenger reciting them on Friday." 1. Al-Qur'an, 62, recited in the first rak'a, which is what is meant by sajda in the text. 2. Al-Qur'an, 63. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nu‘man b. Bashir said that God’s Messenger used to recite at the two festivals1 and on Friday, “Glorify the name of your most high Lord", 2 and “Has the story of the overwhelming event reached you?"3 He said that when a festival and a Friday coincided he recited them both at the two prayers. 1. Id al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, and Id al-Adha on the 10th of Dhul Hijja, when sacrifices are made. The former is called the lesser and latter the greater. 2. Al-Qur’an; 87. 3. Al-Qur'an, 88. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ubaidallah said that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab asked Abu Waqid al- Laithi what God’s Messenger recited at the ‘Id al-Adha and 'Id al-Fitr, and he replied that he recited at both of them, “Qaf. By the glorious Qur’an’’1-and “The Hour is nigh.’’2 1. Al-Qur’an; 50. 2. Al-Qur’an, 54. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger recited in both rak'as of the dawn prayer, “Say, O unbelievers”1 and “Say, He is God, one God.2 1. Al-Qur’an; 109. 2. Al-Qur’an; 112. Muslim transmitted it.

Ibd ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger used to recite in both rak'as of the dawn prayer, “Say, We believe in God and in the revelation given to us,”1 and the verse in Al 'Imran, “Say, O people of the Book, come to common terms between us and you.”2 1. Al-Qur’an; 2:136 2. Al-Qur’an; 3:64 Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger used to begin his prayer with, “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.” Tirmidhi transmitted it and said that the isnad of this tradition is not approved.

Wa’il b. Hujr said that he heard God’s Messenger recite, “Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray” (Al-Qur’an 1:7) and say “Amen”, prolonging the word. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

We went out with God’s Messenger one night and came upon a man who made supplication with persistence. The Prophet said, “He will have done something which guarantees if he puts a seal to it.” One of the people asked what he should use for a seal, and he replied, “Amen”. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger prayed the sunset prayer using sura al-A'raf (Al-Qur’an; 7) dividing it between the two rak'as. Nasa’i transmitted it.

When I was leading God’s Messenger’s she-camel for him on a journey he said to me, “Shall I not teach you, ‘Uqba, the best two suras to recite?” Then he taught me “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn” and “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men” (Al-Qur’an; 113-114). He saw that I was not greatly pleased with them, so when he alighted for the Morning Prayer he used them in leading the people in the Morning Prayer, and when he had finished he turned to me and said, “How do you find them now, ‘Uqba?” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura said that the Prophet used to recite in the sunset prayer on Thursday evening, “Say, O unbelievers,”1 and “Say, He is God one God.”2 1. Al-Qur’an; 109 2. Al-Qur’an; 112 transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna; and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Ibn ‘Umar, but did not mention Thursday evening.

I cannot count how often I heard God’s Messenger reciting in the two rak'as after the sunset prayer and in the two rak'as before the dawn prayer, “Say, O unbelievers,” and “Say, He is God, one God.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it on Abu Huraira’s authority, but he did not mention “after the sunset prayer.”

Sulaiman b. Yasar quoted Abu Huraira as saying, “I never prayed behind anyone whose prayer more closely resembled that of God’s Messenger than so and so’s.” Sulaiman said that he prayed behind him, and he was prolonging the first two rak'as of the noon prayer, shortening the last two, shortening the afternoon prayer, reciting short suras from al-Mufassal* at the sunset prayer, medium suras from al-Mufassal at the evening prayer, and long ones from al-Mufassal at the morning prayer. * A name applied to the latter part of the Qur’an because there are many divisions, but opinions differ about where it begins. Lane mentions the different views in his Lexicon, pp 2407 f., saying the most correct opinion is that it begins with sura 49. Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted up to “shortening the afternoon prayer.”

We were behind the Prophet at the dawn prayer, and he recited a passage, but the recitation became difficult for him. Then when he finished he said, “Perhaps you recite behind your imam?” We replied, “Yes, Messenger of God.” He said, “Do it only when it is Fatihat al-Kitab, for he who does not include it in his recitation is not credited with having prayed.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Nasa’i has something to the same effect. In a version by Abu Dawud he said, “I am wondering what is the matter with me that the Qur’an should be at variance with me. So do not recite any of the Qur’an when I recite aloud, except Umm al-Qur'an."

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger had finished a prayer in which he had recited aloud, he asked, “Did any of you recite along with me just now?” When a man replied that he had, he said, “I am wondering what is the matter with me that I should be contended with regarding the Qur’an.” He said that when the people heard that from God’s Messenger they ceased reciting along with him the passages which he recited aloud in the prayers. Malik, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Nasa'i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted something similar.

Ibn ‘Umar and al-Bayadi reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who prays holds intimate converse with his Lord, so he must consider how he does so, and none of you must recite the Qur’an more loudly than others. Ahmad transmitted it.