Mishkat al-Masabih

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying, “It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that he heard his friend Abul Qasim (. i.e. the Prophet) say, “The prayer of a woman who has perfumed herself to go to the mosque is not accepted till she bathes as she would for sexual defilement.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.

Abu' Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every eye is adulterous, and when a woman perfumes herself and passes a company, she is such and such meaning adulterous. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Nasa’i have something similar.

God’s Messenger led us in the dawn prayer one day, and when he gave the salutation he asked, “Is so and so present?” and was told that he was not. He asked, “Is so and so present?” and was told that he was not. He then said, “These two prayers* are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew the blessings they contain you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence you would race to join it. A man’s prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to God.” *i.e. the evening prayer and the dawn prayer. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abud Darda’ reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not arranged, the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe prayer in company, for the wolf eats only the straggling animal.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any one hears him who makes the call to prayer and is not prevented from joining the congregation by any excuse,” (he was asked what an excuse consisted of and replied that it was fear or illness), “the prayer he says will not be accepted from him.” Abu Dawud and Daraqutni transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Arqam said he heard God’s Messenger say, “When the time for prayer comes and one of you needs to relieve himself, he should do that first.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Malik, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.

Thauban reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There are three things which are unlawful for anyone to do. A man must not act as imam for others in prayer and make a supplication for himself excluding them, for if he does that he has acted treacherously towards them. No one must look inside a house before asking permission to enter, for if he does so he has acted treacherously towards . And no one should pray while retaining urine, but should first relieve himself.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi has something similar.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not postpone prayer because of food or any other reason.” transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite whose hypocrisy was well known, or a sick man, but if a sick man could walk with one on each side of him he would come to prayer. He also said: God’s Messenger taught us the paths of right guidance, among which is prayer in the mosque in which the adhan is called. In a version he said: If anyone would like to meet God tomorrow as a Muslim he should persevere in observing these five times of prayer where the announcement for them is made, for God has laid down for your Prophet the paths of right guidance, among which are the prayers. If you were to pray in your houses as this man who stays away prays in his house, you would abandon the practice of your Prophet, and if you were to abandon the practice of your Prophet you would go astray. No man purifies himself, doing it well, then makes for one of these mosques, without God recording a blessing for him for every step he takes, raising him a degree for it and removing a sin from him for it. I have seen the time when no one stayed away from it except a hypocrite who was well known as such, whereas a man would be brought swaying* between two men till he was set up in the row.” * Because he was too weak to walk alone. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, “Were it not for the women and children who are in the houses I would make the evening prayer congregational and command my young men to burn what is in the houses with fire.” Ahmad transmitted it.

He said that God’s Messenger gave them this command, “When you are in the mosque and the call to prayer is made, none of you must go out before he prays.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abush Sha'tha’ said that a man went out of the mosque after the adhan had been called in it, and Abu Huraira said, “This man has disobeyed Abul Qasim.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Uthman b. ‘Affan reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If the adhan is called when anyone is in the mosque and he goes out for any other reason than some necessary purpose, not intending to return, he is a hypocrite.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn'Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone hears the summons and does not respond to it, he is not credited with having prayed unless he has some excuse.” Daraqutni transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Umm Maktum said, “Messenger of God, there are many venomous creatures and wild beasts in Medina, and I am blind, so are you able to grant me any licence?” He asked whether he could hear the call, “Come to prayer. Come to salvation,” and when he replied that he could, he said, “Then you must come,” and he gave him no indulgence. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Umm ad-Darda’ said that on one occasion Abud Darda’ was angry when he came in, and on her asking what had made him angry, he replied, “I swear by God that the only good thing I know about Muhammad’s people is that they pray in congregation.”* * The suggestion is that they have become so corrupt that this is the only respect in which they obey the Prophet’s commands. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Bakr b. Sulaiman b. Abu Hathma said that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab missed Sulaiman b. Abu Hathma at the Morning Prayer. In the morning ‘Umar went to the market, and Sulaiman’s house being between the mosque and the market, he met ash-Shifa’, Sulaiman’s mother, and said to her, “I did not see Sulaiman at the morning prayer.” She replied, “He spent the night in prayer and was overpowered by sleep.” Thereupon ‘Umar said, “I would rather be present with a company at the Morning Prayer than spend a night in prayer.” Malik transmitted it.

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Two and over constitute a congregation.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Abdallah confronted him, and reviling him in terms the like of which I have never heard at any other time, he said, “I give you information on the authority of God’s Messenger, yet you say, ‘I swear by God I will certainly prevent them’!” * He is Salim b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar b. al-Khattab. Muslim transmitted it.