Mishkat al-Masabih

Sulama daughter of al-Hurr reported God’s Messenger as saying, "One of the signs of the last hour will be that people in a mosque will refuse to act as imam and will not find an imam to lead them in prayer.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Jihad is a necessary duty for you along with any commander, pious or impious, even if he commits heinous sins; prayer is a necessary duty for you behind any Muslim, pious or impious, even if he commits heinous sins; and prayer is a necessary duty for every Muslim, pious or impious, even if he commits heinous sins.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

We lived by water which people passed. Riders would pass by us and we would ask them, "What has happened to the people? What has happened to the people? What is this man like?” and they would reply, "He asserts that God has sent him, has made a revelation to him, has made a revelation to him to this effect.”I was remembering those words with the result that they seemed to be glued in my breast. By their acceptance of Islam the Arabs were expecting victory for they would say ‘Let him and his people alone, for if be gets the better of them, he is a true prophet.’ Then when the battle of the conquest of Mecca took place every tribe hastened to accept Islam, and my father was the first of my tribe to accept it. When he returned he said: I swear by God that I have come to you from him who is truly the Prophet. He said, “Pray such and such a prayer at such and such a time, and such and such a prayer at such and such a time. When the time of prayer comes one of you should call the >i>adhan and the one of you who knows most of the Qur’an should act as your imam” So they considered, and there was no one who knew more of the Our’an than I did because of what I had received from the riders. They therefore put me forward in front of them, and I was only six or seven years old. I wore a mantle which, when I prostrated myself, went up on me, and a woman of the clan said, “Why do you not cover the backside of your reader from us?” So they bought and cut out a shirt for me, and I have never been so pleased about anything as I was about that shirt. Bukhari transmitted it.

When the first Emigrants came to Medina, Salim the client of Abu Hudhaifa acted as their imam, and ‘Umar and Abu Salama b. ‘Abd al-Asad were among their number. Bukhari transmitted it.

a man who acts as imam for people when they do not like him, a woman with whom her husband is displeased throughout the night, and two brothers* who are disunited.” * The word here is most probably used in the widest sense, meaning two Muslims. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I never prayed behind an imam, who was more brief or more perfect in his prayer than the Prophet. If he heard a boy crying he would shorten the prayer for fear his mother might be distressed. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Qatada reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When I begin the prayer. I intend to make it long, but I hear a boy crying and shorten my prayer, being aware of his mother’s emotion because of his crying.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you leads the people in prayer he should be brief, for among them are the sick, the weak, and the aged. But when one of you prays by himself he may be as long as he likes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Qais b. Abu Hazim said Abu Mas'ud told him of a man saying, “I swear by God, Messenger of God, that I keep away from the Morning Prayer on account of so and so, because he keeps us so long.” I never saw God’s Messenger more angry when giving an exhortation than he was that day. He said, “Some of you are scaring people away, so whoever of you leads the people in prayer must be brief, for among them are the weak, the aged, and people who have business to do.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “They lead you in prayer, and if they do it properly you will reap a reward, but if they make mistakes you will reap a reward and they will be held responsible. Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Uthman b. Abul ‘As said that the last command God’s messenger gave him was, “When you act as imam for people, make the prayer short." Muslim transmitted it. In a version by him it says that God's messenger said to him, “Act as imam for your people” to which he said he replied, “Messenger of God, I find a defect in myself.” Telling him to come near and making him sit down in front of him, he placed his hand on his breast between his nipples; then telling him to turn round, he placed it on his back between his shoulders. He then said, “Act as imam for your people. Whoever acts as imam for people must be brief, for among them are the aged, among them are the sick, among them are the weak, and among them are people who have busi­ness to do. But when any of you prays alone he may pray as he likes.”

God's Messenger used to command us to be brief, and he would recite as-Saffat (Al-Qur’an; 37) when he was our imam. Nasa’i transmitted it.

We used to pray behind the Prophet, and when he said, "God listens to him who praises Him," none of us bowed his back till the Prophet placed his forehead on the ground. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

God’s Messenger led us in prayer one day, and when he finished his prayer he faced us and said, "O people, I am your imam, so do not bow, prostrate yourselves, stand, or go away before I do, for I see you both in front of me and behind me." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Do not try to go ahead of the imam. When he says ‘God is most great’ say ‘God is most great’; when he says ‘Nor of those who err’ (i.e. the end of sura 1) say ‘Amen’; when he bows bow; and when he says ‘God listens to him who praises Him’ say, ‘O God, our Lord, to Thee be the praise’." (Bukhari and Muslim, but Bukhari did not mention "and when he says, ‘Nor of those who err”’.)

Anas said God’s Messenger was thrown off a horse he was riding and his right side was grazed. He then prayed one of the prayers sitting and we prayed behind him sitting, and when he finished he said, "The imam is appointed only to be followed; so when he prays standing pray standing, when he bows bow, when he raises himself raise yourselves, when he says ‘God listens to him who praises Him say, ‘Our Lord, to Thee be the praise’, and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting." Al-Humaidi said that "when he prays sitting pray sitting" was said during his earlier illness.* After that the Prophet prayed sitting while the people behind him were standing, but he did not order them to sit, and it is only the last action of the Prophet that is to be acted upon. * The reference is to his illness at the time when he swore not to go near his wives for a month. This is Bukhari’s wording, and Muslim has the same up to “all of you”. In a version he added, “Do not act differently from him, and prostrate yourselves when he prostrates himself.”

When God’s Messenger was seriously ill* and Bilal came to announce the time of prayer for him, he said, “Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” So Abu Bakr led the prayer during those days, then when the Prophet experienced some improvement in his condition he got up and came into the mosque swaying between two men with his feet touching the ground. On hearing the sound Abu Bakr began to withdraw, but God’s Messenger signed to him not to do so. He then came and sat at Abu Bakr’s left, and Abu Bakr prayed standing and God’s Messenger prayed sitting, Abu Bakr following God’s Messenger’s prayer, while the people followed Abu Bakr’s. * Here the reference is to the Prophet's last illness. (Bukhari and Muslim.) They both have a version which says that Abu Bakr caused the people to hear the takbir.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Does he who raises his head before the imam not fear that God may change his head into a donkey’s?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Ali and Mu'adh b. Jabal reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When any of you comes to pray and the imam is at a certain point, he must do as the imam does.” Tirmidhi transmitted it and said this is a gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When you come to the prayer and we are prostrating ourselves you must prostrate yourselves without reckoning it as part of your prayer; and if anyone is present at a rak'a he has been present at the prayer.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.