Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My heirs should not take a dinar or dirham. Whatever I leave behind, excluding the provision for my wives and my employees, should be spent in charity."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed one of the afternoon prayers (the sub-narrator Muhammad said: "I think that it was most probably the ‘Asr prayer") and he finished it after offering two Rak‘ahs only. He then stood near a piece of wood in front of the mosque and put his hand on it. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were amongst those who were present, but they dared not talk to him about it (because of being awed by him), and those who were in a hurry went out. They said: "Has the prayer been reduced?" A man who was called Dhu al-Yadayn by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said (to the Prophet): "Has the prayer been reduced or have you forgotten?" He said: "Neither have I forgotten, nor has the prayer been reduced." He said: "Certainly you have forgotten." So the Prophet offered two more Rak‘ahs and ended the prayer with Taslīm. Then he said Takbīr and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer. Then he raised his head and said Takbīr. Then he put his head down and performed a prostration like his ordinary prostration or a bit longer. Then he raised his head and said Takbīr. [Al-Bukhāri]

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When anyone of you is in doubt about his prayer, not knowing how much he prayed, three or four, let him dispel the doubt and build upon what he is certain about, then perform two prostrations before making Taslīm. If he has prayed five, they will make his prayer even-numbered, and if he has prayed exactly four, they will be humiliation for the devil."

‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the prayer. Ibrahīm, a sub-narrator, said: "I do not know whether he prayed more or less than usual." When he finished the prayer, he was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, has there been any change to the prayer?" He said: "What is it?" The people said: "You have prayed such-and-such." Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bent his legs, faced the Qiblah, performed two prostrations, and then made Taslīm. When he turned his face to us, he said: "If there was any change to the prayer, I would surely inform you; but I am a human being like you and liable to forget like you. So if I do forget, remind me, and if anyone of you is doubtful about his prayer, he should follow what he thinks to be correct and complete his prayer accordingly, make Taslīm, and then offer two prostrations."

Ziyād ibn ‘Alāqah reported: Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah led us in prayer, and he stood up directly after offering the second Rak‘ah (without sitting for Tashahhud), so we said: "Glory be to Allah" whereupon he said: "Glory be to Allah" and continued with the prayer. When he completed his prayer and ended it with Taslīm, he made two prostrations of forgetfulness. When he left the prayer, he said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) do as I did."

Thawbān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For each forgetfulness (in prayer) there are two prostrations after making Taslīm."

Abu Rāfi‘ reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Sūrat al-Inshiqāq and then prostrated. After he finished the prostration, he told them that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had prostrated when he recited it.

Ibn Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The prostration of Sād is not a compulsory one but I saw the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrating while reciting it."

Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I recited before the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) Sūrat An-Najm and he did not prostrate in it.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Āmir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I said to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Are there two prostrations in Sūrat al-Hajj?" He said: "Yes, and whoever does not perform them should not read them."

Rabī‘ah ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Hudayr At-Taymi reported: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Sūrat An-Nahl on the pulpit during the Friday sermon, and when he reached the verse of prostration, he got down and prostrated, and so did the people. The next Friday, he recited it, and when he reached the verse of prostration, he said: "O people, we pass by verses of prostration. Whoever prostrates has done something right, but there is no sin on those who do not prostrate." ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not prostrate (that time). In another version: "Indeed, Allah did not make such prostration (of recitation) obligatory; we can do it if we wish to do so."

Abu Bakrah reported: Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) received good news, he would fall down in prostration out of gratitude to Allah.

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) set out heading to a place that he had given in charity. He entered it, faced the Qiblah, and fell to the ground in prostration. He remained prostrating for a long time, until I thought that Allah, the Almighty, had taken his soul in this prostration. So I got closer to him and sat. When he raised his head, he said: "Who is that?" I said: "‘Abdur-Rahmān." He said: "What do you want?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah, you prostrated for such a long time that I feared that Allah, the Exalted, had taken your soul." So he said: "Jibrīl (peace be upon him) came to me and gave me glad tidings saying: “Allah, the Almighty, says: ’Whoever sends blessings on you, I will send blessings on him, and whoever sends greetings of peace to you, I will send greetings of peace to him.' So I prostrated in thankfulness to Allah."

Al-Barā' (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent Khālid ibn al-Walīd to the people of Yemen to invite them to Islam, but they did not respond to him. Then, the Prophet sent ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib and ordered him to send back Khālid and those with him except if any of the men with Khālid wanted to stay with ‘Ali, in which case they should be allowed to do so. I was one of those who stayed with him. When we drew close to the people, they went out toward us, and ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in prayer and lined us in one row. Then, he stepped forward and stood before us and read out the Messenger’s letter to them. Thereupon, the entire Hamdān tribe embraced Islam. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informing him of their conversion to Islam. On reading that, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) fell in prostration. Then, he raised his head and said: "Peace be upon Hamdān, peace be upon Hamdān."

Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two light Rak‘ahs after the break of dawn. Another narration reads: "before the (Fajr) prayer would start."

‘Ā’ishah, Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not ever leave four before Zhuhr and two Rak‘ahs before morning.

’Umm Habībah, the Prophet's wife, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever regularly observes four Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr and four after it, Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah have mercy on whoever offers four Rak‘ahs before the ‘Asr prayer."

‘Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Offer two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib." Then he said: "Offer two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib, if you will," fearing people might take it as Sunnah.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recited: {Say, “O disbelievers”} and {Say: “He is Allah, the One”} in the two Rak‘ahs of Fajr.