Sahih Muslim
Book 4: Prayer
Chapter 1: The Beginning of Adhan
Ibn Umar reported: When the Muslims came to Medina, they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer but no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and some of them said: Use something like the bell of the Christians and some of them said: Use horn like that of the Jews. Umar said: Why may not a be appointed who should call (people) to prayer? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: O Bilal, get up and summon (the people) to prayer.
Anas b. Malik reported: They (the Companions) discussed that they should know the timings of prayer by means of something recognized by all. Some of them said that fire should be lighted or a bell should be rung. But Bilal was ordered to repeat the phrases twice in Adhan, and once in Iqama.
This hadith is transmitted by Khalid Hadhdha with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are): When the majority of the people discussed they should know, like the hadith narrated by al-Thaqafi (mentioned above) except for the words: “They (the people) should kindle fire.”
Anas reported: Bilal was commanded (by the Holy Prophet) to repeat the phrases twice in Adhan, and once in Iqama.
Chapter 2: How Adhan Is to be Pronounced
Abu Mahdhura said that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) taught him Adhan like this: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and it should be again repeated: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to the prayer (twice). Come to success (twice). Ishaq added: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; there Is no god but Allah.
Chapter 3: There can be Two Pronouncers of Adhan for One Mosque
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had two Mu’adhdhins, Bilal and ‘Abdullah b. Umm Maktum, who (latter) was blind.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of ‘Aisha by another chain of transmitters.
‘Aisha reported: Ibn Umm Maktum used to pronounce Adhan at the behest of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (despite the fact) that he was blind.
A hadith like this has been transmitted by Hisham.
Chapter 4: The Holy Prophet Refrained from Attacking People Living In Dar Al-Kufr On Hearing Adhan from them
Anas b. Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to attack the enemy when it was dawn. He would listen to the Adhan; so if he heard an Adhan, he stopped, otherwise made an attack. Once on hearing a man say: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) remarked: He is following al-Fitra (al-Islam). Then hearing him say: I testify that there is no god but Allah. there is no god but Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: You have come out of the Fire (of Hell). They looked at him and found that he was a goatherd.
Chapter 5: He Who Hears the Adhan Should Respond Like It, Invoke Blessing Upon the Apostle (may Peace be Upon Him) and Then Beg for Him the Wasila
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: When you hear the call (to prayer), repeat what the Mu’adhdhin pronounces.
‘Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: When you hear the Mu’adhdhin, repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah; then beg from Allah al-Wasila for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah’s servants, and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasila, he will be assured of my intercession.
‘Umar b. al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu’adhdhin says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and one of you should make this response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; (and when the Mu’adhdhin) says: I testify that there is no god but Allah, one should respond: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and when he says: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, one should make a response: I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger. When he (the Mu’adhdhin) says: Come to prayer, one should make a response: There is no might and no power except with Allah. When he (the Mu’adhdhin) says: Come to salvation, one should respond: There is no might and no power except with Allah, and when he (the Mu’adhdhin) says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, then make a response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. When he (the Mu’adhdhin) says: There is no god but Allah, and he who makes a response from the heart: There is no god but Allah, he will enter Paradise.
Sa’d b. Abu Waqqas reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: If anyone says on hearing the Mu’adhdhin: I testify that there is no god but Allah alone. Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger, and with Islam as din (code of life), his sins would be forgiven. In the narration transmitted by Ibn Rumh the words are: “He who said on hearing the Mu’adhdhin and verity I testify.”’ Qutaiba has not mentioned his words: “And I.”
Chapter 6: The Excellence of Adhan and running Away of the Satan On Hearing It
Yahya narrated it on the authority of his uncle that he had been sitting in the company of Mu’awiya b. Abu Sufyan when the Mu’adhdhin called (Muslims) to prayer. Mu’awiya said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying The Mu’adhdhins will have the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection.
Abu Sufyan reported it on the authority of Jabir that he had heard the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: When Satan hears the call to prayer, he runs away to a distance like that of Rauha. Sulaimin said: I asked him about Rauha. He replied: It is at a distance of thirty-six miles from Medina.
Abu Mu’awiya narrated it on the authority of A’mash with the same chain of transmitters.
Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: When Satan hears the call to prayer, he turns back and breaks the wind so as not to bear the call being made, but when the call is finished he turns round and distracts (the minds of those who pray), and when he bears the Iqama he again runs away so as not to hear its voice and when it subsides, he comes back and distracts (the minds of those who stand for prayer).
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu’adhdhin calls to prayer, Satan runs back vehemently.
Suhail reported that his father sent him to Banu Haritha along with a boy or a man. Someone called him by his name from an enclosure. He (the narrator) said: The person with me looked towards the enclosure, but saw nothing. I made a mention of that to my father. He said: If I knew that you would meet such a situation I would have never sent you (there), but (bear in wind) whenever you hear such a call (from the evil spirits) pronounce the Adhan. for I have heard Abu Huraira say that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Whenever Adhan is proclaimed, Satan runs back vehemently.
Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle (may peace be upon him) said When the call to prayer is made, Satan runs back and breaks wind so as not to hear the call being made, and when the call is finished, he turns round. When Iqama is proclaimed he turns his back, and when it is finished he turns round to distract a man, saying: Remember such and such; remember such and such, referring to something the man did not have in his mind, with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed.
A hadith like it has been narrated by Abu Huraira but for these words: “He (the man saying the prayer) does not know how much he has prayed.
Chapter 7: The Desirability of Raising the Hands Apposite the Shoulders at the Time of Beginning the Prayer and at the Time of Bowing and at the Time of Returning to the Erect Position After Bowing
Salim narrated it on the authority of his father who reported: I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) raising his hands apposite the shoulders at the time of beginning the prayer and before bowing down and after coming back to the position after bowing, but he did not raise them between two prostrations.
Ibn Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), when he stood up for prayer, used to raise his hands apposite the shoulders and then recited takbir (Allah-o-Akbar), and when he was about to bow he again did like it and when he raised himself from the ruku’ (bowing posture) he again did like it, but he did not do it at the time of raising his head from prostration.
This hadith has been transmitted with the same chain of transmitters by al. Zuhri as narrated by Ibn Juraij (who) said: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) stood up for prayer, he raised hands (to the height) apposite the shoulders and then recited takbir.
Abu Qilaba reported that he saw Malik b. Huwairith raising his hands at the beginning of prayer and raising his hands before kneeling down, and raising his hands after lifting his head from the state of kneeling, and he narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to do like this.
Malik b. Huwairith reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) raised his hands apposite his ears at the time of reciting the takbir (i.e. at the time of beginning the prayer) and then again raised his hands apposite the ears at the time of bowing and when he lifted his head after bowing he said: Allah listened to him who praised Him, and did like it (raised his hands up to the ears).
This hadith has been transmitted by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters that he saw the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) doing like this (i.e. raising his hands) till they were apposite the lobes of cars.
Chapter 8: The Reciting of Takbir at the Time of Bowing and Rising in Prayer Except Rising After Ruku, When It Is Said: Allah Listened to Him Who Praised Him
Abu Salama reported: Abu Huraira led prayer for them and recited takbir when he bent and raised himself (in ruku’ and sujud) and after completing (the prayer) he said: By Allah I say prayer which has the best resemblance with the prayer of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) amongst you.
Abu Huraira reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) got up for prayer, he would say the takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) when standing, then say the takbir when bowing, then say: “Allah listened to him who praised him,” when coming to the erect position after bowing, then say while standing: “To Thee, our Lord, be the praise”, then recite the takbir when getting down for prostration, then say the takbir on raising his head, then say the takbir on prostrating himself, then say the takbir on raising his head. He would do that throughout the whole prayer till he would complete it, and he would say the takbir when he would get up at the end of two rak’as after adopting the sitting posture. Abu Huraira said: My prayer has the best resemblance amongst you with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).
Ibn al-Harith reported: He had heard Abu Huraira say: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited takbir on standing for prayer, and the rest of the hadith is like that transmitted by Ibn Juraij (recorded above), but he did not mention Abu Huraira as saying: “My prayer has the best resemblance amongst you with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).”
Abu Salama b. ‘Abd al-Rahman reported.. When Marwan appointed Abu Huraira as his deputy in Medina, he recited takbir whenever he got up for obligatory prayer, and the rest of the hadith is the same as transmitted by Ibn Juraij (but with the addition of these words): On completing the prayer with salutation, and he turned to the people in the mosque and said….
Abu Salama reported that Abu Huraira recited takbir in prayer on all occasions of rising and kneeling. We said: O Abu Huraira, what is this takbir? He said: Verily it is the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him).
Suhail reported on the authority of his father that Abu Huraira used to recite takbir on all occasions of rising and bending (in prayer) and narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to do like that.
Mutarrif reported: I and ‘Imran b. Husain said prayer behind ‘Ali b. Abu Talib. He recited takbir when he prostrated, and he recited takbir when he raised his head and he recited takbir while rising up (from the sitting position at the end of two rak’ahs). When we had finished our prayer, ‘Imran caught hold of my hand and said: He (Hadrat Ali) has led prayer like Muhammad (may peace be upon him) or he said: He in fact recalled to my mind the prayer of Muhammad (may peace be upon him.)
Chapter 9: The Reciting of Al-Fatiha In Every Rak’ah Of Prayer Is Obligatory
‘Ubada b. as-Samit reported from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him): He who does not recite Fatihat al-Kitab is not credited with having observed the prayer.
Ubada b. as-Samit reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who does not recite Umm Al-Qur’an is not credited with having observed the prayer.
Mahmud b. al-Rabi’, on whose face the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) squirted water from the well, reported on the authority of ‘Ubada b. as-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: He who does not recite Umm Al-Qur’an is not credited with having observed prayer.
This hadith has also been transmitted by Ma’mar from al-Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters with the addition of these words: “and something more.”
