Prayer - Page 2

Prayer - Page 2

24- While we were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel in the mosque, tied its foreleg, and said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting amongst us, leaning on his arm. We replied: "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him: "O son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib!" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am here to answer you." The man said to the Prophet: "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask whatever you want." The man said: "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who came before you. Has Allah sent you as a messenger to all mankind?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take this charity from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." Thereupon, that man said: "I have believed in all that you have been sent with, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger. @ I am Dimām ibn Tha‘labah, from the brothers of Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr."

31- Some men came to Sahl ibn Sa'd as-Sā‘idi. They were wondering what kind of wood the Pulpit was made of. So, they asked him about it, and he said: "By Allah, I know what it is made of. I saw it the first day it was set up, and the first day the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent to so-and-so - a woman from the Ansār whose name was mentioned by Sahl - telling her: 'Tell your carpenter slave to make for me some pieces of wood that I can sit on when I speak to the people.' So, she told him, and he made it from Tamarisk wood from Al-Ghābah (a place near Madīnah). Then, he brought it, and it was sent to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who commanded that it be set up here. Then, I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pray on it and say the takbīr while he was on it, and then he bowed while he was on it, and then he came down backwards and prostrated at the base of the Pulpit; and then he went back. When he finished, he turned to the people and said: '@O people, I only did this so that you can follow my example and learn my prayer.'"

32- 'When you pray, straighten your rows and let one of you lead in prayer, and when he says takbīr, say takbīr*; when he recites {Not of those who incurred Your Wrath, or of those who went astray} [Surat al-Fātihah: 7], say 'amen'; and Allah will respond to you. And when he says takbīr, you also say takbīr, for the Imām bows and rises before you.' Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'This is equivalent to that. And when he says, 'Sami'a Allāhu liman hamidah' (Allah hears he who praises Him), you should say: 'Allahumma rabbanā laka al-hamd' (O Allah, our Lord, praise be to You), and Allah will hear you, for Allah Almighty said through the tongue of His Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): Allah hears he who praises Him. And when he says takbīr and prostrates, you should also say takbīr and prostrate, for the Imām prostrates before you and rises before you.' Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'This is equivalent to that. And when he sits for tashahhud, the first words of everyone amongst you should be: 'Attaḥiyyāt at-ṭayyibāt aṣ-ṣalawātu lillāhi, assalāmu 'alayka 'ayyuh an-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, assalāmu' alayna wa 'alā 'ibadillāhi aṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ash'hadu an lā 'ilāha illā Allah wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh.' (All greetings, good things, and prayers are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger)."