Prayer in the Forenoon - Section 1

Umm Hani’ said that the Prophet (ﷺ) entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, bathed and prayed eight <i>rak'as</i>, adding, “I never saw a shorter prayer than it, except that he performed the bowing and the prostration completely.” In another version she said, “That was in the forenoon.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَن أم هَانِئ قَالَتْ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ بَيْتَهَا يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ فَاغْتَسَلَ وَصَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَلَمْ أَرَ صَلَاةً قَطُّ أَخَفَّ مِنْهَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ يُتِمُّ الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ. وَقَالَتْ فِي رِوَايَة أُخْرَى: وَذَلِكَ ضحى

Mu'adha said she asked ‘A’isha how many <i>rak'as</i> God’s Messenger prayed at the forenoon prayer, and she replied, “Four <i>rak'as</i>, but sometimes more, as God pleased.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَن معَاذَة قَالَتْ: سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ: كَمْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي صَلَاةَ الضُّحَى؟ قَالَتْ: أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَيَزِيدُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Abu Dharr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “In the morning alms are due from every bone in a man’s fingers and toes. Every utterance of ‘Glory be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘Praise be to God’ is alms; every utterance of ‘There is no god but God' is alms; every utterance of ‘God is most great’ is alms; enjoining good is alms; forbidding what is disreputable is alms; and two <i>rak'as</i> which one prays in the forenoon serve instead of that.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلَامَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ فَكُلُّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيٌ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَانِ يَرْكَعُهُمَا من الضُّحَى» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Zaid b. Arqam, on seeing some people praying in the forenoon, said:

They well know that prayer at another time than this is more excellent. God’s Messenger said, “The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when the young weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.”* * Young camels are said to feel the sand too hot when a quarter of the day has passed. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ أَنَّهُ رَأَى قَوْمًا يُصَلُّونَ مِنَ الضُّحَى فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «صَلَاةُ الْأَوَّابِينَ حِينَ تَرْمَضُ الْفِصَالُ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Abud Darda' and Abu Dharr reported God’s Messenger as stating that God who is blessed and exalted said, “Son of Adam, if you perform four <i>rak'as</i> for me at the beginning of the day, I will supply what you need till the end of it.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it from Nu'aim b. Hammar al-Ghatafani, and Ahmad from them all.

وَعَن أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَا: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

عَنِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَا ابْن آدم اركع لي أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ: أَكْفِكَ آخِرَهُ

. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ عَنْ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ همار الْغَطَفَانِي وَأحمد عَنْهُم

Buraida said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms.” On being asked who was capable of doing that he replied, “It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two <i>rak'as</i> in the forenoon will suffice you.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن بُرَيْدَة قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «فِي الْإِنْسَانِ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَسِتُّونَ مَفْصِلًا فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ عَنْ كُلِّ مَفْصِلٍ مِنْهُ بِصَدَقَةٍ» قَالُوا: وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «النُّخَاعَةُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ تَدْفِنُهَا وَالشَّيْءُ تُنَحِّيهِ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَرَكْعَتَا الضُّحَى تُجْزِئُكَ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone prays twelve <i>rak'as</i> in the forenoon God will build for him a castle of gold in paradise.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Tirmidhi said, “This is a <i>gharib</i> tradition which I know only by this line of transmission.”

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ صَلَّى الضُّحَى ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ قَصْرًا مَنْ ذَهَبٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لَا نَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ

Mu'adh b. Anas al-Juhani reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone sits in his place of prayer when he finishes the Morning Prayer till he prays the two <i>rak'as</i> of the forenoon, saying nothing but what is good, his sins will be forgiven him even if they are more than the foam of the sea.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن معَاذ بن أنس الْجُهَنِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ قَعَدَ فِي مُصَلَّاهُ حِينَ يَنْصَرِفُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى يُسَبِّحَ رَكْعَتَيِ الضُّحَى لَا يَقُولُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا غُفِرَ لَهُ خَطَايَاهُ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone perseveres in praying the two <i>rak'as</i> of the forenoon, his sins will be forgiven him, even if they are like the foam of the sea.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ حَافَظَ عَلَى شُفْعَةِ الضُّحَى غُفِرَتْ لَهُ ذنُوبه وَإِن كَانَت مثلا زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

‘A’isha used to pray eight <i>rak'as</i> in the forenoon, then say, “If my parents were brought back to life for me I would not give up praying them.” Malik transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تُصَلِّي الضُّحَى ثَمَانِي رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ تَقُولُ: «لَوْ نُشِرَ لِي أَبَوَايَ مَا تركتهَا» . رَوَاهُ مَالك

Abu Sa'id said:

God’s Messenger used to pray in the forenoon so often that we felt he would never stop doing so; then he would leave off doing so for so long that we felt he would never resume prayer at that time. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى حَتَّى نَقُولَ: لَا يَدَعُهَا وَيَدَعُهَا حَتَّى نَقُولَ: لَا يُصليهَا. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Muwarriq al-Ijli said:

I asked Ibn ‘Umar whether he prayed in the forenoon and he said he did not. I asked whether ‘Umar did and he said he did not. I asked whether Abu Bakr did and he said he did not. I asked whether the Prophet (ﷺ) did and he said, “I don’t think so.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ مُوَرِّقٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ: تُصَلِّي الضُّحَى؟ قَالَ: لَا. قُلْتُ: فَعُمَرُ؟ قَالَ: لَا. قُلْتُ: فَأَبُو بَكْرٍ؟ قَالَ: لَا. قُلْتُ: فَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ قَالَ: لَا إخَاله. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ