Sahih Muslim, 748 a
sahihZaid b. Arqam, on seeing some people praying in the forenoon, said:
They well know that prayer at another time than this is more excellent, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when your weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.
وَحَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ - عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ، رَأَى قَوْمًا يُصَلُّونَ مِنَ الضُّحَى فَقَالَ أَمَا لَقَدْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ الصَّلاَةَ فِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ . إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
صَلاَةُ الأَوَّابِينَ حِينَ تَرْمَضُ الْفِصَالُ
.
Isnad
5 transmittersReferences2 variants
- In-Book Reference
- Book 6, Hadith 175
- USC-MSA web (English) reference
- Book 4, Hadith 1630 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the Tābi‘is (may Allah have mercy upon them) were the keenest among people seeking the Prophet's guidance. This was for them to learn his guidance and Sunnah and then teach it to those who came after them and to those who asked them about the Prophet's circumstances concerning his prayer, Qiyām al-Layl, voluntary worship, and so on. In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Al-Qāsim ibn ‘Awf ash-Shaybāni relates that the Companion Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) saw some people praying in the forenoon. - And in a version by Ahmad: "He saw some people praying in the Qubā’ Mosque in the forenoon" [Duha prayer] - and they were praying it at the time of sunrise, as related in another version by Ahmad. So, Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "They definitely knew that praying at an hour other than this one is better." In other words, their performance of the Duha prayer at this time is not preferred, for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The prayer of the oft-returning to Allah," i.e., those who obey Allah, glorify Him, and often turn to Him in repentance and sincerity in worship. Their prayer "is when weaned camels are bitten by excessive heat" i.e., when the hooves of weaned camels burn due to the extreme heat of sand caused by exposure to the sun. Weaned camels are young camels, and he singled them out because their hooves burn before the end of extreme heat, given the tenderness of the skin of their hooves. They separate from their mothers at the beginning of extreme heat, and they let them go. This happens at the latter time. So, prayer at this time is better, for people's souls are inclined to rest and comfort during this time, and this is one of the prayers whose performance is recommended to be delayed. In the Hadīth: The merit of performing the Duha prayer at the latter time. And in it: Indicating to seize the opportunity to perform worship and engage in acts of obedience to Allah during the times of comfort, calm, and rest..