‘Uqba b. ‘Amir said: There were three times at which God’s Messenger used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead—when the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting till it sets. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Amr b. ‘Abasa said: After the Prophet (ﷺ) had gone to Medina I went there, and I visited him and said, “Tell me about the prayer.” He replied, “Observe the Morning Prayer, then stop praying when the sun is rising till it is fully up, for when it rises it comes up between the horns of the devil, and the infidels prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till the shadow becomes about the breadth of a lance; then cease prayer, for at that time jahannam is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward pray, for the prayer is witnessed and angels are attendant at it, till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the devil, and at that time the infidels prostrate themselves to it.” I then asked God’s prophet to tell me about ablution, and he said, “None of you will keep his water for ablution handy and rinse his mouth, snuff up water and blow it out without the sins of his face, his mouth and the inner parts of his nose falling out. When he then washes his face as God has commanded him the sins of his face will fall out at the ends of his beard along with the water; when he then washes his arms up to the elbows the sins of his arms will fall out at his finger-tips along with the water; when he then wipes his head the sins of his head will fall out at the ends of his hairs along with the water when he then washes his feet up to the ankles the sins of his feet will fall out at his toes along with the water. Then if he stands praying, and praises, lauds and glorifies God as is fitting and devotes his whole heart to God, his sin will depart leaving him as he was the day his mother bore him.” Muslim transmitted it.

Muhammad b. Ibrahim on the authority of Qais b. ‘Amr told how when the prophet saw a man praying two rak'as after the Morning Prayer he said, “At the Morning Prayer pray two rak'as." The man replied I had not prayed the two rak'as which precede them, so I prayed themjust now,” and God’s Messenger said nothing. Abu Dawud transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted something similar, saying, “The isnad of this tradition is not connected, because Muhammad b. Ibrahim did not hear from Qais b. ‘Amr.” There is something similar in Sharh as-sunna and in some texts of al-Masabih from Qais b. Qahd.

Jubair b. Mut'im reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “You descendants of ‘Abd Manaf must not prevent anyone who goes round this House and prays at any hour of the night or day he wishes.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abfi Huraira said that the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade prayer at the middle of the day until the sun declined from the meridian, with the exception of Friday. Shafi‘i transmitted it.

Abu Khalil said on the authority of Abu Qatada that the Prophet (ﷺ) disliked prayer in the middle of the day before the sun declined from the meridian, except on Friday, saying, “Jahannam is heated up except on Friday.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, adding that Abu Khalil did not meet Abu Qatada.

‘Abdallah as-Sunabihi reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The sun rises accompanied by the horn of the devil, but when it is fully risen it leaves it; then when it is at the meridian it joins it, but when it passes the meridian it leaves it; then when it comes near to setting it joins it, but when it sets it leaves it.” God’s Messenger prohibited prayer at those hours. Malik, Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Basra al-Ghifari said: God’s Messenger led us in the afternoon prayer at al-Mukhammas and said, “This is a prayer which was proposed to your predecessors, but they neglected it. Everyone who keeps observing it will have a double reward, but there is no prayer after it till ash-shahid rises.” Ash-shahid is the star.* * No particular star is intended. The meaning is that the prayer should be observed when stars become visible. Muslim transmitted it.

Mu'awiya said, “You observe a prayer which we who were the companions of God's Messenger never saw him pray; indeed, he forbade them;”* meaning the two rak'as after the afternoon prayer. * The dual is used here, the reference being to the two rak’as. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Dharr who had gone up on the step of the Ka'ba said: He who knows me knows me, and if anyone does not know me, I am Jundub* who heard God's Messenger say, “There is no prayer after the morning prayer till the sun rises, or after the afternoon prayer till the sun sets except in Mecca, except in Mecca, except in Mecca.” * Abu Dharr’s name was Jundub b- Janada. Ahmad and Razin transmitted it.

He told of a blind man coming to the Prophet (ﷺ) and saying, “Messenger of God, I have no one to guide me to the mosque.” He therefore asked God’s Messenger for licence to pray at home, and he granted it; then when the man turned away he called him and asked, “Can you hear the call to prayer?” On receiving the reply that he could, he said, “Well, respond to it.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said she heard God’s Messenger say, “Prayer is not to be said when food is served, or when the calls of nature prevent it.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the time for prayer comes, only the prescribed prayer is to be said.” Muslim transmitted it.

Zainab the wife of ‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told of God’s Messenger saying to them, “When one of you comes to the mosque she must not touch perfume.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No woman who has used incense maybe present with us at the last evening prayer.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Do not prevent your women from coming to the mosques, but their houses are better for them.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than in her house.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu' Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Every eye is adulterous, and when a woman perfumes herself and passes a company, she is such and such meaning adulterous. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Nasa’i have something similar.

Ubayy b. Ka‘b said: God’s Messenger led us in the dawn prayer one day, and when he gave the salutation he asked, “Is so and so present?” and was told that he was not. He asked, “Is so and so present?” and was told that he was not. He then said, “These two prayers* are the ones which are most burdensome to hypocrites. If you knew the blessings they contain you would come to them, even though you had to crawl on your knees. The first row is like that of the angels, and if you knew the nature of its excellence you would race to join it. A man’s prayer said along with another is purer than his prayer said alone, and his prayer with two men is purer than his prayer with one, but if there are more it is more pleasing to God.” *i.e. the evening prayer and the dawn prayer. Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abud Darda’ reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not arranged, the devil has got the mastery over them. So observe prayer in company, for the wolf eats only the straggling animal.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.