Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Famine does not consist in your getting no rain, but it consists in your getting rain and getting more rain without the earth producing anything.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told of his hearing God’s Messenger say, “The wind comes from God’s mercy bringing blessing and punishment, so do not revile it, but ask God for some of its good and seek refuge in Him from its evil." Shafi'i, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi, in ad- da'awat al-kabir, transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told how the Prophet (ﷺ) said, when a man cursed the wind in his presence, "Do not curse the wind, for it is under command; if anyone curses a thing which does not deserve it, the curse will return on himself." Tirmidhi transmitted it and said this is a gharib tradition.

Ubayy b. Ka'b reported God’s Messenger as saying: Do not curse the wind, but when you see what you dislike say, "O God, we ask Thee for some of the good in this wind, in what it contains and in what it has been commanded to do; and we seek refuge in Thee from the evil in this wind, in what it contains and in what it has been commanded to do." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw something rising in the sky, meaning clouds, he left what he was doing, faced them and said, "O God, I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what they contain." If God cleared them away he praised Him, and if rain fell he said, "O God, give a beneficial fall.” Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Shafi'i transmitted it, the wording being Shafi'i's.

Ibn ‘Umar told that when the Prophet (ﷺ) heard the sound of thunder and of thunderbolts he said, "O God, do not kill us with Thine anger and do not destroy us with Thy punishment, but preserve us before that happens." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, the latter saying that this is a gharib tradition.

It is told of ‘Abdallah b. az-Zubair that when he heard thunder he stopped talking and said, “Glory be to Him whose praise the thunder and the angels extol from fear of Him." Malik transmitted it.

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Tell me, if there were a river at the door of one of you in which he washed five times daily, would any of his filthiness remain?” When he received the reply that none of it would remain, he said, “That is like the five times of prayer by which God obliterates sins.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas'ud said that a man kissed a woman and came and told the Prophet. Then God revealed, “And observe the prayer at the two ends of the day and the neighbouring parts of the night, for good deeds remove evil deeds (Al- Qur’an, 11:114).”’ The man asked God’s Messenger whether this referred to him, and he replied, “It refers to every one of my whole people.” A version has, “To those of my people who act upon it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas told of a man who came and said, “Messenger of God, I have done something which merits punishment, so appoint it for me.” He did not question him about it, and when the time for prayer came the man prayed along with him. Then when the Prophet (ﷺ) had finished the prayer the man got up and said, “Messenger of God, I have done something which merits punishment, so appoint for me that God has decreed.” He asked, “Did you not pray along with us?” and when he replied that he had, he said, “Well, God has forgiven you your offence, or “your punishment”. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas'ud said: I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) which action is dearest to God and he replied, “Prayer at its proper time.” I asked what came next, and he replied that it was kindness to parents. I asked what came next and he replied that it was jihad in God's path. He said, “He told me of them, and if I had asked for more he would have told me more.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud told of a man coming to the Prophet (ﷺ) and saying, “Messenger of God, I sported with a woman on the outskirts of Medina, and I got what I wanted from her short of having intercourse with her. Now here I am, so decide what you wish about me.” ‘Umar said to him, “God has concealed this about you. Would that you had kept it to yourself!” Ibn Mas'ud said that the Prophet (ﷺ) gave no reply, so the man got up and went away. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) sent a man after him to summon him, and he recited this verse to him. “And observe the prayer at the two ends of the day and the neighbouring parts of the night, for good deeds remove evil deeds. That is a reminder to those who remember (Al-Qur’an, 11:114).” One of the people asked, “Prophet of God, does this refer to him in particular?” He replied, “No, it refers to all men.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As said that the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned prayer one day saying, “If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence and salvation for him on the day of resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation, and on the day of resurrection he will be associated with Qarun, Pharaoh, Haman, 1 and Ubayy b. Khalaf”2 1. These three are mentioned together in Al-Qur’an, 29:39; 40:24. A longer account is given of Qarun in 28:76 ff. Haman is mentioned also in 28:38. The Old Testament gives the story of Korah (Qarun) in Numbers, Chap. 16, and of Haman in Esther, Chaps, 3 ff. 2. Ubayy had been an enemy of the Prophet (ﷺ) in Mecca. Ubayy had said he would kill him, but the Prophet (ﷺ) replied that if God willed he would kill Ubayy. At the battle of Uhud (3 A H.) Ubayy received a scratch, and remembering the Prophet’s words, he felt sure he was going to die. He died at Sarif, about six miles from Mecca, as he was returning home. See the Cairo edition of as-Sira an-nabawiya by Ibn Hisham, 1355/1936, vol.3, p. 89. Ahmad, Darimi, and Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-lman transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Gabriel twice led me in prayer at the House (i.e. the Ka’ba). He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed the meridian to the extent of the thong of a sandal; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when every thing’s shadow was as long as itself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me at the time when one who has been fasting breaks his fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had ended; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me at the time when food and drink become forbidden to one who is fasting. On the following day he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was as long as himself; he prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice as long as himself; he prayed the sunset prayer with me at the time when one who has been fasting breaks his fast; he prayed the night prayer with me when about a third of the night had passed; and he prayed the dawn prayer with me when there was clear daylight. Then turning to me he said, ‘Muhammad, this is the time observed by the prophets before you, and the time is anywhere between these two times.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ibn Shihab said that ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz postponed the afternoon prayer somewhat and 'Urwa said to him, “Gabriel has come down and prayed in front of God’s Messenger.” So ‘Umar said to him, “Be sure of what you are saying, ‘Urwa.” He replied: “I heard Bashir b. Abu Mas'ud say that he heard Abu Mas'ud say that he heard God’s Messenger say, 'Gabriel came down and acted as my imam and I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him, then I prayed along with him,’ reckoning with his fingers five times of prayer." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

It is told of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab that he wrote to his governors, “The most important matter which concerns you in my opinion is prayer; whoever observes it and is attentive to it will guard his religion, but whoever neglects it will be more neglectful of other things." Thereafter he wrote telling them to observe the moon prayer in the period when the shade was a cubit long up to the time when a man’s shadow was as long as himself; the afternoon prayer when the sun was high, white and clear, when there was still time for a rider to go two or three leagues before sunset: the sunset prayer after the sun had set; the night prayer between the ending of the twilight and the passing of a third of the night (adding three times “if one lies down to sleep may his eye not sleep”); and the morning prayer when the stars were still visible and out in abundance. Malik transmitted it.

Sayyar b. Salama said: My father and I visited Abu Barza al-Aslami and my father asked him how God’s Messenger used to observe the prescribed prayer. He replied, “He used to pray the noon prayer (al-hajir), which you call the first, when the sun was past the meridian; he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which one of us would return to his dwelling in the outskirts of Medina while the sun was still bright; (I forget what he said about the sunset prayer); he liked to postpone the night prayer, which you call al-atama, objecting to sleeping before it or talking after it and he would turn away from the morning prayer when a man could recognise his neighbour, and he would recite from sixty to a hundred verses during it.” A version has, “He did not mind postponing the night prayer till a third of the night had passed; and he did not like sleeping before it, or talking after it.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. al-Hasan b. ‘Ali said: We asked Jabir b. ‘Abdallah about the Prophet’s observance of prayer and he said, “He used to pray the noon prayer in the midday heat; the afternoon prayer when the sun was bright; the sunset prayer when the sun had completely set; the night prayer early if many were present, but late if there were few; and the dawn prayer just before daybreak.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Anas said, “When we prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) at midday in summer we prostrated ourselves on our clothing to protect ourselves from the heat.” (Bukhari and Muslim, the wording being Bukhari’s.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the heat is severe, postpone the prayer till it is cooler.” A version by Bukhari from Abu Sa‘id has, “at noonday, for the violent heat comes from the bubbling over of Jahannam, and hell complained to its Lord saying, ‘My Lord I am being devoured by myself,' so He allowed it two exhalations one in winter and one in summer, the most severe heat and the most severe cold you experience.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Bukhari has, “The most severe heat you experience comes from its hot wind, and the most severe cold you experience comes from its intense cold.”