Tag: Q n A, Bukhari

Abu Qilaba said, “Malik bin Huwairith came to this Mosque of ours and said, ‘I pray in front of you
and my aim is not to lead the prayer but to show you the way in which the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray.’ ” I
asked Abu Qilaba, “How did he use to pray?’ ” He replied, “(The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray) like this
Sheikh of ours and the Sheikh used to sit for a while after the prostration, before getting up after the
first rak`a. ”

“The Prophet (ﷺ) became sick and when his disease became aggravated, he said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead
the prayer.” `Aisha said, “He is a softhearted man and would not be able to lead the prayer in your
place.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said again, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” She repeated the same
reply but he said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. You are the companions of Joseph.” So
the messenger went to Abu Bakr (with that order) and he led the people in prayer in the lifetime of the
Prophet.

the mother of the believers: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in his illness said, “Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in
prayer.” I said to him, “If Abu Bakr stands in your place, the people would not hear him owing to his
(excessive) weeping. So please order `Umar to lead the prayer.” `Aisha added I said to Hafsa, “Say to
him: If Abu Bakr should lead the people in the prayer in your place, the people would not be able to
hear him owing to his weeping; so please, order `Umar to lead the prayer.” Hafsa did so but Allah’s
Apostle said, “Keep quiet! You are verily the Companions of Joseph. Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people
in the prayer. ” Hafsa said to `Aisha, “I never got anything good from you.”

Anas bin Malik Al-Ansari, told me, “Abu Bakr used to lead the people in prayer during the fatal
illness of the Prophet (ﷺ) till it was Monday. When the people aligned (in rows) for the prayer the Prophet (ﷺ)
lifted the curtain of his house and started looking at us and was standing at that time. His face was
(glittering) like a page of the Qur’an and he smiled cheerfully. We were about to be put to trial for the
pleasure of seeing the Prophet, Abu Bakr retreated to join the row as he thought that the Prophet (ﷺ)
would lead the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned us to complete the prayer and he let the curtain fall. On the same day he died.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not come out for three days. The people stood for the prayer and Abu Bakr went
ahead to lead the prayer. (In the meantime) the Prophet (ﷺ) caught hold of the curtain and lifted it. When
the face of the Prophet (ﷺ) appeared we had never seen a scene more pleasing than the face of the Prophet (ﷺ)
as it appeared then. The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned to Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer and then let
the curtain fall. We did not see him (again) till he died.

My father said, “When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) became seriously ill, he was told about the prayer. He said,
‘Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in the prayer.’ `Aisha said, ‘Abu Bakr is a softhearted man and he
would be overpowered by his weeping if he recited the Qur’an.’ He said to them, ‘Tell him (Abu Bakr)
to lead the prayer. The same reply was given to him. He said again, ‘Tell him to lead the prayer. You
(women) are the companions of Joseph.”

`Itban bin Malik used to lead his people (tribe) in prayer and was a blind man, he said to Allah’s
Apostle , “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! At times it is dark and flood water is flowing (in the valley) and I am
blind man, so please pray at a place in my house so that I can take it as a Musalla (praying place).” So
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) went to his house and said, “Where do you like me to pray?” ‘Itban pointed to a place
in his house and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), offered the prayer there.

The reward of the congregational prayer is twenty seven times greater
(than that of the prayer offered by a person alone).

Ibn `Abbas addressed us on a (rainy and) muddy day and when the Mu’adh-dhin said, “Come for the
prayer” Ibn `Abbas ordered him to say, “Pray in your homes.” The people began to look at one another
with surprise as if they did not like it. Ibn `Abbas said, “It seems that you thought ill of it but no doubt
it was done by one who was better than I (i.e. the Prophet). It (the prayer) is a strict order and I
disliked to bring you out.”
Ibn `Abbas narrated the same as above but he said, “I did not like you to make you sinful (in
refraining from coming to the mosque) and to come (to the mosque) covered with mud up to the
knees.”

I heard Um Ad-Darda’ saying, “Abu Ad-Darda’ entered the house in an angry mood. I said to him.
‘What makes you angry?’ He replied, ‘By Allah! I do not find the followers of Muhammad doing those
good things (which they used to do before) except the offering of congregational prayer.” (This
happened in the last days of Abu Ad-Darda’ during the rule of `Uthman) .