Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Fadalah narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Fadalah al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him)), he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me (matters of the religion), and among the things he (peace and blessings be upon him) taught me, he said: "Guard the five prayers." I said: "These are times in which I am busy, so tell me something comprehensive which, if I do it, will suffice for me." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Guard the two 'Asrs ('Asrayn)." The narrator says that this word was not in our language, so I asked: "What are the 'Asrayn?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A prayer before the sun rises (Fajr) and a prayer before it sets ('Asr)." Abu Harb bin Abi al-Aswad al-Dili is one of the senior Tabi'in; he narrated from the senior Companions, and his hearing from Sayyiduna Fadalah bin Ubayd al-Laythi is not far-fetched. Moreover, Hushaym bin Bashir is a well-known hafiz of hadith, and Khalid bin Abdullah al-Wasiti is a narrator who possessed a written record (reliable). On the whole, this is just as Imam Muslim recorded in the Book of Faith through Shu'bah from Uthman bin Abdullah bin Mawhab, and after it through Muhammad bin Uthman from his father.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Islam has prominent signs and landmarks, like the signs (and landmarks) of a road." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari, for he narrated from Muhammad bin Khalaf al-Asqalani and used Thawr bin Yazid al-Shami as evidence. As for Khalid bin Ma'dan hearing from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah, that is not unlikely, for al-Walid bin Muslim reported through Thawr bin Yazid his (Khalid's) statement: "I met seventeen of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." And if it occurs to someone's mind that this text is shadhdh (anomalous), let him look into the two books (Bukhari and Muslim), where he will find anomalous texts which have only a single chain and which are astonishing; then let him judge this hadith by analogy with them. Another hadith with this same chain is as follows:

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Islam is that you worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish the prayer, pay the zakah, fast in Ramadan, perform Hajj to the House (of Allah), enjoin good, forbid evil, and greet your family with salam. So whoever falls short in any of these has abandoned that share of Islam (which was due from him), and whoever abandons all of them has turned his back on Islam." This hadith is like the first hadith in its soundness and reliability.