Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Zuhr prayer would be established and one of us would go towards Baqi’, relieve himself, then (come home and) perform ablution, then when he would come towards the mosque, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would still be in the first rak’ah.

Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead us in prayer, reciting in the first two rak‘ahs of Zuhr, and sometimes he would let us hear a verse. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would make the first rak‘ah long and the second rak‘ah short. In the Fajr prayer as well, his habit was to make the first rak‘ah long and the second short, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would also recite in the first two rak‘ahs of ‘Asr.

Saeed bin Al-Harith says: Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) became ill or was otherwise absent, so Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in prayer. When he began the prayer, at the time of bowing (ruku‘), after saying "Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah," when raising his head from prostration (sajdah), when going into prostration, and when standing up after two rak‘ahs, he said "Allahu Akbar." When he completed the prayer in this manner, someone said: "People are differing with your way of prayer." (Hearing this) he came and stood by the pulpit and said: "O people! By Allah, I do not care whether your prayer is different from this or not; I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praying in this very manner."

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became ill, so we prayed behind him while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would say the takbeer and make the people hear his takbeer.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a man praying alone and said: "Is there not anyone who will give charity to him and pray with him?" So a man stood up and prayed with him. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "These two men are a congregation."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I spent the night at the house of my maternal aunt Maymunah bint Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was also with her that night. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up at night and began to pray, I also stood on his left side to pray along with him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of my hair or my head and made me stand on his right side.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: May Allah have mercy on the man who stands at night and prays, and awakens his wife, and she also prays. If she refuses to get up, he sprinkles water on her face. And likewise, may Allah have mercy on the woman who gets up at night and prays, and awakens her husband, and he also prays. If he refuses to get up, she sprinkles water on his face.

Under this chapter, the following sub-chapters and hadiths are included.

Hattan bin Abdullah Raqashi says: Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) led his companions in prayer. During the congregation, a man said while sitting:“Prayer has been joined with goodness and purity.”When Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) completed the prayer, he turned to the people and said:“Who said such-and-such words?”The people remained silent. (Abu Abdur Rahman said: My father said that the meaning of ‘aramma’ is silence.) Then he said to Hattan bin Abdullah:“O Hattan! Perhaps you were the one who said this?”He replied:“By Allah! I did not say this, but I was indeed afraid that you would scold me.”At that moment, a man said:“I said these words, and my intention was only good and well-being.”Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“Do you not know what you are saying in your prayer? Indeed, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us a sermon in which he taught us the matters of our religion and clarified the method of prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Straighten your rows. Whoever knows more of the Noble Qur’an should lead the prayer. When he says the takbir, you also say the takbir. And when he says {وَلَاالضَّالِّیْنَ}, you say Ameen; Allah the Exalted will accept your supplication. Then, when the imam says the takbir and bows (for ruku’), you say the takbir and bow. Indeed, the imam bows before you and rises from ruku’ before you; this (the imam going before you) is in exchange for your delay in rising. When he says“Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah,”you say“Rabbana lakal hamd.”Allah will hear your words, for Allah the Exalted has said“Sami’ Allahu liman hamidah”upon the tongue of His Prophet. And when the imam says the takbir and prostrates, you say the takbir and prostrate. Indeed, the imam prostrates before you and rises before you; this (his going before you) is in exchange for your delay in rising. When the worshipper is in the sitting (qa’dah), he should first say:“At-tahiyyatu at-tayyibatu as-salawatu lillah, … ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.”(All verbal, financial, and physical acts of worship are for Allah alone. O Prophet: peace, Allah’s mercy, and His blessings be upon you. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is Allah’s servant and Messenger.)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The imam is appointed only to be followed, so do not differ with him. When he says the takbir, then you say the takbir, and do not say the takbir until he has said the takbir. Likewise, when he bows (for ruku‘), then you bow, and do not bow until he has bowed. When he says سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَہُ, then you say رَبَّنَا وَلَکَ الْحَمْدُ. In one narration, it is اَللّٰہُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْدُ, and in another, رَبَّنَا لَکَ الْحَمْدُ. When the imam prostrates, then you prostrate, and do not prostrate before he has prostrated. And if he prays sitting, then you should also pray sitting.