Sayyiduna Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, he prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or perhaps seventeen months. He wished that his direction be changed towards the Ka‘bah, so Allah Almighty revealed this verse:“We have certainly seen the turning of your face towards the heaven, so We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haram.”Then a man passed by some of the Ansar who were in the state of bowing, and this man testified and said that he had prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Prophet’s direction had been turned towards the Ka‘bah. Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says: After the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah, the Muslims prayed facing Bayt al-Maqdis for seventeen months and three days, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) arrived in Madinah Munawwarah on Monday, the 12th of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, and Allah Almighty commanded the change of direction towards the Ka‘bah on Tuesday, the 15th of Sha‘ban al-Mu‘azzam. Thus, what we have mentioned is considered correct.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was directed to face the Ka'bah, the people asked: What will happen to our brothers who passed away in such a state that they used to pray facing Bayt al-Maqdis? So Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: "It is not Allah's way to let your faith (i.e., deeds) go to waste."

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: My beloved (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) advised me regarding three things: To obey and follow (the ruler), even if he is a slave with mutilated nose and ears. When you make broth, add more water to it. Then look at one of your neighbors’ houses and give them a suitable portion from it. Perform the prayer at its (prescribed) time. If you find the imam has already performed the prayer, then you have protected your prayer; otherwise, (if you perform it again with the imam) your second prayer will be considered voluntary.

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: Perform the prayer at its (prescribed) time, then when you come to the people and they have already performed the prayer, you have protected your prayer, and if they have not yet performed the prayer, then perform the prayer with them, and it will be a voluntary (nafl) prayer for you.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“There are two moments in which the gates of the heavens are opened: at the time of attending the prayer, and at the time of forming ranks in the path of Allah (while engaging in jihad).”

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When you see a person regularly coming towards the mosque, then bear witness to his faith, because Allah Almighty has said: 'Indeed, only he maintains the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the Last Day.'" (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) "The narrator named Darraj was from Egypt, his name is Abdur Rahman bin Samh, and his kunyah is 'Abu Samh.' The narrator named Abu Haytham is Sulaiman bin Amr Atwari, he is among the trustworthy narrators from Palestine. In the wording of the narration, the word 'alayhi' is used in the meaning of the word 'lahu.'"

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man came to the service of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and asked him about the most virtuous deed. The narrator states, so the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Prayer. He asked: Then which one? The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Then prayer. He asked: Then which one? The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Then prayer. You said this three times. He asked: Then which one? Then you said: Striving in the way of Allah (Jihad). He said: My parents are alive. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: I instruct you to do good to your parents. He said: By the One who has sent you as a Prophet, I will surely participate in Jihad and I will leave these parents. The narrator states, so the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: You know better.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Ka’b bin Ujrah! I seek Allah’s protection for you from the rule of fools. Soon there will come rulers; whoever goes to them, helps them in their oppression, and affirms their lies, he will have no connection with me and I will have no connection with him, and he will not be able to come to me at the Pond. And whoever does not go to them, does not help them in their oppression, and does not affirm their lies, he will have a connection with me and I will have a connection with him, and soon he will come to me at the Pond. O Ka’b bin Ujrah! Prayer is a means of attaining closeness (to Allah). Fasting is a shield, charity extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire. People go out in two conditions: a man trades his own self, so either he frees his neck or enslaves it. O Ka’b bin Ujrah! Such flesh will not enter Paradise whose growth is from the unlawful. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him),“He will have no connection with me and I will have no connection with him,”means that in regard to this action and this deed, he is not like me and I am not like him. These are the words according to the idiom of the people of Hijaz. His statement,“Such flesh will not enter Paradise whose growth is from the unlawful,”means“a specific Paradise”which will be other than another type of Paradise, because Paradise is of many kinds. Its example is like the statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him):“A child born as a result of adultery will not enter Paradise, a disobedient (to parents) will not enter Paradise, one who reminds others of his favors will not enter Paradise.”By this is meant one (type of) Paradise as opposed to (another type of) Paradise. This is a lengthy chapter; if Allah Almighty decrees and wills, we will mention it after this book (i.e., chapter) in a forthcoming chapter.

Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaidullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man came to the service of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was from Najd and his hair was disheveled. The buzzing of his voice could be heard, but it was not understood what he was saying, until he came close to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was inquiring about Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said to him that five prayers are to be performed in the day and night. He asked whether any other prayer (besides these) is obligatory upon him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: No, except if you perform voluntary (prayers, then that is appropriate). The narrator says: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Fasting in the month of Ramadan (is obligatory). He asked whether (besides this) any other fast is obligatory upon him. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: No, except if you keep voluntary (fasts, then that is better). The narrator says the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned Zakat to him, so he asked whether any other payment is obligatory upon him besides this. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: No, except if you give charity voluntarily (then that is better). The narrator says then that man went away saying: By Allah! I will not add anything to this nor will I decrease anything from it. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: If he is telling the truth, then he will be successful.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The example of the obligatory prayers is like that of a river flowing at the door of one of you, in which he bathes five times a day."