وَقَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {حَفِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَوَةِ الْوُسْطَى} (البقرة: ۲۳۸)
And the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: {Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer} (Al-Baqarah: 238).
عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ رُوَيْبَةَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُوْلُ: «لَنْ يَلِجَ النَّارَ أَحَدٌ صَلَّى قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا يَعْنِي الْفَجْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
From Amarah ibn Ruwaybah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "No one who prays before the sun rises and before it sets will enter the Fire, meaning the Fajr and Asr prayers." [Narrated by Muslim]
وَعَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ صَلَّى الْبَرْدَيْنِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever prays the two cool prayers (Fajr and Asr) will enter Paradise." [Agreed upon]
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُوْنَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوْا فِيْكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ - وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ - كَيْفَ تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟ فَيَقُوْلُوْنَ: تَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّوْنَ، وَأَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّوْنَ». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The angels take turns among you, by night and by day. They gather for the Fajr and Asr prayers, then those who spent the night with you ascend, and their Lord, who knows them better, asks them: 'How did you leave My servants?' They reply: 'We left them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.'" [Agreed upon]
وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ : لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي النَّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ لَاسْتَهَمُوا، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ مَا فِي التَّهْجِيْرِ۱ لَاسْتَبَقُوْا إِلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ مَا فِي الْعَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْرًا». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
From him, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "If the people knew what is in the call to prayer and the first row, they would cast lots for it. And if they knew what is in the early prayer (before dawn) 1 , they would race to it, and if they knew what is in the 'Isha' and Fajr prayers, they would come to them even if they had to crawl." [Agreed upon]
Notes / الحواشي
1 The statement: "If they knew what is in the early prayer..." It should not be said that the command to delay the prayer contradicts the command to perform the early prayer, because delaying is a slight postponement and does not exclude the concept of early prayer. "Al-Hajjira" refers to the time up until just before Asr (the afternoon prayer), as mentioned in Al-Mirqat.
۱ قوله: ولو يعلمون ما في التهجير الخ: لا يقال: الأمر بالإبراد ينافي الأمر بالتهجير؛ لأن الإبراد تأخير قليل لا يخرج بذلك التهجير، فإن الهاجرة تطلق على الوقت إلى أن يقرب العصر، كذا في «المرقاة».
وَعَنْهُ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «لَيْسَ صَلَاةٌ أَنْقَلَ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ وَالْعِشَاءِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا. مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
On the authority of 'Amara bin Ruwaybah: He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'No one will enter the Hellfire who prays before the rising and before the setting of the sun, meaning Fajr and Asr.'" [Narrated by Muslim]
وَعَنْ عُثْمَانَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ : مَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَامَ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ، وَمَنْ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَكَأَنَّمَا صَلَّى اللَّيْلَ كُلَّهَ». رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
On the authority of Abu Musa: He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever prays the two cool prayers (Fajr and Asr) will enter Paradise.'" [Agreed upon]
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ (رضي الله عنهما) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «لَا يَغْلِبَنَّكُمُ الْأَعْرَابُ عَلَى اسْمِ صَلَاتِكُمُ الْمَغْرِبِ». قَالَ: وَتَقُوْلُ الْأَعْرَابُ: هِيَ الْعِشَاءُ وَقَالَ: «لَا يَغْلِبَنَّكُمُ الْأَعْرَابُ عَلَى اسْمِ صَلَاتِكُمُ الْعِشَاءِ، فَإِنَّهَا فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ الْعِشَاءُ؛ فَإِنَّهَا تُعْتِمُ بِحِلَابِ الْإِبِلِ». رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
On the authority of Abu Huraira: He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Angels take turns in you, some at night and some during the day. They gather at the Fajr prayer and the Asr prayer, and then those who stayed overnight among you ascend, and their Lord, who knows best about them, asks, 'How did you leave My servants?' They reply, 'We left them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.'" [Agreed upon]
وَعَنْ جُنْدُبِ الْقَسْرِي (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ فَهُوَ فِي ذِمَّةِ اللهِ، فَلَا يَطْلُبَنَّكُمُ اللهُ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ بِشَيْءٍ؛ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَطْلُبُهُ مِنْ ذِمَّتِهِ بِشَيْءٍ يُدْرِكْهُ، ثُمَّ يَكُبَّهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ. وَفِي بَعْضِ نُسَخِ الْمَصَابِيحِ»: «الْقُشَيْرِيَّ» بَدْلَ الْقَسْرِيَّ».
On the authority of Jundub al-Qasri: He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever prays the Fajr prayer is under the protection of Allah. So, do not let Allah ask you for anything from His protection. For whoever seeks from His protection anything will be caught by it and then cast into the Hellfire.'" [Narrated by Muslim]
"In some copies of al-Masabih, 'al-Qushayri' appears instead of 'al-Qasri'."
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ الله فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا} (الإسراء: ۷۸ قَالَ: «تَشْهَدُهُ مَلَائِكَةُ اللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ النَّهَارِ». رَوَاهُ التَّرْمِذِيُّ.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding the saying of Allah Almighty: "Indeed, the recitation of Fajr is witnessed." (Al-Isra: 78) He (the Prophet ﷺ) said: "It is witnessed by the angels of the night and the angels of the day." [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi]
وَعَنْ سَلْمَانَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ غَدًا إِلَى صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ غَدَا بِرَايَةِ الْإِيْمَانِ، وَمَنْ غَدَا إِلَى السُّوْقِ غَدَا بِرَايَةِ إِبْلِيسَ». رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَه.
Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:
"Whoever sets out for the Fajr prayer sets out under the banner of faith, and whoever sets out for the marketplace sets out under the banner of Iblis." [Narrated by Ibn Majah]
وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَابِ اللهِ فَقَدَ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ، وَأَنَّ عُمَرَ غَدَا إِلَى السُّوْقِ، وَكَانَ مَنْزِلُ سُلَيْمَانَ بَيْنَ السُّوْقِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ، فَمَرَّ عُمَرُ عَلَى أُمّ سُلَيْمَانَ الشَّفَاءِ، فَقَالَ: لَمْ أَرَ سُلَيْمَانَ فِي الصُّبْحِ؟ فَقَالَتْ: بَاتَ يُصَلِّي فَغَلَبَتْهُ عَيْنَاهُ. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: لَأَنْ أَشْهَدَ صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَقُوْمَ لَيْلَةً. رَوَاهُ مَالِكُ.
Abu Bakr ibn Sulayman ibn Abi Hathmah reported that ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) once missed Sulayman ibn Abi Hathmah at the Fajr prayer. He then went to the marketplace, and since Sulayman's house was between the marketplace and the mosque, ʿUmar passed by his mother, al-Shifaʾ. He said to her: "I did not see Sulayman at Fajr?"
She replied: "He spent the night in prayer, and sleep overtook him." ʿUmar said: "To attend the Fajr prayer is dearer to me than spending the whole night in prayer." [Narrated by Malik]
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ (رضي الله عنهما) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ عِنْدَ اللهِ تَعَالَى صَلَاةُ الصُّبْحِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ». رَوَاهُ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ» وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيْمَانِ».
Ibn ʿUmar (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The most virtuous prayer in the sight of Allah Almighty is the Fajr prayer on Friday in congregation." [Narrated by Abu Nuʿaym in al-Hilyah and al-Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Iman]
وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «صَلَاةُ الْهَجِيْرِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ. رَوَاهُ ابْنُ نَصْرٍ وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْكَبِيرِ».
ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAwf (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The Ẓuhr prayer is from the night prayers." [Narrated by Ibn Nasr and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir]
وَعَنْ عَلِيَّ (رضي الله عنه): أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ: «حَبَسُوْنَا عَنْ صَلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى : صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ ، مَلَأَ اللهُ بُيُوتَهُمْ وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
ʿAli (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said on the day of al-Khandaq: "They kept us from the middle prayer, ʿAsr prayer. May Allah fill their homes and graves with fire!" [greed upon]
وَعَنْهُ قَالَ: قَاتَلْنَا الْأَحْزَابَ فَشَغَلُوْنَا عَنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى كَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ أَنْ تَغِيْبَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «اللهُمَّ امْلَا قُلُوْبَ الَّذِينَ شَغَلُوْنَا عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى نَارًا، وَامْلَأُ بُيُوتَهُمْ نَارًا، وَامْلَا قُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا». قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: كُنَّا نَرَى أَنَّهَا صَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ. رَوَاهُ الطَّحَاوِيُّ.
He (ʿAli) said: "We fought against the Confederates (al-Ahzab), and they kept us engaged until the sun was about to set, so the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'O Allah! Fill the hearts of those who kept us from the middle prayer with fire, fill their homes with fire, and fill their graves with fire.' ʿAli said: 'We used to consider that the middle prayer was Fajr.'" [Narrated by al-Tahawi]
وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَسَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ (رضي الله عنهما) قَالَا: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «صَلَاةُ الْوُسْطَى صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ». رَوَاهُ التَّرْمِذِيُّ.
Ibn Masʿud and Samurah ibn Jundub (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The middle prayer is the ʿAsr prayer." [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi]
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ : أَنَّهُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ دِمَشْقَ عَلَى آلِ أَبِي كُلْتُمَ الدَّوْسِيِّ، فَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ، فَجَلَسَ فِي غَرْبِيَّهِ، فَتَذَاكَرُوا الصَّلَاةَ الْوُسْطَى، فَاخْتَلَفُوْا فِيْهَا، فَقَالَ: اخْتَلَفْنَا فِيهَا كَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ، وَنَحْنُ بِفَنَاءِ بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ، وَفِيْنَا الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ أَبُو هَاشِمِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا أَعْلَمُ لَكُمْ ذَلِكَ، فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ، وَكَانَ جَرِيئًا عَلَيْهِ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَ فَدَخَلَ ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا، فَأَخْبَرَنَا أَنَّهَا صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ. رَوَاهُ الطَّحَاوِيُّ.
Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he came to Damascus and stayed with the family of Abu Kultum al-Dawsi. He went to the mosque and sat in its western part, where they began discussing the middle prayer and differed over it. He said: "We also differed over it just as you are differing, while we were at the doorstep of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and among us was the righteous man Abu Hashim ibn ʿUtbah ibn Rabiʿah ibn ʿAbd Shams. He said, 'I will find out for you,' and went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), as he was bold in approaching him. He sought permission, entered, and then came out to inform us that it is the ʿASr prayer." [Narrated by al-Tahawi]
وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ لَبِيْبَةَ الطَّائِفِي: أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ لله عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى، فَقَالَ: سَأَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفَهَا، أَلَيْسَ يَقُوْلُ اللهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ فِي كِتَابِهِ: أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ : الظُّهْرُ، إِلَى غَسَقِ الَّيْلِ : الْمَغْرِبُ، وَمِنْ بَعْدِ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ ثَلَاثُ عَوْرَاتٍ لَّكُمْ الْعَتَمَةُ. وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا): الصُّبْحُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: حَفِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ هِيَ (النور: الْعَصْرُ هِيَ الْعَصْرُ. رَوَاهُ الطَّحَاوِيُّ. (البقرة: ۲۳۸)
ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Labibah al-Ṭaʾifi narrated that he asked Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) about the middle prayer, so he said: "I will recite the Qur’an for you until you recognize it. Does Allah Almighty not say in His Book: 'Establish prayer from the declining of the sun', Zuhr, 'until the darkness of the night', Maghrib, 'and after the ʿIshaʾ prayer, three times of privacy for you', ʿIshaʾ. And He says: 'Indeed, the Qur'an at Fajr is witnessed', Fajr. Then He says: 'Maintain with care the prayers and the middle prayer and stand before Allah devoutly.' (Al-Baqarah: 238) It is ʿASr, it is ʿASr." [Narrated by al-Tahawi]
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ (رضي الله عنهما) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ ﷺ: «الَّذِي يَقُوْتُهُ صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ فَكَأَنَّمَا وُتِرَ أَهْلُهُ وَمَالُهُ». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Ibn ʿUmar (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever misses the ʿASr prayer, it is as if he has lost his family and wealth." [Agreed upon]
وَعَنْ بُرَيْدَةَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: مَنْ تَرَكَ صَلَاةَ الْعَصْرِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ». رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.
Buraydah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever leaves the ʿASr prayer, his deeds are nullified." [Narrated by al-Bukhari]
وَعَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «أَعْتِمُوْا بِهَذِهِ الصَّلَاةِ فَإِنَّكُمْ قَدْ فُضَّلْتُمْ بِهَا عَلَى سَائِرِ الْأُمَمِ، وَلَمْ تُصَلُّهَا أُمَّةٌ قَبْلَكُمْ». رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ.
Muʿadh ibn Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Pray this ʿIshaʾ prayer later, for you have been given distinction over all other nations with it. No nation before you has prayed it." [Narrated by Abu Dawud]
وَعَنْ أُمَامَةَ (رضي الله عنه) قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ : مَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَقَدْ أَخَذَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ». رَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِي فِي الْكَبِيْرِ».
Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever prays ʿIshaʾ in congregation, he has taken his portion from the Night of Decree." [Narrated by al-Ṭabarani in al-Kabir]