Bk 4, Number 1551:
Mua'ada 'Adawiyya reported 'A'isha as saying: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe four rak'ahs in the forenoon prayer and he sometimes observed more as Allah pleased.
Bk 4, Number 1552:
A hadith like this has been narrated by Qatada with the same chain of transmitters.
Bk 4, Number 1553:
Abd al−Rahman b. Abu Laila reported: No one has ever narrated to me that he saw the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observing the forenoon prayer, except Umm Hani. She, however, narrated that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) entered her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and prayed eight rak'ahs (adding): I never saw a shorter prayer than it except that he performed the bowing and prostration completely. But (one of the narrators) Ibn Bashshar in his narration made no mention of the word:" Never".
Bk 4, Number 1554:
'Abdullah b. Harith b. Naufal reported: I had been asking about, as I was desirous to find one among people who should inform me, whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed the forenoon prayer, but I found none to narrate that to me except Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (the real sister of Hadrat 'Ali), who told me that on the day of the Conquest the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came (to our house) after the dawn had (sufficiently) arisen. A cloth was brought and privacy was provided for him (the Holy Prophet). He took a bath and then stood up and observed eight rak'ahs. I do not know whether his Qiyam (standing posture) was longer, or bending or prostration or all of them were of equal duration. She (Umm Hani) further said: I never saw him saying this Nafl prayer prior to it or subsequently. (Al−Muradi narrated on the authority of Yunus that he made no mention of the words:" He informed me." )
Bk 4, Number 1555:
Abu Murra, the freed slave of Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib, reported Umm Hani to be saying: I went to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and found him taking bath, and Fatimah, his daughter, had provided him privacy with the help of a cloth. I gave him salutation and he said: Who is she? I said: It is Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Greeting for Umm Hani. When he had completed the bath, he stood up and observed eight rak'ahs wrapped up in one cloth. When he turned back (after the prayer), I said to him: Messenger of Allah,
the son of my mother 'Ali b. Abu Talib is going to kill a person, Fulan b. Hubaira whom I have given protection. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him) said: We too have given protection whom you have given protection, O Umm Hani. Umm Hani said: It was the forenoon (prayer).
Bk 4, Number 1556:
Abu Murra narrated on the authority of Umm Hani that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) on the day of the Conquest of Mecca observed in her house eight rak'abs of prayer in one cloth, its opposite corners having been tied from the opposite sides.
Bk 4, Number 1557:
Abu Dharr reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is distreputable is an act of charity, and two rak'ahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.
Bk 4, Number 1558:
Abu Huraira reported. My friend (the Holy Prophet, may peace be upon him) has instructed me to do three things: three fasts during every month, two rak'ahs of the forenoon prayer, and observing Witr prayer before going to bed.
Bk 4, Number 1559:
A hadith like this has been narrated by Abu Huraira by another chain of transmitters.
Bk 4, Number 1560:
Abu Huraira reported: My friend Abu'l−Qasim (may peace be upon
him) instructed me to do three things, and the rest of the hadith is the same.
Bk 4, Number 1561:
Abu Murra, the freed slave of Umm Hani, narrated on the authority of Abu Darda': My Friend (may peace be upon him) instructed me in three (acts), and I would never abandon them as long as I live. (And these three things are): Three fasts during every month, the forenoon prayer, and this that I should not sleep till I have observed the Witr prayer.
Chapter 107: EXCELLENCE OF OBSERVING TWO RAK'AHS OF SUNNAH IN THE DAWN PRAYER
Bk 4, Number 1562:
Ibn 'Umar reported that Hafsa, the Mother of the Believers, informed him that when the Mu'adhdhin became silent after calling (people) to the dawn prayer, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) commenced the dawn (prayer) when it dawned by observing two short rak'ahs before the commencement of the (Fard) prayer.
Bk 4, Number 1563:
This hadith has been transmitted by Nafi' with the same chain of narrators.
Bk 4, Number 1564:
Hafsa reported that when it was dawn, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not observe (any other prayers) but two short rak'ahs.
Bk 4, Number 1565:
A hadith like this has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.
Bk 4, Number 1566:
Hafsa reported: When the dawn appeared, the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed two rak'ahs (of Sunnah prayers).
Bk 4, Number 1567:
'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe two rak'ahs of Sunnah (prayer) when he heard the Adhin and shortened them. (This hadith has been narrated by the same chain of transmitters and in the hadith narrated by Usama the words are:" When it was dawn".)
Bk 4, Number 1568:
'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe two (supererogatory) rak'ahs in between the call to prayer and the Iqama of the dawn prayer.
Bk 4, Number 1569:
'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer and he shortened them (to the extent) that I (out of surprise) said: Did he recite in them Surah Fatiha (only)?
Bk 4, Number 1570:
'A'isha reported: When it was dawn, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed two rak'ahs, and I would say: Does he recite only the opening chapter of the Qur'an in it?
Bk 4, Number 1571:
'A'isha reported that the Apostle (may peace be upon him) was not so much particular about observing supererogatory rak'ahs as in case of the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer.
Bk 4, Number 1572:
'A'isha reported: I have never seen the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) hastening as much in observing supererogatory as two rak'ahs before the (Fard) of the dawn prayer.
Bk 4, Number 1573:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger as saying: The two rak'ahs at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.
Bk 4, Number 1574:
'A'isha reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said about the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn: They are dearer to me than the whole world.
Bk 4, Number 1575:
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) recited in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn (prayer):" Say: O unbelievers," (Qur'an, cix.) and" Say: Allah is one" (cxii.).
Bk 4, Number 1576:
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in first of the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn:" Say: We believed in Allah and what was revealed to us..." verses 285−286 from Surah Baqara, and in the second of the two:" I believe in Allah and I bear testimony that we are Muslims" (iii. 51).
Bk 4, Number 1577:
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn prayer:" Say: We believed in Allah and what was revealed to us" and that which is found in Surah Al−i−'lmran:" Come to that word (creed) which is common between you and us" (iii. 64).
Bk 4, Number 1578:
This hadith has been transmitted by another chain of narrators.
Chapter 108: THE VIRTUE OF SUNAN PRAYERS BEfORE AND AFTER THE FARD RAK'AHS AND THEIR NUMBER
Bk 4, Number 1579:
Umm Habiba (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A house will be built in Paradise, for anyone who prays in a day and a night twelve rak'ahs; and she added: I have never abandoned (observing them) since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). Some of the other narrators said the same words: I have never abandoned (observing them) since I heard (from so and so).
Bk 4, Number 1580:
Nu'man b. Salim reported with the same chain of transmitters: He who observed twelve voluntary rak'ahs, a house will be built for him in Paradise.
Bk 4, Number 1581:
Umm Habiba, the wife of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him), reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: If any Muslim servant (of Allah) prays for the sake of Allah twelve rak'ahs (of Sun'an) every day, over and above the obligatory ones, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise, or a house will be built for him in Paradise; and I have not abandoned to observe the in after (hearing it from the Messenger of Allah). (So said also 'Amr and Nu'man.)
Bk 4, Number 1582:
Umm Habiba reported the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) having said: If any Muslim servant (of Allah) performed ablution, and performed it well, and then observed every day, the rest of the hadith is the same.
Bk 4, Number 1583:
Ibn 'Umar reported: I prayed along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) two rak'ahs before and two rak'ahs after the noon prayer, two rak'ahs after the sunset prayer and two rak'ahs after the 'Isha' prayer and two rak'ahs after the Friday prayer; and so far as the sunset, 'Isha' and Friday prayers are concerned, I observed (them) along with the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) in his house.
Chapter 109: PERMISSIBILITY OF OBSERVING NAFL (VOLUNTARY PRAYER) STANDING OR SITTING AND OBSERVING SOME PART OF IT IN SITTING OR STANDING POSTURES
Bk 4, Number 1584:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq said: I asked 'A'isha about the Messenger of Allah's (may peace be upon him) voluntary prayers, and she replied: Before the noon prayer, he used to pray four rak'abs in my house; then would go out and lead the people in prayer; then come in and pray two rak'ahs. He would then lead the people in the sunset prayer; then come in and pray two rak'abs. Then he would lead the people in the 'Isha' prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would pray nine rak'ahs during the night, including Witr. At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and when he recited the Holy Qur'an while standing, he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position, and when it was dawn he would pray two rak'ahs.
Bk 4, Number 1585:
'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would pray in the night for a long time, and when he prayed standing be bowed in a standing posture, and when he prayed sitting, he bowed in a sitting posture.
Bk 4, Number 1586:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I fell ill in Persia and therefore, prayed in a sitting posture, and I asked 'A'isha about it and she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) prayed for a long time in the night sitting.
Bk 4, Number 1587:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq al−'Uqaili reported: I asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during the night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) She replied: He used to pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting in the night, and when he recited the Qur'an while standing, he would bow himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow from the sitting position.
Bk 4, Number 1588:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq al−'Uqaili reported: I asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). She said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) would observe prayer (Nafl) in a standing position as well as in a sitting position, and when he commenced the prayer in a standing position, he bowed in this very position, and when he commenced the prayer in a sitting position, he bowed in this very position.
Bk 4, Number 1589:
'A'isha reported: I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) reciting (the Qur'an) in the night prayer in a sitting position, till he grew old and then he recited (it) in a sitting position, but when thirty or forty verses were left out of the Surah, he would then stand up, recite them and then bowed.
Bk 4, Number 1590:
'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to pray while sitting (when he grew old) and he recited in this position and when the recitation equal to thirty or forty verses was left, he would then stand up and recite (for this duration) in a standing position and then bowed himself and then prostrated himself and did the same in the second rak'ah.
Bk 4, Number 1591:
'A'isha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to recite in sitting position (while observing the Tahajjud prayer) and when he intended to bow, he would stand up and recite (for the duration in which) a man (ordinarily) recites forty verses.
Bk 4, Number 1592:
Alqama b. Waqqas reported: I asked 'A'isha how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did in the two rak'ahs as he (observed them) sitting. She said: He would recite (the Qur'an) in them, and when he intended to bow, he would stand up and then bowed.
Bk 4, Number 1593:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I asked 'A'isha whether the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed (Nafl) sitting. She said: Yes, when the people had made him old.
Bk 4, Number 1594:
'Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported: I said to 'A'isha and she made a mention of that (recorded above) about the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him).
Bk 4, Number 1595:
'A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) died (in this very state) that he observed most of his (Nafl) prayers in a sitting position.
Bk 4, Number 1596:
'A'isha reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) grew bulky and heavy he would observe (most of his Nafl) prayers sitting.
Bk 4, Number 1597:
Hafsa reported: Never did I see the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observing supererogatory prayer sitting till one year before his death when he would observe Nafl prayer in a sitting position, and he would recite the Surah (of the Qur'an) in such a slow−measured tone (that duration of its recital) became more lengthy than the one longer than this.
Bk 4, Number 1598:
Zuhri reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters, except this that he made a mention of one year or two years.
Bk 4, Number 1599:
Jabir b. Samura reported that the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed (Nafl) prayer sitting before his death.
Bk 4, Number 1600:
'Abdullah b. 'Amr reported: It was narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said: The prayer observed by a person sitting is half of the prayer. I came to him (may peace be upon him) and found him praying in a sitting position. I placed my hand on his head. He said: O 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, what is the matter with you? I said: Messenger of Allah, it has been narrated to me that you said: The prayer of a man in a sitting position is half of the prayer, whereas you are observing prayer sitting. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes, it is so, but I am not like anyone amongst you.
