Volume 2, Book 21, Number 274:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
My friend (the Prophet) advised me to do three things and I shall not leave them till I die, these
are: To fast three days every month, to offer the Duha prayer, and to offer Witr before sleeping.
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 275t:
Narrated Anas bin Sirin:
I heard Anas bin Malik al-Ansari saying, “An Ansari man, who was very fat, said to the Prophet, ‘I
am unable to present myself for the prayer with you.’ He prepared a meal for the Prophet and invited
him to his house. He washed one side of a mat with water and the Prophet offered two Rakat on it.”
So and so, the son of so and so, the son of Al-Jarud asked Anas, “Did the Prophet use to offer the
Duha prayer?” Anas replied, “I never saw him praying (the Duha prayer) except on that day.”
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 275:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
I remember ten Rakat of Nawafil from the Prophet, two Rakat before the Zuhr prayer and two
after it; two Rakat after Maghrib prayer in his house, and two Rakat after ‘Isha’ prayer in his
house, and two Rakat before the Fajr prayer and at that time nobody would enter the house of the
Prophet Hafsa told me that the Prophet used to offer two Rakat after the call maker had made the
Adhan and the day had dawned.
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 276:
Narrated Aisha:
The Prophet never missed four Rakat before the Zuhr prayer and two Rakat before the Fajr prayer.
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Volume 2, Book 21, Number 277:
Narrated ‘Abdullah Al-Muzni:
The Prophet said, “Pray before the Maghrib (compulsory) prayer.” He (said it thrice) and in the
third time, he said, “Whoever wants to offer it can do so.” He said so because he did not like the
people to take it as a tradition.
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 278:
Narrated Marthad bin ‘Abdullah Al-Yazani:
I went to ‘Uqba bin ‘Amir Al-Juhani and said, “Is it not surprising that Abi Tamim offers two Rakat
before the Maghrib prayer?” ‘Uqba said, “We used to do so in the life-time of Allah’s Apostle.” I asked
him, “What prevents you from offering it now?” He replied, “Business.”
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263:
Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara (Istikhara means to ask Allah to
guide one to the right sort of action concerning any job or a deed), in all matters as he taught us the
Suras of the Quran. He said, “If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat
prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer): — ‘Allahumma inni astakhiruka
bi’ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as’alaka min fadlika al-‘azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala
aqdiru, Wa ta’lamu Wala a’lamu, Wa anta ‘allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta’lam anna
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hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or ‘ajili amri wa’ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa
yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa
ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or fi’ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira
haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.’ (O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from
Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not
and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsist –
ence and in my Hereafter–(or said: If it is better for my present and later needs)–Then You ordain
it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is
harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter–(or said: If it is worse for my
present and later needs)–Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me
whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it). The Prophet added that then the person
should name (mention) his need.
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 279:
Narrated Mahmud bin Ar-rabi’ Al-Ansari,
that he remembered Allah’s Apostle and he also remembered a mouthful of water which he had
thrown on his face, after taking it from a well that was in their house. Mahmud said that he had
heard Itban bin Malik, who was present with Allah’s Apostle in the battle of Badr saying, “I used to
lead my people at Bani Salim in the prayer and there was a valley between me and those people.
Whenever it rained it used to be difficult for me to cross it to go to their mosque. So I went to Allah’s
Apostle and said, ‘I have weak eye-sight and the valley between me and my people flows during the
rainy season and it becomes difficult for me to cross it; I wish you would come to my house and pray
at a place so that I could take that place as a praying place.’ Allah’s Apostle said, ‘I will do so.’ So Al –
lah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Al –
lah’s Apostle asked my permission to let him in and I admitted him. He did not sit before saying,
‘Where do you want us to offer the prayer in your house?’ I pointed to the place where I wanted him
to pray. So Allah’s Apostle stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned
in rows behind him; and he offered two Rakat, and finished them with Taslim, and we also per –
formed Taslim with him. I detained him for a meal called “Khazir” which I had prepared for him.–
(“Khazir” is a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup)–
When the neighbors got the news that Allah’s Apostle was in my house, they poured it till there
were a great number of men in the house. One of them said, ‘What is wrong with Malik, for I do not
see him?’ One of them replied, ‘He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle.’ On that
Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Don’t say this. Haven’t you seen that he said, ‘None has the right to be wor –
shipped but Allah for Allah’s sake only.’ The man replied, ‘Allah and His Apostle know better; but by
Allah, we never saw him but helping and talking with the hypocrites.’ Allah’s Apostle replied, ‘No
doubt, whoever says. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and by that he wants the pleas –
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ures of Allah, then Allah will save him from Hell.” Mahmud added, “I told the above narration to
some people, one of whom was Ab-u Aiyub, the companion of Allah’s Apostle in the battle in which
he (Ab-u Aiyub) died and Yazid bin Mu’aw7ya was their leader in Roman Territory. Abu Aiyub de –
nounced the narration and said, ‘I doubt that Allah’s Apostle ever said what you have said.’ I felt that
too much, and I vowed to Allah that if I remained alive in that holy battle, I would (go to Medina
and) ask Itban bin Malik if he was still living in the mosque of his people. So when he returned, I as –
sumed Ihram for Hajj or ‘Umra and then I proceeded on till I reached Medina. I went to Bani Salim
and Itban bin Malik, who was by then an old blind man, was leading his people in the prayer. When
he finished the prayer, I greeted him and introduced myself to him and then asked him about that
narration. He told that narration again in the same manner as he had narrated it the first time.”
Volume 2, Book 21, Number 264:
Narrated Abu Qatada bin Rabi Al-Ansari;
The Prophet said, “If anyone of you enters a Mosque, he should not sit until he has offered a two-
Rakat prayer.”