Muwatta Malik: Chapter 8

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar
that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, "Prayer in congregation is better than the prayer of a man by
himself by twenty-seven degrees."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-
Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in congregation is better than
the prayer of one of you on his own by twenty-five parts."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'zZinad from al-Araj from
Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "By Him in whose hand myself is! I had in mind to
order firewood to be collected, then to order the prayer to be called,
and to appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, and then to come up
behind certain men and burn their houses down about them! By Him in
whose hand myself is! If one of them knew that he would find a meaty
bone or two good legs of meat, he would be present at isha.''

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umar
ibn Ubaydullah from Yusr ibn Said that Zayd ibn Thabit said, "The most
excellent prayer is your prayer in your house, except for the
prescribed prayers."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-
Aslami from Said ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What separates us from the
hypocrites is being present at isha and subh. They cannot do it," or
words to that effect.

the one killed by a plague, the one
killed by a disease of the belly, the one who drowns, the one killed
by a collapsing building, and the martyr in the path of Allah.'

He also said, "If people knew what there was in the call to prayer
and the first row, and they could find no other way except to draw
lots for it, they would draw lots for it. And if they knew what there
was in doing dhuhr at its time, they would race each other to it. And
if they knew what there was in the prayers of isha and maghrib, they
would come to them even if they had to crawl .

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn
Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma that Umar ibn al-Khattab missed Sulayman ibn
Abi Hathma in the subh prayer. In the morning he went to the market,
and Sulayman's house was between the market and the Prophet's mosque.
He passed ash-Shifa, Sulayman's mother, and said to her, "I did not
see Sulayman at subh." She replied, "He spent the night in prayer and
his eyes overcame him. Umar said, "I would rather be present at subh
than stand the whole night in prayer.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad
ibn Ibrahim that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Amra al-Ansari said that Uthman
ibn Affan came to the isha prayer and seeing only a few people in the
mosque, he lay down at the back of the mosque to wait for the number
of people to increase. Ibn Abi Amra went and sat down beside him and
Uthman asked him who he was, so he told him. Uthman said, "What have
you memorised of the Qur'an?", and he told him. Uthman said, "If
someone is present at isha, it is as if he had stood in prayer for
half a night, and if some one is present at subh, it is as if he had
stood in prayer for a whole night.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from a man of
the Bani'd-Dil called Busr ibn Mihjan from his father Mihjan that he
was in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, and the call to prayer was made. The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose and prayed and
then returned. Mihjan remained sitting and did not pray with him. The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"What prevented you from praying with the people? Aren't you a
muslim?" He said, "Of course, Messenger of Allah, but I have already
prayed with my family." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, "When you come, pray with the people, even
if you have prayed already."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that a man asked
Abdullah ibn Umar, "Sometimes I pray in my house, and then catch the
prayer with the imam. Should I pray with him?" Abdullah ibn Umar said
to him, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them do I make my prayer?"
Abdullah ibn Umar said, "Is that up to you? It is up to Allah. He will
decide on whichever of them He wishes."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a man
asked Said ibn al-Musayyab, "I pray in my house, and then I come to
the mosque and find the imam praying. Should I pray with him?" Said
said, "Yes," and the man said, "Which of them is my prayer?" Said
said, "Are you the one to decide that? That is up to Allah."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Afif as-Sahmi that a man from
the tribe of Bani Asad asked Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. "Sometimes I pray in
my house, and then come to the mosque and find the imam praying.
Should I pray with him?" Abu Ayyub said, "Yes, pray with him, for some
one who does so has the reward of the group, or the equivalent of the
reward of the group."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar
used to say, "Someone who prays maghrib or subh and then catches them
with the imam should not repeat them."

Malik said, "I do not
see any harm in someone who has already prayed in his house praying
with the imam, except for maghrib, because if he repeats it, he makes
it even."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from
Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "When you lead people in the prayer, make it short,
because there are among them some people who are weak, ill and old.
But when you pray on your own, make it as long as you wish."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Nafi said, "I stood behind
Abdullah ibn Umar in one of the prayers when there was no one else
with him, and he reached behind with his hand and placed me beside
him."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a man
used to lead the people in prayer in al-Aqiq (a place near Madina),
and Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz sent a message to him forbidding him to do
so.

Malik said, "He only forbade him because his father was
not known."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Anas ibn
Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, fell off his horse when riding, and his right side was scraped,
so he did one of the prayers sitting, and we prayed behind him
sitting. When he left, he said, "The imam is appointed to be followed.
If he prays standing, then pray standing, and when he goes into ruku,
go into ruku, and when he rises, rise, and when he says, 'Allah hears
whoever praises him,' say, 'Our Lord, praise belongs to You,' and if
he prays sitting, then all of you pray sitting."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his
father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, prayed while he was ill. He prayed sitting, and
some people prayed behind him standing, and he indicated to them to
sit down. When he left, he said, 'The imam is only appointed to be
followed. When he goes into ruku, go into ruku and when he rises, rise
and if he prays sitting, pray sitting .' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his
father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, came out during his illness, and approached and found Abu Bakr
standing, leading the people in prayer. Abu Bakr began to go back, but
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
indicated to him to stay where he was. The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat by the side of Abu Bakr, and
Abu Bakr prayed following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was sitting, and the people
prayed following the prayer of Abu Bakr.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Muhammad ibn Said
ibn Abi Waqqas from a mawla of Amr ibn al-As or of Abdullah ibn Amr
ibn al-As that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "The prayer of one of you sitting down is only equal
to half the prayer of one of you when he is standing."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Abdullah ibn
Amr ibn al As said, "When we arrived at Madina we were struck down by
a severe epidemic which debilitated us greatly. The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the people
while they were praying nawafil prayers sitting down. The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The prayer of
the one sitting is equal to only half the prayer of the one standing.'
"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from as-Sa'ib ibn
Yazid from al Muttalib ibn Abi Wadaa as-Sahmi that Hafsa, the wife of
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I never
saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
praying nawafil sitting, until a year before his death, when he began
to pray them sitting. He would recite the sura with a measured
slowness so that it would seem to be longer than other suras which
were actually longer than it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his
father that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, told him that she had never seen the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, doing night prayers
sitting down until he was getting on in years. He would recite sitting
down until when he wanted to go into ruku, he would stand up and
recite about thirty or forty ayats and then go into ruku.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Madani
and from Abu'n Nadr from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman from A'isha, the
wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to
pray sitting. He would recite sitting, and then, when about thirty or
forty ayats of what he was reciting remained, he would stand up and
recite standing and then go into ruku and sajda. He would do the same
in the second raka.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Urwa ibn
az-Zubayr and Said ibn al-Musayyab used to pray voluntary prayers
sitting.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from al-Qaqa
ibn Hakim that Abu Yunus, the mawla of A'isha, umm al-muminin said,
''A'isha ordered me to write out a Qur'an for her. She said, 'When
you reach this ayat, let me know, "Guard the prayers carefully and the
middle prayer and stand obedient to Allah." ' When I reached it I told
her, and she dictated to me, 'Guard the prayers carefully and the
middle prayer and the asr prayer and stand obedient to Allah.' A'isha
said, 'I heard it from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Amr ibn
Rafi said, "I was writing a Qur'an for Hafsa, umm al-muminin, and she
said, 'When you reach this ayat, let me know, "Guard the prayers
carefully and the middle prayer and stand obedient to Allah." When I
reached it I told her and she dictated to me, 'Guard the prayers
carefully and the middle prayer and the asr prayer and stand obedient
to Allah.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Da'ud ibn al-Husayn that Ibn
Yarbu al-Makhzumi said, "I heard Zayd ibn Thabit say, 'The middle
prayer is the prayer of dhuhr.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that AIi ibn Abi
Talib and Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say, "The middle prayer is the
prayer of subh."

Malik said, "Out of all that I have heard
about the matter, I prefer what Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn
Abbas said."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his
father that Umar ibn Abi Salama saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, praying in one garment in the house of
Umm Salama. He was completely covered by it, and had put both ends
over his shoulders.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-
Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that some one asked the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace about praying in one garment.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"Do you all have two garments?"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Said ibn al-
Musayyab said that Abu Hurayra was asked, "May a man pray in one
garment?" He said, "Yes." The man then said to him "Do you do that?"
and he replied, "Yes, I pray in one garment while my clothes are on
the clothes-rack."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Jabir ibn
Abdullah used to pray in one garment.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman
that Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm used to pray in a single long shirt.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Jabir ibn
Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "Let anyone who cannot find two garments pray in one
garment and wrap himself in it, and if the garment is short, let him
wrap it around his waist."

Malik said, "In my view it is
preferable for someone who prays in a single shirt to put a garment or
a turban over his shoulders."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that A'isha, the
wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to
pray in a shift and head-covering.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn Qunfudh
that his mother asked Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, "What clothes can a woman wear in
prayer?" She said, "She can pray in a shift that reaches down and
covers the top of her feet."

Yahya related to me from Malik from a reliable source from Bukayr
ibn Abdullah ibn al-Ashajj from Busr ibn Said that when Ubaydullah ibn
al-Aswad al-Khawlani was in the room of Maimuna, the wife of the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, she used to pray in
a shift and head-covering, without a waist-wrapper.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his
father that a woman asked him for a decision, saying, "Waist-wrappers
are painful to me. Can I pray in a shift and head-covering?" He
replied, "Yes, if the shift is long."