10. The beginning of the obligation of prayer

1. Sirat Ibn Hisham 276No grade recorded

   [ تَعْيِينُ جِبْرِيلَ أَوْقَاتَ الصَّلَاةِ لِلرَّسُولِ ﷺ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَحَدَّثَنِي عُتْبَةُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، مَوْلَى بَنِي تَمِيمٍ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، وَكَانَ نَافِعُ كَثِيرَ الرِّوَايَةِ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا اُفْتُرِضَتْ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَصَلَّى بِهِ الظُّهْرَ حِينَ مَالَتْ الشَّمْسُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْعَصْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلَهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ حِينَ ذَهَبَ الشَّفَقُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الصُّبْحَ حِينَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ، ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ فَصَلَّى بِهِ الظُّهْرَ مِنْ غَدٍ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلَهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْعَصْرَ حِينَ كَانَ ظِلُّهُ مِثْلِيَّهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ غَابَتْ الشَّمْسُ لِوَقْتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ حِينَ ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْأَوَّلُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِ الصُّبْحَ مُسْفِرًا غَيْرَ مُشْرِقٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، الصَّلَاةُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ صَلَاتِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَصَلَاتِكَ بِالْأَمْسِ

   ✧ [Gabriel's specifying the times of prayer for the Messenger ﷺ] Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿUtbah b. Muslim, client of Banū Tamīm, related to me from Nāfiʿ b. Jubayr b. Muṭʿim—and Nāfiʿ was a prolific transmitter—from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: When the prayer was made obligatory upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, Gabriel ﷺ came to him and prayed the noon prayer with him when the sun had declined. Then he prayed the afternoon prayer with him when his shadow was equal to his height. Then he prayed the sunset prayer with him when the sun had set. Then he prayed the last evening prayer with him when the twilight had disappeared. Then he prayed the dawn prayer with him when dawn broke. Then he came to him the next day and prayed the noon prayer with him when his shadow was equal to his height. Then he prayed the afternoon prayer with him when his shadow was twice his height. Then he prayed the sunset prayer with him when the sun had set, at the same time as the day before. Then he prayed the last evening prayer with him when the first third of the night had passed. Then he prayed the dawn prayer with him when it was light but before the sun was bright. Then he said: 'O Muḥammad, the prayer is between your prayer today and your prayer yesterday.'

2. Sirat Ibn Hisham 275No grade recorded

   ابْتِدَاءُ فَرْضِ الصَّلَاةِ وَافْتُرِضَتْ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَيْهِ، فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَآلِهِ، وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. [ اُفْتُرِضَتْ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ زِيدَتْ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَحَدَّثَنِي صَالِحُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ: اُفْتُرِضَتْ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوَّلَ مَا اُفْتُرِضَتْ عَلَيْهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، كُلَّ صَلَاةٍ؛ ثُمَّ إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَتَمَّهَا فِي الْحَضَرِ أَرْبَعًا، وَأَقَرَّهَا فِي السَّفَرِ عَلَى فَرْضِهَا الْأَوَّلِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ [ تَعْلِيمُ جِبْرِيلَ الرَّسُولَ ﷺ الْوُضُوءَ وَالصَّلَاةَ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَحَدَّثَنِي بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ: أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ حِينَ اُفْتُرِضَتْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ وَهُوَ بِأَعْلَى مَكَّةَ، فَهَمَزَ لَهُ بِعَقِبِهِ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْوَادِي، فَانْفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ عَيْنٌ، فَتَوَضَّأَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَنْظُرُ إلَيْهِ، لِيُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ الطُّهُورُ لِلصَّلَاةِ، ثُمَّ تَوَضَّأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَمَا رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ تَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ بِهِ جِبْرِيلُ فَصَلَّى بِهِ، وَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِصَلَاتِهِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ جِبْرِيلُ ﷺ [ تَعْلِيمُ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ خَدِيجَةَ الْوُضُوءَ وَالصَّلَاةَ ] فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَدِيجَةَ، فَتَوَضَّأَ لَهَا لِيُرِيَهَا كَيْفَ الطُّهُورُ لِلصَّلَاةِ كَمَا أَرَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ فَتَوَضَّأَتْ كَمَا تَوَضَّأَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ كَمَا صَلَّى بِهِ جِبْرِيلُ فَصَلَّتْ بِصَلَاتِهِ.

   ✧ The Beginning of the Obligation of Prayer. And prayer was made obligatory upon him, so the Messenger of God ﷺ and his family prayed—peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon him and upon them. [Prayer was made obligatory as two rakʿahs, two rakʿahs, then it was increased.] Ibn Isḥāq said: Ṣāliḥ b. Kaysān related to me from ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr, from ʿĀʾishah ؓ, who said: Prayer was made obligatory upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, when it was first made obligatory upon him, as two rakʿahs, two rakʿahs for every prayer; then God Almighty completed it to four in residence, and confirmed it in travel upon its original obligation of two rakʿahs. [Gabriel’s teaching the Messenger ﷺ ablution and prayer.] Ibn Isḥāq said: Some of the people of knowledge related to me that when prayer was made obligatory upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, Gabriel came to him while he was in upper Makkah, and he struck his heel for him in the side of the valley, and a spring burst forth from it. Gabriel ﷺ performed ablution while the Messenger of God ﷺ watched him, to show him how purification for prayer is done. Then the Messenger of God ﷺ performed ablution as he saw Gabriel perform it. Then Gabriel stood and prayed with him, and the Messenger of God ﷺ prayed following his prayer. Then Gabriel departed ﷺ. [The Messenger’s ﷺ teaching Khadījah ablution and prayer.] The Messenger of God ﷺ came to Khadījah and performed ablution for her, to show her how purification for prayer is done, just as Gabriel showed him. She performed ablution as the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed it for her. Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with her as Gabriel prayed with him, and she prayed following his prayer.