When Hajjaj came to Medina we asked Jabir b. Abdullah (about the timings of prayer as observed by the Holy Prophet). He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray afternoon prayer in the midday heat; the afternoon prayer when the sun was bright; the evening prayer when the sun had completely set; and as for the night prayer, he sometimes delayed and sometimes (observed it) at earlier hours. When he found them (his Companions) assembled (at earlier hours) he (prayed) early. and when he saw them coming late, he delayed the (prayer). and the morning prayer the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed in the darkness before dawn.
I heard my father asking Abu Barza (al- Aslami) about the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I (Shu'ba, one of the narrators) said: Did you hear it (from Abu Barza)? He said: 1 feel as if I am bearing you at this very time. He said: I heard my father asking about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he (Abu Barza) making this reply: He (the Holy Prophet) did not mind delaying-some (prayer) i. e. 'Isya' prayer, even up to the midnight and did not like sleeping before observing it, and talking after it. Shu'ba said: I met him subsequently and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet) and he said: He observed the noon prayer when the sun was past the meridian, he would pray the afternoon prayer, after which a person would o to the outskirts of Medina and the sun was still bright; (I forgot what he said about the evening prayer) ; I then met him on a subsequent occasion and asked him (about the prayers of the Holy Prophet; and he said: He would observe the morning prayer (at such a time) so that a man would go back and would recognise his neighbour by casting a glance at his face, and he would recite from sixty to one hundred verses in it.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: How would you act when you are under the rulers who would delay the prayer beyond its prescribed time, or they would make prayer a dead thing as far as its proper time is concerned? I said: What do you command? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe the prayer at Its proper time, and if you can say it along with them do so, for it would be a superetogatory prayer for you. Khalaf (one of the narrators in the above hadith) has not mentioned" beyond their (prescribed) time".
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) found some people absenting from certain prayers and he said: I intend that I order (a) person to lead people in prayer, and then go to the persons who do not join the (congregational prayer) and then order their houses to be burnt by the bundles of fuel. If one amongst them were to know that he would find a fat fleshy bone he would attend the night prayer.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1369
Hadith 652
Chapter 42: The virtue of prayer in congregation, and clarifying the stern warning against staying away from it, and that it is fard kifayah - كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying about people who are absent from Jumu'a prayer:
I intend that I should command a person to lead people in prayer, and then burn those persons who absent themselves from Jumu'a prayer in their houses.
There came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) a blind man and said: Messenger of Allah, I have no one to guide me to the mosque. He, therefore, asked. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) permission to say prayer in his house. He (tee Holy Prophet) granted him permission. Then when the man turned away he called him and said: Do you hear the call to prayer? He said: Yes. He (the Prophet then) said: Respond to it.
I have seen the time when no one stayed away from prayer except a hypocrite, whose hypocrisy was well known, or a sick man, but if a sick man could walk between two persons (i.e. with the help of two persons with one on each side) he would come to prayer. And (further) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the paths of right guidance, among which is prayer in the mosque in which the Adhan is called.
While we were sitting with Abu Huraira in a mosque a man went out of the mosque after the call to prayer had been announced. (A man stood up in the mosque and set off.) Abu Huraira's eyes followed him till he went out of the mosque. Upon this Abu Huraira said: This man has disobeyed Abu'l- Qasim (Muhammad) (ﷺ).
'Uthman b. 'Affan (narrated the mosque after evening prayer and sat alone. I also sat alone with him, so he said: 0, son of my brother, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who observed the 'Isha' prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed up to midnight, and he who prayed the morning prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.
Jundab b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
He who prayed the morning prayer (in congregation) he is in fact under the protection of Allah. And it can never happen that Allah should demand anything from you in connection with the protection (that He guarantees) and one should not get it. He would then throw him in the fire of Hell.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1381
Hadith 658
Chapter 48: It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers in congregation, and to pray on hasir (palm-fiber mats), khumrah (small mats), cloth, and other pure things - كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ جَدَّتَهُ، مُلَيْكَةَ دَعَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِطَعَامٍ صَنَعَتْهُ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ
" قُومُوا فَأُصَلِّيَ لَكُمْ " . قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى حَصِيرٍ لَنَا قَدِ اسْوَدَّ مِنْ طُولِ مَا لُبِسَ فَنَضَحْتُهُ بِمَاءٍ فَقَامَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَصَفَفْتُ أَنَا وَالْيَتِيمُ وَرَاءَهُ وَالْعَجُوزُ مِنْ وَرَائِنَا فَصَلَّى لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ .
Anas b. Malik reported that his grandmother, Mulaika, invited the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to a dinner which she had prepared. He (the Holy Prophet) ate out of that and then said:
Stand up so that I should observe prayer (in order to bless) you Anas b. Malik said: I stood up on a mat (belonging to us) which had turned dark on account of its long use. I sprinkled water over it (in order to soften it), and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood upon it, and I and an orphan formed a row behind him (the Holy Prophet) and the old woman was behind us, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in two rak'ahs of prayer and then went back.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1387
Hadith 659
Chapter 48: It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers in congregation, and to pray on hasir (palm-fiber mats), khumrah (small mats), cloth, and other pure things - كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
وَحَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ، وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ، قَالَ شَيْبَانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ خُلُقًا فَرُبَّمَا تَحْضُرُ الصَّلاَةُ وَهْوَ فِي بَيْتِنَا فَيَأْمُرُ بِالْبِسَاطِ الَّذِي تَحْتَهُ فَيُكْنَسُ ثُمَّ يُنْضَحُ ثُمَّ يَؤُمُّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَقُومُ خَلْفَهُ فَيُصَلِّي بِنَا وَكَانَ بِسَاطُهُمْ مِنْ جَرِيدِ النَّخْلِ .
Anas b. Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wits the best among people in character. On occasions, the time of prayer would come while he was in our house. He would then order to spread the mat lying under him. That was dusted and then water was sprinkled over it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then led the prayer and we stood behind him, and that mat was made of the leaves of date-palm.
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) came to us and there was none in our house but I, my mother and my aunt Umm Haram. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Stand up so that I may lead you in prayer (and there was no time for prescribed prayer). He led us in prayer. A person said to Thabit: Where stood Anas with him (the Holy Prophet)? He replied: He was on the right side. He then blessed us, the members of the household with every good of this world and of the Hereafter. My mother said: Messenger of Allah (and then, pointing towards Anas, said), here is your little servant, invoke the blessing of Allah upon him too. He then blessed me with every good, and he concluded his blessings for me (with these words): Allah! increase his wealth, and his children and make (them the source of) blessing for him.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1389
Hadith 661
Chapter 48: It is permissible to offer voluntary prayers in congregation, and to pray on hasir (palm-fiber mats), khumrah (small mats), cloth, and other pure things - كتاب الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلاَةِ
Abu Musa reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep. In the narration of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" (He waits) till he prays along with the Imam in congregation."
There was a man, and I do not know of any other man, whose house was farther than his from the mosque and he never missed the prayer (in congregation). It was said to him or I said to him: It you were to buy a donkey you could ride upon it In the dark nights and in the burning sand. He said: I do not like my house to be situated by the side of the mosque, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the mosque and back from it, should be recorded when I return to my family. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah has gathered all (rewards) for you.
Our houses were situated far away from the mosque; we, therefore, decided to sell our houses so that we may be able to come near the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade us (to do so) and said: There is for every step (towards the mosque) a degree (of reward) for you.
There were some plots vacant around the mosque. Banu Salama decided to shift (to this land) and come near the mosque. This (news) reached the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said to them (Banu Salama): I have received (information) that you intend to shift near the mosque. They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah, we have taken this decision. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: O Banu Salama, live in your houses, for your steps are recorded; live in your houses, for your steps are recorded.
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be' upon him) said: He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to one of the houses of Allah for the sake of performing a Fard (obligatory act) out of the Fara'id (obligatory acts) of Allah, both his steps (would be significant) as one of them would obliterate his sin and the second one would raise his status.
In the hadith narrated of the authority of Abd Huraira the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is reported to have said. while in the hadith narrated by Bakr (the words are like this):
He heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: just see, can anything of his filthiness remain (on the body of) any one of you if there were a river at his door in which he washed himself five times daily? They, said: Nothing of his filthiness will remain (on his body). He said: That is like the five prayers by which Allah obliterates sins.
Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
The similitude of five prayers is like an overflowing river passing by the gate of one of you in which he washes five times daily Hasan said: No filthiness can remain on him.