Chapter

Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

كتاب إقامة الصلاة والسنة فيها

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَنْبَأَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ صَلَّى مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ بِأَصْحَابِهِ صَلاَةَ الْعِشَاءِ فَطَوَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَانْصَرَفَ رَجُلٌ مِنَّا فَصَلَّى فَأُخْبِرَ مُعَاذٌ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مُنَافِقٌ ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلَ دَخَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَأَخْبَرَهُ مَا قَالَ لَهُ مُعَاذٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ "‏ أَتُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فَتَّانًا يَا مُعَاذُ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ بِالنَّاسِ فَاقْرَأْ بِالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا وَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَاقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

It was narrated that Jabir said:

“Mu’adh bin Jabal Al-Ansari led his companions in the ‘Isha’ prayer and he made it long. A man among us went away and prayed by himself. Mu’adh was told about that and he said: ‘He is a hypocrite.’ When the man heard about that, he went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and told him what Mu’adh had said to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Do you want to be a cause of Fitnah (trial, tribulation), O Mu’adh? When you lead the people in prayer, recite “By the sun and its brightness,” and “Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High,” and “By the night as it envelopes,” and “Recite in the Name of your Lord.’”