"We asked 'Ali about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: 'Who among you could manage to do that?' We said: 'Even if we cannot do it, we still want to hear about it.' He said: 'When the sun reached the same height (in the east) as it reaches (in the west) at the time of 'Asr, he would pray two rak'ahs, and when the sun reached the same height (in the east) as it reaches (in the west) at the time for Zuhr he would pray four Rak'ahs. He would pray four Rak'ahs before Zuhr and two after, and he would pray four Rak'ahs before 'Asr, separating each two Rak'ahs with Taslim upon the angels who are close to Allah, and the prophets, and those who follow them of the believers and Muslims."'  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَيُّكُمْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ قُلْنَا إِنْ لَمْ نُطِقْهُ سَمِعْنَا قَالَ كَانَ إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَا هُنَا عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا كَانَتْ مِنْ هَا هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَا هُنَا عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَيُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعًا وَبَعْدَهَا ثِنْتَيْنِ وَيُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِتَسْلِيمٍ عَلَى الْمَلاَئِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ  

"We asked Ali about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah during the day. He said: 'You will not be able to do that.' We said: 'Whoever among is able (he will)?' So he said: 'When the sun appeared over there (east) like it appears here (west) at Asr, the Messenger of Allah would pray two Rak'ah, and when the sun appeared over there (east) like it appears here (west) at Zuhr, he would pray four Rak'ah. And he would pray four before Zuhr and two after it, and four before Asr separating between every two Rak'ah with At-Taslim upon the angels that are close (to Allah) and those who follow them among the believers, and the Muslims."  

عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لاَ تُطِيقُونَ ذَاكَ فَقُلْنَا مَنْ أَطَاقَ ذَاكَ مِنَّا فَقَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَا هُنَا عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَا هُنَا عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَصَلَّى أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَبَعْدَهَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَقَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلاَئِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ  

I asked ʿAli ؓ about the nafl prayers of the Prophet ﷺ during the day. He said: You are not able for that. We said: Tell us and we will do as much of it as we can, He said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Fajr, he would wait until the sun would rise from there, meaning in the east, as high as it is at the time of ʿAsr there, meaning in the west. Then he would get up and pray two rakʿahs. Then he would wait until the sun rose as high there, meaning in the east, as it is at the time of Zuhr there, meaning in the west; then he would pray four rakʿahs, and four before Zuhr when the sun passed the meridian, and four afterwards, and four before ‘Asr, He would separate each two rak’ahs with salams upon the angels who are close to Allah, the Prophets, the believers and the Muslims who follow them. ʿAli ؓ said: That is sixteen rakʿahs which the Prophet ﷺ offered as nafl prayers during the day, but there are very few who offer them regularly. Wakee’ narrated; my father said: Habeeb bin Abi Thabit said to Abu Ishaq when he narrated this to him: O Abu Ishaq, this hadeeth of yours is worth this mosque filled with gold.  

عَنْ تَطَوُّعِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تُطِيقُونَهُ قَالَ قُلْنَا أَخْبِرْنَا بِهِ نَأْخُذْ مِنْهُ مَا أَطَقْنَا قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ أَمْهَلَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مِقْدَارُهَا مِنْ صَلاةِ الْعَصْرِ مِنْ هَاهُنَا مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مِقْدَارُهَا مِنْ صَلاةِ الظُّهْرِ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ تِلْكَ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ وَقَلَّ مَنْ يُدَاوِمُ عَلَيْهَا  

[Machine] Regarding the daytime prayers of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , he said: "He used to pray sixteen units (rak'ahs). When the sun would be at such a point, resembling its appearance from here to there, he would pray two units similar to the afternoon (Asr) prayer. And when the sun would be at such a point, resembling its appearance from here to there, he would pray four units similar to the midday (Dhuhr) prayer. He would also pray four units before the midday prayer, and two units after the midday prayer. And he would pray four units before the afternoon (Asr) prayer."  

عَنْ صَلاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ فَقَالَ كَانَ يُصَلِّي سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً قَالَ يُصَلِّي إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَاهُنَا كَصَلاةِ الْعَصْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَاهُنَا كَصَلاةِ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَالظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَبَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَقَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ  

"We asked 'Ali about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: 'Who among you could manage to do that?' We said: 'Even if we cannot do it, we still want to hear about it.' He said: 'When the sun reached the same height (in the east) as it reaches (in the west) at the time of 'Asr, he would pray two rak'ahs, and when the sun reached the same height (in the east) as it reaches (in the west) at the time for Zuhr he would pray four Rak'ahs. He would pray four Rak'ahs before Zuhr and two after, and he would pray four Rak'ahs before 'Asr, separating each two Rak'ahs with Taslim upon the angels who are close to Allah, and the prophets, and those who follow them of the believers and Muslims."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 874)  

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ أَيُّكُمْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ إِنْ لَمْ نُطِقْهُ سَمِعْنَاهُ قَالَ «إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا كَانَتْ مِنْ هُنَا كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هُنَا عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَيُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعًا وَبَعْدَهَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَيُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِتَسْلِيمٍ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ»  

I heard ʿAsim bin Damrah say: We asked ‘Ali ؓ about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the day and he said: You cannot do that. We said: Whoever among us is able to do it [will do it]. He said: When the sun was as high there as it is there the time of ‘Asr, he prayed two rakʿahs, When the sun was as high there as it is there at the time of Zuhr, he prayed four rak’ahs. He prayed four rakʿahs before Zuhr and two afterwards, and [he prayed] four rakʻahs before ‘Asr, separating each two rakʿahs with the greeting (tasleem) upon the angels who are close to Allah, the Prophets, and those who follow them of the believers and the Muslims. (Using translation from Aḥmad 1375)   

عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِالنَّهَارِ؟ فَقَالَ لَا تُطِيقُونَ كَانَ «إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَشْرِقَ كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَغْرِبَ عِنْدَ الْعَصْرِ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَإِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَشْرِقَ كَهَيْئَتِهَا مِنْ هَاهُنَا يَعْنِي الْمَغْرِبَ عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعًا وَبَعْدَهَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَقَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا وَيَفْصِلُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ»  

"عن عاصم بن ضمرة قال: سألنَا عليّا عن تطوع النبىِّ ﷺ بالنهارِ فقالَ: إنكم لا تُطِيقُونَهُ، قُلنا: أَخبرنا بِهِ نأخذُ منه ما أطَقْنَا، قال: كان النبي ﷺ إذَا صلَّى الفجرَ أَمْهَلَ حتى إِذَا كَانَتِ الشمسُ من هَاهُنَا يعنى من قِبَل المشرِق مقدارَهَا من صلاة العصرِ من هَاهُنَا يعنى من قِبَلِ المغرِب قامَ فصلَّى ركعتينِ ثم تمهلَ حتَّى إذا كانتِ الشمسُ من هَاهُنَا يَعْنِى مِن قِبَلِ المشرقِ مقدارها مِنْ صَلاَةِ الظهرِ من هاهُنَا مِن قِبَل المغربِ قام يُصَلَّى أربعًا، وأربعا قبل الظهر إذا زالتِ الشمسُ وركعتَيْنِ بعدهَا، وأربعًا قبلَ العصرِ، يفصِلُ بين كل ركعتين بالتسليم على الملائكةِ المقربينَ والنبيينَ ومن تبعهمْ منَ المؤمنينَ والمسلمينَ، قال: تلكَ ستَ عشرةَ ركعةً تطوع رسول الله ﷺ وقل من يُدَاومُ عليهَا".

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