2 - Chapter: The Times of Prayer

393 - Musaddad narrated to us, Yahya narrated to us, from Sufyan, Abd al-Rahman ibn Fulan ibn Abi Rabi'ah narrated to me — Abu Dawud said: He is Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah — from Hakim ibn Hakim, from Nafi' ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Gabriel led me in prayer at the House twice. He prayed the noon prayer with me when the sun had passed its zenith, and it was the measure of a sandal strap. He prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was equal to his height. He prayed with me — meaning the sunset prayer — when the fasting person broke his fast. He prayed the night prayer with me when the twilight had disappeared. He prayed the dawn prayer with me when food and drink became forbidden to the fasting person. Then on the following day, he prayed the noon prayer with me when his shadow was equal to his height. He prayed the afternoon prayer with me when his shadow was twice his height. He prayed the sunset prayer with me when the fasting person broke his fast. He prayed the night prayer with me up to one-third of the night. He prayed the dawn prayer with me when it was well into the daylight. Then he turned to me and said: 'O Muhammad, this is the time of the prophets before you, and the time is between these two times.'"

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Al-Qurtubi said regarding this: The trustworthy narrator is certain of the authentic narrations. Al-Qarafi was heedless when he claimed that the narration with the wording "and by his father" was not authentic, because it is not in the Muwatta'. It is as though he did not approve of the answer, so he resorted to rejecting the report, though it is authentic with no doubt about it. The strongest of the answers are the first two.

We say: The first was chosen by al-Tahawi in Sharh Mushkil al-Athar 2/292, and by al-Hazimi in al-I'tibar. The second was chosen by al-Khattabi in Ma'alim al-Sunan and by al-Nawawi in Sharh Muslim.

(1) Its chain is good; Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn 'Ayyash and Hakim ibn Hakim are subject to discussion, and the rest of its narrators are trustworthy. Yahya is Ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, and Sufyan is al-Thawri.

It was also recorded by al-Tirmidhi (149) via the route of Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith, with this chain. He said: A good hadith. It is in the Musnad of Ahmad (3081).