The Prophet’s Mysterious Testing Ways. {242. }

The Prophet’s Mysterious Testing Ways. {242. }
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“Narrated Abu Huraira:
Once Allah’s Apostle prayed two Rakat
{instead of four}
and finished his prayer.
Dhu-l-yadain asked him
whether the prayer had been reduced
or whether he had forgotten.
Allah’s Apostle asked the people
whether Dhu-l-yadain was telling the truth.
The people replied in the affirmative.
Then Allah’s Apostle stood up,
offered the remaining two Rakat
and then finished his prayer with Taslim
and then said, “Allahu Akbar.”
He followed it with two prostrations
like ordinary prostrations, or a bit longer.”

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1,
Book: Call to Prayers, Hadith 682.
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Private & Congregational Prayers Compared. {179.}

Private & Congregational Prayers Compared. {179.}
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‘Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said,
“The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty-five times greater than that of the prayer offered in one’s house or in the market {alone}.
And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step that he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one sin of his is taken off {crossed out} from his accounts {of deeds}.
When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah’s Blessings and Allah’s Forgiveness for him as long as he is {staying} at his Musalla.
They say, ‘O Allah! Bestow Your Blessings upon him, be Merciful and Kind to him.’ And one is regarded to be in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer.”’

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book: Call to Prayers {Adhaan}, Hadith 620.
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The Characteristics of Proper Prayer. {172.}

The Characteristics of Proper Prayer. {172.}
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‘Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle entered the mosque and a person followed him. The man prayed and went to the Prophet and greeted him.
The Prophet returned the greeting and said to him, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
The man went back, prayed in the same way as before, returned and greeted the Prophet, who said, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
This happened thrice. The man said, “By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I cannot offer the prayer in a better way than this. Please, teach me how to pray.”
The Prophet said, “When you stand for Prayer say Takbir and then recite from the holy Qur’an {of what you know by heart} and then bow till you feel at ease. Then raise your head and stand up straight, then prostrate till you feel at ease during your prostration, then sit with calmness till you feel at ease {do not hurry} and do the same in all your prayers.”’

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book: Characteristics of Prayer, Hadith 724.
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The Prophet Mohammed’s Humble Personality. {151.}

The Prophet Mohammed’s Humble Personality. {151.}
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“The good sense of Mohammed despised the pomp of royalty. The Apostle of God submitted to the menial offices of the family; he kindled the fire; swept the floor; milked the ewes; and mended with his own hands his shoes and garments. Disdaining the penance and merit of a hermit, he observed without effort of vanity the abstemious diet of an Arab.”

---- Edward Gibbon; The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire {1823}.
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