Theme
الصلاة
Prayer
as-Salah
For the Companions the day was built around prayer. The five obligatory prayers set its rhythm, and around them they kept small voluntary prayers: two rak'ahs after wudu, two on entering the mosque, a few in the mid-morning. None of these takes long. What made them remarkable is that they were kept, day after day, for years.
The practices below come from many different Companions. Choose one that fits the shape of your own day and keep it for a week before adding another.
… الْعَيْزَارِ أَخْبَرَنِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيَّ، يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا صَاحِبُ، هَذِهِ الدَّارِ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ" الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا". قَالَ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ" ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ". قَالَ ثُمَّ أَىُّ قَالَ" الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ". قَالَ …
“To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times”
55 practices from 43 companions
Open any practice to read it in full on the Companion's page, with the Arabic and English text of every source.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Awfعبد الرحمن بن عوف
Being a trusted imam
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Be reliable enough that people are happy to follow you in prayer.
Sit with this Could people follow you in prayer with confidence?
Abdullah ibn Abbasعبد الله بن عباس
Standing correctly beside the imam and accepting correction
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Take correction lightly and gratefully, and let it become knowledge.
Sit with this When you are gently corrected, does it become knowledge or a wound?
Abdullah ibn Mas'udعبد الله بن مسعود
Putting prayer on time and kindness to parents first
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Pray on time, and make a call or visit to a parent a regular part of your week.
Sit with this Is your prayer on time, and when did you last call your parents?
Abdullah ibn Salamعبد الله بن سلام
Praying two light rak'ahs and leaving
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Pray a short, humble voluntary prayer when you enter the mosque, and avoid showing off.
Sit with this Could you pray somewhere today without anyone noticing that you did?
Abdullah ibn Umarعبد الله بن عمر
Praying nafl on his mount while travelling
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On journeys, do not drop your voluntary prayers. Make them with what you can.
Sit with this Which voluntary prayer do you drop first when your routine is disrupted?
Abdullah ibn Umm Maktumعبد الله بن أم مكتوم
Giving the dawn adhan with precision
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Do your duty accurately, with help if you need it.
Sit with this What duty do you carry that would be better done with someone's help?
Never abandoning three habits
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Choose three small deeds you will keep for life and protect them.
Sit with this Which three small deeds would you choose to keep for the rest of your life?
Guarding the congregational prayer
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Make the congregational prayer the last thing you would ever miss.
Sit with this Which prayer would you be most willing to walk to the mosque for this week?
Abu Bakr al-Siddiqأبو بكر الصديق
Asking for a dua to use inside prayer
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Learn one forgiveness dua by heart and say it before the salam.
Sit with this Which forgiveness du'a do you say before the salam?
Abu Dharr al-Ghifariأبو ذر الغفاري
Morning charity and the two Duha rak'ahs
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Pray two rak'ahs after sunrise and count your tasbih as charity.
Sit with this How many small charities could your tongue give before noon?
Duha prayer
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Pray two rak'ahs after sunrise-time clears, before the day takes over.
Sit with this Could two rak'ahs of Duha be a pause of thanks in your working day?
Abu Lubabah ibn Abd al-Mundhirأبو لبابة بن عبد المنذر
Honouring Friday
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Treat Jumu'ah as the highest day of the week and use its blessed hour for dua.
Sit with this How would your Friday look if you treated it as the best day of your week?
Abu Qatadah al-Ansariأبو قتادة الأنصاري
Two rak'ahs on entering the mosque
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Do not sit down in the masjid without two short rak'ahs.
Sit with this What changes when you greet the mosque with two rak'ahs before you sit?
Abu Qatadah al-Ansariأبو قتادة الأنصاري
Guarding the prayer, and not sleeping through it
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Plan to wake for Fajr, but make it up immediately if you do oversleep.
Sit with this What is your plan for Fajr tonight, and what will you do if it fails?
Abu Qatadah al-Ansariأبو قتادة الأنصاري
Kindness to children, even in prayer
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Make space for children in your worship and don't push them away.
Sit with this Do the children around you feel welcome near your prayer?
Abu Sa'id al-Khudriأبو سعيد الخدري
Friday ghusl
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Bathe and put on clean clothes before Jumu'ah.
Sit with this How do you prepare yourself for Jumu'ah?
Aisha bint Abi Bakrعائشة بنت أبي بكر
Praying Duha
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Add a short Duha prayer when you can.
Sit with this Could a short Duha prayer fit into your mid-morning?
Ali ibn Abi Talibعلي بن أبي طالب
Teaching wudu by demonstrating it
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Teach by doing: when you want someone to learn a practice, show them the practice in full.
Sit with this Who could you teach by showing rather than telling?
Keeping prayer and sermon balanced
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Keep your talk short and your prayer long.
Sit with this Is your talk longer than your prayer?
A dua of the Prophet in every prayer
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Learn one full du'a from the Prophet and say it in your prayer.
Sit with this Which du'a of the Prophet ﷺ will you learn for your prayer?
Taking the concession when harm is likely
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Take Allah's ease when real harm threatens, and do not drop the prayer.
Sit with this Do you know the concessions Allah has given you, and use them without dropping the prayer?
Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكر
Standing long in prayer, even to exhaustion
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Pray the special prayers, such as the eclipse prayer, with concentration and endurance.
Sit with this When did you last stand long enough in prayer to feel it?
Two rak'ahs after every wudu
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After your next wudu, pray two short rak'ahs and make it a habit you never skip.
Sit with this Which small private habit could you keep so faithfully that it outlasts you?
Calling the adhan before dawn
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Set a reliable alarm for tahajjud or fajr and wake someone else for it.
Sit with this Who could you help wake for Fajr or tahajjud tomorrow?
Giving the adhan and iqamah as taught
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Learn the adhan words and respond to them each time you hear it.
Sit with this Do you stop and answer the adhan when you hear it?
Serving the Prophet at prayer
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Be the one who helps the prayer happen: set out the mats, open the door, arrive early.
Sit with this How could you help the prayer happen for others this week?
Fatimah bint Qaysفاطمة بنت قيس
Attending congregational prayer in the Prophet's mosque
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Make an effort to attend the mosque when you can, and sit with the community.
Sit with this When did you last pray in congregation and sit with your community after?
Never skipping the two light rak'ahs before Fajr
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Pray the two quick sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr.
Sit with this Do you guard the two short rak'ahs before Fajr?
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamanحذيفة بن اليمان
Turning to prayer in anxiety
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When anxious, stand and pray two rak'ahs before reaching for anything else.
Sit with this When something worries you, is prayer your first move or your last?
Jabir ibn Abdullahجابر بن عبد الله
Praying istikhara before decisions
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Before a big decision, pray two rak'ahs and make the istikhara du'a, then proceed with the best means.
Sit with this Which decision this month will you begin with istikharah?
Jabir ibn Abdullahجابر بن عبد الله
Two rak'ahs in the masjid on returning from a journey
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On returning from a trip, begin with two rak'ahs in the masjid.
Sit with this Could your next homecoming begin with two rak'ahs?
Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajaliجرير بن عبد الله البجلي
Wiping over leather socks
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Use the concessions the Prophet gave, and be confident in them.
Sit with this Do you use the concessions Allah gave you, or make your worship harder than it is?
Juwayriyyah bint al-Harithجويرية بنت الحارث
Sitting in dhikr after Fajr until the day is bright
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Give the first hour after Fajr to remembering Allah before the day takes over.
Sit with this Could the first minutes after Fajr belong to remembrance?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Watching the prayer closely and learning from it
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Pay close attention to details of the Sunnah, and teach them as you learned them.
Sit with this What detail of the Prophet's prayer have you never noticed?
A du'a after every prayer
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End each prayer with: Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatika.
Sit with this Will you end your next prayer asking Allah's help to remember, thank and worship Him well?
Keeping prayer light for others
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If you lead, remember the weakest person behind you.
Sit with this If you lead, do you remember the weakest person behind you?
Nusaybah bint Ka'b (Umm Ammarah)نسيبة بنت كعب (أم عمارة)
Observing and passing on the Prophet's wudu
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Be economical with water when making wudu.
Sit with this How much water does your wudu actually need?
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqasسعد بن أبي وقاص
Praying as the Prophet prayed
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Learn the Prophet's prayer and keep to it, not more and not less.
Sit with this Is your prayer modelled on the Prophet's, not more and not less?
Seeking treatment and staying near the masjid
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Seek treatment when ill and stay close to worship.
Sit with this When you are ill, do you seek treatment and stay near worship?
The full Friday routine
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Treat Friday as a prepared day: bathe, perfume, arrive early, stay silent for the khutbah.
Sit with this What would it take to prepare for Friday properly this week?
Greeting the praying person correctly
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Know the adab of greeting around people who are praying.
Sit with this Do you know how to greet someone who is in prayer?
Ubadah ibn al-Samitعبادة بن الصامت
Reciting al-Fatihah in every prayer
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Recite al-Fatihah with understanding in every rak'ah.
Sit with this Do you understand the al-Fatihah you recite in every rak'ah?
Teaching the value of congregation
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Make an effort to pray Fajr and Isha with others.
Sit with this Which of Fajr and Isha could you pray with others this week?
Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyahأم عطية الأنصارية
Bringing everyone to the Eid prayer
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Take your whole family, including the young and those who cannot pray, to Eid.
Sit with this Will your whole family come with you to the Eid prayer?
Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyanأم حبيبة رملة بنت أبي سفيان
Twelve rak'ahs of sunnah every day
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Make the twelve rak'ahs of the Sunnah prayers a daily habit.
Sit with this Which of the twelve sunnah rak'ahs are you missing most often?
Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyanأم حبيبة رملة بنت أبي سفيان
Four before and four after Zuhr
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Add the four rak'ahs before and after Zuhr to your sunnah routine.
Sit with this Could you add the rak'ahs around Zuhr to your routine?
Umm Hani bint Abi Talibأم هانئ بنت أبي طالب
Observing the Duha prayer and teaching others about it
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Pray two rak'ahs of Duha each morning and keep them short but complete.
Sit with this Could two rak'ahs of Duha become part of your morning?
Umm Haram bint Milhanأم حرام بنت ملحان
Praying with the Prophet in her own home
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Make your home a place of prayer and bring the family together.
Sit with this How often does your household pray together at home?
Performing tawaf with ease when ill
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Use the ease Allah gives you when ill and keep the worship going.
Sit with this When you are ill, do you use the ease Allah gives you to keep worshipping?
Umm Waraqah bint Abdullahأم ورقة بنت عبد الله
Making her home a place of prayer
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Call your household to prayer; make the adhan and prayer a part of the home.
Sit with this Does your household hear the call to prayer at home?
Perfecting wudu, then two rak'ahs with presence
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Make wudu a deliberate act, and pray two focused rak'ahs after it.
Sit with this Will your next wudu be slow and deliberate, followed by two focused rak'ahs?
Praying Isha and Fajr in congregation
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Make Isha and Fajr in congregation your night-prayer baseline.
Sit with this Could Isha and Fajr in congregation become your baseline?
Praying voluntary prayers at home
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Make your voluntary prayers regularly at home, and keep the mosque for the obligatory ones.
Sit with this Does your home hear your voluntary prayers?
Holding to the Prophet's practice over local custom
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Compare your habits to the Sunnah and gently correct them.
Sit with this Which habit of yours could you gently bring back to the Sunnah?
Zaynab bint Muhammadزينب بنت محمد
A mother whom the Prophet carried in prayer
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Make room for children in your life, even in the middle of worship.
Sit with this Do children have a place in your life, even in your worship?
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