'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "A man got up in the mosque and said: 'O Allah's Apostle! At which place you order us that we should assume the Ihram?' Allah's Apostle replied, 'The residents of Medina should assure the Ihram from Dhil-Hulaifa, the people of Syria from Al-Juhfa and the people of Najd from Qarn.'" Ibn 'Umar further said, "The people consider that Allah's Apostle had also said, 'The residents of Yemen should assume Ihram from Yalamlam.' " Ibn 'Umar used to say, "I do not remember whether Allah's Apostle had said the last statement or not."
"I saw Ibn 'Umar praying while taking his camel as a Sutra in front of him and he said, "I saw the Prophet doing the same."
Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet arrived at Mecca and sent for 'Uthman bin Talha. He opened the gate of the Ka'ba and the Prophet, Bilal, Usama bin Zaid and 'Uthman bin Talha entered the Ka'ba and then they closed its door (from inside). They stayed there for an hour, and then came out." Ibn 'Umar added, "I quickly went to Bilal and asked him (whether the Prophet had prayed). Bilal replied, 'He prayed in it.' I asked, 'Where?' He replied, 'Between the two pillars.' " Ibn 'Umar added, "I forgot to ask how many Rakat he (the Prophet) had prayed in the Ka'ba."
Ibn 'Umar said, "While the Prophet was on the pulpit, a man asked him how to offer the night prayers. He replied, 'Pray two Rakat at a time and then two and then two and so on, and if you are afraid of the dawn (the approach of the time of the Fajr prayer) pray one Rak'a and that will be the witr for all the Rakat which you have offered." Ibn 'Umar said, "The last Rakat of the night prayer should be odd for the Prophet ordered it to be so.
'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle entered the Ka'ba along with Usama bin Zaid, Bilal and 'Uthman bin Talha Al-Hajabi and closed the door and stayed there for some time. I asked Bilal when he came out, 'What did the Prophet do?' He replied, 'He offered prayer with one pillar to his left and one to his right and three behind.' In those days the Ka'ba was supported by six pillars." Malik said: "There were two pillars on his (the Prophet's) right side."
"The Prophet used to make his she-camel sit across and he would pray facing it (as a Sutra)." I asked, "What would the Prophet do if the she-camel was provoked and moved?" He said, "He would take its camel-saddle and put it in front of him and pray facing its back part (as a Sutra). And Ibn 'Umar used to do the same." (This indicates that one should not pray except behind a Sutra).
Once in a cold night, Ibn 'Umar pronounced the Adhan for the prayer at, Dajnan (the name of a mountain) and then said, "Pray at your homes", and informed us that Allah's Apostle used to tell the Mu'adhdhin to pronounce Adhan and say, "Pray at your homes" at the end of the Adhan on a rainy or a very cold night during the journey."
Once on a very cold and stormy night, Ibn 'Umar pronounced the Adhan for the prayer and then said, "Pray in your homes." He (Ibn 'Umar) added. "On very cold and rainy nights Allah's Apostle used to order the Mu'adhdhin to say, 'Pray in your homes.' "
Ibn 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'If the supper is served for anyone of you and the Iqama is pronounced, start with the supper and don't be in haste (and carry on eating) till you finish it.' " If food was served for Ibn 'Umar and Iqama was pronounced, he never came to the prayer till he finished it (i.e. food) in spite of the fact that he heard the recitation (of the Qur'an) by the Imam (in the prayer). Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet said, "If anyone of you is having his meals, he should not hurry up till he is satisfied even if the prayer has been started."
Whenever Ibn 'Umar started the prayer with Takbir, he used to raise his hands: whenever he bowed, he used to raise his hands (before bowing) and also used to raise his hands on saying, "Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida", and he used to do the same on rising from the second Rak'a (for the 3rd Rak'a). Ibn 'Umar said: "The Prophet used to do the same."
We have already mentioned the Prophet's words "If the people knew what [great blessings were] in the call to salah and in the first row the people would vie with one another to call the adhan and to be in the first row, and if they found no way to decide [who would be allowed to make the call to salah or to be in the first row] except by drawing lots, then they would draw lots."
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet noticed his companions going to the back rows, and he said: "Come close and follow me and let those behind follow you. People will continue going to the back until Allah will put them in the back." This is related by Muslim, an-Nasa'i, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah.
'Aishah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Allah and His angels send down blessings upon those who pray on the right side of the rows." This is related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.
Ahmad and at-Tabarani record, with a sahih chain, from Abu Umamah that the Prophet said: "Allah and the angels send down blessings upon the first row." The people inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, and upon the second row?" The Prophet again said: "Allah and the angels send down blessings upon the first row." The people asked again: "O Messenger of Allah, and upon the second row?" Finally he said: "And upon the second row."
Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Salim ibn 'Abdullah said, "I was with Abdullah ibn Umar on a journey and after the sun had risen I saw him do wudu and then pray. So I said to him, 'This isn't a prayer that you normally do. 'He said, 'After I had done wudu for the subh prayer, I touched my genitals. Then I forgot to do wudu. So I did wudu again and repeated my prayer.' "
Ibn Umar said something similar to Mujahid's saying: Whenever (Muslims and non-Muslims) stand face to face in battle, the Muslims can pray while standing. Ibn Umar added, "The Prophet said, 'If the number of the enemy is greater than the Muslims, they can pray while standing or riding (individually).' "
Ibn 'Umar (while on a journey) used to offer the prayer and the Witr on his mount (Rahila). He said that the Prophet used to do so.
Ibn 'Umar said, "In the lifetime of the Prophet I dreamt that a piece of silk cloth was in my hand and it flew with me to whichever part of Paradise I wanted. I also saw as if two persons (i.e. angels) came to me and wanted to take me to Hell. Then an angel met us and told me not to be afraid. He then told them to leave me. Hafsa narrated one of my dreams to the Prophet and the Prophet said, 'Abdullah is a good man. Would that he offer the night prayer (Tahajjud)!' So after that day 'Abdullah (bin 'Umar) started offering Tahajjud. The companions of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to tell him their dreams that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was on the 27th of the month of Ramadan. The Prophet said, "I see that your dreams agree on the last ten nights of Ramadan and so whoever is in search of it should seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan."
Ibn 'Umar never offered the Duha prayer except on two occasions:
(1) Whenever he reached Mecca; and he always used to reach Mecca in the forenoon. He would perform Tawaf round the Ka'ba and then offer two Rakat at the rear of Maqam Ibrahim.
(2) Whenever he visited Quba, for he used to visit it every Saturday. When he entered the Mosque, he disliked to leave it without offering a prayer. Ibn 'Umar narrated that Allah's Apostle used to visit the Mosque of Quba (sometime) walking and (sometime) riding. And he (i.e. Ibn 'Umar) used to say, "I do only what my companions used to do and I don't forbid anybody to pray at any time during the day or night except that one should not intend to pray at sunrise or sunset."
Ibn Umar was told that Abu Huraira said, "Whoever accompanies the funeral procession will have a reward equal to one Qirat." Ibn 'Umar said, "Abu Huraira talks of a too enormous reward." Aisha attested Abu Huraira's narration and said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying like that." Ibn Umar said, "We have lost numerous Qirats."
Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet made incumbent on every male or female, free man or slave, the payment of one Sa' of dates or barley as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (or said Sadaqa-Ramadan)." The people then substituted half Sa' of wheat for that. Ibn 'Umar used to give dates (as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr). Once there was scarcity of dates in Medina and Ibn 'Umar gave barley. And Ibn 'Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr for every young and old person. He even used to give on behalf of my children. Ibn 'Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr to those who had been officially appointed for its collection. People used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (even) a day or two before the 'Id.
'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'The people of Medina should assume Ihram from Dhul-Hulaifa; the people of Sham from Al-Juhfa; and the people of Najd from Qarn." And 'Abdullah added, "I was informed that Allah's Apostle had said, 'The people of Yemen should assume Ihram from Yalamlam.' "
'Abdullah bin 'Umar' said, "Allah's Apostle made his camel sit (i.e. he dismounted) at Al-Batha' in Dhul-Hulaifa and offered the prayer." 'Abdullah bin 'Umar used to do the same.
Whenever Ibn 'Umar intended to go to Mecca he used to oil himself with a sort of oil that had no pleasant smell, then he would go to the Mosque of Al-Hulaita and offer the prayer, and then ride. When he mounted well on his Mount and the Mount stood up straight, he would proclaim the intention of assuming Ihram, and he used to say that he had seen the Prophet doing the same.
On reaching the sanctuary of Mecca, Ibn 'Umar used to stop, reciting Talbiya and then he would pass the night at Dhi-Tuwa and then offer the Fajr prayer and take a bath. He used to say that the Prophet used to do the same.
'Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet passed the night at Dhi-Tuwa till it was dawn and then he entered Mecca." Ibn 'Umar used to do the same.
Whenever Ibn 'Umar entered the Ka'ba he used to walk straight keeping the door at his back on entering, and used to proceed on till about three cubits from the wall in front of him, and then he would offer the prayer there aiming at the place where Allah's Apostle prayed, as Bilal had told him. There is no harm for any person to offer the prayer at any place inside the Ka'ba.
Ibn 'Umar. said, "I have never missed the touching of these two stones of Ka'ba (the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner) both in the presence and the absence of crowds, since I saw the Prophet touching them." I asked Nafi': "Did Ibn 'Umar use to walk between the two Corners?" Nafi' replied, "He used to walk in order that it might be easy for him to touch it (the Corner Stone)."
'Abdullah bin 'Abdullah bin 'Umar and his riding animal entered the house of Ibn 'Umar. He (the son of Ibn 'Umar) said, "I fear that this year a battle might take place between the people and you might be prevented from going to the Ka'ba. I suggest that you should stay here." Ibn Umar said, "Once Allah's Apostle set out for the pilgrimage, and the pagans of Quraish intervened between him and the Ka'ba. So, if the people intervened between me and the Ka'ba, I would do the same as Allah's Apostle had done . . . "Verily, in Allah's Apostle you have a good example." Then he added, "I make you a witness that I have intended to perform Hajj along with 'Umra." After arriving at Mecca, Ibn 'Umar performed one Tawaf only (between Safa and Marwa).
Ibn 'Umar intended to perform Hajj in the year when Al-Hajjaj attacked Ibn Az-Zubair. Somebody said to Ibn 'Umar, "There is a danger of an impending war between them." Ibn 'Umar said, "Verily, in Allah's Apostle you have a good example. (And if it happened as you say) then I would do the same as Allah's Apostle had done. I make you witness that I have decided to perform 'Umra." Then he set out and when he reached Al-Baida', he said, "The ceremonies of both Hajj and 'Umra are similar. I make you witness that I have made Hajj compulsory for me along with 'Umra." He drove (to Mecca) a Hadi which he had bought from (a place called) Qudaid and did not do more than that. He did not slaughter the Hadi or finish his Ihram, or shave or cut short his hair till the day of slaughtering the sacrifices (10th Dhul-Hijja). Then he slaughtered his Hadi and shaved his head and considered the first Tawaf (of Safa and Marwa) as sufficient for Hajj and 'Umra. Ibn 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle did the same."