Chapter: Whoever Sleeps Through The Prayer (Time) Or Forgets (To Pray).

Abu Hurairah reported: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from the Battle of Khaibar, he travelled during the night. When we felt sleep, he halted for rest. Addressing Bilal he said: Keep vigilance at night for us. But Bilal who was leaning against the saddle of his mount was dominated by sleep. Neither the Prophet ﷺ nor Bilal nor any of his Companions could get up till the sunshine struck them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up first of all. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was embarrassed and said: O Bilal! He replied: He who detained your soul, detained my soul, Messenger of Allah, my parents be sacrificed for you. Then they drove their mounts to a little distance. The Prophet ﷺ perfumed ablution and commanded Bilal who made announcement for the prayer. He (the Prophet) led them in the Fajr prayer. When he finished prayer, he said: If anyone forget saying prayer, he should observe it when he recalls it, for Allah has said (in the Quran): "Establish prayer for my remembrance". Yunus said: Ibn Shihab used to recite this verse in a similar way (i. e. instead of reciting the word li-dhikri - for the sake of My remembrance - he would recite li-dhikra - when you remember). Ahmad (one of the narrator) said: 'Anbasah (a reporter) reported on the authority of Yunus the word li-dhikri (for the sake of my remembrance). Ahmad said: The word nu'as (occurring in this tradition) means "drowsiness".

Abu Hurairah reported: Another version of the above tradition adds: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Go away from this place of yours where inadvertence took hold of you. He then commanded Bilal who called for prayer and announced that the prayer in congregation was ready (i. e. he uttered the iqamah) and he observed prayer. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Malik, Sufyan bin Uyainah, al-Awzai, and Abd al-Razzaq from Mamar and Ibn Ishaq, none of them made a mention of the call for prayer (adman) in this version of the tradition narrated by al-Zuhri, and none of them attribute (this tradition) to him except al-Awzai and Aban al-'Attar on the authority of Mamar.

Abu Qatadah reported: "The Prophet ﷺ was on a journey. The Prophet ﷺ took a turn and I also took a turn with him. He said: 'Look!' I said: 'This is a rider; these are two riders; and these are three' until we became seven. He then said: Guard for us our prayer, i. e. the Fajr prayer. But sleep dominated them and none could awaken them except the heat of the sun. They stood up and drove away a little. Then they got down (from their mounts) and performed ablution. Bilal called for prayer and they offered two rak'ahs of (Sunnah) of Fajr and then offered the Fajr prayer and mounted (their mounts). Some of them said to others: We showed negligence in prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: There is no negligence in sleep. The negligence is in wakefulness. If any of you forget saying prayer, he should offer it when he remembers it and next day (he should say it) at its proper time.

Khalid bin Sumair said: Abdullah bin Rabah al-Ansari, whom the Ansar called faqih (juries), came to us from Madina, and reported us on the authority of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari, the horseman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a military expedition consisting of the chief Companions. He then narrated the same story, saying Nothing awakened us except the rising sun. We stoop up in bewilderment, for our prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: Wait a little, wait a little. When the sun rose high, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Those who sued to observer the two rak'ahs of Fajr prayer (sunnah prayer before obligatory prayer) should observe them. Then those who used to observe and those who would not observe stood up and said prayer. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded to call for prayer; the call for prayer was made accordingly. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood and led us in prayer. When he turned away (from the prayer) he said: We thank Allah for the fact that we were not engaged in any wordily affairs which detained us from our prayer. Instead our souls were in the hands of Allah. He released them whenever He wished. If any one of you gets morning prayer tomorrow at its proper time, he should offer a similar prayer as an atonement.

This tradition has also been reported by Abu Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. He said: Allah detained your should how He wished and returned when He wished. Stand up and call for prayer. They (the Companions) stood and performed ablution. When the sun rose high, the Prophet ﷺ stood and led the people in prayer.

This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain by Abu Qatadah to the same effect. This version adds: "He performed ablution when the sun had arisen high and led them in prayer. "

Abu Qatadah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: There is no remissness in sleep, it is only when one is awake that there is remissness when you delay saying the prayer till the time for the next prayer comes.

Anas bin Malik reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying: If any one forgets a prayer or oversleeps, he should observe it when he remembers it ; there is no expiation for it except that.

Imran bin Husain said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on his journey. They (the people) slept abandoning the Fajr prayer. They awoke by the heat of the sun. Then they travelled a little until the sun rose high. He (the Prophet) commanded the muadhdhin (one who called for prayer) to call for prayer. He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer (sunnah prayer) before the (obligatory) fajr prayer. Then he (the muadhdhin) announced for saying the prayer in congregation (i. e. he uttered iqamah). Then he led them in the morning prayer.

Narrated Amr ibn Umayyah ad-Damri: We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during one of his journeys. He overslept abandoning the morning prayer until the sun had arisen. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ awoke and said: Go away from this place. He then commanded Bilal to call for prayer. He called for prayer. They (the people) performed ablution and offered two rak'ahs of the morning prayer (sunnah prayer). He then commanded Bilal (to utter the iqamah, i. e. to summon the people to attend the prayer). He announced the prayer (i. e. uttered the iqamah) and he led them in the morning prayer.

Dhu Mikhbar al-Habashi, who used to serve the Prophet ﷺ, reported a version of the previous tradition. The Prophet ﷺ performed ablution in such a way that there is no mud on the earth. He then commanded Bilal (to call for prayer). He called for prayer. The Prophet ﷺ stood and offered two rak'ahs of prayer unhurriedly. This is narrated by Hajjaj on the authority of Yazid bin Sulaih from Dhu Mikhbar from a person of al-Habashah (Ethiopia). Ubaid (a narrator) said: Yazid bin Salih (instead of Yazid bin Sulaih).

This tradition has also been transmitted through another chain of narrators by Dhu Mikhbar, the nephew of the Negus. This version adds: "He (Bilal) called for prayer unhurriedly. "

Narrated Abdullah ibn Masud: We proceeded with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the occasion of al-Hudaybiyyah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Who will keep watch for us? Bilal said: I (shall do). The overslept till the sun arose. The Prophet ﷺ awoke and said: Do as you used to do (i. e. offer prayer as usual). Then we did accordingly. He said: Anyone who oversleeps or forgets (prayer) should do similarly.