Those who used to pray Zuhr as soon as the sun passed its zenith and did not delay it until it cooled

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I never saw anyone hasten the Zuhr prayer more than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), not Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), nor Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

Abu Uthman said: Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray Zuhr after the sun had declined.

Masruq said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in the Zuhr prayer after the sun had declined and said: "By the One besides whom none is worthy of worship, this is the time of this prayer."

Masruq said: When the sun had declined, Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said: "Where is your imam? This is the time of this prayer." Just then Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) (may Allah be pleased with him) came hurriedly and led the Zuhr prayer.

Abu al-Minhal said: I went with my father to Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him). My father said to him: Tell us how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the obligatory prayer. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer the Zuhr prayer when the sun had declined.

Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was quicker than you in hastening the Zuhr prayer, and you are more given to delaying the Asr prayer than he (peace and blessings be upon him) was.

Habib bin Shihab narrates from his father, who said: I asked Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the time of Zuhr. He said: When the sun has declined from midday and the shadow has become equal to a sandal strap, the time of Zuhr has begun.

Maymun bin Mihran said: Suwayd bin Ghafalah used to offer the Zuhr prayer as soon as the sun declined. Al-Hajjaj sent a message to him saying: Do not pray before us. Suwayd replied: I prayed it this way with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). Death is dearer to me than abandoning this practice.

Abu al-Bakhtari said: In the summer, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) would finish the Zuhr prayer, then someone setting off would go to Quba and find the people there still praying Zuhr.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) used to give the call to prayer (adhan) after the sun had declined.

Sayyiduna Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We complained to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that praying in the intense heat was hard for us, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not accept this complaint of ours.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I prayed Zuhr with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Because of the intense heat I would take a handful of pebbles and hold them first in one palm and then in the other so that they would cool, and then I would place them where my forehead would go when I prostrated.

Alqamah said: We used to pray Zuhr with him; sometimes we would find shade in which to sit, and sometimes we would not find shade in which to sit.

Khishf bin Malik said: Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) led us in the Zuhr prayer, and at that time the grasshoppers were leaping about because of the intense heat.

Abu al-Anbas said: I asked my father: You prayed with Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him); tell me how he used to offer the Zuhr prayer. He said: He used to offer the Zuhr prayer as soon as the sun had declined.

Husayn bin Ali said: I asked Ja'far about the time of Zuhr, and he said: When the sun has declined. Then he said: Listen carefully: that a man delays the Zuhr prayer until the time of Asr comes is better than that he prays Zuhr before the sun has declined.