صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب المساجد ومواضع الصلاةThe Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
باب الدَّلِيلِ لِمَنْ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ الْوُسْطَى هِيَ صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ:Chapter: The evidence for those who say that “the middle prayer” is the `Asr prayer
وحَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ سَلَّامٍ الْكُوفِيُّ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ طَلْحَةَ الْيَامِيُّ ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ ، عَنْ مُرَّةَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : حَبَسَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، عَنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى احْمَرَّتِ الشَّمْسُ ، أَوِ اصْفَرَّتْ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " شَغَلُونَا عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى ، صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ ، مَلَأَ اللَّهُ أَجْوَافَهُمْ ، وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا ، أَوَ قَالَ : حَشَا اللَّهُ أَجْوَافَهُمْ ، وَقُبُورَهُمْ نَارًا .
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that the polytheists detained the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from observing the afternoon prayer till the sun became red or it became yellow. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: They have diverted us from (offering) the middle prayer. i. e. the 'Asr prayer. May Allah fill their bellies and their graves with fire, or he said: May Allah stuff their bellies and their graves with fire.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: (1)
From the hadith of Ali radi Allahu anhu, the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deep attachment and longing for prayer is evident, such that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was so grieved and distressed at having to delay it that he supplicated against the polytheists who were the cause of this. Yet, when he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was wounded while proclaiming the message of tawhid in the valleys of Ta’if, when hurtful words were spoken to him, and when ruffians and scoundrels jeered at him, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate against them. In this way, even when the polytheists committed all kinds of oppression and tyranny, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate against them. But at the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah Khandaq), when the time for prayer passed, his sallallahu alayhi wa sallam patience reached its limit. But what is our condition today? We abandon prayers without reason or excuse, and we do not even feel it.
(2)
Until the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah Khandaq), the ruling regarding the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf, the prayer during battle) had not yet been revealed, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not perform the prayer of battle. And from these ahadith, it is also established that the “middle prayer” (al-salat al-wusta) refers to the Asr prayer.
From the hadith of Ali radi Allahu anhu, the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deep attachment and longing for prayer is evident, such that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was so grieved and distressed at having to delay it that he supplicated against the polytheists who were the cause of this. Yet, when he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was wounded while proclaiming the message of tawhid in the valleys of Ta’if, when hurtful words were spoken to him, and when ruffians and scoundrels jeered at him, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate against them. In this way, even when the polytheists committed all kinds of oppression and tyranny, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate against them. But at the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah Khandaq), when the time for prayer passed, his sallallahu alayhi wa sallam patience reached its limit. But what is our condition today? We abandon prayers without reason or excuse, and we do not even feel it.
(2)
Until the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwah Khandaq), the ruling regarding the prayer of fear (salat al-khawf, the prayer during battle) had not yet been revealed, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not perform the prayer of battle. And from these ahadith, it is also established that the “middle prayer” (al-salat al-wusta) refers to the Asr prayer.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 1426
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Commentary:
➊
From this it is understood that the "middle prayer" refers to the Asr prayer, which is emphasized in the Noble Qur’an in these words:
﴿حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ ﴾ ()
Guard strictly the prayers, and (especially) the middle prayer.
➋
The meaning of being prevented from prayer is that their attack continued, due to which we remained engaged in battle and did not get the opportunity to perform the prayer.
➌
Jihad is a tremendous act, which has rightly been described in the hadith as the peak of Islam’s hump. ()
However, even being engaged in this greatest act of jihad does not become a justification for abandoning prayer.
The importance of prayer surpasses even that of jihad.
➊
From this it is understood that the "middle prayer" refers to the Asr prayer, which is emphasized in the Noble Qur’an in these words:
﴿حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ ﴾ ()
Guard strictly the prayers, and (especially) the middle prayer.
➋
The meaning of being prevented from prayer is that their attack continued, due to which we remained engaged in battle and did not get the opportunity to perform the prayer.
➌
Jihad is a tremendous act, which has rightly been described in the hadith as the peak of Islam’s hump. ()
However, even being engaged in this greatest act of jihad does not become a justification for abandoning prayer.
The importance of prayer surpasses even that of jihad.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 686
