This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili's Arabic book Al-Awamir wal-Nawahi, whose Urdu translation has been done by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnoaat.
① Sayyiduna Rabi'ah bin Ka'b Aslami رضي الله عنه narrates, I used to spend the night at the house of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. I would bring water for ablution in his presence or perform any other task. Then the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said to me: اسألني
"Ask from me."
I said: I ask you to keep me with you in Paradise. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: أو غير ذلك؟
"Is there no one else besides this?"
I said, this is all. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: أعني على نفسك بكثرة السجود
"Help me in this matter by increasing your prostrations."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Prayer 489. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1320.
② Sayyiduna Ma'dan bin Abi Talhah رضي الله عنه narrates, I met the freed slave Thawban of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and said: Tell me an act which I can do that will admit me to Paradise. Or I said: Tell me about the deeds that are beloved to Allah. He remained silent. Then I asked him again, and he remained silent. Then the third time I asked him, and he said: I asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم about this, and he said: عليك بكثرة السجود لله فإنك لا تسجد لله سجدة إلا رفعك الله بها درجة ، وحط عنك بها خطيئة
"Make frequent prostrations for the sake of Allah. Because for every prostration you make, Allah will raise you one degree and erase one sin because of it."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Prayer 488. Tirmidhi, Book of Prayer 388, 389.
Ma'dan narrates, after that I went to Sayyiduna Abu Darda رضي الله عنه and asked him, and he gave the same answer as Thawban.
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
لا تجزئ صلاة أحدكم حتى يقيم ظهره فى الركوع والسجود
"Until one of you keeps his back straight in ruku and sujood, his prayer is not correct."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Salat 855. Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salat 265. The narration is authentic.
② It is narrated from Shaqiq that Sayyiduna Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man not keeping his back straight in prayer, so when the man finished the prayer, he called him and said: "You have not prayed, and if you were to die, you would not die upon the religion upon which Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him)."
Reference: Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan 791.
③ Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
لا يقبل الله صلاة بغير طهور ، ولا صدقة من غلول
"Allah does not accept prayer performed without purification nor charity given from stolen wealth."
Reference: Muslim, Kitab al-Taharah 224/1. Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Taharah 1.
