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PRAYER, ITS REQUISITES AND MERITS

439

“In the Days of Ignorance, Abu Najih Amr's opinion was that the people were lost. They were idol worshipers and there was no truth in what they followed. One day, he heard there was a man in Mecca saying something different, so he mounted his camel and set off to see him. He learned that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, lived in seclusion and was persecuted by his people.

Eventually, after making several inquiries he met him. He asked who he was and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘I am a Prophet.' So Abu Najih asked him the meaning of a prophet, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘Allah has sent me as His Messenger.’ He asked why Allah had sent him. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, informed him that: ‘He has sent me to strengthen the ties of kinship, destroy the idols, proclaim that God is One and that nothing is to be associated with Him.’

Abu Najih then asked who his followers were. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘A freeman and a slave.’ (At that time only Abu Bakr and Bilal were with him). Abu Najih told him that he wanted to be his follower but the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told him: ‘It is not advisable at the moment’ and asked him ‘have you seen my situation and the attitude of the people? Return to your people but once you hear the news that my cause has triumphed, come to me.’ Abu Najih returned to his people, and during that time the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, migrated to Medina.

Abu Najih continued to ask the people if there was any news of him. Then one day some of his people who had been visiting Medina returned. He asked them how the man from Mecca had been received in Medina. They told him that the people were hastening to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and that his own people had plotted to kill him but failed.

Upon hearing this Abu Najih set off for Medina and went directly to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, do you remember me?’ He replied: ‘Yes, you are the one who met me in Mecca.’ Abu Najih asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, tell me something I do not know that Allah has taught you; tell me about prayer.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, answered: "Pray the morning prayer, then do not pray again until the sun has risen to the height of a spear, because it rises between the two horns of satan (metaphoric eloquence to indicate the maneuvering of satan and his followers) and it is at that time the unbelievers prostrate themselves before it. After that time you can pray and the prayer will be attended by angels who bear witness to it until the shadow of a spear is under it. At that time do not pray because it is then that Hell is refueled. Once the shadow lengthens you may pray again and the prayer is attended by angels who bear witness to it until the time for the afternoon (Asr) prayer. After you have prayed the afternoon prayer do not pray again until the sun has set, because it sets between the two horns of satan and it is also at that time the unbelievers prostrate themselves before it.

After this Abu Najih asked the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, to tell him how to cleanse himself for prayer. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told him: ‘When someone begins their ablution he starts by washing his mouth, then his nose and the sins of the mouth and nose are washed away. Next he washes his face as Allah has commanded and the sins of his face are washed away from the sides of his beard with the water. After this he washes his hands up to (and including) the elbows and the sins of his hands are washed away through his fingers by the water. Following this he passes his wet hands over his head and the sins of the head are washed away through the ends of his hair by the water. Then he washes his feet up to the ankles and the sins of his feet are washed away through his toes by the water.

As soon as he stands in prayer, praises and exalts Allah then proclaims His Greatness according to His Worthiness devoting his heart entirely to Allah, he emerges from his sins in the same pure condition his mother bore him.’ When Abu Najih who related this to Abu Umamah, a Companion of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, Abu Umamah advised Abu Najih to be careful about relating what he had been given in a certain place. To this Abu Najih said: ‘I have reached old age, my bones have become dry, my death approaches and there is no need to lie about Allah and His Messenger, praise and peace be upon him. Had I not heard this from the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, once, twice, three times (and he counted up to seven) I would never relate it. In fact, I have heard this even more often.’"

Muslim with a chain up to Abu Najih Amr, the son of Abasah who related this hadith