Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger returned from the expedition to Khaibar,1 he travelled one night and stopped for rest only when he became sleepy. He told Bilal to remain on guard during the night, and he prayed as much as he could while God’s Messenger and his companions slept. When the time for dawn approached Bilal leaned on his camel facing in the direction from which the dawn should appear; but he was overcome by sleep while he was leaning on his camel, and neither God’s Messenger nor Bilal awoke, nor did any of his companions till the sun shone on them. God's Messenger was the first of them to awake, and being startled he called to Bilal, who said "He who took away my soul is the One who took away yours."2 He said, "Lead the beasts on,” and when they had done so for some distance, God’s Messenger performed ablution, gave orders to Bilal who pronounced the iqama, and then led them in the Morning Prayer. When he finished the prayer he said, "If anyone forgets prayer he should say it when he remembers it, for God has said, ‘And observe the prayer for remembrance of me.’”3
1. In 7 AH.
2. This is probably to be connected with the thought in the Qur’an, 39:42, which speaks of God taking the souls of people during their sleep.
3. Al-Qur’an; 20:14
Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, "When the iqama has been pronounced for prayer, do not go running to it, but go walking in tranquility, and pray what you are in time for and complete what you have missed.”
(Bukhari and Muslim.) A version by Muslim has, "for when one of you is making for prayer he is engaged in prayer.”
He also told of God's Messenger saying to them, “Pray as you have seen me prayer, and when the time for prayer comes one of you should call the adhan for you and the oldest of you should act as imam.”*
* In this tradition the plural is used throughout; in the preceding the dual is used, two persons being referred to.
