Worship and the Pillars

Mu'adhah Al-'Adawiyah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her). Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) use to observe three days of Saum (fasting) in every month?" She replied, "Yes." I asked, "On which days in the month did he observed fast?" She replied that he did not mind on which days of the month he observed fast..

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If you want to observe Saum on three days in a month, then fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the (lunar) month."

Qatadah bin Milhan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed us to observe Saum (fasting) on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the (lunar) month..

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: It was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to not to omit fast on 'bright days' whether he was staying at a place or on a journey..

Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who provides a fasting person something with which to break his fast, will earn the same reward as the one who was observing the fast, without diminishing in any way the reward of the latter."

Umm 'Umarah Al-Ansariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Once the Prophet (ﷺ) visited us and I served him some food. He (ﷺ) asked me to eat. I replied that I was observing (optional) fast. He (ﷺ) said, "When people eat by a person observing fast, the angels keep asking Allah's forgiveness for that person until they have had their fill."

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) came to visit Sa'd bin 'Ubadah (May Allah be pleased with him) who presented bread and olive oil to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) ate it and said, "The observers of fast have broken their fast with you (this is the literal translation, but the meaning is: 'May Allah reward you for providing a fasting people with food to break their fast'); the pious people have eat your food and the angels invoked blessings on you."

Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to engage himself in I'tikaf (seclusion for prayers) in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan till he passed away; thereafter, his wives followed this practice after him..

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe I'tikaf every year (during Ramadan) for ten days; in the year in which he passed away, he observed I'tikaf for twenty days..

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "(The superstructure of) Islam is based on five (pillars), testifying the fact that La ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammad-ar-Rasul-ullah .

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delivered a Khutbah and said, "O people! Hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah) has been made incumbent upon you, so perform Hajj." A man inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, is it prescribed every year?" He (ﷺ) remained silent till the man repeated it thrice. Then he (ﷺ) said, "Had I replied in the affirmative, it would have surely become obligatory, and you would not have been able to fulfill it." Afterwards he said, "Do not ask me so long as I do not impose anything upon you, because those who were before you were destroyed on account of their frequent questioning and their disagreement with their Prophets. So when I order you to do something, do it as far as you can; and when I forbid you from doing anything, eschew it."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked: "Which deed is the best?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Faith in Allah and His Messenger." Then he was asked: "What is next?" He replied, "Jihad (holy fighting) in the Cause of Allah." Then he was asked, "What is after that?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Hajj Mabrur (an accepted pilgrimage)."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever performs Hajj (pilgrimage) and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commits sin, nor disputes unjustly (during Hajj), then he returns from Hajj as pure and free from sins as on the day on which his mother gave birth to him."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "(The performance of) 'Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous 'Umrah; and the reward of Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted) is nothing but Jannah."

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I said: "O Messenger of Allah! We consider Jihad as the best deed, should we not then go for Jihad?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best Jihad for you women is Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted by Allah)."

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There is no day on which Allah sets free more slaves from Hell than He does on the Day of 'Arafah."

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "(The performance of) 'Umrah during Ramadan is equal to Hajj (pilgrimage)." Or said, "Equal to the performance of Hajj with me."

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, "Allah's obligation upon His slaves has become obligatory on my father in his old age. My father is very old and incapable of riding. May I perform Hajj on his behalf?" He (ﷺ) said, "Yes."

Laqit bin 'Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "My father is a very old man and does not have strength to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) or 'Umrah or to undertake the journey." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Perform Hajj and 'Umrah on behalf of your father."