A Day in the Life of Prophet Muhammad(SAW)

In the Afternoon

When Bilal called the adhan announcing Zuhr, or midday

prayer, the Prophet would wake up if he were still asleep. He

answered the call to prayer, repeating the same phrases. He would

then perform his ablution if he needed it before praying four

rak 'ahs at home. He used to say: "This is an hour at which the gates

of heaven are open, and I love that a good deed of mine should be

presented."

The Prophet would wait at home until it was time for the

congregational prayer. He might have some of his grandchildren at

home, such as al-Hasan and al-Husayn the sons of his daughter

Fatimah, or Umamah the daughter of his daughter Zaynab, and he

would be playing with them. When Bilal informed him that it was

time for the prayer, he would go out. He might kiss one of his wives

as he went out for the prayer. When he went out, Bilal would call

the iqamah, i.e. the start of the congregational prayer. On seeing him

coming, the Prophet's companions would rise for the prayer.

They might be surprised to see him coming out, carrying alHasan

or al-Husayn, or his granddaughter Umamah, on his

shoulder. He might place the child next to him as he led the prayer.

On a particular occasion, he came out for the prayer, carrying either

al-Hasan or al-Husayn. He put the child down and started the

prayer. During his prayer the Prophet remained long in one of the

prostrations, i.e. Sujud. One of his companions, Shaddad ibn al-Had

lifted his head a little and saw the child over the Prophet's back as

he was in his prostration. When the prayer wa s over, people said to

the Prophet: "Messenger of God, you were very long in one

prostration and we thought that something might have happened or

that you might be receiving revelations from on high." He said:

"No, nothing of this happened, but my son mounted on my back

and I did not like to hasten him until he came down."

He might carry the child on his shoulder as he prayed. When

he bowed, he would put it down and when he rose to stand up, he

would carry it. He did this carrying his granddaughter, Umamah

bint Zaynab.  The Prophet used to offer the Zuhr prayer early in its time

range. He would read about thirty verses of the Qur'an in each of

the first two rak 'ahs, making t h e first rak 'ah longer than the second,

and would read around half that in the other two rak 'ahs. He might

make his prayer very long, to the extent that when the iqamah is

called, a person may go to al-Bagi ' to relieve himself before going

home to perform the ablution and come to the mosque, j oining the

prayer when the Prophet would still be in the first rak 'ah. He read