ḤADĪTH OF THE DAY

“ Al- Ḥakam Ibnul-A'raj said, "I came to Ibn-'Abbās , who he was bolstered on his cloak at Zamzam, and said, 'Tell me which day is the Day of 'Āshūrā' (2) so that I fast it.' He replied, 'When you see the crescent (3) of [the month of] Muharram, count [the days] then begin fasting from the ninth day (4).' I asked, 'Is this how Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to fast ['Āshūrā']?' He confirmed, 'yes.'" Footnotes: 1. The well located in the vicinity of the Sanctified House of God, the Ka'bah, where the prophet Ishmael's mother, Hagar, found water under her son's feet. The well produces water to this day. 2. The day on which prophet Moses used to fast to give thanks to God for saving the Children of Israel from their enemy. Fasting on the Day of 'Ashūrā' is optional. However, the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said that the reward for fasting on that day is the expiation of sins committed during the year leading up to it. 3. The appearance of the crescent signals the beginning of the month. 4. The majority of scholars consider the Day of 'Āshūrā' to be the tenth of Muharram. Ibn-'Abbās also narrated another hadīth clearly identifying the tenth of Muharram as the Day of Āshūrā'. However, the Jews of Madīnah used to fast on that day long before the arrival of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. In order to distinguish the Muslims from them, the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, decided to fast an extra day the following year; only he did not live long enough to do so. In which case, he would indeed have started to fast the morning of the ninth of Muharram, as indicated by Ibn-'Abbās. ”

Sunan at-Tirmithiy كتاب الصلاة باب ما جاء فى الوقت الأول من الفضل

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْفَزَارِىُّ عَنْ أَبِى يَعْفُورٍ عَنِ الْوَليِدِ بْنِ الْعَيْزَارِ عَنْ أَبِى عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِىِّ أَنَّ رَجُلاً قَالَ لاِبْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى مَوَاقِيتِهَا. قُلْتُ وَمَاذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَبِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ. قُلْتُ وَمَاذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَالْجِهَادُ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ. وَقَدْ رَوَى الْمَسْعُودِىُّ وَشُعْبَةُ وَسُلَيْمَانُ هُوَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الشَّيْبَانِىُّ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ الْعَيْزَارِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ.
A man asked Ibn-Mas'ūd, "Which of the deeds is the most virtuous?" He replied, "I asked the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, about that, and he replied, '[Observing] the prayer at its [appointed] time.' I asked, 'And what else, Messenger of God?' He replied, 'And being dutiful to one's parents.' I asked, 'And what else, Messenger of God?' He said, 'and jihād (striving) in the way of God (1).'" Footnote (1): Jihād is defined as any earnest striving for the sake of God, involving personal, physical, intellectual or military effort, for righteousness and against wrong-doing. In such fighting, no woman, child or innocent civilian may be harmed, nor a tree cut down. Islām calls for moderation and tolerance, and abhors extremism, terrorism, oppression and discrimination. Click on ḥadīth to read more
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِى هِلاَلٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ مَا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةً لِوَقْتِهَا الآخِرِ مَرَّتَيْنِ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ وَلَيْسَ إِسْنَادُهُ بِمُتَّصِلٍ. قَالَ الشَّافِعِىُّ وَالْوَقْتُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ أَفْضَلُ. وَمِمَّا يَدُلُّ عَلَى فَضْلِ أَوَّلِ الْوَقْتِ عَلَى آخِرِهِ اخْتِيَارُ النَّبِىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبِى بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَخْتَارُونَ إِلاَّ مَا هُوَ أَفْضَلُ وَلَمْ يَكُونُوا يَدَعُونَ الْفَضْلَ وَكَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ فِى أَوَّلِ الْوَقْتِ. قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِذَلِكَ أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الْمَكِّىُّ عَنِ الشَّافِعِىِّ.
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, did not pray any prayer at the end of its [appointed] time twice until God took his life(1). Footnote (1): This means that he generally observed prayers at the desirable times, except for some rare incidents in which he delayed observing prayer until the end of its appointed time to demonstrate admissibility. Click on ḥadīth to read more