Praise
be to Allah
The fact that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the Prophets in
prayer on the night of the Israa’ is proven in saheeh hadiths.
In Saheeh
Muslim (172) it is narrated: “Then I found myself among a group of the
Prophets, and the time for prayer came, so I led them in prayer.” According
to a report narrated by Ibn Jareer at-Tabari in his Tafseer (17/332):
“Then we went on until we came to Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], where I led
the Prophets and Messengers in prayer.” See: al-Israa’ wa’l-Mi‘raaj
by al-Albaani, p. 13.
Ibn Katheer
said: The correct view is that he only met with them in the heavens, then he
came back down to Bayt al-Maqdis, and they accompanied him, and he led them
in prayer then. Then he rode on al-Buraaq and returned to Makkah.
End quote from
Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem (5/31).
There is no
confusion about how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
knew how to pray when he led the Prophets in prayer, because the prayer was
enjoined upon the Muslims from the beginning of Islam. Hence, when Heraclius
asked Abu Sufyaan: What does he enjoin upon you?
Abu Sufyaan
said: He says: Worship Allah alone, and do not associate anything else with
Him, and give up what your forefathers used to say; and he enjoins us to
pray, give zakaah, to be honest and chaste, and to uphold ties of kinship.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7).
Ibn Rajab said:
This indicates that prayer was prescribed from the beginning of Prophethood,
but the five daily prayers were not enjoined before the Israa’, and there is
no difference of scholarly opinion concerning that.
End quote from
Fath al-Baari (2/103).
And he said: The
hadiths which indicate that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) used to pray in Makkah before the Israa’ are many.
End quote.
Fath al-Baari (2/102).
Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani
said: Before the Israa’, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) used to pray irregularly, as did his companions.
End quote.
Fath al-Baari (8/671).
This is
indicated by the hadith of Zayd ibn Haarithah from the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), that Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to
him when Revelation was first sent to him, and taught him how to do wudoo’
and to pray. Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (17026); classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (841).
An-Nawawi (may
Allah have mercy on him) said: It is proven that our Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) led all the Prophets (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon them) in prayer on the night of the Israa’ in Bayt al-Maqdis.
It may be that this prayer occurred before his ascent to heaven, or it may
be that it happened after he came back down to earth.
The scholars
differed concerning this prayer:
It was said that
it was a verbal prayer, meaning that it was du‘aa’ and dhikr;
And it was said
that it was the well-known prayer, and this view is more correct, because it
is more appropriate to interpret the wording in the shar‘i sense than in the
linguistic sense. Rather we interpret reports according to the linguistic
meaning when it is not possible to interpret it according to the shar‘i
meaning. But that is not an issue here, so we must interpret it as referring
to the Islamically prescribed prayer.
Prayer was
obligatory before the night of the Israa’, and it was obligatory to spend
part of the night in prayer (qiyaam), as Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, stated in Soorat al-Muzzammil.
End quote from
al-Masaa’il al-Manthoorah, p. 26
See also the
answer to question no. 145725
And Allah knows
best.