Hadith 3764

Yahya related to me from Malik from al-Ala ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibnYa'qub that he heard Abu's-Sa'ib, the mawla of Hisham ibn Zuhra, sayhe had heard Abu Hurayra say, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Whoever prays a prayerwithout reciting the umm al-Qur'an in it, his prayer is aborted, it isaborted, it is aborted, incomplete.' So I said, 'Abu Hurayra,sometimes I am behind the imam.'Hepulled my forearm and said, 'Reciteit to yourself, O Persian, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, say that Allah the Blessed, theExalted, said, "I have divided the prayer into two halves between meand my slave. One half of it is for Me and one half of it is for IVlyslave, and My slave has what he asks." ' The Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Recite." The slave says,'Praise be to AIIah, the Lord of theWorlds.' Allah the Blessed, theExalted, says, 'My slave has praised Me.' The slave says, 'TheMerciful, the Compassionate.' Allah says, 'My slave has spoken well ofMe.' The slave says, 'Master of the Day of the Deen.' Allah says, 'Myslave has glorified Me.' The slave says, 'You alone we worship and Youalone we askforhelp.'Allahsays,'This ayat is between Me and My slave,and for My slave is what he asks. 'The slave says, 'Guide us in thestraight Path, the Path of those whom You have blessed, not of thosewith whom You are angry, nor those who are in error. ' Allah says,'These are for My slaves, and for my slave is what he asks . ' " ' "