9/17. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 558 — Times of the Prayers
Whoever got (or was able to offer) only one Rak'a of the 'Asr prayer before sunset
Sahih Bukhari : 558
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 558
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ قَوْمًا يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ عَمَلاً إِلَى اللَّيْلِ، فَعَمِلُوا إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ، فَقَالُوا لاَ حَاجَةَ لَنَا إِلَى أَجْرِكَ، فَاسْتَأْجَرَ آخَرِينَ فَقَالَ أَكْمِلُوا بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِكُمْ، وَلَكُمُ الَّذِي شَرَطْتُ، فَعَمِلُوا حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ حِينَ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ قَالُوا لَكَ مَا عَمِلْنَا. فَاسْتَأْجَرَ قَوْمًا فَعَمِلُوا بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِهِمْ حَتَّى غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ، وَاسْتَكْمَلُوا أَجْرَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ ".
Abu Musa Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The example of Muslims, Jews and Christians is like the example of a man who employed laborers to work for him from morning till night. They worked till midday and they said, 'We are not in need of your reward.' So the man employed another batch and said to them, 'Complete the rest of the day and yours will be the wages I had fixed (for the first batch). They worked until the time of the `Asr prayer and said, 'Whatever we have done is for you.' He employed another batch. They worked for the rest of the day till sunset, and they received the wages of the two former batches."
[1] So, this is the similitude of Muslims who accepted Allāh's Guidance and the teachings of His Messenger ﷺ, and the similitude of the Jews and Christians who distorted and corrupted their Book and disbelieved in the Prophet ﷺ who came after 'Iesa (Jesus). We notice that the Jews and Christians referred to in this Hadith are different from those referred to in Hadith No.532 for the latter were believers and died before the advent of Muḥammad ﷺ and this is why they are rewarded, while the rewards of the former were given to the Muslims.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 558In-book reference : Book 9, Hadith 35USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 10, Hadith 533
