The Daily Routine of Prophet Muhammad

Photo Credit: flickr[dot]com/photos/khaiphoto/6034059469/

I am always fascinated by daily routines. I believe they are the key to leading a
successful, productive life. How you live your day, each day, is how you live your life.
The small consistent actions of today add up to create the life achievements (or
failures) of tomorrow.
As part of my fascination with daily routines, I love to read and learn about the daily
routines of successful men and women of history: people who achieved tremendous
accomplishments and make you realise that you haven’t even scratched your full
human potential yet. By exploring and learning the daily routines of successful
people, you discover new habits and new routines that might lead to your own
success, In sha Allah.

As I was learning and exploring daily routines, it occurred to me that there could not
be a daily routine that is more successful, more balanced, and more pleasing
to Allah than the daily routine of our beloved Prophet Muhammad . He is
the most successful man who ever lived, and the most successful man both in dunya
and akhirah.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for
anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.”
[Qur’an: Chapter 33, Verse 21]

Some pointers to keep in mind

Based on this, I started reading and compiling the daily routine of Prophet
Muhammad as narrated to us by his loyal companions and his devoted family.
Before I start though, I must mention a few things:

1. Most of my readings concentrated on the time after he migrated to Madinah

and established the first Islamic community. The reason for choosing this
period and not the Makkan period is because the Prophet Muhammad and
his companions were not able to live freely in Makkah due to the persecution of
the Makkans at that time and hence there wasn’t an established “routine” that
they could follow without risking their lives and facing persecution.
2. The word “routine” may be misunderstood; the Prophet Muhammad did not
have a strict routine that he followed diligently each day. As you’ll see below,
he used to adapt each day to the needs of his community and family. Having
said that, you can see a clear structure for his days (mostly surrounding prayer
times) and never was a moment ‘wasted’ or not utilized at its best.
3. In order not to make this article too long, I avoided quoting all the narrations
that make up the description of the Prophet’s daily life. This is to avoid
prolonging the article and making it difficult to read. Nevertheless, if you’re not
sure about any of the descriptions below or are interested to find out which
hadith relates to which description, please let me know in the comments
section at the end and I’ll share the reference.
4. Finally, I must mention that one of the best, most concise, and well-researched
books that I’ve read on this topic is a book in Arabic by Sh. Abdul-Wahab Bin
Nasir Al-Torari. The book’s name is “‫“( ”يوبنلا مويلا‬The Prophetic Day”) and
it’s available to download in PDF from here for those who wish to read the
detailed Arabic book.

With that, let’s begin exploring the daily routine of Prophet Muhammad and learn
how we can apply some of his routine to our modern lives today. I’ll do this in two
ways. I’ll first simply describe how he spent each part of the day and then highlight
some practical ways of how his routine for that part of the day applies to our daily
lives.

Bismillah.
From Fajr till sunrise
I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the household of the Prophet
Muhammad at Fajr time. The call to prayer is called by Bilal , which wakes up
the Prophet who was taking a nap after his long night prayer.

Waking up
He wakes up and the first thing he does is use the siwak and say this dua: “All
praise is for Allah who gave us life after having taken it from us and unto Him is the
Resurrection.” He listens intently to the adhan and says what the muadhin says then
he makes his wudhu and prays the two rak’ahs of sunnah of Fajr prayer. After his
two rak’ahs, if his wife is awake, he speaks to her lovingly and if she’s asleep, he
would lie on his right side until the iqama is called.

When Bilal would see that the people have gathered, he would come close to the
Prophet’s house and say: “Prayer, O Prophet of Allah.”

Leaving the house

The Prophet would come out of his house, look up to the sky, then say this dua:
“In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power
except with Allah. O Allah, I take refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray,
or slip or be tripped, or oppress or be oppressed, or behave foolishly or be treated
foolishly.”

Entering the masjid

Then he enters the masjid with his right foot and says this dua: “In the name of Allah,
and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, open the gates of
Your mercy for me. I take refuge with Allah, The Supreme and with His Noble Face,
and His eternal authority from the accursed devil.” When Bilal sees him enter the
masjid, he would call the iqama and the Companions would stand in rows and the
Prophet would lead them in prayers.

Following Fajr prayer

After the prayers, the Prophet would remember Allah and perform
the adhkar after salah, facing the people as he performs these remembrances.

Then the companions gather closer to the Prophet and he would face them and
talk to them. Sometimes he would admonish them with a powerful admonishment
that would make the Companions cry, sometimes he would tell them a story,
sometimes he would ask them questions, sometimes he would ask if any of the
Companions saw a dream and he would explain it for him or he’d share a dream he
had and explain it to them. Other times he’d just listen to the Companions as they
spoke about their lives, perhaps remembering their lives before Islam and they’d
laugh at the ignorance they used to live in and the Prophet would smile with
them. The Prophet would sit with them until the sun rises.

After sunrise
After sunrise, the Prophet would go back to his home. He would enter his
home saying: “In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we leave, and
upon our Lord we place our trust.” As soon as he enters, he would use the siwak,
and say salam to his whole family and visit all his wives, asking how they are and
making dua for them. During his visits, he might ask if there’s any food available that
day; if there is, he would eat, and if there’s none, he would say “Then, I’m fasting”.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine between

Fajr and sunrise
1. Waking up with the adhan of Fajr
2. Using siwak as soon as you wake up
3. Praying two rak’ahs of sunnah of Fajr at home before leaving to masjid
4. Saying the remembrance of waking up, leaving home and entering masjid
5. Praying Fajr in congregation
6. Staying after Fajr prayer remembering Allah with the remembrance
after salah and the morning adhkar
7. Spending some time in a circle of knowledge after Fajr prayer with your
friends or brothers from the masjid, learning about your deen until sunrise
8. Coming back home, reciting the rememberance for entering the home,
checking up on your family in the early hours after you come back from
the masjid and ensuring they are all well, and making dua for them
9. Occasionally deciding to do voluntary fast even after sunrise if you didn’t
have anything from Fajr

Between sunrise and Dhuhr time

Morning majlis (gathering)
After he visits his family, he would go back to the masjid and pray two rak’ahs, then
he would sit in the masjid and the companions would gather around him. This was a
known time for everyone in Madinah to come and see the Prophet if they wanted
to spend time with him, ask him anything or needed anything from him. Sometimes
there’d be lots of Companions and sometimes there would be few, depending on the
Companions’ schedule and activity that day. Sometimes the Companions would take
turns to be at this gathering and learn from the Prophet whilst others go to trade
or farm in the land and they would teach each other what they learnt from the
Prophet later in the day.

The Prophet would spend this time teaching and sharing from the knowledge that
Allah has given him. He wouldn’t simply sit and lecture; he would sometimes ask
questions or get into a discussion with the Companions with the aim of
teaching them a lesson, and this helped in developing the knowledge of the
Companions and the iman in their hearts.

Sometimes newborn babies were brought to the Prophet during this time, so the
Prophet would perform the sunnah of tahneek, make dua for them, and seek
Allah’s blessing upon them. Sometimes a new harvest would be brought to him
so that the Prophet makes dua for it and he would give this new harvest to the
youngest child in the gathering.

This was the time that the Prophet would also receive delegations from those
who converted to Islam and he would greet them and seek their news and see how
he can help them.

At these gatherings, the Prophet never had a special seat or clearly marked
symbol, to the point that when strangers would come to the gathering, they would
have to ask who among them is the Prophet! (Only later in his life, did the
Companions insist on making a special raised area for him and the Prophet agreed).

Sometimes food would be given as a gift at this gathering and everyone would eat
together and there would be enough for everybody even if food is little, from the
blessings of Prophet Muhammad .

This gathering extends or contracts depending on each day, but it lasts till the time
before Dhuhr when the Companions would go to their homes or their fields for a nap
before Dhuhr.

Visits
During these hours between sunrise and just before Dhuhr, the Prophet would
also go to visit some of his relatives and companions. He might visit his daughter
Fatimah and spend time with his grandsons, or he might visit his Companions
who invited him that morning, or who are ill and not feeling well.

Also, during these hours he would walk through the market, greeting the passersby
with his beautiful smile, greeting children on his way, and if a person stops him
(whether male or female, young or old), he would stop and listen to them and see
how he can help them. Sometimes he would walk alone, other times with his
Companions.

Before Dhuhr time, the Prophet would go to the house of his wife whose turn it is
to spend that day with, and as soon as he enters, he would first use the siwak, say
salam to his family and pray 4 or 6 or 8 rak’ahs of Duha prayer. Then sometimes if
there’s food he eats, and if there isn’t he would continue his fast if he started fasting
that morning.

Usually at this time, the women of Madinah would come and visit the
Prophet and ask questions about their religion which they might be embarrassed
to ask in a crowded masjid. The wives of the Prophet would be there to explain
feminine matters of the religion.

This is the time when he would also be helping his family, serving them, repairing his
shoes and clothes, milking the sheep or goat, and helping himself and his family with
daily chores. He would also spend quality time with his family, talking, smiling and
laughing with them.

Sometimes whilst at home, his close Companions would visit him at this hour such
as Abu Bakr , Umar and Uthman .

Then he would take a nap till close to Dhuhr time.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine between

sunrise and Dhuhr
1. The time after sunrise till Dhuhr is the time to pursue one’s main activity
during the day, either going to work, seeking knowledge, or performing
duties such as visits or charitable work
2. Duha prayer should be offered during this time at a minimum of 2 rak’ahs
and maximum of 8 (or 12 according to some narrations)
3. If you’re at home one should be serving their family, helping them with
chores, and spending quality time with them
4. It is recommended to take a nap before Dhuhr prayer as per the sunnah

From Dhuhr till Asr

When Dhuhr time comes and Bilal calls for prayer, the Prophet would wake
up from his nap if he’s still asleep, and would make wudhu then pray in his home
four rak’ahs of sunnah prayers before Dhuhr. He’d wait for the salah in his home,
then he’d come out to the masjid and Bilal would call for the prayer to start.
After Dhuhr prayer, this is when he normally goes to the minbar (pulpit) and give a
speech to the Companions. Most of the Companions gather at this time, so the
masjid is full and they are awake from their naps so they are mostly alert and fresh.

After this speech, he would return home and pray the two rak’ahs sunnah after
Dhuhr then he’d go out with his Companions to fulfill certain duties needed in the city
or he’d stay in the masjid till Asr.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine between

Dhuhr and Asr
1. Praying the four rak’ahs sunnah before Dhuhr and the two rak’ahs
sunnah after Dhuhr in your home (or office/school) and praying the Dhuhr
prayer in congregation
2. Reminding yourself with some religious knowledge after Dhuhr when
you’re mostly alert (perhaps by attending a circle or listening to an Islamic
podcast or lecture)

From Asr till Maghrib

When the call to prayer for Asr is called, he would wait for people to gather in the
masjid, then encourage them to pray four rak’ahs before Asr prayer. He’d then lead
them in prayers and after the prayers he’d face them and give a short talk. He did
not prolong it since many of his Companions would need to head out to complete
their duties and prepare their evening meals before the sun sets.

Family time
Once he returns from the masjid after Asr, he would visit all his wives and settle in
his wife’s house whose turn it was to spend the night with. Sometimes, all his wives
would meet in the house of the wife whose turn it is. Normally, at this stage, the
Prophet would have like a “halaqa” with his family but in a relaxed atmosphere;
he would ask his wives questions or they’d ask him questions and the Prophetic
house would learn and grow in understanding of their religion.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine between

Asr and Maghrib
1. Praying four rak’ahs of sunnah before the Asr congregational prayer
2. Praying Asr in the beginning of its time and not delaying it
3. Spending time with family to learn about the religion and revise matters of
the deen together
From Maghrib till Isha
When the Maghrib adhan is called, he wouldn’t stay long and would proceed to
prayer. When he would enter the masjid, he’d see his Companions filling the Masjid
and praying the two rak’ahs he recommended before Mahgrib. As he enters the
masjid, the iqama is called and he leads his Companions in a prayer in which he
normally recites short surahs.

After the prayer is over, he doesn’t give a talk because people need the time to rest
and have their dinner. He would come home and pray the two rak’ahs of sunnah
after Maghrib, then he’d have his dinner. Sometimes he used to invite some of his
companions over to have dinner at his place if there’s food; sometimes he’d come
home and find nothing except dates and water. Sometimes days would pass and
food wouldn’t be cooked in the house of the Prophet .

Eating dinner
His food was placed on the floor for him, and the Prophet never ate on a table.
When the food is brought to him, he would say “Bismillah” and eat from what’s next
to him, and he would eat with three fingers. He never complained of whatever was
presented to him: he either ate it or he would leave the food if he didn’t like it.

If he was eating with one of his wives, he would make this quality time for her, to the
point of feeding her sometimes or eating from the portion where his wife ate from, or
drinking from the same portion his wife drank from.

If he sat with his friends, the dinner meal never went by without a pleasing talk, or
teaching manners or spreading knowledge.

After he finished eating, the Prophet used to lick his fingers and praise his Lord
abundantly for the food given. He would then wash his mouth.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine between

Maghrib and Isha
1. Praying two rak’ahs before Maghrib prayer
2. Shortening the Maghrib prayer and praying it at the beginning of its time
3. Not giving a lecture/talk after Maghrib prayer (depending on the situation
of the people)
4. Praying the two rak’ahs of sunnah after Maghrib at home
5. Having dinner after Maghrib prayer, either with his family or Companions
6. Speaking during the dinner meal and having a pleasant conversation
7. Following the Islamic manners of eating: saying Bismillah, eating with the
right hand, eating from what’s next to you, and saying Alhamdulillah after
 eating (try to also follow the sunnah of eating with three fingers and
licking your fingers after eating)

From Isha till midnight

The Prophet would remain in his home until the call to prayer for Isha is called,
and he would normally not hasten the Isha prayer. If the Companions are gathered
early, he would start the prayer; if the Companions are delayed, he would delay the
prayers.

He would rarely speak or give a talk after Isha, because the people are tired and
they need their sleep.

More family time

Then the Prophet would return to his home and pray the two sunnah rak’ahs
after Isha prayer. He would then spend a small amount of time talking to his family
and enjoying their company. Sometimes he would go to his close Companions’
houses and spend time with them, especially his close friends Abu Bakr and
Umar .

Sometimes on his way back from the Companions’ houses he might pass by
someone reciting Qur’an beautifully and he would stand there and listen. Or he
would enter the masjid and say salam to whoever is there, as the masjid always had
the poor Muslims spending their days there. He would pray in the masjid before
entering his home.

Going to bed
When he enters his home, he prepares himself for sleep, hangs his clothes and
enters into bed with his wife, sharing a blanket and a pillow together. His bed was
made of animal skin stuffed with fiber and his pillow was made of similar material. He
used to place his siwak close to his head, so that he’d use it as soon as he wakes
up.

He would sleep on his right side, and place his hand under his right cheek, then
recite the adhkar before sleeping. Sometimes he would then talk to his wife and
spend quality time conversing together before they drift off to sleep.

Then he would sleep, and if he turns during sleep, you’d hear him say a special
remembrance, and would continue sleeping until midnight.
Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine after Isha
till midnight
1. Delaying Isha prayer as much as possible (this is dependent on the Imam
of course: for those who are being led, they should not go late to the
masjid)
2. Praying the two rak’ahs of sunnah after Isha at home
3. Spending quality time with the family after Isha or with close friends
4. Spending quality time with the spouse before sleeping
5. Remembering Allah before sleeping

From midnight till Fajr

When the night reaches midnight, Prophet Muhammad wakes up and sits, wiping
sleep from his blessed face, and he’d take his siwak and brush his teeth with it, then
he would look up to the sky and think plenty and read the last ten verses of Surat Al-
Imran. He would then get up and make wudhu, put his clothes on and start his night
prayer either at home or in the masjid.

Performing night prayer

Sometimes before starting his night prayer, he would remember
Allah abundantly, glorifying him, as if to charge his energy for the long night
prayer ahead. His first two rak’ahs were quite light and short, after which he
proceeded with his long night prayer.

If you were to observe the Prophet praying at night, you’d feel that he’s truly
immersed in another world and he’s in no haste to finish. He gathers all his
emotions, feelings, and callings and pours them into his prayers and calling upon his
Lord. He would read hundreds of verses, verse by verse. If he passes by a verse
that has mercy in it, he would ask Allah for His mercy. If he passes by a verse
that has punishment in it, he would seek Allah’s refuge from the punishment.
And if he passes by a verse that glorifies his Lord, he would glorify his Lord.

Not only were his recitations long, but even his bowing and prostration were almost
as long as his standing, to the point that one day one of his Companions joined him
for the night prayer and was about to quit because it was getting too difficult for him.

Praying Witr
The Prophet remained in this state of praying, supplicating, glorifying, reciting,
bowing and prostrating from midnight till there was nothing left of the night except a
sixth of it. He would then wake his wife to join him for Witr prayer and they’d
pray three rak’ahs of Witr together.

Sometimes during the hours between midnight and Fajr, the Prophet would leave
his house and go to the Baqee’ cemetery and make dua for the deceased. This was
especially during his last years on earth .

When the night was about to end and the last sixth was remaining, the
Prophet would go to bed and rest his body till Fajr prayer and the beginning of a
new day.

Practical tips from the Prophet’s routine

from midnight till Fajr
1. Sleeping after Isha and waking up after midnight for night prayer
2. Starting by using siwak, remembering Allah , making wudhu and
getting ready for the night prayer
3. Starting the night prayer with two light/easy rak’ahs and then getting into
longer ones
4. Immersing yourself in the experience of night prayer and not trying to
hasten it
5. Waking up your family to pray Witr
6. Going back to sleep after your night prayers till Fajr

Reflections from the Prophet’s routine

As you read the above, you probably had a parallel thought crossing your
mind: How’s my routine stacking up to this blessed routine?

Reflecting on the above, there are few points to keep in mind:

1. The Prophet’s day was organised around prayer times. As we say at

ProductiveMuslim, plan your life around salah and not the other way round.
2. Even though the Prophet was busy (he was a husband, father, community
person, statesman, general, and most importantly, a Prophet!) you can feel that
his routine wasn’t stressful. Everything eased into each other.
3. It struck me how much time he was spending with his family; I counted at least
4-5 times where he spends quality time with his family in a day despite the
demands on his time.
4. He was also a community person, making an effort to visit people and fulfilling
rights, teaching, and looking after those who need help.
5. You can feel that the secret to the Prophet’s energy and balance in his life,
is his long night prayers at night; that barakah from the long night prayer was
 pouring into the rest of his blessed day and making him lead a successful,
productive life.

I pray that you found this article beneficial and that you learned a thing or two about
our beloved Prophet’s routine. What’s more important is that we try (to the best
of our abilities) to mimic even half of this routine so as to model ourselves and our
habits onto the habits of the most successful man that ever lived, In sha Allah.