recommended so that the heat may break, the shade of the walls may widen, and the effort to reach the congregations may increase. Whoever does not pray in a congregation has no need for the delay. The judge said in al-Jami': There is no difference between hot lands and others, nor between whether the mosque is frequented by people or not, for Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, used to delay it in his mosque, and it was not of that description. Taking the apparent meaning of the report is better. The meaning of cooling it down is delaying it until the heat breaks and the shade of the walls widens. In the hadith of Abu Dharr: The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to the muezzin: Cool it down, until we saw the shade of the mounds. This only happens with a significant delay, and he should not delay it to the end of its time, but rather pray it at a time such that when he finishes, there is a gap between him and the end of the time. It has been narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, he said: The length of the prayer of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, in summer was three feet, and in winter five to seven feet. It was narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i. As for the Friday prayer, it is recommended to hasten it at any time after the sun has passed the meridian without cooling it down, because Salamah ibn al-Akwa' said: We used to perform the Friday prayer with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, when the sun had passed the meridian. It is agreed upon. It has not reached us that he delayed it; rather, he used to hasten it, until Sahl ibn Sa'd said: We did not