Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

كتاب الصلاة

Chapter 117: What Breaks The Prayer

Yazid b. Namran said

I saw a crippled man at Tabuk. He (the man) said: I passed riding a donkey in front of the Prophet(ﷺ) who was praying. He said (cursing him): O Allah, cut off his walking. Thenceforth I could not walk.

This tradition as also been reported by Sa’id through the same chain of narrators and to the same effect. He added

Abu Dawud said: This version narrated by Mushir on the authority of Sa’id has: He cut off our prayer.

Sa’id b. Ghazwan reported on the authority of his father that he made his stay at Tabuk(during his journey) for performing Hajj. All of a sudden he saw a crippled man and asked him about his condition. He said

I relate to you a tradition, but do not narrate it to anyone so long as I am alive: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encamped at Tabuk near a date-palm and he said: This is our qiblah (direction for praying). He then offered prayer facing it. I came running, when I was a boy, until I passed the place between him and the tree. He said (cursing): He cut off our prayer, may Allah cut off his walking. I could not, therefore, stand upon them(feet) till today.

Chapter 118: The Sutrah Of The Imam Acts As A Sutrah For Those behind Him

‘Amr b. Shu’aib reported from his father on the authority of his grand-father

We came down from the mountain pass of Adhaakhir in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The time of prayer came and he prayed facing a direction of prayer, and we were (standing) behind him. Then a kid came and passed in front of him. He kept on stopping it until he brought his stomach near the wall (to detain it), and at last it passed behind him, or as Musaddad said.

Ibn ‘Abbas said

The Prophet (ﷺ) was (once) praying. A kid went passing in front of him and he kept on stopping it.

Chapter 119: Whoever Said That the Woman Does Not Nullify The Prayer

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

I was sleeping in front of the Prophet (ﷺ) with my legs between him and the qiblah. Shu'bah said: I think she said: I was menstruating.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Zuhri, 'Ata, Abu Bakr b. Hafs, Hisham b. 'Urwah, 'Irak b. Malik, Abu al-Aswad and Tamim b. Salamah; all transmitted from 'Urwah on the authority of 'Aishah. Ibrahim narrated from al-Aswad on the authority of 'Aishah. Abu al-Duha narrated from Masruq on the authority of 'Aishah. Al-Qasim b. Muhammad and Abu Salamah narrated it from 'Aisha. All these narrators did not mention the words "And I was menstruating."

‘Urwah reported on the authority of ‘A’ishah

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray at night and she (‘A’ishah) would lie between him and the qiblah, sleeping on the bed on which he would sleep. When he wanted to offer the witr prayer, he awakened her and she offered the witr prayer.

‘A’ishah said

I used to sleep with my legs in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he would offer his prayer at night (i.e. tahajjud prayer offered towards the end of the night.). When he prostrated himself he struck my legs, and I drew them up and he then prostrated.

It was reported from Abu An-Nadr, from Abu Salama bin 'Abdur Rahman, from 'Aishah, that she said

"I used to be asleep while my legs would be in the front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was praying during the night. When he wanted to prostrate, he would prod my feet, so I would pull them up, and he would prostrate.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

I used to sleep lying between the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the qiblah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray when I (was lying) in front of him. When he wanted to offer the witr prayer - added by the narrator Uthman - he pinched me - then the narrators are agreed - and said: Set aside.

Chapter 120: Whoever Said That A Donkey Does Not Nullify The Prayer

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas

I came riding a donkey. Another version has: Ibn Abbas said: When I was near the age of the puberty I came riding a she-ass and found the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) leading the people in prayer at Mina. I passed in front of a part of the row (of worshippers), and dismounting left my she-ass for grazing in the pasture, and I joined the row, and no one objected to that.

Abu Dawud said: These are the words of al-Qa'nabi, and are complete. Malik said: I take it as permissible at the time when the iqamah for prayer is pronounced.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas

AbusSahba' said: We discussed the things that cut off the prayer according to Ibn Abbas. He said: I and a boy from Banu AbdulMuttalib came riding a donkey, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer. He dismounted and I also dismounted. I left the donkey in front of the row (of the worshippers). He (the Prophet) did not pay attention to that. Then two girls from Banu AbdulMuttalib came and joined the row in the middle, but he paid no attention to that.

The above mentioned narration has also been narrated by Mansur through a different chain of narrators. This version has

Then two girls from Banu ‘Abd al-Muttalib came fighting together. He caught them. ‘Uthman (a narrator) said: He separated them. And Dawud (another narrator) said: He pulled away from the other, but he paid no attention to that.

Chapter 121: Whoever Said That A Dog Does Not Nullify The Prayer

Narrated Al-Fadl ibn Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us accompanied by Abbas when we were in open country belonging to us. He prayed in a desert with no sutrah in front of him, and a she-ass and a bitch of ours were playing in front of him, but he paid no attention to that.

Chapter 122: Whoever Said That Nothing Nullifes The Prayer

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Nothing interrupt prayer, but repulse as much as you can anyone who passes in front of you, for he is just a devil.

Abu al-Waddak said

Abu Dawud said: If two traditions of the prophet(ﷺ) conflict, the practice of the Companions after him should be taken into consideration.

Chapter 123: Raising The Hands In The Prayer

Salim reported on the authority of his father (Ibn ‘Umar)

I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) that when he began prayer, he used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders, and he did so when he bowed, and raised his head after bowing. Sufyan(a narrator) once said: “When he raised his head:; and after he used to say: “When he raised his head after bowing. He would not raise (his hands) between the two prostrations."

‘Abd Allah b. Umar said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders when he began prayer, then he uttered takbir (Allah is most great) in the same condition, and then he bowed. And when he raised his back (head) after bowing he raised them opposite his shoulders, and said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” But he did not raise his hand when he prostrated himself; he rather raised them when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) before bowing until his prayer is finished.

‘Abd al-Jabbar b. Wa’il (b.Hujr) said

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammam from ibn Juhadah, but he did not mention the raising of hands after he raised his head at the end of the prostration.

Wa’il b.Hujr said

He saw that when the Prophet(ﷺ) stood up to pray he raised his hands till they were in front of his shoulders and placed his thumbs opposite his ears; then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great).