Sunan Ibn Majah
Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them
كتاب إقامة الصلاة والسنة فيها
Chapter 41
النَّهْىِ أَنْ يُسْبَقَ الإِمَامُ بِالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Do not anticipate me in bowing or prostration. Whatever I do ahead of you when I bow, you will catch up with me when I rise; and whatever I do ahead of you when I prostrate, you will catch up with me when I rise. I have grown heavier.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The text gives a route through Hisham ibn Ammar, from Sufyan, from Ibn Ajlan; and another through Abu Bishr Bakr ibn Khalaf, from Yahya ibn Said, from Ibn Ajlan, from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban, from Ibn Muhayriz, from Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. The final phrase baddantu is rendered as “I have grown heavier,” as in the prior parallel report.
Chapter 42
مَا يُكْرَهُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: It is a mark of discourtesy for a man to wipe his forehead repeatedly before finishing his prayer.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Abd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim al-Dimashqi, from Ibn Abi Fudayk, from Harun ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hudayr al-Taymi, from al-Araj, from Abu Hurayrah. Al-jafa is rendered as discourtesy or roughness.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ali reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Do not crack your fingers while you are praying.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Yahya ibn Hakim, from Abu Qutaybah, from Yunus ibn Abi Ishaq and Israil ibn Yunus, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Harith, from Ali. The verb tufaqiq means cracking or popping the finger joints.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah forbade a man to cover his mouth while praying.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Abu Said Sufyan ibn Ziyad al-Muaddib, from Muhammad ibn Rashid, from al-Hasan ibn Dhakwan, from Ata, from Abu Hurayrah.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Kaab ibn Ujrah reported that the Messenger of Allah saw a man interlacing his fingers while praying, so the Messenger of Allah separated the fingers of his hands.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Alqamah ibn Amr al-Darimi, from Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash, from Muhammad ibn Ajlan, from Said al-Maqburi, from Kaab ibn Ujrah. The source says the Prophet spread apart the interlaced fingers.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: When one of you yawns, let him put his hand over his mouth and not make a sound, for Satan laughs at him.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah, from Hafs ibn Ghiyath, from Abd Allah ibn Said al-Maqburi, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah. The verb yaawi literally means to howl; it is rendered idiomatically as “make a sound” in the context of yawning.
وَلاَ يَعْوِي،
The verb yaawi literally means to howl; the context of yawning suggests making a sound, but the source does not spell out the action.
Should the phrase be translated literally as “do not howl” or idiomatically as “do not make a sound”?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Adi ibn Thabit reported from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet said: Spittle, nasal mucus, menstruation, and drowsiness during prayer are from Satan.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, from al-Fadl ibn Dukayn, from Sharik, from Abu al-Yaqzan, from Adi ibn Thabit, from his father, from his grandfather. Al-mukhat is rendered as nasal mucus; al-hayd is rendered literally as menstruation.
Chapter 43
مَنْ أَمَّ قَوْمًا وَهُمْ لَهُ كَارِهُونَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abd Allah ibn Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah said: There are three whose prayer is not accepted: a man who leads people while they dislike him; a man who comes to the prayer only after its time has passed; and one who enslaves a freed person.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Abu Kurayb, from Abdah ibn Sulayman and Jafar ibn Awn, from al-Ifriqi, from Imran ibn Abd, from Abd Allah ibn Amr. The source itself explains dibaran as coming after the prayer time has passed. Muharrar is rendered as “freed person,” with its legal sense flagged.
وَالرَّجُلُ لاَ يَأْتِي الصَّلاَةَ إِلاَّ دِبَارًا - يَعْنِي بَعْدَ مَا يَفُوتُهُ الْوَقْتُ - وَمَنِ اعْتَبَدَ مُحَرَّرًا " .
The term muharrar can refer to a freed person or a free person; the precise legal status is not expanded in this excerpt.
Should the phrase be rendered “enslaves a freed person” or “enslaves a free person” here?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah said: There are three whose prayers do not rise more than a handspan above their heads: a man who leads people while they dislike him; a woman who spends the night while her husband is angry with her; and two brothers who have severed relations with each other.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Hayyaj, from Yahya ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Arhabi, from Ubaydah ibn al-Aswad, from al-Qasim ibn al-Walid, from al-Minhal ibn Amr, from Said ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas. The image of a handspan above the head is kept as worded.
Chapter 44
الاِثْنَانِ جَمَاعَةٌ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Musa al-Ashari reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Two people, or more, constitute a congregation.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Hisham ibn Ammar, from al-Rabi ibn Badr, from his father, from his grandfather Amr ibn Jurad, from Abu Musa al-Ashari. The wording establishes a minimum of two for a congregation.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Abbas said: I stayed overnight with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet stood to pray at night, so I stood to his left. He took me by the hand and moved me to his right.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Abi al-Shawarib, from Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad, from Asim, from al-Shabi, from Ibn Abbas. The narration describes the Prophet repositioning Ibn Abbas from his left to his right.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir ibn Abd Allah said: The Messenger of Allah was praying Maghrib. I came and stood to his left, so he moved me to his right.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Bakr ibn Khalaf Abu Bishr, from Abu Bakr al-Hanafi, from al-Dahhak ibn Uthman, from Shurahbil, who said he heard Jabir ibn Abd Allah.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas said: The Messenger of Allah prayed with a woman from his household and me. He placed me on his right, and the woman prayed behind us.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Nasr ibn Ali, from his father, from Shubah, from Abd Allah ibn al-Mukhtar, from Musa ibn Anas, from Anas. The source identifies the woman only as a member of the Prophets household.
Chapter 45
مَنْ يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ يَلِيَ الإِمَامَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Masud al-Ansari said: The Messenger of Allah used to touch our shoulders during the prayer and say: Do not differ, lest your hearts differ. Let those among you who possess sound judgment and understanding stand closest to me, then those next to them, then those next to them.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Muhammad ibn al-Sabbah, from Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, from al-Amash, from Umarah ibn Umayr, from Abu Mamar, from Abu Masud al-Ansari. Ulu al-ahlam wa al-nuha is rendered as those with sound judgment and understanding.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah liked the Muhajirun and the Ansar to stand close behind him, so that they could learn from him.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Nasr ibn Ali al-Jahdami, from Abd al-Wahhab, from Humayd, from Anas. The source says the Prophet wished the Muhajirun and Ansar to stand immediately behind him to learn from his practice.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Said reported that the Messenger of Allah noticed some of his companions staying behind and said: Come forward and follow me, and let those after you follow you. People will continue to lag behind until Allah puts them further back.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The chain is Abu Kurayb, from Ibn Abi Zaidah, from Abu al-Ashhab, from Abu Nadr, from Abu Said. The wording contrasts advancing to follow the imam with continuing to remain behind.
Chapter 46
مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالإِمَامَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr ibn Hilal al-Sawwaf narrated to us: Yazid ibn Zuray narrated to us, from Khalid al-Hadhdha, from Abu Qilabah, from Malik ibn al-Huwayrith, who said: I came to the Prophet with a companion of mine. When we intended to leave, he said to us: “When the time for prayer comes, call the adhan and then the iqamah, and let the older of you lead you.”
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Jafar narrated to us: Shubah narrated to us, from Ismail ibn Raja, who said: I heard Aws ibn Damaj say: I heard Abu Masud say that the Messenger of Allah said: “The people should be led by the one among them who is most proficient in reciting the Book of Allah. If they are equal in recitation, then the one who migrated earlier should lead them. If they are equal in migration, then the oldest among them should lead them. A man should not be led in prayer in his own household or in his sphere of authority, and no one should sit in the place of honor in his house without permission—or his permission.”
Chapter 47
مَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الإِمَامِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Said ibn Sulayman narrated to us: Abd al-Hamid ibn Sulayman, brother of Fulayh, narrated to us: Abu Hazim said: Sahl ibn Sad al-Saidi used to appoint the young men of his people to lead them in prayer. He was asked, 'You do this despite your seniority?' He replied, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say: The imam is responsible. If he does well, he has the reward, and they have it too; if he does wrong—meaning, errs—it is against him, not against them.'
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Waki narrated to us, from Umm Ghurrab, from a woman called Aqilah, from Salamah bint al-Hurr, the sister of Kharashah, who said: I heard the Prophet say: “A time will come upon the people when they will stand for an hour and find no imam to lead them in prayer.”