The Book of Prayers

كتاب الصلاة

Chapter 46: The Description Of The Prayer, With What It Begins And Ends. The Description Of Bowing And Moderation Therein, And Of Prostration And Moderation Therein. Tashah-hud After Each Two Rak'ah Of Four Rak'ah Prayers. Description Ol Sitting Between The Two Prostrations, And In The First Tashah-hud

This hadith has been narrated by Ja'far b. Rabi' with the same chain of transmitters. And in the narration transmitted by 'Amr b. al-Harith (the words are)

" When the Messenger of Allah (rtiay peace be upon him) prostrated, he spread out his arms so that the whiteness of his armpits was visible." And in the narration transmitted by al-Laith (the words are:" When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated. he spread his hands from the armpits so that I saw their whiteness."

'A'isha reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to begin prayer with takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) and the recitation: "Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe." When he bowed he neither kept his head up nor bent it down, but kept it between these extremes; when he raised his head after bowing he did not prostrate himself till he had stood erect; when he raised his head after prostration he did not prostrate himself again till he sat up. At the end of every two rak'ahs he recited the tahiyya; and he used to place his left foot flat (on the ground) and raise up the right; he prohibited the devil's way of sitting on the heels, and he forbade people to spread out their arms like a wild beast. And he used to finish the prayer with the taslim.

Chapter 47: The Sutrah (Screen) For One Who Is Praying, And The Recommendation To Pray Facing A Sutrah. The Ruling On Passing In Front Of One Who Is Praying, And Preventing One Who Wants To Pass In Front. It Is Permissible To Lie Down In Front Of One Who Is Praying, Praying Towards One's Mount. The Command To Stand Close To The Sutrah. The Height Of The Suirah, And Related Matters

Musa b. Talha reported on the authority of his father

We used to say prayer and the animals moved in front of us. We mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: If anything equal to the back of a saddle is in front of you, then what walks in front, no harm would come to him. Ibn Numair said: No harm would come whosoever walks in front.

'A'isha reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked in the expedition of Tabuk about the sutra the worshipper; he said: Like the back of the saddle.

Ibn 'Umar said

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to place his camel (towards the Ka'ba) and said prayer in its direction.

Ibn 'Umar reported

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to say prayer towards his camel. Ibn Numair said: The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said prayer towards the camel.

Abu Juhaifa reported it on the authority of his father

I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Mecca and he was (at that time) at al- Abtah in a red leather tent. And Bilal stepped out with ablution water for him. (And what was left out of that water) some of them got it (whereas others could not get it) and (those who got it) rubbed themselves with it. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stepped out with a red mantle on him and I was catching a glimpse of the whiteness of his shanks. The narrator said: He (the Holy Prophet) performed the ablution. and Bilal pronounced Adhan and I followed his mouth (as he turned) this side and that as he said on the right and the left:" Come to prayer, come to success." ' A spear was then fixed for him (on the ground). He stepped forward and said two rak'ahs of Zuhr, while there passed in front of him a donkey and a dog, and these were not checked. He then said two rak'ahs of the 'Asr prayer, and he then continued saying two rak'ahs till he came back to Medina.

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn 'Uyaina on the authority of al-Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters and he reported

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) was leading prayer at 'Arafa.

Chapter 48: Preventing One Who Wants To Pass In Front Of A Praying Person

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

When any one of you prays he should not let anyone pass in front of him (if there is no sutra), and should try to turn him away as far as possible, but if he refuses to go, he should turn him away forcibly for he is a devil.

Abu Salih al-Samman reported

I narrate to you what I heard and saw from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: One day I was with Abu Sa'id and he was saying prayer on Friday turning to a thing which concealed him from the people when a young man from Banu Mu'ait came there and he tried to pass in front of him; he turned him back by striking his chest. He looked about but finding no other way to pass except in front of Abu Sa'id, made a second attempt. He (Abu Sa'id) turned him away by Striking his chest more vigorously than the first stroke. He stood up and had a scuffle with Abu Sa'id. Then the people gathered there He came out and went to Marwan and complained to him what had happened to him. Abu Sa'id too came to Marwan. Marwin said to him: What has happened to you and the son of your brother that he came to complain against you? Abu Sa'id said: I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: When any one of you prays facing something which conceals him from people and anyone tries to pass in front of him, he should be turned away, but if he refuses, he should be forcibly restrained from it, for he is a devil.

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

When any one of you prays, he should not allow anyone to pass before him, and if he refuses, he should be then forcibly resisted, for there is a devil with him.

This hadith has been narrated from Abu Juhaim Ansari by another chain of transmitters.

Chapter 49: The Praying Person Standing Close To The Sutrah

Sahl b. Sa'd al-Si'idi reported

Between the place of worship where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed and the wall, there was a gap through which a goat could pass.

Yazid reported

Salama sought to say prayer near the pillar which was by that place where copies of the Qur'an were kept. I said to him: Abu Muslim. I see you striving to offer your prayer by this pillar. He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) seeking to pray by its side.

Chapter 50: The Height Of That Which Serves As A Sutrah For The One Who Is Praying

Abu Dharr reported

The Messenger of 'Allah (ﷺ) said: When any one of you stands for prayer and there is a thing before him equal to the back of the saddle that covers him and in case there is not before him (a thing) equal to the back of the saddle, his prayer would be cut off by (passing of an) ass, woman, and black Dog. I said: O Abu Dharr, what feature is there in a black dog which distinguish it from the red dog and the yellow dog? He said: O, son of my brother, I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as you are asking me, and he said: The black dog is a devil.

Chapter 51: Lying In Front Of One Who Is Praying

'A'isha reported

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray at night while I lay interposed between him and the Qibla like a corpse on the bier.

'A'isha reported

I was sleeping in front of the Mcsseinger ef Allah (ﷺ) with my legs between him and the Qibla. When he prostrated himself he pinched me and I drew up my legs, and when be stood up, I stretched them out. She said: At that time there were no lamps in the houses.

Maimuna, the wife of the Apostle (ﷺ), reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said prayer and I (lay) opposite to him while I was in menses. Sometimes his clothes touched me when he prostrated.

Chapter 52: Praying In A Single Garment, And How It Should Be Worn

'Umar b. Abu Salama reported

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying prayer in the house of Umm Salama in a single garment with its extremities crossing each other.

Abu Sa'id al Khudri reported

I visited the Apostle (ﷺ) and saw him praying on a reed mat on which he was prostrating himself. And I saw him praying in a single garment with ends crossed with each other.