The Book of Prayers
كتاب الصلاة
Chapter 24: The Command To Perform The Prayer Properly, To Complete It, And To Have Khushu' In It
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you find me seeing towards the Qibla only? By Allah, your bowing and your prostrating are not hidden from my view. Verily I see them behind my back.
Perform bowing and prostration well. By Allah, I see you even if you are behind me, or he said: (I see you) behind my back when you bow or prostrate.
The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said: Complete the bowing and prostration well. By Allah, I see you behind my back as to how you bow and prostrate or when you bow and prostrate.
Chapter 25: The Prohibition Of Preceding The Imam While Bowing, Prostrating And So On
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one day led us in the prayer. and when he completed the Prayer he turned his face towards us and said: 0 People, I am your Imam, so do not precede me in bowing and prostration and in standing and turning (faces, i. e. In pronouncing salutation), for I see you in front of me and behind me, and then said: By Him in Whose hand Is the life of Muhammad, if you could see what I see, you would have laughed little and wept much more. They said: What did you see, Messenger of Allah? He replied: (I saw) Paradise and Hell.
This hadith is narrated by Anas with another chain of transmitters, and in the hadith transmitted by Jarir there is no mention of" turning (faces)".
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Does the man who lifts his head ahead of the Imam (from prostration) not fear that Allah may change his head into the head of an ass?
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Does the man who lifts his head before the Imam not fear that Allah may change his face into that of an ass?
" Allah may make his face like the face of an ass."
Chapter 26: The Prohibition On Lifting Ones Gaze To The Heavens When in Salat
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The people who lift their eyes towards the sky in Prayer should avoid it or they would lose their eyesight.
People should avoid lifting their eyes towards the sky while supplicating in prayer, otherwise their eyes would be snatched away.
Chapter 27: The Command To Be Calm During The Prayer And The Prohibition Of Gesturing With One's Hand And Raising It When Saying The Salam; And Completing The First Rows, Aligning In Them, And The Command To Come Together
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us and said: "How is it that I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer." He (the narrator) said: He then again came to us and saw us (sitting) in circles. He said: "How is it that I see you in separate groups?" He (the narrator) said: He again came to us and said: "Why don't you draw yourselves up in rows as angels do in the presence of their Lord?" We said: Messenger of Allah, how do the angels draw themselves up in rows in the presence of their Lord? He (the Holy Prophet) said: "They make the first rows complete and keep close together in the row."
This hadith has been narrated by A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.
When we said prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we pronounced: Peace be upon you and Mercy of Allah, peace be upon you and Mercy of Allah, and made gesture with the hand on both the sides. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him said: What do you point out with your hands as if they are the tails of headstrong horses? This is enough for you that one should place one's hand on one's thigh and then pronounce salutation upon one's brother on the right side and then on the left.
We said our prayer with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and, while pronouncing salutations, we made gestures with our hands (indicating)" Peace be upon you, peace be upon you." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked towards us and said: Why is it that you make gestures with your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? When any one of you pro- nounces salutation (in prayer) he should only turn his face towards his companion and should not make a gesture with his hand.
Chapter 28: Straightening The Rows; The Virtue Of The Front Row And Then The Next; Competing With One Another For The Front Row; The People Of Virtue Should Take Precedence And Be Closest To The Imam
The Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) used to touch our shoulders in prayer and say: Keep straight, don't be irregular, for there would be dissension in your hearts. Let those of you who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them. Abu Mas'ud said: Now-a-days there is much dissension amongst you.
This hadith is narrated by Ibn Uyaina with the same chain of transmitters.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let those who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them (saying it tliree tinies), and beware of the tumult of the markets.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Straighten your rows. for the straightening of a row is a part of the perfection of prayer.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.
This is what was transmitted to us by Abu Huraira from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and, while making a mention of a few ahadith, said: (The Messengerof Allah directed us thus): Establish rows in prayer, for the making of a row (straight) is one of the merits of prayer.