Sunan an-Nasa'i
The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together)
كتاب التطبيق
Chapter 1
التطبيق
Ismaʿil ibn Masʿud informed us: Khalid ibn al-Harith narrated to us, from Shuʿbah, from Sulayman, who said: “I heard Ibrahim relate from ʿAlqamah and al-Aswad that they were with ʿAbdullah in his house. He asked, ‘Have these people prayed?’ We said, ‘Yes.’ He led them in prayer and stood between the two of them, without a call to prayer or an iqamah. He said: ‘When you are three, do as I have done; when you are more than that, let one of you lead you in prayer and let him spread his palms over his thighs.’ It was as though I could see the distinct positioning of the fingers of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).”
Translation notes
The phrase about the Prophet’s fingers is rendered literally as “distinct positioning”; the precise hand gesture is not clear from this wording alone.
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَاصْنَعُوا هَكَذَا وَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَلْيَفْرِشْ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَى اخْتِلاَفِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
The Arabic refers to the differing or distinct positioning of the Prophet’s fingers; it does not explicitly say “interlaced.”
What specific finger position does اختلاف أصابع رسول الله refer to here?
Ahmad ibn Saʿid al-Ribati informed me: ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAbdullah narrated to us: ʿAmr—he is Ibn Abi Qays—reported to us, from al-Zubayr ibn ʿAdi, from Ibrahim, from al-Aswad and ʿAlqamah, who said: “We prayed with ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud in his house. He stood between us. We placed our hands on our knees, but he moved them away, interlaced our fingers, and said: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) do this.’”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الرِّبَاطِيُّ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Nuh ibn Habib informed us: Ibn Idris reported to us, from ʿAsim ibn Kulayb, from ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn al-Aswad, from ʿAlqamah, from ʿAbdullah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us how to pray. He stood and said the takbir. When he was about to bow, he joined his hands between his knees and bowed. News of this reached Saʿd, who said: ‘My brother has spoken the truth. We used to do that, then we were commanded to do this’—meaning, to hold the knees.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا نُوحُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Qutaybah informed us: Abu ʿAwanah narrated to us, from Abu Yaʿfur, from Musʿab ibn Saʿd, who said: “I prayed beside my father and placed my hands between my knees. He said to me, ‘Strike your palms against your knees.’ I did that again, and he struck my hands and said, ‘We have been forbidden to do this and commanded to strike our palms against our knees.’”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain, while the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
ʿAmr ibn ʿAli informed us: Yahya ibn Saʿid narrated to us, from Ismaʿil ibn Abi Khalid, from al-Zubayr ibn ʿAdi, from Musʿab ibn Saʿd, who said: “I bowed and clasped my hands together. My father said: ‘This is something we used to do; then we moved up to the knees.’”
Translation notes
The wording describes an earlier hand position during bowing and a later move to the knees; the exact physical placement of the clasped hands is not specified in this short report.
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain, while the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 2
الإِمْسَاكِ بِالرُّكَبِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us: Abu Dawud told me: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from al-Aʿmash, from Ibrahim, from Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, from ʿUmar, who said: “Holding the knees has been prescribed for you, so hold on to the knees.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain, while the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: ʿAbdullah ibn al-Mubarak reported to us, from Sufyan, from Abu Husayn, from Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Sulami, who said: ʿUmar said: “The Sunnah is to hold the knees.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 3
مَوَاضِعِ الرَّاحَتَيْنِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Hannad ibn al-Sari informed us, in his narration from Abu al-Ahwas, from ʿAtaʾ ibn al-Saʾib, from Salim, who said: “We came to Abu Masʿud and said to him, ‘Tell us about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).’ He stood before us and said the takbir. When he bowed, he placed his palms on his knees, set his fingers below them, and held his elbows away from his sides until his whole body was settled. Then he said, ‘Allah hears whoever praises Him,’ and stood until his whole body was settled.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 4
مَوَاضِعِ أَصَابِعِ الْيَدَيْنِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Ahmad ibn Sulayman al-Rahawi informed us: Husayn narrated to us, from Zaʾidah, from ʿAtaʾ, from Salim Abu ʿAbdullah, from ʿUqbah ibn ʿAmr, who said: “Shall I pray for you as I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) pray?” We said, “Yes.” He stood. When he bowed, he placed his palms on his knees, put his fingers behind his knees, and held his upper arms away from his sides until his whole body was settled. Then he raised his head and stood until his whole body was settled. He prostrated, keeping his upper arms away from his sides until his whole body was settled. Then he sat until his whole body was settled, then prostrated until his whole body was settled. He did that for four rakʿahs, then said: “This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah pray, and this is how he used to lead us in prayer.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الرَّهَاوِيُّ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو،
The Arabic source says ʿUqbah ibn ʿAmr, while the English witness says ʿUqbah ibn ʿAmir.
Should the English witness name be corrected to match the Arabic source's ʿUqbah ibn ʿAmr?
Chapter 5
التَّجَافِي فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim informed us, from Ibn ʿUlayyah, from ʿAtaʾ ibn al-Saʾib, from Salim al-Barrad, who said: Abu Masʿud said: “Shall I show you how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray?” We said, “Yes.” He stood and said the takbir. When he bowed, he held his upper arms away from his sides until his whole body was settled; then he raised his head. He prayed four rakʿahs in this manner and said: “This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah pray.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ أَلاَ أُرِيكُمْ كَيْفَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي قُلْنَا بَلَى .
The Arabic name is Abu Masʿud, while the English witness reads “Abu Musʿad.”
Should the witness name be corrected to Abu Masʿud?
Chapter 6
الاِعْتِدَالِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us: Yahya narrated to us: ʿAbd al-Hamid ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us: Muhammad ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAtaʾ narrated to me, from Abu Humayd al-Saʿidi, who said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) bowed, he kept his back level: he neither held his head up nor tucked it down, and he placed his hands on his knees.”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 7
النَّهْىِ عَنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ، فِي الرُّكُوعِ
ʿUbaydullah ibn Saʿid informed us: Hammad ibn Masʿadah narrated to us, from Ashʿath, from Muhammad, from ʿAbidah, from ʿAli, who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me al-qassiy, silk, gold rings, and reciting while I was bowing.” Another version says: “And reciting while bowing.”
Translation notes
Al-qassiy is retained as a transliteration for the garment named in the source; its precise material or type is not established by this text alone.
أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ نَهَانِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْقَسِّيِّ وَالْحَرِيرِ وَخَاتَمِ الذَّهَبِ وَأَنْ أَقْرَأَ وَأَنَا رَاكِعٌ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَأَنْ أَقْرَأَ رَاكِعًا .
The source names al-qassiy, a garment whose precise material or type is not identified here.
What garment does al-qassiy refer to in this report?
قَالَ نَهَانِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْقَسِّيِّ وَالْحَرِيرِ وَخَاتَمِ الذَّهَبِ وَأَنْ أَقْرَأَ وَأَنَا رَاكِعٌ وَقَالَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَأَنْ أَقْرَأَ رَاكِعًا .
The Arabic preserves an additional wording of the prohibition concerning recitation while bowing; the English witness omits it.
Should the English witness include this variant wording?
ʿUbaydullah ibn Saʿid informed us: Yahya ibn Saʿid narrated to us, from Ibn ʿAjlan, from Ibrahim ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Hunayn, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbas, from ʿAli, who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me gold rings, reciting while bowing, al-qassiy, and safflower-dyed cloth.”
Translation notes
Al-qassiy is retained in transliteration; the exact garment or material is not identified in this wording. The Arabic lists the prohibited items without repeating an explicit verb such as “wearing” for each clothing term.
أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ نَهَانِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ خَاتَمِ الذَّهَبِ وَعَنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ رَاكِعًا وَعَنِ الْقَسِّيِّ وَالْمُعَصْفَرِ .
The garment named al-qassiy is not specified more precisely in the source.
What garment or material is intended by al-qassiy here?
Al-Hasan ibn Dawud al-Munkadiri informed us: Ibn Abi Fudayk narrated to us, from al-Dahhak ibn ʿUthman, from Ibrahim ibn Hunayn, from his father, from ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas, from ʿAli, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me—and I do not say that he forbade you—from wearing gold rings, al-qassiy, al-mufaddam, safflower-dyed clothing, and reciting while bowing.”
Translation notes
Al-qassiy and al-mufaddam are retained in transliteration because their precise garment types or materials are not established by this wording.
أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمُنْكَدِرِيُّ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ نَهَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلاَ أَقُولُ نَهَاكُمْ عَنْ تَخَتُّمِ الذَّهَبِ وَعَنْ لُبْسِ الْقَسِّيِّ وَعَنْ لُبْسِ الْمُفَدَّمِ وَالْمُعَصْفَرِ وَعَنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ .
The source names al-mufaddam as a garment or clothing category but does not specify its precise material or type.
What garment or material is meant by al-mufaddam in this report?
ʿIsa ibn Hammad (Zughbah) informed us: al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, that Ibrahim ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Hunayn told him that his father told him that he heard ʿAli say: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me gold rings, al-qassiy, safflower-dyed cloth, and reciting the Qur’an while I am bowing.”
Translation notes
Al-qassiy is retained in transliteration; its precise garment or material is not identified in the source wording.
أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
يَقُولُ نَهَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ خَاتَمِ الذَّهَبِ وَعَنْ لَبُوسِ الْقِسِّيِّ وَالْمُعَصْفَرِ وَقِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَأَنَا رَاكِعٌ .
The source names al-qassiy but does not explain the garment or material.
What garment or material is intended by al-qassiy here?
Qutaybah informed us, from Malik, from Nafiʿ, from Ibrahim ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Hunayn, from his father, from ʿAli, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade me wearing al-qassiy and safflower-dyed cloth, wearing gold rings, and reciting while bowing.”
Translation notes
Al-qassiy is retained in transliteration; the exact garment or material is not identified in this wording.
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
قَالَ نَهَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ لُبْسِ الْقَسِّيِّ وَالْمُعَصْفَرِ وَعَنْ تَخَتُّمِ الذَّهَبِ وَعَنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ .
The source term is retained in transliteration because its precise garment or material is not defined here.
What garment or material is intended by al-qassiy in this report?
Chapter 8
تَعْظِيمِ الرَّبِّ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Qutaybah ibn Saʿid informed us: Sufyan narrated to us, from Sulayman ibn Suhaym, from Ibrahim ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Maʿbad ibn ʿAbbas, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbas, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew back the curtain while the people were in rows behind Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: “O people, nothing remains of the glad tidings of prophethood except a good dream that a Muslim sees or that is shown to him. Then he said: ‘Indeed, I have been forbidden to recite while bowing or prostrating. As for bowing, glorify the Lord therein; as for prostration, strive in supplication, for you are likely to be answered.’”
Translation notes
The phrase “or that is shown to him” preserves the passive wording in the second clause about the good dream.
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 9
الذِّكْرِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us: Abu Muʿawiyah reported to us, from al-Aʿmash, from Saʿd ibn ʿUbaydah, from al-Mustawrid ibn al-Ahnaf, from Silah ibn Zufar, from Hudhayfah, who said: “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He bowed and said while bowing, ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent,’ and while prostrating, ‘Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.’”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 10
نَوْعٌ آخَرُ مِنَ الذِّكْرِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ
Ismaʿil ibn Masʿud informed us: Khalid and Yazid said: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Mansur, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from ʿAishah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) often said while bowing and prostrating: ‘Glory be to You, our Lord, and praise be to You. O Allah, forgive me.’”
Translation notes
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?
Chapter 11
نَوْعٌ آخَرُ مِنْهُ
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla informed us: Khalid narrated to us: Shuʿbah narrated to us: Qatadah reported to me, from Mutarrif, from ʿAishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would say while bowing: “The Most Glorified, the Most Holy, Lord of the angels and the Spirit.”
Translation notes
Subbuh and Quddus are divine epithets, rendered here as “The Most Glorified” and “The Most Holy.”
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى،
The English witness is abridged in the transmission chain; the Arabic source preserves it.
Should the English witness include the omitted chain in its separate source record?