Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 233
حَدَّثَنَا بُنْدَارٌ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ، قَالَ أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا كُنَّا ثَلاَثَةً أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَنَا أَحَدُنَا . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَجَابِرٍ وَأَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَحَدِيثُ سَمُرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ قَالُوا إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً قَامَ رَجُلاَنِ خَلْفَ الإِمَامِ . وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى بِعَلْقَمَةَ وَالأَسْوَدِ فَأَقَامَ أَحَدَهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالآخَرَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَرَوَاهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم . وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ فِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ الْمَكِّيِّ مِنْ قِبَلِ حِفْظِهِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bundar—Muhammad ibn Bashshar—narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Abi Adi narrated to us: he said: Ismail ibn Muslim informed us, from al-Hasan, from Samurah ibn Jundab, who said: The Messenger of Allah instructed us that when we were three, one of us should step forward to lead.
Reports on this subject are also related from Ibn Masud, Jabir, and Anas ibn Malik. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Samurah is hasan gharib. The scholars acted on this: they said that when there are three, two men stand behind the imam. It is reported that Ibn Masud led Alqamah and al-Aswad in prayer, placing one of them to his right and the other to his left; this practice is also attributed to the Prophet. Some have criticized Ismail ibn Muslim al-Makki on account of his memory.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report says one of the three steps forward; the commentary states the common arrangement of the other two behind the imam and also mentions an alternate practice attributed to Ibn Masud.
وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى بِعَلْقَمَةَ وَالأَسْوَدِ فَأَقَامَ أَحَدَهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالآخَرَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَرَوَاهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
The compiler gives a general arrangement and then reports a different arrangement from Ibn Masud, which is also attributed to the Prophet.
Is the difference between the general rule and the reported Ibn Masud practice clearly signaled?