Shortening the Prayer

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar would neither pass in front of anyone, nor let anyone pass in front of him.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "I approached, riding on a donkey, while the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), was leading the people in prayer at Mina, and I was, at that time, nearing puberty. I passed in front of part of the row, dismounted, sent the donkey off to graze, and then joined the row, and no one rebuked me for doing so."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Said ibn Abi Waqqas used to pass in front of some of the rows while the prayer was in progress. Malik said, "I consider that it is permissible to do that if the iqama for the prayer has been said and the imam has said the initial takbir and a man cannot find any way into the mosque except by going between the rows."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Things that pass in front of a man praying do not break his prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Salim ibn Abdullah that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Things that pass in front of a man praying do not break his prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Abdullah ibn Umar would use the animal he was riding as a sutra when he prayed.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father used to pray in the desert without a sutra.

Yahya related to me from Malik that Abu Jafar al-Qari said, "I saw Abdullah ibn Umar quickly brush away the small stones from the place where he was going to put his forehead as he was going down into sajda."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he had heard that Abu Dharr used to say, "Brush away the small stones with one sweep, but if you leave them it is better than a red camel."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to order the rows to be straightened, and when they had come to him and told him that the rows were straight he would say the takbir.

Yahya related to me from Malik from his paternal uncle, Abu Suhayl ibn Malik, that his father said, "I was with Uthman ibn Affan when the iqama was said for the prayer and I was talking to him about being assigned a definite allowance by him. I continued talking to him while he was levelling some small stones with his sandals, and then some men that he had entrusted to straighten the rows came and told him that the rows were straight. He said to me, 'Line up in the row,' and then he said the takbir."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Abd al-Karim ibn Abi'l-Mukhariq al-Basri said, "Among things the Prophet, (ﷺ), said and did are:

'As long as you do not feel ashamed, do whatever you wish', the placing of one hand on the other in prayer (one places the right hand on the left), being quick to break the fast, and delaying the meal before dawn."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Sahl ibn Sad said, "People used to be ordered to place their right hands on their left forearms in the prayer." Abu Hazim added, "I know for sure that Sahl traces that back to the Prophet, (ﷺ)."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar did not say qunut in any of the prayers.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that Abdullah ibn al-Arqam used to lead his companions in prayer. The time for prayer came one day and he went to relieve himself. When he returned, he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), say, 'If you wish to defecate, you should do so before the prayer.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "You should not pray while you are holding your bowels."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), said, "The angels ask for blessings on each one of you as long as he is in the place where he has prayed and has not discharged anything. They say, 'Allah, forgive him. Allah have mercy on him.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ), said, "You are in prayer as long as the prayer detains you and there is nothing that prevents you from returning to your family except the prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr, that Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman used to say, "Someone who goes to the mosque in the morning or the afternoon with no intention of going anywhere else, either to learn good or teach it, is like someone who does jihad in the way of Allah and returns with booty."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nuaym ibn Abdullah al-Mujmir that he heard Abu Hurayra say, "If any one of you prays and then sits down in the spot where he has prayed, the angels ask blessings on him saying, 'Allah, forgive him. Allah, have mercy on him.' And if he moves from the spot where he has prayed and sits elsewhere in the mosque waiting for the prayer, he remains in prayer until he prays."