The Book of Prayers
كتاب الصلاة
Read the English translation first, with the original Arabic directly underneath.
Hadith
Anas b. Malik reported. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
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.
أَقِيمُوا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِي - وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ظَهْرِي - إِذَا رَكَعْتُمْ وَسَجَدْتُمْ
Anas reported:
The Messenger 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.
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ هِشَامٍ - حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَتِمُّوا الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَرَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ظَهْرِي إِذَا مَا رَكَعْتُمْ وَإِذَا مَا سَجَدْتُمْ " . وَفِي حَدِيثِ سَعِيدٍ " إِذَا رَكَعْتُمْ وَإِذَا سَجَدْتُمْ " .
Anas reported:
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.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، وَاللَّفْظُ، لأَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَ ابْنُ حُجْرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ فُلْفُلٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلاَةَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْنَا بِوَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ " أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي إِمَامُكُمْ فَلاَ تَسْبِقُونِي بِالرُّكُوعِ وَلاَ بِالسُّجُودِ وَلاَ بِالْقِيَامِ وَلاَ بِالاِنْصِرَافِ فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ أَمَامِي وَمِنْ خَلْفِي - ثُمَّ قَالَ - وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ رَأَيْتُمْ مَا رَأَيْتُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا " . قَالُوا وَمَا رَأَيْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " رَأَيْتُ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ " .
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)".
وَلاَ بِالاِنْصِرَافِ
Abu Huraira reported:
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?
أَمَا يَخْشَى الَّذِي يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ قَبْلَ الإِمَامِ أَنْ يُحَوِّلَ اللَّهُ رَأْسَهُ رَأْسَ حِمَارٍ
Abu Huraira reported:
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?
مَا يَأْمَنُ الَّذِي يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ فِي صَلاَتِهِ قَبْلَ الإِمَامِ أَنْ يُحَوِّلَ اللَّهُ صُورَتَهُ فِي صُورَةِ حِمَارٍ
This hadith has been narrated by Abu Huraira by another chain of transmitters except for the words narrated by Rabi' b. Muslim:
" Allah may make his face like the face of an ass."
أَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ وَجْهَ حِمَارٍ
Jabir b. Samura reported:
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.
لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ يَرْفَعُونَ أَبْصَارَهُمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ أَوْ لاَ تَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ
Abu Huraira reported:
People should avoid lifting their eyes towards the sky while supplicating in prayer, otherwise their eyes would be snatched away.
لَيَنْتَهِيَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ عَنْ رَفْعِهِمْ أَبْصَارَهُمْ عِنْدَ الدُّعَاءِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ أَوْ لَتُخْطَفَنَّ أَبْصَارُهُمْ
Jabir b. Samura reported:
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 Prophet) said: "They make the first rows complete and keep close together in the row."
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، عَنْ تَمِيمِ بْنِ طَرَفَةَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ رَافِعِي أَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمْسٍ اسْكُنُوا فِي الصَّلاَةِ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَرَآنَا حَلَقًا فَقَالَ " مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ عِزِينَ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ " أَلاَ تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا " . فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ تَصُفُّ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا قَالَ " يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الأُوَلَ وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّفِّ " .
This hadith has been narrated by A'mash with the same chain of transmitters.
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، قَالاَ جَمِيعًا حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ .
Jabir b. Samura reported:
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 (ﷺ 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.
عَلاَمَ تُومِئُونَ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمُسٍ إِنَّمَا يَكْفِي أَحَدَكُمْ أَنْ يَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مَنْ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ وَشِمَالِهِ
Jabir b. Samura reported:
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.
مَا شَأْنُكُمْ تُشِيرُونَ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمُسٍ إِذَا سَلَّمَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَلاَ يُومِئْ بِيَدِهِ
Abu Mas'ud reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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.
اسْتَوُوا وَلاَ تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ لِيَلِنِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الأَحْلاَمِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ
This hadith is narrated by Ibn Uyaina with the same chain of transmitters.
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ خَشْرَمٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ يُونُسَ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ .
Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported:
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.
لِيَلِنِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الأَحْلاَمِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ - ثَلاَثًا - وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَهَيْشَاتِ الأَسْوَاقِ
Anas b. Malik reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Straighten your rows. for the straightening of a row is a part of the perfection of prayer.
سَوُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ فَإِنَّ تَسْوِيَةَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ تَمَامِ الصَّلاَةِ
Anas b. Malik reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.
أَتِمُّوا الصُّفُوفَ فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِي
Hammam b. Munabbih reported:
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.
أَقِيمُوا الصَّفَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّ إِقَامَةَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ حُسْنِ الصَّلاَةِ
Nu'man b. Bashir reported:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Straighten your rows, or Allah would create dissension amongst you.
لَتُسَوُّنَّ صُفُوفَكُمْ أَوْ لَيُخَالِفَنَّ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ وُجُوهِكُمْ