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| 2 Hadiths

Hadith
677
It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: Malik ibn al-Huwayrith came to us – in this mosque of ours – and said: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray; I pray as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray. I said to Abi Qilabah: How did he pray? He said: Like this shaykh of ours – referring to an old man who used to pause briefly when he lifted his head from prostration, before getting up after the first rak‘ah..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the keenest of people to teach the Muslims about their religion, and prayer was their primary concern and first priority.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Qilabah ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Jarmi al-Basri narrates that the Sahabi Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) came to them in their mosques to teach them in a practical manner how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed. It was said that the mosque referred to was the mosque of Basra, where he was living. Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with them) said to them: I lead you in prayer, and it is not my intention to pray. In other words, I do not intend to offer any specific prayer when I lead you in prayer now. It was said that what was meant was: my intention is not to lead you in prayer; rather my intention is to teach you by leading you in prayer as I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray, so that I may teach you how he prayed through actions, and not through words. The intention of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) was to teach them how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed, and when he taught them that, it was not the time for any particular prayer, and he was not intending to lead them in prayer; rather it was a voluntary prayer that he did with the intention of teaching, and it was not an obligatory or Sunnah prayer.
This report was narrated elsewhere by al-Bukhari, in which Abu Qilabah described in detail how Malik ibn al-Huwayrith prayed. He said: He stood, standing fully upright, then he bowed and bowed fully. Then he raised his head, stood up and paused; what is meant is that he stood up straight, then he bowed and made his back level, so that if water were poured on his back, it would remain there, as it says in the hadith of Wabisah ibn Ma‘bad (may Allah be pleased with him), as narrated by Ibn Majah. Then he raised his head from bowing and stood up straight, returning to his previous posture as it had been before he bowed, then he paused briefly between bowing and prostrating.
Then Abu Qilabah told Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani – who is the one who narrated the hadith from him – when he asked him how he prayed, that the prayer of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled, in the way it looked, the prayer as it was done by their shaykh. Here he was referring to the Sahabi Abu Burayd ‘Amr ibn Salimah al-Jarmi, who was a very old man. He used to sit briefly during the prayer, after doing the prostration of the first rak‘ah, before standing up for the second rak‘ah. This brief sitting is what is called jalsat al-istirahah (sitting of rest). Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (may Allah be pleased with him) clearly stated in another hadith that is narrated by al-Bukhari that he saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying and sitting briefly to rest in the odd-numbered rak‘ahs of his prayer, when he finished the first rak‘ah before getting up for the second, and when he finished the third before getting up for the fourth. It was said that this brief sitting is the completion of the rak‘ah. It was also said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did it for a reason, either because of old age or sickness. It was also said that it is part of the prayer, but it should be very brief.
This hadith indicates that it is encouraged to teach and learn.
It also indicates that it is prescribed to sit briefly to rest in the prayer (jalsat al-istirahah)..

680
It was narrated that al-Zuhri said: Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari – who followed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), served him and accompanied him – told me that Abu Bakr was leading them in prayer during the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, whilst they were standing in rows and praying, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching us as he was standing, as if his face were a page of a Mus-haf. Then he smiled cheerfully, and we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr stepped backwards, towards the row, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to lead the prayer. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, [saying]: complete your prayer, and he let the curtain drop. And he died on that day..

Commentary : The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the people who had the greatest knowledge of the high status and position of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They loved him greatly and always observed proper etiquette with him; they were keen to be with him, show respect to him and be close to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). They never felt such grief and sorrow as they did when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed away.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) led them in prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque during the final illness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) until, on the Monday, when they were standing in rows and praying Fajr, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) lifted the curtain of the apartment, watching them as he was standing, as if his face were the page of a Mus-haf, because of the softness and clarity of his skin, and his radiant beauty. Then he smiled cheerfully, rejoicing at their gathering to pray and their unity and adherence to the teachings of Islam.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: we almost exited the prayer out of joy at seeing him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped backwards to join the row, moving back from the place of the imam to join the congregation, thinking that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was coming out to pray. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to us, telling us to stay where we were and complete the prayer, and he let the curtain drop. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died on that day. That happened in Rabi‘ al-Awwal 10 AH, when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sixty-three years old. That was the greatest calamity that ever befell the Muslims, when their noble Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s concern for the prayer and the Muslims, even on the last day of his life in this world.
It identifies the date on which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died, and confirms that it was a Monday.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and that he was the most qualified of them to succeed him as caliph..

683
It was narrated that ‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer during his sickness, so he would lead them in prayer. ‘Urwah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, and saw Abu Bakr leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw him, he moved backwards, but [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] gestured to him [saying]: Stay where you are. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down in line with Abu Bakr, next to him, so Abu Bakr was following the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the people were following the prayer of Abu Bakr..

Commentary : Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was the most deserving of the Muslims to be the successor (caliph) of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after his death, regardless of the objections of the objectors and the extreme innovators. There is a great deal of evidence and proof from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning this matter, including this hadith. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell sick, he instructed Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to succeed him in leaving the Muslims in prayer. This was an indication from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as to who was most deserving of succeeding him and most deserving and capable of continuing his mission. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better and felt able to come out to the prayer, he came out, at a time when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, he wanted to move back for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him, telling him to stay where he was. Then he sat in line with him, not ahead of him and not behind him. So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the imam, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was following the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); he was standing and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sitting, and the people were also standing, following the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice, as he was so weak. Thus they were following Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his prayer. And it was said that in fact the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was an imam for Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr was an imam for the people standing behind him, so that prayer had two imams. Based on that, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed as an imam whilst sitting, when the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
This hadith provides evidence that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the most deserving of being his successor (caliph).
It indicates that it is permissible to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the proper etiquette with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It indicates that it is permissible for the imam to stop leading the prayer and start following someone else, without interrupting his prayer.
It also encourages the Muslim to regularly attend the prayers in congregation..

687
It was narrated that ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah said: I went to ‘A’ishah and said: Tell me about the sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). She said: Yes; the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) became very ill, and he said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So we did that, and he washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” So he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Put some water in the tub for me.” Then he sat and washed himself, then he wanted to get up, but he fainted. Then he came round and said: “Have the people prayed?” We said: No, they are waiting for you, O Messenger of Allah. The people were still in the mosque, waiting for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent word to Abu Bakr, telling him to lead the people in prayer. The messenger came [to Abu Bakr] and said: The Messenger of Allah is instructing you to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr – who was a tenderhearted man – said: O ‘Umar, lead the people in prayer. But ‘Umar said to him: You are more deserving of that. So Abu Bakr led the people in prayer during those days. Then later on, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, so he came out, supported by two men – one of whom was al-‘Abbas – to pray Zuhr, when Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer. When Abu Bakr saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he wanted to step back, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him not to step back. He said: “Seat me next to him,” so they seated him next to Abu Bakr. Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting. ‘Ubaydullah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he did not object to anything, except that he said: Did she tell you the name of the man who was with al-‘Abbas? I said: No. He said: He was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)..

Commentary : The greatest calamity that befell the Muslims was the death of their Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). There were several lessons in the final sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as well as rulings and advice to the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with him).
In this hadith, ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke of the condition of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during his final sickness. That was when the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Utbah asked her to tell him about it. So she told him that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) grew very sick, he asked: Have the people prayed, or are they still waiting? It was said to him: They are waiting for you. So he said to them: Put some water in the tub for me. The word translated here as tub refers to a vessel in which water was put for washing clothes. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) washed himself, but when he wanted to get up, he fainted. Fainting is possible in the case of the Prophets (peace be upon them all), because it is a kind of sickness, and it is akin to sleep. This is in contrast to insanity, which is loss of reasoning, and is not possible in the case of the Prophets. That happened to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) three times; he asked whether the people had prayed, then he washed himself, then he fainted when he wanted to stand up. When he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came round the fourth time, he asked: Have the people prayed? He was told that they had gathered and were waiting in the mosque; the people were sitting and waiting for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray ‘Isha’. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent a messenger to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), instructing him to lead the people in prayer. The fact that he sent word to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) instructing him to take his place and lead the prayer highlighted the virtue and seniority of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and was an indication that he was most deserving of being his successor (caliph), because leading the prayer is the job of the caliph. When the messenger sent by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Abu Bakr and told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was instructing him to lead the people in prayer, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) – who was a man who wept a great deal and felt very emotional when praying – said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Lead the people in prayer. It was as if Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) understood that the Prophet’s instruction to him regarding the prayer only meant that someone should lead the prayer, not that it was he himself who was specifically being instructed to lead the prayer. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not know what had happened between the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his wives with regard to the issue of ‘Umar leading the prayer instead of Abu Bakr, and that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had insisted that Abu Bakr should lead the prayer, as is mentioned in another report. Otherwise, he would not have tried to delegate the leading of prayer to ‘Umar. But ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You are more deserving of that, because of the instructions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went and led the people in prayer for several days when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was sick.
Moreover, on one of the days of his sickness, when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was leading the people in Zuhr prayer, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) felt a little better, and felt able to go out, so he came out, supported by two men, because he was so weak. Those two men were ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them). When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, meaning that he realized that he was there when he heard his voice – and it may be that he turned around when he heard the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – he wanted to move back, so that he could pray in the row behind him as one of the congregation. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gestured to him that he should not move back, and he should stay where he was, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sat down next to him. Then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) followed the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), because they could not see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or hear his voice. Thus the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the prayer as an imam whilst he was sitting, and the people behind him were standing.
There is a command to follow the imam, so if he prays standing, the one praying behind him should also pray standing, and if he prays sitting, then the one who is praying behind him should also pray sitting, as it says in the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari: “If he prays sitting, then pray sitting, all of you.” The response to this is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah said: Then I went to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: Shall I tell you what ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) told me about the sickness of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? He said: Yes, tell me. So I told him what she had told me, and he approved of everything that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had said, and did not object to anything of it, except that he asked: Did ‘A’ishah tell you the name of the second man on whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was leaning, besides al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him)? ‘Ubaydullah said to him: No, she did not tell me his name. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said that he was ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to follow the more difficult option, even if there is a concession [allowing an easier option].
It indicates that it is prescribed to pray sitting, for one who does not have the strength to stand.
It highlights the importance of praying in congregation.
It indicates that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the best of the people after the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and was the most deserving of them to be his successor (caliph); it also indicates that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was next to him in virtue.
It indicates that it is permissible for one who is of lower status to discuss instructions given to him by one who is higher in status.
It highlights the etiquette that is to be observed when dealing with one who is older or of higher status, as Abu Bakr wanted to move back, because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

688
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell. He prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, but he gestured to them that they should sit down. When he finished his prayer, he said: “The imam has only been appointed to be followed, so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise; and if he prays sitting, then pray sitting.”.

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in his house when he was unwell and recovering after falling from his horse, as is mentioned in the report of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that is narrated in al-Sahihayn. At that time he was not able to stand, because of his injury, so he prayed sitting, and some people prayed behind him standing, so whilst he was praying, he gestured to them to sit down. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished his prayer, he said: The imam is only appointed to be followed in his actions in the prayer, therefore it is not appropriate to differ from him by doing actions before him or being too slow in following him. “so when he bows then bow; when he rises from bowing, then rise” – that is, follow him when he bows and rises from bowing, and in all the actions of the prayer. The word fa, translated here as “then”, indicates that these actions should be done straight after the imam does them, and that the one who is praying behind the imam should not do them before the imam; rather every action that the one who is praying behind the imam does should be done straight after the imam does it. And if the imam prays sitting, then those praying behind him should pray sitting like him. This indicates that following the imam also includes praying sitting, if the imam prays sitting. However, in the hadith of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the final sickness of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the authenticity of which is agreed upon, it says that he led the prayer sitting whilst the people were standing behind him: “…Then Abu Bakr started to follow the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and the people followed the prayer of Abu Bakr, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed sitting…”
The response to this apparent discrepancy is that Abu Bakr had started to lead them in prayer standing, and he did not start out sitting. So if the imam needs to sit down during his prayer, when he started the prayer standing, the one who is praying behind him should complete his prayer standing. Thus we may reconcile the two hadiths. And it was said that the command to sit behind an imam who is sitting was abrogated by the Prophet’s last action, as narrated in this hadith, because it was the last thing that he did, shortly before he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) died.
In this hadith, there is the command to follow the imam and not to do any of the actions of the prayer before him, or to differ from him.
It indicates that it is permissible to make gestures and small movements, if necessary, whilst praying..

690
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid said: al-Bara’ – who is not a liar – told me: When the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),” none of us would bend down [to prostrate] until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prostrated fully, then we would prostrate after him..

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) applied this rule when praying behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as is described in this hadith, in which al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) raised his head from bowing and said, “Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah hears those who praise Him),” and those who were praying behind him stood up straight after bowing, they would remain standing, and none of them would bend down to prostrate or hasten to prostrate until the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prostrated fully, by placing his forehead on the ground. Then they would prostrate after him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

691
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Doesn’t one of you fear – or wouldn’t one of you fear – if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey? Or Allah will turn his form into that of a donkey.”.

Commentary : There are rules and regulations for offering the prayer in congregation, that the Muslim should pay attention to and learn. One of the most important of these rules is that the worshipper should follow the imam in all his movements, for the imam has been appointed to be followed.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warns those who pray behind a imam against failing to follow their imam and raising their heads before the imam raises his head after bowing. He warns the one who does that that Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey, as he said: “Doesn’t one of you fear, if he raises his head before the imam, that Allah will turn his head into the head of a donkey? Or He will turn his form into that of a donkey.”
This is a question by way of rebuke and denunciation. It may be that the meaning is metaphorical, because the donkey is renowned for stupidity, and it is as if the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was describing the one who does that as being stupid and lacking in understanding, or warning him that he could be deprived of the blessing of understanding, so he will be like a donkey. Or it may be that the meaning is as it appears to be, so Allah would turn his head into the head of a donkey in a real sense. This is a stern warning and deterrent against failing to follow the imam and doing the actions of prayer before him.
This prayer indicates that it is prohibited to do the actions of prayer before the imam.
It also contains a stern warning to the one who raises his head before the imam does..

692
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: When the first Muhajirin came to al-‘Usbah – a place in Quba’ – before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had more knowledge of Qur’an than any of them..

Commentary : In Islam, no one has superiority over anyone else except in terms of taqwa (righteousness, fear of Allah). Allah (may He be exalted) says: {Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you} [al-Hujurat 49:13]. It is only on the basis of righteous deeds that one Muslim may be superior to another. The one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us. If a man has more knowledge of the Qur’an than anyone else present, then he has more right to lead the prayer. So no attention should be paid to race, colour, lineage or position. This hadith is the most eloquent proof of that. In it, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Muhajirin (migrants) from Makkah came to al-‘Usbah, which is a place near Quba’ in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, approximately two miles south of it, before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to Madinah, they were led in prayer by Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah, who had the most knowledge of Qur’an, meaning that he had memorized more Qur’an. Salim had been a slave belonging to a woman, then he was manumitted, but that did not prevent him from leading the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayer, because he had memorized more of the Qur’an than the others. Salim had memorized Qur’an from the Sahabah whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had sent to the believers in Madinah to teach them the Qur’an and Islam, such as Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr and others. Salim was not in fact a freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah ibn ‘Utbah ibn Rabi‘ah – who was one of the earliest to become Muslim; rather Salim was the freed slave of a woman of the Ansar who had manumitted him. But he was called the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah because he stayed close to him after he was manumitted, and Abu Hudhayfah had adopted him. Then when the prohibition of adoption was revealed, he continued to be known as the freed slave (mawla) of Abu Hudhayfah.
This hadith indicates that the one who has memorized the most Qur’an is the most deserving of leading the prayer..

693
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslim to obey those in authority with regard to what is right and proper, but not what is wrong and sinful, because of the serious bad consequences that result from rebelling against them. And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned against disobedience to those in authority and creating division among the Muslims.
This hadith highlights that, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hear and obey, even if the one appointed over you is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin.” In other words, if the one who is appointed to rule you is a man from Ethiopia with a head like a raisin – referring to his black colour and curly hair; this serves to point out that people would usually scorn such a person. What is meant is that the believer must obey the ruler and whomever the ruler appoints in charge of his affairs (as a governor, for example), no matter what his race or colour, so long as he rules the people in accordance with the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), as is mentioned in another report in Sahih Muslim. That is, so long as he adheres to Islam and calls the people to the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), regardless of what he looks like, his level of religious commitment and his manners, provided that he does not enjoin the people to disobey Allah (may He be glorified and exalted)..

694
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “They lead you in prayer, so if they do the right thing, you will be granted the reward, and if they make mistakes, you will be granted the reward and the burden of sin will be on them.”.

Commentary : As the Muslims are instructed to obey their leaders and emulate them in that which does not involve disobedience to Allah (may He be exalted), whether they are leaders in the sense of rulers and caliphs, or leaders who lead the people in prayer, it is only fair that the Muslim should not be held to account for mistakes made by his leader, because he has done what is required of him, which is following the leader, provided that no sin is involved. Hence in this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explains to those who pray behind an imam that when the leaders pray, they either pray properly, or they make mistakes in the prayer. If they do the prayer properly, as it should be done, then both they and those who pray behind them will have the reward for that, but if they make mistakes and do not lead the prayer properly, as it should be done, then the burden of sin for the mistakes they have made is theirs alone, and those who pray behind them will have the reward of the prayer.
What is meant by mistake here is not that which is done deliberately, for if a person makes a mistake that is beyond his control, he will not be held to account for it. Rather what is meant by mistake here is the opposite of that which is right and proper, such as introducing an innovation that was not enjoined by Allah, or deliberately going against what Allah has enjoined, on the basis of whims and desires, and so on.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to pray behind any Muslim, whether he is a righteous man or an evildoer..

695
It was narrated from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn Khiyar that he went to ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) – when he was under siege – and said: You are the ruler [and caliph], and we see what calamity has befallen you. The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil), and we feel uncomfortable [praying behind him]. ‘Uthman said: Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing..

Commentary : This hadith testifies to the fair-mindedness of the wronged leader, the Commander of the Faithful, Dhu’l-Nurayn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). When he was besieged in his house at the time of fitnah (turmoil) and the leaders of the fitnah besieged him and wanted to depose him wrongfully, on the basis of fabrications and lies, the Tabi‘i ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy ibn al-Khiyar said to him: You are the ruler and head of state, so you are the caliph and in the position of greater leadership, and he told him that the people were being led in prayer by an imam who was one of the leaders of fitnah and troubles, and wanted to depose him. It was said that this man was ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays al-Balawi, who is the one who brought the people of Egypt to rebel against ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him); he died in 36 AH.  And it was said that Kinanah ibn Bishr, one of the leaders of the Kharijites, also led the people in prayer. When these people attacked Madinah, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) used to go out and lead the people in prayer, and he continued to do this for a month, then he went out one day and they threw stones at him, which caused him to fall from the minbar, and he was not able to lead the prayer on that day, so Abu Umamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf led them in prayer. Then they stopped him from doing that, so they were led in prayer sometimes by ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Udays and sometimes by Kinanah ibn Bishr, and continued to do this for ten days. They were the ones of whom it was said that they were the imams of fitnah. At this time, some of the senior Sahabah – such as Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), and others – also led the people in prayer. These noble individuals (may Allah be pleased with them) cannot be described as promoters of fitnah, for they led the prayers with the permission of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), and they did not withdraw their allegiance and obedience to him. They continued to defend him until he died (may Allah be pleased with him and make him pleased).
When ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiy, he replied by stating that prayer is the best deed that these people could do. This does not mean that ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was praising the promoters and leaders of fitnah; rather the apparent meaning of ‘Uthman’s words suggests that he was granting a concession allowing the people to pray with them, as if he was saying: the fact that they are misguided people who are involved in fitnah will not harm you; if they do good, then go along with them in doing good, and if they do wrong – because they became involved in fitnah or introduced innovations – this will not harm the one who prays behind them, because he is following them in their prayers, but denouncing and rejecting what they have brought of fitnah and innovation.
It was said that what is meant by the words of ‘Ubaydullah, “The one who is leading us in prayer is a leader of fitnah (turmoil)”  is that someone other than their regular imam was leading them in prayer at the time of fitnah, not that that imam was calling them to fitnah and striving for this purpose. This is indicated by the words of ‘Uthman, “Prayer is the best deed that people do, so if the people do good, then do good with them, and if they do wrong, then stay away from their wrongdoing.” He did not speak ill of the one who was leading them in prayer, and stated that his action (prayer) was among the best of deeds, whilst warning ‘Ubaydullah not to get involved in the fitnah.
This hadith indicates that praying behind one whom you do not like to pray behind is better than stopping prayer in congregation altogether.
It also contains a warning against fitnah (turmoil) and becoming involved in it, and against everything that is denounceable, whether it be words, deeds or beliefs..

698
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I slept at Maymunah’s house, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night. He did wudu’, then he stood and prayed, and I stood on his left. He took hold of me and put me on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. Then he went to sleep, until he was breathing heavily, for when he slept he would breathe heavily. Then the mu’adhdhin came to him, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again..

Commentary : Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was an intelligent boy who was highly motivated with regard to both worship and seeking knowledge. Signs of brilliance appeared in him from an early age, and he was keen to be close to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learn from him.
In this hadith, he (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he stayed overnight in the house of his maternal aunt, the Mother of the Believers Maymunah bint al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was at her house that night, and Ibn ‘Abbas described for us what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did that night. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, then he got up and did wudu’, then he stood up and prayed qiyam al-layl (voluntary prayers at night). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also got up, and did the same as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he stood on his left. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took hold of him and make him stand on his right, then he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. This is the number of rak‘ahs that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed on that night. There are other reports which speak of him praying different numbers of rak‘ahs in qiyam; it was narrated that he prayed seven, nine and eleven rak‘ahs. The differences may be understood as referring to different times and situations. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, and began to breathe so heavily that the sound of it could be heard, which is something that happens to some people when they sleep, and it is not blameworthy or odd. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep, he usually breathed heavily. Then Bilal came to him to tell him that it was time to pray Fajr, so he went out and prayed, and he did not do wudu’ again, because the Prophet’s eyes slept but his heart did not sleep, so his wudu’ could not be invalidated, because his heart was awake.
This hadith indicates that a young boy may visit and sleep in the houses of his relatives and female mahrams.
It highlights where the one who is praying behind an imam should stand in relation to the imam if only the two of them are praying; the one who is following the imam should stand on his right.
It indicates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) went to sleep and did not renew his wudu’ for prayer after having slept. This is because his eyes would sleep but his heart did not sleep.
It also indicates that it is permissible to offer supererogatory prayers in congregation..

703
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it brief, for among them are the weak, the sick and the elderly. But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the best teacher and educator for his companions and his ummah after him. He would choose for the people what would be best for them and for others, in both religious and worldly matters. He used to make things easy for the people with regard to worship, especially the prayer, so that people would not be put off and become bored or tired. One example of that is what is mentioned in this hadith, in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised imams to pay attention to the situation of worshippers when praying. Hence he said to them: When one of you leads the people in prayer as an imam, let him make it brief – that is, with regard to the recitation, bowing and prostrating. The reason for instructing them to make it brief is that among the worshippers there are those who are physically weak or sick, elderly people, and others who have excuses. These people cannot endure a lengthy prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But when one of you prays on his own, let him make it as long as he wishes, because he knows what he is able to do, and he is able to cut it short if he becomes too tired and the like. This is in contrast to those who are praying behind an imam, for they are detained, as it were, behind the imam until he finishes the prayer.
This hadith highlights how Islamic teachings pay attention to people’s situation and how much energy they have when doing acts of worship. It also highlights the fact that Islam is a religion of ease..

706
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make his prayers brief yet he would do them perfectly and properly. .

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) describes the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he led the people in prayer. He tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This is what is referred to in the other report, which says that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the briefest of people in offering prayer, yet it was perfect and complete. This is what is required of the imam: he should make the prayer brief, because he must pay attention to the situation of all the people who are praying behind him. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the imam ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As, as we see in the report narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan: “Follow the pace of the weakest of them”; in other words, make your prayer appropriate for the weakest of those who are praying behind you, for there may be among the worshippers those who can endure a lengthy prayer, and others who cannot endure it. Therefore what is required of the imam is to take everyone into consideration by making the prayer brief yet complete and perfect. But when a person is praying on his own, he may make the prayer as long as he wishes, because he knows himself best and what he is able to do.
This hadith urges the imam to show kindness to those who are praying behind him, and to make the prayer brief, without detracting from the perfection of the prayer..

708
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: I never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If he heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief for fear that the child’s mother would be troubled..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) found joy in prayer, and he used to do the prayer perfectly and properly, with all its essential parts and movements, whilst making it brief for the people and taking their circumstances into consideration.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that he never prayed behind any imam whose prayer was more brief or more perfect than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer a brief prayer, that was not long, yet at the same time it was done perfectly and properly in terms of bowing, prostrating, standing and reciting. His making the prayer brief did not detract from the perfection of the prayer by falling short in any of its essential parts. This was out of consideration on his part for people’s situations.
Then Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) gave an example of how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would cut the prayer short out of consideration for the needs of those who were praying behind him. He said: If the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard the sound of a child crying, he would make the prayer brief, by reciting a short surah, lest the child’s mother be distracted from her prayer, because she would be growing anxious about her child crying.
This hadith urges imams to show kindness to those who are praying behind him and to take their situations into consideration, and not cause them any undue hardship.
It also indicates that the prayer of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most perfect prayer, and that the worshipper should be keen to make his prayer like the Prophet’s prayer, so that he will be following his example and thus earn great reward. .

413
Jaber narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ill so we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir to people. When he turned and saw us standing, he gestured for us to sit down so we prayed sitting behind him. After uttering salutation, he said, 'You just like did what Persians and Romans did. They used to stand before their sitting kings. Do not do it but follow your prayer leaders. If they pray standing, then pray standing and if they pray sitting, then pray sitting.'".

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ taught us the rules and etiquette of congregational prayer, including following and listening to the prayer leader's recitation while maintaining humility and regular rows. In this hadith, Jabir ibn Abdullah related that when the Prophet ﷺ was ill, he led them in prayer while sitting. At the same time, Abu Bakr was conveying his takbir (saying, 'Allahu Akbar) to people so they could follow his moves in prayer, due to the Prophet's weak voice during illness. While praying, he noticed that they were praying standing behind him. He gestured for them to sit and they did. After finishing, he showed them that it was the Persians and Romans' habit with their kings. They used to stand before their sitting kings. His statement indicated that it was similar to the acts of the polytheists and the People of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited them from doing so and instead guided them to follow their imam's case whether they were praying standing or sitting. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms the necessity of acting, unlike the non-Muslims' acts in all cases, (2) The Prophet ﷺ experienced what other people did such as illnesses, the issue that did not decrease his status. On the contrary, this increased his dignity and status, and (3) The imam can pray sitting when being unable to stand, and the people should follow his case and pray behind him while sitting as well..

426
Anas narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day led us in prayer. Upon completing the prayer, he turned his face towards us and said, ‘O People, I am your prayer leader, so neither precede me in bowing and prostration nor in standing and leaving, for I see you in front and behind me.’ Then, he said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if you had seen what I saw, you would have laughed little and wept much.’ They said, ‘What did you see, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ He replied, ‘I saw Paradise and Hell.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ commanded Muslims to follow the prayer leader (imam) in all of his moves and prohibited them from preceding him. In this hadith, Anas ibn Malek narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ guided them - after ending the congregational prayer - to avoid preceding him in bowing and prostration nor standing and leaving and showed that he saw them in front and behind him. He may have meant that Allah granted him this exceptional privilege or that Allah revealed to him their moves in prayer, for vision may have expressed knowledge. Then, he swore by Allah that if his companions had seen what I saw, they would have laughed little and wept much for the horrible matters Allah revealed to him. When they asked him about the reason, he answered them that he had seen Paradise and Hell. He wanted to tell them that if they had seen what he saw of Paradise’s bliss for the obedient ones and Hell’s torment for the disobedient ones, they would have been overwhelmed by worry and distress, for they would have hoped to get Paradise’s bliss and avoid Hell’s torment. They would have laughed a little and wept much, for none could know his fate. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It encourages Muslims to be submissive in prayer and complete its pillars, (2) The imam should teach people the conditions of prayer, especially if he sees something contradicts them, and (3) It clarifies the Prophet’s miracle that he can see in front and behind him alike..

429
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer. Otherwise, their sight will be taken away.".

Commentary : Prayer can be only learned from the Islamic texts whether it is obligatory or supererogatory. All Muslims have to perfectly perform its aspects, including humility, looking at the place of prostration, and avoiding turning around. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) says, "People should avoid raising their gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer..." This is an explicit prohibition of raising one's gaze to the sky when supplicating in prayer. It is the same if one does that at the beginning of a prayer or after standing up from bowing, for it means turning away from the prayer direction, neglecting the form of prayer, and having bad etiquette with Allah. All of these attributes contradict tranquility and humility in prayer. If one's heart is modest, his limbs will be tranquil. His saying, "Otherwise, their sight will be taken away," is the terrible result that Allah will suddenly and quickly take their sight. Finally, this hadith has the following benefits: (1) It is forbidden to intentionally raise one's gaze to the sky while supplicating in prayer, and (2) One of advice's etiquette in public is to not mean or direct it to a specific person, for this definitely will lead to be refused due to provocation..

430
Jaber ibn Samura narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and said, ‘Why I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? Be calm in prayer.’ He again came and saw us (sitting) in circles so he said, ‘Why I see you (setting) in separate groups?’ The, he again came to us and said, ‘Why do not you pray in rows as the angels stand in the presence of their God?’ We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how do the angels stand in rows in the presence of their God?’ He answered, ‘They complete the first rows and keep close together in the row.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ was the best teacher and educator for his companions. He used to observe their situations and guided them to what was best for them. In this hadith, Jaber narrated that one day the Prophet ﷺ observed that his companions were raising their hands when ending the prayer, so he prohibited them from lifting their hands like the tails of headstrong horses in prayer, for the horses sometimes move their tails and legs out of unrest. This is not commensurate with prayer’s prestige and the praying one’s solemnity, so he commanded them to be tranquil in prayer. In another narration of Imam Muslim, he said, “When the praying one wants to end his prayer, he should only turn his face towards his companion without gesturing with his hand.” He means that the praying one turns his face to his right and his left saying, “May Allah’s peace and mercy be upon you” without gesturing with his hand, which is prohibited. In another situation, the Prophet ﷺ saw his companions sitting in circles, so he guided them to gather and avoid sitting in separate circles. In another situation, he taught them to pray in rows as the angels stand in Allah’s presence. He showed that the angel stood in rows completing one by one. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows how the Prophet ﷺ was keen to teach and guide his companions, which is the issue that Muslim scholars should follow, (2) A Muslim should be submissive in prayer without imitating animals, (3) Muslims should gather and avoid disunity in assemblies, and (4) It commands Muslims to complete and straighten prayer’s rows..

432
Abdullah ibn Masoud said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Let people of understanding and reason be near to me in prayer, then those after them (thrice) and beware of the commotion of markets.”.

Commentary : Congregational prayer in mosques is of great importance and great reward. Thus, Islamic law cares about regulating its rows behind the imam so that people can feel psychological and physical discipline. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded people of understanding and reason to directly stand behind him in prayer for the following reasons: (1) They have the priority to pray behind him, (2) They are the best people to convey his acts of prayer to others, (3) Their ability to remind him of something he may forget regarding Quranic verses or prayer moves, or (4) They are the best people to represent him if something happens to him during prayer. The rest of the people pray next to and behind this type of people. Then, women pray behind men's rows. As for the imams (leaders in prayer), this is the order: (1) Those who are best in the Quran memorization and have more knowledge, (2) Those who are best in Quran memorization, know the prayer's rules, and the adults, (3) Those who are less in knowledge. This does not mean confining the front rows to them, but this Prophetic command is to urge them to hasten to perform congregation prayer, directly learn how he prays, and convey his guidance to those behind them. Then, the Prophet (ﷺ) warned, "Beware of the commotion of markets.” He meant loud voices, noise, disputes, and trials in markets. As a result, we have to avoid these behaviors in prayers and mosques, as happens in markets..

434
Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Complete the rows, for I can see you behind my back.'".

Commentary : Submissiveness is the spirit of prayer, through which a Muslim gets tranquility in prayer to be closer to Allah, the Almighty. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach Muslims prayer etiquette so they could perform it as it should be. In this hadith, he commanded his companions to complete prayer rows. This is done by making it even without leaving any space in between. He added, "..., for I can see you behind my back." His seeing them from behind is either: (1) A miracle that Allah granted to him which was one of his characteristics, which neither a reason nor legislation may negate. As a result, a Muslim should believe in it, or (2) Due to Allah's revelation to him of his companions’ actions during prayer. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It urges Muslims to stick to submissiveness and complete the prayer pillars, (2) The prayer leader has to alert and correct people’s mistakes in prayer, and (3) It shows the Prophetic miracle that he can see his companions from behind..

438
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perceived a tendency among his companions to go to the back (in lines of prayer). He said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer. People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." In another narration, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw people at the back in his mosque ...".

Commentary : The Prophet (ﷺ) was the best teacher and educator, so he used to precisely observe his companions’ conditions to guide them in worship, dealings, etc. In this hadith, he taught them and the entire nation to be keen on supreme issues and avoid causes of laziness. This hadith clarified that he perceived that some of his companions were not keen to early go to the mosque or some did not care for completing lines to the extent that some prayed in rear lines. As a result, he said to them, "Come forward and follow me in prayer. Let those coming after you follow you in prayer." This is because those praying behind the first line may not see how he is praying. Afterward, he warned, "People will continue to keep back till Allah will put them at the back." He may mean that people continue praying in the rear lines until Allah keeps them back in the rear ranks of Paradise, or they continue leaving the first line in prayer until Allah deprives them of his great bounties. Finally, this hadith reminds that continuous negligence in acts of worship leads to staying away from Allah and getting His wrath..

440
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of the men's rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last. And the best of the women's row is the last and the worst is the first.".

Commentary : Islam calls its followers, men and women, to stick to virtues, avoid shortcomings, and hasten to acts of worship, based on the Islamic rules. Whoever performs righteous deeds based on their rules is better than whoever performs them without adhering to those rules although he can stick to them. This hadith clarifies that women have their special rules during attending prayers in mosques. These rules as staying away from men and cases of suspicion. The Prophet ﷺ shows that the best of the men's rows in prayer are the first rows behind the prayer leader (imam), for they are the farthest rows from the women. He adds, “The worst is the last,” for they do not hasten to the acts of worship and are close to women’s rows. On the contrary, Allah commands women to wear veils and stay away from men. As a result, the Prophet ﷺ confirms that the best of the women's rows are the last ones, for they are far from men’s rows and temptation. He adds, “And the worst is the first,” for they are close to men’s rows and temptation. This rule is applied when both genders attend the prayer in the mosque, but if it is a prayer that is only attended by women, the original rule of the virtue of the first rows is applied as in the case of men. The Prophetic word, “the worst” means the least rewarded and virtuous and the farthest from the Islamic rules. His word, “the best” means the opposite of the above-mentioned meaning. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of the acts of worship is linked to performing them based on the Islamic rules, (2) Islam urges men to hasten to the acts of worship and the first virtuous rows in prayers, (3) Islam urges women to pray in the rare virtuous rows away from men, (4) It explains the order of prayer rows in terms of virtue and reward, (5) It clarifies how Islam is keen to urge people to stay away from cases of temptation. It commands women to stay away from men to avoid any possibility of committing forbidden acts, (6) It shows the superiority of men over women, for they have priority in important matters like rows of prayer, fighting, etc..

443
Zainab Ath-Thaqafeyya used to narrate that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If any one of you (women) wants to attend Isha prayer, she should not perfume herself that night.".

Commentary : Islam established ground rules on women's going out to attend congregational prayers in mosques. These rules related to clothes, manners, decency, adornment, and staying away from places of suspicion. Performing righteous acts while sticking to Islamic rules is better than doing these acts while neglecting those rules in spite of one's ability to abide by them. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed Muslim women to abide by Islamic rules when they wanted to attend Isha (evening) prayer in the mosque. He confirmed that a woman was allowed to take care of her cleanliness, but not allowed to wear perfume before going out to prayer. Wearing perfume is a means to evoke men's whims and draw their attention. This prohibition is applied to all prayers and the Prophet (ﷺ) may have referred to Isha prayer for the following reasons: (1) Women may be subject to harassment at night more, or (2) Women used to put on perfume for their husbands at night. Muslim scholars mentioned some similar cases that may go under this prohibition such as: (1) Adorned clothes, (2) Wearing jewelry, and (3) All means that may arouse men’s whims. Thus, Islamic law placed restrictions that guarantee the safety and security of both women and societies while preserving her right to go to mosques to pray. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The perfection of worship is linked to performing it in accordance with Islamic rules, and (2) It is forbidden for women to wear perfume when going out to pray..

450
Aamer narrated, "I asked Alqama, 'Was Ibn Masoud present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Alqama answered, 'I asked Ibn Masoud, 'Were anyone of you present the night of the Jinn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Ibn Masoud answered, 'No, we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but we could not find him so we were searching for him in valleys and hills and said, 'He is either taken away (by Jinn) or secretly killed.' We spent the worst night that people could ever spend. In the morning, he came from the side of Hira' so we said to him, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we missed you so were searching for you but could not find you. We spent the worst night that people could ever spend.' The Prophet ﷺ answered, 'An inviter on behalf of the Jinn came to me so I went with him to recite the Quran to them.' The Prophet ﷺ went with us to show us the traces of them and their embers. The Jinn asked him about their provision so he said, 'Every bone on which the name of Allah is mentioned is yours. Once it falls in your hand, it will be thickly covered with flesh. Every dung (of the camels) is fodder for your animals.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us, 'So do not use any of them in removing your impurities, for they are the food of your brothers (the Jinn).'".

Commentary : Jinn is a creation of Allah, the Almighty. They are commanded to worship Him alone so they will be held accountable as mankind. Some believe in Allah while others disbelieve. In this hadith, Aamer Al-Sha’by asked Alqamah ibn Qais An-Nakh’i, one of the most famous students of Ibn Masoud, if Ibn Masoud was present the night of the Jinn with the Prophet ﷺ. Alqama told him that he asked Ibn Masoud the same question. Ibn Masoud said, "No" In the narration of Muslim, Ibn Masoud said, "I wished I had been with him" to see the miracles that the Prophet ﷺ told them about. Ibn Masoud narrated that they one day were with the Prophet ﷺ who stood to go somewhere but he did not come back. They were searching for him in valleys and hills. All our efforts were in vain. They thought he was taken by Jinn or secretly killed. It was the worst night they ever spent, out of sadness and sorrow. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ came from the direction of Hira Cave, five kilometers away from the Sacred Mosque, where the Prophet ﷺ used to worship Allah before his mission. Upon informing him about what happened to them, he related to them his story with the Jinn. One of them asked him to come to recite the Quran to them. The Prophet ﷺ went with his companions to show them the Jinn's tracks and their fire's traces. The Jinn asked the Prophet ﷺ to specify foods for them, so he allowed them to eat every bone on which Allah’s name was mentioned. He promised them that once they held it, it would be thickly covered with meat. Moreover, he specified dung as fodders for their animals. Thus, he prohibited his companions from using bones for removing impurities like urine or feces, for they were the food of their brothers of Jinn, out of respect. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The Prophet ﷺ was sent to both the Jinn and mankind, (2) It shows Allah’s mercy to mankind in choosing their foods, and (3) It clarifies the companions’ deep friendship with the Prophet ﷺ..

452
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite 30 verses in each of the first two rak'as of the noon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite 15 verses (or he said, "... half of the first two ones). He used to recite 15 verses in each of the first two rak'as of afternoon prayer. In the last two ones, he used to recite half of these verses.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed how they observed his recitation in the silent prayers. As for his recitation in the noon prayer, he showed that he used to recite Surat al-Fatihah and about thirty verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, he used to recite Surat Al-Fatihah and fifteen verses in each of the first two rak'as. He used to recite half of these verses in each of the last two ones, i.e. seven or eight verses. In a hadith narrated by An-Nasa'i and others, he used to recite surats like At-Taraq, Al-Burouj, and alike in each of the first two rak'as in the noon and afternoon prayers. Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Thus, this hadith shows the number of verses a Muslim should recite in silent prayers..

452
Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said, “We used to estimate how long the Messenger ﷺ stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. At the noon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as if he recited "Alef Lam Meem. Tanzil," i.e. Surat As-Sajda and stood half of that time in the last two ones. As for the afternoon prayer, we estimated that he stood in each of the first two rak'as as he did in the last two ones of noon prayer and stood half of that time in the last two ones.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the pillar of Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught it to his companions verbally and practically. His Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abu Saeed Al-Khudry showed that they used to estimate how long he stood at the noon and the afternoon prayers. As for the noon prayer, he stood in the first two rak'as as if he recited Surat As-Sajda (thirty verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones, i.e. fifteen verses. As for the afternoon prayer, they estimated that he stood in the first two rak'as as he did in the last two rak'as of the noon prayer (fifteen verses) and stood half of that time in the last two ones (seven or eight verses). Some scholars conclude that the wisdom in lengthening the noon prayer is that it is the time to take a nap, so it is suitable to lengthen it to enable people to get it. Finally, this hadith recommends lengthening the first and second rak'as and shortening the third and fourth ones in both noon and afternoon prayers..

454
Qaz’a ibn Yahya narrated, “I came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while he was surrounded by people. When the people left him, I said, ‘I do not want to ask you what these people asked you. I want to ask you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ Abu Saeed said, ‘There is no good for you in this.’” Qaz'a repeated his question. Abu Saeed said, “When the noon prayer started, one of us went to Baqi' to relieve himself, came to his home to perform ablution, and then went to the mosque to find the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the first rak'a.”.

Commentary : The companions’ students were keen to know everything about the Prophet ﷺ from his companions so they used to ask them about his deeds, especially his prayer. In this hadith, Qaza’a ibn Yahya narrated that he came to Abu Saeed Al-Khudry while the latter was being surrounded by people. When they left him, Qaza’a told him that he wanted to ask him about the Prophet’s prayer. Abu Saeed told him that knowing his prayer would benefit him none due to its length and perfection, for it would be difficult for him to imitate the Prophet’s prayer. Qaza’a repeated his request so Abu Saeed told him that when the Prophet ﷺ began the noon prayer, a person could go to Baqi' - cemeteries in Medina to the east of the Prophet’s Mosque where people used to relieve themselves in nearby places -, came to his home to perform ablution, and found the Prophet ﷺ in the first rak'a. This indicated the Prophet ﷺ used to lengthen the first rak’a of the noon prayer. One may say that there are some hadiths that the Prophet ﷺ used to shorten his prayer. To answer this opinion, it should be clarified that the Prophet ﷺ lengthened and shortened his prayers according to the people’s circumstances behind him. He sometimes wanted to lengthen the prayer then decided to shorten it after having a reasonable issue such as hearing a kid’s crying during the congregational prayer. Some scholars said that he sometimes lengthened it, which is the least, to clarify the permissibility, and sometimes shortened it, which is the most, to confirm its privilege..

455
Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Fajr (Dawn) prayer at Mecca. He began to recite Surat Al-Mu'minun. When he recited the verses about Prophets Moses and Aaron - or Prophet Jesus -, the prophet started to cough then bowed and Abd Allah ibn As-Sa'eb was present." In another narration, "He cut (his recitation) then bowed.".

Commentary : The Prophet's Companions used to closely observe his deeds to follow and convey his guidance to people, especially regarding the acts of worship. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn As-Sa'eb narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) led his companions in Fajr (Dawn) prayer in the eighth year after Hijra (the year of conquering Mecca). He was reciting Surat Al-Mu’minoun until he recited the verse (no. 45) that mentioned Prophets Musa and Haroun in which Allah said, "Then, We sent Musa (Moses) and his brother Haroun (Aaron), with Our proofs and manifest authority," or the verse (no. 50) that mentioned Prophet Jesus in which Allah says, "And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a sign, and We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams." This doubt is from Muhammad ibn Abbad or others of this hadith narrators. At that time, the Prophet (ﷺ) was coughing and then bowed without completing the surah. In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) "stopped reciting then bowed." Finally, this hadith confirms that a Muslim would bow without completing his recitation in prayer if something happened to him while reciting the Quran..

456
Amr ibn Huraith narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ reciting at Fajr (Dawn) prayer, “And by the night as it closes in." (At-Takwir: 17).

Commentary : The Prophet's companions used to observe and learn from all of his acts to follow his guidance, especially in the acts of worship. They also used to transmit all of his details to all people. In this hadith, Amr ibn Huraith said that the Prophet once recited short Quranic suras in Fajr prayer (Dawn prayer). Amr reported that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite Surah At-Takwir during Fajr prayer. It is the sura that contains this verse, “And by the night as it closes in.” (Al-Takwir: 17) This was explained by An-Nasa’i’s narration in which Amr reported, “I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite in Fajr prayer, "When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]." All of the hadiths that clarified the Prophet's recitation in Fajr prayer showed that he may have recited long, short, or medium suras..