Hadith 478

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ ، عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ، عَنْ رِبْعِيٍّ ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُحَارِبِيِّ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِذَا قَامَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ ، أَوْ إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ ، فَلَا يَبْزُقْ أَمَامَهُ وَلَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ ، وَلَكِنْ عَنْ تِلْقَاءِ يَسَارِهِ إِنْ كَانَ فَارِغًا أَوْ تَحْتَ قَدَمِهِ الْيُسْرَى ثُمَّ لِيَقُلْ بِهِ " .
Narrated Abdullah al-Muharibi: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When a man stands with the intention of saying prayer, or if any of you says prayer, he should not spit before him, nor at his right side; but he should do so at his left side, if there is a place for it; or he should spit under his left foot and then rub it off.
Hadith Reference سنن ابي داود / كتاب الصلاة / 478
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: إسناده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij « سنن الترمذی/الجمعة 49 (571)، سنن النسائی/المساجد 33 (727)، سنن ابن ماجہ/إقامة الصلاة 61 (1021)، (تحفة الأشراف: 4987)، وقد أخرجہ: مسند احمد (6/396) (صحیح) »
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:


Spitting in front during prayer is contrary to proper etiquette.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) expressed strong displeasure regarding this.
See: (Sunan Ibn Majah, Al-Masajid wal-Jama'at, Chapter: Dislike of Spitting in the Mosque, Hadith: 761 to 764)


The right side is also a direction of respect, so one should not spit in that direction either.
If another worshipper is standing on the left side, then one should also avoid spitting in that direction; if there is no one there, then spitting is permissible.


In the mosque, spitting to the left or under one’s foot is permissible in the case where the ground of the mosque is of such a type that it can absorb moisture; otherwise, it is not permissible to pollute the mosque.
Especially when one is praying on a mat or carpet, it is not permissible under any circumstance to make it dirty.
In such a case, a handkerchief should be used, as is clarified in the following hadith.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1021