Narrated by Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me for a need of his (during the expedition of Banu Mustaliq). I went and returned after fulfilling the task. Then I presented myself before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and greeted him with Salam, but he did not reply. Allah knows what came into my heart, and I thought to myself that perhaps the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was displeased with me because I had come late. I greeted him again, and when he did not reply this time either, my concern increased even more. Then I greeted him (for the third time), and now he replied and said: The reason I did not reply the first two times was because I was performing Salah, and at that time you were on your camel, and its direction was not towards the Qiblah, but rather towards another direction.
Hadith Referenceاللؤلؤ والمرجان / كتاب المساجد ومواضع الصلاة / 313
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:«صحیح»
Hadith Takhrij«صحیح، أخرجه البخاري في: 21 كتاب العمل في الصلاة: 15 باب لا يردّ السلام في الصلاة»