Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Many companions (radi Allahu anhum) came to visit the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to inquire about his health. During this time, the time for prayer arrived, so he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), while in a state of illness, led them in congregational prayer and instructed them to pray sitting behind the imam. However, later this ruling was abrogated, as Imam Bukhari himself has clarified. The correspondence between the chapter and the hadith is evident.

Hadith Commentary:
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once fell from a horse and sustained an injury to his foot, which made walking difficult for him. He stayed in an upper chamber. During this period, some of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum came to inquire about his health. While they were there, the time for prayer arrived, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam led them in prayer in a state of illness. In consideration of following the imam, he instructed the Companions radi Allahu anhum to also perform the prayer sitting, but later this ruling was abrogated, as Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah himself has clarified. Further details on this issue can be seen in Hadith: 688. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Qastallani rahimahullah said that Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah derived from this hadith that the imam should only say "Sami‘a Allahu liman hamidah" and the follower (muqtadi) should say "Rabbana lakal hamd" or "Rabbana wa lakal hamd" or "Allahumma Rabbana lakal hamd." And Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah and our Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah hold the view that the imam should say both phrases, and likewise the follower should also say both phrases.
(Maulana Waheed uz-Zaman)

Hadith Commentary:
This incident occurred before the illness of death, when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fell from a horse and was injured. In this narration, Aisha (radi Allahu anha) has kept the nature of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) illness ambiguous, whereas in the narrations of Anas and Jabir (radi Allahu anhuma), it is explicitly stated that due to falling from the horse, his right side was affected, and in addition, his foot was sprained. On this basis, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) stayed in an upper room, and the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) who nursed him led the prayer.

In Abu Dawud, it is mentioned that at that time, his devoted Companions (radi Allahu anhum) came twice to serve him, and on both occasions, he led them in prayer while sitting. The first time, he led a voluntary (nafl) prayer, so the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) were praying standing while he was sitting, but he did not order them to sit. The second time, the prayer he led was an obligatory (fard) prayer, and during the prayer, he gestured to the standing Companions (radi Allahu anhum) to sit down.

(Fath al-Bari: 2/233)

According to the explicit statement of Imam Ibn Hibban, the incident of falling from the horse occurred in the fifth year after the Hijrah.

(Fath al-Bari: 2/231)

Hadith Commentary:
That is, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed the prayer sitting due to illness and instructed the followers during the prayer to sit down as well.
From this, it is understood that when the imam performs the prayer sitting, the followers should also perform the prayer sitting. However, during his final illness, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) led the prayer sitting while the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) prayed standing behind him. From this, it is understood that the earlier command has been abrogated (Kirmani).

Hadith Commentary:
From these ahadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has also established that making a gesture with the hand or head during prayer does not invalidate the prayer. Thus, in the hadith narrated from Asma’ radi Allahu anha, Aisha radi Allahu anha, during prayer, gestured with her head twice.

Similarly, according to the last hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, during prayer, gestured to the people to pray sitting.

It should be noted that the fact that prayer was performed during the illness of death shows that the command for people to pray sitting in such circumstances had been abrogated, because at that time he led the prayer sitting while the followers performed the prayer standing.

We have already clarified this earlier.

This hadith refutes those who prohibit responding to salam with a gesture during prayer, because if people can be commanded by gesture to sit, then responding to salam with a gesture is also permissible.

There is no difference between the two.

(Fath al-Bari: 3/140)

Benefits and Issues:

➊ It is permissible to perform prayer at home in a state of illness.

➋ One should visit the sick to inquire about their well-being.

➌ It is not permissible to precede the imam in bowing (ruku‘), prostration (sujud), etc. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 960 to 963)

➍ If the imam leads the prayer while sitting, then the followers (muqtadis) should also perform the prayer sitting, even if they have no excuse. Most scholars consider this ruling to be abrogated, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), in the last days of his blessed life, led the prayer sitting due to illness, and the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in) performed the prayer standing behind him. And this is the correct view.