سنن ابن ماجه
Ibn Majah
كتاب إقامة الصلاة والسنةEstablishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them
. بَابُ : مَا جَاءَ فِي إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِChapter: What was narrated concerning the fact that the Imam is appointed to be followed
Hadith 1240
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ الْمِصْرِيُّ ، أَنْبَأَنَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : اشْتَكَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَصَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُكَبِّرُ يُسْمِعُ النَّاسَ تَكْبِيرَهُ ، فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا ، فَرَآنَا قِيَامًا ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَعَدْنَا ، فَصَلَّيْنَا بِصَلَاتِهِ قُعُودًا ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِنْ كِدْتُمْ أَنْ تَفْعَلُوا فِعْلَ فَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ ، يَقُومُونَ عَلَى مُلُوكِهِمْ وَهُمْ قُعُودٌ ، فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا ، ائْتَمُّوا بِأَئِمَّتِكُمْ إِنْ صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا ، وَإِنْ صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا " .
´It was narrated that Jabir said:` “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fell ill, and we prayed behind him while he was sitting down, and Abu Bakr was saying the Takbir so that the people could hear them. He turned to us and saw us standing, so he gestured to us to sit down. When he had said the Salam, he said: ‘You were about to do the action of the Persians and Romans, who remain standing while their kings are seated. Do not do that. Follow the lead of your Imam; if he prays standing, then pray standing, and if he prays sitting down, then pray sitting down.’”
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
The people of Persia and Rome were non-Muslims.
The Iranians were fire-worshippers.
And the Romans were Christians,
who adhered to a distorted form of Christianity.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade imitation of non-Muslims.
➋
If a respected elder, leader, scholar, or spiritual guide is seated, then standing before him out of respect and refraining from sitting is not the way of Muslims; therefore, one should avoid this.
➌
Performing prayer standing behind a seated imam is, in some respects, different from standing out of respect for non-Muslims.
Courtiers stand facing the king,
and he too sits facing them with attention.
Whereas the imam and all the followers (muqtadis) are all facing the Ka‘bah for the worship of Allah.
The followers do not stand in front of the imam, but rather behind him.
Moreover, courtiers remain standing continuously,
whereas the followers do not remain standing during bowing (ruku‘), prostration (sujud), sitting (jalsah), and the testimony (tashahhud).
It is probably for this reason that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, during the last days of his blessed life, did not forbid the followers from standing in prayer when he led them while seated.
And Allah knows best.
➊
The people of Persia and Rome were non-Muslims.
The Iranians were fire-worshippers.
And the Romans were Christians,
who adhered to a distorted form of Christianity.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade imitation of non-Muslims.
➋
If a respected elder, leader, scholar, or spiritual guide is seated, then standing before him out of respect and refraining from sitting is not the way of Muslims; therefore, one should avoid this.
➌
Performing prayer standing behind a seated imam is, in some respects, different from standing out of respect for non-Muslims.
Courtiers stand facing the king,
and he too sits facing them with attention.
Whereas the imam and all the followers (muqtadis) are all facing the Ka‘bah for the worship of Allah.
The followers do not stand in front of the imam, but rather behind him.
Moreover, courtiers remain standing continuously,
whereas the followers do not remain standing during bowing (ruku‘), prostration (sujud), sitting (jalsah), and the testimony (tashahhud).
It is probably for this reason that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, during the last days of his blessed life, did not forbid the followers from standing in prayer when he led them while seated.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1240
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1201. Commentary:
➊ It is permissible for the imam, when necessary, to look at the followers (muqtadis) with the corner of his eye. (For details, see Hadith: 1196)
➋ Should the followers (muqtadis) pray sitting or standing behind an imam who is leading the prayer while sitting? For its details, see Hadith: 833.
➌ This incident is not from the time of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) final illness, because it is explicitly mentioned regarding this incident that Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) and all the followers were standing. (The separate issue of whether the imam was the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) or Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) — for this, see the introduction to the Book of Imamah.) This incident is from an earlier illness.
➊ It is permissible for the imam, when necessary, to look at the followers (muqtadis) with the corner of his eye. (For details, see Hadith: 1196)
➋ Should the followers (muqtadis) pray sitting or standing behind an imam who is leading the prayer while sitting? For its details, see Hadith: 833.
➌ This incident is not from the time of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) final illness, because it is explicitly mentioned regarding this incident that Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) and all the followers were standing. (The separate issue of whether the imam was the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) or Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) — for this, see the introduction to the Book of Imamah.) This incident is from an earlier illness.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1201
