A man greeted with salam in prayer

Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Before migrating to Abyssinia, we used to greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during prayer and he would return our greeting. When we came back from Abyssinia, I greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during prayer, but he did not return my greeting, and all kinds of thoughts, recent and old, seized me. When he had completed the prayer, he said: "Allah Almighty brings about His commands whenever He wills, and now Allah Almighty has commanded that you do not talk in prayer."

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me on an errand. When I came back, he was praying. I greeted him, but he did not return my greeting.

Abu Mijlaz said: Greeting a person who is praying is foolishness.

Zakariyya said: I asked al-Sha'bi: If I come upon some people and they are praying individually, should I greet them? He said: No.

Ibrahim said: If someone greets a person who is praying, he should return the greeting within himself.

A man from Banu Amir said: I went and stood beside Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was praying. I greeted him, but he did not return my greeting.

Busr bin Sa'id narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying when a man greeted him; he gestured to him with his hand as if forbidding him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Before going to the Negus (al-Najashi), we used to greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he would return our greeting. When we came back from the Negus, I greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but he did not return the greeting, and after completing the prayer he said: "Prayer has its own preoccupation."