صحيح مسلم
Muslim
كتاب الصلاةThe Book of Prayers
باب ائْتِمَامِ الْمَأْمُومِ بِالإِمَامِ:Chapter: Following The Imam
Hadith 413
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ . ح وحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : اشْتَكَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَصَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُسْمِعُ النَّاسَ تَكْبِيرَهُ ، فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا ، فَرَآنَا قِيَامًا ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْنَا ، فَقَعَدْنَا فَصَلَّيْنَا بِصَلَاتِهِ قُعُودًا ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِنْ كِدْتُمْ آنِفًا لَتَفْعَلُونَ فِعْلَ فَارِسَ ، وَالرُّومِ ، يَقُومُونَ عَلَى مُلُوكِهِمْ وَهُمْ قُعُودٌ ، فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا ، ائْتَمُّوا بِأَئِمَّتِكُمْ إِنْ صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا ، وَإِنْ صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا " .
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was ill and we said prayer behind him and he was sitting. And Abu Bakr (RA) was making audible to the people his takbir. As he paid his attention towards us he saw us standing and (directed us to sit down) with a gesture. So we sat down and said our prayer with his prayer in a sitting posture. After uttering salutation he said: You were at this time about to do an act like that of the Persians and the Romans. They stand before their kings while they sit, so don't do that; follow your Imams. If they say prayer standing, you should also do so, and if they say prayer sitting, you should also say prayer sitting.
• • •
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرُّؤَاسِيُّ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ خَلْفَهُ ، فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، كَبَّرَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ، لِيُسْمِعَنَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ اللَّيْثِ .
Jabir said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led the prayer and Abu Bakr (RA) was behind him. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the takbir, Abu Bakr (RA) also recited (it) in order to make it audible to us. And the rest of the hadith is like one transmitted by Laith.
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Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
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
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
