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Hadith 1191

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ الْبَعْلَبَكِّيُّ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ شَابُورَ , عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ , قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ , عَنْ جَابِرٍ , قَالَ : بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَسِيرُ مُشَرِّقًا أَوْ مُغَرِّبًا , فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ , ثُمَّ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ , فَانْصَرَفْتُ فَنَادَانِي : يَا جَابِرُ , فَنَادَانِي النَّاسُ : يَا جَابِرُ , فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ : إِنِّي سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْكَ فَلَمْ تَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ , قَالَ : " إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي " .
´It was narrated that Jabir said:` "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me on an errand, then I came back to him while he was facing the east or the west. I greeted him with salam and he gestured to me. Then when he finished he called me and said: "O Jabir!" So I came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I greeted you with Salam but you did not answer." He said: 'I was praying.'
Hadith Reference سنن نسائي / كتاب السهو / 1191
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح لغيره  |  زبیر علی زئی: صحيح
Hadith Takhrij «تفرد بہ النسائي، (تحفة الأشراف: 2898) (صحیح)»
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1191. Commentary: This narration is a detailed explanation of the previous narration. It appears that Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) did not understand that a gesture could serve as a reply to the greeting of peace (salam), because at that initial stage, replying verbally to the greeting had been prohibited.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1191
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
In the narration of Muslim, it is mentioned that this incident took place during the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq.
And in another narration of Muslim, it is also clarified that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) responded with a gesture of the hand, and the reason for Jabir's (radi Allahu anhu) sadness and worry was that he did not understand that this gesture was a reply to the greeting of salam.
Because previously, the reply to salam was given verbally, not by gesture.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 1217
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
In the narration of Sahih Muslim, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) responded to the greeting (salam) of Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) with a gesture of the hand, which Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) could not understand; thus, he became worried and thoughtful.
(Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Hadith: 1205(540), and Fath al-Bari: 113/3)
The purpose of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) with this chapter heading and hadith is that when a person praying is greeted with salam during the prayer, he should not respond verbally.
His intention is certainly not that it is disliked (makruh) to greet someone praying with salam, or that responding is impermissible, because from other ahadith it is established that during prayer, responding to salam with a gesture of the hand is proven. Thus, it is narrated from Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu), he said:
I asked Bilal (radi Allahu anhu), "When people used to greet the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) with salam during prayer, how would he respond to them?" He said:
He would do like this, and he spread out his hand, meaning he would respond with a gesture of the hand.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Salat, Hadith: 927)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 1217
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
926. Commentary:
➊ In Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques, Hadith [540], it is mentioned that Zuhair clarified the gesture of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam by pointing towards the ground.
➋ While traveling, (supererogatory) prayers can be performed on a mount, and the bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujud) will be done by gestures.
➌ During the prayer, it is permissible to respond to someone by means of a gesture.
➍ If someone is unable to respond for some reason, he should present an excuse.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 926