سنن نسائي
Nasai
كتاب السهوThe Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)
بَابُ : الرُّخْصَةِ فِي الاِلْتِفَاتِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاًChapter: Concession allowing one to turn to the right or left when praying
Hadith 1201
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ , أَنَّهُ 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 كُنْتُمْ آنِفًا تَفْعَلُونَ 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) was ill, and we prayed behind him while he was sitting, and Abu Bakr repeated his takbirs so that the people could hear them. He turned to us and saw us standing, so he gestured to us to sit down. So we prayed behind him sitting. When he said the salam he said: 'Just now you were doing what the Persians and Romans do for their kings when they are sitting. Do not do that. Follow your Imams: If they pray standing then pray standing, and if they pray sitting then pray sitting.'"
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
