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سنن دارمي
Darimi
من كتاب الصللاةFrom the Book of Prayer
باب النَّهْيِ عَنْ مُبَادَرَةِ الأَئِمَّةِ بِالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ:Chapter: Forbidding preceding the imam in bowing and prostration
Hadith 1354
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُخْتَارُ بْنُ فُلْفُلٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَثَّهُمْ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، وَنَهَاهُمْ أَنْ يَسْبِقُوهُ إِذَا كَانَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ بِالرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ، وَأَنْ يَنْصَرِفُوا قَبْلَ انْصِرَافِهِ مِنْ الصَّلَاةِ، وَقَالَ: "إِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ خَلْفِي وَأَمَامِي".
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, encouraged the people to perform prayer, and when they performed bowing and prostration behind him in congregation, he forbade them from competing with him, and forbade them from concluding the prayer (saying salam) before him, and said: "I see you from behind me and from in front of me, from every direction."
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadiths 1351 to 1354)
From these narrations, there is a severe prohibition against competing with the imam in bowing (ruku‘), prostration (sujud), or the salutation (salam)—that is, going into ruku‘ or sujud before the imam. In fact, the scholars have declared this to be haram (forbidden), and the prayer of such a person will become invalid, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) issued a stern warning, saying: “It may be that Allah will turn his head or face into that of a donkey.” This could be an immediate punishment in this world, or it could be a punishment in the Hereafter.
The commentator of Tirmidhi, Allamah Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri, has mentioned in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi the incident of a muhaddith (hadith scholar) from Damascus who used to teach while wearing a veil. Upon inquiry, he explained that when he read this hadith, he thought it was impossible, and deliberately and intentionally raised his head before the imam, and Allah truly made his head like that (i.e., of a donkey).
«(اعاذنا اللّٰه وإياكم منه)» This is not far from Allah’s power and will. Some scholars have interpreted this as something that will occur in the Hereafter, and some have said that the meaning of having a head like a donkey is that his intellect will become deranged.
In any case, this is a great punishment, whether it occurs in this world or the Hereafter, whether it is literal or metaphorical—in every situation, it is a cause of torment. Therefore, one should fear and refrain from preceding the imam, that is, from going into ruku‘ or sujud before the imam.
From these narrations, there is a severe prohibition against competing with the imam in bowing (ruku‘), prostration (sujud), or the salutation (salam)—that is, going into ruku‘ or sujud before the imam. In fact, the scholars have declared this to be haram (forbidden), and the prayer of such a person will become invalid, because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) issued a stern warning, saying: “It may be that Allah will turn his head or face into that of a donkey.” This could be an immediate punishment in this world, or it could be a punishment in the Hereafter.
The commentator of Tirmidhi, Allamah Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri, has mentioned in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi the incident of a muhaddith (hadith scholar) from Damascus who used to teach while wearing a veil. Upon inquiry, he explained that when he read this hadith, he thought it was impossible, and deliberately and intentionally raised his head before the imam, and Allah truly made his head like that (i.e., of a donkey).
«(اعاذنا اللّٰه وإياكم منه)» This is not far from Allah’s power and will. Some scholars have interpreted this as something that will occur in the Hereafter, and some have said that the meaning of having a head like a donkey is that his intellect will become deranged.
In any case, this is a great punishment, whether it occurs in this world or the Hereafter, whether it is literal or metaphorical—in every situation, it is a cause of torment. Therefore, one should fear and refrain from preceding the imam, that is, from going into ruku‘ or sujud before the imam.
