It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went to Banu Amr bin Awf to make peace between them (and he was delayed), and the time of prayer came. The mu'adhdhin (Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "Will you lead the people in prayer, so that I may call the iqamah?" He said: "Yes." So he (may Allah be pleased with him) began leading the prayer. Meanwhile the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived while the people were praying. He (peace and blessings be upon him) made his way through the rows and came and stood in the first row, and the people began clapping. But Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would not look around in prayer. When the people clapped a great deal, he turned and saw that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was standing behind. He (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "Continue leading the prayer in your place." He raised both his hands and praised Allah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had commanded him to continue leading. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) moved back and joined the first row, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went forward and he (peace and blessings be upon him) led the prayer. When he had finished the prayer, he said: "O Abu Bakr, why did you not remain in your place when I had commanded you?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "How could the son of Abu Quhafah dare to lead the prayer in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you clap so much in the prayer? If something happens to anyone in his prayer, let him say 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah); when he says it, attention will be paid to him. Clapping is only for women."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3329
(a) Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) learned that there had been some dispute among Banu Amr bin Awf, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) went out to make peace between them. Then he mentioned the complete hadith, in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people, what is the matter with you that when something happens to you in prayer you start clapping? Clapping is only for women. If something happens in prayer, say 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah). When someone says 'Subhan Allah', whoever hears it will surely pay attention."
(b) In the narration of Bukhari and Muslim through another chain, the word tasfih is used in place of tasfiq, and Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said: tasfih is the same as tasfiq (clapping).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3330
(a) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the imam needs to be alerted to a mistake in prayer, say 'Subhan Allah' (Allah is free of all imperfection), and women should strike one hand upon the other."
(b) Bukhari and Muslim recorded it from the hadith of Sufyan bin Uyaynah without the words "in prayer", while al-Humaydi and a group narrated it from Ibn Uyaynah and mentioned these words.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3332
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح۔ اخرجه البخاري 1145۔ مسلم 422»
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(To alert the imam to a mistake) men should say 'Subhan Allah' (Allah is free of all imperfection), and women should clap."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3333
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(To alert the imam to a mistake in prayer) men should say 'Subhan Allah' (Allah is free of all imperfection), and for women it is clapping." Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I have seen many people of knowledge who both say 'Subhan Allah' (Allah is free of all imperfection) and also make gestures.
In one narration the words "in prayer" are also included.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3334
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For men it is saying tasbih, and for women in prayer it is (permissible) to clap (to alert the imam)."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3335
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For men it is saying 'Subhan Allah', and for women it is clapping."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3336
After narrating this hadith through another chain, al-A'mash (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I mentioned this hadith to Ibrahim al-Nakha'i (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said that his mother used to do the same.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3337
(a) Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When permission is sought from someone during prayer, his giving permission is saying 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah); and if a woman is praying and someone seeks permission from her, her giving permission is clapping."
(b) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): A time at the pre-dawn hour was set aside for me to go in to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in prayer, he would say 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah), and that was his permission to me.
(c) This hadith is disputed in its chain and its text: according to one version it is sabbaha (he said 'Subhan Allah'), and according to another it is tanahnaha (he cleared his throat).
It revolves around Abd al-Rahman bin Nujayy al-Hadrami; al-Bukhari said of him "fihi nazar" (there is concern about him), and others declared him da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3338
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:حسن
Hadith Takhrij«حسن۔ وللحديث طريق آخر عند احمد 2/ 290»
Abdullah bin Nujayy says that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: I had a set time near the pre-dawn hour when I would come into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in prayer, he would say 'Subhan Allah' (Glory be to Allah), and that was his (peace and blessings be upon him) permission to me; and if he was not praying, he would grant me permission. Then he mentioned the rest of the hadith.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3339
Abdullah bin Nujayy narrates that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I had a set time at the pre-dawn hour for coming to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When I came to him (peace and blessings be upon him), if he (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying, he would say 'Subhan Allah' (Allah is free of all imperfection), and in that was an indication of his (peace and blessings be upon him) permission; and if he was not praying, he would give me permission.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3340
Abd al-Wahid bin Ziyad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates it through another chain, in which he also mentioned al-Harith al-Ukli (may Allah have mercy on him), and in it is: If he (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying, he would clear his throat (cough) for me, and that was his permission.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3341
A report about clearing the throat is also narrated from Abdullah bin Nujayy (may Allah have mercy on him), but Abu Zur'ah is not mentioned in its chain.
In another chain, saying tasbih is mentioned.
However it may be, Abdullah bin Nujayy is not one whose narrations are used as proof.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3342