It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visited a sick man and saw that he was praying on a pillow. He (peace and blessings be upon him) took the pillow and threw it away. Then the man took hold of a piece of wood to pray on it, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) took that piece of wood from him as well, threw it away and said: "Pray on the ground if you are able; and if you are not able, then make gestures, and keep your prostrations lower than your bowing."
This hadith is counted among the singular narrations of Abu Bakr al-Hanafi from al-Thawri.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3669
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:ضعيف
Hadith Takhrij«ضعيف۔ اخرجه ابونعيم في الحلية 7/92»
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visited a sick man and saw that he was praying on a pillow. He (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of the pillow and threw it away. The rest of the hadith is the same, except that in it he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pray on the ground if you are able."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3670
Nafi' (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say: When the sick person is unable to prostrate, he should gesture with his head and should not raise anything up to his forehead.
A group likewise narrated it from Nafi', from Ibn Umar, as mawquf (his own words). Abdullah bin Amir al-Aslami narrated it from Nafi' as marfu' (attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)), and that is worthless.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3671
Jabalah (may Allah have mercy on him) relates that someone asked Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), while I was listening, about praying on a fan. He said: Do not take another god besides Allah. And he said: Do not set up rivals to Allah. Pray sitting and prostrate on the ground. If you are not able, then perform the bowing and prostration with gestures, and lower yourself more in the prostrations than in the bowing.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3672
Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) relates: I went with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to his brother Sayyiduna Utbah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was ill. Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) saw his brother prostrating on a fan, so he pulled it away from him and said: Prostrate on the ground; if you are not able, then make gestures, and keep the prostrations lower than the bowing.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 3673