Compiled by: Muhammad Nadeem Zaheer Baloch
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ الْمِصِّيصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: >إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ< بِهِ بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ… زَادَ: >وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا<. قَالَ أَبو دَاود: وَهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ- >وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا<- لَيْسَتْ بِمَحْفُوظَةٍ. الْوَهْمُ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ.
Translation:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrates from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said:
“The Imam is appointed so that he may be followed.”
And in this narration, the addition was made:
“And when he recites, then remain silent.”
Imam Abu Dawud (رحمه الله) says: This addition — ‘And when he recites, then remain silent’ — is not preserved, and in our view, it is an error from Abu Khalid.
References:
Abu Dawud 604 | Muslim 905
① Imam Abu Dawud (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not part of the hadith, and it is considered an error from the narrator Abu Khalid.
Reference: Abu Dawud, Hadith no. 604
② Qatadah (رحمه الله):
The addition “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” does not appear in the narrations of any of the transmitters of this hadith.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 905
③ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not proven from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Reference: Sharh Nawawi 1/175
④ Imam Yahya ibn Ma‘een (رحمه الله):
This phrase is not preserved in the hadith.
References:
◈ Ma’rifah al-Sunan wal-Athar (3744)
◈ Nasb al-Rayah 2/12
◈ Quoted by Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (رحمه الله) in Ahkam al-Masail 1/276
⑤ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not authentic and is from the errors of Ibn ‘Ajlan.
Reference: Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 2/156
⑥ Hafiz Abu ‘Ali al-Naysapuri (رحمه الله):
The words “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” are not part of the hadith and are due to narrator’s error.
References:
◈ Sharh Nawawi 1/178
◈ Ahkam al-Masail 1/276
⑦ Imam al-Daraqutni (رحمه الله):
These words are not present in the hadith.
References:
◈ Daraqutni 1/331
◈ Ahkam al-Masail by Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله)
⑧ Hussain ibn ‘Ali al-Hafiz (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is a mistake by Salim ibn Nuh.
Reference: Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 2/156
⑨ Abu al-Fadl al-Shahid (رحمه الله):
He states that “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is an error by al-Taymi, and not preserved.
Reference: ‘Ilal al-Ahadith 73
⑩ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (رحمه الله):
He affirms that the majority of Hadith masters say:
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not authentically proven from the Prophet (ﷺ).
References:
◈ Al-Badr al-Munir 4/481
◈ Also recorded by al-Nasa’i (921)
⑪ Imam al-Dhahli (رحمه الله):
He confirms that the phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not part of this narration from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Reference: Al-Qira’ah Khalfa al-Imam (132)
✔ Most hadith scholars (Jumhoor Muhaddithin) unanimously agree that the phrase:
“وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا”
"When he recites, then remain silent"
is not authentically established from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ),
is not a preserved part of the hadith, and
is due to errors of certain narrators, primarily Abu Khalid and Ibn ‘Ajlan.
The addition “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” found in some narrations is not established from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). It is regarded by the scholars of Hadith as a narrator's error, and thus, cannot be relied upon for establishing a ruling in Salah regarding remaining silent during the Imam’s recitation.
✿ Main Hadith and Its Translation
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ الْمِصِّيصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلَانَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: >إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الْإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ< بِهِ بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ… زَادَ: >وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا<. قَالَ أَبو دَاود: وَهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ- >وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا<- لَيْسَتْ بِمَحْفُوظَةٍ. الْوَهْمُ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ.
Translation:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrates from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said:
“The Imam is appointed so that he may be followed.”
And in this narration, the addition was made:
“And when he recites, then remain silent.”
Imam Abu Dawud (رحمه الله) says: This addition — ‘And when he recites, then remain silent’ — is not preserved, and in our view, it is an error from Abu Khalid.
References:
Abu Dawud 604 | Muslim 905
✿ Clarifications by Hadith Scholars (محدثین کی وضاحت)
① Imam Abu Dawud (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not part of the hadith, and it is considered an error from the narrator Abu Khalid.
Reference: Abu Dawud, Hadith no. 604
② Qatadah (رحمه الله):
The addition “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” does not appear in the narrations of any of the transmitters of this hadith.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 905
③ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not proven from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Reference: Sharh Nawawi 1/175
④ Imam Yahya ibn Ma‘een (رحمه الله):
This phrase is not preserved in the hadith.
References:
◈ Ma’rifah al-Sunan wal-Athar (3744)
◈ Nasb al-Rayah 2/12
◈ Quoted by Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (رحمه الله) in Ahkam al-Masail 1/276
⑤ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not authentic and is from the errors of Ibn ‘Ajlan.
Reference: Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 2/156
⑥ Hafiz Abu ‘Ali al-Naysapuri (رحمه الله):
The words “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” are not part of the hadith and are due to narrator’s error.
References:
◈ Sharh Nawawi 1/178
◈ Ahkam al-Masail 1/276
⑦ Imam al-Daraqutni (رحمه الله):
These words are not present in the hadith.
References:
◈ Daraqutni 1/331
◈ Ahkam al-Masail by Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله)
⑧ Hussain ibn ‘Ali al-Hafiz (رحمه الله):
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is a mistake by Salim ibn Nuh.
Reference: Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 2/156
⑨ Abu al-Fadl al-Shahid (رحمه الله):
He states that “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is an error by al-Taymi, and not preserved.
Reference: ‘Ilal al-Ahadith 73
⑩ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (رحمه الله):
He affirms that the majority of Hadith masters say:
The phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not authentically proven from the Prophet (ﷺ).
References:
◈ Al-Badr al-Munir 4/481
◈ Also recorded by al-Nasa’i (921)
⑪ Imam al-Dhahli (رحمه الله):
He confirms that the phrase “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” is not part of this narration from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Reference: Al-Qira’ah Khalfa al-Imam (132)
✿ Summary of Scholarly Consensus
✔ Most hadith scholars (Jumhoor Muhaddithin) unanimously agree that the phrase:
“وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا”
"When he recites, then remain silent"
is not authentically established from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), is not a preserved part of the hadith, and is due to errors of certain narrators, primarily Abu Khalid and Ibn ‘Ajlan.
Conclusion
The addition “وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا” found in some narrations is not established from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). It is regarded by the scholars of Hadith as a narrator's error, and thus, cannot be relied upon for establishing a ruling in Salah regarding remaining silent during the Imam’s recitation.
