Sunan Abu Dawud — Prayer

‘Amr al-Amiri said:I (once) attended the meeting of the companions of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). They began to discuss his prayer. Abu Humaid then narrated a part of the same tradition and said: When he bowed he clutched his knees with his palms, and he opened his fingers; then he bent his back without raising his upwards, and did not turn his face (on any side). When he sat at the end of two rak’ahs he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised the right, and after the fourth he placed his left hip on the ground and spread out both his feet one side

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا ابن لهيعة، عن يزيد، - يعني ابن ابي حبيب - عن محمد بن عمرو بن حلحلة، عن محمد بن عمرو العامري، قال كنت في مجلس من اصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فتذاكروا صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال ابو حميد فذكر بعض هذا الحديث وقال فاذا ركع امكن كفيه من ركبتيه وفرج بين اصابعه ثم هصر ظهره غير مقنع راسه ولا صافح بخده وقال فاذا قعد في الركعتين قعد على بطن قدمه اليسرى ونصب اليمنى فاذا كان في الرابعة افضى بوركه اليسرى الى الارض واخرج قدميه من ناحية واحدة

The above mentioned tradition has also been reported by Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. ‘Ata’ through a different chain of narrators. This version adds:“When he prostrated himself he neither placed his arms on the ground nor closed them; putting forward his fingers towards the qiblah.”

حدثنا عيسى بن ابراهيم المصري، حدثنا ابن وهب، عن الليث بن سعد، عن يزيد بن محمد القرشي، ويزيد بن ابي حبيب، عن محمد بن عمرو بن حلحلة، عن محمد بن عمرو بن عطاء، نحو هذا قال فاذا سجد وضع يديه غير مفترش ولا قابضهما واستقبل باطراف اصابعه القبلة

Abbas or ‘Ayyash b. Sahl as-Sa’idi said that he was present in a meeting which was attended by his father who was one of the companions of the Prophet(ﷺ), Abu Hurairah, Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi and Abu Usaid. He narrated the same tradition with a slight addition or deletion. He said:He then raised his head after bowing and uttered:”Allah listens to him who praises Him, to Thee, our Lord, be the praise,” and raised his hands. He then uttered: “Allah is most great”; then he prostrated himself and rested on his palms, knees, and the end of his toes while prostrating: then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great), and sat down on his hips and raised his other foot; then he uttered the takbir and prostrated himself; then he uttered takbir and stood up, but did not sit on his hips. He (the narrator) then narrated the rest of the tradition. He further said: Then he sat down at the end of two rak’ahs; when he was about to stand after two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir; then he offered the last two rak’ahs of the prayer. The narrator did not mention about his sitting on the hips spreading out his feet

حدثنا علي بن الحسين بن ابراهيم، حدثنا ابو بدر، حدثني زهير ابو خيثمة، حدثنا الحسن بن الحر، حدثني عيسى بن عبد الله بن مالك، عن محمد بن عمرو بن عطاء، احد بني مالك عن عباس، - او عياش - بن سهل الساعدي انه كان في مجلس فيه ابوه وكان من اصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وفي المجلس ابو هريرة وابو حميد الساعدي وابو اسيد بهذا الخبر يزيد او ينقص قال فيه ثم رفع راسه - يعني من الركوع - فقال " سمع الله لمن حمده اللهم ربنا لك الحمد " . ورفع يديه ثم قال " الله اكبر " . فسجد فانتصب على كفيه وركبتيه وصدور قدميه وهو ساجد ثم كبر فجلس فتورك ونصب قدمه الاخرى ثم كبر فسجد ثم كبر فقام ولم يتورك ثم ساق الحديث قال ثم جلس بعد الركعتين حتى اذا هو اراد ان ينهض للقيام قام بتكبيرة ثم ركع الركعتين الاخريين ولم يذكر التورك في التشهد

‘Abbas b. Sahl. Said:Abu Humaid, Abu Usaid, Sahl. B Sa’d and Muhammad b. Maslamah (once) got together and discussed how the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) used to offer his prayer. Abu Humaid said: I am more informed than any of you regarding the prayer offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he mentioned a part of it, and said: He then bowed and placed his hands upon his knees as if he caught hold of them; and bent them, keeping (his arms) away from his sides. He them prostrated himself and placed his nose and forehead (on the ground); and kept his arms away from his side, and placed his palms (on the ground opposite his shoulders; he then raised his head that every bone returned to its proper place; (he then prostrated twice) until he finished this prostrations). Then he sat down and spread out his left foot, putting forward the front of his right foot towards the qiblah placing the palm of his right hand on his right knee, and the palm of his left hand on his left knee, and he pointed with his finger. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Ibn al-Mubarak from Fulaih who heard ‘Abbas . Sahl narrating it; but I do not remember it. I think he made the mention of ‘Isa b. ‘Abd Allah who heard ‘Abbas b. Sahl saying: I accompanied Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi

حدثنا احمد بن حنبل، حدثنا عبد الملك بن عمرو، اخبرني فليح، حدثني عباس بن سهل، قال اجتمع ابو حميد وابو اسيد وسهل بن سعد ومحمد بن مسلمة فذكروا صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال ابو حميد انا اعلمكم بصلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكر بعض هذا قال ثم ركع فوضع يديه على ركبتيه كانه قابض عليهما ووتر يديه فتجافى عن جنبيه قال ثم سجد فامكن انفه وجبهته ونحى يديه عن جنبيه ووضع كفيه حذو منكبيه ثم رفع راسه حتى رجع كل عظم في موضعه حتى فرغ ثم جلس فافترش رجله اليسرى واقبل بصدر اليمنى على قبلته ووضع كفه اليمنى على ركبته اليمنى وكفه اليسرى على ركبته اليسرى واشار باصبعه . قال ابو داود روى هذا الحديث عتبة بن ابي حكيم عن عبد الله بن عيسى عن العباس بن سهل لم يذكر التورك وذكر نحو حديث فليح وذكر الحسن بن الحر نحو جلسة حديث فليح وعتبة

Abu Humaid reported to the same effect. He said:When he (the Prophet) prostrated he kept his thighs wide and did not let his belly touch the thighs. Abu Dawud says that Ibn Mubarak narrated this hadith from ‘Abbas b. Sahl, which he did not remember well. It is thought that he has mentioned ‘Isa b. ‘Abd Allah, ‘Abbas b. Sahl and Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi

حدثنا عمرو بن عثمان، حدثنا بقية، حدثني عتبة، حدثني عبد الله بن عيسى، عن العباس بن سهل الساعدي، عن ابي حميد، بهذا الحديث قال واذا سجد فرج بين فخذيه غير حامل بطنه على شىء من فخذيه . قال ابو داود رواه ابن المبارك اخبرنا فليح سمعت عباس بن سهل يحدث فلم احفظه فحدثنيه اراه ذكر عيسى بن عبد الله انه سمعه من عباس بن سهل قال حضرت ابا حميد الساعدي بهذا الحديث

Wa’il b. Hujr reported in this tradition from the Prophet(ﷺ):When he prostrated, his knees touched the ground before his palms touched it; when he prostrated himself, he placed his forehead on the ground between his palms, and kept his armpits away from his sides. Hajjaj reported from Hammam and Shaqiq narrated a similar tradition to us from ‘Asim b. Kulaib on the authority of his father from the Prophet(ﷺ). And another version narrated by one of them has-and I think in all probability that this version has been narrated by Muhammad b. Juhadah-when he got up (after prostration), he got up with his knees and gave his weight on his thighs

حدثنا محمد بن معمر، حدثنا حجاج بن منهال، حدثنا همام، حدثنا محمد بن جحادة، عن عبد الجبار بن وايل، عن ابيه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في هذا الحديث قال فلما سجد وقعتا ركبتاه الى الارض قبل ان تقع كفاه - قال - فلما سجد وضع جبهته بين كفيه وجافى عن ابطيه . قال حجاج وقال همام وحدثنا شقيق حدثني عاصم بن كليب عن ابيه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بمثل هذا وفي حديث احدهما - واكبر علمي انه حديث محمد بن جحادة - واذا نهض نهض على ركبتيه واعتمد على فخذيه

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raising his thumbs in prayer up to the lobes of his ears

حدثنا مسدد، حدثنا عبد الله بن داود، عن فطر، عن عبد الجبار بن وايل، عن ابيه، قال رايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يرفع ابهاميه في الصلاة الى شحمة اذنيه

Narrated AbuHurayrah: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) for prayer (in the beginning), he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and when he bowed, he did like that; and when he raised his head to prostrate, he did like that; and when he got up at the end of two rak'ahs, he did like that

حدثنا عبد الملك بن شعيب بن الليث، حدثني ابي، عن جدي، عن يحيى بن ايوب، عن عبد الملك بن عبد العزيز بن جريج، عن ابن شهاب، عن ابي بكر بن عبد الرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام، عن ابي هريرة، انه قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اذا كبر للصلاة جعل يديه حذو منكبيه واذا ركع فعل مثل ذلك واذا رفع للسجود فعل مثل ذلك واذا قام من الركعتين فعل مثل ذلك

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Maymun al-Makki said: that he saw Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr leading in prayer. He pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands opposite to the shoulders) when he stood up, when he bowed and when he prostrated, and when he got up after prostration, he pointed with his hands (i.e. raised his hands). The I went to Ibn Abbas and said (to him) I saw Ibn az-Zubayr praying that I never saw anyone praying. I then told him about the pointing with his hands (raising his hands). He said: If you like to see the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) follower the prayer as offered by Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا ابن لهيعة، عن ابي هبيرة، عن ميمون المكي، انه راى عبد الله بن الزبير وصلى بهم يشير بكفيه حين يقوم وحين يركع وحين يسجد وحين ينهض للقيام فيقوم فيشير بيديه فانطلقت الى ابن عباس فقلت اني رايت ابن الزبير صلى صلاة لم ار احدا يصليها فوصفت له هذه الاشارة فقال ان احببت ان تنظر الى صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاقتد بصلاة عبد الله بن الزبير

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Nadr ibn Kathir as-Sa'di said: Abdullah ibn Tawus prayed at my side in the mosque of al-Khayf. When he made the first prostration, he raised his head after it and raised his hands opposite to his face. This came as something strange for me. I, therefore, said it to Wuhayb ibn Khalid. Then Wuhayb ibn Khalid said to him: You are doing a thing that I did not see anyone do. Ibn Tawus then replied: I saw my father doing it, and my father said: I saw Ibn Abbas doing it. I do not know but he said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to do it

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، ومحمد بن ابان، - المعنى - قالا حدثنا النضر بن كثير، - يعني السعدي - قال صلى الى جنبي عبد الله بن طاوس في مسجد الخيف فكان اذا سجد السجدة الاولى فرفع راسه منها رفع يديه تلقاء وجهه فانكرت ذلك فقلت لوهيب بن خالد فقال له وهيب بن خالد تصنع شييا لم ار احدا يصنعه فقال ابن طاوس رايت ابي يصنعه وقال ابي رايت ابن عباس يصنعه ولا اعلم الا انه قال كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يصنعه

Nafi’ said on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that when he began prayer, he uttered the takbir( Allah is most great) and raised his hands; and when he bowed( he raised his hands); and when he said:“Allah listens to him who praises Him,” (he raised his hands); and when he stood up at the end of two rak’ahs, he raised his hands. He (Ibn ‘Umar) traced that back to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Abu Dawud said: What is correct is that the tradition reported by Ibn ‘Umar does not go back to the Prophet (may peace beupon him). Abu Dawud said: The narrator Baqiyyah reported the first part of this tradition from ‘Ubaid Allah and traced it back to the Prophet (ﷺ); and the narrator al-Thaqafi reported it from ‘Ubaid Allah as a statement of Ibn ‘Umar himself(not from the Porphet). In this version he said: When he stood at the end of two rak’ahs he raised them up to his breasts. And this is the correct version. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted as a statement of Ibn ‘Umar (and not of the Prophet) by al-Laith b. Sa’d, Malik, Ayyub, and Ibn Juraij; and this has been narrated as a statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) by Hammad b. Salamah alone on the authority of Ayyub. Ayyub and Malik did not mention his raising of hands when he stood after two prostrations, but al-Laith mentioned it in his version. Ibn Juraij said in this version: I asked Nafi’: Did Ibn ‘Umar raise (his hands) higher for the first time? He said: No, I said: Point out to me. He then pointed to the breasts or lower than that

حدثنا نصر بن علي، اخبرنا عبد الاعلى، حدثنا عبيد الله، عن نافع، عن ابن عمر، انه كان اذا دخل في الصلاة كبر ورفع يديه واذا ركع واذا قال سمع الله لمن حمده واذا قام من الركعتين رفع يديه ويرفع ذلك الى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم . قال ابو داود الصحيح قول ابن عمر وليس بمرفوع . قال ابو داود روى بقية اوله عن عبيد الله واسنده ورواه الثقفي عن عبيد الله اوقفه على اب��ن عمر وقال فيه واذا قام من الركعتين يرفعهما الى ثدييه وهذا هو الصحيح . قال ابو داود ورواه الليث بن سعد ومالك وايوب وابن جريج موقوفا واسنده حماد بن سلمة وحده عن ايوب ولم يذكر ايوب ومالك الرفع اذا قام من السجدتين وذكره الليث في حديثه قال ابن جريج فيه قلت لنافع اكان ابن عمر يجعل الاولى ارفعهن قال لا سواء . قلت اشر لي . فاشار الى الثديين او اسفل من ذلك

Nafi’ said:When ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar began his prayer, he raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and when he raised his head after bowing, he raised them lower than that. Abu Dawud said: So as far as I know, no one narrated the words “he raised them lower that that” except Malik

حدثنا القعنبي، عن مالك، عن نافع، ان عبد الله بن عمر، كان اذا ابتدا الصلاة يرفع يديه حذو منكبيه واذا رفع راسه من الركوع رفعهما دون ذلك . قال ابو داود لم يذكر رفعهما دون ذلك . احد غير مالك فيما اعلم

Ibn ‘Umar said:When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the end of two rak’ahs, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands

حدثنا عثمان بن ابي شيبة، ومحمد بن عبيد المحاربي، قالا حدثنا محمد بن فضيل، عن عاصم بن كليب، عن محارب بن دثار، عن ابن عمر، قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اذا قام من الركعتين كبر ورفع يديه

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood for offering the obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and he did like that when he finished recitation (of the Qur'an) and was about to bow; and he did like that when he rose after bowing; and he did not raise his hands in his prayer while he was in his sitting position. When he stood up from his prostrations (at the end of two rak'ahs), he raised his hands likewise and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands so as to bring them up to his shoulders, as he uttered the takbir in the beginning of the prayer

حدثنا الحسن بن علي، حدثنا سليمان بن داود الهاشمي، حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن ابي الزناد، عن موسى بن عقبة، عن عبد الله بن الفضل بن ربيعة بن الحارث بن عبد المطلب، عن عبد الرحمن الاعرج، عن عبيد الله بن ابي رافع، عن علي بن ابي طالب، - رضى الله عنه - عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم انه كان اذا قام الى الصلاة المكتوبة كبر ورفع يديه حذو منكبيه ويصنع مثل ذلك اذا قضى قراءته واراد ان يركع ويصنعه اذا رفع من الركوع ولا يرفع يديه في شىء من صلاته وهو قاعد واذا قام من السجدتين رفع يديه كذلك وكبر . قال ابو داود في حديث ابي حميد الساعدي حين وصف صلاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم اذا قام من الركعتين كبر ورفع يديه حتى يحاذي بهما منكبيه كما كبر عند افتتاح الصلاة

Malik b. al-Huwairith said:I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) raise his hands when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great), when he bowed and when he raised his head after bowing until he brought them to the lobes of his ears

حدثنا حفص بن عمر، حدثنا شعبة، عن قتادة، عن نصر بن عاصم، عن مالك بن الحويرث، قال رايت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يرفع يديه اذا كبر واذا ركع واذا رفع راسه من الركوع حتى يبلغ بهما فروع اذنيه

Narrated AbuHurayrah: If I were in front of the Prophet (ﷺ), I would see his armpits. Ibn Mu'adh added that Lahiq said: Do you not see, AbuHurayrah could not stand in front of the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was praying. Musa added: When he uttered the takbir, he raised his hands

حدثنا ابن معاذ، حدثنا ابي ح، وحدثنا موسى بن مروان، حدثنا شعيب، - يعني ابن اسحاق المعنى - عن عمران، عن لاحق، عن بشير بن نهيك، قال قال ابو هريرة لو كنت قدام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لرايت ابطيه . زاد ابن معاذ قال يقول لاحق الا ترى انه في الصلاة ولا يستطيع ان يكون قدام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وزاد موسى يعني اذا كبر رفع يديه

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us how to pray. He then uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and raised his hands; when he bowed, he joined his hands and placed them between his knees. When this (report) reached Sa'd, he said: My brother said truly. We used to do this; then we were later on commanded to do this, that is, to place the hands on the knees

حدثنا عثمان بن ابي شيبة، حدثنا ابن ادريس، عن عاصم بن كليب، عن عبد الرحمن بن الاسود، عن علقمة، قال قال عبد الله علمنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الصلاة فكبر ورفع يديه فلما ركع طبق يديه بين ركبتيه قال فبلغ ذلك سعدا فقال صدق اخي قد كنا نفعل هذا ثم امرنا بهذا يعني الامساك على الركبتين

It was reported from Alqamah who said:Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: Should I not pray for you the way the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed? So he prayed, raising his hands only once. Abu Dawud said: This is a summarized version of a longer narration and it is not authentic with this wording

حدثنا عثمان بن ابي شيبة، حدثنا وكيع، عن سفيان، عن عاصم، - يعني ابن كليب - عن عبد الرحمن بن الاسود، عن علقمة، قال قال عبد الله بن مسعود الا اصلي بكم صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال فصلى فلم يرفع يديه الا مرة . قال ابو داود هذا مختصر من حديث طويل وليس هو بصحيح على هذا اللفظ

This tradition has also been transmitted by Sufyan through a different chain of narrators. This version has:He raised his hands once in the beginning. Some narrated: (raised his hands) once only

حدثنا الحسن بن علي، حدثنا معاوية، وخالد بن عمرو، وابو حذيفة قالوا حدثنا سفيان، باسناده بهذا قال فرفع يديه في اول مرة وقال بعضهم مرة واحدة

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began prayer, he raised his hands up to his ears, then he did not repeat

حدثنا محمد بن الصباح البزاز، حدثنا شريك، عن يزيد بن ابي زياد، عن عبد الرحمن بن ابي ليلى، عن البراء، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان اذا افتتح الصلاة رفع يديه الى قريب من اذنيه ثم لا يعود