Where to Stand - Section 1

'Abdallah b. ‘Abbas said:

When I was spending a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimuna God’s Messenger stood up and prayed. I stood at his left side, and he, taking my hand behind his back, directed me thus* behind his back to his right side. *'Abdallah would use a gesture to indicate how it was done. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: بِتُّ فِي بَيت خَالَتِي مَيْمُونَةَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي فَقُمْتُ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِهِ فَعَدَلَنِي كَذَلِكَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهره إِلَى الشق الْأَيْمن

Jabir said:

God’s Messenger stood up to pray and I came and stood at his left side, so he took my hand, turned me round, and set me at his right side. Then Jabbar b. Sakhr came and stood at God’s Messenger's left, so he took us both by the hand, pushed us back, and made us stand behind him. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِيُصَلِّيَ فَجِئْتُ حَتَّى قُمْتُ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَأَدَارَنِي حَتَّى أَقَامَنِي عَن يَمِينه ثُمَّ جَاءَ جَبَّارُ بْنُ صَخْرٍ فَقَامَ عَنْ يَسَارِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخَذَ بيدينا جَمِيعًا فدفعنا حَتَّى أَقَمْنَا خَلفه. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Anas said:

An orphan and I prayed in our house behind the Prophet, and Umm Sulaim* was behind us. *She was the mother of Anas. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: صَلَّيْتُ أَنَا وَيَتِيمٌ فِي بَيْتِنَا خَلْفَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأم سليم خلفنا. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

He said that the Prophet (ﷺ) led him and his mother, or his maternal aunt, in prayer, adding, “He set me at his right and set the woman behind us." Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّى بِهِ وَبِأُمِّهِ أَوْ خَالَتِهِ قَالَ: فَأَقَامَنِي عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَأَقَامَ الْمَرْأَةَ خَلْفَنَا. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

Abu Bakra said that he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was bowing, so he bowed before joining the row, after which he went to it. He mentioned that to the Prophet, and he said, “God increase your eagerness! But don’t do it again." Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ أَنَّهُ انْتَهَى إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ رَاكِعٌ فَرَكَعَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَصِلَ إِلَى الصَّفِّ ثُمَّ مَشَى إِلَى الصَّفِّ. فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «زَادَكَ اللَّهُ حِرْصًا وَلَا تعد» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Samura b. Jundub said:

God’s Messenger commanded that when there were three of us one should stand in front. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

عَن سَمُرَة بن جُنْدُب قَالَ: أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا كُنَّا ثَلَاثَةً أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَنَا أَحَدُنَا. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

‘Ammar said he was leading the people in al-Mada’in in prayer, and stood on a bench and prayed while the people were lower than he was. Hudhaifa came forward and took him by the hands, and ‘Ammar followed him till he brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer Hudhaifa said to him:

Did you not hear God’s Messenger say, “When a man leads the people in prayer he must not stand in a position higher than theirs,” or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied, “That is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ: أَنَّهُ أَمَّ النَّاسَ بِالْمَدَائِنِ وَقَامَ عَلَى دُكَّانٍ يُصَلِّي وَالنَّاسُ أَسْفَلَ مِنْهُ فَتَقَدَّمَ حُذَيْفَةُ فَأَخَذَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ فَاتَّبَعَهُ عَمَّارٌ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَهُ حُذَيْفَةُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ عَمَّارٌ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ قَالَ لَهُ حُذَيْفَةُ: أَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِذَا أَمَّ الرَّجُلُ الْقَوْمَ فَلَا يَقُمْ فِي مَقَامٍ أَرْفَعَ مِنْ مَقَامِهِمْ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ؟» فَقَالَ عَمَّارٌ: لِذَلِكَ اتَّبَعْتُكَ حِينَ أَخَذْتَ عَلَى يَدي. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Sahl b. Sa‘d as-Sa‘idi said he was asked what the pulpit was made of and replied, “It was from the tamarisks of al-Ghaba, made by so and so, client of such and such a woman, for God’s Messenger. When it was made and placed in position God’s Messenger mounted it, faced the <i>qibla</i>, and said ‘God is most great’, the people standing behind him. He recited some verses and bowed, and the people bowed behind him. He then raised his head, moved backwards and prostrated himself to the ground, then returned to the pulpit, then recited some verses, then bowed, then raised his head, then moved backwards and prostrated himself to the ground.” This is Bukhari’s wording. In a version given both by him and by Muslim there is something similar, at the end of which it is said:

Then when he finished he faced the people and said, “O people, I have done this only that you should be guided by me and know how I conduct prayer.”

وَعَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ: مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ الْمِنْبَرُ؟ فَقَالَ: هُوَ مِنْ أَثْلِ الْغَابَةِ عَمِلَهُ فُلَانٌ مَوْلَى فُلَانَةَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَامَ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ عُمِلَ وَوُضِعَ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَكَبَّرَ وَقَامَ النَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ فَقَرَأَ وَرَكَعَ وَرَكَعَ النَّاسُ خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرَى فَسَجَدَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْقَهْقَرِي حَتَّى سجد بِالْأَرْضِ. هَذَا لفظ البُخَارِيّ وَفِي الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهِ نَحْوُهُ وَقَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ: فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا صَنَعْتُ هَذَا لِتَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلِتَعْلَمُوا صَلَاتي»

‘A’isha said that God’s Messenger prayed in his private apartment and the people followed his lead behind the apartment. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رِضَى اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حُجْرَتِهِ وَالنَّاسُ يَأْتَمُّونَ بِهِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحُجْرَةِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari said:

I must tell you how God’s Messenger conducted prayer. He said that he had the <i>iqama</i> announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer (mentioning how he conducted it), then said, “Thus is the prayer of. . ,”* ‘Abd al-A‘la said: I think he must have said “my people.” * The wording of the tradition is incomplete. ‘Abd al-A‘la who appears at a later stage in the <i>isnad</i> supplies what he considers the missing word must have been. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ: أَلَا أُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِصَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ قَالَ: أَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَصَفَّ الرِّجَالَ وَصَفَّ خَلْفَهُمُ الْغِلْمَانَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى بِهِمْ فَذَكَرَ صَلَاتَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «هَكَذَا صَلَاة» قَالَ عبد العلى: لَا أَحْسَبُهُ إِلَّا قَالَ: أُمَّتِي ". رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Qais b. ‘Ubad said:

While I was in the mosque in the front row a man pulled me from behind, moved me aside and took my place, with the result, I swear by God, that I did not know what prayers I said. When he had finished I saw that he was Ubayy b. Ka'b. He said, “Young man, God does not wrong you, for this is a charge from the Prophet (ﷺ) to us that we should be near him.” He then faced the qibla and said three times, “May <i>ahl al-'aqd</i> perish, by the Lord of the Ka'ba!” Then he said, “I swear by God that I do not grieve for them, but for those they have led astray.” I asked, “Abu Ya'qub, what do you mean by <i>ahl al-'aqd</i>?”* He replied, “The commanders.” * One of the meanings of '<i>aqd</i> is “responsibility.’’ The phrase literally means “the people bf responsibility”, i.e. those who are in responsible positions. A chief ruler may be called <i>sahib al-'aqd wal hall</i>, i.e. he who binds and looses. Nasa’i transmitted it.

وَعَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عُبَادٍ قَالَ: بَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فِي الصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ فَجَبَذَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ خَلْفِي جَبْذَةً فَنَحَّانِي وَقَامَ مَقَامِي فَوَاللَّهِ مَا عَقَلْتُ صَلَاتِي. فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ إِذَا هُوَ أُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ: يَا فَتَى لَا يَسُوءُكَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ هَذَا عُهِدَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْنَا أَنْ نَلِيَهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَقَالَ: هَلَكَ أَهْلُ الْعُقَدِ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ آسَى وَلَكِنْ آسَى عَلَى مَنْ أَضَلُّوا. قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا يَعْقُوبَ مَا تَعْنِي بِأَهْلِ العقد؟ قَالَ: الْأُمَرَاء. رَوَاهُ النَّسَائِيّ