Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 944
sahih

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) led the fear prayer and the people stood behind him. He said Takbir (Allahu-Akbar) and the people said the same. He bowed and some of them bowed. Then he prostrated and they also prostrated. Then he stood for the second rak`a and those who had prayed the first rak`a left and guarded their brothers. The second party joined him and performed bowing and prostration with him. All the people were in prayer but they were guarding one another during the prayer.

حَدَّثَنَا حَيْوَةُ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَامَ النَّاسُ مَعَهُ، فَكَبَّرَ وَكَبَّرُوا مَعَهُ، وَرَكَعَ وَرَكَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَسَجَدُوا مَعَهُ، ثُمَّ قَامَ لِلثَّانِيَةِ فَقَامَ الَّذِينَ سَجَدُوا وَحَرَسُوا إِخْوَانَهُمْ، وَأَتَتِ الطَّائِفَةُ الأُخْرَى فَرَكَعُوا وَسَجَدُوا مَعَهُ، وَالنَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ فِي صَلاَةٍ، وَلَكِنْ يَحْرُسُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 12, Hadith 3
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 14, Hadith 66 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The five daily prayers are obligatory upon every accountable Muslim, and it is the pillar (backbone) of the religion; thus, it is not possible [for] any Muslim to leave off performing them under any circumstances, be the person is settled as a resident or traveling, and whether during times of peace or war. The significance of the five prayers is evident in Islam that mandates its performance – even in war but with ease. Many narrations have been relayed on how the Prayer of Peril (Fear) is performed, which is the prayer that is performed in the presence of the enemy. This hadeeth explains one way of how to perform the Prayer of Peril (Fear) and describes how the Prophet ﷺperformed it. ‘Abdullah ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Prophet ﷺ stood up and prepared for the Prayer of Peril (Fear) at one of the battles, and that all of the combatants stood up [also to perform] the prayer with him ﷺ. This is an indication that he did not divide the army at the time of the prayer.Then, the Prophet said the opening glorification (takbeer) [thereafter]. All who were present with the Prophet ﷺ said the opening glorification [as well]. When the Prophet made the first bow, a group of them bowed with him ﷺ, and they followed his lead when he ﷺ prostrated. All the while, the rest remained standing [and] did not bow nor prostrate - [but rather] guarded whoever bowed and prostrated with the Messenger ﷺ. As such, those who were gathered remained standing in the prayer without bowing or prostrating until the first group completed the performance of the first unit with the Imaam of the prayer. The Prophet ﷺthen rose for the second rakʿah (unit), and [thereafter], those who completed the first unit of prayer with the Prophet ﷺ paused [their prayer] and fell behind to the place of the second row, while the group who did not bow or prostrate with him ﷺ in the first rakʿahcame [forward]. [Afterwards], they bowed and prostrated with him ﷺin the second unit of prayer while those who prayed with the Prophet ﷺin the first rakʿah did not bow nor prostrate [in the second unit of prayer]. Therefore, each group completed one unit of the prayer with the Imaam، while the Imaamhimself completed two units of prayer. As such, all of them were in prayer all the while they guarded each other in rotation. It was said that this form [of prayer] is performed if the enemy is in the direction of the Qiblah with respect to the Muslims. In this case, the Imaam (of the prayer) places the people into two rows behind him, and it (the prayer) is performed in the elaborated manner previously mentioned. al-Bukhaaree and al-Nasaa’ee narrated on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbaas(may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺperformed this prayer in this way at a place near Dhu al-Qarad, [which] is about a one day’s distance from al-Madeenah, near the lands of Ghaṭfaan. It is located between Khaybar and al-Madeenah, thirty kilometres away from al-Madeenah..
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