Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 360 a
sahih

Jabir b. Samura reported:

A man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whether he should perform ablution after (eating) mutton. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: Perform ablution it you so desire, and if you do not wish, do not perform it. He (again) asked: Should I perform ablution (after eating) camel's flesh? He said: Yes, perform ablution (after eating) camel's flesh. He (again) said: May I say prayer in the sheepfolds? He (the Messenger of Allah) said: Yes. He (the narrator) again said: May I say prayer where camels lie down? He (the Prophet) said: No.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ، فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَوْهَبٍ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَأَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْ لُحُومِ الْغَنَمِ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَلاَ تَوَضَّأْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَتَوَضَّأُ مِنْ لُحُومِ الإِبِلِ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ فَتَوَضَّأْ مِنْ لُحُومِ الإِبِلِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أُصَلِّي فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أُصَلِّي فِي مَبَارِكِ الإِبِلِ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 3, Hadith 123
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 3, Hadith 700 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Purity and prayer are believers' symbols, so Islam encourages Muslims to perform acts of worship in appropriate places and times, which the Prophet used to teach his companions. In this hadith, Jaber ibn Samura narrated that a man asked the Prophet about: (1) Performing ablution due to eating sheep’s meat, and (2) Praying in sheepfolds. The Prophet answered that it is optional to perform ablution and confirmed that it is permissible to pray in sheep's shelters. Imam Abu Daoud narrated in his Sunan that the Prophet "was asked about praying in sheepfolds, so he answered, 'Pray in them, for it has a blessing.'" Sheep are calm animals with kindness and little movements. The same man also asked the Prophet about: (1) Performing ablution due to eating its meat, and (2) Praying in camel's folds. The Prophet replied that it was necessary for a Muslim to perform ablution due to eating camel's meat. Also, he forbade us from praying in their folds. As for the cause of this prohibition, scholars mentioned the following potential reasons: (1) A camel sometimes has a sudden strong behavior so it may hurt, confuse, or interrupt the praying one, so he is being afraid that it may trample and kill him, and (2) Camels' folds are full of filths and contain deeply terrible smell. Imam Abu Daoud narrated in his Sunan that the Prophet said, "Do not pray in camels' folds, for they are the places of devils." So, devils are whispering to the praying ones in these folds. Anyway, a Muslim should avoid praying in these folds whether or not he knows the reason for this prohibition..
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