Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 840 a
sahih

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported:

I observed prayer in danger with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). We drew ourselves up in two rows, one row behind him with the enemy between us and the Qibla. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah is Most Great, and we all said it. He then bowed and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing, we all raised (our heads). He then went down in prostration along with the row close to him, and the rear row faced the enemy; then when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) completed the prostration, ; and then stood up, the row near to him also did it; then went down the rear row in prostration; then they stood up; then the rear row went to the front and the front row went to the rear. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bowed down and we all bowed. He then raised his head from bowing and we also raised (our heads). He and the row close to him which I had been in the rear then went down in prostration In the first rak'ah, whereas the rear row faced the enemy. And when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the rear row close to him had finished the prostration, the rear row went down and prostrated themselves; then the Messenger of Allah pronounced the salutation and we also pronounced the salutation. (Jabir said we hadith) as your guards behave with their chiefs.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةَ الْخَوْفِ فَصَفَّنَا صَفَّيْنِ صَفٌّ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالْعَدُوُّ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقِبْلَةِ فَكَبَّرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَبَّرْنَا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَرَكَعْنَا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَرَفَعْنَا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ انْحَدَرَ بِالسُّجُودِ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ وَقَامَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ فِي نَحْرِ الْعَدُوِّ فَلَمَّا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم السُّجُودَ وَقَامَ الصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ انْحَدَرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ بِالسُّجُودِ وَقَامُوا ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ وَتَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَرَكَعْنَا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَرَفَعْنَا جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ انْحَدَرَ بِالسُّجُودِ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ الَّذِي كَانَ مُؤَخَّرًا فِي الرَّكْعَةِ الأُولَى وَقَامَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ فِي نُحُورِ الْعَدُوِّ فَلَمَّا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم السُّجُودَ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ انْحَدَرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُؤَخَّرُ بِالسُّجُودِ فَسَجَدُوا ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَسَلَّمْنَا جَمِيعًا ‏.‏ قَالَ جَابِرٌ كَمَا يَصْنَعُ حَرَسُكُمْ هَؤُلاَءِ بِأُمَرَائِهِمْ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 6, Hadith 373
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 4, Hadith 1826 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The prayer of fear is the prayer whose time comes when the Muslims are engaged in fighting the enemy. Since prayer is the greatest among the practical pillars of Islam, it does not cease to be due under any condition, even during war. In this Hadīth, Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reports on one of the ways of performing the prayer of fear during war, as he witnessed the prayer of fear with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The entire army was lined up behind him in two successive rows, with the enemy standing between them and the Qiblah. This indicates that everyone will face the enemy, whether those who stand for prayer or those who stand for guarding. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commenced the prayer and said the takbīr of ihrām, and the whole army said takbīr with him. Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the recitation, and they all bowed. Then, he raised his head from Rukū‘, and they all raised their heads. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, and the row behind him prostrated, whereas the back row remained standing to guard those who were prostrating in front of them. They stood in the face of the enemy and opposite them, lest the enemy might attack while they were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) finished the two prostrations, and the row behind him, that prostrated the first time, stood up, the back row came down to prostrate. Then, when they finished the prostration, they stood up. Then, the back row stepped forward and stood in the place of the first row—after becoming equal to them in terms of standing behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the second Rak'ah—and the first row stepped back. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) bowed after the standing and recitation, and the entire army bowed. Then he raised his head from Rukū‘, and the entire army raised their heads. Then he came down to prostrate, and so did the row behind him, who stood in the back in the first Rak'ah, whereas the back row got up and stood in the face of the enemy to guard those who were prostrating. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and the row behind him finished the prostration, the back row came down to prostrate, and after they finished the prostration and tashahhud, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made taslīm, and all worshipers made taslīm after him, for they completed their prayer. Then, Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) said to those around him: ''As those guards of yours have a certain protocol with their leaders," i.e., the servants of the ruler who are assigned to protect and guard him, their prayer is like the prayer the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he faced the enemy. Numerous ways are reported for performing the prayer of fear, and this is one of the versions about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this regard. He performed it on different days and in diverse ways in which he sought what is more cautious for prayer and more effective for guarding. This prayer has different forms, but they are all consistent in intent. In the Hadīth: Demonstrating the manner and form of the prayer of fear And in it: Demonstrating the significance of congregational prayer, as its performance was prescribed in the state of fear. So, it is more appropriate for a person who is safe and secure to observe it. And in it: Taking precautions against the enemy at the time of the battle by all means And in it: The religion enjoins the acts of worship that preserve a person before Allah in the Hereafter and enjoins the pursuit of means that preserve a person in worldly life And in it: It shows the ease of the Shariah for those accountable to perform prayer.
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