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Sahih al-BukhariPrayers (Salat)

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, he used to spread out his hands until the whiteness of his armpits would be visible

Chapter: During Prostrations one should show his armpits and separate his forearms from his body

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 390

Narrator:Abdullah ibn Buhayna

أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ مُضَرَ، عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ هُرْمُزَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ابْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ

إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ‏.‏

Abdullah ibn Mālik ibn Buhaynah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, he used to spread out his hands until the whiteness of his armpits would be visible.

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 390, 807, 3564), Muslim (No. 495a, 495b), An-Nasa’i (No. 1106) and Ahmad (No. 21847).

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Explanation

When prostrating, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to spread out his hands during Sujūd (prostration), keeping each hand away from its respective side like the two wings, until the skin color of his armpits would become visible. This is a form of exaggeration in distancing the arms and keeping them far from his sides.

Lessons

  • This posture, in which one keeps his upper arms away from his sides, is recommended in Sujūd.
  • It is not permissible for the one praying behind the Imam to adopt the Mujāfāh posture (keeping the arms quite distant from the sides) if this annoys the one praying next to him.
  • Mujāfāh in Sujūd has many rationales and benefits, some of which are: displaying activeness and interest in prayer; and when resting on all of the body parts involved in Sujūd, each part will take its share of worship. It was also said: The rationale behind this is that it resembles humility more and enables one to place his forehead and nose on the ground in a more proper manner, and it also allows each body part to be involved apart from other parts.

Explanation in Arabic

كَانَ صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا سجد فرَّج بين يديه أثناء السجود؛ فنحَّى كلَّ يد عن الجنب الذي يليها، مثل الجناحين، حتى يبدو لون جلد إبطيه؛

وهذا من المبالغة في تجنيح الذراعين ومباعدتهما عن جانبيه.

  • استحباب هذه الهيئة في السجود، وهي مباعدة عَضُديه عن جنبيه.
  • المأموم الذي يتأذَّى جارُه بالمجافاة؛ فلا يُشرع له ذلك.
  • في المجافاة في السجود حِكم وفوائد كثيرة، منها: إظهار النشاط والرغبة في الصلاة، وأنه إذا اعتمد على كل أعضاء السجود أخذ كل عضو حقه من العبادة. وقيل: الحكمة في ذلك أنه أشبه بالتواضع، وأبلغ في تمكين الجبهة والأنف من الأرض، وأيضًا ليتميز كل عضو بنفسه.

Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH Authenticصحيح The hadith صحيح البخاري No. 390
Grades of other versions (6)
  • AuthenticAl-Albani صحيح — صحيح النسائي (1105)
  • Authentic chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده صحيح على شرطهما — تخريج المسند لشعيب (22925)
  • Authentic chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده صحيح، رجاله رجال الصحيح غير أبي الأسود النضر بن عبد الجبار وهو ثقة — تخريج صحيح ابن حبان (1919)
  • AuthenticAl-Bukhari صحيح — صحيح البخاري (807)
  • AuthenticMuslim صحيح — صحيح مسلم (495)
  • AuthenticIbn Hibban أخرجه في صحيحه — صحيح ابن حبان (1919)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 3564

When the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated, he used to keep his arms so widely apart that we used to see his armpits. (The sub-narrator, Ibn Bukair said, "The whiteness of his armpits.")

إِذَا سَجَدَ فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى نَرَى إِبْطَيْهِ‏.‏ قَالَ وَقَالَ ابْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرٌ بَيَاضَ إِبْطَيْهِ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Buhayna

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 495b

" When the Messenger of Allah (rtiay peace be upon him) prostrated, he spread out his arms so that the whiteness of his armpits was visible." And in the narration transmitted by al-Laith (the words are:" When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated. he spread his hands from the armpits so that I saw…

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سَوَّادٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَاللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ‏.‏ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Buhayna

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 21847

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ مُضَرَ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَالِكِ ابْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Buhayna Arabic only

See all 8 versions
Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Bulugh al-Maram 298

When the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated while praying, he used to spread out his arms so that the whiteness of his armpits would be visible. [Agreed upon].

وَعَنْ اِبْنِ بُحَيْنَةَ ‏- رضى الله عنه ‏- { أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ ‏- صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏-كَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ , حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبِطَيْهِ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ .‏ 1‏ ‏1 ‏- صحيح .‏ رواه…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Buhayna

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Mishkat al-Masabih 891

‘Abdallah b. Malik Ibn Buhaina* said that when the Prophet prostrated himself he spread out his arms so that the whiteness under his armpits was visible. * Buhaina was ‘Abdallah’s mother. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ بن بُحَيْنَة قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا سَجَدَ فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاض إبطَيْهِ

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Buhayna

Also reported by… (9)
  • السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (2478)إِذَا صَلَّى ، فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ إِبِطَاهُ
  • السنن الكبرى للنسائي (686)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُو بَيَاضَ إِبِطَيْهِ
  • المحلى بالآثار لابن حزم (658)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ، حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ
  • المسند المستخرج على صحيح مسلم لأبي نعيم (958)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ
  • تاريخ الإسلام الذهبي (377)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبِطَيْهِ
  • تغليق التعليق لابن حجر (163)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ، حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ
  • تغليق التعليق لابن حجر (1185)إِذَا سَجَدَ فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى نَرَى إِبْطَيْهِ
  • صحيح ابن حبان (1958)إِذَا سَجَدَ فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ
  • صحيح ابن خزيمة (631)إِذَا صَلَّى فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ إِبْطَاهُ

On the same subject

Authentic Sunan an-Nasa'i 1101

"When the Prophet (ﷺ) fell to the ground during prostration, he held his arms away from his sides and bent his toes."

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أَهْوَى إِلَى الأَرْضِ سَاجِدًا جَافَى عَضُدَيْهِ عَنْ إِبْطَيْهِ وَفَتَخَ أَصَابِعَ رِجْلَيْهِ ‏.‏ مُخْتَصَرٌ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Humayd as-Sā‘idī + 16 other versions

Authentic Sahih Muslim 497a

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated himself, he spread his arms, i. e. he separated them so much that the whiteness of his armpits became visible from behind and when he sat (for Jalsa) he rested on his left thigh.

إِذَا سَجَدَ خَوَّى بِيَدَيْهِ - يَعْنِي جَنَّحَ - حَتَّى يُرَى وَضَحُ إِبْطَيْهِ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ وَإِذَا قَعَدَ اطْمَأَنَّ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى ‏.‏

Narrated by Maymūna bint al-Hārith + 2 other versions

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 881

“I was with my father on the plain in Namirah,* when some riders passed us and made their camels kneel down at the side of the road. My father said to me: ‘Stay with your lambs until I go to those people and see what they want.’ He said: Then he (my father) went out and I came, (i.e., I came near,)…

عُفْرَتَىْ إِبْطَىْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كُلَّمَا سَجَدَ‏.‏ ‏

Narrator: عبد الله بن أقرم الخزاعي + 1 other version

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