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Sunan an-Nasa'iThe Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah)

Sunan an-Nasa'i 793

Chapter: The Imam appointing someone else to lead the prayer in his absence

Authentic 3 scholars’ grades Sunan an-Nasa'i 793

Narrator:Sahl ibn Sa‘d

أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَازِمٍ، قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ كَانَ قِتَالٌ بَيْنَ بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّى الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُمْ لِيُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِبِلاَلٍ ‏"‏ يَا بِلاَلُ

إِذَا حَضَرَ الْعَصْرُ وَلَمْ آتِ فَمُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَذَّنَ بِلاَلٌ ثُمَّ أَقَامَ فَقَالَ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ رضى الله عنه تَقَدَّمْ ‏.‏ فَتَقَدَّمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَدَخَلَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَعَلَ يَشُقُّ النَّاسَ حَتَّى قَامَ خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَفَّحَ الْقَوْمُ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِذَا دَخَلَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ لَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ التَّصْفِيحَ لاَ يُمْسَكُ عَنْهُ الْتَفَتَ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَى قَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَهُ امْضِهْ ثُمَّ مَشَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْقَهْقَرَى عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ فَتَأَخَّرَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقَدَّمَ فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى صَلاَتَهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَا مَنَعَكَ إِذْ أَوْمَأْتُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ لاَ تَكُونَ مَضَيْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لاِبْنِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ أَنْ يَؤُمَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ‏"‏ إِذَا نَابَكُمْ شَىْءٌ فَلْيُسَبِّحِ الرِّجَالُ وَلْيُصَفِّحِ النِّسَاءُ ‏"

Sahl bin Sa'd said:

"There was some fighting among Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf, and news of that reached the Prophet (ﷺ). He prayed Zuhr, then he went to them to reconcile between them. Then he said to Bilal: 'O Bilal, if the time for Asr comes and I have not come back, then tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.' When the time (for Asr) came, Bilal called the Adhan, then the Iqamah, then he said to Abu Bakr: 'Go forward. So Abu Bakr went forward and started to pray. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and started passing through the rows of people until he stood behind Abu Bakr, and the people clapped. Abu Bakr was such that whenever he started praying, he would never glance sideways, but when he noticed that the clapping persisted he turned around. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gestured to him to carry on praying. Abu Bakr praised Allah the Mighty and Sublime for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) having told him to continue. Then Abu Bakr moved backward on his heels, and when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw that, he came forward and led the people in prayer. When he completed the prayer he said: 'O Abu Bakr, when I gestured to you, what kept you from continuing (to lead the people)?' He said: 'It does not befit the son of Abu Quhafah to lead the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in prayer.' And he (the Prophet) said to the people: 'If you notice something (during the prayer), men should say Subhan Allah and women should clap.'"

Reported by An-Nasa’i (No. 793).

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Classical commentary

Al-Sindi — Hashiyat al-Sindi on Sunan al-Nasa'i

قَوْله ( فَجَعَلَ يَشُقّ النَّاس ) أَيْ صُفُوفهمْ إِمَّا لِأَنَّهُ يَجُوز لِلْإِمَامِ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لِأَنَّهُ رَأَى فُرْجَة فِي الصَّفّ الْأَوَّل كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ ( وَصَفَّحَ ) مِنْ التَّصْفِيح بِمَعْنَى التَّصْفِيق ( لَا يُمْسِك عَنْهُ ) عَلَى بِنَاء الْمَفْعُول أَيْ رَأَى التَّصْفِيق مُسْتَمِرًّا غَيْر مُنْقَطِع ( فَأَوْمَأَ ) بِالْهَمْزَةِ أَيْ أَشَارَ بِالْمُضِيِّ فِي الصَّلَاة مَكَانه.…

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Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH AuthenticSahih The hadith No. 793
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH Authentic chainIsnaad Sahih The chain only No. 793
Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddahd. 1417 AH AuthenticSahih The hadith No. 793

Other versions

Also reported by… (13)
  • التمهيد لابن عبد البر (3961)ائْتِ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • الشريعة للآجري (1305)إِنْ حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاةُ وَلَمْ آتِ فَمُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • المجالسة وجواهر العلم للدينوري (2205)صَلَّى خَلَفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
  • المعجم الأوسط للطبراني (3793)صَلَّى خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
  • المعرفة والتاريخ ليعقوب بن سفيان (427)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ ، فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • المعرفة والتاريخ ليعقوب بن سفيان (429)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ ، فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • تاريخ الإسلام الذهبي (203)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • جزء حنبل بن إسحاق (27)صَلَّى خَلْفَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
  • سير أعلام النبلاء الذهبي (1142)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • سير أعلام النبلاء الذهبي (1374)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • صحيح ابن خزيمة (1439)إِذَا حَضَرَتِ الْعَصْرُ ، وَلَمْ آتِ ، فَمُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • كشف الأستار (797)مُرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ
  • معجم الشيوخ الكبير للذهبي (296)مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ

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