Sunan Abi Dawud

when a servant (of Allah) prostrates himself, the seven limbs, i.e, his face, his palms, his knees and his feet prostrate along with him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Both hands prostrate as the face prostrates. When one of you puts his face (on the ground) he should put his hands too (on the ground). And when he raises it, he should raise them too.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; when you come to pray while we are prostrating ourselves, you must prostrate yourselves, and do not reckon it anything (rak’ah) he has been present at the prayer.

The mark of earth was seen on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) due to the prayer in which he led the people.

The above mentioned tradition has also been transmitted by Ma’mar through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

Al-Bara' described to us (the nature of prostration). He placed his hands (palms), reclined on his knees, and raised his hips; he said: This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to prostrate himself.

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying; Adopt a moderate position when prostrating yourselves, and see that none of you stretches out his forearms(on the ground) like a dog.

When the Prophet(ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms so far away from his sides that if a lamb had wanted to pass under his arms, it could have done so.

I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) from behind. I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the ground).

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrated himself, he kept his arms far away from his sides so much so that we took pity on him.

when one of you prostrates himself, he should not stretch out his forearms( on the ground) like a dog and he should join both of his thighs.

The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) complained to the Prophet (ﷺ) about the hardship when they kept their forearms far away from their sides while prostrating. He said: Take help with the elbows (by spreading them on the ground and sticking them to the sides).

Sa'id ibn Ziyad ibn Subayh al-Hanafi said: I prayed by the side of Ibn Umar and I put my hands on my waist. When he finished his prayer, He said: This is a cross in prayer; the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to forbid it.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying and a sound came from his breast like the rumbling of a mill owing to weeping.

Anyone who performs ablution and performs his ablution well, and then he offers two rak’ahs of prayers in a way that he does not forget ( anything in it), will be forgiven all his past sins.

Any one performs ablution and performs the ablution perfectly and then offers two rak’ahs of prayers concentrating on them with his heart and face but paradise will necessarily fall to his lot.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited - Yahya (sub narrator) said: Sometimes al-Miswar said: I prayed along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and witnessed that he recited - the Qur'an during the prayer and omitted something (i.e. some verses inadvertently) which he did not recite. A man said to him: Messenger of Allah, you omitted such-and-such verse. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Why did you not remind me of it? The narrator Sulayman said in his version: He (the man) said: I thought that it (the verse) was repealed.

The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed and recited the Qur’an in it. He was then confused in it (in his recitation). When he finished (his prayer), he said to Ubayy (b. Ka’b): Did you pray along with us? He said: Yes. He said: What prevented you (from correcting me)?

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Ali, do not instruct the imam during the prayer. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Abu Ishaq heard only for traditions from al-Harith, this tradition is not one of them.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah, the Most High, continues to turn favourably towards a servant while he is engaged in prayer as long as he does not look to the side (by turning the neck), but if he does so, He turns away from him.

I asked the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) about looking to the sides during prayer. He said: It is something which the devil snatches from a servant’s prayers.

The mark of earth was seen on the forehead and nose of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) who had led the people I prayer. Abu Ali said: Abu Dawud did not recite this tradition when he recited his collection(of sunan) for the fourth time.

The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque and saw there some people praying raising their hand towards the heaven. (This Is the common version: ) He said : People must stop raising their eyes to the heaven. The narrator Musaddad said: During prayer, otherwise their sight will be taken away.

What is the matter that people raise their (Upwards) in prayer. He then said sternly: They should stop doing that, otherwise their sight will be snatched away.

the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) once prayed with a sheet of cloth upon him. It had prints and paintings. He said: The prints of this (sheet) distracted my attention; take it to Abu Jahm and bring a blanket to me.

He (the prophet) took a kind of sheet of cloth known as kurdi which belongs to Abu Jahm. The people told him; Messenger of Allah, the (former) sheet of cloth was better than this kind of kurdi sheet.

The iqamah for the morning prayer was pronounced and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to offer prayer while he was looking at the mountain-pass. (AbuDawud elaborated that the Prophet had sent a horseman to the mountain-pass at night in order to keep watch.)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was leading the people in prayer with Umamah daughter of Zainab daughter of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) (in his lap). When he prostrated, he put her down and when he got up(after prostration) he lifted her up.

We were sitting in the mosque when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came upon us carrying Umamah daughter of Abul'As ibn ar-Rabi'. Her mother was Zaynab daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She (Umamah) was a child and he (the Prophet) was carrying her on his shoulder. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led (the people) in prayer while she was on his shoulder. When he bowed he put her down and took her up when he got up. He kept on doing so until he finished his prayer.

I saw the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) leading the people in prayer with Umamah daughter of Abu al-As on his neck (shoulder). When he prostrated, he put her down. Abu Dawud said: The narrator Makhramah did not hear from his father except one tradition.

While we were waiting for the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) for the noon or afternoon prayer, and Bilal had already called him for prayer, he came upon us with Umamah daughter of Abu al-As and daughter of his daughter on his neck. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood at the place of prayer and we stood behind him and she(Umamah) (all this time) was in her place. He uttered the takbir and we also uttered. When the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) intended to bow, he took her and put her down, and then he bowed and prostrated till he finished his prostration. He then got up and took her and returned he to her place. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) kept on doing that in every rak’ah until he finished his prayer. May peace be upon him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Kill the two black things during prayer, the snake and scorpion.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was praying with his door bolted. I came and asked to have the door opened. He walked and opened the door for me. He then returned to his place for prayer. He (the narrator Urwah) mentioned that the door faced the qiblah.

We used to salute the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our salutation, but when we returned from the Negas, we saluted him and he did not respond to us. He said : Prayer demands one’s whole attention.

We used to salute during prayer and talk about our needs. I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and found him praying. I saluted him, but he did not respond to me. I recalled what happened to me in the past and in the present. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said to me: Allah, the Almighty, creates new command as He wishes, and Allah, the Exalted, has sent a fresh command that you must not talk during prayer. He then returned my salutation.

I passed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was praying. I saluted him and he returned it by making a sign. The narrator said: I do not know but that he said: He made a sign with his finger. This is the version reported by Qutaybah.

The prophet of Allah(ﷺ) sent me to Banu al-Mustaliq. When I returned to him, he was praying on his camel. I talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I again talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I was hearing him reciting the Qur’an and he was making a sign with his head. When he finished his prayer, he said; what did you do about the mission for which I had sent you; nothing prevented me from talking to you except that I was praying.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to Quba to offer prayer. Then the Ansar (the Helpers) came to him and gave him a salutation while he was engaged in prayer. I asked Bilal: How did you find the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) responding to them when they gave him a salutation while he was engaged in prayer. He replied: In this way, and Ja'far ibn Awn demonstrated by spreading his palm, and keeping its inner side below and its back side above.

There is no loss in prayer nor in salutation. Ahmad(b. Hanbal) said: This means, I think, that you do not salute nor you are saluted by others. The loss of a man in his prayer is that a man remains doubtful about it when he finishes it.

There is no loss in salutation and in prayer. Abu Dawud said: According to the version of Ibn Mahdi, this tradition has been narrated by Ibn Fudail as a statement of Abu Hurairah and not as a saying of the Prophet(ﷺ)

I was praying with the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). A man in the company sneezed, and I said: May Allah have mercy on you! The people gave me disapproving looks, so I said: Woe is to me! What do you mean by looking at me? They began to strike their hand on their thighs; then I realised that they were urging me to be silent. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer – for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom-he did not beat, scold or revile me, but said: No talk to people in lawful in this prayer, for it consists only in glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Qur'an or words to that effect said by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I said: Messenger of Allah, we were only recently pagans, but Allah has brought Islam to us, and among us there are men who have recourse to soothsayers (kahins). He replied: Do not have recourse to them. I said: Among us are there are men who take omens. He replied: That is something which they find, but let it not turn them away (from what they intended to do). I said: among us there are men who draw lines. He replied: There was a prophet who drew lines; so if the line of anyone tallies with this line, that might come true. I said: A slave-girl of mine used to tend goats before (the mountain) Uhud and al-Jawaniyyah. Once when I reached her (suddenly) I found that a wolf had taken away a goat of them. I am a human being; I feel grieved as others do. But I gave her a good knocking. This was unbearable for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I asked: Should I set her free ? He replied: Bring her to me. So I brought her to him. He asked (her): Where is Allah ? She said: In the heaven. He said: Who am I ? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is believer.

what do you mean by looking at me with furtive glances. Then they glorified Allah. When the prophet (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he asked; who was the speaker? The Prophet told him; this Bedouin. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called me and said to me: Prayer is meant for the recitation of the Quran, and making mention of Allah. When you are in it (prayer), this should be your work therein. I never saw an instructor more lenient than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse "Nor of those who go astray" (Surah al-Fatihah, verse 7), he would say Amin; and raised his voice (while uttering this word).

Wail b, hujr said that he prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ),and he said Amin loudly and saluted at his right and left sides until I saw the whiteness of his cheek.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the verse "Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray," he would say Amin so loudly that those near him in the first row would hear it.

Abu Hurairah reported the prophet (ﷺ) as saying; when the imam recites “ not of those with whom thou art angry, nor of those who go astray” (surah al-fatihah,verse 7) say Amin, for if one’s words (utterance of amin) synchronise with those of the angles, he will be forgiven his past sins.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying; When the Imam says Amin, say Amin, for if anyone’s utterance of Amin synchronnises with that of the angles, he will be forgiven his past sins. Ibn shihab (al Zuhrl) said; The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) used to say Amin (At the end of the Fatihah)

Messenger of Allah, do not say Amin before me.

AbuMisbah al-Muqra'i said: We used to sit in the company of AbuZuhayr an-Numayri. He was a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), and he used to narrate good traditions. Once a man from among us made a supplication. He said: End it with the utterance of Amin, for Amin is like a seal on the book. AbuZuhayr said: I shall tell you about that. We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night and came upon a man who made supplication with persistence. The Prophet (ﷺ) waited to hear him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He will have done something which guarantees (Paradise for him) if he puts a seal to it. One of the people asked: What should he use as a seal? He replied: Amin, for if he ends it with Amin, he will do something which guarantees (Paradise for him). Then the man who questioned the Prophet (ﷺ) came to the man who was supplicating, and said to him: So-and-so, end it with Amin and receive the good news. These are the words of Mahmud. Abu Dawud said: Al-Muqra'i is a clan of Himyar.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Glorifying Allah applies to men and clapping applies only to women.