Sunan Abi Dawud

When the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Messenger of Allah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible that Allah might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home. Allah, the Almighty , will bestow martyrdom upon you. The narrator said: Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission from the Prophet (ﷺ) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He, therefore, permitted her (to do so). She announced that her slave and slave-girl would be free after her death. One night they went to her and strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died, and they ran away. Next day Umar announced among the people, "Anyone who has knowledge about them, or has seen them, should bring them (to him)." Umar (after their arrest) ordered (to crucify them) and they were crucified. This was the first crucifixion at Medina.

The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) used to visit her at her house. He appointed a mu’adhdhin to call adhan for her; and he commanded her to lead the inmates of her house in prayer. ‘Abd al-Rahman said: I saw her mu’adhdhin who was an old man.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There are three types of people whose prayer is not accepted by Allah: One who goes in front of people when they do not like him; a man who comes dibaran, which means that he comes to it too late; and a man who takes into slavery an emancipated male or female slave.

The obligatory prayer is essential behind every Muslim, pious or impious, even if he has committed a sins.

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ibn Umm Maktum as substitute to lead the people in prayer, and he was blind.

Malik b. al-Huwairith came to this place of prayer of ours, and the iqamah for prayer was called. We said to him: Come forward and lead the prayer. He said to us: Put one of your own men forward to lead you in prayer. I heard the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) say: If anyone visits people, he should not lead them in prayer, but some person of them should lead the prayer.

Hudhaifah led the people in prayer in al-Mada’in standing on the shop(or a bench). Abu Mas’ud took him by his shirt, and brought him down. When he( Abu Mas’ud) finished his prayer, he said: Do you not know that they(the people) were prohibited to do so. He said: Yes, I remembered when you pulled me down.

‘Ammar came forward and stood on a shop (or a beach) and prayed while the people stood on a lower place than he. Hudaifah came forward and took him by the hands and Ammar followed him till Hudaifah brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer. Hudaifah said to him: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say: When a man leads the people in prayer, he must not stand in a position higher than theirs, or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied : that is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.

Mu’adh b. Jabal would pray along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)in the night prayer, then go and lead his people and lead them in the same prayer.

Mu’adh b. Jabal would pray along the prophet (ﷺ), then go and lead his people in prayer.

the Imam is appointed only to be followed ; so when he prays standing, pray standing, and when he bows, bow; when he raises himself, raise yourselves; when he says “Allah listen to him who praises Him”, “Our Lord ! to Thee be the praise”: and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rode a horse in Medina. It threw him off at the root of a date-palm. His foot was injured. We visited him to inquire about his illness. We found him praying sitting in the apartment of Aisha. We, therefore, stood, (praying) behind him. He kept silent. We again visited him to inquire about his illness. He offered the obligatory prayer sitting. We, therefore, stood (praying) behind him; he made a sign to us and we sat down. When he finished the prayer, he said: When the imam prays sitting, pray sitting; and when the imam prays standing, pray standing, and do not act as the people of Persia used to act with their chiefs (i.e. the people stood and they were sitting).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed; when he says "Allah is most great," say "Allah is most great" and do not say "Allah is most great" until he says "Allah is most great." When he bows; bow; and do not bow until he bows. And when he says "Allah listens to him who praise Him," say "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be the praise." The version recorded by Muslim goes: "And to Thee be the praise: And when he prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. When he prays standing, pray standing, and when he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting. Abu Dawud said: The words "O Allah, our Lord, to You be the praise" reported by Sulaiman were explained to me by some of our companions.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed. This version adds: When he recites (the Qur'an), keep silent." Abu Dawud said: The addition of the words "When he recites, keep silent" in this version are not guarded. The misunderstanding, according to us, is on the part of Abu Khalid (a narrator).

The IMAM is appointed only to be followed; so when he prays standing. Pray standing ; and when he raises himself, raise yourself: and when he prays sitting. Pray sitting.

when the prophet (ﷺ) became seriously ill, we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was calling “Allah is most great “ to cause the people to hear the TAKBIR. Then he (the narrators) narrated the rest of the tradition.

Messenger of Allah, our Imam is ill. He said : When he prays sitting, pray sitting. Abu Dawud said : The chain of this tradition is not continuous (muttasil)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Umm Haram. The people (in her house) brought some cooking oil dates to him. He said; Put it (dates) back in its container and return it (cooking oil) to its bag, because I am keeping fast. He then stood and led us in prayer two Rak’ahs of supererogatory prayer. Then Umm Sulaim and Umm Haram stood behind us (i.e., the men). Thabit (the narrator) said: I understand that Anas said; he (the prophet) made me stand on his right side.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led him and one of their women in prayer. He (the prophet) put him on his right side and the woman behind him (Anas)

when I was spending a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimunah, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up at night, opened the mouth of the water skin and performed ablution. He then closed the mouth of the water-skin and stood for prayer. Then I got up and performed ablution as he did ; then I came and stood on his left side. He took my hand, turned me round behind his back and set me on his right side; and I prayed along with him.

“He took my head or the hair of my head and made me stand on his right side”.

Get up, I shall lead you in prayer. Anas said: I got up and took a mat which had become black on account of long use. I then washed it with water. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood upon it. I and the orphan (Ibn Abi Dumairah, the freed slave of the prophet) stood in a row behind him. The old women stood behind us. He then led us in two raka'at of prayer and left.

Alqamah and al-Aswad sought permission from Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud) for admission, and we remained sitting at his door for a long time. A slave-girl came out and gave them permission (to enter). He (Ibn Mas'ud) then got up and prayed (standing) between me (al-Aswad) and him (Alqamah). He then said: I witnessed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing similarly.

Jabir ibn Yazid ibn al-Aswad reported on the authority of his father: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When he finished the prayer, he would turn (his face from the direction of the Ka'bah).

When we would pray behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we liked to be on his right side. He (the Prophet) would sit turning his face towards us (and back towards the Ka'bah) (ﷺ).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Imam should not pray at the place where he led the prayer until he removes (from there). Abu Dawud said: 'Ata' al-Khurasani did not see Mughirah b. Shu'bah (This tradition is, therefore munqati', i.e. a link is missing in the chain).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When the Imam completes the prayer and sits (for reciting tashahhud), and then becomes defiled (i.e. his ablution becomes void) before he speaks (to someone), his prayer becomes complete. And those who prayed behind him also complete the prayer.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The key of prayer is purification; takbir (saying "Allah is most great") makes (all acts which break prayer) unlawful and taslim (uttering the salutation) makes (all such acts) lawful.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not try to outstrip me in bowing and prostrating because however earlier I bow you will join me when I raise (my head from bowing); I have become bulky.

Al-Bara who is not a liar said; when they (the companions) raised their heads from bowing along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they would stand up, and when they saw him that he went down in prostration, they would prostrate (following the prophet).

Al-Bara b.‘Azib said ; we used to pray along with the prophet (ﷺ); none of us bowed his back until he saw that the prophet (ﷺ) bowed (his back).

then they would follow him (ﷺ)

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying; Does he who raises his head while the Imam is prostrating not fear that Allah may change his head into a donkey’s or his face into a donkey’s face.

The prophet (ﷺ) persuaded them to say prayer in congregation and prohibited them to leave before he goes away from the prayer.

Does every one of you has two garment?

None of you should pray in a single garment of which no part comes over the shoulders.

if anyone prays in a single piece of cloth, he should cross the two ends.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying girded with a single (piece of) cloth, place its two ends over his shoulders.

We came to the Prophet (ﷺ), and a man came and said: Prophet of Allah, what do you say if one prays in a single garment? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then took off his wrapper and combined it with his sheet, and put it on them. He got up and the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said: Does every one of you have two garments?

I saw the people tying their wrappers over their necks like children due to the narrowness of the wrappers behind the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) during prayer. Someone said: Body of women, do not raise your heads until the men raise (their heads).

‘A’ishah said; the prophet (ﷺ) prayed in a single (piece of) cloth whose one part was upon me.

I said: Messenger of Allah, I am a man who goes out hunting; may I pray in a single shirt? He replied: Yes, but fasten it even if it should be with a thorn.

I witnesses the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying in a shirt.

we came to Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah. He said : I (Jabir) accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a battle. He got up to pray. I had a sheet of cloth upon me, and I began to cross both the ends, but they did not reach (my shoulders). It had fringes which I turned over and crossed the two ends, and bowed down retaining it with my neck lest it should fall down. Then I came and stood on the left side of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He then took and brought me around him and set me on his right side. Then Ibn Sakhr came and stood on his left side. he then took us with his both hands and made us stand behind him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to look at me furtive glances, but I could not understand. When I understood, he hinted at me tie the wrapper. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished the prayer, he said (to me): O Jabir. I said; Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said; if it (the sheet) is wide, cross both its ends (over the shoulders); if it is tight, tie it over your loins.

if one of you has two (piece of) cloth, he should pray in them; if he has a single (piece of) cloth, he should use it as a wrapper, and should not hang it upon the shoulder like the Jews.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited us to pray in a sheet of cloth without crossing both its ends, and he also prohibited us to pray in a wrapper without putting on a sheet.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who lets his garment trail during prayer out of pride, Allah, the Almighty, has nothing to do with pardoning him and protecting him from Hell.

while a man was praying letting his lower garment trail, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him: Go and perform ablution. He, therefore, went and performed ablution and then returned. He (the prophet) again said: Go and perform ablution. He again went, performed ablution and returned. A man said to him (the prophet): Messenger of Allah, why did you order him to perform ablution? He said: he was praying with lower garment trailing, and does not accept the prayer of a man who lets his lower garment trail.

In how many clothes should a woman pray? She replied; she would pray wearing a veil and a long shirt which covers the surface of her feet.

if the shirt is ample and covers the surface of her feet. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Malik b. Anas, Bakr b. Mudar, Hafs b. Ghiyaht, Isma'il b. Ja'far, Ibn Abu Dhi'b, and Ibn Ishaq from Muhammad b. Zaid on the authority of his mother who narrated from Umm Salamah. None of these narrators mention the name of the Prophet (ﷺ). They reported it directly from Umm Salamah.