Sunan Abu Dawud

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying: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

Narrated AbuHurayrah: 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)

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: 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

Narrated Abdullah ibn ash-Shikhkhir: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying and a sound came from his breast like the rumbling of a mill owing to weeping

Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: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

Uqbah. B Amir al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying: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

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: 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

Narrated AbuDharr: 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

‘A’ishah said: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

Abu sa’I al-Khudri said: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

Jabir b. Samurah said(this is the version of the narrator ‘Uthman):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

Anas b. Malik reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) assaying :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

Aishah said :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

The above-mentioned tradition has also been narrated by ‘A’ishah through a different chain of transmitters. This version adds: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

Narrated Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah: 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)

Abu Qatadah said: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

Narrated AbuQatadah: 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

Abu Qatadah al-Ansari said: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

Abu Qatadah, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), said: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

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

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: 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

‘Abd Allah(b. Mas’ud) said: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

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: 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

Narrated Suhayb: 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

jabir said: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

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: 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

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: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

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying :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)

Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami said: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

Mu’awiyah b. al-Hakam al-Sulami said ; when I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I learnt many things about islam. One of the things that I was taught was that it was that it was pointed out me. When you sneeze, praise Allah (I,e, say “praise be to Allah”); and when someone sneezes and praises Allah, say “ May Allah have mercy on you. Meanwhile I was standing along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) during prayer, all of a sudden a man sneezed, and he praised Allah. So I said, “may Allah have mercy on you”, in a loud voice. The people gave me disapproving looks so much so that I took ill of it. So I said :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)

Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr: 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

Narrated AbuHurayrah: 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)

Bilal reported that he said :Messenger of Allah, do not say Amin before me

Narrated AbuZuhayr an-Numayri: 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

Sahl b. Sa’d said :The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to Banu ‘Amr b. ‘Awf to effect reconciliation between them . in the meantime the time of prayer came and the Mu’adhdhin came to Abu Bakr and asked : Will you lead the people in prayer? I pronounce the Iqamah. He said ; Yes. So Abiu Bakr led the prayer , and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came back while the people were praying. He penetrated through the rows and stood in the first row. The people clapped but Abu Bakr did not pay any attention to it during prayer. When the people clapped increasingly, he paid attention. He saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a sign to him (saying); Stay at your place. Abu BAkr raised his hands and praised Allah for the commandment the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had given him (to lead the people in prayer). Abu Bakr then stepped back and stood in the row. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stepped forward and led the prayer. When he finished the prayer, he said; Abu Bakr, what prevented you staying (at your place) when I already commented you to do so? Abu Bakr said ; it was not befitting for the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) to lead the prayer in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said; What is the matter that I saw you clapping frequently during prayer? If anything happens to someone during prayer, he should say “Glory be to Allah,” for when he glorifies Allah. He pays attention to him. Clapping applies only to women. Abu Dawud said: This is operative in the obligatory prayer

sahl b. Sa’d said; Fighting took place amongst the tribe of Banu ‘Amr b. ‘Awf. This (the news) reached the prophet (May peace be upon him). He came to them for their reconciliation after the noon prayer . he said to Bilal; If the time of the afternoon prayer comes, and I do not return to you, then ask Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. When the time of the afternoon prayer came, Bilal called the Adhan and pronounced the Iqamah and then asked Abu Bakr (to lead the prayer). He stepped forward. The narrator reported this tradition to the same effect. In the end he (the prophet) said; if anything happens to you during prayer, the men should say” Glory be to Allah,” and the women should clap

‘Isa b. Ayyub said:Clapping by women means that one should strike her left hand with the two fingers of her right hand

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to make a sign during prayer

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Saying Tasbih applies to men during prayer and clapping applies to women. Anyone who makes a sign during his prayer, a sign which is intelligible by implication, should repeat it (i.e. his prayer). (AbuDawud commented on the Hadith saying, this is a result of confusion)

Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you gets up to pray, he must not remove pebbles, for mercy is facing him

Mu’aiqib reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying ; Do not remove pebbles while you are praying; if you do it out of sheer necessity, do it only once to smooth the pebbles

Abu hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) forbade putting hands on the waist during prayer. Abu Dawud said; The word Ikhtisar means to put one’s hands on one’s waist

Narrated Umm Qays bint Mihsan: Hilal ibn Yasaf said: I came to ar-Raqqah (a place in Syria). One of my companions said to me: Do you want to see any of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ)? I said: A good opportunity. So we went to Wabisah. I said to my friend: Let us first see his mode of living. He had a cap with two ears stuck (to his head), and wearing a brown silken robe. He was resting on a staff during prayer. We asked him (about resting on the staff) after salutation; He said: Umm Qays daughter of Mihsan said to me that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became aged and the flesh grew increasingly on him, he took a prop at his place of prayer and rested on it

Zaid b. Arqam said ; One of us used to speak to the man standing by his side during prayer. Then the Quranic verse “ And stand up with devotion to Allah”

‘Abd Allah b. ‘Amr said :It has been narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said : The Prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer (wins him half the reward of prayer). I came to him and found him prayer in sitting condition. I placed my hand on my head (in surprise). He said: what is the matter,’Abd Allah b. ‘Amr? I said; Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) you have been reported to me as saying : the prayer of a man in sitting condition is half the prayer , but you are praying in sitting condition. He said: yes, but I am not like one of you