2/205. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1029 — When Unsure About More or Less Rak'ahs
Those Who Said He Should Complete (The Prayers) Based Upon His Strongest Judgement
Hadith About More or Less Rak'ahs and Prayer Whispers
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1029
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1029
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ الدَّسْتَوَائِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيَاضٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ عِيَاضٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ زَادَ أَمْ نَقَصَ فَلْيَسْجُدْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَإِذَا أَتَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَحْدَثْتَ فَلْيَقُلْ كَذَبْتَ إِلاَّ مَا وَجَدَ رِيحًا بِأَنْفِهِ أَوْ صَوْتًا بِأُذُنِهِ " . وَهَذَا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ أَبَانَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ مَعْمَرٌ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عِيَاضُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ وَقَالَ الأَوْزَاعِيُّ عِيَاضُ بْنُ أَبِي زُهَيْرٍ .
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays, and he does not know whether he prayed more or less rak'ahs (than those prescribed by the Shari'ah), he should perform two prostrations while he is sitting. If the devil comes to him, and tells him (suggests him): "You have been defiled," he should say: "You have told a lie," except that he feels smell with his nose, or sound with his ears (then his ablution will break). These are the wording; of the tradition reported by Aban. Abu Dawud said: Ma'mar and 'Abi b. al-Mubarak mentioned the name "Iyad b. Hilal and al-Awza'i mentioned the name of Iyad b. Abi Zuhair.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1029In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 640English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1024
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1029
This hadith joins two related issues in prayer: uncertainty about the number of rak'ahs and whispers about purity. The Prophet said that if one prays and does not know whether he prayed more or less, he should perform two prostrations while sitting. Then the text mentions a whisper from the devil saying that the person has been defiled. The reply is to reject that claim unless there is a smell by the nose or a sound by the ears. For searchers looking for hadith about waswas in salah, this report keeps the worshipper from acting on empty doubt. It teaches correction for prayer count and care with claims about broken ablution.
What we learn from this hadith
- Uncertainty about more or less rak'ahs is answered with two seated prostrations.
- A mere whisper about being defiled is not accepted in this text.
- The report links certainty to clear signs such as smell or sound.
