4/20. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1249 — Prayer While Walking in Danger
The Prayer Of One Who Is Seeking (The Enemy)
Prayer by Signs Hadith: Remembering Salah During Danger
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1249
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1249
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أُنَيْسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى خَالِدِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ الْهُذَلِيِّ - وَكَانَ نَحْوَ عُرَنَةَ وَعَرَفَاتٍ - فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَاقْتُلْهُ " . قَالَ فَرَأَيْتُهُ وَحَضَرَتْ صَلاَةُ الْعَصْرِ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لأَخَافُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ مَا إِنْ أُؤَخِّرُ الصَّلاَةَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَمْشِي وَأَنَا أُصَلِّي أُومِئُ إِيمَاءً نَحْوَهُ فَلَمَّا دَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ قَالَ لِي مَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَجْمَعُ لِهَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَجِئْتُكَ فِي ذَاكَ . قَالَ إِنِّي لَفِي ذَاكَ فَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ سَاعَةً حَتَّى إِذَا أَمْكَنَنِي عَلَوْتُهُ بِسَيْفِي حَتَّى بَرَدَ .
‘Abdallah b. Unais Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me to Khalid b. Sufyan al-Hudhail. This was towards 'Uranah and 'Arafat. He (the Prophet) said: Go and kill him. I saw him when the time of the afternoon prayer had come. I said: I am afraid if a fight takes place between me and him (Khalid b. Sufyan), that might delay the prayer. I proceeded walking towards him while I was praying by making a sign.When I reached near him, he said to me: Who are you ? I replied: A man from the Arabs; it came to me that you were gathering (any army) for this man (i.e. Prophet). Hence I came to you in connection with this matter. He said: I am (engaged) in this (work). I then walked along with him for a while; when it became convenient for me, I dominated him with my sword until he became cold (dead).
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1249In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 52English translation : Book 4, Hadith 1244
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1249
This hadith reports a specific mission involving Abdullah ibn Unais and Khalid ibn Sufyan al-Hudhali. The part most tied to prayer is that the time of Asr had come, and Abdullah feared that a fight between him and Khalid might delay the prayer. So he continued walking toward him while praying by making signs. This is a report about a serious danger setting, not a normal daily situation. According to Islamic scholars, narrations like this are not treated as a personal license for people to take violent action on their own. Staying strictly with the text, the lesson is that Abdullah was deeply concerned about not delaying prayer, even while facing a difficult task.
What we learn from this hadith
- The time of Asr mattered to Abdullah ibn Unais in a hard situation.
- He feared that conflict might cause the prayer to be delayed.
- He prayed while walking by making signs.
- The narration is a specific report and should not be turned into a general personal order.
