5/19. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1312 — Pray With Energy, Sit When Tired
Feeling Sleepy During The Prayer
Hadith About Praying With Energy and Sitting When Tired
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1312
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1312
حَدَّثَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَهَارُونُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ الأَزْدِيُّ، أَنَّ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَهُمْ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسْجِدَ وَحَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ بَيْنَ سَارِيَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ " مَا هَذَا الْحَبْلُ " . فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذِهِ حَمْنَةُ بِنْتُ جَحْشٍ تُصَلِّي فَإِذَا أَعْيَتْ تَعَلَّقَتْ بِهِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لِتُصَلِّ مَا أَطَاقَتْ فَإِذَا أَعْيَتْ فَلْتَجْلِسْ " . قَالَ زِيَادٌ فَقَالَ " مَا هَذَا " . فَقَالُوا لِزَيْنَبَ تُصَلِّي فَإِذَا كَسِلَتْ أَوْ فَتَرَتْ أَمْسَكَتْ بِهِ . فَقَالَ " حُلُّوهُ " . فَقَالَ " لِيُصَلِّ أَحَدُكُمْ نَشَاطَهُ فَإِذَا كَسِلَ أَوْ فَتَرَ فَلْيَقْعُدْ " .
Anas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the mosque (and saw that) a rope tied between two pillars. He asked: What is this rope (for) ? The people told him: This is (for) Hamnah b. Jahsh who prays (here). When she is tired, she reclines on it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: She should pray as much as she has strength. When she is tired, she should sit down. This version of Ziyad has: He said: What is this ? The people told him: This is for Zainab who prays. When she becomes lazy, or is tired, she holds it. He said: Undo it. One of you should pray in good spirits. When he is lazy or tired, he should sit down.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1312In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 63English translation : Book 5, Hadith 1307
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1312
This hadith is a clear teaching on moderation in voluntary prayer. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered the mosque and saw a rope tied between two pillars. He asked about it, and the people explained that it was used by a woman praying there, so when she became tired she would lean or hold on to it. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told them to undo it. He said one should pray as much as one has strength, and when tired, sit down. The main search phrase is pray as much as you have strength hadith, with related terms like rope between pillars hadith and sitting when tired in prayer. The text teaches steady worship without forcing the body past its strength.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told them to remove the rope used for support.
- A person should pray while he has strength and energy.
- When tired, sitting down is directly mentioned in the report.
- The hadith warns against forcing worship in a way the body cannot handle.
