8/11. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1447 — Voluntary Prayer at Home
The Virtue Of Offering Voluntary Prayers At Home
Voluntary Prayer at Home: The Best Prayer Outside Obligatory Salah
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1447
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1447
حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَزَّازُ، حَدَّثَنَا مَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ - عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ احْتَجَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَسْجِدِ حُجْرَةً فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَخْرُجُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيُصَلِّي فِيهَا قَالَ فَصَلَّوْا مَعَهُ بِصَلاَتِهِ - يَعْنِي رِجَالاً - وَكَانُوا يَأْتُونَهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي لَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَنَحْنَحُوا وَرَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ وَحَصَبُوا بَابَهُ - قَالَ - فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ " يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ صَنِيعُكُمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنْ سَتُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ " .
Zaid bin Thabit Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built a chamber in the mosque. He used to come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him. They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pebbles and sand on his door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to time in anger and said: O People, you kept on doing this till I thought that it will be prescribed for you. Offer your prayers in your houses, for a man's prayer is better in his house except obligatory prayer.
[1] Using some mats and situating them in a manner that they formed short walls.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1447In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 32English translation : Book 8, Hadith 1442
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1447
This Hadith about voluntary prayer at home tells how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made a chamber in the mosque and prayed there at night. Some people began praying with him and kept coming. When he did not come out one night, they coughed, raised their voices, and threw pebbles and sand at his door. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came out angry and said their action made him think that the prayer might be prescribed for them. He then told them to pray in their houses, because a man's prayer is better in his house except the obligatory prayer. The message is simple: do not pressure religious practice into hardship, and keep voluntary prayer alive at home.
What we learn from this hadith
- Voluntary prayers have a strong place in the home.
- Obligatory prayers are excepted in the wording of the Hadith.
- The people were corrected for pressuring the Prophet to come out.
- The Prophet showed concern that extra prayer might become prescribed for them.
