2/51. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 544 — Iqamah and Prayer Delay
People Sitting After The Iqamah While Waiting For The Imam If He Has Not Come
Hadith About Iqamah, Delay, and Waiting in the Mosque
Sunan Abi Dawud : 544
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 544
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَجِيٌّ فِي جَانِبِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَمَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَتَّى نَامَ الْقَوْمُ .
Anas Narrated from:
The Iqamah was pronounced (for the night prayer) and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remained engaged in talking (to a person) in the corner of the mosque. He did not begin prayer until the people slept.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 544In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 154English translation : Book 2, Hadith 544
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 544
This Hadith about Iqamah and prayer delay reports a clear event from Anas. The Iqamah was pronounced for the night prayer, and the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was speaking with a person in a corner of the mosque. The prayer did not begin until the people slept. The Hadith does not tell us the reason for the conversation, so we should not add one. Its main point is the event itself: the Iqamah had been called, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was still engaged in speech before starting prayer. For people searching for hadith about delay after Iqamah, this narration is useful because it shows that a delay occurred in this specific case.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Iqamah was pronounced before the prayer began.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was engaged in speech in the mosque before starting prayer.
- The people waited, and some slept before the prayer began.
