2/93. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 644 — Narration Strength and Prayer Dress
As-Sadl In The Prayer
Ata Praying With a Trailing Garment: A Note on Prayer Reports
Sunan Abi Dawud : 644
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 644
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى بْنِ الطَّبَّاعِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَكْثَرُ مَا رَأَيْتُ عَطَاءً يُصَلِّي سَادِلاً . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا يُضَعِّفُ ذَلِكَ الْحَدِيثَ .
Ibn Juraij Narrated from:
I often saw ‘Ata praying while letting his garment trail. Abu Dawud said: This (practice of ‘Ata’) weakens the tradition (narrated by Abu Hurairah).
[1] As-Sadl means draping a garment, and they differ over the precise meaning of it in this narration.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 644In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 254English translation : Book 2, Hadith 644
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 644
This report is very brief, but it is useful because it shows how Hadith scholars handled reports with care. Ibn Juraij said he often saw Ata praying while letting his garment trail. Abu Dawud then commented that this practice of Ata weakens the earlier tradition about trailing garments in prayer. The core topic is prayer dress and narration evaluation. The text does not give a new instruction from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Instead, it records an observation about Ata and Abu Dawud’s note about how that observation affects the related report. For searches like sadl in prayer, trailing garment hadith, and Abu Dawud weakens hadith, this narration is mainly about careful reporting.
What we learn from this hadith
- Scholars paid attention to actions of narrators when judging reports.
- Ata was seen praying while letting his garment trail.
- Abu Dawud linked this observation to the strength of the related narration.
- The report should be explained as a scholarly note, not as a separate Prophetic command.
