2/124. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 731 — Bowing and Sitting in Prayer
The Beginning Of The Prayer
Bowing and Sitting in Prayer: Abu Humaid's Description of Salah
Sunan Abi Dawud : 731
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 731
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ - عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَلْحَلَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْعَامِرِيِّ، قَالَ كُنْتُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَذَاكَرُوا صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ أَبُو حُمَيْدٍ فَذَكَرَ بَعْضَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالَ فَإِذَا رَكَعَ أَمْكَنَ كَفَّيْهِ مِنْ رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَفَرَّجَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ ثُمَّ هَصَرَ ظَهْرَهُ غَيْرَ مُقْنِعٍ رَأْسَهُ وَلاَ صَافِحٍ بِخَدِّهِ وَقَالَ فَإِذَا قَعَدَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَعَدَ عَلَى بَطْنِ قَدَمِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَنَصَبَ الْيُمْنَى فَإِذَا كَانَ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ أَفْضَى بِوَرِكِهِ الْيُسْرَى إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَأَخْرَجَ قَدَمَيْهِ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ .
‘Amr al-Amiri Narrated from:
I (once) attended the meeting of the companions of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ). They began to discuss his prayer. Abu Humaid then narrated a part of the same tradition and said: When he bowed he clutched his knees with his palms, and he opened his fingers; then he bent his back without raising his upwards, and did not turn his face (on any side). When he sat at the end of two rak’ahs he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised the right, and after the fourth he placed his left hip on the ground and spread out both his feet one side.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 731In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 341English translation : Book 2, Hadith 730
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 731
This hadith focuses on two main parts of prayer: ruku and sitting. Abu Humaid describes that when the Prophet bowed, he held his knees with his palms, opened his fingers, and bent his back without raising his head upward or turning his face aside. The report then explains the sitting positions. After two rak'ahs, he sat on the sole of his left foot and raised the right. After the fourth rak'ah, he placed his left hip on the ground and spread both feet to one side. This hadith is useful for people searching for ruku posture hadith and sitting in tashahhud hadith.
What we learn from this hadith
- The bowing posture is described with hands firmly on the knees.
- The report mentions keeping the head from being raised upward in bowing.
- Different sitting positions are described after two rak'ahs and after the fourth.
