2/148. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 841 — Proper Prostration in Prayer
How Should One Place His Knees Before His Hands (While Going Into Prostration)
Hadith About Proper Prostration in Prayer
Sunan Abi Dawud : 841
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 841
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَسَنٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَعْمِدُ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِ فَيَبْرُكُ كَمَا يَبْرُكُ الْجَمَلُ " .
AbuHurayrah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: (Does) one of you kneel down in his prayer as a camel kneels down (i.e. put his knees before his hands).
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 841In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 451English translation : Book 3, Hadith 840
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 841
This hadith about proper prostration in prayer teaches care, calmness, and respect in salah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم questioned the act of kneeling down in prayer as a camel kneels down. The translation explains this as putting the knees before the hands. The core message is that a Muslim should not move into sujood in a careless or animal-like way. Prayer is not just a set of motions. Each movement should show attention and humility before Allah. This hadith is often searched as the camel kneeling hadith, hands before knees hadith, and how to go into sujood. Based only on the wording given here, the lesson is to avoid copying the camel-like way of going down and to treat the posture of prostration with respect.
What we learn from this hadith
- A person should move into prostration with care and respect.
- Prayer movements should not resemble careless animal-like motions.
- The posture of sujood deserves attention, not haste.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected even physical manners inside prayer.
