4/8. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 389d — Satan Distracts During Prayer
The Virtue Of the Adhan, And The Shaitan Flees When He Hears It
Hadith About Satan Distracting a Person in Salah
Sahih Muslim : 389d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 389d
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ، - يَعْنِي الْحِزَامِيَّ - عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلاَةِ أَدْبَرَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ ضُرَاطٌ حَتَّى لاَ يَسْمَعَ التَّأْذِينَ فَإِذَا قُضِيَ التَّأْذِينُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى إِذَا ثُوِّبَ بِالصَّلاَةِ أَدْبَرَ حَتَّى إِذَا قُضِيَ التَّثْوِيبُ أَقْبَلَ حَتَّى يَخْطِرَ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَنَفْسِهِ يَقُولُ لَهُ اذْكُرْ كَذَا وَاذْكُرْ كَذَا لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَذْكُرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ الرَّجُلُ مَا يَدْرِي كَمْ صَلَّى " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Apostle (ﷺ) said When the call to prayer is made, Satan runs back and breaks wind so as not to hear the call being made, and when the call is finished. he turns round. When Iqama is proclaimed he turns his back, and when it is finished he turns round to distract a man, saying: Remember such and such; remember such and such, referring to something the man did not have in his mind, with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 389dIn-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 22USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 756
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 389d
This hadith explains both the power of the Adhan and the reality of distraction in prayer. When the call to prayer is made, Satan runs away and breaks wind so he does not hear the Adhan. When the Adhan finishes, he returns. When the Iqama is called, he turns away again. After the Iqama ends, he comes back and distracts the person in prayer by saying, “Remember such and such,” about things the person was not thinking of before. The result mentioned in the text is that the man may not know how much he has prayed. This is a key hadith about waswas in salah, Satan distracts during prayer, and losing count in prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- Satan flees from both the Adhan and the Iqama.
- Distractions in prayer may come after a person starts praying.
- A person can be made to remember matters that were not in mind before.
- The Hadith explains how distraction may affect knowing how much one prayed.
