13/20. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 1218 — No Ordinary Speech in Prayer
Speaking During the prayer
Hadith About No Ordinary Speech in Prayer
Sunan an-Nasai : 1218
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 1218
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ هِلاَلِ بْنِ أَبِي مَيْمُونَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَطَاءُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ فَجَاءَ اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلاَمِ وَإِنَّ رِجَالاً مِنَّا يَتَطَيَّرُونَ . قَالَ " ذَاكَ شَىْءٌ يَجِدُونَهُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ فَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّهُمْ " . وَرِجَالٌ مِنَّا يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ . قَالَ " فَلاَ تَأْتُوهُمْ " . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَرِجَالٌ مِنَّا يَخُطُّونَ . قَالَ " كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطُّهُ فَذَاكَ " . قَالَ وَبَيْنَا أَنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الصَّلاَةِ إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَقُلْتُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ فَحَدَّقَنِي الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقُلْتُ وَاثُكْلَ أُمِّيَاهُ مَا لَكُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَىَّ قَالَ فَضَرَبَ الْقَوْمُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُسَكِّتُونِي لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَعَانِي بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي هُوَ مَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلاَ كَهَرَنِي وَلاَ سَبَّنِي مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلاَ بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ قَالَ " إِنَّ صَلاَتَنَا هَذِهِ لاَ يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَىْءٌ مِنْ كَلاَمِ النَّاسِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَتِلاَوَةُ الْقُرْآنِ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ اطَّلَعْتُ إِلَى غُنَيْمَةٍ لِي تَرْعَاهَا جَارِيَةٌ لِي فِي قِبَلِ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ وَإِنِّي اطَّلَعْتُ فَوَجَدْتُ الذِّئْبَ قَدْ ذَهَبَ مِنْهَا بِشَاةٍ وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ فَصَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ أَعْتِقُهَا قَالَ " ادْعُهَا " . فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَيْنَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ " . قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ . قَالَ " فَمَنْ أَنَا " . قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ " إِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ فَاعْتِقْهَا " .
It was narrated that Mu'awiyah bin Al-Hakam As-Sulami said: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we were recently in a state of ignorance, then Allah (SWT) brought Islam. Some men among us follow omens.' He said: 'That is something that they find in their own hearts; it should not deter them from going ahead.' I said: 'And some men among us go to fortune tellers.' He said: 'Do not go to them.' He said: 'Some men among us draw lines.' He said: 'One of the Prophets used to draw lines. So whoever is in accord with his drawing of lines, then so it is.'" He said: "While I was praying with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a man sneezed and I said: 'Yarhamuk-Allah (May Allah have mercy on you).' The people glared at me and I said: 'May my mother be bereft of me, why are you looking at me?' The people struck their hands against their thighs, and when I saw that they were telling me to be quiet, I fell silent. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished, he called me. May my father and mother be ransomed for him, he neither did hit me nor rebuke me nor revile me. I have never seen a better teacher than him, before or after. He said: 'This prayer of ours is not the place for ordinary human speech, rather it is glorification and magnification of Allah (SWT), and reciting Qur'an.' Then I went out to a flock of sheep of mine that was tended by a slave woman of mine beside Uhud and Al-Jawwaniyyah, and I found that the wolf had taken one of the sheep. I am a man from the sons of Adam and I get upset as they get upset. So I slapped her. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and told him what happened. He regarded that as a serious action on my part. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), should I set her free?' He said: 'Call her.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to her: 'Where is Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime?' She said: 'Above the heavens.' He said: 'And who am I?' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' He said: 'She is a believer, set her free.'"
[1] That is, the practice of Raml ; geomancy, a type of prediction by etching or drawing lines in sand.[2] As it is impossible to know how that Prophet drew lines, this practice is strictly forbidden. This was stated by An-Nawawī in his commentary on Muslim.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1218In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 40English translation : Vol. 2, Book 13, Hadith 1219
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 1218
This long Hadith about no ordinary speech in prayer gives several clear lessons from Mu'awiyah bin Al-Hakam. He asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about omens, fortune tellers, and drawing lines. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him that omens should not stop people from going ahead, and that they should not go to fortune tellers. During prayer, someone sneezed, and Mu'awiyah said, “Yarhamuk-Allah.” The people signaled him to be quiet. After prayer, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not hit, rebuke, or revile him. He taught him that this prayer is not the place for ordinary human speech. It is for glorification, magnification of Allah, and reciting Qur’an. The Hadith also includes the slave woman, whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم questioned before saying she was a believer and should be freed.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said prayer is not for ordinary human speech.
- Prayer is described as tasbih, takbir, and recitation of Qur’an.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected Mu'awiyah gently without hitting, rebuking, or reviling him.
- The narration also warns against going to fortune tellers.
