13/32. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 1266 — Avoid Playing With Pebbles
Placement if the hands
Hadith About Avoiding Pebble-Turning During Prayer
Sunan an-Nasai : 1266
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 1266
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، - شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ - ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ الشَّيْخَ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ يَقُولُ صَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَقَلَّبْتُ الْحَصَى فَقَالَ لِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ لاَ تُقَلِّبِ الْحَصَى فَإِنَّ تَقْلِيبَ الْحَصَى مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَافْعَلْ كَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُ . قُلْتُ وَكَيْفَ رَأَيْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُ قَالَ هَكَذَا وَنَصَبَ الْيُمْنَى وَأَضْجَعَ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَيَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ .
'Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Narrated from:
I prayed beside Ibn Umar and I turned over the pebbles. Ibn Umar said to me: 'Do not turn over the pebbles, for turning over the pebbles comes from Shaitan. Do what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do.' I said: 'What did you see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do?' He said; 'This'- and he held his right foot upright and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, and pointed with his forefinger.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1266In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 88English translation : Vol. 2, Book 13, Hadith 1267
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 1266
This hadith teaches focus and proper sitting in prayer. Ali bin Abdur-Rahman prayed beside Ibn Umar and turned over pebbles during the prayer. Ibn Umar told him not to do that, saying that turning over pebbles comes from Shaitan. He then told him to do what he saw the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) do. Ibn Umar showed the posture: keeping the right foot upright, laying the left foot down, placing the right hand on the right thigh and the left hand on the left thigh, and pointing with the forefinger. The hadith is useful for searches about playing with pebbles in prayer, finger pointing in tashahhud, and focus in salah.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Umar discouraged turning over pebbles during prayer.
- The report links unnecessary movement in prayer with Shaitan.
- The Prophet's sitting posture included right foot upright and left foot laid down.
- The forefinger was used for pointing while sitting.
