13/33. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 1267 — Stop Playing in Prayer
Clenching the fingers of the right hand apart from the forefinger
Hadith About Not Playing With Pebbles in Salah
Sunan an-Nasai : 1267
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 1267
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ رَآنِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَأَنَا أَعْبَثُ، بِالْحَصَى فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ نَهَانِي وَقَالَ اصْنَعْ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْنَعُ . قُلْتُ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ كَانَ إِذَا جَلَسَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ وَقَبَضَ - يَعْنِي أَصَابِعَهُ كُلَّهَا - وَأَشَارَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ الَّتِي تَلِي الإِبْهَامَ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى .
'Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Narrated from:
Ibn Umar saw me playing with the pebbles while praying. When he finished (praying), he told me not to do that and said: 'Do what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do.' I said: 'What did he used to do?' He said: 'When he sat during the prayer, he placed his right hand on his thigh and clenched all his fingers, and pointed with the finger that is next to the thumb, and he put his left hand on his left thigh.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1267In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 89English translation : Vol. 2, Book 13, Hadith 1268
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 1267
This hadith gives a simple lesson about focus in prayer and the sitting posture of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Ali bin Abdur-Rahman said that Ibn Umar saw him playing with pebbles while praying. After the prayer, Ibn Umar told him not to do that and said to do what the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to do. He explained that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sat during prayer, he placed his right palm on his thigh, clenched all his fingers, pointed with the finger next to the thumb, and placed his left palm on his left thigh. The hadith is a clear source for searches like hadith about playing in prayer and tashahhud finger position.
What we learn from this hadith
- Unneeded movement during prayer was corrected by Ibn Umar.
- The Prophet's sitting posture is described through Ibn Umar's teaching.
- The right hand was placed on the thigh with the fingers clenched.
- The finger next to the thumb was used for pointing.
