8/46. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 741 — Praying While Riding and Hadith Care
Praying On A Donkey
Praying While Riding: Travel Prayer and Hadith Care
Sunan an-Nasai : 741
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 741
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي عَلَى حِمَارٍ وَهُوَ رَاكِبٌ إِلَى خَيْبَرَ وَالْقِبْلَةُ خَلْفَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لاَ نَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا تَابَعَ عَمْرَو بْنَ يَحْيَى عَلَى قَوْلِهِ يُصَلِّي عَلَى حِمَارٍ وَحَدِيثُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ الصَّوَابُ مَوْقُوفٌ وَاللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that he saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying on a donkey while he was riding, praying toward Khaibar with the Qiblah behind him. Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasa'i) said: We do not know of anyone who reported anything to support what 'Amr bin Yahya said about praying on a donkey. As for the Hadith of Yahya bin Sa'eed from Anas, what is correct is that it is Mawquf. [1] And Allah knows best. [1] That is a saying or action of a Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ)
[1] That is a saying or action of a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 741In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 54English translation : Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 742
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 741
This hadith about praying while riding reports that Anas bin Malik saw the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم praying on a donkey while riding toward Khaibar, with the Qiblah behind him. The wording makes the main issue clear: prayer on a mount while travelling, and the direction faced during that prayer. The report also includes an important scholarly note from Abu 'Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i. He says that he does not know anyone who supported 'Amr bin Yahya in the wording about praying on a donkey. He also states that the correct form of the report from Yahya bin Sa'eed from Anas is Mawquf, meaning it is traced to a Companion's saying or action. So the core lesson is not only travel prayer, but also care in hadith reporting.
What we learn from this hadith
- The report discusses prayer while riding during travel.
- Facing away from the Qiblah is mentioned in the travel-riding context of this narration.
- An-Nasa'i highlights the need to check support for a narrator's wording.
- A Mawquf report is linked to a Companion, not directly raised to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
