In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Human Studies and Research
presents:
Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Straightening the Rows upon the Iqamah and After It.
On the authority of al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"You shall surely straighten your rows,
or Allah will surely cause discord to arise between your faces."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"You shall surely straighten your rows":
Straightening the rows
means that those standing in them align evenly along a single line;
it also means
filling any gaps found in the row.
"Or Allah will surely cause discord to arise between your faces":
This is a threat of punishment directed at those who do not straighten the rows,
imposing a penalty of the same nature as their offense,
owing to their physical discrepancy in standing.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that the imam should diligently see to it that the people straighten their rows,
and the people themselves should attend to doing so.
It also indicates that the recompense is of the same nature as the deed.
It further indicates the possibility of physical metamorphosis occurring as a punishment.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who said:
The prayer was called with the iqamah,
so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned his face toward us
and said, "Straighten your rows and stand shoulder-to-shoulder,
for indeed I see you from behind my back."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Straighten," that is, align them evenly;
"and stand shoulder-to-shoulder," that is, draw close and press together,
so that the space between you is continuous and unbroken.
Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, explained it by saying:
"Each of us would join his shoulder to his companion's shoulder,
and his foot to his foot."
"For indeed I see you from behind my back":
This was one of the unique characteristics of the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to speak between the iqamah and entering the prayer;
it establishes the prescribed nature of enjoining good and forbidding wrong;
that if an imam notices someone falling short in religious duties,
he should urge him toward that which brings immense reward;
and it demonstrates that among his unique characteristics, peace be upon him,
was that he could see those behind him.
Chapter:
Straightening the Row is Part of the Completeness of Prayer.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"The imam is appointed only to be followed,
so do not differ from him."
In another narration:
"When he says the takbir, say the takbir;
when he bows, bow;
and when he says,
'Allah hears whoever praises Him,'
say,
'Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.'
When he prostrates, prostrate;
and if he prays sitting,
pray sitting, all of you.
And straighten the row in prayer,
for straightening the row is part of the excellence of prayer."
And on the authority of Anas ibn Malik,
from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:
"Straighten your rows,
for straightening the rows is part of establishing the prayer."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"To be followed":
that is, to be taken as a model and complied with,
such that he is neither preceded nor moved in exact unison with.
"So do not differ from him":
that is, do not oppose your imam
in the sayings and actions of the prayer,
but rather remain compliant followers of his.
"Part of the excellence of prayer":
The excellence of a thing is an addition to its mere completeness,
representing something beyond bare obligation.
"Part of establishing the prayer":
that is, part of the sound and perfect establishment of the prayer.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
The hadith proves that the follower
must not precede the imam in bowing or prostration;
whoever precedes his imam in either of them and does not follow him,
his prayer is invalidated.
It also indicates that the congregant
must attentively watch the imam's actions and sayings
in order to follow him properly.
It shows that the legally responsible person
should enhance his prayer by observing its Sunnah acts
and whatever completes it.
Chapter: The Sin of One Who Does Not Complete the Rows.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik,
who arrived in Medina,
and it was said to him:
"What fault have you found with us since the days you knew the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?"
He said:
"I have found nothing amiss,
except that you do not straighten the rows."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"The days you knew":
refers to the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
meaning his lifetime and period, peace be upon him.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that the Tabi'un were eager to acquire beneficial knowledge;
that asking questions is the key to knowledge;
and that whoever fails to straighten the rows
is not required to repeat the prayer,
because Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
did not command them to repeat it.
It also indicates that the era of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
is the ultimate standard for correctness and merit.
Chapter: When There Is a Wall or Barrier Between the Imam and the People.
On the authority of 'A'ishah, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to pray at night in his room,
and the wall of the room was low,
so the people could see the silhouette of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Some people stood up and began praying along with his prayer,
and in the morning they talked about it.
Then he stood to pray the second night,
and people again stood with him, praying along with his prayer.
They did that for two or three nights,
until on a subsequent night,
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sat down and did not come out.
When morning came, the people mentioned that to him,
so he said:
"I feared that the night prayer would be made obligatory upon you."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"In his room":
The room is a partitioned section of the house.
"The silhouette of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him":
"Silhouette" refers to the dark outline of a person seen from afar;
it was phrased using this term
because it took place at night,
and they could discern nothing of him except his dark outline.
"Praying along with his prayer":
that is, following him in it.
"He did not come out":
meaning, to the customary spot where he had prayed during those previous nights,
and thus they could not see his silhouette.
"Would be made obligatory upon you":
meaning, prescribed as an obligation for you.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that it is permissible to follow an imam who did not intend to lead that specific prayer,
since the people followed him, peace be upon him, from behind the wall
without him having formed the intention with them to act as imam.
It also shows that performing voluntary prayers at home is superior;
it demonstrates the permissibility of praying voluntary prayers in congregation;
it highlights the Prophet's complete compassion toward his Ummah, peace be upon him;
it illustrates the Companions' eagerness to emulate the actions and states of the Prophet, peace be upon him;
it indicates that clarification must not be delayed beyond the time of need;
and it shows that the more critical matter should be prioritized when a benefit clashes with the fear of harm.
Chapter: The Night Prayer.
On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to partition off a mat at night,
praying upon it, and spread it out by day to sit on it.
People then began gathering around the Prophet, peace be upon him,
praying along with his prayer, until they grew numerous.
He turned toward them and said:
"O people, take on only those deeds which you are capable of performing,
for Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.
Indeed, the most beloved of deeds to Allah
are those that are most consistent, even if they are few."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Used to" is a phrasing denoting permanence and continuity.
"Partition off":
that is, he fashioned it like an enclosure to pray inside.
"Gathering around":
meaning, assembling together.
"Which you are capable of performing":
that is, what you have the capacity to carry out.
"Until you grow weary":
meaning, until you become fatigued and bored.
Weariness:
abandoning an act out of finding it burdensome and distasteful,
after having initially had keenness and love for it.
"Most consistent": meaning, sustained over time.
Points of Benefit from the Hadith:
It is derived from the hadith
that a small, consistent deed is better than a copious, interrupted one,
because with the continuity of a small deed, obedience endures and bears fruit.
It also shows the permissibility of following someone who did not intend to lead that prayer,
as well as the permissibility of offering voluntary prayers in congregation.
It illustrates his compassion and gentleness, peace be upon him,
as he guided them to what was in their best interest,
which is what they can consistently maintain without hardship.
It also emphasizes restricting oneself to what can be borne in worship,
and avoiding the overexertion of taking on what is unbearable.
On the authority of Zayd ibn Thabit,
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
made an enclosure out of a mat inside the mosque.
In another narration:
during Ramadan.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed in it for several nights,
until people gathered behind him.
Then one night they no longer heard his voice,
so they assumed he had gone to sleep.
Some of them began clearing their throats
so that he would come out to them.
In another narration:
They raised their voices and pelted small pebbles at the door,
whereupon he came out to them in anger
and said:
"What I saw of your conduct persisted so much
that I feared it might be made obligatory upon you;
and had it been made obligatory upon you, you would not have been able to maintain it.
Therefore, O people, pray in your homes,
for the best prayer of a person is in his home,
except for the prescribed prayer."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Then one night they no longer heard his voice,"
meaning they did not hear him praying.
"And they pelted small pebbles at the door,"
meaning they threw pebbles at it,
which are small stones,
to alert him.
"Of your conduct,"
referring to your keenness to perform the Tarawih prayer.
"That it might be made obligatory upon you,"
meaning that the night vigil of Ramadan might be made an obligation upon you.
"Except for the prescribed prayer":
This exception applies to men, not women,
for their prayer in their homes remains superior.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced that:
Performing voluntary prayers at home is superior to performing them in mosques;
recitation in the night prayer is done aloud;
it is permissible to follow an imam who did not initially intend to lead that prayer;
voluntary prayers may be offered in congregation;
clearing the throat is permissible when asking permission;
and the hadith illustrates what the Prophet (peace be upon him) possessed
of deep compassion for his Ummah
and consideration for their welfare,
making it obligatory to follow his example in that regard.
The hadith also contains an indication of the obligation of the congregational prayer.
Chapter:
Raising the hands with the opening takbir,
simultaneous with the commencement.
On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
"I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) open the prayer with the takbir,
raising his hands as he uttered the takbir
until he brought them level with his shoulders.
When he uttered the takbir for bowing, he did the same;
and when he said, 'Allah hears whoever praises Him,'
he did the same and said,
'Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise.'
But he did not do that when prostrating,
nor when raising his head from prostration."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Raising the hands with the opening takbir, simultaneous with the commencement":
The commencement (iftitah) refers to entering into the prayer.
"He opened the prayer with the takbir,"
meaning he began the prayer with the takbir.
"Raising his hands as he uttered the takbir,"
meaning he synchronized the raising of the hands with the takbir.
"Until he brought them level with his shoulders":
Being level (hidha') means directly opposite and facing;
the shoulder (mankib) is the joint connecting the upper arm and the shoulder blade.
"When he uttered the takbir for bowing, he did the same,"
meaning he raised his hands level with his shoulders.
"Allah hears whoever praises Him,"
meaning He answers whoever praises Him and accepts it from him.
"He did not do that when prostrating,"
meaning he did not raise his hands when initiating prostration.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced that:
The opening key of the prayer is the takbir,
and no other expression of exaltation suffices;
it shows the keenness of the Companions to learn the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
regarding the magnificent pillars of Islam;
the hadith clarifies the positions where the hands are raised in prayer;
and it indicates not raising the hands when going down into prostration or rising from it.
On the authority of Abu Qilabah,
that he saw Malik Ibn al-Huwayrith:
When he prayed, he uttered the takbir and raised his hands;
when he intended to bow, he raised his hands;
and when he raised his head from bowing, he raised his hands;
and he narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do so.
Commentary on the hadith:
"That the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to do so,"
meaning he raised his hands in those positions.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced that:
The Tabi'un were eager to learn the practical Sunnahs directly from the Companions;
and demonstration through practical action leaves a deeper impression on the mind.
Chapter: Placing the right hand over the left in prayer.
On the authority of Sahl Ibn Sa'd, who said:
"The people were commanded that a man should place his right hand
over his left forearm in prayer."
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced that:
A Companion's statement, "The people were commanded,"
carries the ruling of being marfu' (traced back to the Prophet);
and the hadith explains the manner of placing the right hand
over the left in prayer.
Chapter: What to say after the opening takbir.
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik,
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
Abu Bakr, and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)
used to open the prayer with "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds."
Commentary on the hadith:
"They used to open the prayer":
What is meant is that they began their recitation with it.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
The hadith demonstrates the significance of the Sunnah of the two Shaykhs,
Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both);
and it serves as evidence for those who hold that the Basmalah should not be recited aloud in prayer.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
used to remain silent between the takbir and the recitation
for a brief pause.
So I said:
"May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah!
In your silence between the takbir and the recitation, what do you say?"
He said:
"I say:
'O Allah, distance me from my sins
as You have distanced the East from the West.
O Allah, cleanse me of sins
as a white garment is cleansed of filth.
O Allah, wash away my sins with water, snow, and hail.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
The verb "used to" (kana) denotes consistency and regularity.
"Between the takbir and the recitation,"
meaning after the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) and before the recitation.
"A pause" (iskatah) comes from sukut (silence),
and what is meant is refraining from audible speech,
not absolute silence,
for in his silence he was engaged in remembrance and supplication.
"Brief" (hunayyah) denotes a short period of time.
"O Allah, distance me from my sins":
Distancing here refers to
remitting accountability,
that is, putting them far away so that they cannot harm him.
"Cleanse me":
Cleansing (tanqiyah) means removing sins and obliterating their traces.
"Sins" (khataya) refers to offenses and misdeeds.
"Filth" (danas) refers to dirt or impurity.
"With water, snow, and hail":
An emphatic expression for thorough purification from sins;
and all three are purifying agents sent down from the sky.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith it is deduced that:
The opening supplication (du'a' al-istiftah) is prescribed
according to the wording transmitted in the hadith;
it demonstrates the Companions' meticulous attention to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
in his movements and pauses;
asking questions is the key to knowledge;
it directs one toward politeness when questioning people of knowledge
in order to extract valuable treasures of understanding;
it is permissible to ransom the Prophet (peace be upon him)
with one's parents,
a matter on which there is scholarly consensus;
the hadith mentions types of purifying agents sent down from heaven,
complete purification being attainable through any of them;
the threefold division of the supplication
likely corresponds to the three dimensions of time:
distancing pertains to the future,
cleansing pertains to the present,
and washing pertains to the past;
and the hadith implies that sins are a spiritual impurity
from which one must be purified,
quenching the burning sensation they cause within the heart.
Chapter:
On the authority of Asma' bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with them both),
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed the eclipse prayer:
He stood and prolonged his standing;
then he bowed and prolonged his bowing;
then he stood and prolonged his standing;
then he bowed and prolonged his bowing;
then he rose;
then he prostrated and prolonged his prostration;
then he rose;
then he prostrated and prolonged his prostration;
then he stood and prolonged his standing;
then he bowed and prolonged his bowing;
then he rose and prolonged his standing;
then he bowed and prolonged his bowing;
then he rose;
then he prostrated and prolonged his prostration;
then he rose;
then he prostrated and prolonged his prostration;
then he concluded the prayer
and said:
"Paradise was brought so close to me
that had I dared reach for it,
I would have brought you one of its clusters of fruit;
and the Fire was brought so close to me
that I said:
'O my Lord, am I to be among them?'
There I saw a woman being scratched by a cat,
I asked,
"What is the matter with this cat?"
They replied,
"She confined it until it starved to death:
she neither fed it,
nor let it loose to feed on the vermin of the earth."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Then he finished,"
meaning from the prayer.
"It drew near,"
meaning it came close.
"I ventured toward it,"
meaning I stepped forward.
"A cluster,"
meaning a bunch of grapes.
"O Lord, while I am among them?"
The meaning is:
"Would You punish them while I am in their midst?"
"A cat was clawing her,"
meaning scratching and wounding her.
"Nor let it loose,"
meaning nor did she release the cat to hunt and eat
"from the vermin of the earth,"
meaning the earth's insects and creeping creatures.
Benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
An explanation of how the eclipse prayer is performed;
that it is a Sunnah according to the majority of scholars;
that it is offered in congregation in the mosque;
that the hadith serves as proof for the prolonged standing in the eclipse prayer;
that one should hasten to prayer during tribulations;
that Paradise and Hellfire are already created and presently exist,
which is the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah;
the prohibition against torturing animals;
and that a wronged animal
will be given power over its abuser on the Day of Resurrection;
and an indication of the permissibility of owning and keeping a cat.
Chapter: Looking at the Imam during Prayer.
On the authority of Abu Ma'mar, who said:
We asked Khabbab,
"Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
recite during the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers?"
He replied, "Yes."
We said,
"By what did you recognize that?"
He said,
"By the movement of his beard."
Commentary on the hadith:
"On the authority of Abu Ma'mar":
he is 'Abdullah ibn Sakhbarah.
"By what did you recognize that?"
Meaning: how did you discern his recitation, peace be upon him?
"By the movement of his beard,"
meaning by its moving motion.
Benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
A demonstration of the keenness of the Companions and the Tabi'un to emulate the Prophet's guidance, peace be upon him;
the obligation of recitation in the Zuhr and 'Asr prayers;
the legitimacy of relying on contextual indicators (qara'in),
for the movement of the beard during prayer is an indication of recitation;
and that the lips must move during recitation in prayer.
Chapter: Raising One's Gaze to the Sky during Prayer.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, who said:
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"What is the matter with people who raise their eyes to the sky during their prayer?"
His words grew severe regarding that,
until he said:
"They must certainly desist from this,
or else their sight will surely be snatched away."
Commentary on the hadith:
"What is the matter with people?"
Meaning: what is their state and condition?
"His words grew severe regarding that,"
meaning the statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
concerning raising the gaze to the sky during prayer.
"They must certainly desist from this,
or else their sight will surely be snatched away,"
meaning they must either stop raising their gaze
to the sky in prayer,
or their sight will be snatched away;
and the snatching of sight refers to blindness.
Benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
The prohibition against raising one's gaze to the sky during prayer;
that clarification should not be delayed beyond the time of need;
the obligation of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil;
the propriety of gentleness when rebuking violations,
phrasing them generally,
because public admonition is humiliation.
Chapter: Looking Around during Prayer.
On the authority of 'A'ishah, who said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
about looking around during prayer,
and he said:
"It is a snatching that Satan pilfers
from the servant's prayer."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A snatching" (ikhtilas) means swift abduction.
Benefits of the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
An exhortation for the worshiper to maintain
presence of mind and intention for converse with his Lord,
without becoming preoccupied with worldly matters;
the importance of preserving humility and focus (khushu'),
for whoever turns his gaze loses his focus;
and a warning against the footsteps and tricks of Satan;
and a warning against the footsteps and tricks of Satan.