Sunan al-Nasa'i — The Book of the Qiblah

Al Bara bin Azib said: The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Al-Madinah and prayed toward Bait-al-Maqdis for sixteen months, then he was commanded to pray toward the Ka’bah. A man who had prayed with the prophet (peace be upon him)passed by some of the Ansar and said: “I bear witness that the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has been commanded to face toward the Ka’bah. So they turned to face the Ka’bah”.

“The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray atop his mount while travelling, facing whatever direction it was facing.” (One of the narrators) Malik said: “Abdullah bin Dinar said: and Ibn Umar used to do likewise”.

“The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray atop his mount while traveling, facing whatever direction it was facing, and he would pray witr atop it, but he did not pray the prescribed prayers atop it “.

“While the people were in Quba praying Subh prayer, someone came to them and said that revelation had come to Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the night before, and he had been commanded to face Ka’bah. So face toward it. They had been facing toward Ash-Sham, so they turned to face toward Ka’bah.”

“The messenger of Allah(ﷺ) was asked during the campaign of Tabuk about the Sutra of one who is praying. He said: “Something as high as the back of a camel saddle.”

It was narrated from Ibn Umar concerning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) he said: “He used to set up a short spear then pray facing toward it.”

“When anyone of you prays toward a Sutra, let him get close to it and not allow the Shaitan to sever his prayer for him.”

It was narrated from Abdullah bin Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the Ka’bah with Usamah bin Zaid, Bilal and Uthman bin Talha al Hajabi, and locked the door behind him. Abdullah bin Umar said: “I asked Bilal when he came out: ” What did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do?” He said: “He stood with one pillar to his left, two pillars to his right and three pillars behind him – at that time the House stood on six pillars – and he prayed with approximately three forearm’s length between him and the wall.”

The messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: “When anyone of you stands to pray, then he is screened if he has in front of him something as high as the back of a camel saddle. If he does not have something as high as the back of a camel saddle in front of him, then his prayer is nullified by a woman, a donkey or a black dog.” I (one of the narrators)said: “What is the difference between a black dog, a yellow one and a red one?” He said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) just like you and he said:”The black dog is a shaitan.”

“I aid to Jabir bin Zaid: “What invalidates prayer?” He said: “Ibn Abbas used to say: A menstruating woman and a dog.” (One of the narrators)Yahya said: “Shubah said it was a marfu report.”

“Al-Fadl and I came riding a female donkey of ours, and the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) was leading the people at Arafat.” Then he said something to that effect. “We passed by part of the row, and then we dismounted and left the donkey grazing, and the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)did not say anything to us.”

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)visited Al Abbas in some land of ours outside the city, and we had a small dog and a donkey which was grazing. The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) prayed Asr and they were in front of him, and they were not shooed away or pushed away.”

“I heard Ibn Abbas narrate that he passed in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he and a young boy of Banu Hashim, riding a donkey in front of the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) when he was praying. Then they dismounted and joined the prayer, and he did not stop praying. Then two young girls of Banu Abdul-Muttalib started running around and grabbing him by the knees. He separated them but he did not stop praying.”

“I was in front of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he was praying, and when I wanted to leave I did not want to get up and pass in front of him, so I just slipped away slowly and quietly.”

It was narrated from Busr bin Sa’eed said that Zaid bin Khalid sent him to Abu Juhaim to ask him what he had heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say about one who passes in front of a person who is praying? Abu Juhaim said: “The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)said: “If the one who passes in front of a person who is praying knew what (burden of sin) there is on him, standing for forty would be better for him than passing in front of him.”

It was narrated from Abu Saeed that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: ” If anyone of you is praying, he should not let anyone pass in front of him, and if he insists (on passing) then let him fight him.”

It was narrated from Kathir bin Kathir, from his father, that his grandfather said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) circumambulate the House seven times, then he prayed two Rak’ahs at the edge of the Maqam, and there was nothing between him and the people who were performing Tawaf.”

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)used to pray at night while I was lying down sleeping between him and the Qibla on his bed. When he wanted to pray witr he would wake me up and I would pray witr”

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)said: ‘Do not pray toward graves and do not sit on them.'”

“In my house there was a cloth on which there were images, which I covered a closet which is in the house, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray toward it. Then he said: ‘0 Aisha, take it away from me.’ So I removed it and made pillows out of it.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a mat which he would spread in the day and make into a small booth at night to pray in it. The people found out about that and they prayed when he prayed, with the mat in between him and them. He said: ‘Do as much of good deeds as you can, for Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) until you get tired. And the most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are continuous, even if they are few.’ Then he stopped that prayer and did not return to it until Allah took him (in death), and if he started to do something he would persist in it.”

“Does everyone of you have two garments?”

It was narrated from Umar bin Abi Salamah that he saw Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)praying in a single garment in the house of Umm Salamah, putting the ends of it on his shoulders.”

” I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah(ﷺ), I go hunting wearing nothing but a single shirt. Can I pray in it?’ He said: ‘Fasten it to yourself even with a thorn.'”

“Some men used to pray with Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) tying their lower garments tight like children, it was said to the women: ‘Do not raise your heads until the men have sat up completely.'”

“When my people came back from the Prophet (ﷺ)they said that he had said: ‘Let the one who recites the Quran most lead you in prayer.’ So they called me and taught me how to bow and prostrate, and I used to lead them in prayer, wearing a torn cloak, and they used to say to my father: ‘Will you not conceal your son’s backside from us?”‘

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)used to pray at night when I was beside him and I was menstruating, and there was a garment over me, part of which was over Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)”

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ)said: ‘No one of you should pray in a single garment with no part of it on his shoulder.'”

“A silken Farruj was presented to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he put it on and offered the prayer in it, then when he had finished the prayer he tore it off as if he disliked it and said:’This is not befitting for those who have Taqwa.'”

“These markings distracted me. Take it to Abu Jahm and bring me his Anbijani (a woolen garment with no markings).”

It was narrated from Awn bin Abi Juhaifah, from his father that, the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) went out in a red Hullah, and he set up a short spear (Anazah) and prayed facing toward it, while dogs, women and donkeys were passing beyond it.

“I heard Aisha (ra) say: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Abii Al-Qbim, and I were beneath a single blanket, and I was menstruating. If something got on him from me, he would wash whatever had got on him and he did not wash anywhere else, and he prayed in it then came back to me.And if anything got on him from me,he would do exactly the same and he did not wash anywhere else.”‘

“I saw Jarir urinate, then he called for water and performed wudhu, and wiped over his Khuffs, then he stood up and prayed. He was asked about that and he said: ‘I saw the Prophet(ﷺ) do exactly like this.'”

“I asked Anas bin Malik: ‘Did the Prophet (ﷺ) pray in sandals?’ He said: ‘Yes.'”

It was narrated from Abdullah bin As Saib that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) prayed on the day of Conquest (of Makkah), and he put his sandals to his left.