Abu Dawud

Prayer

Book Number: 002 / Hadith Number: 1237

Chapter : A fouth view that goes that al the people should utter the first takbir together though their back is towards the qiblah. then a sectiom of them should offer one rakah along with the imam and go to the place of their companions facing the enemy and the other section should come and offer one rakah by themselves. the imam then should lead them in one rakah. thereafter the section which stands before the enemy should come forward and offer one rakah by themselves while the imam should remain seated. when they complete one rakah he should utter the salutation along with all of them.

Narated By Abu Hurairah : We went out with the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) to Najd. When we reached Dhat ar-Riqa at Nakhl (or in a valley with palm trees) he met a group of the tribe of Ghatafan. The narrator then reported the tradition to the same effect, but his version is other than that of Haywah. He added to the words "when he bowed along with those who were with him and prostrated" the words "when they stood up, they retraced their footsteps to the rows of their companions". He did not mention the words "their back was towards the qiblah".

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by 'Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin through a different chain of transmitters. She said: The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) uttered the takbir and the section that was in the same row with him also uttered the takbir. He then bowed and they also bowed, and he prostrated and they also prostrated. Then he raised his head and they also raised (their heads). The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then remained seated. They prostrated alone and stood up and retraced their footsteps and stood behind them.

Then the other section came; they stood up and uttered the takbir and bowed by themselves. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) prostrated himself and they also prostrated with him. Then the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) stood up and they performed the second prostration by themselves. Then both the sections stood up and prayed with the Apostle of Allah (pbuh). He bowed and they also bowed, and then he prostrated himself and they also prostrated themselves. Then he returned and performed the second prostration and they also prostrated with him as quickly as possible, showing no slackness in quick prostration. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then uttered the salutation. After that the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) stood up. Thus everyone participated in the entire prayer.