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| 2 Bukhari hadiths

397
It was narrated that Mujahid said: Someone went to Ibn ‘Umar and said to him: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has entered the Kaaba. Ibn ‘Umar said: So I came, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had already come out. I found Bilal standing between the two doors, so I asked Bilal: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray inside the Kaaba? He said: Yes, [he prayed] two rak‘ahs between the two pillars to the left when you enter. Then he came out and prayed two rak‘ahs facing the front of the Kaaba. .

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is the Ancient House of Allah; it is held in very high esteem by all Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed inside it in the year of the conquest of Makkah.
In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Mujahid ibn Jabr narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah in 8 AH, he entered the Kaaba and prayed two rak‘ahs. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was standing outside when someone came to him and told him: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has entered the Kaaba.  Ibn ‘Umar came, but he found that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had already come out. Bilal was with him, standing at the door. With him inside were Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) and ‘Uthman ibn Talhah al-Hajabi (may Allah be pleased with him), as is narrated in al-Sahihayn. Ibn ‘Umar asked Bilal how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed inside the Kaaba, and Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed two rak‘ahs between the two pillars that were on his left when he entered. These two pillars are the two pillars on which the roof rests. In al-Sahihayn it says: He stood with one pillar on his left, another pillar on his right, and three pillars behind him – at that time, the House was resting on six pillars – then he prayed. Between him and the wall of the Kaaba there were three cubits, as is mentioned in the report of Abu Dawud; that is sufficient distance to stand in prayer, and it is sufficient to prostrate. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out and prayed two rak‘ahs facing towards the front of the Kaaba; what is meant by the front of the Kaaba is the door of the House.
We may reconcile between this hadith and the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in Sahih al-Bukhari – in which it says that [the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] entered the House and said takbir whilst walking around inside it, and he did not pray in it – by noting that the affirmation of Bilal takes precedence over the negation of anyone else, because Ibn ‘Abbas was not with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on that day; rather he based his negation on what he had heard from Usamah or from his brother al-Fadl. It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the Kaaba twice, and he prayed on one of these two occasions and not on the other.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to pray inside the Kaaba..

398
It was narrated that ‘Ata’ said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas say: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the House, he offered supplication whilst walking around inside, but he did not pray until he came out of it. When he came out, he prayed two rak‘ahs facing the front of the Kaaba, and he said: This is the qiblah..

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is the Ancient House of Allah; it is held in very high esteem by all Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed inside it in the year of the conquest of Makkah.
In this hadith, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did when he entered the House, meaning the Kaaba. He offered supplication whilst walking around inside, and did not pray inside it, but when he came out of the Kaaba, he prayed two rak‘ahs facing towards the Kaaba, and facing towards the front of it, which refers to the side where the door is. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This is the qiblah,” meaning that the matter of the qiblah is settled; it is the direction of this House, and this will not be abrogated after today, so pray towards it forever. It may be that he taught them where the imam should stand, as he stands facing the front of it, and not any of its corners or any of the other three sides, although prayer facing any of its sides is valid.
It is proven in al-Sahihayn from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Bilal was asked whether the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed inside the House, he said: Yes, [he prayed] two rak‘ahs between the two pillars to the left when you enter.
We may reconcile between this hadith and the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) by noting that the affirmation of Bilal takes precedence over the negation of anyone else, because Ibn ‘Abbas was not with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on that day; rather he based his negation on what he had heard from Usamah or from his brother al-Fadl. It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered the Kaaba twice, and he prayed on one of these two occasions and not on the other..

399
It was narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months, but the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was hoping that he would be told to face towards the Kaaba. Then Allah revealed the words: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven…} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. So he turned towards the Kaaba. The foolish among the people, namely the Jews, said: {“What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?” Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. A man prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then after he prayed, he went out and passed by some of the Ansar who were praying ‘Asr, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis. He testified that he had just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he had offered that prayer facing towards the Kaaba. So the people turned until they were facing towards the Kaaba..

Commentary : The Holy Kaaba is held in high esteem by all Muslims, for it is the Ancient House of Allah and the qiblah towards which they face when they pray; they long to see the Kaaba when they go for Hajj.
In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the qiblah towards which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) faced in his prayer, when he first [came to Madinah], was in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis, for sixteen or seventeen months. There is no difference of scholarly opinion that that happened in 2 AH. But he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Then Allah revealed the words: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven…} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. In other words, We see you repeatedly turning your face and looking up to heaven; {and We will surely turn you} that is, we will surely grant you and permit you to turn towards; {to a qiblah with which you will be pleased}, that you love and are inclined towards, for the correct purposes that you have in mind, and that are in harmony with the will and wisdom of Allah. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned towards the Kaaba. The foolish among the people – namely the Jews – said: {“What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. They asked this question in astonishment at the reason for the Muslims’ turning away from Bayt al-Maqdis towards the Kaaba, because they had liked it when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had turned towards Bayt al-Maqdis, as it was also their qiblah. So when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned towards the Sacred House, they objected to that. But Allah (may He be exalted) responded to them by saying: {Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path”} [al-Baqarah 2:142]. Some of his companions prayed with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba, then one of the men who had prayed ‘Asr with him – whose name was ‘Abbad ibn Bishr or ‘Abbad ibn Nahik – went out and passed by a group of the Ansar. He found them praying ‘Asr, facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so he said to them: I bear witness that I just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah, and that he was facing towards the Kaaba. When they heard him, they turned around towards al-Masjid al-Haram. They did not interrupt their prayer; rather they completed it facing towards the Kaaba. This reflects how quickly they responded to the command of Allah (may He be exalted).
This hadith highlights the honourable position of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and how dear he was to his Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) as He gave him what he had been hoping for, without him asking for it.
It highlights how keen the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were to adhere to their religion.
It indicates that the report of a trustworthy person may be accepted, even if he is only one..

400
It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray atop his mount, no matter what direction it was facing. Then when he wanted to offer an obligatory prayer, he would dismount and turn to face the qiblah..

Commentary : Supererogatory prayers are broad in scope, and there is leniency regarding them according to people’s circumstances. If a Muslim is travelling, he is granted concessions that make travel easier for him, such as shortening prayers and putting them together.
In this hadith, Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to offer supererogatory prayers whilst riding his mount or his she-camel, facing whatever direction his mount was facing. A report narrated by Abu Dawud explains how he prayed atop his mount, as it says: His prostration was lower than his bowing. So he would lean forward when prostrating a little more than when bowing. He did not dismount or insist on facing the qiblah except in the obligatory prayers. Facing towards the qiblah in an obligatory prayer is a condition of the prayer being valid. Whoever offers an obligatory prayer deliberately facing a direction other than the qiblah, without any excuse, his prayer is invalid, whether he is at home or travelling. If he is riding a mount, then he must dismount and turn towards the qiblah to offer an obligatory prayer, and that requirement is not waived except in the case of a legitimate excuse such as rain, sickness, fear and the like. Allah (may He be exalted) says: “And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding” [al-Baqarah 2:239].
This hadith highlights how it is made easier to pray when travelling.
It also indicates that it is valid to offer supererogatory prayers atop one’s mount, and in whatever conveyances come under the same rulings..

401
It was narrated that ‘Alqamah said: ‘Abdullah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed – Ibrahim said: I do not know whether he added something or omitted something – and when he said the taslim, it was said to him: O Messenger of Allah, has something new been introduced into the prayer? He said: “Why is that?” They said: You prayed such and such. So he knelt and turned to face the qiblah, and prostrated twice, then he said the taslim. When he turned to face us, he said: “If something new had been introduced into the prayer, I would have told you about it. But I am only human like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, then remind me, and if one of you is not sure about his prayer, let him think what is most likely to be the case, then complete it on that basis, then let him say the taslim, then prostrate twice.”.

Commentary : Prayer is the foundation of faith, and the individual should strive to maintain proper focus and reflection whilst praying, and not let himself be distracted by worldly matters. But he may make a mistake in the prayer, by omitting or adding to some of its actions. This mistake needs to be compensated for, so the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw) is prescribed in such cases.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates what happened to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to making mistakes in the prayer. He narrates that one day the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him – Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i, the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know whether he added something or omitted something. It is explained that he added something in al-Sahihayn: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed Zuhr with five rak‘ahs. When he said the taslim at the end of his prayer, some of those who had prayed with him asked him: Has something new been introduced into the prayer? The aim was to ask whether something new had been introduced through revelation that had changed the ruling on the prayer, by adding to what was usually done. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to them: “Why is that?” This is the question of one who did not realize what he did, and is not sure and does not know what is most likely to be the case. This is in contrast to the people behind him, as they said: You prayed such and such, telling him of what they were certain had happened. Their words “such and such” refer to what had happened, which was something additional and more than usual. Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) knelt; he sat as for tashahhud, then he prostrated twice, the prostration of forgetfulness. Then he said to them: “If something new had been introduced into the prayer, I would have told you about it.” And he said: “I am only human like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, then remind me.”
Perhaps in His wisdom, Allah (may He be exalted) caused the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to make this mistake, so that he would teach his ummah what to do if the imam makes a mistake in the prayer. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the people: … if one of you is not sure, and he forgets whilst praying and does not know whether he has added something to it or omitted something, then “let him think what is most likely to be the case.” In other words, let him work out what happened, then if he thinks something is more likely to be the case, due to some circumstantial evidence, let him complete his prayer based on that, then do the prostration of forgetfulness.
The point in this hadith is that whoever makes a mistake in his prayer, adding or omitting something by mistake because he forgot, then he remembers after saying the salaam, he should turn to face towards the qiblah and do the prostration of forgetfulness, because the prostration of forgetfulness is part of completing the prayer. Even if it is done after saying the salaam, it is still part of the prayer, and it is stipulated that one should face towards the qiblah when doing it, as is required in the prayer.
This hadith shows us that even the Prophets (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) could make some mistakes in their actions, but that does not undermine the position of prophethood or undermine any of the teachings of Islam.
It indicates that the prostration of forgetfulness consists of two prostrations.
It indicates that it is valid to do the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the taslim at the end of the prayer..