Each narration below is shown in its original Arabic alongside an English translation, with its chapter, number, and reference.
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ إِنَّ مُعَاذًا كَانَ يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فَيَؤُمُّ قَوْمَهُ .
Mu’adh b. Jabal would pray along the prophet (ﷺ), then go and lead his people in prayer.
" إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا رَفَعَ فَارْفَعُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِذَا صَلَّى جَالِسًا فَصَلُّوا جُلُوسًا أَجْمَعُونَ "
the Imam is appointed only to be followed ; so when he prays standing, pray standing, and when he bows, bow; when he raises himself, raise yourselves; when he says “Allah listen to him who praises Him”, “Our Lord ! to Thee be the praise”: and when he prays sitting all of you pray sitting.
" إِذَا صَلَّى الإِمَامُ جَالِسًا فَصَلُّوا جُلُوسًا وَإِذَا صَلَّى الإِمَامُ قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا كَمَا يَفْعَلُ أَهْلُ فَارِسَ بِعُظَمَائِهَا "
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rode a horse in Medina. It threw him off at the root of a date-palm. His foot was injured. We visited him to inquire about his illness. We found him praying sitting in the apartment of Aisha. We, therefore, stood, (praying) behind him. He kept silent. We again visited him to inquire about his illness. He offered the obligatory prayer sitting. We, therefore, stood (praying) behind him; he made a sign to us and we sat down. When he finished the prayer, he said: When the imam prays sitting, pray sitting; and when the imam prays standing, pray standing, and do not act as the people of Persia used to act with their chiefs (i.e. the people stood and they were sitting).
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - الْمَعْنَى - عَنْ وُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا كَبَّرَ فَكَبِّرُوا وَلاَ تُكَبِّرُوا حَتَّى يُكَبِّرَ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَلاَ تَرْكَعُوا حَتَّى يَرْكَعَ وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ " وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . " وَإِذَا سَجَدَ فَاسْجُدُوا وَلاَ تَسْجُدُوا حَتَّى يَسْجُدَ وَإِذَا صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِذَا صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا أَجْمَعُونَ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ " اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ " . أَفْهَمَنِي بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed; when he says "Allah is most great," say "Allah is most great" and do not say "Allah is most great" until he says "Allah is most great." When he bows; bow; and do not bow until he bows. And when he says "Allah listens to him who praise Him," say "O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be the praise." The version recorded by Muslim goes: "And to Thee be the praise: And when he prostrate; and do not prostrate until he prostrates. When he prays standing, pray standing, and when he prays sitting, all of you pray sitting. Abu Dawud said: The words "O Allah, our Lord, to You be the praise" reported by Sulaiman were explained to me by some of our companions.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ الْمَصِّيصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ " . بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ زَادَ " وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ " وَإِذَا قَرَأَ فَأَنْصِتُوا " . لَيْسَتْ بِمَحْفُوظَةٍ الْوَهَمُ عِنْدَنَا مِنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The imam is appointed only to be followed. This version adds: When he recites (the Qur'an), keep silent." Abu Dawud said: The addition of the words "When he recites, keep silent" in this version are not guarded. The misunderstanding, according to us, is on the part of Abu Khalid (a narrator).
" إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ فَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا رَفَعَ فَارْفَعُوا وَإِذَا صَلَّى جَالِسًا فَصَلُّوا جُلُوسًا "
The IMAM is appointed only to be followed; so when he prays standing. Pray standing ; and when he raises himself, raise yourself: and when he prays sitting. Pray sitting.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَوْهَبٍ، - الْمَعْنَى - أَنَّ اللَّيْثَ، حَدَّثَهُمْ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ اشْتَكَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُكَبِّرُ لِيُسْمِعَ النَّاسَ تَكْبِيرَهُ ثُمَّ سَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ .
when the prophet (ﷺ) became seriously ill, we prayed behind him while he was sitting and Abu Bakr was calling “Allah is most great “ to cause the people to hear the TAKBIR. Then he (the narrators) narrated the rest of the tradition.
" إِذَا صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا "
Messenger of Allah, our Imam is ill. He said : When he prays sitting, pray sitting. Abu Dawud said : The chain of this tradition is not continuous (muttasil)
" رُدُّوا هَذَا فِي وِعَائِهِ وَهَذَا فِي سِقَائِهِ فَإِنِّي صَائِمٌ "
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered upon Umm Haram. The people (in her house) brought some cooking oil dates to him. He said; Put it (dates) back in its container and return it (cooking oil) to its bag, because I am keeping fast. He then stood and led us in prayer two Rak’ahs of supererogatory prayer. Then Umm Sulaim and Umm Haram stood behind us (i.e., the men). Thabit (the narrator) said: I understand that Anas said; he (the prophet) made me stand on his right side.
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ أَنَسٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَّهُ وَامْرَأَةً مِنْهُمْ فَجَعَلَهُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةَ خَلْفَ ذَلِكَ .
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led him and one of their women in prayer. He (the prophet) put him on his right side and the woman behind him (Anas)