22 - Chapter: How the One Who Sits Prays

1661 - Harun ibn 'Abdullah informed us, saying: Abu Dawud al-Hafari narrated to us, from Hafs, from Humayd, from 'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq, from 'A'ishah, who said: I saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, praying while sitting cross-legged.

Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said: I know of no one who narrated this hadith other than Abu Dawud, and he is trustworthy. I do not consider this hadith to be anything other than an error, and Allah Almighty knows best.

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= Lying on his side here.

It was also recorded by Ahmad (19819), al-Bukhari (1117), Abu Dawud (952), al-Tirmidhi (372), and Ibn Majah (1223) via the chain of Ibrahim ibn Tahman, from Husayn al-Mu'allim, with the wording: "Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you cannot, then on your side."

(1) Its chain is sound. Abu Dawud al-Hafari: he is 'Umar ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubayd, and Hafs: he is Ibn Ghiyath, and Humayd: he is Ibn Abi Humayd al-Tawil, as his name appears in some narrations, and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar affirmed this in "Tahdhib al-Tahdhib" in the entry on (Humayd ibn Tarkhan). The author's forthcoming statement that Abu Dawud al-Hafari was alone in narrating it was refuted by Ibn 'Abd al-Hadi in "al-Muharrar," hadith (395), who said: Thus he said, but Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Asbahani, who is trustworthy, followed al-Hafari in narrating it. It is in "al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (1367).

It was also recorded by al-Daraqutni in his "Sunan" (1482) from the author, with this chain.

It was also recorded by Ibn Hibban (2512), via the chain of Abu Dawud al-Hafari, with it.

It was also recorded by al-Hakim 1/258, and al-Bayhaqi 2/305, via the chain of Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Asbahani, from Hafs ibn Ghiyath, with it. And they both restricted Humayd to being Ibn Qays!

Al-Bayhaqi also recorded in 2/305, via the chain of Ibn 'Uyaynah, from Ibn 'Ajlan, from 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, from his father, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, supplicating like this, and he placed his hands on his knees while sitting cross-legged.

(2) In (M) and the margins of (R) and (K): And Abu Dawud is trustworthy.