Mishkat al-Masabih #1028
Prayer
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ تَأَخُّرًا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «تَقَدَّمُوا وَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلْيَأْتَمَّ بِكُمْ مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ لَا يَزَالُ قَوْمٌ يَتَأَخَّرُونَ حَتَّى يؤخرهم الله» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that when God’s Messenger saw a tendency among his companions to go to the back he said to them, “Come forward and follow my lead, and let those who come after you follow your lead. People will continue to keep to the back till God will put them at the back.”*
* This has been explained as referring to their being denied God’s grace, or their lacking rank or knowledge. But cf. the tradition from 'A’isha at the end of Section III.
Muslim transmitted it.
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About Mishkat al-Masabih
This hadith is #1028 from Mishkat al-Masabih, in the Book of Prayer.