What is Sahih Muslim 964 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Prayers), narrated by Al-Bara' (b. 'Azib), and he was no liar (but a truthful Companion of the Holy Prophet), reported:, states: "They used to say prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I never saw anyone bending his back at the time when he (the Holy Prophet) raised his head, till the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his forehe…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 964 in the Book of The Book of Prayers.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#963

#964

Sahih Muslim

#965

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Sahih Muslim #964

The Book of Prayers

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْبَرَاءُ، وَهُوَ غَيْرُ كَذُوبٍ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُصَلُّونَ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ لَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا يَحْنِي ظَهْرَهُ حَتَّى يَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَبْهَتَهُ عَلَى الأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَخِرُّ مَنْ وَرَاءَهُ سُجَّدًا ‏.‏

They used to say prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I never saw anyone bending his back at the time when he (the Holy Prophet) raised his head, till the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his forehead on the ground. They then fell in prostration after him.

Narrated by Al-Bara' (b. 'Azib), and he was no liar (but a truthful Companion of the Holy Prophet), reported:

Context

Al-Bara' narrates how the companions prayed behind the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and observed his actions closely. This hadith emphasizes the importance of following the Prophet's example in prayer and the proper etiquette during worship.

Modern Application

This principle encourages individuals to learn from exemplary figures in their communities, fostering a culture of respect and adherence to best practices in worship and other areas of life.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer because it illustrates the importance of following the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) example in prayer.

Prayer