What is Sunan Abu Dawud 899 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)), narrated by Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:, states: "I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) from behind. I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the ground)."

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 899 in the Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat).

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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#898

#899

Sunan Abu Dawud

#900

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Sunan Abu Dawud #899

Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ التَّمِيمِيِّ الَّذِي، يُحَدِّثُ بِالتَّفْسِيرِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ خَلْفِهِ فَرَأَيْتُ بَيَاضَ إِبْطَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُجَخٍّ قَدْ فَرَّجَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ‏.‏

I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) from behind. I saw the whiteness of his armpits and he kept his arms away from his sides and raised his stomach (from the ground).

Narrated by Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Context

In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Abbas describes an encounter with the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) where he observes the Prophet's physical posture during prayer. The Prophet is depicted as raising his arms and keeping them away from his sides, which highlights his focus and dedication during the act of worship. This description serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining proper etiquette and demeanor in prayer.

Modern Application

In daily salah, this hadith encourages Muslims to adopt a respectful and focused posture while praying. Maintaining a proper stance can enhance concentration and devotion during the prayer, allowing individuals to connect more deeply with their worship.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Conduct because it illustrates the physical demeanor of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) during prayer.

Prophetic Conduct