What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 1162 about?

This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i (Book of The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together)), narrated by It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that:, states: "He saw a man moving pebbles with his hand while praying. When he finished, 'Abdullah said to him: "Do not move the pebbles while you are praying, for that is from Shaitan. Rather do what the Messenger…"

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 Sunan an-Nasa'i, which contains 5,768 hadiths across 52 books. It is hadith number 1162 in the Book of The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together).

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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Sunan an-Nasa'i #1162

The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together)

Sahih

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

أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمَعَافِرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَجُلاً يُحَرِّكُ الْحَصَى بِيَدِهِ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحَرِّكِ الْحَصَى وَأَنْتَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلَكِنِ اصْنَعْ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْنَعُ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَأَشَارَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ الَّتِي تَلِي الإِبْهَامَ فِي الْقِبْلَةِ وَرَمَى بِبَصَرِهِ إِلَيْهَا أَوْ نَحْوِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ هَكَذَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْنَعُ ‏.‏

He saw a man moving pebbles with his hand while praying. When he finished, 'Abdullah said to him: "Do not move the pebbles while you are praying, for that is from Shaitan. Rather do what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do." He said: "What did he used to do?" He said: "He would put his right hand on his right thigh, and point with the finger that is next to the thumb toward the Qiblah, and he would look at it, or thereabouts." Then he said: "This is what I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing."

Narrated by It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that:

Context

In this narration, Abdullah bin Umar observes a man moving pebbles during prayer and advises him against this action, attributing it to Shaitan's influence. Instead, he instructs him to emulate the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) method of prayer, which includes a specific hand position and focus. This illustrates the importance of maintaining concentration and proper conduct during salah.

Modern Application

In daily salah, this principle encourages worshippers to avoid distractions and to adopt the Prophet's (ﷺ) practices for a more focused prayer experience. It reminds us to be mindful of our actions and to strive for a deeper connection with Allah.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer and Prophetic Conduct because it emphasizes proper behavior during salah and encourages following the Prophet's (ﷺ) example.

Prayer Prophetic Conduct