What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 1198 about?

This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i (Book of The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)), narrated by It was narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her, said:, states: ""I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about looking here and there during prayer. He said: 'That is something that the Shaitan snatches from one's prayer.'""

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 1198 in the Book of The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer).

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

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Sunan an-Nasa'i #1198

The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)

Sahih

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

أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ الاِلْتِفَاتِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اخْتِلاَسٌ يَخْتَلِسُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about looking here and there during prayer. He said: 'That is something that the Shaitan snatches from one's prayer.'"

Narrated by It was narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her, said:

Context

Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) about looking around during prayer, to which he responded that it is a distraction caused by Shaitan. This highlights the significance of maintaining focus during prayer and the potential for external distractions to disrupt one's connection with Allah.

Modern Application

In daily salah, this teaching encourages worshippers to minimize distractions and to concentrate fully on their prayers. It serves as a reminder to create a conducive environment for worship and to stay mentally present.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer because it addresses the importance of focus and attentiveness during the act of worship.

Prayer