What is Sunan Ibn Majah 601 about?

This hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah (Book of Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them), narrated by It was narrated that Wa’il bin Hujr said:, states: "“I said: ‘I will look at the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and see how he performs the prayer.’ He stood up and faced the Qiblah, and raised his hands until they were parallel to his ears. When he bowed, he…"

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 Ibn Majah, which contains 4,345 hadiths across 38 books. It is hadith number 601 in the Book of Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them.

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

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#600

#601

Sunan Ibn Majah

#602

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Sunan Ibn Majah #601

Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الضَّرِيرُ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي، فَقَامَ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا أُذُنَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا رَكَعَ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ‏.‏

“I said: ‘I will look at the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and see how he performs the prayer.’ He stood up and faced the Qiblah, and raised his hands until they were parallel to his ears. When he bowed, he raised them likewise, and when he raised his head from Ruku’, he raised them likewise.”

Narrated by It was narrated that Wa’il bin Hujr said:

Context

In this hadith, Wa’il bin Hujr observes the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) performing prayer. He notes the specific movements, such as raising his hands parallel to his ears at the beginning and during the bowing. This observation highlights the importance of following the Prophet's example in prayer, emphasizing the significance of proper posture and intention in worship.

Modern Application

In daily salah, Muslims can reflect on the importance of maintaining proper posture and focus during prayer. Observing the Prophet's actions encourages believers to perform their prayers with mindfulness and respect, ensuring that each movement is carried out with intention and devotion.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer because it details the specific actions of the Prophet (ﷺ) during his prayer, serving as a model for Muslims to emulate.

Prayer