What is Sunan Ibn Majah 616 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 saw the Prophet (ﷺ) when he prostrated and put his knees on the ground before his hands, and when he stood up after prostrating, he took his hands off the ground before his knees.”"

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 616 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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#615

#616

Sunan Ibn Majah

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Sunan Ibn Majah #616

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 الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَنْبَأَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِذَا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ قَبْلَ يَدَيْهِ وَإِذَا قَامَ مِنَ السُّجُودِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ قَبْلَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ ‏.‏

“I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) when he prostrated and put his knees on the ground before his hands, and when he stood up after prostrating, he took his hands off the ground before his knees.”

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

Context

This hadith describes the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) method of prostration during prayer, specifically how he positioned his knees before his hands when prostrating. This detail serves as a guideline for Muslims on the correct way to perform this essential act of worship, highlighting the importance of following the Prophet's example.

Modern Application

In daily salah, paying attention to the details of prostration can enhance the quality of our prayer. Following the Prophet's (ﷺ) example in our physical actions can help us connect more deeply with our worship.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer and Prostration (Sujud) because it provides specific guidance on the proper way to perform prostration in prayer.

Prayer Prostration (Sujud)