What is Sunan Ibn Majah 695 about?

This hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah (Book of Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them), narrated by It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:, states: "“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Does not the one who raises his head before the Imam fear that Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey?’”"

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 695 in the Book of Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them.

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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#694

#695

Sunan Ibn Majah

#696

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Sunan Ibn Majah #695

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 حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، وَسُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ "‏ أَلاَ يَخْشَى الَّذِي يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ قَبْلَ الإِمَامِ أَنْ يُحَوِّلَ اللَّهُ رَأْسَهُ رَأْسَ حِمَارٍ؟ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Does not the one who raises his head before the Imam fear that Allah may turn his head into the head of a donkey?’”

Narrated by It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) warns against raising one's head before the Imam during prayer. This statement emphasizes the importance of maintaining unity and discipline in congregational prayer, as it reflects respect for the leadership of the Imam.

Modern Application

In communal prayers today, it is essential to follow the Imam's movements closely. This practice fosters a sense of community and discipline, ensuring that the congregation performs the prayer in harmony.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer and Prophetic Conduct because it addresses the behavior expected of worshippers during prayer and the importance of following the Imam.

Prayer Prophetic Conduct