Al-Kafi 4982

Translation

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Hammad Bin Isa who said, ‘Abu Abdullah^asws said to me one day: ‘O Hammad! Are you good in your <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>?’ So I said, ‘I have memorised the book of Hareyz (a companion) regarding the <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>’. So he^asws said: ‘(That) is not upon you, O Hammad! Stand and pray <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>’. So I stood in front of him, facing towards the Qiblah, and I commenced the <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>, and I performed <span class="iTxt">Rukū</span> and I performed <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span>. So he^asws said: ‘O Hammad! You are not good in your <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>. How ugly it is with the man from you, sixty or seventy years having had come upon him, and he does not establish (even) one <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> along with its complete limits’. Hammad said, ‘So I was hit with disgrace within myself, so I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you^asws! So teach me the <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span>’. So Abu Abdullah^asws arose facing the Qiblah upright, and he^asws sent both his^asws hands to be upon his^asws thighs having had joined his^asws fingers and brought his^asws feet closer to the extent that there was between the two feet a measurement of three fingers diverged, and faced the toes of his^asws legs towards the Qiblah together, not turning these away from Qiblah, and said with humbleness: ‘Allah^azwj is the Greatest!’ Then he^asws recited Al-Hamd (Chapter 1) with clarity, and ‘Say He^azwj Allah^azwj is One’ (Chapter 112). Then he^asws waited for a moment by a measurement of what it takes to breathe, and he^asws was standing. Then he^asws raised his^asws hands parallel to his^asws face and said: ‘Allah^azwj is the Greatest!’, and he^asws was standing. Then he^asws performed <span class="iTxt">Rukū</span> and filled his^asws palms with his^asws two knees being divergent and returned his two knees backwards until his^asws back was even, to the extent that if a drop of water or oil were to be poured upon it, it would not spill due to the evenness of his^asws back; and he^asws extended his^asws neck (forward) and lowered his^asws eyes, then Glorified three times with clarity, so he^asws said: ‘Glorious is my^asws Lord^azwj the Magnificent and by His^azwj Praise’. Then he^asws stood upright. So when he^asws was standing straight, he^asws said: ‘Allah^azwj Hears the one who Praises Him^azwj’. Then he^asws exclaimed a <span class="iTxt">Takbīr</span> and he^asws was standing, and raised his^asws hands parallel to his^asws face. Then he^asws performed <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span> and extended his^asws neck and extended his^asws palms, the finger being closed in front of his^asws knees, parallel to his^asws face, and he^asws said: ‘Glorious is my^asws Lord^azwj, the Exalted, and by His^azwj Praise’ – Three times, and did not place anything from his^asws body upon anything from it. And he^asws performed <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span> upon eight body parts – the two palms, and the two knees, and the two big toes of the two feet, and the forehead, and the nose, and said: ‘Seven of these are Obligatory for one to perform <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span> upon, and these are which Allah^azwj has Mentioned in His^azwj Book, so He^azwj Said <span class="ibTxt"><a href="/#/books/quran:72#h18"><a href="/books/quran:72#h18">[72:18]</a></a> And that the Masjids (places of Sajdah) are Allah's, therefore call not upon any one with Allah</span> – and these are the forehead, and the two palms, and the two knees, and the two big toes, and placing of the nose upon the ground is a Sunnah’. Then he^asws raised his^asws head from the <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span>. So when he^asws sat up straight, said: ‘Allah^azwj is the Greatest!’ Then he^asws sat upon his left thigh, and he^asws placed the back of his^asws right foot upon the inside of his^asws left foot, and said: ‘I^asws seek Forgiveness of Allah^azwj, my^asws Lord^azwj, and I^asws repent to Him^azwj’. Then he^asws exclaimed <span class="iTxt">Takbīr</span> and he^asws was seated, and he^asws performed <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span> the second <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span> and said just as he^asws had said during the first, and did not place anything from his^asws body upon anything from it, neither during <span class="iTxt">Rukū</span> nor a <span class="iTxt">Sajdah</span>, and he^asws was winged (i.e. his^asws arms being in a posture as if they were two wings), and he^asws did not place his^asws arms (but only palms) upon the ground. So he prayed <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> upon this, and his^asws two hands were with closed fingers, and he^asws was seated during the bearing of the testimonies (<span class="iTxt">Tashahhud</span>). So when he^asws was free from the <span class="iTxt">Tashahhud</span>, he^asws greeted (offered <span class="iTxt">Salām</span>). Then he^asws said: ‘O Hammad! This is how <span class="iTxt">Salāt</span> is prayed’.

Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.