Chapter

Prayer in Congregation

كتاب صلاة الجماعة

Arabic Text

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، فَقَدَ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ فِي صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ وَأَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ غَدَا إِلَى السُّوقِ - وَمَسْكَنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بَيْنَ السُّوقِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ النَّبَوِيِّ - فَمَرَّ عَلَى الشِّفَاءِ أُمِّ سُلَيْمَانَ فَقَالَ لَهَا لَمْ أَرَ سُلَيْمَانَ فِي الصُّبْحِ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ بَاتَ يُصَلِّي فَغَلَبَتْهُ عَيْنَاهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ لأَنْ أَشْهَدَ صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَقُومَ لَيْلَةً ‏.‏

English Translation

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma that Umar ibn al-Khattab missed Sulayman ibn Abi Hathma in the subh prayer. In the morning he went to the market, and Sulayman's house was between the market and the Prophet's mosque. He passed ash-Shifa, Sulayman's mother, and said to her, "I did not see Sulayman at subh." She replied, "He spent the night in prayer and his eyes overcame him. Umar said, "I would rather be present at subh than stand the whole night in prayer.