Chapter

The Book of Prayers

كتاب الصلاة

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ، شَكَوْا سَعْدًا إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَذَكَرُوا مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ فَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ مَا عَابُوهُ بِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لأُصَلِّي بِهِمْ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا أَخْرِمُ عَنْهَا إِنِّي لأَرْكُدُ بِهِمْ فِي الأُولَيَيْنِ وَأَحْذِفُ فِي الأُخْرَيَيْنِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ ‏.‏

English Translation

Jabir b. Samura reported:

The people of Kufa complained to Umar b. Khattab about Sa'd and they made a mention of his prayer. 'Umar sent for him. He came to him. He ('Umar) told him that the people had found fault with his prayer. He said: I lead them in prayer in accorance with the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I make no decrease in it. I make them stand for a longer time in the first two (rak'ahs) and shorten it in the last two. Upon this 'Umar remarked: This is what I deemed of thee, O Abu Ishaq.