🍃🍂 Popular Aḥādīth That Are Not Confirmed 🍂🍃

العجن في الصلاة

Performing ‘Ajn in the Prayer (which entails rising from the sujūd for the next rak’ah while making a fist with the hands and placing the knuckles on the ground to support oneself)

This is referred to as al-’ajn because of its likeness to kneading dough (ajīn), and there are other explanations, but this has become the most accepted. Some went to great lengths in proving that it is a sunnah, however the ḥadīth concerning this only comes by way of al-Azraq ibn Qays who said:

رَأَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ وَهُوَ يَعْجِنُ فِي الصَّلاةِ يَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ إِذَا قَامَ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا هَذَا يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ؟ قَالَ:  رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْجِنُ فِي الصَّلاةِ

I saw ‘Abd-ul-Lāh ibn ‘Umar and he performed ‘ajn in the prayer, leaning on his hands when he rises, so I said, “What is this, O Abū ‘Abd-ur-Raḥmān?” He said, “I saw the Messenger of
Allāh (ﷺ) perform ‘ajn in the prayer.”

Ibrāhīm al-Ḥarbī narrates this by way of Yūnus ibn Bukayr, from al-Haytham ibn ‘Imrān, from ‘Aṭiyyah ibn Qays, from al-Azraq ibn Qays from ‘Abd-ul-Lāh ibn ‘Umar. [1] Al-Haytham ibn ‘Imrān is unknown while the scholars differed concerning Yūnus ibn Bukayr. Ibn Abī Shaybah said, “There is weakness in him.” Yaḥyā ibn ‘Abd-il-Ḥumayd said, “I do not make permissible narrating from him.” Yaḥyā ibn Ma’īn said, “He is truthful.” Abū Ḥātim ar-Rāzī said, “His status is that of truthfulness.” Abū Dāwūd said, “With me, he is not [a person] to be relied upon.” And an-Nasā’ī said, “He is not strong.” And he said, “He is weak.”

So even if one were to accept the narrations of Yūnus ibn Bukayr when he is alone in narrating a ḥadīth, then the defect of the jahālah (unknown status) of al-Haytham ibn ‘Imrān remains. Ibn Rajab commented after narrating this and said, “This al-Haytham is not known.” [2]

Aṭ-Ṭabarānī narrates this as well by way of Yūnus ibn Bukayr, but his isnād makes it from al-Haytham ibn ‘Alqamah ibn Qays, from al-Azraq ibn Qays, from ‘Abd-ul-Lāh ibn ‘Umar. [3] And if this is not a mistake in the chain, then al-Haytham ibn ‘Alqamah is also unknown. Following the ḥadīth, aṭ-Ṭabarānī said, “No one narrates this ḥadīth from al-Azraq except al-Haytham; Yūnus ibn Bukayr was alone [in narrating this from him]," and the status of Yūnus ibn Bukayr was just discussed.

The weakness of this ḥadīth, however, does not affect the issue of supporting oneself with the hands when rising, only the affirmation of the ‘ajn (putting the hands in a fist-like position). As for supporting oneself with the hands when rising, then this is confirmed from the ḥadīth of Mālik ibn al-Ḥuwayrith, who in describing the prayer of the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ عَنِ السَّجْدَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ جَلَسَ وَاعْتَمَدَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ قَامَ

And when he raised his head from the second sajdah (prostration), he sat and leaned upon the ground and then stood. [4]

And al-Bukhārī placed this ḥadīth under the chapter heading of:

كَيْفَ يَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ الرَّكْعَةِ

How He Leaned Upon the Ground When He Stood from the Rak’ah

And Allāh knows best.

Abu Ubadah, Harith Yarub Al-Shiraida
November 16, 2019 / 19 Rabī’-ul-Awwal 1441


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[1] Ġarīb al-Ḥadīth (vol. 2, pg. 525)
[2] Fatḥ-ul-Bārī li Ibn Rajab (vol. 2, pg. 293)
[3] Al-Muˋjam al-Awsaṭ (4007)
[4] Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (824)