You haven’t prayed for 40 years!

Zayd b. Wahb reports:

We were once sitting in the masjid with Hudhayfah (ibn Al-Yamân) – Allah be pleased with him, when a man entered from the gates of Kindah and stood to pray; but he did not complete the bowing or prostration postures. When he had finished praying, Hudhayfah asked him, “How long have you been praying in this manner?” The man replied, “For forty years.” Hudhayfah said, “You have not prayed for forty years! And if you were to die praying in this manner you would die upon a way (fitrah) other than the way of Muhammad – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.”

Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, The Book of Adhân, without the mention of 40 years. A version in Al-Nasâ`î, Chapter on the Deficient Prayer,  mentions the question and reply about 40 years. Shaykh Al-Albânî graded its chain of transmission sahîh in Sahîh Sunan Al-Nasâ`î no. 1311.

More:

  1. Umar and the night prayers of Ramadan
  2. Better to be Dust
  3. Things have Changed
  4. Won’t you collect your Share?
  5. Breaking the fast as soon as the sun sets [Sunnah of Fasting]
  6. Sinning while fasting [does it break the fast?]
  7. Three Sunan of Eid Al-Fitr

November 11, 2007

Topics: fiqh, prayer

Names:

4 Responses to “You haven’t prayed for 40 years!”

  1. Hussain on February 11, 2011 18:24

    assalamalaykum
    akhii how about out of ignorence? could you please add an explnation to this athaar. baarakaAllaah feeka

  2. sumayya on March 27, 2011 13:42

    @hussain the meaning of this hadith TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE

    is that if a person does that in salah without knowledge then he is guilty of not gaining proper information about his religion which is fard on every muslim..AND HE HAS NEGLECTED THAT FARD

    Dieing on fitrah on the other hand means that a person will lose his deeds and die as a man with no accounts of deeds…….fitrah also refers to the original faith that we are born with and it is ISLAM

    NOW WHAT WE CAN DO IS IF we have been praying in this way we should repent and pray properly the next time onwards and indeed ALLAH is most forgiving and merciful……….reading this hadith itself indicates that ALLAH wishes to liberate us of our ignorance

    wallahuallam

  3. muhammad hall on September 8, 2011 05:47

    Barakallahu feekum, I looked in vol 1of saheeh bukharee in the chapter of the aathan and found 3 ahadeeth without the wording of 40 years. 389 791 and 808. If there is a wording with 40 years please direct me to said reference.

  4. Owais Al-Hashimi on September 8, 2011 18:35

    Jazakallahu khayran.After checking on this it seems this specific wording, mentioning 40 years, is not is Sahih Al-Bukhari. I have changed the citation in the post. I must have given the citation based on the fact that a number of scholars, past and present, have indicated that this narration is in Sahih Al-Bukhari. It's basic meaning is there, in the chapter you mentioned, but the mention of 40 years is not in those reports.