The Life Of The Prophet (saw) From The Wife of the Prophet (saw) Part IV

Reports of the Prophet (saw) Praying While A'isha Slept Nearby

The following websites were used for English versions of the cited hadith reports. The references below identify the collection, book and report:

http://www.sahih-bukhari.com/

http://www.sahihalbukhari.com/sps/sbk/

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 1, Book 8, Number 379.  

Narrated Abu Salama: A'isha the wife of the Prophet (saw) said, "I used to sleep in front of Allah's Apostle and my legs were opposite his Qibla, and in prostration he pushed my legs and I withdrew them, and when he stood I stretched them.' A'isha added, "In those days the houses were without lights." 

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 1, Book 8, Number 380.

Narrated A'isha: Allah's Apostle (saw) prayed while I was lying like a dead body on his family bed between him and his Qibla. 

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 1, Book 8, Number 381. 

Narrated Urwa: The Prophet (saw) prayed while A'isha was lying between him and his Qibla on the bed on which they used to sleep.

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 1, Book 9, Number 492.

Narrated A'isha the wife of the Prophet (saw): "I used to sleep in front of Allah's Apostle with my legs opposite his Qibla (facing him); and whenever he prostrated, he pushed my feet and I withdrew them and whenever he stood, I stretched them." A'isha added, "In those days there were no lamps in the houses." 

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 1, Book 9, Number 498.

Narrated A'isha: It is not good that you people have made us (women) equal to dogs and donkeys. No doubt I saw Allah's Apostle praying while I used to lie between him and the Qibla and when he wanted to prostrate, he pushed my legs and I withdrew them. 

Sahih Bukhari. Vol. 2, Book 22, Number 300 (modern numbering: 1209).

Narrated A'isha: I used to stretch my legs towards the Qibla of the Prophet (saw) while he was praying; whenever he prostrated he touched me, and I would withdraw my legs, and whenever he stood up, I would restretch my legs. 

The six reports above repeat related descriptions under different chapter headings. The first three occur under praying on a bed. The later reports address prayer near a sleeping person and permissible movements during prayer. Their chains and wording must be compared before drawing conclusions about the number of occasions.
In traditions 379 and 381 A'isha testifies to her actions, whilst in 380 we are simply told of what the Prophet (saw) was doing. Tradition 491 appears in the chapter, 'To pray behind a sleeping person.' Whilst Tradition 492 appears in the chapter, 'To pray Nawafil behind a sleeping person.' Tradition 300 appears in the chapter entitled, 'What kinds of actions are permissible during prayer.'

The repeated reports need to be compared carefully before deciding whether they describe the same occasion or several occasions:

• Traditions 379, 380 and 381 appear in the same chapter. Repetition alone does not establish that they describe separate events; their chains and wording also need to be compared. 

• The other reports appear in different chapters. A compiler may repeat related material to illustrate different legal points, so chapter placement alone does not establish separate occasions.  

• A longer account attributed to A'isha in Ibn Sad's Tabaqat lists this among circumstances she regarded as distinctive to her. The relevant sentence reads:

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sad ibn Mani, known as Ibn Sad:

"He would pray while I lay crosswise in front of him, and he did not do that with any of his other wives."

Source: Tabaqat Al-Kubra. Vol. 10, Pg. # 64.

A'isha describes withdrawing her feet when the Prophet (saw) prostrated and extending them when he stood. The reports do not specify an exact number of occasions. This description of a household occasion does not, by itself, establish a practice that couples should deliberately reproduce.

The quoted reports do not instruct husbands to arrange this situation deliberately or promise a special reward for praying in front of a sleeping wife. Those conclusions would require separate evidence.

The account explains how the Prophet (saw) made room to prostrate. It does not describe sexual enjoyment during prayer or say that A'isha was teaching couples to combine intimacy with worship.

The legal question raised by these reports is the effect of a person lying in front of someone who is praying. Their wording should be read alongside the relevant chapter headings and juristic discussion.

Readers may critically examine the chains, wording and legal interpretation of these reports. A criticism should address what the reports actually state, rather than assume that extended feet mean sexually spread legs or attribute an unreported motive to either spouse.