Al-Kafi · Hadith 5

The Book of Prayer · Performing Salah (Prayer) Inside Ka’bah, on its Top, al-Biya 4, Churches and Places where Performing Salah (prayer) Is Undesirable · Volume 3, book 4, chapter 58, Hadith 5

Original Arabic text

5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ فَقَالَ صَلِّ فِيهَا وَلاَ تُصَلِّ فِي أَعْطَانِ الإِبِلِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَخَافَ عَلَى مَتَاعِكَ الضَّيْعَةَ فَاكْنُسْهُ وَرُشَّهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَصَلِّ فِيهِ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي ظَهْرِ الطَّرِيقِ فَقَالَ لاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ فِي الظَّوَاهِرِ الَّتِي بَيْنَ الْجَوَادِّ فَأَمَّا عَلَى الْجَوَادِّ فَلاَ تُصَلِّ فِيهَا قَالَ وَكُرِهَ الصَّلاَةُ فِي السَّبَخَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَكَاناً لَيِّناً تَقَعُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَبْهَةُ مُسْتَوِيَةً قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِي الْبِيعَةِ فَقَالَ إِذَا اسْتَقْبَلْتَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَلاَ بَأْسَ بِهِ قَالَ وَرَأَيْتُهُ فِي الْمَنَازِلِ الَّتِي فِي طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ يَرُشُّ أَحْيَاناً مَوْضِعَ جَبْهَتِهِ ثُمَّ يَسْجُدُ عَلَيْهِ رَطْباً كَمَا هُوَ وَرُبَّمَا لَمْ يَرُشَّ الَّذِي يَرَى أَنَّهُ طَيِّبٌ قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَخُوضُ الْمَاءَ فَتُدْرِكُهُ الصَّلاَةُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي حَرْبٍ فَإِنَّهُ يُجْزِئُهُ الإِيمَاءُ وَإِنْ كَانَ تَاجِراً فَلْيَقُمْ وَلاَ يَدْخُلْهُ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ.

Published English translation

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad from al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the barn of sheep. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can perform Salah (prayer) there but do not perform Salah (prayer) in the place where camels are kept, unless you are afraid for loss of your property, in which case, you can sweep and sprinkle water on it, then perform Salah (prayer) there.’ I then asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about performing Salah (prayer) on a roadside. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not an offense to perform Salah (prayer) in such place but not in the middle of a road.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is undesirable to perform Salah (prayer) on salt grounds unless there is a soft area on which the forehead can rest in a level manner.’ He (the narrator) has said that he then asked him (the Imam) about performing Salah (prayer) in al-Bi‘ah (Church). He (the Imam) said, ‘If you can face al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah), then it is not an offense to perform Salah (prayer) there.’ He (the narrator) has said that I saw him (the Imam) in rest areas on the road to Makkah sometimes sprinkle water on the place for his forehead during Sajdah (prostration), and perform Sajdah (prostration) when still wet, as he (the Imam) sometimes would not sprinkle water if it was fine (already wet). He (the narrator) has said that he asked him (the Imam) about a man who sails in water and time for Salah (prayer) arrives. He (the Imam) said, ‘If he is in a war only making gestures for Salah (prayer) is sufficient but if he is a merchant, he is not to sail before performing Salah (prayer).’”

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: حسن

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (5/290)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

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