Where the Imam should stand when there are three, and the discrepancy regarding that
باب مَوْقِفِ الإِمَامِ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً وَالاِخْتِلاَفِ فِي ذَلِكَ
Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah)(view book)
It was narrated that Al-Aswad and 'Alqamah said:
"We entered upon 'Abdullah at midday and he said: 'There will be rulers who would be distracted from praying on time, so pray on time.' Then he stood up and prayed between him
and I, and said: 'This is what I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do."'
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْكُوفِيُّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ عَنْتَرَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، وَعَلْقَمَةَ، قَالاَ دَخَلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ نِصْفَ النَّهَارِ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ أُمَرَاءُ يَشْتَغِلُونَ عَنْ وَقْتِ الصَّلاَةَ فَصَلُّوا لِوَقْتِهَا . ثُمَّ قَامَ فَصَلَّى بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ هَكَذَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَلَ .
Classification
Buraidah bin Sufyin bin Farwah Al-Aslami narrated that a slave of his grandfather who was called Mas'Od said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr passed by me and Abu Bakr said to me: '0 Mas'ud, go to Abu Tamim' - meaning the man from whom he had been freed - 'and tell him to give us a camel so that we
could ride, and let him send us some food and a guide to show us the way.' So I went to my former master and told him the same, and he sent with me a camel and vessels of milk, and I brought them via a secret route. Then the time for prayer came and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and prayed, and Abu Bakr stood to his right. I had come to know about Islam and I was with them, so I came and stood behind them. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pushed Abu Bakr on the chest (to make him move backward) and we stood behind him." Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai)said: (This) Buraidah is not a reliable narrator of Hadith.
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَفْلَحُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بُرَيْدَةُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ فَرْوَةَ الأَسْلَمِيُّ، عَنْ غُلاَمٍ، لِجَدِّهِ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَسْعُودٌ فَقَالَ مَرَّ بِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ لِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا مَسْعُودُ ائْتِ أَبَا تَمِيمٍ - يَعْنِي مَوْلاَهُ - فَقُلْ لَهُ يَحْمِلْنَا عَلَى بَعِيرٍ وَيَبْعَثْ إِلَيْنَا بِزَادٍ وَدَلِيلٍ يَدُلُّنَا . فَجِئْتُ إِلَى مَوْلاَىَ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَبَعَثَ مَعِي بِبَعِيرٍ وَوَطْبٍ مِنْ لَبَنٍ فَجَعَلْتُ آخُذُ بِهِمْ فِي إِخْفَاءِ الطَّرِيقِ وَحَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي وَقَامَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ الإِسْلاَمَ وَأَنَا مَعَهُمَا فَجِئْتُ فَقُمْتُ خَلْفَهُمَا فَدَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي صَدْرِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَقُمْنَا خَلْفَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بُرَيْدَةُ هَذَا لَيْسَ بِالْقَوِيِّ فِي الْحَدِيثِ .