Concession allowing one to turn to the right or left when praying
باب الرُّخْصَةِ فِي الاِلْتِفَاتِ فِي الصَّلاَةِ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً
Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)(view book)
It was narrated that Jabir said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ill, and we prayed behind him while he was sitting, and Abu Bakr repeated his takbirs so that the people could hear them. He turned to us and saw us standing, so he gestured to us to sit down. So we prayed behind him sitting. When he said the salam he said: 'Just now you were doing what the Persians and Romans do for their kings when they are sitting. Do not do that. Follow your Imams: If they pray standing then pray standing, and if they pray sitting then pray sitting.'"
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ اشْتَكَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَصَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ يُكَبِّرُ يُسْمِعُ النَّاسَ تَكْبِيرَهُ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا فَرَآنَا قِيَامًا فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَعَدْنَا فَصَلَّيْنَا بِصَلاَتِهِ قُعُودًا فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ قَالَ " إِنْ كُنْتُمْ آنِفًا تَفْعَلُونَ فِعْلَ فَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ يَقُومُونَ عَلَى مُلُوكِهِمْ وَهُمْ قُعُودٌ فَلاَ تَفْعَلُوا ائْتَمُّوا بِأَئِمَّتِكُمْ إِنْ صَلَّى قَائِمًا فَصَلُّوا قِيَامًا وَإِنْ صَلَّى قَاعِدًا فَصَلُّوا قُعُودًا " .
Classification
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to turn to his right and left when praying, but he did not twist his neck to look behind him."
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ حُرَيْثٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ ثَوْرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَلْتَفِتُ فِي صَلاَتِهِ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً وَلاَ يَلْوِي عُنُقَهُ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِهِ .