the prayer is invalidated by anything." It was recorded by Abu Dawud (11). From al-Fadl ibn Abbas, he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to us while we were in the desert. He prayed in an open space with no sutrah (screen) in front of him, and a female donkey and a female dog of ours were frolicking in front of him, and he did not concern himself with that. Recorded by Abu Dawud (12). Aisha said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to perform his night prayer while I was lying down between him and the Qibla. Regarding the hadith of Ibn Abbas: I came riding on a she-donkey while the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was praying. I passed in front of part of the row, dismounted, and let the she-donkey graze. Then I entered the row, and no one criticized me for that. It is agreed upon (13). Also, the hadith of Zaynab bint Umm Salama, when she passed in front of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he did not invalidate his prayer (14). It was narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was praying when two young girls from Banu Abd al-Muttalib came and grasped his knees; he separated them, and he did not concern himself with that (15). Our evidence is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah and Abu Dharr (16), and the hadith of Abu Sa'id: "Nothing invalidates the prayer" (17). It is narrated by Mujalid ibn Sa'id, and he is weak (da'if), so it cannot be used to oppose the authentic (sahih) hadith. Furthermore, our hadith (18) is more specific, so it must be given precedence due to its authenticity
(11) In: "The Chapter of those who said: Nothing invalidates the prayer," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud, 1/165. It was also recorded by al-Bukhari, in: "The Chapter heading of those who said nothing invalidates the prayer," from the Book of Prayer. Sahih al-Bukhari, 2/137. Al-Tirmidhi, in: "The Chapter heading of what has been narrated that nothing invalidates the prayer," from the Chapters of Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi, 2/132. (12) Previously mentioned on page 91. (13) The first was mentioned on page 87, and the second on page 81. (14) Previously mentioned on page 93. (15) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: "The Chapter of those who said the donkey does not invalidate the prayer," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud, 1/164, 165. Al-Nasa'i, in: "The Chapter on mentioning what invalidates the prayer... etc.," from the Book of the Qibla, 2/51. Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad, 1/235, 250, 254, 308, 316, 341. The phrase 'he separated them' (farra'a baynahuma) means he placed a barrier between them and distanced them. (16) Both were mentioned on the previous page. (17) Mentioned at the beginning of the page. (18) In the original: "their hadith" (hadithuhuma).
