they salute him during the prayer? He said: He used to signal with his hand (26). From Suhayb, he said: I passed by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while he was praying, and I greeted him, so he returned the greeting to me with a signal. And he said—I do not know except that he said—a signal with his finger (27). Al-Tirmidhi said: Both hadiths are authentic. We have previously mentioned the hadith of Anas that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to signal during prayer (28). As for the hadith of Malik, it applies to men, and our hadith clarifies it because it contains detail and additional clarification, and it is imperative to act upon it. As for the hadith of Abu Hanifa, it is weak, as it is narrated by Abu Gatafan, and he is unknown (29), so authentic hadiths cannot be opposed by it.
Section: If two people whom he trusts in their statement glorify Allah for him [to alert him of a mistake], it becomes incumbent upon him to accept it and return to the correct position, whether he considers it more likely that they are correct or otherwise. Al-Shafi'i said: If he considers it more likely that they are mistaken, he should not act upon their statement, because whoever is in doubt regarding his own action should not act upon the statement of another, like a judge who forgets a ruling he made, and then two witnesses testify to it while he does not remember it. Our evidence is that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) returned to
= 9/92. And Muslim, in: Chapter: The Congregation Presenting Someone to Lead Them in Prayer If the Imam Is Late... etc., from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/316, 317. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter: Clapping in Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/215, 216. Al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter: Appointing a Successor for the Imam if He Is Absent, from the Book of Imamat, and in: Chapter: Raising Hands, Praising Allah, and Extolling Him in Prayer, from the Book of Forgetfulness. Al-Mujtaba 2/64, 65, 3/4, 5. Ibn Majah, in the previous chapter. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/330. Al-Darimi, in: the previous chapter. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/332, 333. (26) Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter: What Was Said Regarding Signaling, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/162. And al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter: Responding to Salutation by Signaling in Prayer, from the Book of Forgetfulness. Al-Mujtaba 3/6. (27) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter: Responding to Salutation in Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/212. Al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter: What Was Said Regarding Signaling in Prayer, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/162, 163. Al-Nasa'i, in: Chapter: Responding to Salutation by Signaling in Prayer, from the Book of Forgetfulness. Al-Mujtaba 3/6. And al-Darimi, in: Chapter: How to Respond to Salutation in Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/316. (28) Preceded on page 398. (29) Al-'Azimabadi quoted from al-'Iraqi that he is not unknown; a group has narrated from him, and he was authenticated by al-Nasa'i and Ibn Hibban. He is Abu Gatafan al-Murri, and it is said his name is Sa'id.
