11. The Fear Prayer

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ruman from Salihibn Khawwat from someone who had prayed (the prayer of fear) with theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on theday of Dhat ar-Riqa that one group had formed a row with him and onegroup had formed a row opposite the enemy. He then prayed one rakawith the group he was with, and then remained standing while theyfinished by themselves. They then left and formed a row opposite theenemy, and then the other group came and he prayed the remaining rakaof his prayer with them, and then remained sitting while they finishedby themselves. Then he said the taslim with them. Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from al-Qasimibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat that Sahl ibn Abi Hathma relatedto him that the form of the prayer of fear was that the imam stoodwith a group of his companions, while another group faced the enemy.The imam prayed one raka with them, including the prostration, andthen stood. He remained standing while they completed the remainingraka by themselves. They then said the taslim, left, and formed upopposite the enemy while the imam remained standing. Then the otherswho had not prayed came forward and said the takbir behind the imamand he prayed one raka with them, including the prostration. He thensaid the taslim, while they stood up and prayed the remaining raka bythemselves. Then they said the taslim. Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar, when asked about the fear prayer said, "The imam and a group of people go forward and the imam prays a raka with them, while another group, who have not yet prayed, position themselves between him and the enemy. When those who are with him have prayed a raka they draw back to where those who have not prayed are, and do not say the taslim. Then those who have not prayed come forward and pray a raka with him. Then the imam leaves, as he has now prayed two rakas. Everyone else in the two groups stands and prays a raka by himself after the imam has left. In this way each of the two groups will have prayed two rakas. If the fear is greater than that, then the men pray standing on their feet or mounted, either facing the qibla or otherwise." Malik said that Nafi said, "I do not believe that Abdullah ibn Umar related it from anyone other than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibnal-Musayyab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, did not pray dhuhr and asr on the day of the Trenchuntil after the sun had set." Malik said, "The hadith of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat is the one I like most outof what I have heard about the fear prayer."