The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me (on an errand) while he was going to Banu Mustaliq. I came to him and he was engaged in prayer on the back of his camel. I talked to him and he gestured to me With his hand, and Zuhair gestured with his hand. I then again talked and he again (gestured to me with his hand). Zuhair pointed with his hand towards the ground. I heard him (the Holy Prophet) reciting the Qur'an and making a sign with his head. When he com- pleted the prayer he sa'id: What have you done (with regard to that business) for which I sent you? I could not talk with you but for the fact that I was engaged in prayer. Zuhair told that Abu Zubair was sitting with his face turned towards Qibla (as he transmitted this hadith). Abu Zuhair pointed towards Banu Mustaliq with his hand and the direction to which he pointed with his hand was not towards the Ka'ba.  

أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُنْطَلِقٌ إِلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ فَكَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا وَأَوْمَأَ زُهَيْرٌ بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ كَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي هَكَذَا فَأَوْمَأَ زُهَيْرٌ أَيْضًا بِيَدِهِ نَحْوَ الأَرْضِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُهُ يَقْرَأُ يُومِئُ بِرَأْسِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ مَا فَعَلْتَ فِي الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُكَ لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ إِلاَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ وَأَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ جَالِسٌ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْكَعْبَةِ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ إِلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى غَيْرِ الْكَعْبَةِ  

The prophet of Allah ﷺ sent me to Banu al-Mustaliq. When I returned to him, he was praying on his camel. I talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I again talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I was hearing him reciting the Qur’an and he was making a sign with his head. When he finished his prayer, he said; what did you do about the mission for which I had sent you; nothing prevented me from talking to you except that I was praying.  

أَرْسَلَنِي نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ فَكَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا ثُمَّ كَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُهُ يَقْرَأُ وَيُومِئُ بِرَأْسِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ مَا فَعَلْتَ فِي الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُكَ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ إِلاَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي  

The prophet of Allah ﷺ sent me to Banu al-Mustaliq. When I returned to him, he was praying on his camel. I talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I again talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I was hearing him reciting the Qur’an and he was making a sign with his head. When he finished his prayer, he said; what did you do about the mission for which I had sent you; nothing prevented me from talking to you except that I was praying. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 926)  

أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُنْطَلِقٌ إِلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ فَكَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا ثُمَّ كَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُهُ يَقْرَأُ وَيُومِئُ بِرَأْسِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ مَا فَعَلْتَ فِي الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُكَ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي إِلَّا أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي  

The prophet of Allah ﷺ sent me to Banu al-Mustaliq. When I returned to him, he was praying on his camel. I talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I again talked to him; he made a sign to me with his hand like this. I was hearing him reciting the Qur’an and he was making a sign with his head. When he finished his prayer, he said; what did you do about the mission for which I had sent you; nothing prevented me from talking to you except that I was praying. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 926)   

أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُنْطَلِقٌ إِلَى بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ فَكَلَّمَتْهُ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا وَأَشَارَ زُهَيْرٌ بِكَفِّهِ ثُمَّ كَلَّمْتُهُ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُهُ يَقْرَأُ وَيُومِئُ بِرَأْسِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ مَا فَعَلْتَ فِيالَّذِي أَرْسَلْتُكَ لَهُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ إِلَّا أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي