Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:1199Ibn Numayr > Ibn Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to greet the Prophet ﷺ while he was praying and he used to answer our greetings. When we returned from An-Najashi (the ruler of Ethiopia), we greeted him, but he did not answer us (during the prayer) and (after finishing the prayer) he said, "In the prayer one is occupied (with a more serious matter)."  

البخاري:١١٩٩حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغْلاً  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:1216ʿAbdullāh b. Abū Shaybah > Ibn Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

I used to greet the Prophet ﷺ while he was in prayer and he would return my greeting, but when we returned (from Ethiopia) I greeted the Prophet (while he was praying) but he did not return the greeting, and (after finishing the prayer) he said, "In the prayer one is occupied (with a more serious matter)."  

البخاري:١٢١٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنْتُ أُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَىَّ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَىَّ وَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغْلاً  

bukhari:3875Yaḥyá b. Ḥammād > Abū ʿAwānah > Sulaymān > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to greet the Prophet ﷺ while he used to be in prayers, and he used to reply to our greetings. But when we came back from Najashi (the King of Ethiopia) we greeted him (while he was praying) and he did not reply to us. We said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! We used to greet you in the past and you used to reply to us." He said, "Verily The Mind is occupied and busy with more important matter during the prayer." (So one cannot return One's greetings.)  

البخاري:٣٨٧٥حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهْوَ يُصَلِّي فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْكَ فَتَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغْلاً فَقُلْتُ لإِبْرَاهِيمَ كَيْفَ تَصْنَعُ أَنْتَ قَالَ أَرُدُّ فِي نَفْسِي  

muslim:538aAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Zuhayr b. Ḥarb And Ibn Numayr Waʾabū Saʿīd al-Ashaj Waʾalfāẓuhum Mutaqāribah > Ibn Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to greet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our greeting. But when we returned from the Negus we greeted him and he did not respond to us; so we said: Messenger of Allah. we used to greet you when you were engaged in prayer and you would respond to us. He replied: Prayer demands whole attention.  

مسلم:٥٣٨aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ وَأَلْفَاظُهُمْ مُتَقَارِبَةٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِي سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَتَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ شُغُلاً  

abudawud:923Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > Ibn Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to salute the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our salutation, but when we returned from the Negas, we saluted him and he did not respond to us. He said : Prayer demands one’s whole attention.  

أبو داود:٩٢٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلاَةِ لَشُغْلاً  

ahmad:3563Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to greet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our greeting. But when we returned from the Negus we greeted him and he did not respond to us; so we said: Messenger of Allah. we used to greet you when you were engaged in prayer and you would respond to us. He replied: Prayer demands whole attention. (Using translation from Muslim 538a)  

أحمد:٣٥٦٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الصَّلَاةِفَتَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّ فِيَّ أَوْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ لَشُغْلًا  

ahmad:3884ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Sufyān > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm

We used to salute the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our salutation, but when we returned from the Negas, we saluted him and he did not respond to us. He said : Prayer demands one’s whole attention. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 923)   

أحمد:٣٨٨٤حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ قَالَ

عَبْدُ اللهِ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا وَقَالَ إِنَّ فِي الصَّلَاةِ شُغْلًا  

tabarani:10126ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Salm al-Rāzī > Sahl b. ʿUthmān > Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

We used to greet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was engaged in prayer and he would respond to our greeting. But when we returned from the Negus we greeted him and he did not respond to us; so we said: Messenger of Allah. we used to greet you when you were engaged in prayer and you would respond to us. He replied: Prayer demands whole attention. (Using translation from Muslim 538a)  

الطبراني:١٠١٢٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَلْمٍ الرَّازِيُّ ثنا سَهْلُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِيِّ سَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَتُرَدَّ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ «إِنَّ فِي الصَّلَاةِ شُغْلًا»  

nasai-kubra:545Ḥumayd b. Masʿadah > Bishr > Shuʿbah > Sulaymān > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] We used to greet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was praying, and he would respond to us. But when we arrived in Habasha (Ethiopia) and returned, we greeted him and he did not respond. So we asked him, and he said, "Indeed, I was preoccupied in prayer."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٤٥أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا أَتَيْنَا الْحَبَشَ فَرَجَعْنَا فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يُرِدَّ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ فَقَالَ «إِنَّ فِي الصَّلَاةِ شُغْلًا»  

suyuti:430-97b
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السيوطي:٤٣٠-٩٧b

"كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِىِّ ﷺ حَتَّى رَجَعْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّجَاشِىِّ فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْنَا، وَقَالَ: إِنَّ في الصَّلَاةِ شُغْلًا".  

[عب] عبد الرازق