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)."

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

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.)

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

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.

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

We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he sent me on an errand, and when I came back (I saw him) saying prayer on his ride and his face was not turned towards Qibla. I greeted him but he did not respond to me. As he completed the prayer, he said: Nothing prevented me from responding to your greeting but the fact that I was praying.

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَبَعَثَنِي فِي حَاجَةٍ فَرَجَعْتُ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ وَوَجْهُهُ عَلَى غَيْرِ الْقِبْلَةِ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَىَّ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي

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.

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

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)

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

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)

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

[AI] "I used to greet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the prayer, and he would reply to me. But one day, when I greeted him, he did not reply to me. I felt something in myself, so when he finished, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, when I greet you during the prayer, you reply to me. Why did you not reply to me?' He said, 'Verily, Allah Almighty does what He wills in His affairs.'"

كُنْتُ أُسَلِّمُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيَّ فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ فَوَجَدْتُ فِي نَفْسِي فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي إِذَا كُنْتُ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ رَدَدْتَ عَلَيَّ؟ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يُحْدِثُ فِي أَمْرِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ

[AI] The Prophet ﷺ sent me on an errand. When I returned, I greeted him, but he did not respond. When he finished, I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I greeted you but you did not respond." He said, "I was praying while facing a direction other than the qiblah."

بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي حَاجَةٍ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْكَ فَلَمْ تَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ؟ قَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي وَهُوَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ مُتَوَجِّهًا لِغَيْرِ الْقِبْلَةِ

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)

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»

[AI] We used to greet the Prophet ﷺ during prayer, and he would reply to us. But one day, I greeted him and he didn't reply to me. So, I asked him about it, and he said, "Allah ﷻ does as He wishes in His affairs."

كُنَّا نُسَلِّمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْنَا فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ «إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يُحْدِثُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا شَاءَ»

[AI] 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."

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

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