“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said concerning the fear prayer: “The Imam should lead one group in prayer, and they should perform one prostration, and there should be another group between them and the enemy (guarding them). Then those who did the prostration with their leader should move away, and take the place of those who have not yet prayed. Then those who have not yet prayed should come forward and perform one prostration with their leader. Then their leader should move away, and his prayer will be complete. Then each group should perform one prostration by itself. If the fear is too great, then (they should pray) on foot or riding.’” He said: What is meant by prostration here is a Rak’ah.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي صَلاَةِ الْخَوْفِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الإِمَامُ يُصَلِّي بِطَائِفَةٍ مَعَهُ فَيَسْجُدُونَ سَجْدَةً وَاحِدَةً وَتَكُونُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْعَدُوِّ ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ الَّذِينَ سَجَدُوا السَّجْدَةَ مَعَ أَمِيرِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَكُونُونَ مَكَانَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا وَيَتَقَدَّمُ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَيُصَلُّوا مَعَ أَمِيرِهِمْ سَجْدَةً وَاحِدَةً ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ أَمِيرُهُمْ وَقَدْ صَلَّى صَلاَتَهُ وَيُصَلِّي كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنَ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ بِصَلاَتِهِ سَجْدَةً لِنَفْسِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ خَوْفٌ أَشَدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَرِجَالاً أَوْ رُكْبَانًا قَالَ يَعْنِي بِالسَّجْدَةِ الرَّكْعَةَ  

“The Imam should stand facing the Qiblah, and a group of them should stand with him, and another group should stand in the direction of the enemy, facing towards the row (of worshippers). He should lead them in one Rak’ah, then they should bow and do two prostrations by themselves where they are. Then they should go and take the place of the others, and the others should come and pray one Rak’ah, bowing and prostrating with the leader. Then he will have prayed two Rak’ah and they will have prayed one; then they should perform another Rak’ah, bowing and performing two prostrations.”  

يَقُومُ الإِمَامُ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ وَتَقُومُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْعَدُوِّ وَوُجُوهُهُمْ إِلَى الصَّفِّ فَيَرْكَعُ بِهِمْ رَكْعَةً وَيَرْكَعُونَ لأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَيَسْجُدُونَ لأَنْفُسِهِمْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فِي مَكَانِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَذْهَبُونَ إِلَى مُقَامِ أُولَئِكَ وَيَجِيءُ أُولَئِكَ فَيَرْكَعُ بِهِمْ رَكْعَةً وَيَسْجُدُ بِهِمْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فَهِيَ لَهُ ثِنْتَانِ وَلَهُمْ وَاحِدَةٌ ثُمَّ يَرْكَعُونَ رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً وَيَسْجُدُونَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ فَسَأَلْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانَ عَنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ خَوَّاتٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي يَحْيَى اكْتُبْهُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ وَلَسْتُ أَحْفَظُ الْحَدِيثَ وَلَكِنْ مِثْلُ حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى  

It was narrated from Jabir bin ‘Abdullah that the Prophet ﷺ led his Companions in the fear prayer. He led them all in bowing, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the row nearest him prostrated, and the others stood up, then when he stood up, they prostrated twice by themselves. Then the front row moved back and took their place, and they moved forward until they formed the front row. Then the Prophet ﷺ led them all in bowing, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the row nearest to him prostrated, and when they raised their heads, the others prostrated twice. So all of them bowed with the Prophet ﷺ and some of them prostrated by themselves, and the enemy was in the direction of the Qiblah.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى بِأَصْحَابِهِ صَلاَةَ الْخَوْفِ فَرَكَعَ بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُ وَالآخَرُونَ قِيَامٌ حَتَّى إِذَا نَهَضَ سَجَدَ أُولَئِكَ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرَ الصَّفُّ الْمُقَدَّمُ حَتَّى قَامُوا مُقَامَ أُولَئِكَ وَتَخَلَّلَ أُولَئِكَ حَتَّى قَامُوا مُقَامَ الصَّفِّ الْمُقَدَّمِ فَرَكَعَ بِهِمُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ سَجَدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالصَّفُّ الَّذِي يَلُونَهُ فَلَمَّا رَفَعُوا رُءُوسَهُمْ سَجَدَ أُولَئِكَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ فَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَكَعَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَسَجَدَتْ طَائِفَةٌ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ سَجْدَتَيْنِ وَكَانَ الْعَدُوُّ مِمَّا يَلِي الْقِبْلَةَ