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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī Misc
muslim:423 – Abū Kurayb Muḥammad b. al-ʿAlāʾ al-Hamdānī > Abū Usāmah > al-Walīd / Ibn Kathīr > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd al-Maqburī from his father > Abū Hurayrah

One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the prayer. Then turning (towards his Companions) he said: O you man, why don't you say your prayer well? Does the observer of prayer not see how he is performing the prayer, for he performs it for himself? By Allah, I see behind me as I see in front of me.  

مسلم:٤٢٣ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ كَثِيرٍ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ يَا فُلاَنُ أَلاَ تُحْسِنُ صَلاَتَكَ أَلاَ يَنْظُرُ الْمُصَلِّي إِذَا صَلَّى كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي فَإِنَّمَا يُصَلِّي لِنَفْسِهِ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لأُبْصِرُ مَنْ وَرَائِي كَمَا أُبْصِرُ مَنْ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ  

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Collected by Nasāʾī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
nasai:872 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Abū Usāmah > al-Walīd b. Kathīr > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd from his father > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one day then left and said: '0 so-and-so, why don't you improve your prayer? Shouldn't the one who is praying reflection how he prays it for himself? I can see behind me just as I can see in front of me."'  

النسائي:٨٧٢ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو أُسَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ يَا فُلاَنُ أَلاَ تُحَسِّنُ صَلاَتَكَ أَلاَ يَنْظُرُ الْمُصَلِّي كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي لِنَفْسِهِ إِنِّي أُبْصِرُ مِنْ وَرَائِي كَمَا أُبْصِرُ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ  

nasai-kubra:947 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Abū Usāmah > al-Walīd b. Kathīr > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd from his father > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one day then left and said: '0 so-and-so, why don't you improve your prayer? Shouldn't the one who is praying reflection how he prays it for himself? I can see behind me just as I can see in front of me."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 872)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٩٤٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو أُسَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ «يَا فُلَانُ أَلَا تُحْسِنُ صَلَاتَكَ أَلَا يَنْظُرُ الْمُصَلِّي كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي لِنَفْسِهِ فَإِنِّي أُبْصِرُ مِنْ وَرَائِي كَمَا أُبْصِرُ مِنْ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ»  

bayhaqi:3583 – Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ And ʾAbū Saʿīd b. Abū ʿAmr > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Aḥmad b. ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Ḥārithī > Abū Usāmah > al-Walīd / Ibn Kathīr > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd al-Maqburī from his father > Abū Hurayrah

One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the prayer. Then turning (towards his Companions) he said: O you man, why don't you say your prayer well? Does the observer of prayer not see how he is performing the prayer, for he performs it for himself? By Allah, I see behind me as I see in front of me. (Using translation from Muslim 423)   

البيهقي:٣٥٨٣ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو قَالَا ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْحَارِثِيُّ ثنا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَقَالَ يَا فُلَانُ أَلَا تُحْسِنُ صَلَاتَكَ؟ أَلَا يَنْظُرُ الْمُصَلِّي إِذَا صَلَّى كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي فَإِنَّمَا يُصَلِّي لِنَفْسِهِ إِنِّي وَاللهِ لَأُبْصِرُ مَنْ وَرَائِي كَمَا أُبْصِرُ مَنْ بَيْنِ يَدِيَّ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ
suyuti:27389a –
Translation not available.

  

السيوطي:٢٧٣٨٩a –

"يَا فُلَانُ: أَلَا تُحْسِنُ صَلَاتَكَ؟ أَلَا يَنْظُرُ الْمُصَلِّى إِذَا صَلَّى كَيْفَ يُصَلىِّ، فَإِنَّمَا يُصَلِّى لِنَفْسِهِ، إِنِّى وَالله لأُبْصِرُ مِنْ وَرَائِى كَمَا أُبْصِرُ مِنْ بَيْن يَدَىَّ".  

[ك] الحاكم في المستدرك عن أبى هريرة