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-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
tabarani:5236 – [Chain 1] ʿUbayd b. Ghannām > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah [Chain 2] Aḥmad b. Dāwud al-Makkī > Ibrāhīm b. Bashhār al-Ramādī > Sufyān > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalanī Abū al-Juhaym Ibn Ukht Ubay b. Kaʿb > Zayd b. Khālid al-Juhanī Asʾaluh Mā al--Adhī

[Machine] Did the Prophet ﷺ hear in the marab between the hands of the worshiper? So I asked him, and he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'That one of you standing for forty good is better for him than passing in front of the worshiper.' He does not know whether it is forty years or forty months or forty days."  

الطبراني:٥٢٣٦ – حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ غَنَّامٍ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ح وَثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَكِّيُّ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ الرَّمَادِيُّ قَالَا ثنا سُفْيَانُ ثنا سَالِمُ أَبُو النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبُو الْجُهَيْمِ ابْنُ أُخْتِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ أَسْأَلُهُ مَا الَّذِي

سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي الْمَارِّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي؟ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «لِأَنْ يَقُومَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنَّ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلَّى» لَا يَدْرِي أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ṭabarānī
ibnmajah:945 – ʿAlī b. Muḥammad > Wakīʿ > Sufyān > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Khālid Arsal > Abū Juhaym al-Anṣārī Yasʾaluh Mā

“What did you hear from the Prophet ﷺ about a man when he is performing prayer?” He said: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying: ‘If anyone of you knew (how great is the sin involved) when he passed in front of his brother who is performing prayer, then waiting for forty’,” (one of the narrators) said: “I do not know if he meant forty years, forty months, or forty days, ‘would be better for him than that.”  

ابن ماجة:٩٤٥ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِي جُهَيْمٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ يَسْأَلُهُ مَا

سَمِعْتَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الرَّجُلِ يَمُرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الرَّجُلِ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدُكُمْ مَالَهُ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ أَخِيهِ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي كَانَ لأَنْ يَقِفَ أَرْبَعِينَ قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ  

ahmad:17540 – ʿAbd al-Raḥman Mālik > Abū al-Naḍr a freed slave of ʿUmar b. ʿUbaydullāh > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Khālid al-Juhanī Arsalah > Abū Juhaym Yasʾaluh Mādhā

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: "If one who passes in front of a man who is praying knew the responsibility he incurs, he would prefer to stand still for forty. . . rather than pass in front of him. Abu al-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said forty days, or months, or years." Abu Dawud: Sufyan al-Thawri said: If a man passes proudly in front of me while I am praying, I shall stop him, and if a weak man passes, I shall not stop him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 701)   

أحمد:١٧٥٤٠ – قَرَأْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ مَوْلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى أَبِي جُهَيْمٍ يَسْأَلُهُ مَاذَا

سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الْمَارِّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي مَاذَا عَلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ أَبُو الْجُهَيْمِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمَارُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي مَاذَا عَلَيْهِ لَكَانَ أَنْ يَقِفَ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرًا لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ أَبُو النَّضْرِ لَا أَدْرِي أَقَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً  

ahmad:24009-60 – ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Mālik > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalanī Zayd b. Khālid > Abū Juhaym al-Anṣārī Asʾaluh Mā

[Machine] I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying about the one who passes in front of a praying person, he said, "It is better for him to stand in his place than to pass in front of the praying person. I do not know if he said forty years or forty months or forty days."  

أحمد:٢٤٠٠٩-٦٠ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ إِلَى أَبِي جُهَيْمٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ أَسْأَلُهُ مَا

سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِيمَنْ يَمُرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لِأَنْ يَقُومَ فِي مَقَامِهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي فَلَا أَدْرِي قَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا  

darimi:1456 – Yaḥyá b. Ḥassān > Ibn ʿUyaynah > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalanī Abū Juhaym al-Anṣārī > Zayd b. Khālid al-Juhanī Asʾaluh Mā

[Machine] He heard from the Prophet ﷺ about the one who passes in front of the praying person and said, "Verily the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'It is better for one of you to stand forty (riyals) away from the praying person, than to pass in front of him.'" He said, "So I do not know if he meant a year, a month, or a day."  

الدارمي:١٤٥٦ – حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَسَّانَ أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبُو جُهَيْمٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ أَسْأَلُهُ مَا

سَمِعَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الَّذِي يَمُرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَأَنْ يَقُومَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي» قَالَ فَلَا أَدْرِي سَنَةً أَوْ شَهْرًا أَوْ يَوْمًا  

darimi:1457 – ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿAbd al-Majīd > Mālik > Abū al-Naḍr a freed slave of ʿUmarw b. ʿUbaydullāh b. Maʿmar > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Khālid al-Juhanī Arsalah > Abū Juhaym Yasʾaluh Mādhā

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: "If one who passes in front of a man who is praying knew the responsibility he incurs, he would prefer to stand still for forty. . . rather than pass in front of him. Abu al-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said forty days, or months, or years." Abu Dawud: Sufyan al-Thawri said: If a man passes proudly in front of me while I am praying, I shall stop him, and if a weak man passes, I shall not stop him. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 701)  

الدارمي:١٤٥٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ مَوْلَى عُمَروَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ أَنَّ بُسْرَ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى أَبِي جُهَيْمٍ يَسْأَلُهُ مَاذَا

سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي الْمَارِّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي فَقَالَ أَبُو جُهَيْمٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمَارُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي مَاذَا عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ لَكَانَ أَنْ يَقِفَ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْر لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ» قَالَ أَبُو النَّضْرِ لَا أَدْرِي أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا أَوْ شَهْرًا أَوْ سَنَةً  

tabarani:5235 – Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Dabarī > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī And Mālik > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Arsalanī Abū Juhaym al-Anṣārī > Zayd b. Khālid al-Juhanī Asʾaluh Mā

[Machine] I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about a man passing in front of a praying person. He said, "It is better for him to stay in his place for forty [times] than to pass in front of a praying person." He said, "I do not know if he meant forty years, or forty months, or forty days."  

الطبراني:٥٢٣٥ – حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدَّبَرِيُّ أَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنِي الثَّوْرِيُّ وَمَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبُو جُهَيْمٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ إِلَى زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ أَسْأَلُهُ مَا

سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي الرَّجُلِ يَمُرُّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ «لِأَنْ يَقُومَ فِي مَقَامِهِ أَرْبَعِينَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمُصَلِّي» قَالَ «فَلَا أَدْرِي أَقَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا»